Virus 2 - A Zombie Novel

September 30th 2014

"Here we are." Hudson said opening the doors of an apartment block. We had been driving for a week; and now we are going to live in an apartment. Not only is that annoying; it's dangerous.

"You're joking." Winter laughed.

"Why would I be joking?" Hudson said, his back still to her. We walked inside, looking around. It was still all pristine and shiny. We walked to the stairs door and Hudson pushed on it, making a creaking sound as it opened.

"This isn't safe." I heard someone say.

"Why?" Hudson asked closing it after everyone had walked in.

"Yes we will be at an advantage point, but we're also trapped."

"There's a fire escape." Hudson sighed.

"Did you think this through?" Oscar asked as we started to climb the stairs.

"Look." Hudson turned to look down on all of us. "Ruby isn't here anymore, someone had to take charge and I didn't see any of you doing it, so just shut up. We'll get some sleep then if in the morning you still want to leave, we will." We followed him up until the 7th floor, where he pulled out a key. He unlocked the door and pushed, hard. The door must've rusted because it took Hudson and Luis to open it. We walked in, breathlessly. I couldn't help but smile; this apartment was so Hudson. The couches had big floppy, colourful pillows and the walls were draped in family photos. There were soccer trophies in a casing on the opposite side of me, with signed cricket and tennis balls between them.

"This was your house?" Freya asked him.

"I had to go to University here, so I needed a place." He mumbled looking around. I looked at the glass cabinet to see a mug with STANFORD written across it. We were in Stanford, California. I didn't realise how smart Hudson must be. I probably would've just gone to the local university, or even Tafe. I looked at one of the photos on the wall, where I could easily point out Ruby and Hudson, but I could see another girl, who looked older than Ruby.

"Who's this?" I asked awkwardly. I hadn't really talked to him since the farm.

"That's my older sister Hadley." He mumbled not looking at me. I was shocked to hear him say sister. She was completely different to Ruby and him. She had blonde straight and pale with striking blue eyes. Hudson and Ruby were the opposite with brown wavy hair and brown eyes.

"You look quite different." I smiled, still looking at the photo.

"I hope we do." He laughed slightly. "She was adopted." That made more sense.

"Where is she now?" I asked.

"Well, she moved to Australia when she turned 23 with her boyfriend. And I haven't seen her since." He mumbled.

"How long ago was that?" I asked. I felt like I was intruding on his life; and he probably didn't want me to.

"2 - 3 years?" he looked at me. "Mum and Dad adopted her when they were only 21."

"That means if you were them you would have her by now." I smiled.

"Yeah; I don't understand why they rushed into things. I am - was only on my second year at UNI." He said. "I guess they were just in love."

"Love makes you do crazy things." I whispered, looking over at him.

"It sure does." He agreed. We stood in silence, unsure of what to say to each other. "I should go."

"I want to talk to you." I interrupted.

"About what?" he asked.

"Anything." I whispered trying to smile. "I just want to talk again."

"Maybe later." He looked at the ground.

"You're not going to." I mumbled.

"I don't know what to say?" he laughed painfully looking up. "You expect us to just go back to normal? Talking like we used to?"

"I don't know why we can't!" I said desperately.

"Because of what you - accused Ruby of doing." He sighed.

"I am not going to fight about this with you again." I looked at the ground. "You believe what you want. Why can't we just forget?"

"Because I can't forget the fact that the day she apparently told you she tried to kill you, she went missing." He leant against the wall, resting his head on the wall.

"You - you think?"

"I don't know." He interrupted.

"You think I had something to do with her not returning to the house." I whispered. "What? You think I killed her?"

"I don't know Em." He mumbled. "You killed that James guy."

"Wow." I stepped back from him. "Forget it. I don't want to talk to you."

"Emmy -"

"Don't." My chest felt heavy. I felt sick. First the orphan thing; now this. I would never have imagined he would talk to me this way. I bit my lip and looked down. "Just don't." I walked past him grabbing my stomach. I felt like I was going to vomit. I ran past everyone and to the veranda where I bent over the railing, vomiting up last night's dinner. I don't know why I was sick; probably from disgust. I wiped my mouth and turned to see everyone looking at me. Winter got up and poured me a cup of water; bringing it over to me on the balcony.

"Are you okay?" she whispered.

"I'm fine." I said looking past her at Hudson, who was now disappearing into a room. "Must've been something I ate."

"Yeah I felt a bit sick from that granola bar yesterday." She smiled at me. I nodded.

"That must be it." I said.

+++

We all sat around the lounge room, waiting for Hudson to tell us where to sleep.

"Winter, Grace and Freya you take the room down the end. Joe, Luis and Wren can take the room next to it. Oscar you get the fold out couch to yourself and Emmy you can have my bed." He said. Everyone stood and retreated to their rooms. I stayed behind to talk to Hudson.

"Hudson?" I said. He looked over to me and smiled slightly. "I would be more comfortable in a different room."

"Take it as my apology." He muttered.

"That's a real bad apology." I snapped. "I don't want to be around you."

"Just - take the room." he walked away. I sighed and followed everyone down the hallway until I reached Hudson's room. I opened the door and turned the travel lamp on next to his bed. He had Stanford posters on his walls, which were coloured dark blue. He had a big bed in the centre of his room, a bedside table on each side that had at least 2 photos of his family. One was a picture of Ruby in her green graduating robe with Hudson hugging her. The one next to it was the same except this time it was Hudson wearing the robe and Hadley was hugging him. On the other table it was another family photo of everyone sitting on a blanket on the grass, having a picnic. They were all laughing. And the last one was his two sisters smiling at the camera. He must've taken the picture. They looked really happy. If the picture was taken now it would be quite different.