Afflicted

“Get out there then,” Demi said.

“Just like that? You want me to go out there with the wolves unarmed?” Rose asked disbelievingly.

“I'll come with you,” I said. “And help distract them.” I wasn't sure what made me say it but it was my plan after all. If I wasn't willing to go through with it then how could I ask someone else to?”

“I'll come too,” Spencer said. “There's three seats in the front and we've got a better chance as a group. We can watch each other’s backs.”

“We should look through these boxes for anything you could use as a

weapon,” Lacey suggested.

“Okay.” I grabbed the nearest box and ripped it open to find a set of baby spoons and bowls. I quickly discarded it and grabbed the next as everyone else followed suit. The van was filled with the sounds of cardboard tearing and cursing as no one found anything useful.

“I've got a rolling pin,” Tara said excitedly. My heart sank a little at the thought of fighting off a wolf with a rolling pin but I flashed an encouraging smile anyway.

“That's great,” I said, ignoring the false tone to my voice. “Anyone else found anything useful?”

There was some mumbling about books and gardening gloves before everyone went back to opening boxes.

“Kitchen knives!” Jason said excitedly. I dropped my box and lifted my phone to get a look at them. As he pulled them loose of the box I realised that instead of the big chopping knives I'd been expecting, he was holding a set of small steak knives.

“I was kinda hoping for a meat cleaver,” Spencer joked as he held his hand out for the pack of knives. “But I guess these bad boys will have to do.”

I appreciated his show of bravado. If we pretended not to be afraid for long enough maybe we really wouldn't be. And if jumping out of a van to take on a load of wolves wasn't brave then I wasn't sure what was. Or maybe it wasn't brave, just stupid.

“There's some bottles of beer here,” Lacey said. “Maybe we could throw them out of the van to cause a distraction so you can run for it?”

“Can you just hurry up already?” Demi asked. “I'm getting sick of being crushed in this van.” She sank down to the floor and stopped opening boxes as she checked her cellphone.

Rose raised an eyebrow at me before turning to Demi. “If you wanna get out so bad then you could volunteer to run for the cab,” she said icily.

“You have to know your strengths - Kaitlyn and Spencer are faster than me and you're the only one who can drive so…” Demi went back to her cellphone while the rest of us made short work of the rest of the boxes. There wasn't anything else of much use so Spencer started to rip the plastic packaging off of the steak knives.

He let out a small chuckle as he pulled the first knife free and I raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. He handed it to me by way of explanation and I smiled as I looked at the novelty handle which was shaped like a dog.

“Well if I'm gunna be fighting wolves, I'd like to have a dog on my side,” I said.

“You might as well have two,” Spencer said, handing me another. “As we've got a set of six.” He gave Rose two more of the knives and kept the final pair for himself.

“Give me the rolling pin too,“ Rose said as she pocketed one of her knives. “I think I'd prefer having something I can swing.”

Tara handed it over with wide eyes and moved aside as the three of us shuffled towards the rear of the van. The dog-shaped handles dug into my palms as I gripped the knives like my life depended on them. Which it quite easily could.

“Last chance for someone to come up with a better plan,” Spencer said as he placed a hand on the door handle.

“Wait,” Ryan said, catching my wrist. “I'll go instead of you.”

A little voice in my head jumped for joy at the prospect of waiting in the van while Ryan faced the wolves in my place and I hesitated. But I didn't want to be rescued. And I sure as hell didn't want to feel responsible if something happened to him. No. I’d volunteered to go out there and that was what I was going to do. Backing out would just make me feel like a coward.

“It's my plan,” I said firmly. “So I'm going.”

“Kaitlyn-“ Reese began but I glared at him.

“Let’s just get this over with,” I said turning back to Spencer and Rose.

“You guys ready with those beers?” Spencer asked as he pushed the handle down.

“Ready,” Lacey agreed. Tommy and Jason had crowded in next to her with bottles of their own ready to throw. Everyone else moved back, getting out of the way.