The Infected: Blog Story - The Complete Second Part

 

 

THE INFECTED: BLOG STORY
PART II
FOGO ISLAND

To read PART ONE, click here

Charlotte Olsen
Malory Drake
Felix Holloway
Connor Mackay
Leila Crestfield
Greta Price
Malik Chatterjee
 

Click on the chapter to read (in reading order)

1.    Piecing the Puzzle
2.    Across the Sea
3.    Inside the Boat
4.    Another Girl Lost
5.    Point the Finger
6.    A Genuine Smile
7.    Peas and Pods
8.    We Become Three
9.    Something About Greta
10.  Prisoners of War

What Happened To Greta Price
Part 1: Q&A
Part 2: Filling the Gap
Part 3: Island-bound for Eternity

11.  Leave No Prisoners
12.  Web of Lies
13.  It's Been Awhile
14.  Campfire Confessions
15.  Digging Deeper Down
16.  Voice of the Past
17.  Killing Bastards Again
18.  Decisions Are Made
19.  Mother and Daughter
20.  Leaving Fogo Island




I have already begun fleshing out the details for part 3 and you all should be reading the first chapter of The Infected: Tokyo Kin very shortly!
Enjoy the read!


Candles are out,
Eleven's Ink

The Infected: Leaving Fogo Island (20)

twenty: leaving fogo island

"He's been searching for me ever since I left Tokyo, Charlotte. He's unstable and dangerous." My mother tells me matter-of-factly, as she leads me out of the cabin and into a veritable war zone. Guns fire every which way, people are screaming and pleading for mercy while I hear engines roar off near the shoreline.

"Where are we going? I can't leave Felix, mom!" I yell above the gunfire, unable to see in front of me. I grab onto my mom's hand and follow her through the smoke.

"He's already at the docks, Charlotte! DUCK!"

My mom shoves me to the ground and my forearm is split open by broken glass that litters the forest floor. It stings me bad and soon I feel a burning sensation coarsing through my arm.

"MOM!!"

I get on all fours, trying to breathe below the smoke clouds. I see feet running by and people dropping to the ground with open, still eyes.

"MOM!!" I shout again, focusing on the people rushing by me. I suddenly feel someone grab me by my wounded arm and pull me. The pain is unbearable and I almost pass out.

"Don't fall asleep, Charlie! Hurry!!" The male voice orders me, compells me to fight.

The man leads me through the smoke as branches whip me across the face. We're going through the forest. Away from the shoreline, away from Felix.

"No... no going...wrong way." My head lolls back and I can feel warm liquids rushing up my throat. The man who's carrying me doesn't respond; we just keep moving further into the forest, away from the man I love. The father of my child, the one who got me through this all. I gather my strenghts and push myself away from the man.

I fall back onto the forest floor, both my arm and my leg sending shocks of pain throughout my body.

"Charlie!!" I hear someone scream my name from a distance. I open my eyes as wide as I can and notice that the man who was taking me away was my father. In the flesh.

"Dad..?"

The other voice finally comes closer and I spot my mother emerging from a cluster of pine trees. She's not alone either as she is quickly followed by aunt Lucy and the good doctor, standing tall behind the two short women.

"Leave her alone, Charles. She's coming with us." My mother says with authority. She kneels down beside me and asks me if i'm alright. I simply nod.

"Oh Sarabeth, always assuming you have control. You think you, that bitch, and the dirty Paki can stop me? You underestimate me again." My dad answers back. I'm still in the middle, still invisible to them. What a fool I was to believe my mom actually cared. They're still so busy fighting their egos.

My mom rubs my back and gets back up, her pistol aimed high in front of her. Aimed at my father. As much as my mother has changed, my father has remained the same. Standing there in the snow with his full suit and his proud grin; displaying the most class and charm I've ever witnessed.

"I should have done this years ago, Charles. You don't care about Charlotte, you only care about what is inside her. What it can be used for. She doesn't know everything but she will soon."

My mother flips the safety and holds the gun tighter. She looks down at me. "Block your ears, baby." She says with tears in her eyes. "You've done enough harm, Charles."

I shut my eyes tight just as the gun goes off. I scream and even years from now I will remember the feeling that tugged at my heart. I hear my dad slump to the forest floor and felt hands grabbing me and lifting me to my feet. But I don't remember being brought to the submarine that awaited us, nor seeing the dozens of dead corpses lining the shoreline. I scream and scream. All I do is that. I've lost it.

My body is broken. My mind is broken. All I do is scream. Fogo Island was suppose to be our haven. Felix and I were suppose to be togheter forever here. Oh Felix, when will I see him again. Oh Felix.


(to be continued)

The Infected: Fogo Island (19)

nineteen: mother and daughter

It's been a few hours since Aunt Lucy left with the armed man. She had been so nice and genuinely caring, yet she gave the order to terminate my pregnancy like she was ordering a value meal. No second thought.

Dr. Chatterjee had tried to calm me down. Told me it was for my own good. For the greater good, he had said. It left me wondering what exactly was wrong with my child. If it was still alive. I haven't felt it kick in awhile and even now when my adrenaline rushed, still I felt nothing stirring. I'm alone, contemplating these thoughts over when a soft knock comes at the door. I half-expect the good doctor to walk in with some form of medieval abortion contraption.

I turn over just as my mother walks inside the cabin and closes the door shut behind her. She hadn't changed. Still stiff and punctuated in her movements, not a graceful bone in her body. She turns and realise I am not sleeping, that I am looking right at her.

"Charlotte..." her hand slides in front of her mouth as tears find a nest in the crease of her eyes. She comes towards me but I protest.

"Don't...don't come near me."

"Charlotte..." She stutters, "I'm your mother." She sits down on the swivelling chair that the good doctor uses. I'm surprised that she cut her hair short. Just like I did.

"I'm just...Mom..." I break down. I don't know why but everything I held in for the past months finally come rushing out. And unlike before, my mother actually comes to comfort me. Wraps her arms around me and tells me everything will be okay. And I believe her. I'm warm in her presence and I finally feel safe. I never felt safe in her arms, never felt loved.

"There's so much I have to tell you, Charlotte." My mother whispers in my ear. I can't let her go. I hold on tighter.

"I'm so scared. Tell me..." I hold back the tears, at least long enough for me to ask, "...tell me you didn't really do this, mom. Tell me, please!"

She gently pushes away, keeps me at arms lenght. Her beautiful blue eyes lay down on mine. "I never wanted this to happen, Charlotte. You have to believe me."

"But did you do it?" I manage to ask through sobs.

She takes a deep breath. Never in my life had my mother and I have such a serious discussion. She would ignore me, belittle me, and compare me to the perfect neighbours. She seemed so different now.

"Your father and I were involved in the creation of a powerful weapon, the Tip-Shiziku virus. We were working with the Ministry of Defense, particularly with Robert Scott. Several years ago, before you were born, something fell in the northern valleys of Guam." My mother takes a breath. I can see she is nervous, a tangible tension begins to hover. "We didn't know what it was at first. Governments were trying to harnest it, companies trying to process it. Everyone wanted a piece of this new arrival. Your father and I were sent to investigate the possibilities of extracting source material from the fallen object. We were on the verge of discovery, Charlotte." She says that to re-assure me, she sees the mistrust in my eyes. The fear.

"What we found changed the course of history. What came out of that...meteorite or whatever...what came out of it attacked us. It happened so quickly but whatever it was, it wasn't human. We contained it, tested it, probed it. What we didn't do was quarantine the site. Within days the village was sick. The elderly and children went first. Then gradually everyone but the scientists perished."

She takes a break, gets up from the bed and walks towards the window where she lingers for a few minutes. I've never seen my mother in such a state of reflection before.

"The people didn't stay sick." She turns to face me, her hand formed a fist and it was clenched near her heart. "They came back from the dead. That's when your father realised the importance of that living tissue. The importance of having it in US hands -"
My mother was cutoff by aunt Lucy, who had just entered the cabin. Blood streaked her clothing.

"Sarabeth, they've knocked down the pillars. They're about to come in."

"Start up the engine and get the kids. We leave in 5." My mother's eyes shine bright like fire. Aunt Lucy nods in acknowledgement and then runs out of the cabin. My mother turns to face me.

"We'll have to continue this later. Looks like we've got company."

"Why...why are you guys running away from the dead?" I ask, confused and left wondering. I'm tired and exhausted and can't think straight. The last I heard, aunt Lucy was going out with armed men to fight off the walking dead. I hadn't thought of another scenario.

"It's not the dead," My mother answers, cocking her handgun. She looked so fierce. "We're running away from your father."

My heart tugs inside my chest as my eyes widened with concern.

"...Dad?"

The Infected: Fogo Island (18)

eighteen: decisions are made

As I'm being dragged towards an established campsite, I can't help but to look around me. I search for Felix, for my mother, for Malory. All I see is unfamiliar faces and dark, mysterious eyes resting all on me. There is a smell of burning flesh coming from somewhere near the shore. Snow is falling and Fogo Island seems almost like the perfect refuge right now.

We had finally made it. Malory and I, we made it. We reached the north shore of the island but it seemed to do little at all to appease my worries. There was no safety here, and from what I could see there was no boat either.

The good doctor has my arm slung around his neck and he helps me cross the snowy beach towards a hut. Smoke rises from the hole on the roof and it strangely smells like carrots. Surely they don't have carrots here. I would die to eat one of those.

"I'll leave you here while I go and get what I need to patch you up," Doctor Chatterjee informs me as we enter the small, rickity hut. It must have been an old fishing post.

Inside the fish-smelling cabin, Dr. Chatterjee helps me to the bed. He's gentle, and for some reason he evens seems genuinely concerned for my health. But then again, I had felt the same thing from Malory only a couple of weeks ago. He reassures me that he will be back with supplies and leaves me in the comfortable bed.

I'm not alone for more than two minutes when the door opens again.

"That was quick Dr. Chatterjee -" But when I turn around to greet the Indian practioner i'm surprised to see someone else at the door. Someone, I never thought I would see again.

"...Aunt Lucy?" I manage to let out. It comes out as barely a whisper. She was working with Mom and Dad in Tokyo, she had helped them start up the company. The company that would create this weapon of mass destruction. The zombies.

"Hello, Charlotte." She rushes towards me, tears streaming down her cheeks. She wraps her arms around me tight and holds me for a good five minutes. I can feel her heart flutter.

"What...what are you doing here?" I ask, once the first wave of surprise washes away. I haven't seen anyone from my family since I witnessed the downfall of Grams back in Del Rio. I never thought I would see anyone again. "Why isn't my mother here?"

"She can't see you right now. There's so much to do, Charlotte. There is so much you don't know yet." Aunt Lucy answers, genuine sorrow and concern in the corner of her eyes. I can tell she is worried. But like everyone else I encountered, I can't be sure whom they're worried about; them or me.

"Do you know if Felix is alright? Tall guy, buzz cut, he's probably screaming my -" I'm cut off by Aunt Lucy.

"He's fine, Charlotte. He's talking with Sarabeth right now."

I'm outraged. I demand to see him right now. Why does my mother keep interfering with the people I love. And why is Felix constantly being briefed by those who seem to want harm from me. First Malory and her men, now my mother.

"Go get my mother now!" I scream with the little energy I have left in my body. I harnest it and let out a terribly loud shriek. "GET HER HERE NOW!"

Aunt Lucy brushes away the blonde hair from her face and walks gently towards my bed. She crouches beside me and rests her hand on my forearm. I'm too weak to shrug it away.

"Decisions need to be made today, Charlotte. You have to trust me, your mother doesn't want any harm to come your way."

"Everyone has been telling me that lately, yet I believe no one but Felix."

"You don't believe me?" Aunt Lucy asks, and if i'm not mistaken, I detect pain or sadness in her voice.

"No." is all I answer back before turning over, turning my back to Aunt Lucy.

"I can't imagine what you have been through, Charlotte. But you are safe now, you're with family."

I think she expects an answer from me, but I don't give one. She's just about to leave when the door swings open and I hear a man's voice.

"Lucy, we need you at the frontline, a herd of living dead is coming our way."

Lucy gets up from the bed, pats my back and I can hear feet shuffling by the door. I figure Dr. Chatterjee arrived just at the same time.

"What is going on, Lucy?" The good doctor asks.

"Zombies in the north quadrant. You stay here with Charlotte. I'll make sure there is two armed guards by the door. And doctor, you take care of her." Lucy says and I can detect a certain superiority in her voice, as if these people look up to her.

"Will do. Oh and Lucy, there is something you must tell Sarabeth." There is a moment of silence, and then the good doctor continues, "The girl, Charlotte. She's pregnant."

I don't even turn around at the mention. I don't know how he could possibly know but I don't deny it. I haven't felt the baby kick in so long, I'm starting to doubt it's even alive.

Another moment of silence, then Lucy answers back. "Terminate the pregnancy, Doctor. And that's an order."

My eyes widen with shock and my heart flutters just as the door closes shut and I feel the good doctor coming closer towards me. The good doctor. I never should have given him so much credit.

My baby. They want to kill my baby.

The Infected: Fogo Island (17)

seventeen: killing bastards again


I hear screaming. I don't feel nothing. You would assume I would at least feel my heartbeat but I don't. I pry my eyes open and understand why. I'm still on the ground, a slight frost has covered my exposed skin. I'm freezing.

"CHARLIE! DON'T MOVE I'M SENDING SOMEONE TO GET YOU!" I hear a female voice cry out but can't identify it. It seems so familiar though.

The bitterness of the cold paralyses me; my legs numb and everything else as well. I want to move, I even try to roll myself over, but my body doesn't respond to my commands. I'm like a broken computer left in a random abandoned school. Ha, school. That thought brings me back to several months ago when life had been normal, pleasant.

Sure, I was bullied for being the biggest loser in school but at least I had life. I had Grams, who was more of a mom to me then my own mother; I had David. Oh, David. If only he was here right now to save me from this. And Greta - poor little Greta, caught in the middle of a war that didn't concern her. An innocent victim in a stupid clash of egos. And all of this because of my parents.

The anger that is summoned the moment I think of my parents is enough to rattle me. I'm not going to give up. They have to answer to what they did. I will -

"Hhrrrr"

what was that? It sounded like a moan or a growl. Fuck, fuck, fuck; there's something behind me.

"CHARLIE!!" The voice came again. The voice of my mother; the noise that is attracting the zombie to the tree. "CHARLIE, PLEASE ANSWER ME!"

I think of everything good that ever happened in my life, I gather all those memories, and I draw from them the energy and hope I need to move. Every muscle in my body contracts the moment I roll over.

"Aaaah!!" The pain is unbearable. I hear my mother scream my name again, and it's really starting to get on my nerves. I'm in such a bad position right now. My foot has swollen to near giantess proportions. Although my mind wants to focus on the pain, my heart and soul is ready to attack.

I lay on my back on the frozen ground, still as a leaf. It's white all around except in front of me where a lone bastard crawls desperately my way. Just a few feet from my face. I've felt safe for too long - I forgot how scary those fucking freaks were! Its legs had been either blown off or ripped off, and the sight alone of its naked rotten body made me gag. The smell made me vomit. Little came out and it was all over my chest.

I'm in a daze, half frozen. Nobody seems to be coming out of the hole to come and save me and I'm starting to think that maybe the hole isn't safe. I tilt my head sideways to watch the zombie - its barely moved, still trying to claw his way forward. I suddenly remember my spear, it fell not far from me. I turn my head the other side and spot it just as arms reach.

I hear something to my left just as I grab the spear. The noise is coming closer and closer. I clench the spear and roll over just as something flashes to my right. The zombie growls and I spear him right between the eyes. I use the zombie's weight to help me get up by pushing on the spear.

"Whoa, whoa, don't move you're hurt!" A man tells me. He's tall and dark-skinned - and I don't recognize the accent. He rushes to me and helps me towards a tree. He calls for more help, and then turns his attention back to me.

"You have a clean shot, young girl. Not your first kill, am I correct?" His eyes meet mine and I feel like he's examined my soul. There is so much compassion in his eyes.

"Who...who are you." I manage to say between breaths. My lungs hurt so much and my throat is so dry.

"My name is Dr. Malik Chatterjee, and I'm a friend of your mother."

A friend of my mother. And just like that, I trust the doctor a little less.

The Infected: Fogo Island (16)

sixteen: voice of the past

My body has never felt so foreign to me. The cold winds have taken over my skin and the hunger stripped away my insides. I'm dying, I think to myself. I'm dying and I'll never be able to see my unborn child, won't be able to kiss Felix, or run my hand through my hair whenever it would grow back.

Malory is walking ahead of me, clearing the way with my makeshift spear. The new conditions of our planet seemed to have taken effect on the weather as well. Ice began to form on the trees of Fogo Island, causing severe damages to the forest, and in some cases blocking us access from moving forward. We don't have much left to walk - I can even see tiny figures in the distance - but every step I make is a struggle. I'm hurting, everywhere, all the time.

My left leg started cramping a few days ago and the pain hasn't ceased. It's fucking unbearable.

"We'll have to crawl under that tree, can you do it?" Malory asks me, and I have to put my hand above my eyes to see her. The snow reflects sunlight way too well.

"Yeah. If it means seeing Felix." I manage to say between breaths. I lean forward and rest my hand against a frozen birch tree.

"Why don't you let me bloody look at it? I don't believe you-"

"I'm fine." I cut her off. I don't want to wait anymore. I want to see Felix, tell him about the pregnancy. I want him to know that he's going to be a father.

"Whatever. I think it's worst then you let on." Malory says. She approaches the fallen tree and starts brushing snow from beneath the trunk.

I watch Malory crawl under the massive tree trunk. I notice how much she used her legs to wiggle herself through the tight space. I know my leg is going to hurt like hell when my turn comes, but Felix is only five minutes away. He's probably worried sick about me.

"Hey, you coming?" Malory asks, from over the tree trunk. I can't see her.

"Yeah. Yeah, i'm coming now!" I answer back.

I carefully get on my knees and start crawling slowly towards the hole between the trunk and ground. I stop when I get at the hole. There was something in Malory's voice that sounded off. Something rattles on the other side of the hole. I stop completly and listen. I hear whispers, voices, a conversation. She's not alone. We've probably reached their new campsite. I suddenly feel very light. The lack of sleep and food combined with this new fear has weakened me.

"What's taking so bloody long, Charlie? We're almost there" Malory says, and the crack in her voice confirms my doubts. Why isn't she telling me though?

"Yeah, it's my leg. I'm going to attempt to go over the trunk." I answer. I lay still, waiting for an answer. This is the true test.

"Whatever, Charlie. Just bloody get over here, something's up. Ok don't point that at me, I'll tell her! I'll tell her!."

What the hell is going on? I get back on my two feet and use my spear to help me stay up.

"Malory!! Who are you talking to?"

"She's here, Charlotte. She's found us. Your mom found us."

I hear actual sorrow and despair in her voice. My mom is here.

"Mom! Don't hurt her! Please, i'm coming. I'm -" In a hurry to get into the crawlspace, I twist my ankle and the pain that shoots through my leg is too unbearable.

"Ahhhh!" I let let go of my spear and fall on the snow covered forest floor. The last thing I remember before passing out is hearing my mother scream out my name.

The Infected: Fogo Island (15)

fifteen: digging deeper down


I wake up cold. My skin is icy to the touch and my teeth chatter away as the frigid northern winds creep into our makeshift tent. Malory is already busy packing everything away.

"We'll leave the tarp behind, we won't need it anyway. We're just a few hours away and I don't think I can handle anymore manoeuvering. My fingers are frozen." I can hear Malory say from outside the tent. I slip on my cardigan and the yellow winter coat Malory handed me the day we left camp.

The sun blinds me the moment I exit the tent. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust to the bright landscape. There's a nice smell in the air, one of freshness. It feels good to breathe in aromas different then rotting flesh and disease-filled air. I grab my backpack and sling it over my shoulder. With my free hand I grasp my wooden spear.

Malory holsters her shotgun and we are ready to leave again. All this wandering about has left me tired, sore, and most of all utterly unconvinced. What's the point of trekking around the globe now that everything I loved is lost. Malory admitted that she killed Greta last night and it triggered a series of questions.

"Can we...Can we talk about what we said last night?" I ask, forcing one foot ahead of the other. Every step weakens me. I rub my belly, worried that my baby is dead. I haven't felt her move in so long. Her. A baby girl. I would name her Greta.

"Why? We said what we wanted, didn't we? I don't think I have anything to add to that, frankly." Malory answers, without even looking back at me. I keep following her from a distance, the cold snow making every step harder and harder to take. She is unreadable; I constantly find myself wondering what she really thinks. She can be so warm sometimes, so inviting; at other times, she can be as frigid as the wind.

"You murdered a child, Malory. And you don't even seem to know why."

"I killed...I did what I had to. Times have changed. You won't understand, Charlie."

"Then help me understand. I knew that girl!" I shout but Malory keeps on walking. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" I yell even louder and grab Malory's arm, forcing her to stop. When she turns, there's tears in her eyes.

"You killed someone, Malory. Not one of those bastards, but a living person. What did Greta do? Tell me!" I slap her across the cheek and then tears form in my own eyes. I slap her again but she doesn't react. "TELL ME!"

"She knew too bloody much! Don't make the same mistake she did, Charlie. Don't get involved in this." Her voice comes out a semi-growl, a sound only a madwoman would make.

"I don't care about your stupid war with my mom or your dad or whatever. This is bigger then you, bigger then us all. People are dying, Malory. I know you're not a bad person, so stop acting like one."

"This is not bigger then all of us. It's all about us. If we make it off this bloody island, I promise I will tell you everything, Charlie. But you have to trust me."

Her brow creases, giving her a sad puppy look. I don't know if I do trust her. I can't know for sure if what she tells me are lies or the truth. But right now I have no other choice then play along in the hopes that she will reunite me with Felix. I've learned alot and it took alot for me to come to the conclusion that, in this new world, all that matters is being safe with Felix.

"I trust you, Malory. Besides Felix, you are all I have." I give her the same smile I would give Victoria Crow when she forced me to do something I didn't want to. But this time it was different. I never thought about getting revenge on Victoria - I was weak back then.

But now I'm a fighter, a survivor. And nobody will ever put me down again.

The Infected: Fogo Island (14)

fourteen: campfire confessions

We decided to rest for awhile, question of winning back our strenght. Both Malory and I were exhausted, dehydrated, hungry. Overall, we needed a break. The snow had ceased but the brutal winds continued dusting the white shit around me. Malory's brilliant idea of bringing a tarp with her surely saved us from hypothermia.

She was doing just that, setting the tarp, when I approached her with a semi-frozen can of corn.

"This is all we have left. How far 'til we reach the others?" I ask, half expecting a grunt for a response. Malory hasn't been very chatty since the attack. A part from the odd instructions here or there, not much was heard from the English lass with the fiery red hair.

"Another few hours walk. We'll leave first thing tomorrow. Save the food for then." Her words are stiff, her pronounciation stiffer. The cold is getting to her too.

"We have to eat, Malory. We won't have the strenght to survive the night." I look out at the vast forest ahead. White everywhere. "Not in these conditions."

Malory ties up the final knot and turns hastily to face me, her face twisted with either anger or confusion. "And what would you know about these conditions? You grew up in Del Rio, Texas - bloody gated communities." She says and flips a corner of the tarp over and I see now that she created a makeshift tent.

"It isn't gated. And excuse me, I'm trying my best here. I didn't ask for this, to be brought here and misled. You don't know me, Malory."

"Didn't we already establish the fact that I do know you?" Malory answers with a grin and a chuckle. She sidesteps me and enters the tent she just made. I quickly follow.

"You don't know me." I shoot back, placing my palms on my heart. "The real me."

Malory stops and briefly looks into my eyes. "Is this your way of making me feel sorry for you?" She can be so dry and so...British some times. She kneels down and begins what looks like early preparations for a campfire.

I take a step forward. I feel so vulnerable - I've been acting so different lately. Chopping off my hair, acting without thinking, lashing out at Felix. It could be the pregnancy, which i'm starting to think went terribly wrong. I haven't felt her - it - I haven't felt it moving in weeks. I feel alone.

"I was bullied." I start, hoping to get Malory's attention. I do. "Yeah, I was the school's punching bag. Rich kids didn't want to be my friend because I wasn't into shopping or gossip. Middle class thought I was just some another snob. Poor kids didn't even notice I existed. I had David. I had nothing to live for but him."

Tears start forming in my eyes. I don't even look at Malory. I just continue. "David was everything to me. When shit hit the fan and I left Del Rio with Felix, I had no doubt in my mind that David was dead. Stupid me, if anyone could survive the zombie apocalypse it would have been him. I went on living thinking he was dead. But he wasn't. And the moment I found out was the moment Aleksandra put a bullet in him. I found comfort in Felix. Stability is what keeps us sane, Malory. Habits. Felix was a familiar face, someone I knew and trusted."

I notice i'm rubbing my belly and judging by Malory's teary eyes and knowing glance, she has too.

"I'm pregnant, Malory." I say and then the waterworks really start.

Malory crawls towards me and wraps her arms around my cold body. We cry togheter for the unborn baby. We cry for the world that is no more. We cry for our loved ones.

"I killed Greta. I don't know why. I killed her." Malory lets out between sobs.
I don't want her to feel guilty for me. I know the game she is playing, sensed it from the moment we left the camp. No, I don't want her sympathy. I want revenge. And right now, Malory is eating from the palm of my hand.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow, I act.

The Infected: Fogo Island (13)

thirteen: it's been awhile

The cold outside should have killed me by now. The winter was creeping up on us fast - abnormally fast, something I was not used to; a Texan all my life, i've never seen so much snow.

Malory and I haven't talked since our little chat over an hour ago. Night had forced us to pay more attention to our surroundings. We weren't protected like we were back by the beach. We didn't have a security team, a wall so high it would intimidate the largest of predators, and alarms to sound off once tripped or activated. I had my sharp staff and Malory carried both a gun in a holster and a shotgun in her hands.

Zombies were a threat again. I could hear some of them in the distance but none got close. We moved fast, as fast as our cold legs would let us. And that fight to survive, that desire to see Felix, to hold him, to kiss him - that is what kept me alive in this surreal Canadian winter.

"They're getting closer, Charlotte. Keep to my side." Malory warned me and I crept closer to her, our backs touching as we moved along the western forest of Fogo Island.

It's been a few weeks since I've been faced with the bastards but I haven't lost touch with reality. One single bite and i'm fucked. I wouldn't mind Malory being eaten, though. It's crossed my mine to stab her in the leg. Let the zombies go to her while I run to safety. Her guns keep me from doing anything of the sort.

"Why aren't they coming straight at us?" I notice, my back still firmly resting against Malory's. The walking dead seemed to stay at bay, forming a peremeter around us.

"I honestly don't know. I've never seen them so..." She was cut off by the sudden attack. The dozen or so zombies that circled us began to walk towards us at once. Like an army.

"SHOOT THEM!" I screamed and impaled the first bastard that reached us. I pulled my wooden lance out of its head, swung around and stabbed the other flesh-eating fuck that was behind me. Malory hadn't released one bullet yet. "WHY AREN'T YOU FUCKING SHOOTING THEM?!"

"MORE WILL COME!" She yelled back, holstering her shotgun and pulling out a nine inch blade from her boot. "TAKE OUT THOSE FOUR, I'LL TAKE THOSE THREE"

The rush of adrenaline that coarsed through my body brought me to life. I left Malory's side and made my way towards the four bastards that had clustered to my left. Their faces disfigured, their limbs torn apart, and the flesh on their skin rotting away as they walked. I felt nothing for them.

I lifted the wooden spear to the sky and impaled the first zombie. I pulled the spear out, and planted the sharp side in the second zombie's head. They were so slow. The third one came from behind and I had to duck and spear the bastard from below. Brains and blood spattered upwards and came close to land on me. That was a dumb move.

The last bastard came slowly towards me; his eyes bulging from their sockets, his left arm completly ripped apart from his shoulder. His right hand was reaching out, trying to grab onto me even though the bastard was an easy ten feet away.

I gripped the lance with both hands and threw it at the zombie's head. It went throught its skull like knife in butter. The bastard crumbled to the forest floor. Malory screamed out my name, asked if I was okay.

I picked up my weapon and ran my hand through what little hair I had left on my head.

"I'm fine - What about you?"

"Fine. Let's get going. They won't wait for me forever."

For you. She didn't say anything about me. My fingers curled tightly around my spear and a new fire lit inside my eyes. And I repeated to myself what I told Felix.

I am not dying today.

The Infected: Fogo Island (12)

twelve: web of lies

We exit some odd tunnel that leads into the forest just outside the fortified walls that protected the makeshift camp that Malory and her people called home for a month. The men that accompanied Malory and I didn't leave the tunnel; once we were out, they simply shut the door behind us.

The wind was cold and fierce, blowing snow every which way. As I turned to shield myself, that is when my eyes caught sight of the pillar of smoke rising from behind the walls, the flames licking flirtatiously with the sky.

"What is happening..." I ask, confused.

Malory slips on a fur coat and stands beside me, arms crossed.

"That is your mother and her men. They want you; there is no end to the Olsen's cruelty. You all rot from the inside."

I gawk in her direction, slightly insulted. She doesn't even pay me any attention. Malory turns her back to her village and begins walking towards the heart of the island. I'm not familiar with the area but the road that twists through the forest lets me know that somewhere, sometime, we will come across a town. From experience, towns are never welcoming. Not for the living.

"So what's the plan, now? Now that you've abandonned your people?" I ask Malory, following her from close behind - looking back every so often to show what little respect I can give them. I wonder if Leila is there.

"I haven't left everyone behind. The important ones are waiting for us at the Northern tip of Fogo. Keeping you away from the hands of your mom and Robert Scott is our only plan right now." Malory answers, keeping her eyes on the scenery before them.

They aren't protected by walls and sentinels anymore. Whatever comes their way, they must fight off on their own.

"I heard that name before..." I let out, and before I can say anything else, it suddenly hits me that Greta is no longer with us. In every sense of the term, Greta has left this world. I'm here walking with Malory as if heading to the mall on a cold autumn's day. And Greta Price is dead. David is dead. Grams is dead. Even Victoria's death saddens me.

I look at Malory and only see fire in her eyes. There is no life, only flames, flickering back and forth.

"You mean Robert Scott?"

"Yeah"

Malory stops walking and looks at me with that grin again, her rusty freckles and flaming red hair shining bright against the white landscape.

"You know, I really thought you were something special when you arrived. When my spies caught Aleksandra I was sure you were the mastermind behind some bloody takeover. That you and your little friends were trying to take from us what we worked so hard to achieve. But the more I get to know you, Charlotte, the less I'm threatened by you. It's absolutely pathetic how little you know."

"Says the woman who can't figure out what the cure is. You don't know any more then I do, Malory." I fire back, keeping my eyes trained on hers. Hopefully she'll continue talking and finally give me something to work with.

She sighs and rolls her eyes.

"I know that Robert Scott is the US Secretary of Defense and that he hired your parents to study a substance they found during Typhoon Tips' ravage of Japan. I know that they worked for two years straight to devellop a weapon that could be used to raise an army of warriors that felt no pain. I know that your parents hated each other and would have rather not having a child. I know that Denton Drake, my father, helped a struggling researcher and his wife with their new project in return for profit. And I know that my father sealed a deal with your parents to release that weapon against the world so they could make profit off the cure."

I don't say anything. Malory waits for me to answer. To say it isn't true. But I know it is. David was on to something, he knew about the deal between Drake Foods and my parents laboratory. My parents had created all this - they killed Grams. And David.

"So your Denton Drake's daughter?"

"Yes. I guess we both have family issues."

"I guess so." I answer vaguely, looking out towards the forest, towards the Northern tip.

The Infected: Fogo Island (11)

eleven: leave no prisoners

I'm in the dark. I have the time to think, to ponder. I have time to imagine the horrors that must be happening in the other rooms. I have all the time in the world. And that worries me.

No longer chained to the wall, I wander aimlessly around the tight space, examining every crevice, every crack that lines the mildewed walls. None of them offers me a chance to escape. There is nothing to escape to, I tell myself. Felix must be dead by now, tortured for answers he did not have; only God knows what happened to Greta.

The thought of her brings back a distant memory. I'm playing cards (or was it monopoly) with David; Greta interupts us to watch a documentary - some stupid amateur horror film. I don't remember it being - Did the knob just shake?

I back against the wall, fearful Connor will come in to torture me. Two days I've been in here without water, without food. I fix the door knob but it doesn't rattle anymore. I question my sanity. I go to rub my belly, wondering if the baby is still alive, when the door swings open and Malory comes in.

"Come on, we're leaving." She orders in that too-annoying British accent.

With her arrival comes the sound of blaring sirens. I process what she says and add that to the sound of the alarm; something is wrong on Fogo Island.

"Where's Felix?" I ask, walking towards the door. I stop. "I'm not leaving without him. And Greta."

"Felix is fine, Charlotte. We have to leave, now."

"What is going on? What the fuck is going on?!" I lash out, angry. So fucking angry. "I've done nothing to harm you or your people! All I want is my friends and I want to leave! Why can't you just let us go?"

Malory lingers in the doorframe. For a second I believe she's going to answer me, show me at least a bit of respect. But instead she giggles. If it weren't for the two men behind her, I would have stoned her right where she stood. And enjoyed it.

"You still don't get it, Charlotte. I can't let you go. You might not see it now but you better open your bloody eyes soon, girl. What you left behind, you're so called family - they are out to get you. They brought Aleksandra to you. They appointed Greta as their spy and because of them she is dead. They are the reason the dead walk and they will be the reason behind mankind's extinction if they get to you. You know why?"

My heart flutters. It hasn't skipped a beat since Felix and I enjoyed our first night togheter. I'm afraid of what she is about to say yet deep down I already know what it is. The cure.

"Why?" I managed to say, but it comes out as barely a whisper.

"Because there is something you have that can end this all. Some people will benefit from infecting mankind and then selling a cure at high prices. Some people have a lot to gain."

My eyes grow as hers remain fixed on mine. She shakes her head and orders the men to grab me. I don't resist. I'm too shocked. I have the cure against the walking dead. Its absurd. She's crazy.

They drag me past Malory. The bitch is smiling.

"Better prey they didn't hide the cure inside you." She says and we start walking down the dimly lit corridor as the sirens scream all around us.

The Infected: What Happened to Greta Price (3)

three: island-bound for eternity

Five Days Prior to the Infection

"So what do we do to pass the time? Wanna play cards?" David asked me. He seemed to know what I would answer before I ever opened by mouth. He was already walking towards the closet where the Prices kept their games.

"Not Queen of Hearts," I snicker, "you always win."

David comes back with the deck of cards in his hands and sits down across from me. As he opens the pack, the door to the basement swings wide open and Greta stumbles out - her laptop cradled in her hands.

"Ohmygod David, you'll never believe what I found on the net! Hey Charlie!" She barely looks at me, sits right beside her brother. "I thought It would be perfect for your blog!"

"You guys have way too much time on your hands!" I laugh to myself. Greta and David were always tossing theories around and discussing the latest science buzz.

"You don't get it, Charlie, this is really wack. It was filmed in 1979 and the girl in the vid mentions your name," Greta says, looking at me with wide eyes; just waiting for my reaction.

It doesn't come.

"You know how many Charlotte's there must be in the world? Greta -"

"Just watch it!" She shrieks and presses the play button. David and I exchange a glance before the recording begins.

****

The screen was black for several seconds until one single eye came in view. The image cleared up and zoomed out putting in focus the girl that held the digital camcorder. She had straight black hair with a heavy bang that shadowed her eyes. Mascara ran down her right cheek and she had several deep cuts that ran along the leftside of her face.

The camara shook in her hands and she had trouble staying in the frame. Their wasn't much light on her and the background was undistinguishable. Everything was black.

"This is day five, I am in the subway tunnels below Honshu. They have taken over the city-"

Strange noises could be heard in the distance. The fragile Japanese girl turned around quickly and panic gripped her, evident by the steady shaking of the cam. She brought her attention back to the camera and brushed her hair from her face, revealing another gash across her forehead.

"I don't know how much time I have left before I change but whoever finds this has to know that there is a cure. There is a cure. You have to find - Oh God...no!"

The noises that peppered the darkened tunnels were coming closer and closer. The girl held the camera firmly in her hands as she began running down the lenghty tunnels. The small light attached to the camcorder created straight luminous lines as it juggled wildly in it's owners panicked hands. She could be heard screaming and shouting for help even as she stumbled to the ground.

The camera fell a few feet away from her, the light shining directly in her terrified eyes. She tried to grab the camera but it was just out of reach.

"Find CharloooOOOO -"

Something grabbed her foot from the darkness and dragged the Japanese girl out of sight but her screams could be heard from the dark and her suffering was recorded until the batteries died and the light went out.

****

"Charlo? How is that my name?" I asked, confused as to why Greta was so excited to show us that obviously fake video.

"I don't know, it just made me think of you."

Sometimes I forget just how young Greta is, how vulnerable she is to the world. She's fragile. She's so young.

Now

Malory was quite surprised, yet pleased, that Greta had such a compelling memory. Yet her knowledge of the crisis scared her. The little girl knew too much.

"That is very alarming." Malory said, fumbling with something in the back of her pants.

"Why?"

"Because Denton Drake is my father." The red headed woman answered before turning around, turning the gun on little Greta Price. "And he has no idea about what I am doing in his name."

Malory shot three bullets in the ground, just at Greta's feet. The little girl jumped back, shrieking.

"I know you're not saying the whole truth. Now tell me everything or the next bullet will be in your head." Malory spat, her voice unfaltering even when threatening a small child.

"I told you everything I know," Greta said between tears. One more word and she would be sobbing.

"What do you know about the cure, Greta? Does Charlie have it?"

"I don't know."

"Where is it?"

"I said I don't know!" Greta shouted, angry and hurt. Pained.

"Well say hello to your brother, then."

Malory raised the pistol and pulled the trigger without hesitation. She didn't even linger in respect as Greta crumbled to the floor. She sidestepped the body and walked out. Joining the fleeing crowd.

Leaving Greta on Fogo Island forever.

The Infected: What Happened to Greta Price (2)

two: filling the gap

Malory was leading Greta down a dark corridor, most likely held under the camp site. The metal sheets that covered the walls and shaking pipes overhead were here long before the Infection began. Fogo Island was an old mining island and many of its old tunnels and digsites still remained.

Greta was getting tired of walking, checking back often to see if Charlotte was following them. She wasn't. They turned into one of the rooms that was most likely used for the miners resting quarters, judging by the beds that lined the walls.

"We'll stay here for a while." Malory said and closed the door behind them.

"What is going on? Did I say something wrong?" Greta answered warily, aware of the sound of shuffling feet outside the door.

Malory kneeled down, just low enough to look directly in the little girl's eyes.

"You said exactly what I wanted to hear. Now tell me, how did you find us? Was it Sarabeth that led you here? Charlotte's mother?"

Greta was afraid herself, but she knew she wasn't as scared as the red-headed woman that knelt before her.

"Yes. She promised that she could end this. I don't want to hurt anyone but I was alone; my family is dead. When Aleksandra killed my brother, I ran out. I ran to hurt her, to see my brother. That's when Charlie's mom showed up with men. She seemed angry about something. Charlotte had been in Del Rio  and supposedly took something from her mom.

"Sarabeth wanted it back. She said it could help us end the war against the dead. She said the only way for us to survive, to be happy, was to find Charlotte and get that thing back."

"What is it? Do you know?" There was a fire in Malory's eyes, one burning bright as her fiery red hair.

"It's a tracking device. That's all I know."

"And you were suppose to retrieve it?"

"Yes. But I promise Charlie and Felix had nothing to do with this."

Malory contemplated what the little girl just said. Her brow lowered as she stood back up. She paced slightly around the room, going over the details that were just leaked to her.

"Greta, did Sarabeth talk about a cure?"

"The night before I signaled your boat, I overheard her talking with Aleksandra about Denton Drake, the CEO of Drake Foods. She said he had a lot more riding on this then her and that if he got the cure before them, the situation would only get worse."

Malory was quite surprised, yet pleased, that Greta had such a compelling memory. Yet her knowledge of the crisis scared her. The little girl knew too much.

"That is very alarming." Malory said, fumbling with something in the back of her pants.

"Why?"

"Because Denton Drake is my father." The red headed woman answered before turning around, turning the gun on little Greta Price. "And he has no idea about what I am doing in his name."


POW POW POW


(to be continued)

The Infected: What Happened to Greta Price (1)

one: Q&A

Malory had no intention on going easy with the child. She could see right through the trio's plan to take over the settling, with the help from that blonde girl across the sea. It was plain as sight that Charlotte Olsen hadn't strayed far from the family dynamics. Betrayal and deception was in her blood.

The British readhead stepped out of the first room and accompanied by Connor, made her way towards the other room, the one furthest from the stairs. That's where Greta was being held. Malory nodded to Connor, letting him know she would enter the room herself.

When Malory entered, she half-expected Greta to leap out at her, unleash her youthful rage. But none of that happened. Greta was curled up into a ball, tucked away in one of the corners of the room.

"Hello Greta."

The little girl didn't respond. Malory took a chair out from the closet and sat crossed-leg in front of Greta.

"I have a few questions for you. Just to better assess what is going on. You like Q&A's, Greta?"

Malory was sweet talking the child. Smiling and speaking softly. Greta responded well to this, and nodded in approval.

"Good, because I have a few questions for you. Are you David Price's sister?

Greta nodded again, this time unfolding her arms from around her bent knees, slowly exposing herself. A sign of trust.

"And did the girl from across the sea, Aleksandra; did she murder your brother?"

"Yes." Greta managed to say, although so close to sobbing.

"And did you lead her here? Did you know about this place?"

This time Greta shook her head. "She brought me here."

"So Aleksandra knew of this place?"

It took a while for Greta to answer. She was struggling with an answer.

"Yes. She..." Greta looks around the room then back at the floor. "I promised I wouldn't say anything. She made me promise."

"Aleksandra did?" Malory asked, although she seemed to know that that was not the answer Greta was about to give her.

"No. Charlotte's mother."

And at that answer, Malory's eyes grew twice their size and her jaw dropped. She jumped out of her chair and slammed her hand against the large red push-button by the door, sounding off an alarm. Connor rushed inside the room.

"Is everything -"

"Get Charlotte and Felix. We need to leave."

"Why? What's wrong?"
"She found us. The bitch is here."

"What about your father? He can -"

"Leave him. He deserves whatever it is that comes his way."


(to be continued)

The Infected: Fogo Island (10)

ten: prisoners of war

It smells ranky. Of all my senses, smell if the one that comes back first. Then I hear Felix whispering my name and soon I manage to open my eyes. It's dark and damp, and with both those factors I can only assume we are in some kind of basement or bunker. There is only a small patch of light creeping in from the only door I can see.

"Where did they put us?" I ask Felix, crawling towards him as I speak.

"I don't know. But she thinks we want to take over the island. With Aleksandra and Greta." Felix sighs, giving away his thoughts on how ridiculous that concept was. Us with her? Aleksandra?

"It does seem odd though that Aleksandra and Greta are both here. But we have to convince Malory that we don't want to usurp their utopia." I wrap my arms around Felix to warm myself up.

"Paranoïa is a difficult adversary to fight. And the odds that we know two arrivals, with one scoping the mainland? Charlie, I don't know how we're going to get out of this one."

"We just have to tell her about Aleksandra. She has - "

I'm cut off by the sound of the door opening. Felix and I jump to our feet when Connor steps inside. He eyes us down. I go to speak when he grabs Felix by the arm.

"You're coming with me."

"Connor," I spit his name out, with anger, with venom, "you guys are making a mistake by bringing that girl here. She killed my best friend -"

"-Save it for the cows, we're not blinded by your tactics Mrs. Olsen." He makes a funny face when he says my name, as if the mention of it alone repulses him. Felix gives me one of those looks - the you'll-be-safe one - and then dissapears with Connor.

The door doesn't close. Malory walks in just as the boys leave. In the dim light, Malory's red hair radiates; her green eyes locked with mine.

"You thought you could just waltz in here and take it away, Charlotte? I see the apple doesn't fall far from the tree."

"It's not what you think -"

"I don't care what kind of story you've made up to cover your tracks. I'm not a bloody idiot, little girl." She shouts the last word and steps forward, slapping me across the face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you! That bitch across the sea is the one who murdered my best friend. We parted ways - there is no conspiracy. Not on my side."

"Keep believing your lies, Charlotte. Sooner or later you'll have to face the truth. You're no different then your parents. Deception and greed runs in your veins. To bloody hell with all of you."

She turns around and leaves me in the dark. The door closes shut and i'm left with that thought in my head. You're no different then your parents. Deception and greed runs in your veins.

Does it?

The Infected: Fogo Island (9)

nine: something about greta


Most of the survivors have already scattered. Only Greta, Malory, Leila, Felix, and I remain with Connor looking on from a distance. A northern wind begins to chill us and soon Malory suggests we go in one of the cabin.

"It's time we talk", Malory says and looks down at Leila and Greta, "You girls want hot chocolate?"

Both of them nod and Malory makes eye contact with Connor. He seems to understand her glare and soon whisks the two girls away to another cabin. Malory points at both Felix and I and gestures for us to follow her. I look at Felix with worry; both our packs are loaded with food and we obviously look on the run.

But Greta isn't with us and I'm not leaving Fogo Island without her. So I roll my eyes and follow Felix and Malory into her cabin.

Once inside, I feel the fire nipping away at the cold on my skin. Felix removes his coat and pack and so I do the same.

"You guys want tea or coffee?" Malory asks us and starts for the kitchen.

"No thanks," I answer for Felix and I, "what is it you want to talk about, Malory? About my mom. Or about the cure?"

Felix jumps in his seat and Malory stops mixing the coffee. She doesn't look over her shoulder, simply returns to preparing the hot beverages. "Weren't you advised not to mention that, Felix?"

"I didn't..." He looks at me, lowers his eyes. Is he ashamed? "...I didn't have a choice. She's everything I have right now."

The familiarity with which they speak is unsettling. I'm starting to doubt that Felix told me everything about the initiation I saw, where I thought they were killing him. They're playing me for a fool.

"Okay, will one of you tell me what is going on?" I jump out of my seat, arms crossed and nostrils flaring. Furious. Betrayed. "What are you hiding? TELL ME! I've been through fucking hell and back again, now tell me everything." I didn't notice the tears until now. I look at Felix and back at Malory, both ignoring my gaze.

Malory finally turns around and hands me a cup of strongly brewed coffee, judging by its potent aroma. She invites me to sit down.

"It's complicated," Malory begins, "and that is not what I wanted to talk about. We have another issue right now, and that's why I invited you here. How do you know the little girl?"

"Greta?" Felix says, "She's a girl from the neighbourhood."

"She was my best friend's sister." I answer, glaring at Felix. I'm so angry, we should of been on the boat by now - far away from here.

"And what about her friend on the other side of the sea? Tall blonde girl, goes by the name of Aleksandra?" Malory says with her british accent, sipping away at her Earl Grey.

She looks at both our faces. I don't know about Felix but my mouth is wide open with exclamation. I knew she would find us.

"What? Didn't think we knew what you were up to?"

Suddenly the doors crash open and several men enter, armed with their spears. Felix and I jump up but I know we are powerless right now. What the fuck just happened?

"Nobody is going to try and take our home." Malory orders the men to take us to Connor's cabin. "And the girl as well. Benny, get a crew togheter and get the one across the sea. Bloody hell. Kids trying to take us over. Ridiculous."

I go to tell her that she's wrong, that Aleksandra killed my best friend, that we have nothing to do with this; but one of the men hits me on the head with something hard and soon my hearing goes and my vision follows.

The Infected: Fogo Island (8)

eight: we become three

Leila's hand is moist - I find that odd considering the frigid weather that settles in at these times up North. But I don't let it go, I never leave her sight as we make our way through the small crowd that gathered around the new arrival.

I spot Felix by one of the birch trees and subtly let go of my leader's hand. Leila continues through the gathering as I navigate left towards Felix. His eyes are focused on the people that have now formed a cicrle.

The snow crunches under my feet as I settle beside Felix and lean my head on his shoulder.

"You got everything?" He asks, never betraying his gaze.

"Leila caught me before I could grab some cans." The commotion begins to draw in my attention. I keep talking but my eyes are fixed on the crowd. "But I managed to get a few dry goods. Enough for a few weeks."

"That's good" He answers but never looks away from the people. "Um...Charlie, I have bad news."

I had my fair share of bad news already. Everything that seems to be happening to us is either bad or really fucking bad. The attack on our hometown, the death, the pursuit, the betrayal, the loss. And even the life inside me is just another bad turn of events. He better not tell me they loss the boat.

"What is it, Felix? I can't take another swing. I just can't."

"You're not going to like this, Charlie," he says, turning his back to the crowd.

I can tell just be the look in Felix's eyes that unpleasant things are about to happen. But I survived a zombie attack; I witnessed death; faced it head on and didn't back down. I'm tired of running and he knows it.

"Felix, just spit it out already!" I slap him on the shoulder and he laughs. He fucking laughs.

"I like it when you get mad. Life comes back." he snickers, returns his attention to the crowd. Hands in his pocket, he seems so relax right now. News can't be that bad.

"The person who has arrived...We know her." he looks back at me, just for a second. Long enough to see my face drop. Aleksandra. My heart skips and for the first time in two days I am terribly fearful for my life.

"We have to go, Felix!"

"We can't."

"What? She killed David - "
"Charlie... it's David's sister; the new arrival is Greta Price."

Ohmygod. I half-laugh, half-scream and run through the crowd until I get into the circle and lock eyes with the little girl, with Greta.

"Charlie?"

The moment she starts running for me I know. I just know. We're three now.

The Infected: Fogo Island (7)

seven: peas and pods

We're far enough away from camp to discuss freely and without fear of being overheard. It snowed quite a bit overnight and Felix and I are now standing in about a foot of snow. Although these people welcomed us onto their island and into their safezone, I still feel like something is wrong. As if we shouldn't feel safe, we shouldn't be here.

"What are you talking about a cure? What do they know, Felix? What did they tell you?" I ask him back to back, giving him no chance to actually answer.

"They didn't..." Felix lowers his voice and makes sure nobody is around, "they didn't tell me anything, only asked me questions. That Connor guy did most of the quizzing; and Charlie, I don't think these people are as friendly as they pretend to be."

I absorb what he says, look around the camp and rest my eyes on Malory; her red hair falling flawlessly around her creamy white skin. She's kneeled down in front of the girl from the docks - Leila - and they are sharing a heated conversation. I look back at Felix.

"We're leaving tonight. And we're taking their boat."

*****

Sweet peas. Haven't had any of those in over a month, since Felix and I raided that corner store in Romero, Texas. It feels like forever ago since that happened, since we met Aleksandra, since she gunned down David. I don't even feel like myself anymore; Hell, I'm not myself anymore.

Looking down at the can of peas, I come to realise how much I've changed. I don't think the same - It's my life before anyone else's now. I don't feel the same - I'm neither scared nor secure, but somewhere dark in the middle where emotions aren't felt, they're suppressed. I don't see the same - everyone around me is a threat and they are out to get me. And most important of all, I must think for two now - little baby and I. Little baby.

I use to dream up names for infants I didn't even have yet. I had always like Elizabeth for a girl and Joshua for a boy but now that it's actually going to happen - I'm going to have a baby - I can't even think of what to name it. I rub my belly when I hear a noise behind me.

I turn around to find Leila by the door.

 

"What are you doing?" She asks, her eyes fixed on the can of peas in my hand.

 

"Um, just looking around. I was hungry." I put the can back on the shelf and try not to show how scared I am. Imagine that, being scared of a little girl when i've been confronted with worst. A lot worst.

 

"We don't touch the food. Malory distributes it at night. She didn't tell you?"

 

"No, I guess she didn't."

There is an awkward moment that passes but it does just that, passes. Leila smiles and grabs my hand.

 

"Come, someone has arrived on the island!"

Before I have the time to object, she pulls me out of the cabin and into the frigid November air.

 

The Infected: Fogo Island (6)

six: a genuine smile

Malory left the cabin twenty minutes ago but the last words she spoke still resonate deep within me: "You might find the reason why your parents went to Tokyo to create a bloody chemical agent that could wipe out the entire human race." She knows who I am; Hell, she knows who my parents are and more importantly, she knows exactly what I suspected along: my parents have something to do with this.

I rummage around the shack, looking for anything that could help me figure out who these people are, when the door opens behind me. I spin around and my heart sinks. Felix is standing in the doorway; his shaggy hair is gone - completly shaved off - and he grins the moment our eyes connect.

"Felix..." I run towards him and jump in his open arms. He smiles, a genuine one too. Our lips meet and it takes all my might to disconnect from the passion.

"I thought they were killing you..." I say, referencing the horrible sight that befell my eyes yesterday. I gently rub his cheeks with the back of my fingers, grateful that he is safe. Felix. My rock.

"Don't worry, it was just a ritual of sorts. A blessing. Nothing harmful, Charlie." He looks away for a split second, and its enough for me to see something is off.

"Felix...what are you hiding?" I turn his cheek towards me and still he refuses to look me in the eye. "What did they do?"

"They didn't do anything, that's the thing," he finally answers. "It's what they said." It comes out barely in a whisper.

I kind of put two and two togheter. What Malory said earlier was probably said to Felix as well. They were definitely playing detectives. They might even think I have something to do with this as well. Guilty by association.

"What did they tell you? They talked about my parents?" Even my tone changes - i'm on the defensive.

He moves me towards the back door, away from the open window that faces the snowy beach.

"Charlie - they asked me where the cure was?"

I take it in. Somethings are starting to make sense. Some don't.

"A cure...?" I whisper.

The Infected: Fogo Island (5)

five: point the finger.

I'm running as fast as I can, my feet barely touching ground as I fly through the maze of trees. I can hear them behind me, feel their hot discusting breath on my neck; Connor and his band of mongrols. I block all of the images that i've just seen, block the image of Felix, and just look straight ahead at the opening further on.

The sun blinds me as I spring out of the forest and into the snowy clearing, the men right at my tail. How I wish Felix was here right now. My eyes quickly adjust to light and I start running towards the boat, running towards my way to safety.

I'm about twenty feet from the docks when something strikes me in the back of the head. I fall in the snow and the cold comes creeping inside my jacket. I moan and turn myself over on my back. Just then, the sun is blocked out by Connor's face and I know. I know I'm about to die.

*****

My skull is aching and I have the sensation of floating but when I open my eyes, I see that I am on firm ground, or sorta; i'm bound on the floor. I look around the shack and realise i'm in one of the huts. My hands are tied behind my back and the skin around my wrists is welted.

I moan and look around the room, hoping to see Felix but I don't. Just then, the wooden door of the hut creaks open. I close my eyes and let my head slump forward, pretending to still be out.

"Why'd she run?" a femal voice asks in a very thick British accent and then I hear Connor answer.

"She wanted to see Felix, so I brought her out to where Allen and the boys were. Didn't quite understand what was going on, I guess." He sounds almost worried. Last time I spoke with Connor, he seemed ready to drown me in the frigid Atlantic waters.

"I can't even imagine what that girl went through." The woman answered. Her voice was smooth and gentle. She couldn't be more then thirty years old. I hear them rummage around the shack. Soon after, I feel the warm, gentle touch of the woman's hand on my cheek. "Wake up, Charlotte."

I pretend to daze out of sleep. I keep my eyes half shut and mumble under my breath. I feign terror and crawl back against the wall. My eyes lock with Connor's and now I don't have to pretend anymore.

"You guys are sick! Your worst then those bastards, you cowards!" Connor walks towards me but stops short when I spit in his face.

The woman comes between us and tells - no, orders - Connor to go for a walk. He complies and steps out of the hut. She must be their leader, of course their must be a leader. The man in charge. Or woman in this case.

"My name is Mallory. It's nice to meet you, Charlotte." The woman says. She leans in towards me and I instinctively shrink away. "It's okay, I just want to untie your bindings." She smiles at me and I see genuine compassion in her eyes. Just the way they squint.

"Who are you?" I ask her, and begin to massage my wrists the moment they are freed. Mallory takes a good look at me once i'm standing and she honestly looks concerned.

"I'm the woman who's going to answer all of your questions. First off, Felix is fine. What you saw was a just a tradition we started. Connor shouldn't have shown you that without explaining it. We need that, you know. Traditions. In this new world, it's easy to lose focus and just kill," She walks over to the cabinet and grabs two glasses, fills them up with water and hands me one of the glasses. She continues, "I've seen horrible things before coming here. As i'm sure you have too, Charlotte. Things a person should never have to see. Or do. You know what that leads to, right?"

I take a sip of water and for the first time, I notice just how fiery red Mallory's hair is. "Um, no, sorry."

"When something bloody bad happens, we naturally want to blame someone. We want someone to take responsibility for the petty shit that has come our way," Mallory says with disquieting amount of zeal. "Have you ever heard of Typhoon Tip, Charlotte?"

"Can't say that I have," I answer, and for some reason the vibe is different. There is a unseen weight in the room.

"I'd do some research if I were you," she starts walking towards the door and goes to leave but not before turning back to say one last thing, "You might find the reason why your parents went to Tokyo to create a bloody chemical agent that could wipe out the entire human race."