Bug
It was unlike anything she had ever experienced. It made her bleed and cry, far beyond any pain she had ever experienced. Yet, she was addicted to it. Like a drug, she couldn't escape it. In this twisted relationship of cat and mouse, no one can survive alone.
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Happiness is not a virtue unless you have someone to share it with. Solitude can be the brink of all insanity, turning you upside-down and inside out. When you are alone, you can only save yourself. But then…you turn. You turn on the one and only person who can ever save you. You turn, upside-down and inside out, against yourself. So then, who is to save you from yourself? So, happily, you fall off the brink of insanity. Down, down, down; into a spiraling black void that sucks you under. Inside, inside, inside; into a dark cloud that refuses to leave your side. Far, far, far; away from humanity, into a dark, leeching, looming place we like to call addiction.
"A deadly virus is spreading across the continent, killing millions of individuals instantaneously"
"All are advised to stay indoors and away from others, for the virus is…"
"contagious, and can kill a single human within 2 hours"
"on contact."
"So no one is safe from this"
"destructive"
"deadly"
"un-earthly"
"vicious"
"bug."
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Chapter One
"We were supposed to be the ones saving them."
The room held an air of silence, of loneliness and solitude. Being alone seemed to be the only option now, the only way to get by. Faces were strained with worry and remorse, the slightest noise sending a wave of dark tension throughout the room.
"And here we are."
It was a pain-like guilt that would not leave their sides. It gnawed at their self-control until they were left violently shuddering, their blood and tears falling hopelessly to the floor.
"Doing absolutely nothing."
Everyone prepared for the impact of his words. The words that would only add to the impact of their ever-changing lives. It hurt to watch every ones' contorted faces turn in utter revulsion. It hurt to listen to his words, the words that made the guilt hurt so much more. It hurt to blink, to let in that dreaded darkness for a split second.
"To stop what has already killed millions,"
They were all anticipating his next words that they knew would only crush them further. Violent tremors shook them of their state of mind, and all seemed to be numb for them.
"and will soon kill us."
Then, for her, it was all too much. The words he spoke, the guilt they felt, was too much to take in. Breaking down for the last time, she ran from the room in tears. Down the hall, into her dark room, and into solitude. For she was done here.
"Aren't heroes supposed to be the ones risking their lives to ensure the lives of others? Are we not heroes?" he asked the remaining 3 titans.
The silence spoke one thing, proving what they already knew to be true: Not anymore.
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She was tired of feeling guilty for something she did not cause. It might have been her job to save people from monsters, but it was not her job to save people from a disease. It wasn't her fault that the lab experiment had gotten out of hand. She had nothing to do with it. But somehow, a part of her said that she was responsible to stop it.
Robin didn't make it any better. He went on and on about how they were supposed to be the ones saving everyone. As if she didn't already know. It hurt to hear him yell out her name in frustration, asking her questions that he knew she had no answer to. But he did not stop his obsessive control. He would make her search for the answer until it hurt. He would watch in anticipation as she thought deeply, thinking that she had the answer to end this madness. But she didn't have an answer. No one did.
Tears welled in her eyes as she tried so hard to forget everything. Her life had gone from joyful to madness in a matter of days, and she couldn't control the fact that she was weak. She couldn't handle the change just yet. She needed more time to adjust. But Robin wouldn't even consider giving her the time. Oh, no, it was about adjusting in a millisecond, being able to handle whatever was thrown at you. He didn't understand weakness.
She wanted to be sick. She wanted to cleanse her mind and body, just to get rid of the images. Her body was shaking with fear, and she could feel anxiety creeping over her skin like millions of tiny spiders. She felt dirty and useless, like she had no right to be living. She rushed to the bathroom, turning the shower as hot as it would go, and slipped inside. It burned and tingled all over her skin, but at least she couldn't feel anymore. The water had numbed her senses, and she no longer felt the dirt buried deep in her flesh. She bit her tongue, taking her mind of the blazing water while keeping herself from screaming for joy.
After what seemed like hours, she could no longer feel anything on her skin. She turned off the water, jumping out of the shower and beginning her search for fresh clothes. Not bothering to look, she threw something on and jumped into her bed in a hurry. She wanted to fall asleep before her senses kicked in again, just to escape the sickness. It took only a matter of seconds for her exhausted mind to fall into nothingness.
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She awoke with a start and what felt like she had jumped ten feet in the air and began to fall down again. It scared her beyond belief, and it took a few moments to catch her breath. As soon as she registered the darkness, everything else fell into place: the fear, the sickness, the guilt, the pain. It all came together like a twisted horror puzzle. And it hurt, like nothing ever could.
She knew that as long as she was locked in solitude, she would feel the torment of it all. She knew that if she went out into the tower, she would feel the painful truth of his words. She knew that as long as she remained afraid of what was out there, she would never forgive herself.
So she walked to the window, taking off into the night.
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Chapter 1! I'm actually quite pleased with this story so far… But I have a contest for you all! Whoever can come up with the best summary for this story, one that's under the limit of characters FF allows on the title page, will get the next chapter devoted to them (plus full credit for coming up with it). So, off you go my readers!!
Reviews help! Oh, who am I kidding… I LIVE off of them!
-Alien