Before Everything and After

I don't know how long I slept. Both of our phones were dead, and it's not like we could get signal down here in this concrete cave anyway. For a few minutes when I wake up, I just lay there with my eyes closed, trying to forget the nightmare that was last night. Flashes of light and blood keep spilling across my eyes, and Tyler's accusing stare as he died keeps popping up at the least convenient times.

How could I kill my best friend? Then I remind myself that I didn't kill him; Marissa did. But I don't blame her at all. I just blame myself. I shouldn't have submitted so easily. Maybe then, we could've all gotten away alive. I feel sick to my stomach, remembering the Uxenburgs upstairs. I wonder if they gave in to their only son too. When I start to feel queasier, I push the thoughts away and clear my mind. Soon, I'm drifting to sleep.

I wake up a little bit later and swing my legs over the side of the futon. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and yawn. I stretch and I feel like curling up and going back to bed. I look at Marissa's futon, but she's not in it. I feel panic bubble up inside of me. I grab my shotgun from the floor beside me and look around.

I find Marissa in the corner, head on her knees and hands tangled in her hair. She's already torn a few chunks of her hair out, clumps of it littering the floor around her. "Mar-mar?" I ask questioningly.

Her head snaps up and I'm looking into sad eyes that are slowly turning gold. "Nick…" she rasps. "Please… kill me now." She fights to stay on the floor, squirming to get up and attack me.

"Marissa… I can't!"

She gets on her knees and seethes, pulling at her hair some more. She keeps her eyes on me, watching my every movement. "You promised me, dammit."

"Only if you were a zombie!" I respond, trying frantically to remember exactly what she said.

She laughs. It grates across my eardrums; it's nothing like how it usually is. I can feel my heart breaking. "I'm about to turn into one, and I don't want to fucking hurt you." She crawls closer to me, keeping her eyes on mine. "Please, Nick. Now. Please. Do it." She convulses and curls into a bloody ball, her back ripping a little. She lets out a bloodcurdling scream and I cringe. "Now!" she screams.