“I’m off to bed.” Helen said standing up as the credits rolled across the screen. More fatigued than she could ever remember being, she struggled to stand up. “I’ll see everyone in the morning.”
“Good night Aunt Helen.” The younger two children chimed together. Helen’s oldest niece looked up at her for a moment before adding her own good night to the mix.
“Good night. We’ll see you in the morning.” Mary said. She stood up and started gathering up the desert dishes.
Helen headed toward the stairway leading up to the second floor. She felt a tense anxiety in her shoulders and back as she climbed the stairs up to the shadowy hallway. Her head and body felt heavy and wooden as she struggled to lift her feet from one step to the next, her thoughts fuzzy. She wavered at the top of the stairs experiencing a chill rising from her core and spreading throughout her body, a chill that left her feeling weak and not alive with an undefined hunger growing inside. Helen reached out placing her palm against the wall and closed her eyes. For a moment she wasn’t sure she was going to stay on her feet.
“Here, I have you.” Mary’s voice floated nearby and she felt her sister’s hands, one on her back and the other taking her arm.
“I don’t feel very well.”
“My word, you are burning up. Let’s get you into bed.”
Helen nodded letting her sister steer her down the hallway to her room. The walls seemed to close in on her and the floor seemed to dip and rise as she shuffled forward. Everything was out of focus as the two made their way into the bedroom. Mary helped Helen into her nightgown before helping her into the cool, smooth sheets of the bed.
“I can’t be sick. I never get sick. I’ve been so busy. I just didn’t take the time, I thought I would be safe.” Helen said.
Mary paused in her straightening of the covers and looked at Helen.
“Hmm, let me get a thermometer and check your temperature. I’m sure its nothing to worry about, but we should take precautions. Just in case.”
Helen looked up Mary, her eyes wide and bright with the fever building inside her. She sat up grabbing Mary’s arm.
“I can’t. I didn’t believe there was anything to the rumors. I thought I would be fine. Just this once I thought it would be okay. You have to believe me. I wouldn’t have come if I thought I would get sick. You have to stay away from me, keep the kids away from me.” Helen sank back onto the pillow, her breathing getting more labored.
“Hush. It’ll be okay. I’ll take care of you. We’re sisters we look out for each other. Right?”
Helen nodded, her eyes big and bright in her faded face.
Mary stepped out into the hallway closing the door behind her. She pulled a key out of her pocket, turned around and locked the door.
“Is it?” The deep male voice of her husband startled her.
“I think so. She has the same symptoms as Carol’s sister’s neighbor had last week when he attacked his wife. It’s a good thing she had his pistol in her nightstand or she would have been a goner too. You had better take the kids over to your mother’s. I’d rather they weren’t here.” Mary looked past her husband, not meeting his eyes. “Fortunately this thing isn’t airborne and all of us got the flu shot so we should be okay.” Mary shook her head. “All these years she has hounded me about getting vaccinated and the one year everyone needed to, she doesn’t.”
“I can stay and take care of Helen if you want me to.” Her husband said reaching out and gently touching her arm.
“Thank you, I know you would, but I can handle it.” She met his eyes briefly before turning back to the door her face grim and sorrowful, tears welling up in her eyes. “She would do the same for me.” Mary said. She placed her palm on the smooth surface of the door. “I’ll take care of you Helen. I won’t let you suffer an undead life.”
The End
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