I lay awake, staring at the stars above me. I hum the song over and over again, wishing, hoping, that I'll get some sleep for once. The memories taunt me, mocking me with the loss of my friends and family. The virus took them all. I guess I thought it would all blow over at the time, thought it would all go away and I would be fine again. That our family would go back to normal and there wouldn't be any more grueling trips to the hospital.
My eyes droop, and yet I wish I could go another sleepless night for the nightmares will forever visit my dreams. I close them, and as I fall asleep, I inhale a sharp breathe as if fighting for consciousness. Then, I plunge into a deep and terrifying darkness people like to call 'dreams.'831Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzhOL3edgh
It's school time, and it seems that I'm late to class. I grab my backpack off of the ground next to me and run through the halls. I wonder around the school for what seems like hours before the bell rings for the next class and I leave. I follow the other students to the auditorium for an announcement. The loudspeakers boom overhead as I hurry past the other children beside me.
My little brother stands at the front of the line, looking lost and scared for his life. I make my way to the front and hold him in my arms to calm him down. After all, he's only about nine years old. We file into the auditorium and Ashton looks at me with his glassy green eyes. I squeeze his hand and direct him to our seats. The principal stands in the center stage with what seems like a team of doctors beside him.
The doctors are dressed in drab gray biological disaster suits with gas masks covering their faces. They talk like scientists, with high nasally voices. I hold on to Ashton's hand as the principal starts talking. I can feel the fear gripping at my chest, making my head want to explode. The principal speaks:
"Uh, so, students, no need for alarm, but we have experienced a biological emergency. There's a new strain of influenza, better known as the flu, that has mutated to the point where it is highly contagious and fatal. We like to call it the plague."
At that, the students all around me start to freak out and stream through the doors. I pick Ashton up and carry him through the doors. The principal, who is still on the stage and talking to the scientists, looks kind of flushed. He looks so...pale. And a bit sick if you pay attention to detail. Before I walk out the door with Ashton, I steal a glance back at the principal. He's on the floor, pale and passed out.
The principal has the plague. And if the scientists were right, and it is highly contagious, then Ashton and I are doomed. I hurry out of the school and catch the nearest bus home. The bus driver is sneezing and coughing, which just makes me more cautious. When we arrive home, I have to practically drag Ashton into the house.
My mom lay in bed, looking pale and fragile. My dad is still at work. Fear creeps up my spine as I set Ashton down and go to my own room. I grab a backpack and stuff it with as much food, water, and medical supplies as I can carry. Then, as tears start running down my face, I turn and run out the door. My family will have to fend for themselves. After all, in a world with a plague, it's all for one, and none for all.
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