“You don’t know me!” Carol yelled, instantly regretting it. She glanced over her shoulder towards the glass doors of the lab then lowered her voice. “You don’t know me. That is nothing at all what my life was like.”
“Exactly.” Kelly crossed her arms over her chest. “And just because I was infected doesn’t mean you know my life either.”
Carol sighed and bowed her head, nodding. “Agreed. Neither of us knew the other.”
“So let’s stop pretending that we’re suddenly besties. You’re here trying to solve a puzzle and I’m just trying to survive…this. Whatever the hell this is.”
Carol nodded. “Fine. You want full disclosure?” She pushed away from the counter and glared at her. “Yeah, you scare me. Maybe partly because you were infected. Mostly because you sounded like you might still enjoy killing.” Her eyes narrowed as she spoke. “That’s the impression I got when you said it. You didn’t just say, ‘I enjoyed killing people,’ it was the way you said it.”
“Because I did enjoy it.” Kelly stated flatly. “I also told you that it was the first and only time that I felt like I had any real power.”
“So?”
“So?” Kelly mocked. “You don’t get it, do you?” She stepped away from the workbench and planted her hands on her hips. “The only power I had before this was my looks. I was the varsity cheerleader, and I’m not ashamed to admit that I screwed my way to the top of the food chain. I fucked half the varsity football team until I was hanging off the arm of the team captain. I was counting on him to carry me even further up that food chain.” Tears began to roll down her sallow cheeks as she retold her life story. “How was I to know that he didn’t care about me? He got me plastered and let the rest of the team have their way with me. Then he dumped me, drunk and naked, in the middle of the football field.”
“I d-didn’t know.” Carol’s voice was a whisper.
“How could you?” She scoffed and waved a hand over her body. “How could anybody tell now? No hair, no body, no color left.” She choked back a sob. “I look like death on a stick now.” She paced the small area, her mind spinning. “The only ‘power’ I had was my looks. But even that backfired on me. I was left humiliated. My sorority sisters blackballed me, locked me out and burned most of my stuff. ‘Sisters for life’ my ass.”
Carol stood and slowly approached her, hoping she could calm her down. “It doesn’t matter now though.”
Kelly snorted. “You still don’t get it.” She sank onto the stool again and her face softened, her expression going blank. “The first thing I did when I was infected…” She swallowed hard. “I was so full of rage anyway, but the virus just…focused all of my anger.” She turned slowly and stared at Carol. “I went to my sorority and I…” Her voice trailed off.
Carol nodded, patting her arm. “Your anger is fully understandable.”
Kelly scoffed again. “That wasn’t all though. I went to his frat and hunted his ass down.” She chuckled as the memories flashed through her mind. “I remember ripping his cock off and throwing it in his face. The look he had…priceless.”
“Kelly—”
“No!” Kelly yelled. “You still don’t know me. That’s only the beginning.” She held a finger up, holding Carol off. “I tore through the entire campus. Anybody I recognized, I either killed or infected.” She took a deep, shaky breath. “I finally had real power.”
Carol sat down next to her and gently put her arm around her shoulders. “It’s okay. It’s over now.”
Kelly sobbed. “I wish it wasn’t though.” She lay her head on Carol’s shoulder. “Because now I have to live with the remorse.”
Carol squeezed her tighter. “One day at a time.” Kelly continued sobbing while Carol cradled her.
Simon walked through the barren parking lot and stared into the sky. “How many do you think will snap out of it tonight?”
She shook her head. “I’ve no idea.”
Simon paused and turned to her. “Are we still speaking Quee?”
She shook her head. “I heard the older folks inside and they’re still grunting and hooting at each other. I couldn’t understand a word they said.”
“Great,” Simon moaned. “Let’s hope they don’t try to strike up a conversation.”
He leaned against a dead car and she sidled up next to him. “So your name is ‘Simon’? Or was that something another Quee called you?”
He nodded slowly. “And you are?”
She smiled at him playfully. “Yours, remember?”
“What do I call you? Or do you like being ‘hey you with the tits?’”
She rolled her eyes and glanced away. “Lana.”
Simon nodded. “I like that. It rolls off the tongue.”
She shook her head. “I never cared for it.”
He turned her to face him and gave her a soft smile. “This is a new beginning, remember? We survived a mass extinction. We came out on top.”
“It doesn’t change the past.” She looked up at him and sighed. “Do you remember anything that I told you before you passed out?”
“You killed a bad guy.” He raised a brow at her. “I’m a bad guy.”
She nodded knowingly. “I’m certain.” She pointed a dirty finger at him. “Just don’t be bad to me and I’ll let you wake up each morning.”
Simon gave her a crooked smile. “Deal.”
11
Buck nearly fell out of bed when Hatcher banged on his door. He scrambled across the floor, pulling his clothes on and mumbling at the same time. “I’m coming.”
“Meet me in the dining room.”
Buck tripped over his pants and fell to the floor. He saw the shadow of booted feet walking away from the door and he collapsed, his energy drained.
“You going after Simon?” Skeeter asked.
Buck rolled over and came to his knees. “That’s the plan.” He pulled his shirt over his head
