Melanie’s POV
“You really think you know me that well, brother?” The man raises his arms, he thinks this is some sort of joke. I am not laughing. “Yeah, I can kill the both of you in a heartbeat if I wanted to…” he pointed his finger at us.
“Why don’t you then?” Jason stood his ground against the man.
The man shook his head at him; Don’t know what he is planning to do… Can tell that nothing good come out of it. I steadied my aim toward his head; Want him to make his move. I want him to -
“Woman, don’t be stupid! I can easily outmaneuver you in a matter of seconds.” The man puts his hands to his back. “I am not here to kill you folks here. I am only here…” He turned to Jason, he doesn’t really know the guy. “For you, Jason.”
“Why me? I am no one valuable! You wasted your time chasing after the wrong person!”
“No, Jason… You are valuable… You are valuable to me, to my boys and my unit!” I may not see his facial expressions, but I feel it ticked him off when Jason it doesn’t to understand where he is getting at. “I wouldn’t be here if you were someone else and you don’t even know it.”
“Then you are the one responsible for the ectoplasmic pulse back at Sandy! And you were pursuing me?” The man claps his hands. What is his problem?
“Ah yes! I had to… make sure you get out of the city. I notice you made new friends, and you forgot your priorities long ago.” Jason is shaking his head at all of this. “You have forgotten who you are, Solider!”
“No… You still don’t get it?” Jason clenches his teeth at the man “I DON'T… KNOW… YOU… AT ALL!!”
“Woooo! Man…” He puts his hand to his chest. “You’re breaking my heart, Jason. I thought you be wiser than that.”
“No… You’re right. I should be.” Jason takes a deep breath. “If you were here to fight me, you would have done so already. I know the military has trained its soldiers to be masters in hand to hand.”
“I see…” The man rubs his chin. “Luckily for you, that I’m a forgiving individual. We had history together and…” He wiggles his finger in the air.
“Enough!” I took at him at his head.
“NO! WAIT! DON’T!” Jason tried to stop me from firing my rifle… As the bullet flow toward the bastard’s head, he…
I felt a sharp pain on my side; it shot up like someone stabbed me with a knife… No….
“I’ve told you, bitch! I can and will outmaneuver you, no matter what you do.” The man used his hand to stab me on the left side of the abdomen. “Luckily for you, I meant what I said… I am not here to kill you. You should have listened to me before you fired that shot.” The man in front of me evaporate in front of me as if he was toying with me.
“LET HER GO!” Jason summoned his blades on his arms, the man made me turn to face him.
“She is not my hostage.” The man removed his hand from the wound he made… I… I suddenly moved toward Jason… I can’t control myself… Then as soon as I got near him, I can move again.
“Why are you doing this? What did you do to her?”
“Jason… For one, she’ll live… for the moment.” The man slowly back away. “When we meet again, I won’t be wearing a mask. I will expect you to hone your skills.” He stopped for a moment. “Until then, Solider! Don’t you dare die before that day comes!” With that, the man moved into the shadows… What is he?
It is time to go home
“Are you still sure that you can’t come with us? The community would have a home for you back at Salt Lake City.” Dick wanted Brad’s group to come with us, I guess now he knows that not all of the dead go around killing people.
“No, we are heading to the community of Price! The reason we are heading there is to meet with others like us and to get supplies to make back to Green River, Wyoming.” Brad nods at him.
“I hope your journey end well, and I hope to see the day when we build our civilization again.” Jean… *Cough*
“And I hope you won’t instantly try to kill us, Sentients. We, too, want to be part of civilization again.” Jenny tears up, I can… expect that she’ll want that too….
“Melanie? Girl, are you alright?” Tommy asked about my wellbeing. He must notice that I’m feeling dizzy and exhausted than usual.
“I’m all right, you smooth talker!” I smiled, I’m not telling folks I am not feeling well under the weather. “I’ll wait in the backseat.”
After I got in… *yawn* Oh, it looks everyone is in already!
“Let’s go, folks!” Dick puts his rifle in the backseat and turned on the ignition as we left the packing lot of the solstice Inn.
Felt a slight chest pain as if my heart is burning; I had to suppress a groan as the pain was throbbing throughout my body… I am seeing stars, seeing both versions of my group. I should have listened to Jason, he knew what it was… How stupid of me to not consider it….
“Melanie! Are you…?” Jason looks up and down on me. “The virus is inside you, it will start attacking your vital origins, and then it will reach the brain.”
“How did you…?”
“I can see into your body respiratory, circulatory and skeletal systems. You won’t last longer in the day.”
“I don’t…” I coughed up, I felt something was forcing its self back up, but I can’t…
The next thing I knew, Jason raised his hands to swirl it around the area we are in, I tried to push it back on but I… I….
I took off my mask; I threw up some fluids from my body… God….
“I created a temporary circular barrier to protect us from the mist.” I continued to throw up some more of the fluids before I put my mask on. “But it will only last for a short time, I'm afraid.” The mist then came back as if nothing happened.
“Don’t tell them, I know they’ll want to put me down should you tell them.” I urged him not to make a word out of it.
“You can’t be serious! If you hide this from-” I grab his shoulders.
“Please! This… This… My last request…” I struggle to maintain my grip and remain focus on where I’m. “Let me tell them when we out of here… Not you. Can you do that for me?”
Jason looked away. He knows I would doom my family & friends if I hide this knowledge from them. I should have told them the truth, but….
Jason… I’m so sorry for everything… I can’t… I am ….
“Melanie?” Tommy shakes…. “MELANIE!!”
