The dead

I opened my eyes at I think it was around 7 AM on a Wednesday. I couldn’t tell, I rubbed my eyes as I grabbed my phone and saw I had a text from my girlfriend. The luminated phone light was beating on my face. I could make out a text that said “baby I have to cancel our trip, it’s a family emergency, I’m sorry I promise I’ll make it up to you.” I was disappointed as you can imagine but I turn my phone off and sit up looking around, I was wondering what I should do for that week it was spring break and the campus was closed, and of course, my plans for the rest week just got canceled I groaned and grabbed my phone again and texted my boss seeing if I could work this week of course with my luck he already found someone to work my shift but said I could still come into work, I said I would and got dressed in my favorite skirt, put my white shirt on and put my long black tie on. Looking at the time I realized I would be late so I rushed to the bathroom and brushed my hair and did my makeup and quickly ran out to my car and headed out to work.

I get to the mall, grab my ID, my phone, and my wallet, head upstairs to hot topic, and clock in.

I start restocking the shelves. From how busy I see it seems like I have a lot of socializing to do today, the exact opposite of what I was hoping for. As I walked around the counter the employee on my shift caught my eye. He looked so familiar but I couldn’t put my finger on it I continued around the counter and leaned against it playing on my phone, as I look up to help the person at the counter, I kind of jumped I wasn’t expecting my best friend on my shift also the person both me and my girlfriend like, we are both poly so it’s ok I hope. He asked why I was on “his shift” and well I replied and said “well my girlfriend canceled plans due to a family emergency so I’m here” the music in the background for some odd reason calmed me and the dim lights were great I locked eyes with his and stared into his beautiful blue eyes, glazed with the shimmer of light honestly I was mesmerized I couldn’t look away. After a bit of catching up, he asked if I wanted lunch and I wasn’t that hungry but the food court and the pretzels smelt so good I couldn’t resist.

>Wednesday 6:22 PM<

It’s 6 PM now and I start packing up my stuff after we close up the shop. He walks over and says “see you tomorrow?” I looked up with a tired look on my face and nodded as I grabbed my phone and started following him out the door. I walk downstairs and notice he’s on the phone with someone and I also notice there are tears flowing down his face. He hangs up and wipes his face as I race downstairs to him and ask why he’s crying. The reply I got was devastating to me and I started crying. I tell him he can stay at my place and he agrees so we head to my house.

I unlocked my door and showed Loke the guest bedroom and as I walked out of the room I had told him in a soft and teary voice, “if you want to talk about the plane crash you can sit out in the living room with me”.

I close the door behind me and start to make two cups of instant ramen.

As I’m eating my ramen I get a phone call from my girlfriend and I immediately pick up asking if she’s ok. I heard raspy breathing added by the sound of tears “babe is that you?” I heard her voice. She had told me she was lucky to be one of the survivors and the hospital finally gave her phone back. I was crying, relieved. Loke burst out of the guest bedroom with tears rolling down his face with a smile. I tell Sirena to get some rest and hang up as I look at Loke “T-THEY’RE ALIVE” I smile and nod wiping the tears from my face. I finished my ramen and headed to bed.

>Thursday 12:00 AM<

At 12 AM I started hearing Loke outside of my room. I groaned and got up. I walk out of my room rubbing my eyes I turn my phone on and close my eyes tightly for a moment the light from my phone had burned my eyes I look at the time and say to Loke ``It’s 12 AM what are you doing up” Loke looked over at me and said “sorry I didn’t mean to wake you I couldn’t sleep so I just came to get water” “It’s quite alright Loke just make sure you try and get some sleep” I yawned and went back to bed laying down and watching Tiktok. I finally fell back asleep. I guess Loke had done the same. I hadn’t heard anything else until later, maybe around 2 AM I heard my door creak open. I groaned and turned away from the light seeping through my bedroom door. I heard soft yet heavy footsteps creeping closer to my bed I slowly woke up and rubbed my eyes once again, Looking up at Loke who had a puppy-like face on but yet looked so sad I mumbled “Loke what’s wrong” I reached for my phone to check the time and he grabbed my hand, his grip was firm but gentle I asked again what was wrong and he didn’t say anything he just kept standing there. I was confused until I sat up and saw out into the hall that leads to the living room, I saw her, sitting there on my couch she didn’t want to wake me but had told Loke to wake me I got up as Loke followed as Loke was beat red I was talking to Sirena about how and why the hospital let her out early “they didn’t I needed some fresh air someone drove me here”

I was so worried about Sirena that I started seeing little details like all the scratches, her raspy breathing, and her adorable little freckles covered in scars. I started to tear up as Loke slowly came up behind us. He hugged us both and was just glad Sirena was ok and then very sternly asked “But why at 2 in the morning?” I looked at Loke and back at Sirena “he has a point”

Sirena looked at Loke and so did I. He looked scared but kept a gaze at Sirena. Sirena continued on telling us how they wouldn’t let her out during the day but they let everyone out during the day they should be closed I look at her scars again and notice how they are bruising in an unusual way she looked so pail like on the verge of death but just barely clinging like a baby and it’s mother. Sirena asked why Loke was here anyway “well he’s staying in the guest bedroom he had family on the plane they’re okay though” Sirena nodded and said she should get going we hugged her and she left Loke mentioned how she seemed off I agreed and we both shrugged it off with that we headed to bed.

>Thursday 6:30 AM<

It’s 6 In the morning and Loke just got a call about his parents. They are ok. They are alive but just like Sirena barely holding on. We headed to work that day acting as if nothing happened just going through the day like normal. Though neither of us could stop thinking about Sirena and last night I couldn’t sleep for quite a while.

>Thursday 10:01 PM<

It’s 10 PM. Loke has fallen asleep on the couch next to me. We have been sleeping like this for a while though he’s the only one getting any sleep.

>Friday 9:20 AM<

I took the day off today. I was up all night. I couldn’t sleep. Loke offered to stay home with me but I declined. It’s 9 AM now and I decided it would be better if I got some groceries.

I got to the grocery store and saw a familiar face but just thought oh must have been a customer, I continue through the store, I see face to face the whom I thought was and old customer, turns out it was my girlfriend she looked more dead than the first day I saw her, I was almost in tears when she looked at me her eyes were losing their beautiful hazel color, I ran towards her asking frantically why she was out of the hospital, I heard her but not her voice tiny squeaks of noise along with very raspy breathing worse than before, finally very quietly I hear her say “I don’t want to go back they were running tests on me using me like a toy”

I was shocked to hear this seeing how she survived a plane crash.

She continued to tell me how she was losing her vision and heard her own thoughts way too clear they were loud she couldn’t control her thoughts she was kept in a room alone no music no people there were others with her but in different rooms going through the same thing, she said she struggled to escape with the others and escaped on her own and promised to help them out later on then her voice went back to tiny squeaks. I said calmly as possible take me to this “hospital”

>Friday 5:39 PM<

We arrived at this lab and I walked in with her, one of the doctors immediately thanked me and pulled her into a separate room, and walked out to talk to me. I yelled at him “that’s my girlfriend I’m not going to let you run tests on her like she’s an experimental toy!!” He looked at me like I was insane and said sternly “She and everyone on that plane shouldn’t have survived that plane was carrying a toxic substance that can turn people into the living dead not the walking, living they are able to talk function like normal until they start to go blind they will become more aggressive but still have all of the memories and are able to talk and cry but they will mutate just like the dead so Ma’am your girlfriend is already dead” I looked at him in shock “we are looking for the cure we will use it on her and everyone else we promise this won’t get out and your girlfriend will be ok now please head home”.

As I left the tears I was holding came strolling down my face. I couldn’t even control it. The warm tear just fell down my face like it was nothing.

>Friday 11:50 PM <

I got home unlocking the door wiping tears from my face that had lost all emotion happiness, sadness, disgust, anger, fear none I couldn’t even feel happy when Loke rushed to me all I could do was cry but I kept thinking ^but why am I crying I have no emotion anymore and I’m crying^ I looked up at the tall sweet brunette who was hugging me his now tear soaked shirt pressed against my arms that were holding the shirt.

Loke sat me down on the couch and put a blanket on me gave me tea and ramen as I’m wiping tears from my face became numb as I ate the ramen the hot steam hitting my face and feeling Loke sat down next to me and lead against me his warmth next to me it was comforting I gained feeling again and told Loke what happed as I started crying again. Loke hugged me tightly once again I relax a bit and grip onto Loke’s shirt.

>Friday 1:00 AM<

After a few hours, I guess we dozed off at least I think everything was just kinda when hazy for me. I woke up. I do have to admit it was weird waking up on top of your crushes/ Bffs chest and meanwhile, he was awake the whole time, my vision was still kind of blurry from just waking up so I put my hand on the back of the couch to get up. I walk over to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water, as I rubbed my eye and yawed I saw Loke get up with only the TV admitting light through the whole house it was kinda creepy seeing a tall man stand up from where I was laying haha, anyway he got up and walked over to me i looked up at him and asked if he was awake the whole time with the dim lighting of the tv I could see he nodded, I took a drink of water completely embarrassed, i look back up at the tall silhouette after putting my glass down and I notice how he’s slightly nodding his head like he was tired i told him to head to the guest room to sleep but he instantly shook his head “I’d rather sleep on the couch again” I asked why and his response was quite adorable “b-because i can’t sleep well without you right now” I could tell he put his hand over his face, I said it was ok slightly laughing. I started walking back to the couch when I fell backward into a hug “L-Loke?!” the warmth of his chest, beating on my back I blushed as his hug around my stomach tightened, I felt his breath on my shoulder “ I-I’m sorry I couldn’t help it” Loke sounded extremely guilty, as I felt bad for him.

He let go and said he’ll go to the guest bedroom, as he walked away I grabbed his wrist and said "I have a TV in my room starting to get uncomfortable on the couch don't you think?" he smiled and said I guess.