Chapter Six

Arin's POV:

All hell breaks loose and I feel Methys stiffen beside my, turning rigid in her spot. I duck under a table as Roseline kicks one of the figures, then somersaults and lands on another one's shoulders like she's a gymnast and all the weird people are her balancing beams and trampolines.

She then proceeds to flip him over, smashing his head on the ground, and he goes unconscious, falling to the ground like a broken marionette.

I am about to run out from under the table and help my friends, who are struggling to fend off the crazed people when something closes around my shoulder, and I thrust my elbow back, hard and sharply.

I can feel the grip on me loosen slightly, but the person is still holding on, fingernails digging into my skin. I refuse to cry out-it'll just make the matter worse-and grit my teeth instead.

Spinning around, I extend my leg, and manage to get the maniac away from me by sweeping his legs from underneath him, making him fall into his knees, then pushing him away with my foot. He goes skidding all the way to the middle of the room.

Moving out from my hiding place, I count the number of people. Five or six, I cannot tell because they are moving very fast. They live here. A family, possibly. They probably opened the window, or there was a leak somewhere.

I look over my shoulder. Methys is trying to fight off someone, but with only one good arm, she is failing. Her mouth is open in screams, but I cannot hear her over the chaos and noise.

Sighing despite the crazed tension in the air, I make my way over to her, and kick the guy-who is pressing her against the wall-in the gut. He does not double over, like how normal living people do when they are hit. However, he growls and bared his teeth.

Oh snap. They do not feel pain, do they? This was going to end very badly. There's going to be a bloody battle to the end, a massacre most likely. I push Methys to the side and she falls to the ground, whimpering.

She is really fragile, and it reminds me of glass, of how it always shatters when dropped or broken. Methys is that kind of fragile, and vulnerable. I clench my fists and tuck my thumb out - this will prevent me from getting hurt when I punch that guy.

He lifts his hands and claws at me, like he wants to scratch me. However, I don't give him the chance. I grab his hand and twist it. Finally, I hear the audible crack. Then I let go, and shove him back. Now his arm is hanging in an awkward manner at the side.

The man just shuffles forward like nothing happened. Well, I'm not sure if I'm just being a weirdo, but that person kind of looks like a zombie. And I'm just going to take the chance. I'm going to kill this guy by how I learn from various shows. And that's only because I have no other choice but to kill him.

I slam my elbow against his skull and he falls to the ground, before I begin a series of movements I learnt from shows and Roseline - being the best fighter among us. I hear a crack and stop what I'm doing. A black pellet trickles out of his now broken skull - or head - with the same yellow fluid we saw previously.

I turn back and grab Methys' hand, pulling her up from the ground. She is quivering and sobbing and whimpering, covering her head with her hands. I want to comfort her, but I don't have time. We have to continue. or in time to come, we'll end up like that guy I bashed up and that will be a gravely serious situation. I'll rather shoot myself then turn into one of those whackos.

I don't know why, but ever since I've met this girl, I've been very curious about her, even more curious than when I first met Roseline and Emeline. There's something in her heather gray eyes and thick hair that draws me to her, and the way she flinches when she hears my name.

I think I've seen her before, but I can't remember where. I've heard her name before, too. It's just like déjà vu. Like how I know someone without actually knowing that person. Sounds weird right? But that's precisely how I feel.

Methys. Methys. Methys. I try rolling her name around on my tongue, and something in the back of my head clicks, like I remember something very important; but then Methys' sob reaches my ear, and I tighten my hand. I look at her with concerned eyes and brush away the tears that were streaming down her face with my thumb gently, like the way Mum used to do when I cried as a child.

Her skin is smooth, though dotted with a few freckles, and her eyes are puffy and red from crying. Her cheeks are flushed slightly, and just the feel of her skin makes me want to smile. She's just that special and beautiful.

"Stay close." I yell in her ear, then take off once again, not waiting for her reaction. If she wants to live, she should not have any doubts towards my orders. All I'm doing is for her safety, for my friends' safety. That, she should understand.

She needs to know that we're not here to harm her; we're just like her, in fact, and we want to find out why the black rain happened, why we are immune to it. If not anything, I'm starting to like her as much as Roseline and Emeline, although it may be a little too early. I can't help it though, something draws me to her, makes me trust her easily.

"TERRIS!" A wail pierces the air, cutting straight through like a knife. Time seems to slow down for a few seconds, as I kick another man away, lost in my own wild thoughts about what happened. Methys' head snaps up, and she begins to drag me towards the sound, snapping me out of my stupor. I realize that I've yet to let go of her hand, and I'm not sure that I want to. It's like the world is turning on its axis and Methys is keeping me balanced.

Shaking my head, I drop Methys' hand. What am I thinking? Methys looks a little hurt, but says nothing. I immediately sprint in the direction of the noise as the silence once here reappears slowly. The infected are now either too weak to make any noise or are dead.

Emeline kneels beside Terris, with her shoulders hunched. Are they injured? I sweep my gaze towards Roseline, who seems unscathed, Methys is leaning against a wall, catching her breath, her eyes wild as she stares up the stairwell, as if another person will come charging down. Tears are visible in her eyes. She's crying again? I sigh. Besides, girl are girls, drama is included in that package of theirs.

Then I look down, and almost scream. Terris is motionless on the marble floor, his legs splayed outwards, his eyes hollow.

Is he... Dead? No! It can't be. Please, no.

My legs give way, and I fall on the ground, half expecting him to jump up and point his finger at me, saying 'Ha, you fell for it', but he just lies there. Emeline is pale, her fists clenched, her back to us as her shoulders shake slightly.

"T-Terris..." I stutter, at a loss for words.

I have never encountered with death before. What am I supposed to do? I do remember someone saying something about an 'eulogy', but I have no idea what that is.

"Is everyone except for Terris okay?" Roseline asks, determined to get us moving and in the present.

Emeline nods her head, body slumped as tears spill out. I reply with a sharp 'yes', and Roseline does not bother to look at Methys. I do not have time for her, either.

Crawling forward on my hands and knees, I reach Terris, and put my arm around Emeline. Another wave of sobs rack her body, and my heart aches.

I'm really sorry, Terris.

"I hate to say this, Em, but we have to go. Before they come again. We can't last another-"

"I know." she cut me off sharply, the sting of rejection bit into my chest. I wince with no hesitation, but the usual Emeline with the highest ever emotional-quotient makes no move to pat my back or smile sadly at me. Death dulls her senses, especially when it's one of her best friends.

I pull her up, and nod at Roseline. "Let's go."

"Wait," she stops me. She moves her trembling fingers above Terris' eyes. Turning her head away, she mutters "I'm sorry" before closing his eyelids. Hopefully, he'll rest in peace. Emeline stands and walks to the door solemnly.

Just as we are about to exit the nearly pitch-black house - we destroyed most of the lights in the fighting process - I notice a rack of perfectly untouched umbrellas. Looking at the black shower outside, I quickly grab a few and pass them to Roseline and Emeline. "Use them to keep the rain out. It isn't good for you if the rain keeps hitting you."

Roseline thanks me quietly, while Emeline just remains silent, looking over her shoulder at Terris. Something gets lodged in my throat, and without further hesitation I wrap my arms around Emeline and pull her in for a hug. She hugs me back, and continues her sobs quietly for a while. I pat her back rhythmically, the way Mum used to let me fall asleep.

"It's okay," I tell her, "we're here for you."

Emeline nods slowly, numbly, like she's in another world, where everything is black and white and grey, with unfamiliar blobs and creatures.

"Methys, are you coming?" I look over my shoulder, where that strange girl is shivering in a corner, having moved away from the stairwell and to the door.

"Yes," she croaks, but does not meet my eyes. She cannot seem to. Ever since we brought her into this house and told her my name, she became even more closed up and weird. I wish I could pull her into a hug. But now's not the time for that. We have to leave now.

But I still seem to know her, in that moment where I held her hand, there was this special bond between us, a familiar one. She's confusing me, however. One second she's crying and smiling at me, the next she closes up again and stands alone, quiet and scared.

Gradually, she manages to get herself on her feet, wobbling, which earns a scoff from Roseline.

"Move it, girl. We don't have time. It's just a small-" she is cut off by Emeline-who seems to have recovered from her shock or misery-glaring at her, saying, "It's her first time getting attacked, most likely, and you're just making her feel-"

"She'll be fine." I answer for Methys, interrupting Emeline. "Do you guys know where the next shelter is? We need to get somewhere safe before-"

"Stop talking like I'm not there!" Methys suddenly yells, making all of us jump. Without looking back, she stomps out the door. Emeline follows after her without hesitation, while I am left there, mouth agape, staring at Roseline.

Roseline crosses her arms over her chest, like a mother does to her child when he does something wrong; in this case, I'm that child. "Arin, we need to get her away from us! Can't you see, she's dangerous! One minute she's there on the floor, sobbing like a baby, the next she's yelling at us like nobody's business and walking out the door. I don't trust her, and neither should you." she whisper-shouts.

"Who said I trusted her?" I struggle to keep my voice level and calm. The truth is, I do, because I know her, and she knows me.

WIth a huff, Roseline storms out the door as well. I run a hand down my face for the second time today. Girls. Just a handful of trouble. I wish that Terris-he's gone, Arin, face it. Move on. You have important things to do.

I suddenly feel the urge to leap around and throw a tantrum and make a fuss, to act like a kid. How could one day escalate into something like this?

"Arin?" Emeline pops her head through the door, and I groan silently. "Meth and Rose want to know if you're coming." She smiles, but it doesn't touch her eyes, which are red and slightly swollen from crying. She lowers her eyes, and stares at her shoes awkwardly, awaiting my reply.

Seriously, Meth? Seems like she just created a new nickname for our new friend. And it's none other than a drug name. Which seems unsuitable for a nickname, but unless I can think of a better one, I'll have to stick to that. They've got to be kidding me.

But that was Emeline, all right, running around making friends with that huge, kind grin.

"Yeah, yeah." I trudge out the door, feeling worn out and exhausted, because I know that there will be more girl drama that I have to handle the minute I set foot outside. As I walk out the door - now in a bad condition, with scratches and most of the paint coming off - I turn one last time to take a glance at Terris' corpse before meeting with the cool breeze against my face. I look up to the sky and smile before joining the girls.

I'm sorry Terris, I wish that I could have saved you, but I'll continue to survive - healthy and well - so that you will not be disappointed in me.