Jarek
Nine days after the Night of Falling Stars
I wake up with a throat so sore it feels like someone took razor blades to the inside and shredded it.
“Hello?” My rasp is a barely there sound.
I’m so thirsty. I roll my head to the side after blinking several times, trying to make sense of the world. I see a plastic bottle of water on the sidetable next to my phone. But there is no sign of my pack. Where are they?
I reach for my phone, almost fumbling it with my shaky arms, but it’s dead and doesn’t turn on. Unease slips in, helping to clear the cobweb thoughts away. I always have my phone on.
My bedroom stinks of sweat, piss, and the sickly sweet scent of illness. I push and roll, but my body is weak, unable to hold me, and I end up collapsing to the floor. What the hell happened to me? I shove up again and, this time, manage to get on my knees where I sit back on my heels, a trembling husk of who I was. My hands shake as I undo the bottle, lifting it with both hands and drink the entire contents before I can stop and think.
I’m covered in filth, and I stink like I’ve been left alone for days. Did I shit myself? What the fuck happened?
“Cai?” My voice is hoarse and rusty. “Kaida?”
No one answers me. The unease has slipped right into terror. I stare at the bedroom door, willing it to open. It doesn’t.
It takes a minute for me to pull myself up, and then I wobble across the room, growing steadier as I go. By the time I reach the door, I don’t need to hang on to anything to stay upright, but it takes almost everything out of me.
How long have I been sick? What happened? The last thing I remember is seeing the virus on the news as it spread across the world. They said it was only hitting alphas and omegas. I must have contracted it. Did I pass it to Mordecai or Kaida?
I yank the door open, desperately hoping to see them, but there’s nothing and no one there. Our apartment looks normal. But it feels empty.
Lifeless.
I wander through into the lounge and the kitchen. But there is no sign of my mates. Tears fill my eyes, and I lean against the island, lowering my forehead until it’s touching the cold surface, panting from fear and exhaustion. My legs are trembling, and my head is spinning wildly.
Where are they? Are they dead?
I curl my fingers and slam my fist against the island. Once, twice. The pain brings reason and logic. A plan.
“It’s okay; you’ll find them. Calm down. There’s probably a simple reason.”
But no matter how I spin it, my mates would never leave me alone like this.
I flick on the lights, but nothing happens. The power is off and, now that I notice it, more and more strange things become evident. The torches and first aid kit on the couch. Our photo album is on the floor, open to a picture of the three of us the day we bonded. There is a pile of dirty dishes and rubbish bags that smell. Chills travel up and down my spine.
“What happened to the world?”
I look outside, but the city is awash in darkness. There are no lights, no sirens, no traffic. No people. It’s quiet and still in a way I have never seen before. Like the entire world died. Am I alone?
With a blast of energy, I rush to the spare room, shoving open the door. There’s no sign of Mordecai or our omega. The bed is a mess; the sheets are tangled. There’s a glass knocked over on the floor. Someone was in here. Kaida or Cai? Who was it, and where did they go?
I almost turn to walk away, but then I see the pool of water on the floor. It’s still wet.
Whoever was here got up in a hurry and left without caring about what they broke. I reach out and pick up the framed photo of the three of us on the ground. The glass is cracked, no, shattered.
The picture was taken a few months ago on a hike in the mountains. Kaida looks radiant and Cai so happy. I remember the feeling that day, that nothing could ever turn our beautiful world grey. We were untouchable. Our happiness had infected everyone.
My chest aches, and I clutch the framed photo to it. Wait, that’s not me, that’s the bonds! The ache is sharp and like nothing I’ve ever felt. Tears burn in my eyes, but I can’t figure it out. I was never that good at reading them.
But I do know something is wrong, and they need me.
I whirl around and head into the bathroom, where I find a bucket of water. I clean myself quickly and pull on clean clothes. Then I rush tothe front door, pulling on my shoes and grabbing another bottle of water and a bag of chocolates to boost my flagging energy.
But just doing that much has my head throbbing and feeling like it’s going to split.
