Immortality Means Never Dying

After running for a while, Frank and I heard voices. We found Anne Marie, Bob, Ray, and Gerard standing around and breathing deeply. Anne Marie was looking around nervously. The second he saw us, Gerard's eyes went wide.

"Where's Mikey?" he asked forcefully.

I closed my eyes. Frank held my hand tightly.

"He's...he stayed...he stayed behind," Frank stuttered nervously.

"Stayed behind?" Ray said. I looked at my feet.

"What do you mean stayed behind?" Gerard said fearfully. I couldn't help but look up and immediately regretted it. His yellow eyes pierced through me.

"He stayed behind, Gerard," Frank repeated. "He...he said he'd distract them. So that...so that we can-"

"He's gonna get himself killed!"

Gerard's voice sounded as if it echoed.

"He knows," I said softly. I was getting lost in Gerard's eyes. It was as if he were luring me. I took a subconscious step forward but Frank held me to his side. I unlocked my eyes from Gerard's and snapped out of the trance.

"I'm gonna go find him," he said, beginning to run away.

"They'll kill you too!" Bob yelled.

"He's my brother!" Gerard yelled back.

Gerard's figure was lost in the trees. Frank suddenly turned me around in his arms. He pressed his lips softly against mine and looked away from me.

"I'll go after him," he said to the others. Then he looked at me. He kissed me forcefully, pressing into me so much that I had to arch my back. Frank held me tightly so that I wouldn't fall. He pulled away from me and I breathed as he helped me stand up straight. He brought his lips close to my ear.

"I love you," he whispered. He pressed his lips against mine one last time before running in the direction Gerard had gone. I licked my lip. It was bleeding again. He'd bitten me. Again.

"Let's...let's go," Ray said awkwardly. I looked up at them. I felt light-headed and weak. I watched as Bob walked away with Anne Marie but she looked back.

"What did he say to you?" she asked. "Did he say he loved you?"

But I couldn't answer because hearing her say it made me want to throw up. And Bob just kept pulling her away.

"Come on," Ray said, coming up to me. I gasped and leaned against him. He picked me up almost immediately and walked quickly.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"No," I said softly before everything went out of focus and faded.

I stretched and looked around. I was on the couch. I'd passed out. Ray sat beside me, only on the ground, looking up at me eagerly. When my eyes fell onto his he smiled. I sat up and he stood to sit next to me. Bob was on the floor, distractedly running a hand through Anne Marie's hair. She stared blankly at the linoleum.

Then something dawned on me.

"What time is it?" I asked Ray.

"Around...nine, I guess," he said. I looked at him with furrowed brows.

"But...shouldn't you guys be asleep? Or are you not tired?"

Ray chuckled somewhat nervously. "Nine at night, Jane. You've been passed out for, like, eighteen hours."

My jaw dropped and my eyes went wide. He laughed.

"Well, then, uh..." I said, awkwardly clearing my throat. "Where are...where are Gerard, Mikey and Frank?"

Ray closed his eyes.

"They haven't come back," Bob said. I looked at him. He was looking at the floor blankly. Anne closed her eyes as well.

I sighed and hugged myself.

Please come back, I thought hopefully, willing for them to just walk right in through that door right now. Please be okay. Please come back.

But no one came through any door. So I sighed and decided to pass the time in some way.

"Ray?"

He looked at me.

"Who turned you?"