S c a r l e t
May 19

"Last night was just...weird." I said, leaning forward on the kitchen table and putting my head on my arms. "I'm exhausted." I complained. "I'm not going to lie, Harriet's behavior scared me."  I said, letting my eyes droop closed before blinking again. Man I felt so tired, and out of energy. This lack of sleep habit is starting to really get to me. I closed my eyes again, all I want is to not feel tired anymore.

I sat back up and looked across the table at Samantha when I noticed she still hasn't acknowledged my words. She pursed her lips, staring down at the table deep in thought.

I leaned back in my chair. "Sam." I called out to her. But still no response. I wonder what she's thinking about...It's probably the lack of sleep getting to her too.

"Samantha!" I said a little louder. It seemed to have gotten her attention because her eyes snapped up to look at me before she blinked.

"Yeah?"

I shook my head. She most likely didn't hear a word I had said. I don't blame her, it's almost twelve in the afternoon and the both of us were drained from energy. Even the kids were still asleep.

Harriet too, thankfully. It was hard to admit but after last night I didn't want to face her. I guess I'm just still shaken up, I can't seem to get that crazed look she wore from my mind.

She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry I spaced."

I sighed, holding my head with my hands.

"-But, I don't know what to say Scarlet. Harriet... I don't know, it's hard to think about what could be wrong with her other than the fact that she's going crazy." Samantha said.

I rubbed my eyes, yawning as I did before I looked back up at her. "You should have seen the way she looked at me Sam-" I looked back, making sure Harriet was nowhere around. "It was as if I wasn't looking at Harriet anymore. The look in her eyes was so...so... I don't know what's the word?"

Samantha shrugged, stirring the tea she had with a spoon. "Psychotic? Mental? Complete lunatic-"

I shook my head. "-Empty." I felt chills run down my spine and I sighed. "This literally happened out of nowhere, I thought she was getting better." I moved a curl of hair behind my ear. Everything was seeming to get better for her, after weeks of her being sick she was finally starting to look and act better and then bam, she's once again acting weird.

"Maybe we're looking at this all wrong." Sam suggested. "Maybe she really did see something, or someone."

The thought wasn't even an option. "No, she was definitely seeing stuff, she kept changing the story too many times. First it was a woman, then it was a man before she told me it was a little girl who laughed at her." I shook my head. "There's no way they weren't a figment of her imagination."

Samantha furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah...you're right. Well what should we do?" She asked.

I shrugged. "Whatever we can to help. Let's just keep a close eye on her for her safety, she wasn't only seeing stuff she was also being extremely paranoid." I noted. I wonder why she's acting so weird all of the sudden. Maybe it was the fevers?? But I thought you could only get seizers from high fevers? No...it was definitely something else, but what??? That's the real question.

"Ok, so we'll just keep a look out." She agreed. "I'm sure she'll start to feel better. Don't stress it." Sam added.

I smiled ignoring the gut feeling that Harriet was not going to turn out okay. "Yeah."

~*~

May 23

"So if you carry the one, how much does this and this equal." I asked, looking at the boys.

Alex and Samuel looked like they didn't understand a thing I had said, I sighed. Their puzzling looks were bothersome, considering I had finished explaining this for over an hour now.

And this is why I always said I never wanted to be a teacher.

"Come on guys, it's really not that hard! Okay-" I looked around the room before spotting a couple of books . "Come over here." I motioned, walking over to the books.

The boys stood up and lazily walked over to me. I grabbed two of the books.

"Let's say this is the one that I carry over." I held up one book. "And this is the other book that I add to it. How many books do I have in total?" I asked, holding the two books up.

Alex looked up at me. "2?" He answered hesitantly.

"Yes! Exactly!" I ruffled his hair before walking back over to the whiteboard.

Today was math day. It's something Sam and I have always done to keep the kids in their education. We had to split the subjects up, deciding who teaches what, and since math has always been my strongest suit, I was automatically assigned the subject.

I also teach the kids history, but history was yesterday. Samantha however took the subjects English and Science. Which I was happy about because those were always my least favorite.

Alize and Nya already know how to read a little bit, but Alex and Samuel were still learning. They picked up on it fast though, which was sort of a relief. Teaching them basic math however, was like a nightmare.

I taught Alize and Nya their lessons for the day already, we have a set time and everything. I'm telling you, these kids are lucky to have people who care about them. Otherwise I wouldn't spend so much time teaching them this stuff, but it's important that they stay educated. That's what I tell myself to stay motivated to teach them.

"So then what will be your total if you already have this number, and this and this equals two?" I looked back at the boys.

They seemed to ponder on the thought before Samuel jumped. "20!" Samuel answered with a cheesy smile.

I was beaming inside. You have no idea how much of a struggle it was to get these kids to understand this stuff. Thinking back to when the world was normal, I have no clue how teachers had the patience for this stuff. Not to mention they got paid minimum wage and had to put up with bratty kids that weren't even their blood relatives?! Honestly salute to them and I hope they're resting in peace because wow, I hate this shit.

But alas progress was finally starting to show.

"Scarlet breakfast is ready, kids go wash your hands." Samantha appeared at the doorway of the room and the boys wasted no time to run out, cheering in glee.

"How'd it go?" She asked as I cleaned the white board off. I rolled it over to the closet of the bedroom.

"Better. At first it was super stressful but I think the boys are finally starting to understand addition."

Samantha nodded. "That's good." She smiled.

I turned away from the closet, crossing my arms over my chest and narrowing my eyes at her. She's never interested on how the lessons go. In fact she hates teaching as much as I do, probably more.

"What do you want?" I asked suspiciously.

Samantha rolled her eyes, and acted hurt. "Wow, I can't ask you how the lesson went? Why is it SO hard to believe I care about my nephew's progress?" She questioned.

I shook my head and let put a small laugh. "For a second there, I almost believed you."

Samantha pursed her lips before shrugging. "Eh I tried-" she paused before throwing herself onto the bed. "Can you clean the horse's stalls today? I know it's my turn but I really don't feel like doing it." She complained.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh heck no. That's all you." I stated.

The thought of having to clean the stalls so soon again made me shutter. I love my horses, really I do, but they are not fun to pick up after if you know what I mean.

"Scaarrrleeetttt!" She drawled.

I shook my head, heading over to the door and going down the hallway to get to the kitchen.

"Nope, I already did my turn, no you do yours."

Samantha glared at me, before shaking her head. "Fine. But I'll remember this." She stated heading over to the front door.

I shrugged. "Remember it." I went over to the stove, grabbing a plate before getting some rice and eggs.

She glared at me. "Don't bother asking me for any favors either." She added, putting on her cleaning rubber boots.

"Uh huh." I half acknowledged, licking my lips at the food. I'm so hungry I haven't eaten at all today.

"You suck!" Then she was out the door, slamming it shut behind her.

"And you swallow." I mocked under my breath, grabbing my plate and taking a seat at the table.

"Swallow what?" Alex asked, his innocent eyes shinning at me.

I couldn't even answer the kid, instead I just fell into a fit of laughter.

~*~

Halfway through my breakfast, Alex and Samuel were out playing by the horses with Sammie. Those kids finished their food in the blink of an eye when they found out she was out with the horses.

  Alize and Nya were somewhere in the house. I wasn't too worried about them because I knew the girls were responsible and smart enough not to play with something they have no business playing with.

I was thinking about doing a supply run, for medical supplies. Specifically pain killers and antibiotics. We're running low on a lot of them considering I've given most of the to Harriet. I worry that we'll run out and she'll get even more ill.

But to do a supply run with her still sick is risky. It'll have to wait until she's better.

"Scarlet!"

I jumped in my seat at the sudden scream. What in the literal-

"Scarlet!" Alize screamed again, running into the kitchen wth Nya quick behind her.

I stood up, the panic tone in her voice putting me on high alert. "What?! What is it?" I asked worriedly.

Alize and Nya seemed out of breath but they pointed behind themselves. I looked up behind them to see Harriet walking to the front door with a rifle. I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Harriet?" I called after her, but she walked out of the house, not even sparing me a glance.

I looked at the girls, a bad feeling now emerging. "Take Adriel and go upstairs." I instructed, before going after Harriet.

I quickly placed my boots on, slamming the door close behind me. The crunching of my steps surrounded me as I ran to catch up with her. I noted that she was heading towards the barn, almost staking towards it.

Why was she going to the barn with a rifle?

"Harriet?!" I called out to her again, catching up and stopping in front of her.

She barely blinked at me before she stopped walking.

"Harriet what are you doing?" I asked, studying her rigid posture and the way she tightly gripped the rifle. She was a yellow pale and her face was slightly red, could be from the sun or a fever. Whatever the reason she didn't look too well, and she had the same distant look that had scared me half to death a few nights ago.

"There's a walker in the barn! Move child." She roughly pushed me aside, making me trip over my own feet and skid onto the ground. I winced when I felt a slight burn on my elbow and side. I looked down at my elbow to see that I had skid marks, but I pushed the slight pain away.

Harriet claimed that there's a walker somewhere in the land but I didn't hear or see any. Also how could she know she's been inside the whole time.

Sammie and the boys.

I quickly stood up, my heart pounding in my chest. If there are walkers that means that the boys and Sam were especially vulnerable. Sam was on cleanup duty today, so that means she's still in the barn. The boys must be with her.

On that thought I sprinted to the barn, having to hop over the fence and ignore the aching pain my side caused.

Harriet was already aiming at something in the barn and I could hear the faint sounds of laughing from the boys.

When I caught up to Harriet she was about ready to shoot her target.

"Boys get down!" I heard someone scream before I  immediately tied the voice to Samantha.

The sound of the gunshot going off made me temporarily deaf, but I looked inside the barn to see the boys on the ground with their hands covering their heads, shaking in their own skins. Samantha was on the ground too, but on her side as if she had jumped out of the way.

"I've never seen a walker move so quick before! Scarlet get out of here! I'll take care of it." Harriet stated, aiming again.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion, looking inside the barn but not seeing any walkers.

I looked to see who or what she was aiming at and my eyes widened, I quickly pushed the rifle up as she pulled the trigger. The bang didn't affect me as much this time, but Harriet lost her balance and fell back.

She looked up at me as if I had lost my mind.

"What are you doing?!" She yelled standing back up. "I have to kill the walker before it kills us!!"

I looked back at Sam, I saw her on the floor and she looked at me with wide eyes. The emotion was clear in her eyes, she was terrified. She was close to tears and I wasn't going to lie, seeing her scared made me just as frightened.

"That's not a walker Harriet!" I yelled back, my heart was running a million miles an hour as I approached her. I glanced down at the rifle before I looked back up at her. "Give me the rifle Harriet." I reached for it but she moved away from me.

She was breathing heavily, and she shook her head. "It'll kill us!" She was appalled with me, but I only looked at her like the madwoman she was becoming.

"You could have killed her!" I shouted back, my patience and tolerance running low.

I loved Harriet, I did. But my family always came first, always. And seeing her point a rifle at my sister was something I never wanted to see. Seeing her on the floor with my nephews terrified was something I never wanted to see again. Ever.

"I-I what?" She asked puzzled. She dropped the rifle, her eyes widening in horror.

I quickly picked the rifle off of the ground, turning the safety on before taking the clip out.

And just like that her whole demeanor changed.

"What's going on?" She asked. "Scarlet what happened?" Harriet questioned seeming truly confused.

She looked behind me, her eyebrows furrowing. "Why are they on the ground? What happened?!" She demanded.

I heard Samantha stand up and I looked back to see her grabbing the boys before they all ran out of the barn. Out of danger.

"Scarlet please, help me." Harriet's eyes glossed over with tears. "I feel like I'm losing my mind."