The following day after school Noah and I met at the library. After finding the creature in the woods, we decided to dig a little deeper. I still didn't have all my memories back but one. I knew that thing attacked me, I knew that changed me but I didn't know how I got back home again.

I sat in front of the library computer, researching as much as I could about Biotech. My eyes fluttered and my head drooped but I was still nowhere close to having an answer.

All I had so far was that Biotech was a big company doing medical research and specialized in biotechnologies. Not much in the way of saying, "Hey we make creatures that crave human flesh."

That told me that they had the capability to do something like this but I had nothing to support that claim. All I know for sure is that Dr. Benette worked for Biotech and was now a flesh-eating zombie as Noah so lovingly put it.

After last night, Noah shared his theory with me, saying I was also a zombie. I thought he was blowing the shit out of his ass.

Much to my surprise, Noah was loving this whole mystery thing. His excitement made me want to strangle him. If I really was a zombie then I'd say he was too peppy for me.

I pulled up google on the old computer and started typing in Dr. Benette's name alongside Biotech. One article, in particular, caught my attention.

Before I could open the link, Noah jumped next to me. I let out a startled yelp and narrowed my eyes at him.

"I think I found something," he said.

The excitement in his eyes didn't go unnoticed and for the hundredth time, I contemplated strangling him. 

I sighed, "Please tell me what you found, I really don't want to guess."

I rubbed my tired eyes, even my body felt depleted. We have been here over two hours but nothing really jumped out at me. To make matters worse, the hunger was back and it took my concentration with it. So that left me with one of two options, feed again or turn into a mindless corpse who turns people into an all you can eat buffet.

"Fine, but you're taking the fun out of it."

Rolling my eyes, I smacked Noah's forehead, "Focus."

"Ow, what was that for? Do you really need to get physically abusive?"

I laughed and he rubbed the spot between his eyes, not that I had actually hit him that hard but he was giving me puppy dog eyes anyway.

"Man up darling," I said in a horrible southern accent.

Noah and I both burst out laughing and it loosened some of the tension I had been feeling in my chest all day. My dream had changed, Dr. Benette wasn't the monster anymore, instead, it was me hurting the people I cared about. What if I turned into the thing that she was and I lost myself.

I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I hurt someone, I was already struggling to cope with what I had done last night.

Our laughs subsided and Noah shifted back to the computer and pointed to the screen.

"This is an article from 2004, about the town's businesses closing up," Noah turned the page, "This one is in 2005, Biotech bought most of the businesses in town, essentially saving the town from ruin."

I sucked in a breath, "Why would they buy most of the town?"

"Well, they have a facility on the town border, I'm guessing having the town there makes it convenient for them."

"How did you know about Biotech?" I asked, remembering that last night Noah had figured out the strange symbol on Dr. Benette's jacket.

"A lot of their deliveries are dropped off at the coroner's office, I remembered seeing it on the boxes."

That makes sense if they did have a facility far into the woods it wouldn't be easily accessed. Shifting my gaze back to the computer, I opened the article. We needed to find more information about the doctor.

I quickly read the article and sucked in a sharp breath, "Noah, you need to look at this."

Noah peeked over my shoulder and started reading.

'Dr. Elaine Benette disappeared on November 2004, she was a lead scientist working for Biotech at the time of her disappearance. Police suspected no foul play as all of Dr. Benette's personal effects were also gone. Dr. Benette's colleagues also admitted that she had been struggling to look after her younger brother Peter. Police later declared that Elaine had simply run away.'

"Okay, how much of a coincidence is that? Like maybe one in a million chance of that happening," Noah said.

I simply gazed at the computer, she had a brother who was probably missing her and looking for her.

"Hey, look for Peter Benette next."

I typed it into the computer and a few results popped up. One was a blog run by Peter Benette and I opened it. It was a bunch of stuff about how he believed Biotech had something to do with his sister's disappearance.

"We need to let him know," I said looking at Noah.

"Wait you want to tell him about his sister? Is your hunger making you crazy? We can't do that!"

I looked around the library, "Keep your voice down. If this was Lee, I would want him to know, he might even know something we don't"

He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, "Now is not the time to let your moral compass take over, Syd. Besides what do you even plan on telling him? Your sister tried to eat us so I smacked her head in with a rock? He'll call the cops."

I sighed, "You're right. Maybe don't say that. I still think we could use his help."

"And what would we tell him?"

"That we need his help to bring Biotech down. He has a grudge against them and I think that will be enough to get him here."

Noah ran his hands through his hair, "Fine, but if this backfires, which it will, I'm telling you, I told you so."

"Fine, whatever just get in touch with him already."

Noah quickly typed out the email and pressed send. I may have taken his sister's life but I was not the one responsible for what happened to her before.

I dropped my head into my hands, in a span of a few weeks my life had gone from perfect to a shit storm. Each of my emotions was clamoring to be recognized and I wasn't sure how long I could hold off.

Noah's eyes darted to me and his brows furrowed, "Are you okay?"

The short answer would be hell no. My life had turned upside down. I didn't recognize myself anymore. I had a clear cut future and a plan but now, it was like I was stuck in a dark room with no light switch.

I sighed, "Noah, what if I turn out like her?"

His head snapped up and he furrowed his brows together, "What if I turned into a teen president or worse, what if I turned evil and tried to rule the world?"

I gaped at Noah and my mouth fell open in shock. Did he finally lose it? Or maybe I had lost it and he was actually the normal one. I mentally snorted at the thought.

Noah caught my eye and smiled, "What I'm trying to say is that there are a lot of 'what if's'in the world. Don't dwell too much on it or you're going to drive yourself crazy. Let's just take this one step at a time."

I shut my mouth as unwanted tears sprang to my eyes. For the first time since this nightmare started, I didn't feel so alone. I ripped my gaze away from Noah before he could see the tears in my eyes. Most of our conversations ended with me embarrassing myself in front of him.  

"Come on, we need to something fun," he said pulling me out of my chair.

"But we still have to figure this out and..." my words trailed off as Noah tugged harder on my arm pulling me along.

I laughed and followed him out, it was a chilly day but the sun was shining. My unruly hair was in a tight bun, the wind had been heavy this morning and also I was too lazy.

We fell into step and eventually, we reached the park, a few children were running around and playing.

I sat down on a swing set and Noah plopped down next to me.

"So this was your idea of fun, the park?" I asked.

"Hey don't knock it till you try it," he took a deep breath, "I used to come here at night after my mom passed away, I would swing as high as I could, trying to reach the sky. I guess in my mind, I thought I was closer to her"

"Cancer, right?" I asked, but I already knew the answer.

When we were juniors in high school Noah's mom was diagnosed with cancer. Not long after that, she passed away. I remember feeling heartbroken for him, it's one of the few rumors of him that reached my ears.

Noah nodded, "You know after she died  I asked my dad to see her body. To me, it looked like she was sleeping. I could see the toll cancer had taken on her body but she still looked the same."

He took another deep breath as if he needed it to finish his words.  It also looked like he needed to get it off his chest so I remained silent and listened.

"After that, I saw her everywhere. I was convinced she was still alive. So convinced that I told my dad and one of my friends. My dad ended up sending me to a shrink and my friend told the whole school I could see ghosts. And that's how the dead boy rumors started."

"Is that why didn't know for sure if you saw me in the coroner's office that night?"

"Yeah, I thought I was hallucinating again. After you confronted me, I kind of wished it was all just a hallucination."

I narrowed my eyes at him only to find him smiling at me.

"Har, har you are so funny. So this friend of yours, do you guys still talk, I mean after..."

"No, and we probably never will. He's the last person I told anything about my mom," his brows knitted together, "and now you know too."

There was an unspoken request laced in his voice and I knew he wanted me to promise not to tell anyone. Not that I would ever share what he just told me even if I could. Noah held my secret so I would hold his.

"I won't say anything I promise."

Noah held out his pinky to me, I shook my head and laughed but hooked mine though his anyway. We were in this together now, whether we liked it or not.

I took a deep breath, this was the first time Noah had shared so much about his mother with me. He wasn't close to what I had thought weeks ago.

He wasn't a bad boy, he was just a boy who had lost a lot and people had judged him based on their misconception of him. I used to be one of those people.

"I wanted to bring you here to say thanks, for saving my life," he said taking my hand.

I felt a blush creep across my face as my words lodged in my throat. Unable to speak but still happy for this one bright moment, I caught Noah's eye and smiled.

The sun dipped beyond the horizon casting the empty playground in an orange glow. There was no need to say anything, our silence filled with unspoken words.

I didn't want to start processing what was happening between us, for the moment, this one fleeting moment I knew I was happy and maybe it was selfish to keep it to myself, but that's what Noah did to me I wanted to be selfish when it came to him.

Soon stars started to glitter in the black sky, the cool night air had started to pick up and was playing with the strands of my hair that had escaped confinement.

Noah's hand found mine in the silence and we enjoyed it together. And everything, for the moment, was calm inside me.