The Sacrifice

1:

“Wake up Emily.” Came the deep voice of a young man. Emily’s eyes crept open as a cough expelled from her mouth.

“You’re… you’re sick.” The man whispered.

“No… I’m not Jake. I can’t be, there is no cure & we promised we wouldn't die like the others.” Emily smiled as the pain seeped deep inside of her.

“No, you look like the rest of them.” Jake sighed.

Emily knew she required the cure. “Look… we have no choice anymore, I am going to have to go outside & find a cure, I won’t let you die.” Jake’s face hardened. “Don’t be silly, going out there will get you infected too.” Emily pleaded but she knew Jake couldn't be talked around this time. She thought back to their parent's painful death from the virus & realised she would be heading the same way too.

“Look the medicine is out there, I just have to find it.” Jake tried to reassure Emily, but Emily knew the dangers out in the world.

“Look, you can go, but be careful, you know how this virus spreads, & don’t take your phone that’s how it starts.” Emily smiled, too weak to move.

James nodded & left the side of Emily’s bed.

2:

Jake left the house looking at the picture of his mother as he left, her blonde hair perfectly in place with her facial features. “Don’t worry mum, I know what I promised you.” He whispered as the door shut & he went into the realm of the living dead.

“Where to start?” He thought as he ventured down the street, looking at the rows of the sick & dying who had already become infected with the virus.

“Hey, you look lost.” Came the whisper of a man lurking on the sidewalk. He was a well-attired man, who shone in the bleak surroundings.

“I’m looking for the cure,” Jake said confidently, even though he felt anything but. “Well for a few dollars I can help.” The man’s face widened with a smile. Jake, did not think about this offer. “Here you go.” Jake rushed the money into the man’s hands.

“Well, the cure is found in the heart-shaped locket at the top of the hill. That is why there are so many people here.” The man whispered. Jake thanked the man & began on his way. “Well, there is no turning back now.” Jake thought as he began the climb up the darkened hill.

3:

Jake reached the top of the hill, he looked around. “Crap.” He thought as he couldn't see any heart-shaped locket. He looked around & gasped at the sight he could see. Everywhere lay the dead, piled on top of each other. Jake couldn't believe it, the virus was rampant, those at the bottom had been crushed. Jake thought for a moment as he thought back to the man at the bottom of the hill, who looked like he had all the answers. “What do I do?” He thought as he sighed, thinking of his sister dying at their home.

“You…” Came a whisper from the pile of bodies. “The locket that you are after, the man down the hill told you it is up here. Didn’t he?” Jake looked at the man, whose face had turned grey. Jake nodded. “The locket was moved two days ago by the man & his partner, to the house up there.” The man pointed to a dark grey structure that looked more like a shop. “Thank you,” Jake said as he quickly set off towards the house.

4

Jake thought about everything that had happened so far. “Why was the dying man so much more helpful than the well-dressed man?” Jake’s head rattled as he reached the grey-looking shop.

“Come in my dear boy, marvel at the cure. Yours for just two hundred dollars!” Came the booming voice of a man who looked a lot like the first, but had a slight scar on his face.

“I don’t have that much, but my sister is dying, please help.” Jake pleaded. The man shook his head, “go outside with the rest of the poor people, my cure is only for the best, the worthy.” The man said as he showed the pink liquid inside the heart-shaped locket.

Jake couldn't believe it. “I tell you what.” The man said. Jake looked, “you give me a like & share on your social media, & I will give you the locket.” The man’s grin grew wider. “Sure,” Jake whispered knowing that Emily had told him to go nowhere near a phone. The man handed Jake a phone. Jake did what he was asked & showed the man the proof. “Here you go.” The man passed over the locket. Jake smiled & left.

5:

The locket shone & sparkled in Jake’s hand. “He has got it. Please help me.” Came the first voice followed by the cries of everyone around. “There is only enough for one person & that is my sister,” Jake responded to the mass cry as people crawled towards him.

Jake stepped through the crowds of people on their knees. Jake ran down the hill, more & more bodies were piling up screaming “help!”

Jake ignored the calls, & continued to run. “Where do you think you're going?” A voice came from the crowds, there stood the man who whispered. “Home I got what I needed.” Jake shined the locket. “Well done. Now I will take my cut.” The man whispered. “What? You did nothing!” Jake shouted. “So? You accepted my whispers, & that meant that you owe me a cut. Now pay up.” The man whispered, his face now turning grey. “You’re sick aren’t you?” Jake asked, “Who cares, pay up.” The man stuttered, his clothes tearing & ripping as he now began to crawl towards Jake. “Not today, you’re a scam artist your misinformation has killed a lot of people.” Jake coughed as he spoke. “Greed gets us all in the end.” The man whispered as Jake turned away & ran home.

6:

Jake began to replay that conversation in his mind? “How did we allow this virus to spread?” He thought as he looked at all the greyed-out windows of homes that were now empty. He reached his home, sweat now beginning to pour down his face. “I have it?” He shouted to Emily, who couldn't lift her head. “That.. that’s great.” Emily panted as she turned. “Oh no…” Emily said as her eyes opened in horror. “What’s up?” Jake asked, his vision now getting blurry. “You too have become infected.” Emily’s face filled up with tears. “What happened?” Emily asked. Jake explained about the whisperer, & the shop. Emily began to sob. “You listened to someone just because they looked the part, & you allowed yourself to become part of the lie, to become infected by social media? For that greedy shop owner, who never sells the cure, all for me?” Emily smiled. Jake nodded. “But you will die if you don’t take it.” Emily whimpered. “Do not worry about me sister, your worth dying for.” A faint smile came across Jake’s face as he placed the heart-shaped locket around Emily’s neck. The locket burst with bright colours, as the grey from Emily’s face, lifted “You’re cured.” Jake said with a smile as he collapsed onto the floor.

7:

“Jake!” Emily screamed as she wiped the tears from her face. Jake’s face had turned grey & his eyes had rolled over as life exited him. “Killed by greed.” Emily thought as she lay his head against the ground where he had fainted.

She got up, ready to kill the shop owner, then she heard a beating sound. She turned around & ripped Jake’s t-shirt off. She gasped. In front of her eyes lay an identical locket to the one she was now wearing. “The cure was inside of him this whole time? His sacrifice & selfishness unlocked the cure!” Emily thought. “In this world of greedy & desperate people, who look towards technology instead of helping each other is what has caused this virus. I have to share this with everyone, for Jake.” Emily thought further as she stood up & ran outside to share with the world, what she had discovered. With the locket in her hand, she shut the front door, leaving Jake in darkness.

8:

Emily looked down the street, the dying now outnumbered the living, she began to hear the screams. “Help us you have the cure.” The voices screamed. “I cannot help you, only you can help yourselves. The way to defeat the virus is with love, we all have the cure inside of us. Do one selfless act & you may be saved.” Emily screamed above the moaning crowd. “My girl, I will give you every last dollar I own for the cure.” Came the whisper of a man, who was crawling towards her. “No,” Emily shouted at the man, money & greed will not save you now. Be kind, be selfless & you will be saved. Emily screamed again. The man screamed back, “She is spreading lies! Don’t listen to her, the cure is over the hill, she preaches about being selfless, but has the cure & will not share it. She is fake news!” The man screamed silence fell, as everyone began to turn away from Emily & head for the hill. Emily couldn't believe what she was seeing, those who were sick were listening to someone who was sick, instead of the healthy person. “I need to do something quick.” She thought as she began to think. Then the idea hit her. She knew what she had to do.

9:

“Everyone before you go listen up.” She shouted. Those who were climbing the hill stopped. “I can’t convince you, I was like all of you. But I am better now because my brother died to save me, he infected himself with greed & then died to keep me alive. Look.” Emily quickly showed that she was wearing a heart-shaped locket like the one in her hand.”You have been lied to this whole time. We all had the cure inside of us, we followed those who only cared about profits & look at those people now. They lie here with all of us because their money couldn't save them. Put down your possessions smash your phones & let love overtake your fear. Help each other & you will be saved.” Emily tried to keep her voice as loud as possible but had become choked up in her own words. The people murmured. Quickly Emily stood up & smashed her phone on the ground. The people around looked shocked but began to follow her lead. Emily smiled as she heard the smashing of phones all around her from the people who were still alive.

10:

The sunburst through the clouds to the smashing of the phones. The greyness was replaced by colours Emily had not seen in a while, the colour started to come back into the people's faces, as everyone stopped yelling over each other & began to listen. The coughing & crying died down, as people began to recover from the mystery illness. Emily smiled as she looked down at the old man who was still trying to whisper. “No good can come of your old ways. We are people, not machines. Money does not bring happiness, it only paves over the holes of hatred.” Emily smiled at the old man, as she put the other heart around him. His face began to show colour again, & he began to stand. “Why?” He asked in disbelief. “Because everyone deserves a chance.” She said as she pulled out another locket from her chest. The man’s eyes opened wide & he nodded. He emptied his pockets onto the floor & began to spread the word up the hill. Emily rushed back to the house & opened the door, light burst in as she ran over to Jake. “Here you go she said, as she put the locket over him. Praying for one more miracle. Jake’s eyes opened. “Sis is that you?”