Earth: Book One (Elemental Series) (3 page)

Chapter Six

Day One: March 26
th
, 2020; 4:46 pm

“We can’t trust her…,”

              Jekaterina, or Jinx – whom was in the war before –, looked at Austin whom was watching the bathroom door as if Eleanor would never come out again. His strong arms crossed over his chest and his face as somber as can be. “She was hurt…” Jinx scowled, fixing the new girl food.

              “I don’t care if she was the freaking president,” Austin threw his hands up. “You have to learn humans will do anything to survive now, even if that means killing and stealing. We can’t just let in random ones in Willie Nellie.”

              Jezabel, the youngest girl and Jinx’s child, laughed. She was the only one who rarely laughs in the group anymore. Everything is serious now and not much time for laughing but she is so young. Jinx was always filled with joy whenever she heard Jezabel laugh. “You said ‘Willie Nellie’.”

              Jinx smiled at Jezabel then looked at Austin before repeating, “She was hurt,”

              “The world is different now,” Austin explained, frustrated. “We can’t just go to store to buy stuff. We need to preserve our stuff. The world’s basically over…”

              “The world is only over when we forget we’re still human,” Jezabel sang like a bird. Even though Jezabel was only ten, she was smarter than most. Under her sun blonde curls was a brain and under her chest between her small lungs was the biggest heart anyone could own. She was the kind of kid that saw the world differently. She knew, even at the age of ten, that everyone was going to die. And she had a plan to live it good and do whatever she could before she dies which could be tomorrow or at any random time.

              Austin threw up his hands and groaned. “You guys are hopeless. You don’t get it.”

              When Austin left the room, Jinx winked at Jezabel.

*****

Day One: March 26
th
, 2020; 4:58 pm

Forres thought about telling Eleanor but she didn’t know if she could trust her.

             
“Did Greene put you up to this?” Forres blurted out as they were walking out the bathroom. Forres felt clean with her new clothing: a long sleeve plain green shirt which was her tighter then wanted, dark pants and just regular shoes. Her body was as clean as she could get it.

              “Who?”  Eleanor opened the door and sideways looked at Forres.

              “Uh, never mind,” Forres replied. “Just forget it.”

              Eleanor let Forres go first but really she was narrowing her dark blue eyes.

              Everyone looked at Forres. “Hi!” The youngest girl said and hopped up and goes to her. “I’m Jezabel,” She held out her right hand for Forres. Forres raised her right bandaged hand. Jezabel then held out her left hand without letting the smile fall off of her face.

              Forres took her left hand and shook once. “I’m Forres,” she said and the noticed her voice had cracked. She felt eyes on her, not the others eyes, burning eyes. Eyes that burns her inside out. She looked over to see a guy in the corner with a cowboy hat on. He was broad compared to Forres and he was proudly showing his gun off that was on his hip.

              “Are you hungry, sweetie?” The eldest female said while standing. She was average height compared to short Forres and looked as if she was in her early 30’s. She had high cheek bones like Jezabel, telling Forres that she was Jezabel’s mother. Forres felt relieved that Jezabel was with her mother. Jezabel had to be only ten or less. Jezabel’s mother had caramel brown hair with emerald eyes. Of course, everyone was skinner than Forres.

              Forres smiled and nodded. Jezabel’s mother gestured for Forres to come and sit by the heater they had. She felt as if she wasn’t here in Jezabel’s mother’s eyes as if she was in a safe place with her. Forres sat next to Jezabel and they all sat in silences while she ate.

              “What’s your name again?” A young kid asked, blowing cigarette in a vent.

              Forres swallowed the rest of her food. “Forres… Forres Tanner.”

              “Nice to meet you, Forres,” Jezabel’s mother said and held out her hands. “Are you done? I’ll take the empty can.” Forres nodded and handed her the empty can. Jezabel’s mother got up and throws it away. “I’m Jinx. This grouch is Austin,” she hip bumped Austin. He sent her a glare. “That’s Cedric and Chyler,” she pointed to the young kid and the girl who was silent. “You might have met Eleanor and then Jezabel, my daughter.”

              Forres smiled at their little group. She stood. “Nice to meet you all. I hope we meet up again sometime but I must be going. Thanks for all the help,” She started out.

              “Stay the night,” Jinx insisted. It was more of an order then a type of question.

“I can’t possibly do that to you guys,” Forres replied, without stopping or looking back.

“Yeah, she can’t possibly do that to us,” Austin mocked her.

Forres stopped, her fist clutched. She didn’t like Austin or his attitude problem. “You know what?” She looked over at Austin. His green eyes narrowed on her brown eyes. “I am going to stay the night.”

Austin frown deepened.

Forres flashed him a sly smile.

Chapter Seven

Day Negative: March 28
th
, 2020; 12:40 pm

Those tiny fingers…

They were more like claws…

Yep, those tiny claws were under the door, searching for someone to scratch. They were small and were visible from under the door.

Those tiny claws…

Eleanor tried to look away but she just couldn’t. They seemed to have a magnetic pull on her. Eleanor’s hands balled into a fist. Not in anger but in pain; Pain from seeing them like this when she just woke and saw her little brother, Henry, clawing to get out. She got the urge to open the door and hug the little boy and hold him forever, but she resisted.

The banging got louder as well as the groaning. Eleanor slowly moved her eyes from
the claws
and turned her attention to her grandfather in the kitchen. Eleanor could see her grandparents from the clear door.

Blood smeared on the glass, making her stomach churn. Eleanor watched at the two old people fight over the door. She thought they were fighting over who gets to eat her first. Eleanor saw the side of her grandma’s face ripped off – that she did with a cheese grater – and a chunk bitten off of her shoulder.

That did it.

Eleanor ran to the bathroom down the hall and threw up before even reaching the toilet. After she wiped her lips on her nurse’s uniform – she was called into work early but never got to do it.

She looked in the mirror. The first thing she saw was blood on her blue scrubs. Eleanor instantly took off the shirt and tried to scrub it in the sink. The clear water ran over her blue shirt but came out red on the other side. Eleanor scrubbed it hard before giving up.

She dropped the shirt in the sink and let the water run over it. She looked in the mirror at herself. A ping of guilt hit her stomach as she finally noticed she looks like her brother. All the years of denying it, it was true and Eleanor suddenly hated it all: the world, the people in it and even herself.

Eleanor turned off the water and marches out of the bathroom and down the hall. Passes the tiny claws, passed the hungry looking old folks and she goes straight to the key rack. She suddenly stopped, remembering something.

The keys were in the kitchen…with the grandparents in it, ready for breakfast.

Eleanor huffed and thought it was a sign. She knew she couldn’t just leave the only family she had ever had. More guilt punched her in the stomach. Eleanor slowly goes in front of her brother’s room. Those tiny claws go nuts clawing for skin as she sat inches from them.

“Oh Henry,” Eleanor sobbed. The claws stops as if they need their own name then began clawing again but harder. How could she let this happen? Last night, Henry was sick with a very high fever when Eleanor got home from work. Eleanor begged to her grandparents to take him to the emergency room but their fears of hospitals were worst then Henry’s fever. Throughout the night, Eleanor gave her brother medicine, new cold rags and checked on him. Each time he was fine and definably not a flesh eating thing.

But this morning… this morning he was… dead. He then latching himself onto her grandmother and bit her. Soon he was on his grandpa and eating him too. Eleanor threw the flesh eating Henry in his room and tried to stop the bleeding from her grandparents’ wounds but it didn’t work.

Now she was hear in this situation of leaving or just rotting here. She couldn’t just sit here or she couldn’t just leave.

A glass shattering got her attention from those dreadful tiny hands. She turned to the kitchen door and saw that her grandparents had busted through the window of the door. Eleanor quickly got up but was pushed down by the surprisingly fast grandpa.

Eleanor let out a cry before them lunged at her. She instinctively rolled over and the two hungry things – that she knew wasn’t her grandparents now – fell beside her. Eleanor scrambled to her feet fast as if her life depended on it, and it did.

Her heart was pounding against her chest as she stared into clear white eyes of her grandpa, whose guts were scattered on the floor. She was sure enough that he could hear her heart and her blood rushing in and out of it. As if on cue, Eleanor ran and the two followed, bumping into the walls and climbing over each other.

Eleanor ran into the bathroom and slipped on the mixture of last night’s dinner and blood. She managed to close the door and lock it.  She ran to the window as the bangs began. She unlocked the window and tried to open it.

It wouldn’t budge.

Sobbing, Eleanor looked for something to bust open the window with. She looked around and grabbed the pole that held the bath curtains. Eleanor swung at the window using the pole like a bat. Glass flew. Eleanor shielded her eyes with her other arm as she knocked off extra glass.

Eleanor’s grandpa was slamming himself at the door and it broke after a few tries. Eleanor was climbing out but the old man grabbed her leg and pulls her out. Eleanor felt a sharp pain in her stomach from the glass digging into to her.

Eleanor wiggled hard to avoid getting bit. Eleanor kicked as if she was swimming and she ends up kicking her grandma in the face. Her grandpa let go and as if he was still alive, helped her fallen grandma up. They attack again but Eleanor slid out of the window. She wiggled her way onto the ground and scattered to her feet.

Her grandfather growled and banged on the window seal as if he didn’t know how to get out. Eleanor ran through the grass of her yard and to the room. She didn’t once look back to the window or to the house she once grew up in.

On the sidewalk, Eleanor stoppe
d
and looked around at New York.

In the distance, she heard pops which she thought were guns going off. Police cars and fire trucks sped down the street, quickly. She saw dark smoke rising in the sky, making no one see the cloud or the spring sun. Neighbors, she knew since she was small, were screaming, running from their flesh eating family members, or fighting back.

It makes Eleanor’s stomach churn to think of her killing her grandparents or even her brother, Henry.

Those tiny claws…

A low and loud howl came and Eleanor turned to see her grandparents had made it out. Her grandpa howled again before running towards her, her grandma following.

Eleanor looked out into the road as a white truck was coming down the road.

Her grandparents ran across the front yard.

Eleanor waved her hands back and forth in the middle of the street.

Her grandparents were close.

The white truck stops very close to Eleanor. A mother and her child were in the car. The mother motioned for her to get in quickly. Eleanor gave a mental “Thank you” and quickly got in the car.

Her grandparents slammed on the truck door as the mother floored it. Eleanor watched in the mirror as her grandparents tried chasing the truck but gave up and started chasing other people. “Are you okay?” The mother asked as Eleanor watched her house fade in the distances.

Then Eleanor suddenly remembered…
Those tiny claws…

The mother glanced over at her. “Are you bit?”

Those tiny claws…

Chapter Eight

Day Two: March 27
th
, 2020; 10:10 am

Forres shook Eleanor up from the nightmare.

Eleanor shot up in her bed – which is only blankets on a desk – and started to breathe heavily.

“You okay?” Forres asked.

Eleanor nodded, lying down and rolled over. She wiped her face of the tears that stained her face.

Forres stared at her back for a second then get up and leaves the office that she had shared with Eleanor and Chyler whom she wasn’t in the office at all that night. She had gone to bed in there last night but when Forres woke, she was gone

“Where are you going?” A raspy voice came.

              Forres looked over after coming out of the office. It was Chyler.

Chyler was staring at the wall. Her sky blue eyes looked over at Forres. “I’m leaving…,” She hadn’t got much sleep. She heard Eleanor panicking or crying in her sleep. It look liked Chyler hadn’t sleep much either.                            

              “Okay…,” She then looked back at the wall.

              Forres started to leave but then stopped. For some reason, she couldn’t leave. “What happened to you?” 

              Chyler was silent for a few minutes. For Forres, minutes felt like hour but she was willing to wait for an answer. “I saw…,” she swallowed hard. Her lips pierced in a thin, white line. “I saw Austin’s brother get… get shot right in f-front of me…”

              A pang of remorse and sadness hit Forres’s stomach like a brick. She felt bad that Chyler had to see that. No one should have to see that. She felt even worst that she was rude to Austin. “I’m sorry…”

              Without looking over, Chyler held something out in her fist. “Here,” Forres goes over and grabbed it. It was a necklace with “Must be magic,” engraved in it. “It’ll go well with your necklace. Keep it.”

              Forres stared down at the thin circle as if it was covered in gold. “I can’t...”

              Chyler interrupted her, “When we meet up again, you can get it back then. Plus my mom gave it to me. I can’t keep it right now.”

“Did she die? Your mother?” Forres blurted out without meaning to.

Chyler looked at Forres. Forres saw something in the fourteen year old eyes. Pain. Pain of seeing Austin’s brother die twice. Pain of being alive while others are slowly dying. Chyler knew she should feel lucky but she couldn’t. Her mother was somewhere, probably dead: innocent and good people dying then coming back to life. How could she possibly feel lucky or grateful? Forres gave a small nod then puts on the necklace. “You’ll need this too,” Chyler gave her a pocket knife then she goes back to staring at the wall as Forres goes to the twisting stairs. She completely ignored the question but Forres knew the question.

              Forres looked back at Chyler, putting on the necklace and remembering the moment before going down the stairs and leaving the Auto body shop.

*****

Day Two: March 27
th
, 2020, 10:22 am

The bright, orange sun smiled down at Forres and she smiled back.

The warmth of it felt good on her skin. The wind blew her short hair. The clouds above the dome were pure white, not a gray one in sight. The smell… It smelt like spring. All the flowers –that were covered in blood – were bright and standing tall as if nothing could bring them down. Forres couldn’t picture a better way to live as she limped down the street, in pain from falling from a vent. Every muscle screamed as she moved but she resisted the urge to give up.

What was good was there wasn’t a zombie in sight.

Forres wished the world hadn’t ended so fast. Though she didn’t remember much, she could imagine the cars speeding to get to work. She imagined the people walking on the side walk and their noses in the air, only they knew where they were going. She would love one moment, one second, to see that: to see life in society without blood or undead walking around.

Forres coughed a bit.
You have three days to find it.
She could see the words in her head. Was she really going to “play” this game? She tried to shake the words out of her head and told herself she was thirsty and kept on walking.

What would happen if I didn’t get the case in time?
She wondered.

Easy answer, you’d die.
A voice said in her mind. It sounded like a western voice only hers.

Forres paused and wondered where that voice had come from.

Your imagination.
The voice answered with a laugh.
Now keep walking, sweet cheeks. I know you don’t remember but I have always been here. Like it or not this is my home too.
Forres smiled a bit and walked on. Forres got to a food market. She stepped in front the door which had no handles. She realized it was automated door and there might not be power.

Forres got her fingers in between the doors and tried to pry them open. When the door was opened widely enough, a terrible smell of rotting meat hit her nostrils. Forres let go of the door and let it slam shut. “Flipping gross,” Forres coughed, trying to get clean air in her lungs.

Did you think it would be clean?
The voice said in Forres’s head.

“Oh shut-,” Forres started but then got interrupted by heavy banging on the glass. Forres jumped back and saw a bunch of undead at the glass door, banging on the window with their fists. Forres sighed; glad she didn’t go in to the door. She ran a hand over through her hair, pushing some pieces back. Forres bended over and took a deep breath before leaving.

Down the road, a parked car came into view. Of course there were other cars, but this is the only car that didn’t look broken down or smoking from being on fire. Forres jogs across the street and to the red junk car. She makes sure the car was safe and didn’t have any unwanted guest. Forres saw the car was locked, so like a kid, Forres climbed in through the broken window. She tried her best not to get cut.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Forres double checked the car then looked around the seats for keys.
Hot wire it.
The voice in her head suggested.

“I don’t know how to,” Forres admitted.

Just connect a bunch of wires together and it’ll start.

“I don’t think it’s that simple…,” Forres stated.

Yeah it is. Let me guide you. First you tear the part under the wheel off and there will be a bunch of wires.

Forres did as she was told but then she stopped. “Wait; if you are me, you know what I know. And I don’t know how to do this. How do you?”

There was a small pause.
Shut up and listen to me. Now ripped some wires off and connect it.

Forres ripped the wire out and was about to put two together. “Will I blow up?”

I don’t know. Maybe not, maybe so. Who cares? Let’s do this?
The voice sounded excited like a little kid on Christmas. Forres gave a little shrug and then started trying to hotwire the car. After several long minutes of trying, Forres gave up.

“I can’t do this,” Forres whined and threw her hands up. Her fingers hit the sun visor. Something fell to her feet. Forres took a second and then reached down and picked the keys up.

Man, you should have looked there.
The voice said like Forres didn’t know that. Forres let out a scream and slammed on the wheel. Words came out of her mouth but no one could even understand them. When she was done letting out her anger, she put her head on the wheel. It was silent for a moment then two bangs came.

Forres picked up her head, thinking they were gun shots but this sounded different and closer. More bangs came and she looked around for the source. No one was in sight but the bangs sounded so close.

Another bang came, making Forres’s head snapped to the trunk. Slowly Forres got out of the car. The car alarm goes off, making Forres jump. She grabbed the keys quickly, and turned it off. Taking a deep breath, she slowly drew her – well Chyler’s – knife. She goes to the trunk and stopped.

Shaking, Forres put the right key in and twisted. The truck made a small
pop
like the case did. She jumped a bit and she opened it, slower than usual.

A boy, tied together, shot out and his head went into her nose.

Forres fell back from the impact in her nose. The knife in her hand flew to the side as she fell on her back.

The boy – who looked in his early 20’s – got out of the car, ran over and grabbed the knife.

Forres rolled over and removed her hand from her nose. In her palm was a pool of blood. She looked up.

The guy held the knife between his duct taped hands and looked at Forres. He stared for a second. His sun kissed skin was sweaty and stained with his own dry blood. His eyes were a misty hazel, a blue and brown color. His hair was messy and brown with some yellow. He then ran away.

Once he was out of Forres’s sight, she rolled over and stared at the dome, high above.