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“Come on, dad...” she mumbled, voice thick and afraid. “Pick up.”
Alice, leaned against the blocked off door that lead to the hallway outside the choir room, plugged her ear. She held her phone up to the other, nervous. Her heart was pounding a mile a minute, and not even Deb could calm her down.
They had all seen the news. The people. The blood and that sickly blue stuff, viscous and gut-wrenching, scattered across the ground wherever they went. Something was horribly wrong— that much they realized. The choir room seemed to be the only place safe.
Alice’s first idea was to call her dad. He would know what to do. Mom was back in Clivesdale, and the ferries were down, so he was her only link. Back to safety. Back to sanity, to somewhere she could stand and not feel tired, and dizzy, and afraid.
No response. She groaned, voice peaking with anger as she pocketed her phone.
Deb stood from whereshe was sitting, eyebrows knitted in concern. “Babe?”
”We’re never getting out of here.” Alice’s breathe was panicked. Her knees bent, and she slid down against the wall from a standing position into a sitting one. “We’re doomed.”
”Hey— hey.” Deb said quietly. “Don’t say that. We’re gonna be alright. Don’t worry.”
Her eyes began to well up with tears, and Alice sniffed, rubbing at her nose with her sweater sleeve. “No, we aren’t, Deb!” Her voice cracked into a squeal. “These— these things are going to kill us!”
”Alice, don’t you dare say that.” Her fingers squeezed on her girlfriend’s shoulder. “It’s going to be alright.”
A shaky sigh came from Alice. Her hands were twitchy.
Deb stood. “I’m going to go look for help.”
Alice’s head shot up. “No! Deb, you can’t go do that.”
”I have to! We’re going to be safe, but not if we board ourself up in a room. We’re cornering ourselves.”
”If we leave, we’ll turn into one of them!”
Deb planted her hands on her girlfriend’s cheeks. “Alice.” She said, voice low. “Listen to me. I’ll be alright. You’ll be alright. Well both be alright... alright?”
A tear dropped from Alice’s eye onto Deb’s hand. She wiped it away with her thumb. With another sigh, Alice nodded her head.
”Okay.” She mumbled.
Deb nodded back. “I’ll be back with help. Wait here.”
Deb returned, and the relief Alice felt was nearly crippling.
”Deb!” Alice exclaimed, out of breath. She was holed up behind a wall of desks they had set up. Revealing herself from her hiding space and opened the door for her.
Her phone was still in her hand, her father’s number on the screen. He wasn’t picking up again. The dial tone and the sound of Alice’s feet on the linoleum floor were the only sounds in the room.
Deb had a large smile on her face. Bigger than natural.
”Alice!” She exclaimed, and threw her hands around her girlfriend. Alice returned the hug.
”I’m so glad you’re okay— were you able to find anyone?” She pulled away.
”Yes, Alice.” She grinned. “I did.”
”Oh, thank god— who? Where are they?”
Her questions seemed to fall on deaf ears. Deb didn’t answer.
Then, she started humming a little tune.
”We’re saved, Al.” Deb bounced on her toes, and did a little kick. Spinning past her, the tune turned into a song. “They’ve come because we’ve been missed: they’re here to deliver—“
She swept in front of Alice, bringing her face close to hers.
”Our apotheosis.”
Alice squinted, then backed away slightly. “Deb?” She asked. “What’s going on?”
”Kiss me, Alice.” She said suddenly, taking the others face in her hands. “Let’s celebrate.”
”Deb— this isn’t like you.” Her voice peaked with fear, trying to squirm from her grasp.
”Join me, Alice.” She said against her lips.
It wasn’t until the goo was in Alice’s mouth she knew something was wrong.
The blue, alien hoop expelled from Deb, as if she were vomiting, and it flooded Alice’s forced-open mouth. It tasted disgusting, and then— it didn’t taste like anything anymore. Suddenly, she knew. She knew so much, more than she ever though she would know.
Finally, the drone of the dial tone stopped. Her father’s voice came from the receiver. “Alice?” She heard him, tinny.
Alice rose the phone to her ear, not of her own volition. As if she were merely a passenger, and something else was controlling her body.