Prologue
Denise Franklyn rose out of bed early on Saturday, much to the disapproval of her husband, Elliott, who greeted her by pulling the free pillow over his face. Sighing with a smile, Denise ran her hand over the large bump on her stomach and looked out at the New Orleans sun. Despite being seven months pregnant, she still managed to spring out of bed full of energy and determination to tackle the day that was ahead of her.
After rousing her other two children, making breakfast washing some clothes and pulling her husband out of bed, she showered and grabbed her keys before driving her son to his basketball game where she cheered him on and brought him ice cream to console him after an unfortunate defeat. Upon returning home, making lunch and braiding her daughters' hair for the sleepover she was attending that night, Denise made a quick trip to pick up her husband's prescription and some extra vitamins to keep her immune system up. She didn't want to catch the virus that was going around. Arriving home for the third time, she made dinner and sat around the table with the family before the children went out, leaving Denise and her husband home alone.
Sitting next to Elliott in front of the television, Denise put her feet up on his lap and he began caressing them gently. Resting her head back, Denise smiled, appreciating her massage.
'You do far too much,' Elliott said over the news reports. Denise laughed, nodding her head slightly.
'Well I'm off work!' she cried. 'I need to do something to keep me busy.'
'You'd be doing this even if you were still at work,' Elliott chuckled.
'You're right,' Denise looked up at him. 'Tell you what! This will be my night off! I'll just sit here and enjoy your foot rub.' Elliott laughed and nodded.
'Deal,' he said, looking back to the news. The presenters were talking about the flu pandemic that was sweeping across the country. The death toll had already crossed into the triple figures and it was only a few days since the first reported case.
'They say this is worse than swine flu,' said Denise, looking slightly grim.
'Yeah well swine flu was nothing to worry about, was it?' Elliott said reassuringly. 'It'll blow over in a couple of weeks.'
'I don't want the kids to get sick,' Denise shook her head. 'I've been feeling a bit under the weather and I'd hate to give them something...'
'That's the baby talking,' Elliott squeezed her feet gently. 'Trust me, you'll be fine.' Denise sighed and rubbed her forehead. Smiling to herself, she looked over to Elliott.
'Thought of anymore names?' she asked. Elliott smiled.
'I thought we were going to wait until he's born.'
'So you're assuming it's going to be a boy?' Denise laughed. 'Or do you know something I don't?'
'It goes boy, girl, boy, girl, girl, boy, girl. In that order,' Elliott said sincerely.
'Bull,' Denise laughed. 'Absolute bull!'
'You know I'm right,' Elliott grinned. 'So don't bother trying to argue.'
'How are you right? I have four sisters and no brothers.'
'There's an explanation for that,' Elliott paused. 'Sex change.' Denise laughed and slapped him playfully before stopping and grabbing his arm, placing his hand on her bump. He looked up to her, smiling.
'He's kicking!' he grinned.
'Or she's kicking,' Denise winked.
'I'm so placing a bet!' Elliott said playfully. 'That's a little football player in there.' Denise put her hand over Elliott's and the two sat there, feeling their baby.
Denise suddenly lurched forward, squeezing Elliott's hand in pain.
'Oh God!' she cried.
'What is it?' Elliott asked, worried. Wincing in pain, Denise sat back, holding her hands on her stomach.
'Oh dear God!' she gasped, the air suddenly removed from her lungs. 'It hurts so much!'
'Are you going into labour?' Elliott cried. Denise grabbed his arm and stared at him.
'Take me to the hospital!' she screamed, spitting out some blood to Elliott's shock.
Driving through the streets as fast as he could, Elliott could only shoot glances over to Denise as she squirmed in the passenger's seat, holding onto her stomach. As the street lights flashed by, he was sure he could see her bump moving slightly.
Pulling into the hospital, Elliott helped his wife out of the car and left it unlocked as her took her inside. Almost immediately Denise found herself lying on a bed being wheeled through the cold, sterile corridors of the hospital. Above her doctors and nurses were talking hurriedly. Elliott was told to wait outside as the physicians began preparing her for something. The words "out of time" and "danger to the baby" fell onto her ears. She reached out and grabbed the sleeve of a nurse, pulling her close to her.
'Do whatever it takes to save my baby!' she whispered to her. Denise suddenly let out a loud scream of agony that could be heard out in the corridor. Elliott looked through the window and saw his wife squirming on the table as the doctors gathered around her trying to hold her down. The heart monitor began beeping rapidly as Denise squirmed. One of the doctors yelled that they needed to perform an emergency caesarean and began preparing Denise, not having time to anaesthetise her.
Taking his tools, the doctor prepared to make an incision but was halted when Denise's pelvis shot up with incredible force and screamed louder than she had done before. Blood poured from her mouth and the sound of tearing flesh came was heard. The heart monitor began flat lining.
'We need to get this baby out now!' one doctor cried.
'I'm not getting a heartbeat from the child!' someone yelled out. Elliott in the window looked away in horror. The sound of tearing flesh could be heard once more.
'What is that?' the doctor asked. Looking down he saw Denise's face. Her mouth was open wide and suddenly her head moved. Jumping back in shock, he looked on as her neck began to stretch before his very eyes, the mouth opening wide and the teeth suddenly looking sharper. Her open eyes no longer displayed signs of the pain she was suffering but still looked as though she was aware of what was going on. Her neck stretch to an abnormal length, blood still flowing from her mouth and the heart monitor still flat lining.
It suddenly kicked into life, showing that she had regained her heartbeat. Confused and disturbed by what they had seen, the medical team were keeping their distance. Suddenly, Denise sat up and jumped off the table.
In the corridor Elliott was sat down covering his face. He feared for the worst as he heard sudden screams of pain and terror come from the operating room. One of the nurses fell out of the room, her face covered by her hands. Elliott ran to her and she took her burning hands away, revealing an acidic substance on her skin that was dissolving her face before his very eyes. Still screaming in agony, the nurse writhed on the floor until she died. Standing up, Elliott looked through the window to the operating room and saw anarchy as people were lying on the ground, bleeding or burning from the same substance as the nurse. He saw one doctor try to run for the door but a large collection of acid spat from across the room, hitting his feet and knocking him down. Screaming, the doctor tried to crawl away as his legs burnt but was stopped by a dark figure. Elliott gasped in shock as he saw Denise spit a large mouthful of acid all over the man, who experienced unimaginable pain. She then turned to look at the window and saw Elliott. Stepping over to him, she stared through the window and put a hand on it. Mortified by the sight, Elliott stepped back as he saw the hideously deformed monster his wife had become. She suddenly let out a terrifying cry and spat more acid at the window. As the door separating him from her began to dissolve Elliott realised that what he had been fearing was far less horrifying than this...