Chapter One
Raya didn’t expect to feel her heart getting ripped out of her chest.
Her friend had just disappeared in a funnel of light, tricked by the God she so desperately wanted to please. The monster growls, and his body ripples. A multicoloured mark appears on his chest, next to his heart.
Damisa, her panther self, screams in a fury at the back of her mind.
"You... Give her back!" she screeches, her throat raw from her previous screams.
The man lumbers his oversized body, dragging it against the floor. "She has chosen me."
"She would not."
"Fine, allow me to show you."
Shannon, her remaining friend, holds her back when Raya attempts to attack him. The man raises his head up to the sky and a new funnel of light bursts from the sky. This time, it takes no one. When the light fades, a Sarj jumps forward, blinking its new-born eyes. Its body is a royal purple, covered in various splashes of colour. The monster turns its mismatched eyes to her and her heart sinks.
"Lee?"
The Sarj cocks its head to one side, as if trying to remember.
"Retreat… my children. We have claimed… enough souls today."
The man raises his head again, and several beams of light envelope him and the Sarjs.
Raya attempts to run to her before it’s too late, but she's held back once again. "Lee, no!"
Within seconds, her friend is gone.
Raya collapses to the floor with her head in her hands. "Lee…"
"We'll find a way to fix this," Shannon murmurs in her ear.
Raya can't reply. How could they fix it? Their friend is a Sarj, as far as they know, there's no way to get her back. She didn't even seem to recognise them, if that Sarj was her.
Damisa growls in disagreement.
You're right, Raya replies. That was her.
"We need to get inside," Ezekiel mutters.
Shannon hauls Raya to her feet and leads her back to the café. Dan's smiling face in the window is more than enough to make her blood boil.
He throws the door open with a grin. "Raya! I'm glad you're okay."
Damisa's lips curl as Raya shoulders pass him. The loose skin under her arm wobbles with each movement, but she tries to push the discomfort to the back of her mind.
I'm not okay. My friend is gone.
She sinks into the nearest chair, her arms locked around her body. She studies the stretch marks extending up her arms, blinking her tears away.
We should have shifted.
As Damisa replies with a growl, a wave of fatigue washes over her. There's no way they could have shifted in their state. They've been doing it too much recently; her body needs rest. The stretch marks and loose skin have gotten worse with each shift, her body isn't bouncing back.
She's never been self-conscious, but the look of her body bothers her.
Lee never cared. She thought it was cool that I could shift.
"Come on, we need ideas!" Shannon says.
Dan whips his head towards her. "You need to shut the fuck up. Raya is upset."
"Lee was my friend too!"
"She’s gone now. It’s just us." Dan kneels in front of Raya and tries to take her hand, but she yanks it away. "We're Unbitten. We can still get away from this. Leave these two behind and come with me."
The thought of going anywhere with him repulsed her. Why would she abandon her friends for him?
She looks up at Shannon, who has been sitting down quietly. "Shan?"
Her friend shoots to her feet, twiddling her thumbs nervously. "Yes?"
"Bite me."
Her friend recoils. "What?"
"Raya, you're upset. You don't really—" Dan tries to speak, but she shoulders him out the way.
"Please.”
Raya knows that she isn’t thinking rationally. Some part of her believes that her being Bitten will make her closer to Ashleigh somehow. Maybe it would even bring her friend back. Deep down, she knows it’s not true, but her mind is fogged by seeing her friend as a Sarj.
She tried to remember. She knew it was me.
"No!" Dan screams.
Raya slams into the nearest wall, shaking the paintings that are still hung up. She tries to move her body, but she's pinned, not even able to wiggle her toes. Dan has his one arm outstretched towards her, his fingers curled into his palm.
"Let me go!" she screams.
Damisa roars in a fury in the back of her mind; images of her sinking her teeth into his skin flash into her head.
"This isn’t right. She just wants—" Shannon sighs, taking a step forward.
"She's upset. She doesn't know what she wants."
"She wants to get away from you, lover boy," Ezekiel chimes in.
Dan's head snaps towards Ezekiel. "You need to shut up."
"And you need to learn that no means no," Ezekiel says with a growl.
"I know what's best for her."
Ezekiel throws his head back in a throaty laugh. "You? A person she's known for a few weeks versus a friend she's known for years? Get over yourself."
Dan swipes his hand towards Ezekiel, sending him crashing through the window. Raya slumps to the floor as the glass explodes, sending giant shards in all directions. When she's able to stand up, Ezekiel lies in the middle of the street on a blanket of glass, unmoving.
"Why would you do that?" Shannon screams.
Dan raises his hand towards her. "You want to join him?"
Raya doesn't even think about her next actions. She slams a wooden chair over Dan's back, sending him to the floor like a bag of potatoes. She stands above him, trembling for a few seconds before tossing the chair to the side.
"Shan, bite me."
Shannon shivers. "You don't want this."
"I need to know."
"Know what?"
"What made it so great that Lee had to…" Her words catch in her throat, and she's unable to finish.
"But what about Damisa?"
The panther lets out a pained cry. They don't know what the virus will do to them. Ezekiel couldn't communicate with his animal self.
But he's bitten more people than I ever plan to.
"She'll understand."
"Rai…"
"I need to know."
With a gulp, Shannon gingerly takes Raya's hand and raises it to her mouth. Just when she's sure that the winged girl will back out, she feels teeth pierce her skin.
As she drops to the floor, her mind is filled with Damisa's screams. The virus pumps through her veins, muffling her panther's voice.
I'm so sorry. I know this hurts.
Once the screams become nothing more than panicked whimpers, everything goes black.
***
Jenna finds herself in an unknown place. She quickly deduces that she's in some sort of bedroom, the walls coloured a garish pink and covered in white daisies.
Some kid has poor taste, she thinks to herself.
The second she attempts to sit up, hot pain blasts through her body. Her leg feels like stone, and the skin is red hot to the touch. The infection comes to the forefront of her mind again, although this time she knows there's no saving her.
At least Sin hasn't infected me.
As if her girlfriend was summoned, the door creaks open, and she pops her head around. "You're awake!" she says in relief.
Jenna swallows the lump in her throat. "I feel awful."
Cindy slips in, carefully shutting the door behind her. "I know."
Jenna reaches a hand out, which Cindy takes without hesitation. Her elfish ears are flat against her head, a sign of her anxiety.
Jenna decides to change the subject before it gets too sentimental. "Where are we?"
"In the city. I found a house with its door kicked in."
"So, we could be in someone else's house right now?"
"I've already looked around. Cupboards are looted and the blankets are taken. No way is someone living here."
That statement makes Jenna relax slightly. At least they don't have to worry about fighting off more people. Her leg is proof that it didn't go down well last time.
"Good. What's the plan?"
"The plan is for you to get better."
"I'm not getting better, Sin. My leg is going green."
Both of them look down at her wound. Jenna had been stabbed in the leg by some punk kid who wanted to prove themselves. Although Cindy had managed to find a healer, it was clear that it hadn’t worked all the way through. The skin around her open wound now has a grey tinge, and green pus is leaking from it. There’s a crust of dried liquid running down her leg as well.
Cindy's ears twitch slightly. "We'll find a way."
"The healer didn't work last time."
"That's why we're in the city. I'm going to find her and make sure you're better this time."
Jenna rolls her eyes. "What are you going to do? Threaten her?"
Cindy squares her shoulders. "If necessary."
"You couldn't intimidate a peanut."
This makes the corner of Cindy's lips curve. "I'm going to try. We don't have many options."
Jenna untwines her fingers from hers. "Don't infect me."
"But it could-"
"I'd rather die."
This makes her girlfriend pause. "It's not as bad as you think, Jen."
"I don't want it."
"But-"
"No means no."
Cindy shuffles. "Fine."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
They sit in silence for a few seconds before Cindy stands up, kissing Jenna on the forehead.
"Where are you going?"
"To find the healer."
"The city is huge."
"I'm persistent."
"Watch out for B's group."
"I will. I don't think they've quite forgotten me from last time."
"Just... be careful."
Cindy flashes her a smile. "I will, promise."
As the door shuts quietly, Jenna shifts into a more comfortable position. The covers lift slightly, and she catches a whiff of blood.
"Shit," she mutters.
She throws the covers off to inspect her leg more closely. While it's red and swollen, the only thing oozing from it is pus. The sheets around her bum are stained red with fresh blood, and her thighs are sticky.
"Ugh. I hate periods in the apocalypse!"
She tries to sit up slightly, but her leg twinges with pain. The sound of another door slamming lets her know that Cindy has left. She wouldn’t be able to hear her cries now.
"Shit."
Jenna holds her breath and swings her legs over the bed in one swift motion, gasping in pain. Her leg throbs with even the tiniest movement, and she wishes her girlfriend hadn't left so quickly. Her head spins when she tries to stand, clutching the grey dresser beside her. The feeling of moving makes bile rise in her throat and before she can think, she's vomiting on the floor. Once she's finished, she sinks back down onto the bed, gasping for breath.
"Fuck's sake," she mutters to herself, wiping a trail of sticky saliva from her mouth.
The smell of vomit permeates the room, and the feeling of sitting in her own blood makes her uncomfortable.
How much longer did she have?
She thought infections usually took people quickly, but hers seems to have lasted forever. Maybe it's because of the healer, or maybe she's just lucky.
There's a crash outside that makes her jump and her leg twinge. She listens out for more noise, unsurprised to hear another crash. The curtains to her room are drawn, so she can't see who's out there just by staring out the window. The thought of trying to stand again makes her sick, but she has to know if Cindy is in trouble.
Taking a few deep breaths, she pulls herself up, ignoring the hot pain in her leg. She drags herself towards the window, her injured leg hanging limply behind her. Carefully, she pulls back a curtain, just enough for one eye to peek through. The street is full of knocked over bins and old rubbish. A few of the houses on the other side have been sprayed with graffiti and have their windows smashed in.
She then notices a group of people exit one house, clutching several backpacks. Her heart begins to thrum when she sees them talking to each other while pointing at other buildings. Although Cindy said the house was deserted, these people don't know there's nothing left to take. They cross the street, fanning out in pairs to check the houses. With each kick to the door, she flinches, dragging herself back into bed.
There's no way I can fight them off in this state.
The door gives in easily, and the pair gain access to the house, though they don't come to her immediately. She can hear them clanging around, pulling the place apart to look for any sort of supplies. If what Cindy said is true, they won't be here very long.
"Nothing. I think this place is empty," a muffled voice calls out.
"Let's get out of here. It absolutely stinks."
She's thankful for the pile of vomit on the floor, which makes them leave faster. The door slams shut behind them, and she relaxes again.
That was far too close.
Her heart is still pounding as her eyelids start to droop. She wants to stay awake, but her body is crying out for sleep. For what seems like hours, she fights the urge to drift off, hoping that Cindy will return soon. Eventually, the door creaks open and she's relieved to see her girlfriend.
"Are you okay? There's—"
"People broke in looking for supplies. They didn't find me."
Cindy wrinkles her nose and her gaze lands on the creamy vomit on the floor. "You were sick?"
"I got up too fast."
Her girlfriend scoots onto the bed and scolds her. "Why did you get up?"
"My period started."
Cindy lifts the covers up. "Oh. Good thing I found some towels."
"I feel really icky," Jenna mumbles, pulling the covers up to her face.
Cindy's face falls. "I'll go get the towels. I even managed to find a can of food. I'll start cooking it for you."
"Make sure you eat too..." Jenna mumbles as sleep finally overcomes her.
"You need it more…" Is the last thing she hears before drifting off.
***
That’s it for this week, keep an eye out for when Purgatory goes up for pre-order! See you next week.
