We got home and I kicked off my sneakers at the bottom of the stairs. I started a jog up the steps only to spin around and snatch my footwear off the floor and continued my stride up to my room.
I wrenched my jacket off my shoulders and tossed it onto my swivel chair, then I launched myself onto the bed. Yanking the covers over myself I sobbed uncontrollably in the darkness of my room.
"I was infected with a virus that would do one of two things. Either I would be killed outright by the Genus Virus and all of the reptilian transformations I was going through. Or I would become some rage filled reptile that would end up locked away for the safety of others.
Right now, my whole life had been a lie. First I couldn't remember anything, then I found out some awful truths. And now I'm not even sure that I want to know what lays ahead.
My Dad came to the door to check if I was okay. But my down right stubbornness left him waiting outside my bedroom door, until he gave up and made his way back downstairs.
I woke the next day when the alarm on my phone startled me. Quickly getting changed for school I was out the door before my dad even had chance to speak to me. As I hurried to the bus stop I did glance backwards to see him standing at the top of the driveway, confused at why I had rushed out without saying a word to him. I instantly felt awful, but it was too late now as in the distance I could see the bus pulling to a halt, I had to break into a jog to make it on time.
The entire day at school seemed to be a blur. Chemistry, English, French, Lunch and then double Maths. I barely remember a thing about the lessons, which wasn't good since I was less than a month away from my final exams.
My stomach was knotted, I felt physically and mentally drained yet somehow, I had to suck it up and carry on. My classmates had no idea who I really was, and it was a question I used to know the answer too, but not anymore.
My last lesson of the day would end in ten minutes, the bell would ring and I could head home.
As I stared aimlessly out if the window I noticed a man standing near to an oak tree at the edge of the sports field. He seemed to stare right back at me, which made my stomach turn with an unpleasant feeling, I shook myself out if the trance when my phone quietly chirped, a message showed up on screen.
It was dad, he was checking to see if I wanted a lift home. It must have taken a lot of courage to send that, I felt ashamed that I had not made any effort to contact him all day, he must have been so dejected all day long that I had blanked him right from breakfast.
I replied and tried to make my message sound as genuinely grateful as I possibly could, I didn't things to be awkward. When I looked back through the window the well dressed man was gone, very strange.
I waited by the gates as the heaven's sent a light drizzle of rain to dampen my deepening sadness further. Dad pulled up in his silver saloon and I hoped in to the passenger seat and out of the rain.
"Thanks, I would have gotten soaked heading to and from bus stops in this." I smiled faintly.
He returned the gesture and turned his attention back to the road ahead as he pulled off from the kerb.
"No problem. How was your day?"
I huffed and slid my phone from my pocket, checking social media was always first on my list when I got into dad's car or even onto the bus.
"Yeah, suppose it was okay." I put my phone back in my pocket, I was far from in the mood to read about other peoples dramas. My head swirled making my vision soften at the edges. My fingers pressed against either side of my nose.
"You okay Mel?" My dad asked with deep concern.
I croaked a feeble reply. "It's just been a long day dad."
"How about burger and fries in the way home? My treat."
My gentle smile couldn't help but grow much bigger, "Sure thing Dad."
There was an awesome little burger place just a mile from home on the narrow side road to our humble town. A perfect pit stop on the way back from school at least once a week, usually saved for Fridays. But, it was a most welcome treat. We ate quietly and discussed our days with the only sense or normality we could muster, both trying to avoid the difficult subject of Doctor Watkiss and his test results whenever he should get in touch.
The dark nights came fast at this time of year, so by the time we had finished our short drive home was now in the complete darkness of the surrounding woods.
The car moved onto the long stretch of road heading home, but suddenly my dad's phone burst into a jingle. The phone was in his jeans pocket so he was unable to even see who the call was.
"Damn, I bet that is Doctor Watkiss." He began to fumble with one hand trying to get the device.
"Leave it dad. You can call back when we are home. It's not far now." I tried to convince my dad answering the call wasn't worth the risk of veering off the road and crashing.
"Guess your right. I call back when we are home." He placed two hands back on the wheel.
The phone rang out again moments after cutting of the first time. Dad tried again to reach into his pocket.
"It must be important to call again so soon. If I can get the phone will you answer it?" He shifted in his seat to get a better angle.
"Dad just leave it un-"
A loud bang echoed through our ears, the just jerked sharply and Dad had to throw both hands back onto he steering wheel. He tried it vain to straighten he car but we were already angling to the right into a muddy ditch. The grassy bank drawing closer to my passenger side window as we skidded awkwardly down the verge.
We burst through a small wooden fence, destroying the wooden panels, wood splintered and bounced off he windshield, water spraying up and over the roof of the car as we jolted to a halt at the edge of a muddy pond. Our heads slammed forward, my dad's head hit the steering wheel with a crack. The car stuck at a forty five degree angle in the mud.
A dark vehicle pulled up on the side of the road. A few meters back from the crashed silver car. The bright headlights aimed towards the partly sunken motor as two met clumped out of the sleek SUV.
The doors slammed shut and the clicks of handguns could be heard as the two bulky men approached with caution. One of the men quietly gave instructions to other. "Check the driver. I'll grab the girl."
They parted either side at the rear of the car, moving forwards with weapons drawn and ready to fire.
The second man aimed at the stricken driver, who was groaning from his head injury, dazed and unaware of the dangerous men at the sides to the car. Both men squelched into the mud and the driver side door was pulled open.
"Mister Wilson. Get out of the car." He ordered.
The first brutish man had now closed in on the passenger side. "She isn't here!" He exclaimed with deep concern.
"Are you certain she was in the car?" The second man was as confused as his partner.
"I know what I saw, they both got in the vehicle from the burger place."
"Well where the hell is she?" Concern clearly about the presence of Melanie.
"Find her. Can't have gotten far!"
With a torch and the gun aimed out in front of the man he moved slowly though the mud, edging the side of the water with caution.
He stopped suddenly to shine the torch into the mud, clasping the torch in his mouth he reached down to grab something from the mud.
He retrieved a mud soaked black sports shoe from the ground and wedged it under his arm so he could remove the torch from his mouth.
"Hey! I got something, seems our girl has lost her shoes in this m-"
A low growl stopped the man mid-sentence, he shone the torch into the shallow water ahead, the surface rippled slightly.
"She can't have gotten far, check the reeds, she could be h-" the man was interrupted by and almighty splash, water surged upwards and the guard by the water fell with frantic cries for help. The shallow water splashing in all directions, the man's arms flailing and lashing out for the safety of land. The commotion suddenly stopped, the sound of Gargled water followed, the second man moved with caution towards his partner.
"Frank? Frank? You okay?" He asked nervously, his gun pointed at the water. His partner lay face down in the mud, blood seemed to be gathering in the shallow water.
"Oh no!" The man exclaimed.
Another surge of water came as something bolted towards the man, he fired the gun, but was too late. Dragged to the ground the man was launched into a roll, choking on the water, pulled around like a rag doll.
Raymond Wilson had regained his bearings and carefully wriggled out of the car. He was greeted by his daughter who stood behind the car, when she came into view she was drenched and covered in mud.
"Mel? What happened?" He asked.
"Nothing dad. We veered off the road because I think we had our tires shot out."
Raymond shielded his eyes from the sleek SUV parked not too far behind them on the side of the road.
"Who's car is that?"
Melanie looked at the car and then back to her father. "That was their car. I scared them away though. I think we should use it and get to Doctor Watkiss."
"Mel, your hurt!" Raymond exclaimed as he caught sight of blood upon Melanie's dark jacket.
"It's okay dad. I'm fine."
"Mel your hurt, what happened?" Raymond moved forward but Melanie stepped back, her feet squelching in the mud. She wiped her sleeve across her mouth.
"Dad. It's not my blood."
The end... for now.