Just Run

I woke up this morning with a headache.

One so severe that I’d probably pass out if I stood up. I couldn’t stand even if I wanted to though. My arms were harnessed to the metal bars of an old, wrinkle-sheeted bed that had dry blood stains on it, perhaps from previous victims . My arms and legs were cold to touch. My back and neck were stiff, preventing me from looking from left to right without log-rolling my whole body. I was in pain. Deep, intense pain. I looked around to see a bunch of medical wires propped up on machines that I had no clue what was used for. The off-white paint on the walls were peeling, with brown residue residing in every corner of the room. The smell of the room was of some type of foreign chemical that may have been diluted in bleach. The smell was so bad that I had to breath in through my nose and out of my mouth to prevent getting the metallic taste the smell left on my tongue. My heart skipped a beat which made me let out a dry cough, and when I looked down I noticed my necklace was gone. It was the same necklace the voodoo man gave me right before he turned into a zombie. His exact words were:

“Sidney.. please take this necklace. Wear it around your neck and never take it off no matter what. I tried what I can to prevent this day from happening but now I must pay my debt. Your family has helped me out as much as they could. But everyone has a price to pay at the end , and this is my price. So you take the necklace and it will protect you even if you get bit. It won’t let you turn.”

It was a heart shaped locket on a rose gold chain. I looked into his red eyes as he put the necklace around my neck, his brown skin was turning bluish pale. The necklace worked, because right after he gave it to me he turned and sank his teeth into my forearm. It was a painful bite. Blood gushing from my arm, my flesh dangling like a piece of meat. I was able to push the voodoo man off me and kicked his head with my steel boot, and began running straight for the building that I’m in right now. I ran into the closest room I seen, and tied my arm really tight with some bandages I seen in a broken medicine cabinet that must’ve fell on the floor. My arm eventually stopped bleeding so I slowly sat on the floor trying to think about the events that unfolded before me. I must’ve passed out because of all the blood I lost, and now I’m waking up, lying on an uncomfortable , dirty bed with my necklace missing.

“Oh no” I let out a deep intense sigh. What will happen to me now? Will I turn? Did the necklace stop my transition? I had so many questions but had to stop myself from thinking because my headache was only getting worse. Just as I was about to cry out in agony, a woman with a white lab coat and black scrub pants walked into the room. Her back was facing me and she began typing something on the only working computer in the room. I can see my necklace dangling from the bottom pocket of her lab coat. Without thinking I said , “why’d you take it?”

I must’ve startled her because she turned around with a puzzled look on her face.

“Take what?” She asked, flashing her pearly white teeth at me. She looked to be in her mid 30s with brown, long hair. Her white skin looked fresh and her clothes looked clean as if she hadn’t been apart of the apocalypse that’s been taking over our town for the past few weeks.

“You took my necklace. I need that necklace. A family friend gave it to me. It’s ... special.” I closed my eyes as the pain became unbearable with every word I spoke.

“It’s special alright.”

She answered turning back around to her computer.

“And you won’t get it back until we figure out how it works.”

Tears poured from my eyes even though l clenched my jaw really tight trying to hold them back.

I will die in this old building without that necklace. Or maybe I will die either way. The lady still had her back turned as she started speaking again.

“We’ve seen everything that happened the night you got bit. We saw that old witch man put the necklace on you, and we saw him bite a huge chunk of your flesh off. We figured you were a goner because well... that’s how the story goes.”

She paused as she did some scrolling around on the computer, then continued,

“We were astounded when we noticed you were still living . You ran into what was once our beloved medical center. One of my coworkers was surprised to see that after a week you were still here and hadn’t turned. You were unconscious, but alive.”

I scrunched up my face in confusion. None of what she was saying was making sense.

“You’re telling me I’ve been lying on this dirty feces infested bed for A WHOLE WEEK.”

I shouted in anger. She turned just her neck around towards me, flashing another smile at me, not frightened by my change in octave. “Yes. But don’t worry we’ve been taking good care of you. You should notice the stitches we’ve given you, and your arm might be sore from all the medication and IV fluids we’ve pumped into you. You are in good hands.”

It didn’t make any sense. Why would she, or they do all of this for me. I asked the question out loud after I thought it. “Why are y’all helping me?”

She lightly chuckled as if the answer was obvious.

“What’s your name?”

She asked walking towards me.

“Uh...Sidney.” I answered reluctantly.

“Well Sidney it’s simple. We noticed that the heart necklace you had on, was different. It has some type of serum in it that attaches itself to the wearer. All my team and I want to do is replicate it. So that we can save millions of people the way the necklace has saved you.” After she spoke she headed back to her computer without waiting for a response.

I shook my head in disagreement. No one was able to replicate any of the voodoo mans work. It was the reason he was so feared. My family only funded his work in attempt for him to leave us alone. In return he ended up being a good friend to us, and he tried hard to stop the apocalypse from happening before he got bit. My mom and dad were on vacation when this whole thing started. Who knows where they could be now. Or if they are even alive.

“Your plan won’t work,” I said in a stern voice.

“So you should just give my necklace back and let me go.”

She turned back around to me. Amused at my choice of words. “Sidney .. how silly of me not to introduce myself. I’m Dr. Rebecca Hansgrove. I’ve worked at this medical center for the past 7 years. I’ve seen many miracles happen here and I have no doubt in my mind that we are able to replicate this necklace.” Dr.Hansgrove pulled the necklace out of her pocket, examining every inch of it.

“Fine.” I spoke out. “Do whatever you feel. Just... let me go to the bathroom.”

Dr. Hansgrove had a blank expression on her face and then she said “fine. I’ll unbuckle you. But let me call another doctor in here so you won’t try any tricks.”

I shook my head again. “Look Rebecca or doctor or whatever your name is. I’m too weak to try any tricks. I just need to go to the bathroom.”

“That’s fine. I just paged Dr.Malcolm he should be here shortly,” she responded as she turned back around to her computer. I seen she’d placed the necklace close to the left side of the keyboard.

I then made a plan to escape. Once they untie me I should be able to kick the other doctor and use the bed to push into Dr.Hansgrove so that I can grab my necklace and run out.

Well at least I thought that would work. Moments later a tall olive-skinned man in his mid 40s entered into the room. Dr.Hansgrove said “she has to go to the restroom,” without looking up from her computer. “Alright sure.” Dr.Malcolm responded as he came to my right side, untying my arms and wrists. “I’m surprised she woke up. She was out good for a long time,” he said to Dr.Hansgrove. He came around to the other side and untied my left arm. I twisted my left wrist in my hand, trying to massage the pain away. “Yeah look just keep an eye on her. I have to run to the back to get the lab results I printed out.” They both shook their head in agreement and luckily for me she forgot the necklace sitting by her computer. “I ..I don’t need help” I said to Dr.Malcolm when he attempted to hold my arm so I can catch my balance. My head didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would, and I still had my steel boots on. “I’m sorry,” I sighed to the doctor. “Sorry for what?” Dr. Malcolm chuckled. “I’m sorry because I’m not sure if you deserve what I’m about to do to you,”

After I spoke those words I bit Dr. Malcolm’s arm as hard as I can and I swiftly grabbed the necklace from beside the computer. “Ahhhh” he cried out, grabbing my right arm with a firm grip.

“Let go of me let go please,” I begged . I kicked his shin and stomped on his knees until he was fully lying on the floor in pain. “Ahhh you little witch,” he cried after me as I made my way down the hall. As I was running I seen Dr.Hansgrove running full speed in my direction, so I quickly turned to run in the opposite direction. I stopped at the room that I first came in when I ran into the building and busted through the emergency exit. As I was running I put the necklace over my head. I instantly felt better. No more headache and my arms and legs weren’t sore or cold. I kept running without looking back.

“You little voodoo witch. We’ll find you if that’s the last thing we do. Mark my words!!!!” shouted Dr.Hansgrove, her words shortly fading the quicker I ran away from her. I didn’t know where to go from here. No family. No voodoo man. Only zombies and now a full staff of crazy doctors coming after me. My only survival technique was to keep my necklace on and run. Just run.