The Scratch

Martha slammed the door closed with frustrated tears, she threw her purse down slouching onto the couch with her head in her overworked hands. She let out a screeching scream, venting out her grief, the widow barely registered the footsteps carefully coming down the carpeted stairs.

“Mom?” Leah asked peaking her way into the room, Martha looked up from her palm eyebrows raised.

“Yeah?” She replied, her exhaustion kicking in. The nervous daughter peered at the quiet TV as she actively listened to the latest report.

“Did you see the news?” She asked reaching for the remote. Martha peered at the tv trying to tune in, Leah’s eyes watered with freshly brewed tears. “It’s what dad had, it’s spreading.” Martha’s eyes widened at the shocking increase in cases, she quickly glanced between the TV and her daughter.

“No, no honey it’s okay!” Martha reassured her jumping up to encase Leah in a gripping hug. “The doctors had no idea what your dad had, this could be anything.” The loving mother followed her petrified daughter’s eyes to the TV once again. She took in a sharp panicked breath. The fuzzy background noise seemed to slam into her full attention as the reporter stood in front of the local hospital.

“I’m here today reporting outside of the now-closed down Beacon Memorial Hospital, due to uncontrollable mutating cases, no new patients will be seen. The staff is unwilling to share the exact form of mutation but inside reports tell us it’s already taken the lives of thousands. I can confirm it is growing rapidly across the globe, wiping out more than sixty percent of the entire population. We advise you to stay in your homes.”

The rest of the word’s sounds faded to Martha, she held her teenager tighter as she processed the information.

“What are we going to do?” Leah whispered, snapping Martha back into attention.

“Well,” Martha started pinching her brain together for an idea. “We’re going to stay inside.” Is all she came up with, much to Leah’s dismay.

“But what if it gets worse?!” Leah sternly argued pointing back at the source of the panic.

“Well then..” Martha trailed off looking around until her eyes fell on her iPhone. “We’ll call Uncle Ben and see what he says to do.” Leah paused nodding her head slowly begging to come to grip.

“Wait you haven’t called Uncle Ben?!” Leah shrieked, shocked at her mom’s slip up. Martha’s eyes widened as her mouth dropped open.

“I-” She glanced at her phone. “I guess I forgot with everything going on-”

“You FORGOT!” Leah cried.

“I’m calling now, I’m calling now,” Martha mumbled frantically, Leah grumbled stomping her way back up the stairs with a huff. Martha dialed the phone through a tight tired frown, she put it up to her ear with a shaky hand.

“Martha I’m so glad to hear from you!” A reassuring voice spoke, Martha sighed taking a breath.

“Hey, Ben listen I-”

“Marth you and Leah need to get down to the base, we have an underground bunker, and I got you two approved.” Martha’s eyebrows shot up.

“Bunker? What’s happening out there?” She asked warily. Ben sighed from the other end, voices screaming in the background of the call.

“Martha where are you right now?” He asked.

“I- just in the house.” She responded.

“Okay good, hop in the car and get here as soon as possible. Martha talk to no one, let no one in no matter how distressed they may be. Do you understand?” Ben sternly ordered in his military voice.

“Yes I can do that, I’ll go get Leah.” Martha paused in fear. “But Ben what’s happening?” She asked, a great pause followed filling the line with tension.

“We don’t know- but it’s bad Marth. People are dropping like flies in strange ways, they’re going insane and turning on each other, they don’t seem like people anymore.” Ben paused breathing in. “Just get here safe, I’ll be waiting.” Martha stayed silent as the line went dead, the phone still on her ear. The stillness in the room was eerie, Martha froze in shock. Leah slowly crept around the stairs with concern etched on her face.

“Mom?” She whispered. Martha jumped around startled her mouth dropping open.

“Get in the car.” She said looking around the room.

“What?”

“Get in the car!” Martha demanded, jumping into action, she ran past her daughter up the stairs barging into her bedroom. She ripped open her drawers shoving clothes into a plastic bag, she slowed down looking at the most bottom drawer. She gulped sliding it open feeling the scent of her late husband’s cologne hit her nostrils. She dropped to her knees grabbing a flannel shirt in her dry callused hands. Tears pricked as she clutched the fabric tightly.

“Mom, you coming?” Leah called from downstairs, Martha looked up towards the door.

“Uh yeah!” Martha yelled her voice cracking, she cleared her throat. “I’ll be right down.” She stuffed the shirt in the bag reaching up and snatching the heart-shaped locket necklace sitting on top. She ran rushing out of the room into her daughter’s bedroom, gathering as many clothes as she could. Martha scrambled down the stairs finding her daughter standing at the door looking through the peephole. “What are you doing, why aren’t you in the car?” She asked confused. Leah turned back her face frowned deep in concern.

“I opened the door but the neighbor tried to barge inside.” She spoke in a shaky tone. Martha held out the bags for her daughter to take.

“Who, John?” She asked, Leah, nodded her eyes traveling to the door again. Martha without thought went to open the door, as she peeked out into the daylight John whipped around on her porch. Martha’s eyes widened at his crazed state, she covered her mouth stifling a scream. John’s reddened eyes narrowed, his left hand scratching down his left arm leaving trails of blood and torn skin behind. “John?” Martha whispered uncovering her mouth, the man tilted his head scrunching his eyebrows at the sound. He bared his teeth lunching forward with grabbing hands, Martha sucked in a breath slamming the door on his bloodied fingers. John howled in pained anger ripping them away letting the door come fully closed.

“LET ME IN!” He screamed straining his voice pounding on the door. “Martha, Martha listen to me!” He suddenly whispered throwing himself at the door with a thud. “Everythings went wrong..I...I don’t know what’s happening.” He sobbed, his voice cracking. Martha’s horror-stricken eyes stared through the peephole, she subconsciously placed her daughter behind her. “I SAID LET ME IN YOU B****!” He screeched, kicking the door with enough force to break his foot. Martha jumped back clutching onto Leah while pushing her to the back door, Leah let a small sob escaped. Martha shoved her right hand over her mouth shushing her. The door slamming ceased, leaving an eerie silence over the mother and daughter. “Martha?” John asked quizzically, he paused. “Leah?” He creepily sang, as if he’d answered a question correctly. “Leah sweety let me in it’s the neighbor, John.” Leah’s eyes flew open petrified, Martha’s lip curled at the door hearing the tone of his voice. She put her attention back to her daughter, silently pointing to the back door pushing Leah towards it.

“Go out the back, I’ll take care of John and meet you in the garage.” She whispered, barely even audible. Leah shook her head outraged which Martha quickly dismissed, “Go honey I’ll be fine.” She stressed, pointing harsher. Leah frowned, reluctantly shuffling to the door. Martha slowly walked into the kitchen grabbing a cast iron skillet off the counter approaching the front door, she took in a breath closing her eyes as her hand gripped the door handle. The pounding of her neighbor stopped as she twisted the doorknob hearing John go still.

“LEAH!” Martha heard John yell as she waited for him to burst through the door. His footsteps dissipated across the porch startling Martha, she furrowed her brows, sweating profusely. “Leah.” He said again in a low bone-chilling tone. Martha cracked open the door just enough to see John approach her only daughter who stood by the car parked in the driveway.

“LEAH!” Martha yelled running out, John whipped around with a manic smile still backing up towards Leah. The loving mother screamed, jumping on the crazed man, throwing him away into the sideyard. Martha scrambled into her pockets throwing the car keys to Leah. “GET IN THE CAR AND LOCK THE DOORS.” She ordered as John jumped onto her back. “John STOP!” Martha pleaded looking around for help, across the street she locked eyes with Emily before the elder slammed the curtains shut hiding once more. John flipped her to the ground, on the way scratching her forearm drawing a long line of blood. Martha yelped in pain reaching out and regripping her pan, she swung missing the attacker by a meer inch.

“I just need help.” John sobbed through angry tears, lunging for another swipe. Martha swung again hitting John in the temple, hard. He fell to the ground grunting, clutching his head in pain, Martha booked it taking her chance. She ripped open the driver’s door barely shutting it before she reversed out of the driveway. Heavily breathing she watched John jump up and chase them down the street, she kept her eyes behind her until he was fully out of view. Finally, Martha looked to her daughter, who stared intently at her mother’s arm.

“Are you okay?” Martha asked looking between her and the road.

“No...are you?” She quietly spoke, Martha slowly nodded.

“I’m okay now, besides we’ll be with Uncle Ben soon.” She smiled forcefully, Leah returned the pained look. Martha looked to her phone as it rang to life, she scrambled to answer it shoving the technology to her ear. “Hello? Ben?” She asked.

“Marth where are you?” Ben asked in complete relief.

“We fought with a neighbor, we’ll be there soon.” The long pause on the other line sent a shock of uneasiness down Martha’s spoken spine.

“Did they have the virus?” He asked, Martha, paused.

“Yes-”

“Were you scratched?” He followed with, Martha gulped.

“Yes.” She simply put glancing to a slightly panicked Leah, who sat blissfully unaware of the conversation.

“Marth..that’s how you get it...I.” Ben choked on his words, “I can’t let you in.” Martha’s thoughts stopped as she drove, she stopped listing to Ben as he babbled on, she looked over to her only living source of love.

“Yes, Leah’s fine we’ll be there soon.” She said, which gained a relieved smile from her daughter.

“What? Were you listening, was Leah scratched or not?” Ben insisted urgently.

“No, she wasn’t.” Martha jumped in. “I’ll be there soon.” She snapped hanging up the phone through angry tears. Martha screamed hitting the steering wheel with her fist. She screeched to a stop outside the army reserve and ran out of the car, she looked around for Ben, scratching her arm subconsciously. Leah got out with silent tears falling from her cheeks, watching as her mother tore at her arm apart where the scratch laid.

“Leah come here!” A now viable Ben shouted from the gate, the daughter paused.

“WAIT!” Martha screamed struggling to take off her precious locket. She ran over to her daughter wrapped her up in a final hug, she pulled back extending the jewelry out.

“Your father gave me this on our first anniversary, it has our picture so you’ll never forget us, remember how much we love you.” She kissed her daughter’s forehead as Ben’s strong arms looped around Leah’s waist hoisting her backward.

“NO MOM! MOMMY!” Leah screamed clutching the heart locket, Martha smiled reassuringly through tears as the barbwire fence shut between the two. Martha fell to her knees watching her world being whisked away to a safer place.