Free Deathly Contagious by Emily Goodwin

called him ‘dad’ while Beau and his brother Delmont called him uncle and Casey called Sue Ellen his aunt. I couldn’t wrap my brain around their messed up family tree.
    But what really confused me was how Olivia fit into this. She seemed on the verge of tears again. When she lifted her fork to her mouth, I could see a bruise that looked very much like a handprint on the inside of her arm. She also had a thin, short dress on. Like mine, her hideous dress made its heyday ten years ago and was incredible impractical not only for the zombie apocalypse but also for the winter.
    As soon as dinner was over she sprung up and started cleaning. Delmont came around and placed his hands on my chair, scooted it out and extended a hand. Not taking it, I pushed myself up. A twinge of rage showed on his face.
    “Orissa,” he said.
    “What?”
    “Come with me.”
    “Why?”
    “Let’s talk. We should get to know each other.”
    The red flag went up at the same time the nausea came back. I closed my eyes and ignored the spinning sensation. Delmont put his hand on my arm. If I wasn’t so dizzy, I would have jerked away. He pulled me forward and I stumbled, my reactions paralyzed. He caught me and held me close to him, crushing my breasts against his body. Like Beau, he reeked.
    “She’s still sick,” Olivia’s quiet voice came from behind me.
    “No she’s not,” Delmont argued. How the hell would he know? This was the first time we’d met.
    “Orissa,” Olivia pressed. “You don’t feel well, do you?” It was more of a statement than a question.
    “I feel like shit,” I said quickly, going with my gut and trusting her.
    “Fine,” Delmont spat. “Rest up.”
    “I’ll take her to bed,” Olivia offered.
    “No!” Bart interjected. “Jaylyn will.”
    I purposely faltered in my gait as I exited the dining room. Jaylyn waited until I was under the covers before she left, closing the door behind her. I waited a minute to make sure she had made it down the hall before I got up and flicked on the bedside lamp.
    Slowly, I opened the dresser drawers. There was nothing in them. I threw open the closet door: nothing. Ok, maybe that wasn’t entirely odd. I looked under the bed and in the cabinets in the bathroom and didn’t find anything either. I sat on the bed, shivering.
    Dammit, I was still sick. I stood, trying to shake the horrible feeling that stabbed me in the gut. Something wasn’t right about this situation. Deciding I needed to get to the bottom of it, I put my hand on the door, set on finding Olivia. But I couldn’t leave.
    The door was locked.
     

 
    Chapter 4
     
    I might have slightly panicked. I was locked in. I madly jiggled the handle, hoping that it was just sticking. I abruptly stopped, not wanting anyone to know I knew I was locked in. What the fuck?  Why did they lock me in? I strode to the window, my anxiety making the dizziness worsen. I pulled the ugly brown curtains back; it was a clear two story drop.
    Son of a bitch.
    I sat back on the bed, thinking. Whatever they were planning, they picked the wrong girl to mess with. I wanted out, and I had no doubt in myself on getting out. Just not while I was still sick. Feeling horribly defeated, I got under the covers. I needed rest, I told myself, in order to get better and get the hell out of here. I thought of my friends back at the compound. It killed me to think of what Raeya must be going through right now.
    I closed my eyes, forcing myself to attempt to sleep. And then I heard it; the obvious sounds of someone having sex. Though only one person was enjoying it. Her cries were muffled but I could still hear them. My blood ran cold.
    For the first time in a very long time, I felt helpless. My heart pounded in my chest as I laid in shock, too horrified to sleep. My brain lost the not sleeping battle as fatigue took over. The next day repeated the same nightmare. Olivia woke me up—wearing another short dress, the bruise on her thigh was