Envy

"Hey Arthur, come here for a moment," Morris called softly.

Arthur looked over at Sophie, then said, "I'll be right back. Stay here, all right?"

She nodded. He stepped over to Morris.

"What's up, bro? Everything okay?" Arthur asked.

"Yeah… all good," Morris replied.

"Then why did you call me?"

Morris hesitated. "I just… I wanted to tell you something I've been feeling for a long time."

"What kind of feeling?"

Morris sighed. "Arthur, I've liked Sophie since first grade. I don't know why, but she never really talks to me…"

Arthur froze.

His mind spiraled: He's liked her since first grade? Damn.

He'd misread Morris's one-sided crush as a relationship — and had kept himself away from Sophie because of that.

Even though something inside him shattered, he forced a smile and said, "Okay… cool. Get some rest."

He turned and walked back to Sophie.

"What did that bastard say?" Sophie asked in a low, annoyed tone.

"Nothing much. You were saying something?"

Sophie paused. "I was thinking about what you said earlier… that you love me. Is that true?"

Arthur hesitated. "I don't know… I just said it in the heat of the moment. Don't take it seriously."

"You sure?" Sophie asked, her face now inches from his.

His body leaned toward her, just as hers leaned toward him.

They were about to kiss…

…but Arthur glanced at Morris' sleeping face, and stopped.

Instead, he gently hugged her.

"I'm sure," he whispered. "Now go sleep. You don't belong to me."

Sophie smiled faintly and walked away toward the cycles.

Arthur's smartwatch vibrated, waking him up.

It was 3:00 a.m. — time for his medicine.

Still half asleep, he noticed something.

A few of the bitten children were trembling violently… turning.

He crept over to Morris and whispered, "It's time."

Morris got up, grabbed a fire extinguisher, and — without hesitation — began killing the turning students.

Arthur joined him, their eyes blank, brutal, necessary.

By 8:56 a.m., the morning sun had begun to seep in.

Arthur sat by a cycle, bag packed.

Morris stood and called out, "Rise and shine, everyone. Time to move."

The students began packing up, still groggy, still haunted.

But then a voice echoed from behind:

"Someone's missing, guys…"