Parental Madness

In Rai's arms, Angelina continues to sob, hunched over so her chin almost touches her chest, her small body shaking and shivering with the combination of the cold dampness of the rain, her shock, and her tears. Eventually she cannot seem to summon the energy to continue crying, and she just hiccups and breathes in uneven gasping noises, pressing her face into Rai's shoulder and smearing it with mucus. Despite her shivering and the rain, her face is very hot. She says nothing; it appears that Angelina has reverted now back to the mute stage she had been in when Rai first met her. A dirty thumb creeps into her mouth, despite the fact that it is splattered with mud, and she sucks, her body sagging against Rai's, her expression going lifeless as she simply waits for something else to happen. When Max comes to try to comfort her as well, touching her hair, Angelina simply blinks at him, not reacting to his attempt at kindness.


Leigh, stooped and trembling on the ground, slowly inches away from the mess she has made, moving on her hands and knees in a crawling sort of gesture. She cannot seem to accept what is happening as real. This is a test of some kind, something Jared is doing just to make sure she grows up and can do whatever he wants her to do. He wants to see if she can handle everything and take care of Angie, that has to be it. He wants her to...he wants her to not be upset. He wants her to break up with Max. Is that it? He wants her to break up with Max? Could she do that? If that meant Jared would come back, or he would take her with him, could she break up with Max?


Maybe it's a joke, a really bad, really mean joke, and he just wants to make her break up with Max. Maybe if she calls Will's name he'll be there around the corner laughing. Then Leigh can hit them both and yell at them but it will be okay and Jared won't be bad, just mean. Maybe...she should go with him. Maybe Jared needs her help and she's letting him get away. She should grab Angie and make her run, because she's too big to carry for long, and they should catch up...maybe...


But Leigh can't bring herself to stand, let alone sprint after her brother, and for once, her appearance and her personal level of comfort is the last thing on her mind. The rain is beginning to dwindle, but it had been going hard earlier, plastering her hair against her face, her clothes against her body, so anyone could see her shape or lack of it; she hardly looked like a person, let alone anywhere approaching her definition of decent. She had vomited not just in front of other people, but in front of Max, and normally Leigh would be convinced that this was her personal doom, that no one would ever be able to look at her again without laughing or being disgusted, and she would be mortified for the rest of her life.


But now she can only hunch over, a little apart from the others, thinking only and with great intensity that she has to find a way to go after Jared and show him she did pass his test. But how is she going to find him, he didn't give her any idea of where to go...


**


Jared's eyes continued to dart between the two figures, noting that the smaller brunette female seemed tired, or perhaps sick, that the male appeared perhaps a few years younger than himself. He was understandably wary of him...was the girl his girlfriend?


It didn't matter, he told himself quickly, even shaking his head. He would not be sticking around long enough to find out. He should turn and run right now, right away. He didn't need to know their names or faces, he didn't need to know anything at all. What he needed was to get away, stay to himself, before he caused any more damage, while he could still think normally, most of the time. He needed to go, he needed to-


But the girl's offer sounds...almost heavenly. It has not been long, he has not gone far, but he feels so parched with thirst that his tongue is nearly sticking to the roof of his mouth. Food...he has not eaten today, had not done so most of the night before either in his worry of his approaching birthday.


He knew he shouldnt' take it, but he found himself stepping forward slowly.


"You should stay away from me," he repeats, but his tone is weaker now, his mouth already watering.
 
This was insanity.


Jared, JARED, had killed someone. Even if his words said that it was an accident, it still happened. Where they was once a person was now just a body. Jillian had thought all they needed to worry about was the adults. But Jared was an adult now wasn't he? It was surprising to think that the transition would happen so fast. Then again the adults seemed to turn so quickly too. Well so they assumed. Maybe it was a slow process and no one knew.


The fight with Max and now this. There was no way that Jillian was going to be trusting the man right now. If his descent into madness was going to be quick...well Jillian didn't have it in him to kick Jared out or send him away.


Of course it turns out he might not have to do anything. He slowly walked back only to pause. Will's body was still lying there. A part of Jillian wanted to push him back into the water. Let the river take care of the body. He didn't just want to leave him like that. Maybe they could bury him? It was an idea. But first he had to see what was happening with the Jared situation. Maybe there wasn't one and this was a one time accident.


Jillian did not believe that in the slightest.


He returned behind him and Grey, not catching all of the conversation that was going on. Jared looked awful. And he was going away? Jillian wouldn't admit it but he felt better knowing that he was gone. Even if it was for three days. Jillian wanted to believe that Jared would be back in those three days as well. That he'd return and everything would continue as it had. But something in him felt like that wasn't going to happen.


He walked Jared leave, wondering what to do now. He opened his mouth to say something, but what? He looked at Leigh. She had thrown up. He moved over to kneel beside her.


"Hey, hey. It's okay Leigh." He wanted to touch her but he didn't feel like it would be inappropriate "Don't force yourself to do anything. You just got sick. Not that there is anything wrong with it." Jillian thought of his own time when he had thrown up, so disgusted by the sight of the dead bodies at the school. "Jared will come back for us. He's doing this to protect us all."


'Please let that be true.'


Summer had not moved from her spot. Not that she thought it would do any good. Her arms were still wrapped around Mel. Her first priority was always keeping her little cousin safe. She could feel her shake in her arms, scared at what had just happened.


"Will he come back," Mel asked.


Summer licked her dry lips not sure what to say. She wants to assure the girl, comfort her. Say that yes he'd be back and nothing bad would happen next. But she couldn't.


"What happens now," she said instead, looking at everyone. She turned her attention to Rai and nodded. "Yes that sounds good. Can someone help me up?"
 
Ilya straightened up to full height when the boy stepped forward, why the hell was Ali being so careless?! The guy had clearly just told them to stay away and let him pass, but by the time he'd thought to even say anything, his sister had already pulled out a package of crackers, a strip of beef jerky and a bottle of water.


He understood, on some level, that this was just her way of dealing with everything, or at the very least, her way of trying to undo some of the horrible things that had happened in the last six days.


“I'm Alina.” She told the guy, her voice blunt, but kind. “This is my brother, Ilya, and we will both happily smash your face in to protect ourselves if we have to.”


He felt his own eyes widening at the sound of what she had just said and looked over at the other guy to gauge his reaction, ready to jump in if he needed to. The last thing Ilya needed at that moment was for a fight to start out, not only did they have no clue how dangerous this guy could be, but he also worried that the noise of a fight would draw attention to other people-


“Sit.” Alina said and sat back down at her spot against the tree. She leaned forward and picked up the crackers she had dropped and resumed eating them.


Ilya, dumbfounded, stood and waited for their guest to sit down before taking a seat himself, “So, uh... where are you from?”
 
Grey watched his friend go wordlessly. There were no words left to say. He was glad Jared had agreed to the three days and that he was going to fight it, Grey only hoped that somehow his friend would come back to him, and that he come back as his friend, not one of the homicidal adults. He was worried for his friend, but a part of him was worried for himself. If Jared really was one of the now... that meant it was inevitable and in a few months Grey would lose himself. But that was neither for here or now. He had to focus on what was important, these kids.


Poor Angie screamed for her brother, she was so young, hadn't enough had happened to her? Grey was about to go to her when he heard an all too familiar sound. Did Leigh just... yeah she did. Poor girl. Which one needed consoling most right now? The younger one was a safe bet, but before Grey went to go to her Rai stepped in comforting the poor child. So then Angie needs help. Grey didn't know Angie all that well, but he had to do this for Jared's sake. But someone beat him to her as well. Grey watches as Jillian tries to comfort Leigh. Just what use was he in this? Protection, sure. Survival, you bet. Taking care of a group of kids, no way in hell. Grey only hoped he shaped up, after all many learned on the job. He just felt lucky he wasn't doing this alone, that there was a group of them, abiet small, but a group none the less. And this group was gonna look out for one another.


Grey watched some as the kids consoled one another, was there something he could say to make things better? Was there something he could do? Looking to Anthony he thought of when he first met him and Will. Anthros had been with them back then and they had been his original group. Now one was missing and most likely dead while one had just been killed by one of them. Will. Where was his body? Perhaps saying goodbye would help the children? Nodding to Rai he mouths I'll be back before heading through the woods to find Will's body and to dig him a grave, it's the least he could do for the kid. Now if only he had a shovel.
 
Leigh did not respond to Jillian's attempts at comfort, and in fact didn't seem to be listening to him at all. With a breathless sob she pushes herself to her feet and walks back towards the others, standing, still shaking slightly. Her eyes drift between them all as if she can't decide where she should go, or who among them would accept and comfort her. Rai is with her sister, still intent on providing her soothing, and Summer seems busy with Mels. Jillian is not one she would readily approach, despite his efforts, and Anthony she hardly knows, even after all this time. This leaves Max, but he has not yet moved towards her, and so she remains standing, her chest rising and falling rapidly with her shallow inhalations, before her eyes come to settle on Grey.


Grey is walking away. Is he leaving too? Are they all going to go now, all of them?


"Where are you going?" she asked, the fear clear in her tone, but she made no move towards him. "I...where are you GOING, Jared went the other way!"


**


Jared didn't follow Alina's instruction for almost a full minute, knowing full well that to do so would be to further give in against his own instincts, his own knowledge that he had to be to himself, that he could not be around these kids, or any kids, not for any length of time. The longer he knew them, the more reasons he might have to be angry with them, and he couldn't afford that. What if he couldn't catch himself, what if he couldn't stop himself from hurting them in the future?


He knew very well he should walk away, that he shouldn't even take what the girl was offering him. But he was tired, in more so than the physical sense, and so he sat slowly, taking heart at the girl's words. They were older...they could defend themselves, she had said so. If he were to strike out at them, there were two of them, surely they wouldn't let it happen.


He let himself sink down to the ground, slowly unscrewing the water bottle and taking a swallow before answering the boy. "Ten minute run to your left."
 
As Grey went off towards the woods a voice called out to him. "Where are you going?" It was Leigh and fear was evident in her voice. "I...where are you GOING, Jared went the other way!" Stopping so that she could catch up to him he slowly turned. “We need to bury Will...” he said softly. “Do you want to help me dig a hole?” Perhaps it wasn't the wisest thing to ask a younger child, but maybe just maybe it would help distract her so that her mind was eased for some time. Finding a spot that wasn't really anything much in particular other than a small area of flat land without trees he looked around for a rock and started digging into the earth.


He watched silently as Leigh went to help him and kept going. He knew Leigh wouldn't be able to keep going forever, but for now it was a helpful distraction, plus feeling useful was good for kids right? Without exchanging words Grey continued digging, planning on getting at least three feet deep. It was easy at first, pushing aside the moss and small plant life, but the ground got harder the deeper he got and he wished he had a shovel to help with the grueling work. But he continued on without complaining, working on the depth of it while directing Leigh to help widen it some so that will would be able to fit. Such a morbid thought, but morbiduality was kinda their life now with those over twenty set on killing them. No Grey wouldn't think of that now, he needed the busy work and distraction as much as Leigh did, maybe even more.
 
She is digging a grave with her bare hands.


This is something that Leigh never would have thought could possibly occur at any point within her lifetime, let alone now, today, at twelve years old. Her hands were dirty and becoming scratched up, her nails, always carefully polished and cared for until the past week, were now ragged and torn, dirt firmly crusted beneath. Her back hurt from where she was hunched over, her hands shook, and she knew even as Grey patiently directed her that he was doing this not because she was really considerable help to him, but to try to help her, to make her feel better. Although how digging a grave for a boy she had lived with for the past few days, a boy she had gotten used to, was going to make her feel better, made no sense to her...but in a way it did. Having something to think about, to fix her attention to, could not push down the grief and fear she was feeling, and it could not bring Jared or Will back, but its monotony became calming after some time.


Finally she was too tired to go on, and she sat back, absently rubbing her dirty hands against equally dirty pants. The rain had stopped, and she was still sopping wet, filthy, but barely noticed it, only feeling cold despite her physical exertion. Sitting there, she said in a whisper, "I'm the oldest now."


It was a stunning thought to her, one that seemed completely unreal. Jared had always been there to care for them, and as bossy and annoying and overprotective as she thought he was, it had still been some comfort to know she could always count on him. But now he was gone along with Lydia, and only she and Angelina were left. That made her in charge of their family...didn't it? But how could she be? What could she possibly do?


Leigh had always thought she wanted to be her own boss, to be able to do as she pleased. But now that she had it, or could have it, she was realizing she didn't want that at all, after all.
 
“We're about 20 minutes in the other direction.” At least Ilya was trying to be decent.


Alina crossed her legs beneath her and ate her crackers quietly. The silence stretched between the three of them for what felt like a long time as the new guy and Alina occupied themselves with their food. Ilya was still watching him closely, his eyes never really leaving him unless to flit briefly over to her.


This business of being watched the way she was really didn't sit right with her. Every time Ilya's eyes glanced over, she felt herself squirm unconsciously, some of his tension rubbing off on her, along with the total awkwardness of the situation. She cleared her throat when her lungs started to tighten up, causing her to wheeze and took a long drink from her bottle of water, picking at the nubs along the cap where the safety seal had been broken.


“So...” She heaved a deep breath, unable to handle the silence any longer. “Uhm, what's your name?”
 
Rai is already comforting Angelina, and Max backs off, using his time in the rain to silently gather himself. Jared was gone, and he may never come back because of this new disease…none of their parents may ever come back. Grey is leaving now too, and as Leigh rushes after him Maxwell sighed, rubbing angrily at his eyes. She had recently been sick on the gravel, but Grey would cheer her up much like her brother would.


Max felt unneeded.


Approaching his closest friend there, Jillian, he bumps their elbows together, smiling as the rain lets up. He repeats to himself that it will only be three days, because even if he won’t admit it, Jared is the glue that holds the group together. After that… he wasn’t even sure… he only had minute conversations with the others. His eyes shift around and he suddenly remembers his movie comparisons…sometimes they would find a cure for this type of thing. Sometimes it was all just a bad dream…but Max had already pinched himself enough to know it wasn’t the latter.


“We have to stop this…” he starts, looking at Rai and Summer, who might understand him. “There must be…there must be a way to stop them from hurting us… a giant off switch” he explains, looking weary.
 
Jared has always had something to eat,back with the others, but never as much as he would like. With so many others to feed as well, whatever food they had was carefully rationed and never satisfying. No one was starving, but everyone was hungry. Even this small amount of food from these two, even as reluctantly as he was taking it from them, was very welcome, and he could feel it making a difference in him.


Even a few bites later he felt more settled and steady, as though his mind was finally working more normally. His racing thoughts and heartbeat had slowed, and when Alina asks his name, instead of jumping and sputtering, as he might have before, he is able to answer calmly.


"Jared. I'm Jared."


It is true that he still does not know what he is doing or why he is here, why he isn't thanking them profusely and moving on...but it's also true that he has little hope of obtaining what he needs without a car, weapon, and while completely alone, with all the adults still out there.


Or would they leave him alone now? After what he'd done to Will, after the thoughts he'd had...would they now see him as one of them?


It wasn't a risk worth taking just yet, and so for now, not knowing what else to do, Jared sat. Three days, Grey had said...if he could last three days, and not kill anyone, maybe it would be okay. Maybe these two, as awful as it sounded, could be his test, to make sure he wouldn't hurt the others.


**


When Leigh finally got to her feet, she walked with the stooped posture of someone considerably older, hugging her elbows to her stomach. Standing watching the others, she saw Rai, Summer, and Max near each other, and her eyes flitted to Max, waiting, as though asking without words for him to approach her. She was not sure if he noticed her, but he didn't move fast enough to suit her, and so she slowly moved forward to join them, looking at Rai, opened her mouth, and then, closing it again, simply reached out and took Angelina from her. Sitting down near Max, but not quite touching him, she held Angelina herself, though she did remove the little girl's thumb from her mouth absently before saying to the others, more calmly than was characteristic for her, "We're all gonna turn into them, aren't we? When we get old. That's gonna happen to us."


She seemed almost accepting of this, though this was not because she felt true acceptance, but rather a weary defeat. She looked at Max again, thinking to herself that he would go before her, that he might even try to hurt her, and she bit her lip, looking away.


(So guys, I posted on the plotlines but I'll ask here...where do you want to go with this? Are you still interested? If not, please let me know, if the general consensus is no we can decide how to wrap up and/or have a spinoff for those who might still be interested.)
 
Summer frowned. She really didn't want to have this kind of talk with Mels around. After all the girl was too young. At least in Summer's eyes she is. But looking at Leigh, she knew that they were only a year apart. So maybe she wasn't that young anymore. Not with the way things were now.


Jillian watched Leigh chase after Grey. He wanted to follow, to maybe help. Surely Grey wasn't just abandoning them like Jared had just done. No that couldn't be the case. But, hey, maybe it was. Maybe they would all separate, split into tiny groups until they were alone. Until they were by themselves and had to survive like that. Then they would be hunted one by one and those who survived. They would become like the parents. Jillian wondered what would happen when they were no more kids left, either dead or an adult. Would the adults turn on each other until there was no more? Would the human race die out like this? Jillian shivered and felt like crying. He bit his lip and tried to move. He had to do something.


Max came over and seemed to be talking. He blinked at first, then took in the words. It was much similar to his thoughts, only Max seemed to want to do something.


"I don't know. I mean something had to have caused it right? Maybe if we know how it happens and why, we can figure out how to prevent it." Or cure it. But Jillian wouldn't bring that kind of talk into this discussion. It seemed far too positive a topic at the moment.


Summer looked at Leigh. Mels unfolded herself from her cousins arms and moved to sit next to the girl, not touching her, but seeming to make a statement to show support maybe? Summer couldn't tell.


"I don't think we should think like that Leigh. I mean Jillian is right. If we know why, we could stop it." But how? How could they figure out why it was happening? A sense of dread was looming over the group. Maybe someone would have a suggestion.
 
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