The Collective

Chapter Fifteen

     Chase stopped outside an apartment building. He glanced at Sarah warily. "Are you sure you want to stay here?" Glass shattered somewhere in the dark. Cats yowled.

     Sarah nodded. "Someone won't let me take him home. Annie?"

     No, thank you. We seemed to be doing better on the move than we'd been doing stagnant. Every time I stopped, someone died. I glanced at Sam. He was doubled-up on the seat, coughing. Ever since we dragged him out of his apartment, he'd been getting worse. He needed rest, and maybe a shower. He was coated in sweat, some of it fresh, and some of it... not so much.

     I shook his shoulder. "Sam? Hey, Sam?"

     Sam blinked up at me, dazed. "What's going on? Where are we?"

     "We're okay. We have to go inside now."

     He stared at it. "I don't think I can move."

     I laughed uncomfortably. "Yeah, it's super close, and then you can sleep. I promise." I took his hand. He leaned on me.

     Sarah rushed to help, slipping under his other side.

     Chase shook his head. "We don't know him. Call me every two hours, or I'm dragging you home."

     Sarah flipped him off. "Go home, Chase."

     Firecrackers popped. I yelped, pulling Sam and Sarah towards the building. Sarah took the lead, heading towards the back. There were two apartments. One looked like it needed to be condemned. The other was pristine. We didn't go into that one. I held my breath.

     Sarah flicked on the lights. The inside was clean, unnervingly so, except for the desk in the corner. The desk was mess. We took Sam into the only bedroom. We lowered him onto the bed, and I dragged the blanket over him.

     "We should get something to eat." Sarah murmured. Neither of us moved.

     I sank down, watching Sam. His chest rose and fell steadily, though it sounded like he was struggling for every breath.

     I almost didn't want to breath. This place smelled like Ethan.

     "Annie?" Sarah waved her hand in front of my face.

     I jerked back. "What?'

     "Did Ethan leave you anything?"

     I wandered into the kitchen. The cabinets were all lined up and spotless. I went to the corner cabinet. Lo and behold, the peanut butter and crackers stared back at me. I grabbed a knife from the drawer to the left of the sink. I curled up on the brown seat in the corner. It was suspiciously similar to the one in the country house.

     Sarah sat across from me. She waved off the peanut butter cracker I offered. I shrugged. I hated crunchy peanut butter, but I was hungry. I sucked down a deep breath. I could do this. I handed over the envelope.

     She pulled out the letters. "Have you read these?"

     I shook my head, stabbing the knife into the peanut butter repeatedly. Stupid, crunchy peanut butter...

     She held them towards me. "You first."

     I left the knife in the peanut butter. I peeled back the first one. They were typed, dated a few days after he left.

Dear Alex,

I'm gonna die, and when I do, I want you to have these. I want you know why.

     I... couldn't do this. I shoved them at Sarah. I rushed to the kitchen, viscously scrubbing off the peanut butter knife. I shoved the crackers and the crunchy abomination back into the cabinet.