Infection Z Beswick, L. (books for 8th graders txt) 📖

least we’ll all be together, it’ll be safer that way" Sam smiles reassuringly, I smile back weakly, we exchange goodnights and get some sleep.

I hardly sleep that night, when I do it’s filled with dreams of monsters like my teacher, I’m alone and scared, I walk slowly and carefully in a dark forest, noises of monster screams and my families screams fill the forest, “mum, Damon, Sam!” I call out into the dark, “help us!” they scream, I am running around blindly until I’m face to face with one of the monsters, they attack, and I’m left in the dark again.

I sit up erratically in bed breathing hard and fearfully, I look around and realise it was a dream, I’m back at home safe with everyone I love, seeing the sun shine through the gaps in the wood hammered to the window, I silently grab dark clothes and a cap and go change, I grab a cereal bar and wait for the others to wake up, Damon is first to come downstairs “oh April you’re up, that’s a first" he laughs, I smile back and yawn “I couldn’t sleep” I shrug, he nods in understanding but doesn’t say another word and grabs himself a cereal bar, we just sit in silence not needing words to understand the fear we both feel, “it’ll be okay you know" he says, “how can you know that?” I ask, “I’ve got you, you were badass in that school, I’m more afraid for those things" he laughs and nudges me, “guess those baseball games paid off" I say nudging him back, Sam and my mother join us and we set off outside.

“I’ll just take a peek first" my mother states, the door slowly creaks open with nothing insight aside the clear streets, we all breathe a sigh of relief and slowly walk outside, looking around nervously, “everyone’s got a weapon just in case?” my mother whispers, we all nod and show our chosen weapon, I picked a metal bat since it helped me in the school, the others chose wooden planks, and knives.

We soon find a shop with windows busted and door ajar, we all walk carefully and quietly looking around, most of the shelves are sparse, one or two tins collecting dust, we grab as many items as we can find, we head to the medical aisle to grab essentials like bandages and painkillers, I start to feel my nerves disappearing as we get deeper into the shop, once we’ve grabbed all that will fit in our bags we turn to make an exit when we spot an unwelcome guest blocking the exit, we all gasp and freeze where we stand, its pale skin glistening, its white eyes darting around and sniffing the air, it licks its blood covered lips, my mother pulls us back motioning her finger to her lips, we follow her slowly and quietly as not to alert the monster of our presence.

We seemingly go unnoticed, it slowly drags its feet deeper into the shop, we rush out too fast making the bell chime, realising we’ve been noticed, we run as fast as our legs will allow, until there’s a scream, my mother has been grabbed, engulfed by pale bloody arms of those things, she struggles screaming, we attempt to run over to help her, its teeth sink into her bare skin, she shakes her head “go!” she demands “we can’t leave you!” I shout, “I’ve been bitten, it’s too late you all have to get home and survive" we continue to protest which brings a gathering of more of those things, Damon grabs me and Sam and runs with us, “I’m sorry, we love you" he shouts to our mother before ushering us away, I can’t see through my tears having refused to leave Damon has to throw me over his shoulder while I scream my protests.

After narrowly escaping the clutches of those things we arrive back inside, Damon closes the door and piles items in front of it once again to block out any unwanted visitors, my tears are still wet on my face as I wonder up to my room, “April-" Sam attempts to call out but is cut off by Damon, “just give her some space" he suggests with a smile, I slump onto my bed feeling numb from having screamed and cried the whole way back, yet anger creeps up on me, anger at that thing for taking my mother away, did I ever tell her I loved her? Anger at her giving up so easily, anger at Damon for leaving so easily when we could’ve saved her, I could’ve saved her, I turn to face the wall suddenly exhausted, my eyes grow heavy and I’m engulfed by a deep sleep.

The next morning, I lie in bed longer than usual not wishing to leave its comforting embrace, “April are you coming to breakfast?” Sam asks gingerly, I don’t reply wishing her away, “I guess you’re still tired, I’ll leave you be” she states, I listen to her footsteps as they leave the room and descend the stairs, from the thin walls I can hear her whispered conversation to Damon, the worry in her voice is apparent, in response Damon’s frustrated voice, I decide to block them out and replay yesterday on a loop until my eyes once again grow heavy and sleep engulfs me once again.

Damon’s POV

I awake with a sigh acknowledging the emptiness in my chest, my mother’s absence makes the house feel too quiet, without her the joyful light in our home is gone and replaced with a shallow cold feeling, I began to think over yesterday’s events, that monster that grabbed her out of nowhere, which happened too quickly for any of us to react, I wanted nothing more than to beat that thing to a bloody pulp but after it sunk its teeth into her, it was too late, from what I witnessed