The Infected

I jingled the keys in my hand, taunting Leo, my brother, then ran out the front door and to the car before he could catch me. I had just shut the door just when he reached me, locking it.

“Not fair, Leah.” he whined through the window that was still up. “You drove yesterday.”

I grinned. “Life's not fair. You snooze, you loose. Loser.”

“Seriously, open the door.” he yanked on the door handle.

I stuck out my tongue. “No.” I think I took too much glee in torturing my baby brother.

“Please.” he yanked some more. “Please.” he repeated annoyingly.

“How 'bout this? I'll let you drive on the way back.”

“No, how about this? You let me drive now.”

“Nope.” I started the car up and watched my little brother flip me off. Twice.

“Leo, what are you doing?” My mom asked as she emerged for the house.

His eyes grew wide before he turned around to face mom. “Um... n-nothing.” he stammered.
I snorted out some laughter. Busted.

“Mm-hmm. Could you make sure not to to nothing again.” She narrowed her eyes at him before turning her gaze to me. “Leah, out the car.”

“But mom.”

“But nothing. Out.”

I reluctantly opened the door and got out of the car. Leo looked smug but when he tried to take my place in the drivers set mom shot him a look and the two of us climbed into the back. Mom got in and we wait on Dad and my little sister, Lily.

“Leo, go see what's taking them so long.” Mom said after a few minutes went by and they still hadn't come out of the house. Leo ran inside and the three of them came out a minute or two later.

“We had to find her special hat.” Leo moaned out. “Heaven forbid she went anywhere without it.”

“Oh, shut it.” I muttered as Lily took her place between me and him and pulled the raggedy rainbow colored old wool hat onto her head.

“Hey, little animal.” I said, playfully elbowing her.

She smiled and tugged the hat firmly down on her head. It was her favorite thing, and she wore it everyday, even when it was warm out, like today.

Leo asked her when she was going to ever grow up and I proceed to reach over and punch him in the arm.

“Ow.”

“Don't listen to him.” I told her. Lily never did anyway. “He still sleep with teddy bears, so he doesn't have room to talk.” she giggled.

As Dad got into the passenger seat, smiling the way he always did, big and bright and full of joy, we were still arguing. “Stop it you too.” he said halfheartedly. Mom just rolled her eyes. “Everyone strapped in? Good, let's go. Don't want to be late.”

We were on out way to have lunch with my aunt Lucy, her husband Joe and their kids, Mike and Brian, twins, both of whom were home from their first year of college. That's what we were celebrating, that and the fact that I graduated high school and got accepted into Berklee School of Music in Boston. Needless to say my parents were proud.

I put my headphones on and turned my iPod and listened to Florence and the Machine, instead of the Jazz dad had turned on. Leo, too opted to listen to his own music and Lily was reading, the second Percy Jackson and the Olympians book. Very typical of all of us in the car, unless of course I was driving. I was on “Seven Devils” when we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. We all put our things away and climbed out of the car. Lily took my hand like she did sometimes, and we walked in.

Aunt Lucy and her family were already there and lots of hugs and kisses went around before we were all seated and ordering.

“So, Leah are you ready for college?” Uncle Joe asked after our server departed.

“Yeah.” I said honestly, beaming, “I am.”

“I thought I was ready to leave home.” Aunt Lucy said, “But when the day came I cried like a baby.”

“Oh, don't I remember.” Mom add jokingly.

“I got so home sick. I called home everyday. It was ridiculous.”

“It's not that bad.” cousin Mike said. “They're exaggerating of course.”

“Oh, of course.” I said with a laugh.

“Once you're gone,” Brian said, “you won't want to come back.”

All the grown ups, the twins excluded, went on and on about their college experience. The twins had other things in mind. They and Leo commented on how hot our server, and the lady behind the register was. Boys.

Lily had her nose in her book. “Is it good?” I asked her.

For a second she didn't hear me. “Yes.” she answered, looking up at me with bright green eyes. “I'm almost finished, two more chapters to go.” she said warmly, excitement in her voice.

“Got the next one lined up?”

She patted her tote bag. “Sure do.”

Lily was a bookworm, like me. In fact she was like my mini me. We both had dark red wavy hair, round green eyes, a billion freckles, and pale skin. Both of us were on the small side, I was only five foot nothing, we got our height from not our parents, but our grandma, she was barely four foot ten. And like me Lily was a bit thin and we had nearly the same huge smile.

I smiled down at my little sis and let her get back to her reading and went back to talking to everyone else. Our food arrived, Mom made Lily put the book away and we ate our meal, laughing, and joking away.

These memories are forever ingrained in my mind now because of the events that followed. I think I wanted to remember how things used to be, these moments of happiness and joy and carefree time spent in the company of those I loved. I might have taken it all of granted otherwise, but don't we all?

We were in the middle of our meal, the Saturday lunch rush came in and the place was packed and a bit noisy, with a lot of overlapping conversations. I guess that's why when everyone stopped talking the silence that followed was deafening.

Suddenly everyone was still, and quite. And staring ahead. Staring at nothing. Their eyes hollow.

“Mom?” I muttered softly, but soon alarm crept into my voice. “Dad?”

No one responded and my voice, albeit a whisper, was loud in the silence. I heard a whimper and looked over to see Lily, her eyes wide and frightened, looking at the statues our family have become.

Then I noticed their eyes again. They looked wrong. They were sort unfocused, dull gray almost silvery color and their pupils were slightly dilated, as if they were all on some kind of drug. Maybe they were. But that made no sense.

“Leah... what's wrong with them?” My little sister asked, tears swimming in here eyes.

I couldn't answer. I had no answer.

Lily suddenly stood and began shaking my mom. “Mom. Mom stop it.” she pleaded. “Mom please.” She moved over to dad, then Leo then everyone else at the table.

No one responded.

I sat there, almost immobile myself, too shocked to anything more than stare. Looking around at the restaurant. Everyone who was on their feet had pause where they stood. Servers with trays still in their hands, patrons on their way either in or out. Then my eyes moved to the window. Outside.

Nothing moved. Nothing at all.

It wasn't just quiet inside, outside had fell silent too. No noise of traffic or anything else for that matter. Silence.

Scary silence.

Then everyone who was frozen suddenly moved.

“Lily.” I exclaimed, pulled out of my own little trance, and grabbed the little one's hand and pulled her to me, protectively.

“Mom? Dad?” she crocked out.

They all turned their heads in the direction of the exits and stood. Just as several loud explosions shook the building. Once on their feet they began moving as if nothing had happened. Eerily moving as if rehearsed towards the doors.

Lily and I were the only ones not moving now. Both of us too startled by the explosions that had come out of nowhere. Outside the window in the distance I could see billows of smoke in about a dozen different places. More explosions quickly followed. I realized later on that they were airplanes, all crashing down to the earth.

Lily, coming to her senses quicker than I, pulled away from me and grabbed moms arm, willing her to stop moving. But mom took no notice as Lily clung to her, half dragged across the floor until I grabbed her.

“No. No, no no!” my little sister screamed as I moved her away from the people who all were moving out into the open space outside until the place emptied. “No.” she whispered, her voice watery, tears streaking her round cheeks.

I held her tight and watched as everyone walked down the street to join the other people who also were in the same sort of trance. Crowds and crowds of people, walking towards the East, to whom knew where. I half expected everyone to come rushing back in, laughing saying it was a joke. But how on earth could it be?

Suddenly Lily burst out of my arms and headed for the door.

“Wait.” I shouted, following her out.

The little one had speed. But so did I. Lily ran off again. I caught up to her as she tried to push her way through the thick hoards of people. But there were too many of them. I almost lost sight of her before I reached her again.

“Lily. Stop.” My voice rang loud, echoing.

She was sobbing now. I hugged her and managed to get her back to the front of the restaurant before we got swept up in the tide. I got down on my knees, and enveloped the little one in my arms, as she clung to my shirt, tears falling steadily.

There was nothing I could do. I had no clue as to what was happening. I couldn't even tell her it was going to be alright. What a pointless lie that would have been. It was the strangest sight, hundreds of people, eyes dull, dead, walking to god knows where. And all we could do was watch.