THICK SKULL , twd [ 1 ]

28. the hum

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           TIGHTENING IN THE CHEST can be caused by many things. A cold, heart pains—some fucking pig flu.

                Koa's eyes are barely able to open, hand clutching at the sweaty shirt across her frame. That class ring that belonged to her uncle is looser thanks to the perspiration on her skin. It still shines though.

      Her head is spinning. Nothing looks and feels real. It's like she's dreaming but he's pretty sure she's awake. There's a female figure at her door with a mask on. Maggie? Sadie? Beth?

                     Koa narrows her eyes but a string of coughs sends her flying up, groaning in pain at the feeling of death in her chest.

           Her vision becomes clear for a second and she sees dark hair falling around their face. It's blurry but it's a woman. Can't be Maggie, this woman has long hair. The door squeaks open and the woman steps in but she still cannot tell who this is. The dim light above her buzzes incessantly, causing a ringing to sound in her ears. A shadow covers their face. "Hello?" Koa speaks, voice gruff.

              The woman doesn't speak. Their hands play with the hem of the cloth mask. Koa forces herself to sit up, head pounding with every move. Her eyes widen when the mask is fully pulled down. There's no face. Just a black void. Her eyes trail down the frame of the woman. "Lori?" Koa breathes out.

              This isn't real. It can't be real. Unless......Koa's dead.

                This flu has killed her. It's official. Koa throws her head back in annoyance at how she must've died. Survived the apocalypse but died from some flu from a pig named Violet. Absurd. Do they not have faces in heaven? This crisis causes too many questions to run in her mind, worsening her headache.

                         Koa sits up again, sweaty dripping down her face, skin graying as she stares at the unmoving frame of Lori. "Am I dead?" Koa croaks out, voice hoarse. The shadow of Lori doesn't speak, she just tilts of head that contains a face of a void still. It strikes Koa in the heart with fear. This isn't Lori.

                     The closer the phantom gets, the more unsettled Koa becomes. Like the void is trying to swallow her whole. Her footsteps sound heavy, like they're dragging death with them over to her.

           Koa isn't dead, no, but something tells her she's close to it. "When I wake up—I'm gonna throw up," She says shakily, holding her stomach, "I'm not dying.......from a fuckin' flu from a pig. Sorry. Not happening," She nods her head but even in whatever purgatory state she's in it pains her. As if a knife has moved it's way into her head like a shady lobotomy.