Episode Eleven Prepping

S hanna

For long minutes, I try to pull it together, but sometimes emotions just get the better of you. Considering what's going on, I deserve to lose my shit. At least for a moment.

After we listen to a repeat of the broadcast, I take care of business. Locking all emotions down tight, I move to the kitchen.

"I assume the electricity will go out soon," I tell Chaska. "I've seen enough post-apocalyptic movies to have an idea of what's going to happen next. Can you go to the basement and grab all our coolers? I'll start making batches of ice."

I grab every container we have and fill them with water so we'll have something to drink if the water goes out. After Chass returns with four coolers of various sizes, I ask him to fill the bathtubs and then see if poor Ro can tell him where the other gun is.

I fill four go-bags, one for each of us, in case we have to leave in a hurry. In addition to clothes, I throw in a first aid kit, grab the lighters we keep near our candles, and the combination crank radio plus flashlight I stowed in the back of our closet.

Our cars are parked on the street. I vaguely wonder if they're still there, and if they are, how we'll get from the door to the cars.

When Chass returns, second pistol in hand, I say, "I think it's time to peek out the front window."

"I'll do it," he says, straightening his shoulders.

"We'll do it together," I insist.

We turn off the lights, open the drapes, move the chair and side table away from under the picture window, then crouch, our eyes just higher than the windowsill. Slowly, we lift the blinds maybe an inch. It's dark outside, but the streetlights are still functioning.

From the sounds of things, it was sheer mayhem out there earlier. Now, though, the street on our little Columbia, North Carolina suburb is quiet.

"I wonder what that is." I don't point, but the mound of gray flesh in the middle of our street is so humongous I'm sure Chass knows what I'm talking about.

"E-elephant?" he rasps, then swallows.

"Yeah. That was my guess."

The lawn across the way has two mounds, both brown. The two brothers who own the home must have gone to the same administration facility. Looks like they both turned into the same animal. Perhaps that's how the sorting was done. The luck of the draw as to which injection center you went to.

I don't know what was capable of killing both of them, but damn, there's so much blood it shimmers almost black in the dim light.

I scoot closer to Chass and set my palm on his thigh. He'd hold my hand if he wasn't clutching a gun in each of his.

"Think we're safe?" he asks.

"No idea. Looks like we're safe in the short term, but who knows what new level of hell is waiting for us?"

As if my words attracted the wrath of the gods themselves, he throws himself backward, hitting the floor so hard the guns fall out of his grip.

"Shan? You two okay?" Alex asks. As a wolf, he's the best equipped of all of us to emerge from this shitshow alive, but he's worried about us. Out of anything that's happened today, that's the most reassuring thing I've heard.

"Maybe Chass didn't escape the change," I say as I watch in horror.

I'm not too consumed with the freak show to forget my own safety. I ease nearer and grab both guns, then run to hide them in the oven. Who knows what's happening? I know one thing: I don't want him to have access to guns right now.

I wasn't around to see Alex or Ro experience their changes. It's a good thing. Watching Chass go through this is excruciating. His muscles are writhing under his skin and he's moaning in pain. His back arches so brutally, it's a wonder he doesn't crack in two. Then he doubles over, grunting in agony.

His burnished brown skin changes color before my eyes, becoming shimmering blues and greens with some purple tinges. Almost like scales. When something wriggles under the back of his shirt, I have to stifle a quiet shriek. The last thing he needs is to worry about me while he goes through this painful metamorphosis.

"I'm here, Chaska. I'm here with you. Alex made it through the change. Roman did. You're going to make it through, too."

I should have tried to pull his jeans off, but I'm too late. A tail bursts through the tough fabric, then thrashes on the floor.

"Do you…" he asks through sharp teeth, "have a gun?"

"No."

"Get it. Hide in the bedroom."

"I'm hanging in here with you," I reassure him.

His eyes are purple, otherworldly, as he snaps, "Get. Out. Before I hurt you."

Another Shanna, from another time, like two hours ago, would have argued with him, reassured him, demanded to stay to make this easier on him. Now? I don't doubt his warning.

I detour to the kitchen, pull both guns out of the oven, then hightail it into our bedroom and barricade myself behind the door.

I ease onto the foot of the bed, too focused on the door to even glance at my two other mates.

"What is it?" Ro asks, his tone terrified.

"Don't worry," I try to reassure him. I don't give him a glance for two reasons. One is I don't want to tear my gaze from the door. The other is, if he's even more rabbit-like than he was the last time I saw him, I think I'll lose my fucking mind.

"Tell us," Alex demands. His voice is so gravelly and harsh he must notice how frightening he sounds, so he adds, "Please."

"Chaska's turned into a dragon."