The Sickness

I tread lightly across the forest floor, not wanting to disturb the crisp brown leaves from their resting place after falling from the canopy of trees above. It was the kind of place that had the potential to be beautiful. Branches perfect for the sun to creep through, creating shadows that dance through the foliage as the breeze bounces over the greenery. The potential however, would never be realized. The years for the sun to break through the clouds and warm the earth were long over, and the trees would never again be full and green. This thought used to leave me unsettled, but like with most things, time took over and my spirit became hardened to such feelings.

I interlaced my fingers in the golden chain around my neck, a heart shaped locket dangling at the end. It contained a picture of a face whose voice I could no longer hear in my head, but if it were to be spoken aloud again I would recognize it in an instant. A man I once knew. A man I once loved.

A small sound suddenly interrupted the silence. I instinctively froze where I stood, my only movement the rapid beating of my heart. I then slowly turned my head in the direction of the sound. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when I saw who was standing behind me.

“Juniper,” I whispered, placing a hand on my forehead in frustration. “You can’t sneak up on me like that. I could’ve hurt you.” Juniper dramatically rolled her piercing blue eyes at me. “Would you relax,” she said in a loud whisper. “The legs don’t patrol these woods.” She pulled the lid off of her canteen and took a long drink of water. “We’re getting closer to their territory. The base they’re all holed up in is just a few miles from here,” I said, wiping the sweat from my forehead with the back of my hand. “We’re not doing anything wrong,” she replied. “We’re just hunting, aren’t we?”

I looked up and gazed through the trees, scanning each branch in concentration. I closed my eyes, sifting through my memories. I wanted to picture this land as it was before. It wasn’t difficult, I saw it every night when I attempted to sleep. It seemed like not so long ago I was a young woman, running through these very hills. Climbing the tallest tree I could find.

“Well, I don’t know about you but I’m starving,” said Juniper, scooping up the couple of rabbits we had managed to catch. They were thinner than we liked, but food was beginning to be scarce in the area. By now we’d usually move to a different hunting spot, but I was reluctant to leave this particular land.

“You coming? Or would you rather camp here close to the old base and the legs? Either way, the food is coming with me,” she said as she turned in the direction we came and began walking noiselessly through the woods. “Right behind you,” I said as I took one last glance around at what used to be my neighborhood.

I walked close behind Juniper stealthily, and watched as she studied her surroundings. Her blue eyes bounced from branch to branch, stick to stick broken and leaf to leaf disturbed on the path ahead of us. Just as I had taught her to do. She was a quick learner and a force of nature, she had been that way since she was a little girl.

We found our way back to camp just before dark where there was a small fire waiting. Seated nearby on a stump was a tall, sturdy man with dark hair and eyes like the ocean, just like Juniper’s and my own. By the fire was a young man who looked quite different from the three of us, and more resembled the man inside the golden locket around my neck. In fact he was a spitting image. He was bent over his knife and a chunk of wood, very concentrated on his work, carving out smooth edges and cutting out impressive details.

I crept up behind him and wrapped my arms around him in a hug. “Silas!” I said cheerfully, giving him a kiss on his mop of brown hair. “Hi Mom,” he said with a sigh and a roll of his deep brown eyes.

“Delilah,” said a deep voice from the direction of the stump. I looked up from my son and my eyes met my older brother’s. “Charlie,” I said back. “You didn’t go up near the base, did you?” he asked, standing up from his spot a few feet away. He towered over me like he did over most. All three of us were tall, that came from our father. Juniper trudged over and set the rabbits on a log near the fire. She shot me a cautious look and didn’t say a word. I didn’t break eye contact with Charlie. “Because you know it’s best to not get involved over there,” he said, raising his black eyebrows. I sighed and looked away.

“Come on Delilah, you can’t keep doing this. Pretty soon they’re going to want to know what you’re doing snooping around up there.” There was a desperate ring to his tone and I looked down at my feet. I wrapped my fingers around my locket.

Charlie looked down at my hands. “What would Ben think of you putting us in danger like that? Silas especially,” he said. My eyes snapped up to his. “Don’t you dare,” I said sharply. “Not in front of my son.”

“Don’t you think he’s old enough for these conversations?” He asked, gesturing towards Silas, who was uncomfortably shuffling in his seat. “You didn’t know our relationship, or what we discussed about the future of our family,” I said, eyes still locked on his. “A future that was taken away. Ben was taken away,” he said exasperatedly. “You have to let go of this, it’s not worth it. We’ve been having this same conversation for years and I can’t keep having it.”

With that, Charlie marched off into the trees, angrily removing branches from his path. Juniper started in his direction. “Charlie,” she said, and I assumed her next words would have been to convince him to come back so we could start supper. “Juni, not now. Give him a few minutes,” I said and she plopped down by the fire, hungrily looking at the rabbits.

While I watched Charlie’s silhouette begin to disappear into the darkness, I was already planning my next move. I needed to know exactly what was going on in that old military base over the hills. Something was happening there, I could feel it in my bones. I was going to find out exactly what.

My eyes snapped open, not an ounce of sleep to keep them weighed down. My gaze rested directly above me towards the darkened sky, the bright stars shining in contrast. I then slowly turned my attention to my family sleeping nearby. Focusing on their rhythmic breathing, I cautiously rose from my resting place on the ground.

I began quickly and silently packing a few supplies in my bag and slung it over my shoulder. I snatched my knife up and hid it in my boot. I’d be gone for a few days at the most. Charlie would be angry, but the only thing I could do about that was let him. I knew there was something more that we weren’t seeing.

None of us trusted the legs, but no one trusted them less than I did. They were created to protect us, at least that’s what Ben and I thought when he joined them. But then things began turning dark. A corrupt ruler and neighbor turning against neighbor. And then the sickness. The sickness came without warning and spread like the plague around the world. No known cure and people dying all around us. People I never knew and the people I loved. For years I sat still, mainly for my brother and my son. But now I’ve returned to what’s left of my home. Even Charlie can’t honestly expect me to do nothing when I’m so close to having answers.

When I finish gathering what I need I take one last look around. I peered into the darkness but could only make out two figures. One belonging to Charlie and the other Silas. My heart skipped a beat and I whirled around to a set of eyes staring me down. “Where do you think you’re going?” said Juniper. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply. “You seriously need to stop doing that,” I said, pushing past her.

“Fine, don’t tell me. I have a pretty good idea anyway. But we need to be careful, I doubt the legs have a curfew,” she said, snatching her bag from the ground. I stopped walking and turned to face her. “Not we,” I said and she raised an eyebrow at me. “I’m twenty years old. I do what I want,” she replied. I rolled my eyes and we started in the direction of the base.

We made our way quickly and quietly through the trees, the only sound being the wind whistling through the bare branches and an owl cooing somewhere in the distance. The occasional snap of a twig under our feet.

At some time in the dead of the night we finally reached the gate surrounding the old military base. The metal gate was replaced by a large concrete wall. We scaled it, avoiding the cameras and crept across the grass. There was a brightly lit building and the lawn around it was eerily empty.

We crept up to the window and peered inside. It was some sort of laboratory filled with men in white coats. They were discussing something intently. Suddenly a stout man with graying hair in a black suit came bursting into the room.

“Dr. Howard! How very nice to see you!” He boomed, putting his arm around one of the scientists. He slightly cowered in the man’s presence. “Yes Mr. Callaway, Sir,” said the doctor nervously. “So tell me,” said Mr. Callaway, taking a seat by a shelf of strange items. “How is our little project coming along?”

Dr. Howard cleared his throat and tugged at his tie. “The next strand of the virus is almost complete. We will be ready to release it by the end of the month,” he said and Mr. Callaway looked pleased. “This will take care of the rest of the rebels hiding in the forests,” he said with a sneer. “Yes sir,” said Dr. Howard. “And we have plenty of the antidote to go around, but we must deliver it to our people by next week for it to have its full effect.”

“Oh yes,” said Mr. Callaway, who already seemed bored of the conversation. “We wouldn’t want them to catch any of the symptoms.”

I felt my heart beat rapidly deep in my chest. I had never felt anger like this before. I could tell Juniper was speaking, but I only heard ringing in my ears. I couldn’t pry my eyes away from the sinister man in the laboratory. Even when he made eye contact with me through the window. The corners of his mouth twisted into a menacing smile.

“Delilah, they know we’re here! It’s a trap!” Juniper shouted in my ear. The legs came from every direction, swarming around my sister and I. There were too many and they worked quickly, binding our hands. They shoved us forward, commanding us to walk and brought us through the doors. We were quickly approaching the wrath of a deeply corrupted society but all I could see was Ben’s face in my mind, and I knew this wasn’t the end.