Meet Me At The End Of The World

Chapter Sixteen

After Simon's refusal to waste our food I began catching his own so he wouldn't be able to refuse. He tried to at first yet after a while I was able to coax him into eating as much as possible.

Now, I go out every day to hunt before returning and dinning with Simon. At first, it was nice. We'd chat and eat and slowly I was begining to learn more and more about him.

And then his wound became infected.

Instantly, he stopped eating as much until he was loosing too much weight again and he appeared in constant pain. Val being the one with the most brain cells has been attempting to cure the infection but they believe that it may be too far gone.

I exhale deeply as I walk down the overgrown road and kick a rock out of frustration. All I've ever done is lose the people I love and I thought that this time it would be different. Why can't I do this? Why am I so selfish?

Suddenly, I catch a glimpse of a person standing just behind a car. Instead of darting towards them and startling them like before, I throw my knife in their direction praying that it stabs into their sleeve. Judging from the cry of fear - not pain - it landed where I hoped.

I turn to find a middle-aged man standing with my knife piercing the sleeve of his lab coat into a tree. His hair is brown with more then a few grey streaks and his eyes are a lifeless blue. He stares at me in surprise before he begins to laugh. At first, the laugh is quiet and breathless but within seconds it has esculated to an out of hand crackle.

"Daniel Hayes, I assume." He breaths once over his laughing fit. I remain quiet, too disturbed to speak. "I'm sorry to hear about Simon Goodchilds injury. A funeral will be nice though."

"He's not dying." I state unable to mask my rage with the man.

"I assure you that he is and nothing can save him. Nothing but..." He stops knowing that he's caught my attention. Depsite not holding much violence within, the strong urge to smash my fist into his face surfaces. I shove the feeling down unable to hide how monsterous I feel.

"But what?" I demand.

"You won't agree." Is his only reply.

"But what?" I demand with extra volume no longer fearing the undead. I can fight or run and if the situation gets too out of hand, I can sacrifice this bastard to them enabling me to escape.

"I may have invented some painkillers that'll make him feel better." He informs me and despite my desperation to jump at the opportunity I resist the urge.

"What's she catch?"

"Catch?"

Don't play dumb!"

"Alright, alright." He says finally giving up the facade. "All I need is for you to monitor your friends and report back to me weekly in what they're doing."

"Why?" I demand deciding that I have more care and respect for the undead then I do for this guy.

"Because I need to know their movements. To stop the undead I need to know everything about them including their food." He explains with an element of excitement to his voice. I stare at him in horror for a moment before shaking my head in refusal.

"No. I will not betray them." I snap and the man only shrugs as though it holds little significance to him.

"It's your funeral. Or should I say, it's Simon Goodchilds funeral." He laughs at that despite nothing about it being funny.

_________________________________________

As I enter the headteachers office I note that Simon doesn't raise his head to see me like usual.

"Simon?" I say in attempt to announce my presence yet he still remains still. I hurry to his side to find his eyes closed and his skin paper white. His face is cold to the touch but the slight trembling alerts me of the life still living within him.

"It's gotten worse Danny." Val informs me from the doorway. They sit by my side and wrap an arm around me yet I feel no comfort at all.

"Is there anything we can do?" I beg desperately. Now I understand why Honey is nowhere to be seen. Her best friend is dying and she can't stand to witness it.

"No. I don't believe there is."