Chapter 4
The General hits the gas pedal and the jeep drives off between Insecto's legs. The car goes to its top speed with the giant butterfly close behind them. They turn a corner making Insecto crash into a building.
"I think we lost him," panted Link.
There was the sound of metal being bent; they look up to find an infected rip open the roof. They all scream while the woman screeches with her hair flying in the wind.
Monger hands Link a rifle, "Here, shoot it!" he shouted.
Link cocks it and aims it at the woman; he shoots with blood spattering everywhere.
"Oh God, sick!" Link complained covered in blood.
The rest of the roof flies off, Link takes position on top holding the gun out.
"Zombies at two o'clock," Link warned shooting down the pack starting to form.
Susan looks back and sees almost everyone she knew, her mom, her dad, her ex, her three old friends and Dr. Cockroach. She sits back down, uneasiness took over her determination.
Bob looked at her and puts his hand on her good shoulder, "We'll make it through," he smiled.
She smiles back ignoring the screeches and the gun going off. But her smile fell when she heard a horrid screech in the sky. She looks up to see Insecto flying above them.
Monger glances up then back at the rode, "Shoot it!" he yelled.
"What? I can't shoot Insecto!" Link fought back.
"Do it! Be a man and do it!"
Link aims the gun up to the insect. He puts pressure on the trigger but lets it go.
"I can't do it!" he cried.
"DO IT DAMN IT!" Monger yelled.
Link closed his eyes and shoots; Insecto falls and crashes into houses then lies dead. Link slumps down in the seat. Waterfalls ran down his cheek as he bows his head. Susan hugs him tight, closing her eyes too.
"It's okay Link," she whispered.
The soft voice of her soothes him but the scene replayed over and over in his head. Bob took the gun and takes Link's position.
"Get some! Ahhhhhhh!" Bob war cried as he shot numerous times at the hungry.
Susan lets go of Link and leans back in her chair. She took a glimpse out the window then back to the road. She spins her head back again to find Dr. Cockroach running at the same speed.
"BOB!" she yelled.
Bob looks over and aims at the doctor. The sick doctor screeches at the blob making him pause, he was about to kill his best friend. Even though he gets annoyed by Bob, he still understood Bob in some weird way. Bob aims at his leg and pulls the trigger. Dr. C instantly fell falling behind screeching at them.
Tears weld up in his eye, he never wanted to hurt his friend, but just shooting him and the people was too much.
"NO! NO MORE!" he cries. He drops the gun to Susan; covered in blood she drops it. Bob sat down and sobs.
"What in the hell is going on back there?" Monger looks into the review mirror.
Susan sees a tree right in the middle of the road, "General Monger!" she points to the street. Monger swerves out of the way but loses control of the car. The car drives closer to a ditch as they all prepared for the crash, by screaming.
Bob reacted fast enough and slipped out of the car and into the ditch. He catches the car in his goop before it rolled over. Susan looked at the back of the car and smiled. He waved at her and sets the car down on the street. Luckily, the infected were nowhere to be seen. He goes over to where Monger was getting out. Monger checks the back and sees a flat tire. Shaking his head he sighs, he looks back to see Susan and Link already got out.
"Well?" Susan spoke up.
"We gotta move on foot," he simply said and went to go get the stuff from the car.
"What?" Link protested, "Do you know how many people were out there? Hundreds maybe even thousands!"
"I know," Monger said and shoved a large gun to him.
Link takes it and curses silently taking the lead. Monger throws the backpack over his shoulder and follows. Susan takes Rusty out the car and puts him on the ground. He looks up at her with fear.
"It's okay boy, once we fix this, everything will be back to normal I promise," Susan said longing to believe herself. She, Bob and Rusty catch up with Link and Monger. Link's gaze focused on ahead while Monger looked side to side. Susan thought she heard a familiar laughter behind her but when she turned around nothing was there. Bob viewed the area with a frantic eye; the sky was green with fog covering the normal blue sky, the street and buildings were cracked with dead weeds coming out, and everything looked dull, not one color stood out, not even his own.
He shuddered, "When is this ever going to end?" he said to himself. They move to the sidewalk walking silently.
"Are we there yet?" Link asked looking back.
"Almost," Monger replied, "You see that tall hotel over there?" he points to a tall hotel.
Link looks to where he was pointing, "Yeah."
"That's the place."
They go inside, dust covered everything in plain sight; weeds grew along the walls and doors were off their hinges.
"Man, looks like chaos dropped by," Link said looking around.
"Yeah, I wonder what happened," Susan said not even thinking about what was going on.
"What do you think?" Monger said closing the door and going up with them. A moan was heard from Bob. They turn around to find him leaning over clutching his stomach.
"Bob?" Susan asked with apprehension. She drew closer to him.
"I don't feel so good," he moaned.
He closed his eye and grits his teeth. She puts a hand on his back but he slapped it off and opened his eye to shine a bright green ray of light. He cries out a gruesome screech. The door was knocked down to reveal Dr. Cockroach standing in the doorway growling.
Monger, Rusty and Susan back away with Link. Link stares blankly with his mouth wide open at the two starving monsters; he saw the weed glowing right inside Bob.
"Link the gun!" Susan yelled out.
Link took the gun he was holding and aimed at them. His arms shook making shooting impossible. He fires the gun, merely scratching them. Bob takes the gun from him and dissolves it in a second. Both blob and doctor yowl with craze and bolt right to them.
Horror stricken, the group runs up the stairs and down a hallway with all their speed, Link sees a loose pole sticking out of the wall and grabs it. He turns around and stops in his tracks.
Susan stopped and called out to him, "Link!" But Monger took her by the arm and ran into a room. Link braced himself at the two monsters coming forth.
He swings hard at his best friend, Dr. Cockroach. The doctor cries in pain on the ground, for a second Link felt sorry for him. But Bob's screeches snap him back to reality.
Link runs to the room and pounds rapidly, "Let me in! It's me Link Goddamn it!" he shouts. The door opens right before the Bob pounced onto him.
"Link oh my God, are you okay?" Susan asked going up to him.
Link panted breathlessly and nodded, "Yeah, I'm alright. What about you guys?" he looked at the small group.
"We're fine Link. You were either brave back there or just plain mad!" Monger exclaimed.
"What happened? All of a sudden Bob's infected?" Link asked bewildered.
Susan thought for a moment, then knew, "It's the ditch! Remember he saved us from crashing? The grass he stood on must have had those weeds. And now…" her voice trailed off looking at the door with heartache.
"This is the doctor's scent," Rusty said quietly from the bed. He has not made a word ever since.
Susan and Link looked a bit confused; Monger went to open one of the dressers; out he took of what looked light a laser gun.
"Good job Rusty," Monger praised patting Rusty's head. Rusty's ears twitched with pride and he cracked a small smile.
"Now, we have to find more of these. Search this room out clean; you have to have all the protection you need," Monger said taking the backpack off his back and emptying it.
Link went to the drawers and looked; Susan gazed at the General at what he just said.
"What do you mean "you"? Don't you mean "we"?" she asked.
"Yes, but I might not make it. I'm growing old Susan, my reflexes aren't what they used to be," he said taking what Link had found and stuffing it into the backpack.
"No don't say that," she breathed with her eyes starting to water.
"It's okay Susan; I'll be with you for most of the mission. But after that…all…all I can say is don't watch, you hear me?" he looked at her sympathetically.
"Monger, don't say such thing. Please," she sniffled. She goes over to him and wraps her arms around the General.
"It's okay sweetie, it's for the good of the world," Monger whispered and lets go of her.
A needle pierces through her heart when she heard the word "sweetie." She couldn't help thinking about the doctor again and how Bob, the lovable blob, was chasing her screeching such noises. And with the General saying he won't make it? It overloaded her and tears broke free.
She sits on the bed, putting her hands on her face. She feels soft fur brush against her arm, looking down she sees Rusty looking up to her. His eyes filled with worry and his ears lowered down. She hugs Rusty, finding comfort for a moment.
Then she heard screeches coming from out the window. She goes to it and carefully looks out, her eyes widen when she sees Dr. Cockroach and Bob eating out of a carcass. Blood stains the doctor's clothes as he ate the arm while Bob makes a mess ripping the limbs off.
Susan nearly gagged at what she saw, and turns around, wishing ever so badly she didn't look out the window. "What has happened to my friends?" she thought.
She looks at Link who was now searching in the closet. His expression was a mix of bravery and grief. She knew he was thinking about Insecto.
Link cringes at the memory of shooting his beloved winged insect. All he wanted to do was sob for the death of him, but he knew there was no time for that, and it would be pointless. But he would never forgive himself for what he did. Never.