Page 9 of Afflicted

He walks towards us, his hands in his pockets, he always looks so fucking casual, like he’s strolling into a coffee shop or something. He looks Matt up and down when he stops at the end of my bed, then looks down at me. “You feeling better?” He asks.

I shrug. “I guess so.”

“I’ve told them to give you extra supplements for the next week.”

“Great. Thanks.”

His rusty red eyes stay fixed on me, flickering for a millisecond to my bare legs. “Your donation has been canceled for tomorrow.”

“I know, they told me.” I just want him to go away and stop staring at me. When he doesn’t move, I raise my eyebrows. “I’m fine, thanks.”

His lips move, as though he’s dragging them against his fangs, then he turns abruptly and heads back out of the dorm, the door falling closed behind him.

“Friend of yours?” Matt asks with a chuckle.

I roll my eyes. “That guy freaks me out. He keeps staring at me.”

“Maybe he’s hungry?”

“Oh shut up,” I say, and I can’t help but smile as Matt bursts out laughing.

“Hey, maybe he thinks you’re hot.” Matt shrugs. “I mean, you are, so…”

I flush again and shake my head. “I’m a mess, are you kidding?” I run my blonde hair self-consciously through my hands. It used to be lighter, back when I could go to a salon and get highlights, now it’s just a sandy kind of color, and way too long.

“Nah, you’re cute,” Matt says, grinning. “I mean it, those freckles.” He gestures across his own face, over his nose, indicating the freckles that stray there on my face. “They’re real cute. Very girl-next-door.”

I scoff. “Yeah, OK. You can stay. You’re going to be good for my ego.”

“I hope so.” He smiles. “I guess I’d better go. I’ll see you at bedtime then?”

“I’ll be right here,” I reply. And then I remember he and I will be scheduled to shower in the same shift tonight because we’re not up for draining, and I think I’m going to cringe myself into oblivion.

He leaves the dorm with a wave, and I throw myself back on the bed. The ceiling fan spins around and around. My eyes get heavy, and I drift off as thunder rumbles outside.

* * *

The siren sounds justas we’re being ushered into the bathroom block. The high-pitched wail sends chills down my spine, and everyone begins to murmur in collective panic. Gina grabs on to my hand.

“I was wondering when this was going to happen,” she says, her eyes flickering from the feeders back to my face. “There hasn’t been an attack in a while.”

“Yeah, like 6 months now right?” I just hope this horde is smaller than the last one.

Gina nods, opening her mouth to speak but she’s interrupted as the feeders start barking commands, telling us to move out into the yard. The siren drones on overhead as we’re herded back to the dorms, and feeders are running towards the gates, guns slung over their shoulders.

I look up into the observation tower, and there’s a flurry of activity up there too. A chill runs through me, and Gina grasps my hand tighter like a concerned mother as she no doubt feels me trembling.

Fucking Afflicted. These attacks scare the shit out of me. Last time they nearly made it in, I think one of them actually did, because the next day a few feeders were gone and we never saw them again. I’m guessing they got infected, but no one ever tells us anything.

We’re unceremoniously shoved into the dorm, and then the door is closed behind us, the heavy metallic lock falling into place. Gina and I go to our beds, putting our things back into the lockers. Gina must be scared too, because she sits beside me on my bed, holding my hand.

Matt sits down opposite us. “This happen a lot?”

I shrug. “Last couple of years it’s been a lot less frequent, the first two years it happened nearly every week.”

Gunfire sounds in the distance, and Gina flinches. A few people cry out in surprise, and someone sobs softly nearby. If the Afflicted make it in, we all die. The feeders can survive an infection, even though they’ll be outcasts, roaming around just like the horde attacking us now. But we’ll all be dead. Either the virus will take us out, or the crazed feeders will kill us before it gets a chance.

Heavy footfalls sound right outside the window, and we can hear shouted commands. The siren stops blaring, and the eerie silence that falls suddenly is somehow worse. We all just sit and wait - what else can we do?

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