Fever by Selina Brinkmann (readict TXT) 📕

The next time Evy woke up was due to the light sunshine coming through the curtains in her room. Her eyes focused on the tiny fragments of dust swirling around the room resembling little ballerinas and followed their slow dance. They were free, free to explore and find happiness in their existence. Evy knew that she would have to face reality soon but found her gaze transfixed. With a twirl of her finger she changed the directions of the airstream and watched how the little ballerinas danced from one side of the room to the other.

Her doing was interrupted by a soft female chuckle and the fragile dancers returned to their original route.

“Nice one! I love to follow the path of the dust when the sun is shining and you can see them flowing around the room.” Evy twisted her neck until she faced the young woman from the night before. How did she call herself again? O, yes Roxanne.

“But how are you? I had hoped a little bit better as I figured out that you would probably like a shower and some food.” Roxanne bent down to place a tray on the small table in the corner of the room and went to open the curtains. Fresh and cool air filled the room when she pushed them aside and opened the window. Evy could hear the leaves shaking in the wind and laughter flowing around. And for the first time since she was discovered crying over the small frame of her brother Evy felt peace.

“I would love to have a shower and something to eat. I am famished!”, she added with a sheepish grin as her stomach rumbled out load.
“That’s easy to hear and quite understandable. You slept almost two whole days since we discovered you!”, Roxanne laughed and came over to lend Evy a hand in getting up.

“You will be quite sore for a while because your body had severe injuries and even I cannot heal everything in a moment!”
Curious Evy looked at the slender female in front of her.

“What do you mean by healing everything?”

“Do not worry about that I will try to explain everything later but first of all I have to get you under the shower and food into your stomach!” and with that Roxanne helped Evy standing up. With one arm over her shoulder the two women stumbled into the small bathroom attached to the room.

“Take all the time you need. I will be waiting for you and if you need my help just call and I come!” were Roxanne’s departing words as she saw the need in Evy’s eyes to be alone and quickly closed the door.

After she was left alone, Evy collapsed onto the toilet seat. Her legs felt like jelly and her mind was a confused mess. She did not remember anything after the chase through the woods. At least anything besides soaring pain in her back and fear that held her heart in a cold grasp. With a shudder she pushed herself up and stumbled towards the shower.
Every step felt like a mile but Evy did not gave up. The least she could do was finally clean herself and feel tidy and in control once more. Discarding her clothes she stepped into the shower and turned it on. With a curse and a shriek that could have woken up the dead she turned it off again. She heard a knock at the door and realized that Roxanne had heard her.

“Don’t worry, I just forgot to turn it warm. It was not a pleasant surprise but I am totally awake now!”
- You are such an idiot, Ev. She muttered to herself and cautiously turned the water on again but tried to stay clear of the cold water until she could feel the water drops getting warmer against her legs. It felt like heaven.
Evy raised her hands and cherished the water dripping down her body leaving her warm and clean. After a while which felt like eternity she stepped out and wrapped herself in a soft towel. She had not had since she was held captive in the laboratories. All she received was a hard piece of soap and a thin line to dry her. Not wanting to slip on the wet floor Evy slowly walked to the door and poked her head out.

“Hey Roxanne, do you have something I could wear? After being in the shower and feeling clean again, I do not really feel like I should put on my old clothes?”
The young women turned and had to push her long hair out of her eyes in order to see Evy clearly.

“Well, look at you! You almost appear to be human again! And yeah, somewhere I even got my clothes from my younger years! “, with a laugh she turned around and added: “Because if I give you my clothes from now, you probably drown in them!”

Evy felt her lips twitch and she nodded thankfully when Roxanne gave her some washed out trousers and a baby blue shirt. Not exactly her colors but a beggar could not really choose. “Thank you!”

Heading back into the bath Evy took her time to get changed and savored the time until she had to face reality again. The steam was slowly leaving the room and for the first time she was able to see herself in a mirror. She could not recognize herself. Her former long hair had been cut short due to hygienic standards in the laboratories and having lived in a cave like environment had darkened it so much that it now appeared brown instead of its former blond color. She also remembered to be a bit more chubby. The days of starvation and her iron grip on determination to gain freedom had enabled her to lose all the extra weight. However her skin once soft was scarred and her eyes revealed the horrors she endured in the cave.

“You all right?”, asked Roxanne nervous and followed Evy when she left the bathroom and stumbled back to the bed.

“Kind of! I still have no idea how I came here and who you are. I also cannot remember how long I have been in the cave!”, Evy covered her face and slowly shook her head.

“Every time I come up with a memory before my isolation it slips my mind. And I cannot even remember my family. All I know is that I had a brother but he was killed.”

“Do not force yourself! If your mind does not remember certain events than it often means that you are not ready to endure them! Many of us had those problems after the big illness and some are still struggling.”, Roxanne was interrupted before she could explain more.

“But who are us and how much time has passed since the illness spread over the world?”

“The last outbreak was over three years ago. All of the survivors are living in sanctuaries. You are in one right now.”

“So there has been other people who survived? Other people like me who were not killed by the fever?”

“Of course, I would not say thousands but yes, a lot survived!”, Roxanne took Evy’s hand in hers and looked her into the eyes.

“You did not know that anymore survived, did you? You thought that you were all alone!”

Evy tried to speak but chocked on her words. “I hoped that some had survived but I never imagined that! When I arrived in the cave I heard others but over the time they got fewer and fewer. And then I was all alone! Nobody new was brought in. I had been the last one. I thought that I was an abnormality. Thought that as everybody, who looked after me, was not influenced I had to be a monster.”

Roxanne grasped Evy’s hand harder. “You are not a monster. The people who held you captive where beasts. And yes there are other who were influenced. But what made you different? Why did they call you abnormal?”

Evy turned her head down. “The first time I told what made me different they lead me into the cave and never let me out! Why,” she looked up, “should I trust you?”

“Because I am the same like you! We are all different! And do not forget that I saw you earlier with the wind. But if you do not want to talk to me right now, I understand. For now, rest! I will check with you later and see how you are doing!”, Roxanne got up and pushed Evy back onto the bed. “Sleep now and we can talk later.”

Evy wanted to get up. Wanted Roxanne to tell her more so her need for information was satisfied. But she found herself tired and it did not take very long to fall asleep.

Roxanne sighed when she left Evy to rest again. She did not know a thing that happened. Had no idea about the conflicts between the “mors” as they called the human now and the survivors of the fever. Hurrying down the corridor she tried to overcome the feeling that someone was watching her and glanced around. Roxanne could not see anybody but that did not mean that no one was there. Over the last three years their people had developed some unusual skills and she would not be surprised if there were not a few among them who could turn invisible. Just before she reached the corner a voice bellowed behind her:

“Roxanne! Wait, Roan wants to see you. He says that it is important and you should make your way as fast as possible to the Great Hall!”, it was Liam, the second in command whenever Roan was away on business.

Immediately she felt fear arousing inside her. He did not want any intruders after the last attack on their sanctuary which resulted in a heavy loss for their kind. He had ordered that people who sought help should apply and be checked. However she had broken the rule by not notifying him about Evy’s arrival and worse about her secret treatment. If he found out, it would not matter that she was a long trusted member of their community. She had broken the rule and Roan would not accept that fact so easily.

Turning around and sending him a cheerful smile even though her nerves were killing her, Roxanne made her way slowly into the lower grounds of their sanctuary towards the Great Hall. When the fever started to break out the government had collected the survivors and put them into camps. Nobody really knew what the first ones had been put through and nobody asked. She knew that Roan and Liam had been in one of the first camps and that Dominic had been stationed in one as well. After the end of the fever and their escape from the camps more and more survivors had joined them looking for protection when their own kind turned against them. Roxanne’s thoughts were interrupted when she arrived at the doors and could hear the laughter and talk die down as she