Sorrow's Gift

Chapter Thirteen: Parrish

In the dark basement apartment it was nearly impossible to tell what time it was. Parrish had woken up feeling groggy and disoriented. She'd slept in a large sleeping bag on the floor next to Karmen and the new girl, and even though she was grateful for the safety of this apartment, the sleeping arrangements left something to be desired.

She'd found herself staring at the new girl as she slept. Strange that she couldn't remember her own name. It didn't seem that she'd taken any trauma to the head or anything. Then again, maybe watching the world they'd all known completely disappear had sent her into some kind of shock. It wouldn't be unheard of.

She'd barely said two words since they'd rescued her from the closet where she'd been hiding. Was she really the one who would complete their group of five?

She had to be. Parrish had a dream about a man who had told her there would be five. It hadn't made any sense to her at the time and she'd been too worried about her mom to even think about it back then.

Back then.

Parrish almost laughed at herself. Had it really only been a couple of weeks since that horrible night? How had the whole world gone to hell so fast?

She shook her head and focused on the computer screens as Crash booted them up.

They'd been sheltered from so much of it in their small neighborhood, but it had been evident once they got to the city that the world had been violently ripped apart.

Other than Crash and the new girl, they hadn't seen a single human being since they'd left Noah's house. Not a living one, anyway. How many were left? And how many were now walking the streets, hungry for the taste of flesh?

She wanted to talk to Crash, but he seemed so busy as he got everything set up for the day that she didn't want to interrupt him. Still, if anyone had answers about how this virus began or how many were dead, it would be Crash. His ability to control machines, computers, and electricity was almost unbelievable. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have thought it was possible.

Did they all have powers now? It was something they'd avoided talking about up to now, wanting to just get some rest and try to put the horrors of the day behind them. Today, though, they had no choice but to talk about what was happening to all of them. Were they the only ones? And why?

Parrish had way more questions than answers, and she was anxious to start asking some of them.

Crash looked up from the monitors briefly, worry etched across his features. "How did you sleep?" he asked. "Sorry I don't have beds or anything more comfortable."

She stood behind him, trying to figure out what information he had just pulled up on his computer screens. "It was fine," she said. "Any place that's safe from the rotters is comfortable at this point. I have a feeling we're going to have to get used to discomfort for a while."

Crash raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Good point."

"What was going on between you and Karmen this morning?" she asked. "I got the distinct feeling I'd just walked in on a seriously awkward moment."

He shrugged, but the side of his mouth twitched nervously. "Nothing," he said, forcing a smile. "I don't think she likes me too much."

"Join the club," she muttered. "Karmen only likes people with no spending limits on their credit cards."

"She's in for a rude awakening, then," he said. "I'm pretty sure the world's about to start dealing in a completely different kind of currency. Those water bottles I have stacked up in there are probably worth their weight in gold at this point."