We The Sickest: Contest Version 16 A Beast Named Hazel...

As such was the predicament of Hazel. She felt alone and afraid. She knew there were people out there, watching. She knew about the drones and the troops, but did nothing.

To her mind, they were harmless. They keep her company, in a way. If they were wise enough to wear proper protection and distance themselves from the turned, they lived. It was their own fault if they came without help and exposed themselves to her spores.

Sometimes, people who came never intended to leave there. They'd come as a way to escape the troubles life dealt them, only to be infected and suffer again. She'd cry for the few who did this. Then, she'd end their misfortune and off them. It hurt her too when that happened.

Today happened to be one of the days where Hazel world notice a group in hazmats. They came from the state every now and again. They'd come to do research or gather samples from the fallen, hoping for a cure or treatment. She let them be, so long as they left 'the sickest' alone.

Those were her people if someone messed with them, they messed with her. And that was unacceptable. No one was allowed to mess with her.

To be honest, she probably wanted a cure as much as they did. But what could she do? Hazel was certain they'd try to hurt her if she approached them, fearing the worst. So, she hoped silently, wishing for something to change, wishing for a way back to normal through them.

As the men in a bright yellow unloaded from the van, she noticed something strange. Among them was a boy. He was about the same age as her. He wasn't in a protective suit, not even was he in a mask.

"What kind of military brings a kid to a quarantine zone?!", Hazel muttered quietly, "They might as well have shot him. He's gonna get infected by me!"

Despite all her practice, Hazel could not control the spores that had left her body. It would be easier to control the weather then to do that. If she could even control the wind, it would be fine. But she couldn't do anything at all at this point. That boy was going to die.She wouldn't let him suffer, she decided. If he turned, she'd kill him right there.

Time went by, seconds and minutes. And to Hazel's surprise, he did not turn. The boy didn't show any signs of sickness from the spores at all.

"What's going on here?", she thought, "Is this some kind of joke? Did they finally find a cure for her and the sickest?"

She was shocked by this teenage nerd. She used the closest sickest to get even closer, not caring if it expired in a round of bullets. She soon was able to see the group more clearly.

Upon the mysterious boy's shirt was a name tag. And the words on it read 'Timothy Brown'. That was the boy's name.

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********* End of Chapter Sixteen **********

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