Chapter 9

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• Left Here   Chapter 16

  Quill!" I yell, the setting sun casting ominous shadows. "Quill!"I run as fast as my feet can take me. Being weighed down by the box of cans doesn't help."Quill!" I shout louder.I see the outline of the tree, swaying in the distance. Then the rock. I let out a sigh of relief. As I come closer, it gets clearer. The pack is open, laying on its side. I peer into it and see a black ball, curled up and huddled inside. I pick it up and put it on my back once more. I feel a shifting from it, then it stills. I leave the box, hidden by the rock. I look around carefully.There's no sign of him. "Quill?" I ask tentatively.I notice the flashlight on the ground. I pick it up, barely providing any light, and walk toward one of the alternate paths. There were several, one blocked by the remains of a house.I walk toward one. Luck, don't leave me now, I think.

• Left Here   Chapter 15

  Starving.When did I last think of that word?Oh, it was when dinner was an hour late. When me and Thea were exhausted from playing out and riding the bike, and impatiently waited for our mother to cook something.Well, past, petty, spoiled me, this is starving.Our food supply has dropped to zero, and I feel as if my stomach is hollow.We had finished the last can, five days ago. All the stores we'd passed had nothing. Not even a single crumb. They were either bombed, burnt down, or ransacked. I don't know how we survived this long. Death must be coming today.We found nothing in the house, although it was a good place to rest in. The beds were so soft I was practically sinking into them.When I awoke, it was as if I was back home. In our rickety bed, Thea next to me. Her mountain of stuffed toys piled in the corner. Then I opened my eyes, looking straight to

• Left Here   Chapter 14

  Our food consists of a can. We have a lot of water, however. That shouldn't be a problem.Thankfully, Quill is not-dead and doing well, the wounds healing nicely. His neck wound has completely sealed, although the one on the arm needs a few more days.I look over at Figaro. He's biting something rotten, black with ash. I then realize he's eating a human hand. My gag reflex kicks in and I look away.There's no way I'm eating a corpse. I'd rather starve, thank you very much.Quill is busy scouting the area we arrived to. We decided to stop here, since our legs were burning from the pedaling, my head spinning, and our stomachs upset. The bike seems fine, but the paint has peeled from hitting the ground one too many times. It's as if Quill has no idea how to ride a bike. He did get a hang of it, however, and rode smoothly after that.We took turns, one pedaling and one sitting on the rear. The day

• Left Here   Chapter 13

  How did I know that I couldn't get infected with the Witx?Well, It's simple. Simple enough to explain in five words.I was with an infected.***I had to get us groceries and supplies. We were running out, and Anne had been scared to go out. The cases kept rising, now at 58 million cases, 30 million of them deaths. The recovery rate was slim. I had gone to keep us alive. Although there were various protests and pleads from my mother and sister.I would rather die than wait for my mother to come home, and learning that she never would.But my sister needed me. I was only thinking about myself.I needed to be careful. For Thea and mom, I remembered thinking.Then I went. I had hopped on the bike, which was our only mode of transportation, and ridden to the nearest Walmart.I soon arrived at the front of it. It looked like

• Left Here   Chapter 12

  We get up early today.Only nine days left before the Recoverers come for their last mission.And never return.In nine days, I might never see my sister again.Probably not even Quill.He can still get infected. Unlike me.The thought of being alone, forgotten in this wasteland and thought to be dead, absolutely terrifies me.Today we search for a working car.Figaro meowing in protest. I think he's grown fond of the pickup.The highways were full of them. But they were broken down, invaded with vines, or out of gas.A lot of them have been left behind, abandoned in traffic jams.We did find a few, even one with an almost-full tank, but they were stuck in between other cars, making it next to impossible to get out.Still, nothing. The bright yellow orb was high in

• Left Here   Chapter 11

  I know that the chances of getting killed by a bear are lesser than getting hit by lightning, but I'm not taking those chances.It rummages around the store, knocking the shelves over and causing havoc everywhere.I hide behind a fallen chunk of concrete and look through the window, cracks spreading. Pill bottles skid out through the broken-down door.Maybe one of the pills could help Quill.It was about 4 feet tall, its cold gray fur shining in the sun's reflection. It was rare to find a bear like this one. I recognized it from a documentary, reading that they were on the brink of extinction. The hair they had was used in many fur coats, blankets, and other things spoiled brats bought these days. Well, those days.I suddenly recall the voiceover, a man, probably over forty, speaking in a monotone voice."This species is a vicious one, however," He said as th