Then we heard Claire scream, and two more shots rang out. I ran to the door.
“No! Do not open that door, Elaina.” I looked back at Sophie, and I started to tremble with fear. Three more gunshots rang out, then silence.
I listened at the door, waiting for any sign that Henry, Claire, and Nick were okay. All that I could hear was my heart pounding in my ears. I looked back at Sophie again. She came to the door.
“Why don’t you go sit down for a moment?”
“Nope. I’m staying here until I know they are okay.” She pulled the walkie talkie off her belt, and turned it on.
“I hope he turned his on. HD! I need a location on you.” Static. “HD, do you read me? I need a location.” Static. “Damn it, Henry! Gimme a motherfucking location! Do you need assistance?”
“SJ, no assistance needed.” He sounded like he had been running. I was so relieved to hear his voice. “Less than thirty seconds until arrival.”
“Gotcha, HD. Be safe.” Sophie looked just as relieved as I was. I was certain she still cared for him.
That thirty seconds seemed like an eternity. Then I heard them running up to the door. Sophie pulled it open and jumped into Henry’s arms. I stood there looking at my brother and Claire.
“Four more adults and...” Henry paused and looked at me. “Three children,” he said with a deep sadness. Claire looked like she was in shock.
“Claire...” I said when I reached for her. She walked around me, walked past the table, and headed down to the bathroom. When she was out of earshot, Henry told us what happened.
“The first two shots were one child and an adult. The rest of the children were roaming the hall. One lunged at Claire and she screamed. Nick shot one, and Claire the other. I saw that the door was open down the hall. I took off running toward it, and three undeads came out. I unloaded on them.
“When I came back down the hall, Claire was still standing, pointing her gun at the true deads, completely white. Nick was trying to get her to come back here. I stepped in between her and them. I grabbed her gun and we headed back. Elaina, you might want to go check on her. I think she’s having a breakdown or something.” I nodded and headed down the hall.
***
“Do you think she’ll be okay?” Nate was genuinely concerned about Claire’s welfare.
“I don’t know.” Nick answered.
Sophie pulled Henry to the side. “I was so worried about you. It was silent for way too long. Next time, give me a heads up. Alright?”
“Okay,” Henry acknowledged.
***
I knocked on the bathroom door. I could hear her in there, rummaging around. “Claire?”
“Come in.” She was scrubbing her face, hands, and arms at a feverish pace. Her pale peach skin was bright red.
“Claire.” I tried to stop her from scrubbing. “Claire, please stop. You’re going to hurt yourself.”
She pounded furiously on the countertop with her fist. “Does it matter?! Does it?!”
“Claire, please.” She screamed and punched the mirror. “Oh, my god! Claire!” It shattered all over us. She grabbed a large piece of it and held it up to her wrist. “Claire. No. Put it down!” Henry must have heard her scream, or the smashing glass, because he showed up in the doorway seconds later.
“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t! One fucking reason!” Her hand was bleeding all over.
“Claire…you’re bleeding,” he said. It was not the time for obvious observations. I turned toward him.
“Get some gauze and antibiotic solution.” He went to the closet, and I could hear him digging through it.
“Claire, please put it down.”
“Why, Elaina?! Why?! So I can continue to kill children?!”
“They were already dead. You didn’t kill them. You allowed their little souls to move on.”
“I put a bullet in the head of a pigtailed girl who couldn’t have been more than five-years-old!”
“She wasn’t a little girl anymore. The virus was controlling her.”
“Ha! You sound like your boyfriend.”
“Claire. Please hand it to me.” I held my hand out.
“I want a reason! One good reason for me to stay in this fucked up world!” I stood in silence. I didn’t have a good reason. “Goddamn it! Give me a fucking reason!”
I was panicking. Then I gave her the only thing I could think of. “Me! Me! You have me!” I couldn’t hold back my tears. I loved Claire like a sister. We had been friends for so long and shared so much together.
“Why? So I can watch you with Henry, and I have no one? I want to choose my own destiny!” I heard footsteps behind me.