Fic title is from "Love And Hatred" by The Crüxshadows. Same song I used in the first chapter of 'Familiarity.'

Be prepared for song lyrics. They're italicized and set a bit apart from the rest of the story. A list of songs used will be at the bottom of the story.

LEGEND:

oOo – Time Skip

"This is where the last control is lost - your synapses overload, but you'll never fall."
- Faderhead: Burning/Dancing

So, I'd heard about the Green Flu, but I never really figured it'd make it down to Savannah, and besides, it was the flu, right? Feel like shit for a couple of days to a week and then you're good to go again, right? As long as no one who was sick got around my son, Matty – he's not even a year old, he doesn't need to be exposed to something as rough as the flu – I was set to go. It didn't phase me.

I probably should have paid more attention to the news.

"Cris, baby?" My wife, Adele, called me from downstairs. "Can you come here for a minute?" I shut my laptop, then went down to the kitchen. "Yeah, Addy? What do you need?"
She turned from the sink to wrap me in a loose hug and tuck her head under my chin. "Mm. Matty needs more baby wipes. You were supposed to remind me to buy them when we went grocery shopping yesterday, remember?" She said with a mock-accusing tone and I laughed. "Sorry, sorry." I said, raising my hands in surrender. "I'll head up to the store, just let me get my shoes."

oOo

There are two things on this planet that I spent way too much money on: my laptop, a brand new, custom-built Alienware MX18, and my car, an avocado green Mustang GT with thick black racing stripes down the sides and illegal blackout tint that Addy was still irked with me about.
I'd probably still be paying on the laptop long after I got the Mustang paid off.
Get in, buckle up. Light a cigarette, start the thing. Crack the window. Jack my iPod into the radio. Crank the music way the fuck up. All routine.

Lunatic poltergeist in the form of a child – we are all the same, the monster in human is... inhumane.

I smiled, took a drag off of my cigarette. The one thing Addy and I couldn't agree on was my music. I loved loud, violent, warped music. Preferably industrial, grunge or metal. The only time I got to listen to my music, however, was either when I was alone in my car or out with my friends doing Parkour.
Ah, Parkour. Such fun – and responsible for every broken bone I had ever had. Recently, I had won a competition up in Atlanta, which is where I got the bright idea to get a laptop that cost more than your average used car.
I was jerked out of my musings when I came to the main part of town. What the fuck was all of this? Cars were stopped in crazy places at crazier angles and people were running everywhere. I frowned at them, thinking I saw a few bloodied faces and bodies. People were going crazy over this Green Flu shit – stocking up like it was Y2K all over again, and apparently beating the shit out of each other for stupid things.

Call the doctors, call the gods. You can't call anyone to save me now.

I swerved to avoid a group of people milling around in the middle of the road, "Fuck, man, the hell is with these people?" I muttered to myself, hitting the brakes to avoid a woman running across the street in what looked like a tank top and her underwear. I had to stare for a second, it was just something you never saw, even in a place as fucked up and crazy as Savannah. Something was wrong with her hands, but she was gone before I could really see what exactly it was.
"Fuck it." I shook my head and pulled an illegal u-turn. There was a shabby little Kroger on the east side of town, it would take me a few minutes to get there, but it looked like everything up and down Mall Boulevard was overrun with people. I sighed, then turned down the music, pulling out my cell phone in the same movement.
"Hey, Addy."
Hey, babe, what's wrong? You sound upset.
"Fucking place is crawling with people. I'm gonna head across town to that Kroger, so it'll take me a bit to get back to the house, okay?"
Alright. That's fine. Just be careful, baby. Apparently people are going insane.
"Just wonderful. Okay, I'll talk to you later. I can't talk and not hit people at the same time. Love you."
Love you too, babe. Be careful.

I hit the end call button and tossed my phone into the passenger seat, shifting gears and taking off for the East side. I turned my music back up, too. I was too frustrated with the situation to suffer it in silence.

The darkest hour never comes in the night. You can sleep with a gun, but when are you gonna wake up and fight for yourself?

I lit up another cigarette, staring at the chaos around me. People everywhere. There was even a wreck that no police had shown up at, which surprised me, considering that it was an overturned ambulance. I had to maneuver around that one carefully, it took up over half the road.

Thirty minutes later, I pulled into the parking lot of the Kroger, shut off my car and climbed out. It still seemed relatively peaceful here, thankfully. The 'beep' of my car locking made me jump, and I laughed at myself, shaking my head as I walked in. The way people were acting had me freaking out.
Getting Matty's baby wipes was relatively simple and painless – the place was practically deserted, everyone going for the larger stores downtown. Of course, when those stores ran out... I grabbed another couple of boxes and headed to the checkout, running a mental checklist on everything we had in the house, food- and necessity-wise. We were good for another week or two.
I smiled at the tired looking woman behind the counter, "I'd watch out," I said, "You're going to have a huge crowd in a couple of hours – shit's gonna run out at the other stores." She grunted as she rang up the wipes. "Just what I need. I need to get back to my grandbabies, and CEDA was on the radio this morning telling everyone to stay at home, but would my boss listen? No."
I blinked, "CEDA? Really? It's that bad?" I asked, and she nodded, "Apparently its not the flu so much as it is some mutant rabies or something. I don't know, I just know my shift's over in ten minutes and then I'm getting out of here. Get home, boy. Its not a good day to be outside." She said, handing my change. I thanked her for both the change and the advice and headed outside.

I had just gotten back to my car when the woman came out of nowhere. I was clicking the button to unlock it and then she just slammed into me, howling like she'd lost her fucking mind – which, she had. I dropped the bag and the keys, trying to get ahold of her wrists to pry her off of me. She was a little thing, but those fists hurt. "Fucking Christ, woman, what the fuck?" I yelled, shoving her back, but not fast enough: her head snapped to the side and she sunk her teeth into my forearm. I don't think I've ever felt pain like that. "Fuck!" I screamed, then shoved her back with all of my strength, she staggered back and fell, and while she was crawling back to her feet, I snatched up the bag and the keys and dove in the car, slamming and locking the door.
I cradled my arm to my chest, rocking back and forth, god damn that hurt. She slammed into the door of the car, leaving a smear of blood across my window. "Oh, not the car, you crazy bitch." I seethed, jamming the key into the ignition and flooring it out of the parking lot.
My vision tilted crazily for a second and I had to hit the brakes before I hit a stop sign, squeezing my eyes shut and shaking my head. What the fuck was this?

Critical mass I pray, contagion of the feeble mind. Critical mass I pray, contamination deified.

I made a frustrated growling noise at the music and turned the volume all the way down. I needed to get home. I needed to get home now.

oOo

I finally pulled into the driveway about an hour later than I wanted to – I really wasn't fit to drive, my vision kept doing odd things and I had had to pull over and empty my stomach at least three times. I felt like Hell. And the oddest thing had happened – I'd found myself terrified of the car if it was going faster than twenty miles an hour, which made no sense. I had had more speeding tickets than I cared to count. I loved that fucking thing... and yet I found myself shaking like a leaf at the prospect of being in the car.
I sat there with my head on the steering wheel for a few minutes before I worked up the strength to go inside.

I eventually made it through the door and into the kitchen, dropping the Kroger bag on the table before staggering to the sink, barely able to hold myself upright. "Addy!" I called, then promptly went into a coughing fit. Wet, nasty, shit-in-your-lungs coughing. Just. Fucking. Wonderful.
"Yes, Cri- holy God, what's wrong with you?" Her hands were on my shoulders, pulling me away from the sink so that she could look me in the eye. "You're as pale as paper, and," She pressed her hand to my forehead, "Burning up. What happened? Oh, Jesus, you're bleeding – what the Hell, that's a bite!" She'd found my arm. She was talking so fast that it was making my head hurt. "Addy, I need to go lay down. Please keep Matty away from me. I don't want him getting this – some crazy bitch attacked me in the Kroger parking lot and bit me. I think she gave me that goddamn flu." I said, pushing away from the counter and staggering to the doorway, having to cling on to the door frame as the room tilted sideways on me. "Shit!" Addy ran to catch me before I slid down the wall. "Do you want me to get you anything?" I shook my head, "Are you sure, babe?" She asked. I nodded, "Just let me get upstairs and lay down. I don't want to get you or Matthew sick. I... Might need help up there, though."
She nodded, then slid her arm under mine, letting me lean on her, though I was really trying not to – I was so much taller than her, and I weighed more, and I didn't want to hurt her. The short distance up the stairs seemed to take forever, and I felt so sick.

She eventually got me laid down on the bed, dropping a kiss on my forehead before she left the room and shut the door.

oOo

I must have fallen asleep, because next thing I knew, I was cracking my eyes open and all but screaming. It felt like my clothes were strangling me, and I was so hot. I felt like I'd been laying out in the sun for hours, nausea and extremely sensitive skin and all. I flailed around for a few minutes, all but tearing the offending garments off before rolling off the bed in an ungraceful heap. I wanted to get to the bathroom. I needed water. As soon as I gained my feet, however, my entire body cramped up – especially my legs and arms. I made a strangled pain-noise, plopping down in the middle of the floor and hunching over my legs. Jesus fucking Christ that – I cut off mid-thought. My legs were not supposed to be doing that. The muscles seemed to be rearranging themselves under my skin and I wound up twisting around and biting into the mattress to keep myself from screaming. I arched and groaned as the muscles in my back started writhing under my skin. I had to – door, it needed locked. Addy did not need to be around me. Just a little further. There. Safe now. Fuck.
My legs looked different. I couldn't really stand upright. I had to crawl. Oh God, I hurt.
My stomach twisted and I dragged myself for the bathroom as fast as I could. I barely made it before I threw up, and it was black, which scared the Hell out of me, but I didn't really start panicking until I noticed something white gleaming on the surface. I poked my tongue along my teeth, then moaned. There was an empty spot. What the fuck was going on?
I raised my hand and felt my teeth that way, making an unintelligible noise of horror as three more teeth fell into my palm. I dragged myself upright, staring in the mirror at where my teeth used to be. I moaned, curling up over the sink as the rest of my teeth slowly came loose. It felt like someone was taking a hammer to my jaw.
I had to keep quiet. I didn't want Addy being around this. Oh god, if she got sick like this, I didn't know what I'd do. Keep quiet.
I think I was in shock.

My hands were burning. Especially my fingertips. I whimpered as the bones made a sick, wet cracking noise. My fingernails are bleeding. Oh, dear god. "What the Hell?" I moaned to myself, then screamed as the ends of my fingers tore open, fingernails and fingertips obliterated by... something. I couldn't see through the pain, and it didn't help that my eyes started itching and watering. I couldn't see and they were so very, very itchy. So itchy that it wiped out any other pain I was feeling. I just... Oh god, it itched. Scratch, claw. Make it stop.
Odd popping sensation, realize with abject horror that I'd clawed my own eye out. Oh god, oh god. The other eye is still so fucking itchy. Don't touch!
I wound up sitting on my hands and rocking back and forth, whimpering, waiting for the burning in my remaining eye to die down.
Addy's beating on the door. I forced myself to tell her I was all right. I don't know how well that came out. Can't talk. My teeth are gone.
Another searing pain went down my spine and I collapsed, unconscious, on the floor.

oOo

Wake up. Wake up. Wakeupwakeupwakeup! Something's wrong! Cold. So cold. Feel exposed. Need... Clothes. Something to cover my face. Closet! There. Something wrong with my hands, with my feet. Look down, there's claws where my fingertips and toe-tips used to be. That's not right... but it feels right. It feels like I've had those forever.
Oh, God, my teeth. Poke around with my tongue. Mouth full of razors. What's wrong with my teeth?
Nothing wrong. Teeth good for hunting. Sharpteeth, deadprey, fast.
Shake my head. I can't think. Just fractured words and images. Something's wrong. Struggle into jeans, t-shirt, socks, boots. Oh, there's my hoodie. Put it on. Zip it. Pull the hood over my face. Still not covered enough. Wool pea coat. Put that on over the hoodie. Much better. Hide my eye. Eyes. I can still see out of both, but one's hazy and red. Thermal vision? I don't know. Feels normal, though.
Room is so claustrophobic. I need to get out. Barrier! Door! Throw myself against it. That didn't work. How do I get out? Doorknob. Twist. Step out into the hallway, automatically dropping into a crouch. More comfortable this way.
Addy's coming up the stairs. Pretty, pretty woman. Love. Fearsmell. Intoxicating.
"Cris, what are you doing? It's the middle of the summer. Why are you dressed in all of that?" She took a step back, hand on the railing. "Cris, baby, are you okay? Answer me, please."
Open my mouth to talk, can't get the words out. Growl. Fearsmell – foodsmell is stronger. Crawl forward. She's halfway down the stairs. Not going to hurt her. Not... oh, food. I smell food.
Living room now. Prettything is so scared. Smells so good.
"Cris, what the hell happened to you? Oh, dear God – what happened to your eye?" She's backed up against the couch now. Cornered. Foodsmell radiating off of her. So hungry. "Cristan? What's wrong with you? Cristan, talk to me. What happened to your eye? Why is there blood on your mouth? Why are you acting like this?"
Fearsmell, foodsmell degenerates into panicsmell.
So hungry. Pretty one's making soft panic noises – talking? What is talking? Food. Need food.
Prettywoman, weakprey, easyprey. Scream. Pounce.

"What are you doing? No, no, what are you – NO! Stop! Please-"

Easyprey. Feed now. Hurry, hurryhurry. So hungry. Feedfeedfeed.
Got to get out. Runrunrun. Too close. Need outside. Now.
Up, up up up. To the roof. Challengescream. No replyscreams. Safe.
Hunt.
Hunthunthunt now. Go!

"Lunatic poltergeist in the form of a child – we are all the same, the monster in human is... inhumane."
Angelspit - Sleep Now
([2009] Hideous And Perfect)

"Call the doctors, call the gods. You can't call anyone to save me now."
Aesthetic Perfection - Living The Wasted Life
([2008] A Violent Emotion)

"The darkest hour never comes in the night. You can sleep with a gun, but when are you gonna wake up and fight for yourself?"
Shinedown - Sound Of Madness
([2008] The Sound Of Madness)
(Kind of a nod to another really good L4D fic that has the same name as the song.)

"Critical mass I pray, contagion of the feeble mind. Critical mass I pray, contamination deified."
Psyclon Nine - Clinik
([2003] Divine Infekt)
('Deified' as in 'deity', not 'defy'. Just sayin', its a word that used to confuse the hell out of me.)