Afflicted

Kaitlyn

My eyes snapped open at the sound of someone screaming.

For a moment I floundered, unable to make sense of the musty staffroom around me. My brain struggled to keep up with me as I stood and squinted around the room in the bright light from the fluorescent bulbs above.

Tara was screaming and pointing at Eric who was laying face down on the floor and twitching uncontrollably.

I took a step towards him and Demi barrelled into me, nearly knocking me over. She had a hand slapped over her mouth and dashed away without apologising as she fled the room.

My attention was quickly pulled back to Eric as he started throwing up. I hurried over to him and pushed him from his front to his side. His eyes rolled back into his head and he started gagging as he threw up again.

“What's happening to him?” Chloe shouted in panic.

“I don't know, is he allergic to anything?” I asked as I pulled my cellphone from my pocket, hoping for service that wasn't there.

Eric started twitching. The movements got more and more violent until he started fully convulsing.

I scrambled back as he knocked into me, not sure if I should be trying to stop him or leave him until it finished.

A hand landed on my shoulder and I looked around to find Ryan pulling me back.

Eric thrashed violently once more before suddenly going still. His eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling and I felt my mouth drop open as I struggled for words.

Tara started screaming.

Chloe slapped her hands over her mouth in horror and I couldn't stop staring down at Eric.

Kristen pushed past me and opened his mouth, checking inside it before she started pressing on his chest again and again. I remembered vaguely that she had a Saturday job as a lifeguard at the local swimming pool.

Everyone crowded around her as she continued to try and revive him using CPR. The world seemed to condense into the point where her hands pumped on his chest, trying to force his lungs to start working again.

The minutes ticked by and she started crying as she slowe

d down. He didn't move, his eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling.

“Please,” Kristen muttered. “Just breathe.” She kept going until Ella stepped forward and pulled her away.

“He's gone,” Ella said quietly. “You did everything you could-“

Kristen let out a sob and fled from the room. Ella hurried after her and I wondered if I should follow too. But I knew nothing I could say would help.

Someone else started throwing up behind me and I turned, afraid to find another one of my friends dying from whatever had killed Eric.

“Jason?” I asked as I hurried over to him. He was doubled over, heaving up the contents of his stomach onto the floor.

“Demi’s puking too!” Spencer shouted from the cafe.

“Has anyone got any water?” I asked as I hovered beside Jason, unsure of how to help him.

“Here.” Lacey passed me a bottle of water and I unscrewed the lid as I held it out for Jason.

He took it from me, splashing half the contents onto the floor before he managed to raise his hand to his mouth. He rinsed his mouth out and spat before taking another swig to drink.

I moved out of his way as he stumbled past me and sank to the ground beside the wall, resting his head back against it with his eyes shut.

“Jason?” I whispered worriedly. He was trembling, clearly having trouble holding onto the bottle of water.

“I think I'm okay now,” he breathed.