It is Just a Virus

Chapter fourteen

A long time ago in this building there lived students the same as me. With the deterioration of the climate in the world, those wishing to go to universities became less and less. No, they continued to study, only remotely. I could study remotely, too. But the desire to become independent and live separately from parents overcame all reasonable arguments to stay at home, in safe. Most of the student dorm are now empty.

We easily opened the front door, and a rotten smell from the building broke free. I covered my nose with my sleeve. Dion repeated for me. With his free hand, he took a small flashlight from his jeans jacket pocket. The light scattered around the room. No one came here to put things in order, and layers of dust and dirt eaten into the walls and floor. Mold settled here instead of students. Each corner, each window served as a haven for the reproduction of these molds. Dion walked in front, I followed. We examined everything around and moved with caution, so as not to accidentally get into something nasty.

We went to the second floor. Spider family, who built a cobweb on the railing, ran away from the light. I felt a shiver run through my body, and I approached Dion as close as possible. I'm not afraid of spiders, but here they turned out to be 50 pieces, at least. Second floor. More spiders, more mosquitoes and different beetles. From the light they flew in different directions, forming black clouds.

"Do not panic," said Dion, continuing to move forward.

How not to panic?! We came to the first room. Dion yanked the door handle. Closed. Let's move on. Suddenly, something began to slide down my neck. I froze.

"Dion!" I hissed.

He stopped and turned to me: "What?"

"I have something on my neck sitting."

"Shake your head," he said softly.

I shook my head. Something snapped up, toward the hair. I trembled all over, trying to shake off something with my hands.

"Do something!" I cried and ran forward, completely not seeing anything around.

Dion ran after me.

"Stop, Dan! Calm down! You're making it worse!" he yelled.

The insects hummed. And now instead of clouds, they flew intermingled. Surrounding me and Dion. Millions of buzzing creatures, each of which strove to bite us. Chaos from horror. Dion grabbed my sweater. He pushed the nearest door with his foot. Door opened. He pushed me into the room, went in by himself, and closed the door behind him. I continued to shake, trying to remove from the body everything that can move. Dion approached me, took me by the elbows and shook me violently.

"Calm down!" he shouted. "Now I will search you, and remove any insects I find."

I stopped. I pulled myself together and tried to stand still while Dion examined me. The eyes are closed so as not to see what may be in this room.

"There's nothing on you, you've scattered them all. Just do not open your eyes yet. I'll tell you when it will be possible."

I nodded and covered my face with my hands. He stepped back from me and began to pace the room. Kicking furniture, bed, floor. The buzzing around was getting quieter. I parted two fingers to see what Dion was doing. He climbed on one of the beds, in one hand a flashlight, in another pillow, which he destroyed another spider family on the ceiling. Several spiders ran over his jacket. I immediately closed my eyes again. I will have nightmares for the rest of my life. Another trampling and hitting.

"You can open your eyes."

"Are you sure?"

"No, but there are no visible spiders and bugs."

I opened my eyes and looked around. Almost quiet.

"It will rain for three hours, if not more," with horror I said.

And in the confirmation of my words the lightning flashed across the window.

"Do you have any other options?"

"No."

Dion sat down on the bed. The rotten mattress bent under his weight. The second bed did not have a mattress, and I sat on the edge of the bed next to Dion. The matress did not stand us both, and even more strongly bent in the middle, shifting us to each other.

"We still have to get out of this hell," I said, trying to keep some distance between us.

"Back will be easier, we just run without looking back."

I pictured this horrible picture and a shiver ran through my body.

"Are you cold?" Dion asked quietly, examining his hands and clothes.

"No. Introduced our retreat." 

I was silent, Dion too. Flashlight in his hands shone on the opposite wall, exposing the abandonment of this room. Cracked walls, mold, cobwebs, dead and living insects. A rusty bed, a charred table, papers and a green liquid under the bed. Old age and destruction settled here for a long time. No one cares about these buildings, however, as well as everything that happens in the world.

Why did he kiss me? What's going on with him, with us? The mattress continued to sag under us and very soon we sat in the middle of the bed, touching the shoulders and hips. I tried to move away, but each attempt was enough for five minutes, no more. In the end, I stopped resisting. If Dion did not follow me, I would most likely have died today.

"Thank you," I said softly, breaking our silence.

"For what?"

"For saving me."

"You are welcome."

And then there was silence again. I have questions for Dion, but starting to ask them, I could come across mutual questions that I would not like to answer. A spider the size of a credit card crawled along the wall. I looked at the window. Rivers of water flowed down the glass, and the lightning show grew brighter.

"Is your friend in the hospital or are the doctors keeping all the infected in a separate building?" Dion asked unexpectedly, continuing to examine whether hands or floor.

"She's in the hospital."

"And do you know where exactly?"

"I know. I will tell you, if you answer, why do you need it?"

Dion was silent. It is clear that he is associated with the viral worlds. And his girlfriend named him D. Does that mean his initial on the business cards?

"I..." Dion cleared his throat, "I study these programs. I'm interested in how the viral world works and how it interacts with our chips. I need to research people who are in a coma. I am not a doctor, but a programmer who has not graduated from university, without a diploma, but with great knowledge. I will not be allowed to see the sick, without admission. And I need it!"

I looked at the guy, trying to understand whether he was lying or not. But Dion was still staring at the floor.

"I didn't think you would answer me. Although, to be honest, I only half believe in what you said."

Dion finally looked at me. Surprise flashed in his eyes, but then disappointment. In me?

"Damn! Danna, I told the truth. If you don't believe me, then these are your problems, but not mine. Please tell me where are the sick?" he clenched his fists and looked away again.

"I didn’t say that you lied. I think that you need to investigate, but also hide some traces of your activities," I reflected, watching the reaction of Dion. But he sat quietly, hardly moving.

"Will you tell me where the sick are?"

"Yes, but I'll go with you."

Dion jumped out of bed. 

"Are you completely crazy? What I asked you an hour ago?" his voice began to rise sharply. "Danna, what did I ask you an hour ago?"

"That I did not intervene. You do not understand! If I don't find antivirus, I want to say goodbye to my friend. I saw her, Dion. And it's awful ..." tears appeared in my eyes as if on a signal.

The guy's mood changed dramatically. He squatted down next to me and looked closely into my eyes.

"Danna, I understand you. It's scary to lose loved ones. It’s scary to realize that it’s impossible to help them. But the more you get into it, the more difficult it will be to get out."

“I'll tell you where the sick are if you take me with you. That's it!" wiping away my tears I said rudely, intending to defend my position.

Dion clenched his jaw so that his teeth creaked. He got up and went to the window: "No."

"Fine! I'm online," I answered through clenched teeth.

"In system"

Dorm room. Nice, clean and tidy. Free of insects and other animals. If it were the same in real life ...

I wanted to check on my parents. This business card, which dropped out of my father's pocket, haunted me. I am in my room, in my parents' house. I go downstairs to the first floor.

"Mama! Dad! Are you here?"

In response, silence. I went around the whole house. Of course, now, they can sleep peacefully in real life. But the soul panicked. Dormitory. 

"Exit"