Earlier

Darkness.

Pure and utter blackness surrounded her. A high pitch ring between the ears, buzzed like thousands of flies on putrid meat, keeping her from being able to think clearly. The pounding of a vein at her temple was unbearable. It hammered her head like a drum, or what she imagined, a banging drum would feel like. It almost went unnoticed except, Teal had never felt pain like this before.

"Oh. My ... shit!"

The hybrid experienced a bitter-sweet moment when she realized, she had a pulse. Never before had Teal felt her heartbeat in her head, nor her chest. Never. Not even on the days, she saw Marc, and he, excited her so.

Blinking rapidly a few times, Teal panicked. A combination of nausea and lightheadedness overwhelmed her senses, and she squirmed around the constricted surroundings.

Teal gasped for air.

"Why am I in a wooden box? For zombie's sake!"

It was obscure and smelly. Although the box was empty and large in size, Kaya managed to quickly tie her arms and feet, before hammering the lid shut. Teal's extremities were bound tight and her body constricted of movement.

Like a worm she squirmed. Perhaps because Kaya had been in a hurry, the knot at her wrists loosened slightly. With newfound hope, Teal wishfully believed she would be able to untie herself and reach her phone.

Rubbing her arms up and down at the same time, and shaking her body, Teal stretched the material around her wrists. She pulled at it in hopes one of her small hands could escape the fasteners. Half an hour later, sweat covered her brow and upper lip. Her breath was heavy and the warmness in her coffin was beginning to feel unbearable. Dizzy, she lost consciousness once more.

Unaware of how long she'd passed out for, Teal woke startled. Dazed, she sat up quickly banging her forehead against the wooden lid.

"Fuuuuck!!!"

For once Teal knew swearing was the appropriate reaction. Maybe, the only sane one to have at the moment. The situation merited it.

"Shit! Ugh, damn it!! I'm in hell!"

She began to cry. The tears and shudders made it difficult to think. Desperately, the terrified zombie thought of things that might calm her erratic state.

Thoughts of her mother surfaced while taking deep, long breaths through her mouth.

Mom's gonna kill you when she finds out if you're not dead already.

Frightened, Teal realized, thinking about her mother was not calming.

If she finds you dead, she'll find a way to resuscitate you and ground you for eternity.

Frantic she screamed while working the ties that bound her hands even faster. Finally, she released one of her wrists. Through tears, she briefly laughed and smiled in victory, pulling the phone out of the front pant's pocket.

Thank the dead zombies, Kaya sucked at tying knots and at kidnapping altogether. If she had noticed the cell phone in her pocket, it would obviously be gone. Powering the cell she waited, what seemed an eternity, for it to display the screen. Searching through her contact list she found the one and only number in it.

It rang. A sense of relief overtook her.

"Marc! Marc?!"

The communication between them, annoyingly corrupted by static.

"Teal?! Teal?!"

His voice was agitated but had a hint of relief.

On the other end of the line, she sobbed. "Marc! I can't see where I'm at! I don't know! I can't see out of this wooden box!"

The connection was spotty, her voice small and in need of fluids. "I-I have no idea where I am!" She repeated sobbing into the receiver. "It's some kind of box. Maybe a coffin?" She wondered if he could hear her. "Are you there? Can you hear me?

"Box?"

Her heart sunk when she realized he was hearing half the conversation.

"Yes! The boxes. At the back. Kaya closed the lid. It's too tight! I can't open it!!"

Hyperventilating, Teal tried to make sense. Not speak too fast. But, her voice was impossible to control.

"Can you hear me, Teal?! Can you hear me?! Teal?! I'm coming for you!"

"Yes! Yes! I can! Hello? Marc? Hello?!"

"Fuck!" He swore in frustration.

The line went dead but she heard him loud and clear. He was coming for her. Once he realized what she was in, she was sure Marc would know where it was taken. Unless Kaya took her box somewhere different than it was supposed to go. She dialed him again but got a busy signal.

Her little shriveled heart slammed against her chests and her breath became ragged. It hurt when it passed from her throat to her mouth. The air surrounding her was dense and its thickness pained her nostrils. At this moment, she did not envy humans. The suffering and discomfort were almost unbearable. She could faintly imagine having to be constantly aware of everything inside her and live with the pain her body was suddenly displaying.

Lightheaded, Teal concluded that if she didn't think of something else, she would pass out again. Maybe, if she could kick the lid up with both legs, she could escape. On her back, Teal lifted the knees to her chest and flexed her feet. Forcefully, she pushed at the cover. The loud thumps soon became rhythmic.

Thump! One. Thump! Two. Thump! Three. She pushed with all her might and counted, but the lid did not budge.

Trying to regain her strength she concentrated on the different parts of her body she could feel, which now included sore legs.

Blinding headache pounding at the vein on the side of her head... Check! Teary eyes... Check! Mucus on her nose? Negative. No snot that she was aware of. Sticky blood at the nape of her neck? She reached her hand behind the base and felt the sticky, dry spot. Yep... Nasty too and likely the reason for this headache. She was grateful, it had stopped bleeding.

Nausea? Vomit? Defecation or urination? Negative as well. Good, she thought. She had once read that stunk. A lot. She was not interested to be covered by it.

"Gross." Teal shivered, making a distasteful face.

Beating heart? Earlier, yes. Faint. Then, quite strong.

Quietly she laid, not moving for a few seconds. Listening. But it beat no longer. She wished she could feel it again. Hearing her heartbeat, was a sign of life. Nothing would make her happier than the feeling, of being alive. Instead, an overwhelming fear of dying of starvation in that box took its place.

Sighing, she got back to kicking the lid open. She took three, strong attempts. Finally, the dry wood cracked. Her right leg went right through the rupture and all the small, and not so small shards of wood, scratched her leg.

"Damn it! Damn it! I'm gonna kill that zombitch!"

Teal was livid. Her clenched teeth barely let her voice escape, while she frantically kicked with her other foot, cracking open, the lid in half.

She sat up scanning about. It was pitch dark. The perfect shade of black for a zombie to see. The wind was mildly blowing. It was humid and cold, sporadic drizzle, covered her body. Looking around she realized she wasn't in a familiar place, and instead, the middle of nowhere. Next to her, other boxes, like the one she was in, were lined up. There was no way Kaya could have been able to carry them all. Someone else must have transported them there.

Dim lights were a short distance away and a fence.

"Oh! No! Nononononononono." Freaked, Teal realized she was at the border between the human's side, and theirs.

As quietly as she could, Teal stepped over the box and crouched, crawling slowly away from the lights. She saw tall, large, concrete towers with armed men. Like a leaf, her body trembled with fear. This was definitely not how she wanted to reach the border, nor cross it. Teal realized that if she survived tonight, she needed a better plan involving the protection of her aunt, maybe some of her friends, and hopefully the doctor.

The ring of her phone startled her and simultaneously, the large searchlights hovering around, turned towards where she was, swaying around for intruders.

"Who's there?!" A few of the guards shouted as they aimed carelessly at the darkness ahead, towards where she stood in plain sight.

The cellphone fumbled in her fingers while she ran, attempting to answer at the same time, without dropping it. Her faint heartbeat distracted her and she felt it in her throat along with saliva. She was not able to swallow. Hiding behind thick bushes, she hoped the array of bullets shot, would not reach her. She peered through them, once the loud noise ceased.

Before her phone betrayed her, she looked at it and saw Marc was trying to reach her. Within half a ring she was able to answer.

"Marc!" Her hushed, low tone, told him she wasn't alone.

"Are you at the border? Are you OK?" his tone short and abrupt as if he had wasted too much time already.

"Yes! There are guards and towers!"

"Are those fired bullets?"

"Yes!" She cried. "They heard the phone when you called and started shooting!"

"Damn it! I'm gonna kill Kaya!"

"Not if I get to her first!"

"I'm almost there. Stay down."

It was a whisper, but she heard it. A piercing emergency alarm bellowed and she felt a sharp, burning pain on the left upper arm. Her body swayed weakly, her head spun and her eyes rolled in and out of her head, whilst her eyelids fluttered...

He was a blur. Then a vision. Trying to focus on his approaching face, Teal gave Marc a small smile.

"Finally!"

Her little heart began to beat. Then, she fainted.

Music By:
P!nk*I'm Not Dead