Species the Unknown Strain
Chapter IX
The entire building had been quarantined when an entire team of extraterrestrial trackers arrived in their vehicles. Pulling his vehicle into park did Press take off a pair of sunglasses looking utterly annoyed beyond belief, "Unreal. It's just unfucking real." He sounded beyond irritated looking over to see his partner's face trying desperately to piece together that they hadn't ever seen, or imagined from their time studying a creature not of this world. Red and blue sirens were flashing silently yet officers had been taking statements from eyewitnesses.
"Dennis your kid picking up?" The gruff agent finally relented to look over to see an astronaut looking genuinely distraught and grim, "Not a damned beep. Only thing we heard was what I heard, oh god." Press wanted to roll both eyes when it came down to that punk of a teenager yet for what it was worth they needed information immediately to track down another damned alien. Pinching the bridge of his own nose to ward off an coming headache did he decide upon a course of action, "Alright let's see if our boys in blue caught anything besides donuts and coffee, we stick around for a bit before planning our next move, alright?"
Both people nodded mutely as he gave an order for federal agents to start taking over an active scene where it'd been a literal slaughter. Stepping out did the man adjust his coat accordingly, "Just my fucking luck. Simple kill and track turns into another fucking mess, I should have stayed back at school and gotten paid." He grumbled while waving forward armed federal agents who began to proceed taking over command and authorization from local police forces, it seemed many were shaken up by the sheer brutal gore within said building and Press had a hunch it wasn't going to be some pretty rose garden.
"This makes no sense." Laura moved to walk alongside her partner who gave a raised eyebrow, "Eve was never so aggressive, or reckless to act against people. We theorized since she'd made contact with a male of her kind she'd be seeking Ross out for purer offspring, Press I don't want to admit it but..." She pursued her lips clearly uncomfortable in admitting a rarity called truth, "...I'm lost here, I'm actually beyond puzzled to assume what caused her to act like this!" That honesty caused him to chuckle quite openly in seeing some humility hit the woman finally, it only took several damned years and enough bodies to sink a boat though.
He gave off a sardonic smirk, "You're confused? Shit, I'll sit down for this one and talk to a shrink I'd been recommended to see after I've been through." The smaller woman gave an irritated glare followed by her slapping him lightly, "This is not the damned time Press! If we don't establish a pattern, or some kind of logical deduction to figure out what Eve's going to do next, we'll be up to our necks in blood and shit you'd never dare to imagine with what Sil was doing years ago!" No mere exaggerations were needed to showcase how distraught and utterly blinded side a supposed expert on alien behavior could be felt by witnessing it alone.
"Yeesh!" The man relented by lifting up a caution tape somewhat civilly, "Man can't make fun of a woman who suffered some humility for once? Jesus, I'll take a fucking whiskey and some Hennessy for my troubles, thank you!" Awaiting for Gamble to move underneath as well he commented somewhat expectantly, "Hey mother hen!" A surrogate parental figure looked up ideally concerned as well not happy, "Your kid ain't picking up, I'm fairly sure we put two and two together. My take is that punk was in the midst of whatever the fucking hell happened down here, he got nailed or got swept up so expect a closed casket at best."
Bypassing witnesses who were shaking in their respective pants did the three come upon a gruesome sight. First among them to react was Press who whistled utterly disgusted, "Now that's what I call a clean slice and dice." Kneeling down inspecting intestines spewing all over a table along with pieces of bone matter, or brains mixed gave off quite a scene. Blood literally drenched an entire floor to leave it thicker than most puddles on a stormy day, it forced a man who'd killed plenty to grudgingly admit earnestly, "Christ I'd seen some shit! But by god's grace never have I seen some fucked up shit like this!"
Dennis outright had to back away covering his face as Laura went paler than said corpses aligned around a table. Five bodies at least, all were female and bikers given how their attire stood out with bloodied soaked leather vests. Most had expressions of shock and horror yet not one had been brutalized beyond what was necessary to be killed. It was like something had just slaughtered them ruthlessly and without warning, "What kind of monsters do you people make in that mad house called a lab, Doc! Christ, I'm gonna be sick!" That came from an astronaut who'd seen his best friend's skull regrow from nothing, find out aliens existed and now seeing what one monster could do roaming freely against regular people?
"Eve never exhibited such aggression, it's not possible she'd do want to indulge on such reckless behaviors." Laura stated confidently despite trying to not look into glossed over eyes of corpses, "She didn't take pleasure in slaughtering these people, if anything they were dealt with quickly and not one of them had a chance to fight back." Both men snorted in tantrum not agreeing in the woman's intellectual vocabulary, "Right and my ass isn't white." Press retorted completely not even buying into that theory about said she-bitch of an alien, he wouldn't even consider that information even if it were double coupon day at a grocery store.
Standing over an almost picture clear massacre Press looked around only to notice something rather morbidly clear. Turning to motion towards Gamble who followed a finger pointing, "Call your kids phone, now." Despite being down ridden he did so clicking a call button only to hear an actual ringing coming from over to their immediate right. Nudging several intestines over did the gruff man gingerly pick up a blood soaked cell phone, Laura and Dennis looked like someone had dipped their hands into ice cold water.
"Where's his body?" Gamble stated a question more than asking tensely as there wasn't any signs of it. Lennox gave credit to a punk kid considering their options, "That's what I want to find out. Either the punk booked it, or he got mixed up in some bad shit and I'm willing to bet my hunches both are connected cause this is fucked." He tossed the bloodied phone over to Laura who caught it while paling even further to wipe off some meaty pieces of human, "I'll see if I can get it to replay the last call before it hung up. Maybe we can get some information from what the receiver picked up, we have equipment at our lab to pull it off, hopefully."
Pragmatic plans aside an agent actually found himself getting a proverbial ball moving, "I like what I'm hearing woman. Let's keep this momentum going alright?" Moving over corpses he gestured for Laura to move with him towards a few police officers who were being lead over by several armed agents, "Gamble take a look around and see if you can guess where your kid might have run off too. We'll be talking to the boys in blue for a bit, okay?" The man gave one terse nod looking to literally get his feet out of blood and guts so thick it'd stain boots for a week. Nothing seemingly went right at all this entire week and it showed all too easily.
"God only knows how he's feeling right now, Press." The doctor said sympathetically about a person whose friends and family were nearly all dead, or soon to be deceased. Her long time partner gave an equivalent of an empathetic response, "Shit happens and all we can do is roll with it down hill, woman. Between this she-bitch and your other one, I'm taking an early retirement to Cancun and calling it a life after I'm done." His partner looked torn between agreeing, or possibly finding such callous words absolutely cold because they were an honest truth. There wasn't any time to be sentimental with an entire world at stake.
Still the doctor made an attempt, "Doesn't mean we how to cope with everything, Press. I thought I could do good by giving Eve a human life..." Lennox ceased a natural reflex to scoff yet remained quiet enough to allow this woman to vent, "...a chance to live but I feel more like Victor Frankenstein than anything else right now." Glancing over to faceless dead who weren't supposed to be involved and hearing carnage of innocent bystanders being caught up in a monster's path. Caging something that was still human would inevitably seek happiness, a better chance to life and fight to preserve it's new found freedom to do whatever it desired most.
"We all learn one way, or another Laura." She looked over to see a man whose expression turned flat as if not wanting to give away more, "Human nature is just an excuse for us in doing dumb and dumber things to be justified. Mistakes are made and paid in sweat, blood or tears to have us eventually relearn some damned humility to not play god." There was a lesson meant to be learned in his words, an earnest if not rarely ever seen side of a man who went through hell time and time again. Losing friends and those who didn't have to die so early, or have to when mistakes were easily foreseen then and were ignored presently.
A small smile appeared on her face when the man refused to look over. Stepping closer a hand brushed against his own subtly conveying appreciation just enough for him to gruffly exhale. The two moved towards an officer who had multiple chevrons stitched on a sleeve directing over his lower subordinates doing what was required for necessary order. Press took lead to pull out a Federal identification badge provided by Uncle Sam's infinite resources. They needed information to get something for their hunt to get back on track, or else they'd be back at square one once again.
"Busy night?" The federal agent inquired breaking the ice to an elder officer who gave a grim frown, "Bad enough for you Fed's to pop in, I'd say it picked up again." Smirking in being flattered did Laura watch her partner dissuade any notion of taking over a scene, "I'd be in your shoes pal, but we're more interested as to who did...that." Gesturing to a literal slaughter house full of people did the experienced officer grimace openly, "Some psycho bitch based on what eyewitnesses are saying and my guys are putting together. It's simply unreal if I had any say yet evidence is clean and cut, I guess that's a reason why you're here?"
Press leaned back wishing he had a cigarette to inhale on, "Unfortunately if your description of said bitch matches what we're looking out for, yeah. Unreal is a word we frequently use, so what do you got for certain?" He asked formally making an officer shift over notes on a pad while cross referencing every report from others underneath him, "Couple hours ago some biker clubs were hanging out here in this fine establishment peacefully. Rally was in full swing then around two hours ago..." The man shifted pages coming to see multiple descriptions all add up based on numerous people witnessing an exact match, "...an attractive blond, I mean bomb shell based on some reports walked in. Started to ask around for someone and those five over there took offense because this person looked to be one of their rivals not welcomed around these parts."
Press digested the information starting to paint together a picture as Laura interjected kindly, "Did anyone pick up on what she was asking them? Or maybe looking around for?" The cop shrugged somewhat flipping through several more pages to recall details, "One or two people mentioned she'd been searching for a friend. We're fairly certain we know who know, I feel pity for that poor bastard who caught this psycho's eyes cause it ain't pretty." Both agents held similar looks of curiosity making an officer grimace when wiping his brow exhaustively since he had a son of similar age back at home honestly, "Turns out there's more to this person who we found out. Turns out this is serial murder and kidnapping at least."
Laura blurted out that word almost disbelieving, "Kidnap?" The officer looked grimly troubled, "Our reports indicate this blond psychopath walked in looking for a young man, or a kid technically. Minors are technically sixteen, or younger yet we're certain we can get a court to have kidnapping of a minor added to a warrant." He shook himself to continue with what they'd know for certain, it took a few more pages being read off to give them a best case recreation. Press and Laura were absolutely stunned to hear an account, "So she walks in searching for this sorry kid, cuts up and slaughters these five who were known associates of said person! Then carry's him out like nobodies business with blood up to everyone's ankles, fucking hell I do mean that last part literally."
No signs of Ross! No signs of anything remotely cluing them into this aggression and sheer brutality of bystanders. Lennox took apart what he noticed to inquire rather curiously enough, "So this she-bitch just walks in on some party and decides to go to town because she wanted to meet a kid? And this kid did he happen to look like some punk ass, or what?" Laura clarified immediately when an officer raised an eyebrow finding those terms rather personally debatable, "What my partner means was that the person kidnapped a biker of some kind as well? Did you happen to get a name attached." She all but begged to an elder man who finally relented to shift through notes, soon they saw an expression somber knowing a name had been dropped along with an age.
"Yeah definitely a biker, not one associated to any big names or local clubs. Person taken captive is a seventeen year old young named Alex." Laura wanted to vomit as she felt faint in knowing something wasn't right, Press even hissed out his disbelief. "Fucking Christ man!" The officer attributed their reactions to personal experiences while continuing off morbidly informative, "We have credible and legitimate sources belonging to the owner of this bar confirming it. We got no last name as of yet, reports and witnesses say he didn't look too good on his feet, or something along those lines since descriptions are vague at best."
Nothing made sense as to why Eve would target a regular person! Laura knew firsthand the boy wasn't even remotely genetically pure to produce offspring, or else Eve would run into what Ross was doing exceptionally on a daily basis. Contact had been made given how the male had nearly ran rampant in trying to demand the door being opened so he'd be able to mate to produce purer offspring! Maybe curiosity in learning more about her predecessor was influenced but it seemed way too much of a stretch just for that humane route, "What in the hell are you thinking Eve? Why him of all people, why now and why so suddenly when you'd be able to go to Ross?"
Too much had happened to simply say it'd been done by chance! This was purely calculated, it'd been deliberately planned and utterly executed regardless of consequences to acquire an objective at all costs. Personally interest aside, Laura theorized maybe Eve wanted to be with someone regardless of a logical mate in Ross and simply wanted to be free to do what she chose to decide? No she told herself resolutely, Eve's alien nature had superseded it's dormancy to enact what Sil had done years ago and choosing a human was detrimental to any viable offspring's chances when the purer choice in a male species was literally on an open season! So what was she missing here?
"You said he wasn't looking so good on his feet?" Something finally made Press pick up on bringing Laura back to reality to see a cop visibly shake his head, "Might as well call it a walking plague victim! Like literally it's the Black Plague, or it's what most eyewitnesses think they saw considering half of the kid's face looked paler than those corpses over there! Black veins like lines across portions of exposed skin, clear ragged breathing and crying out bloody tears, I'd say yeah good is a relative term to say it isn't pretty. I ain't no doctor yet I say that kid's got something even hell itself would throw out, so you tell me what to say because I got nothing!"
Details slowly started to reveal something very peculiar and absolutely mind shattering to guess why. The officer whistled towards an investigator who held a small plastic bag, "One eyewitnesses distinctly swears to God, or Christ himself this kid spat out his own tongue!" Press snorted completely openly and held no punches, "Bull fucking shit! What kind of sick person can actually spit out a tongue? Jesus what a shit show." Laura ignored whatever was said next to hurriedly move up to literally snatch a bag out of an investigators hand to literally see something clearly impossible. A decaying human tongue filling up the small bag's interior with a reddish black mix, she needed to get this back to their labs and figure out what in hell's name was going on!
Regardless she said her piece to confirm it as real, "That's a tongue, Press. Alex literally spat out his own tongue!" The man peered down to visibly grimace before shaking himself down, "God damn what kind of insanity is this? And is that teeth?" He demanded incredulously to groan disgusted as several yellowed teeth were floating in a goo of reddish muscle and blood, "You know I take it back! Is it too late for me to get an early retirement, I can't stomach punks and she-bitches while seeing that kind of shit on my day."
Moving away to inspect it in privacy Laura looked slightly intrigued and concerned in holding what was once a person's functional organ. Slowly she began to nurture a radical theory, "Sickness? Eve tracking you down Alex, am I honestly believing you didn't get out of that mess unscathed? I remembered you made a full recovery, I just never understood how but what if Sil..." She needed more information to solidify everything, she needed to dig into past records and possibly uplift old footage she had sworn to never relive in fear of guilt ridden emotions. Yet they needed answers and digging up everything would possibly set everything straight for sanity's sake alone.
"Gamble!" She heard off to the side as Press brought him up to speed with an officer inquiring about possibly family members being alerted about Alex's kidnapping. The young man had no one left, not one living relative given Ross was infected, out of control and with no immediate family Alex only had himself alone in a world. A world in where everything would come down hard upon him now. Facts started to create a very clear picture, "Eve what are you trying to accomplish? Are you still human enough to have some selfish desire to know more about yourself, or are you just seeking revenge against those who have harmed you and you dragged that boy into it, because he hates you for merely existing due to Sil?"
Flipping over the small plastic bag inspecting each side it just prolonged her to figure out more. Glancing back to Dennis who practically exploded angrily in demanding to know why his surrogate nephew was at Eve's mercy proved enough. Emotionally distraught in having a kid that age being swept up in a mess wasn't going to end well, it'd probably end fatally given how she'd be unable to predict Eve's tendencies now after this slaughter. Whether she wanted to admit to Press, Dennis or anything but everything had changed and Laura sighed since god only knew what the price was going to be paid for it all.
I wanted to die, I felt myself encasing and tightening up! If that wasn't some insane request then I didn't know what to believe if I was sane more enough. It was like I knew something was happening but all in all I wanted one thing. The one way out that I desperately clawed at nothing yet saw full circle. It was simply peace yet I was denied everything so I wanted to end it all.
I just wanted to die so badly and that there was nothing that could have been said to me otherwise at that moment. My heart split cleanly into two, I screamed if only hearing nothing but silence, I wanted it to end! Please no more, I begged outward further causing fire to spread inside of me and hell was truly a living thing. No control, no will and nothing save for weightless darkness I reached upwards daringly wanting it all to end.
I begged to God to please let me die. Please I was begging to die now, couldn't it be granted? It started so much pain consuming every sense I held dear, an agony unable to be quelled by control alone and it's intolerable will that was running into my veins. I felt it squirming, churning right now through flesh as I laid motionless inside a nightmare. It had to end, I wanted it to end and nothing more as I felt myself burn alive. In vain in some desperation born of madness I tore at my skin to stop myself from becoming the thing I so hated and feared all in one go. I cried, I wanted to die now and just let myself be free of everything!
Every time I closed my eyes when I dreamed I saw her face! Fucking hell I saw that damned monster's face and it smiled at me deceptively warm, I fell for it for once and I refused to do so again! It kept appearing like some demented reminder, I wanted to let it all go yet my mind refused to do so because of that damnable smile which was supported by eyes genuinely pleading for someone to hold it close for warmth. Why god, why me and why did Sil have to keep reappearing in a life I wanted to move on from!
It came back again and again as always but reality wasn't forgiving. Was it maybe I refused to settle with myself, or perhaps I lied over and over I never actually cared about Sil? It had to be punishment when I looked upon seeing people who I had tried to befriend, people I tried to care about being slaughtered like pigs. Bikers, friends and one person who I took an effort to get to know in favor for no longer being alone in a world where my family was nearly dead. I had one relative I knew was alive but apart of me knew I was alone for good.
"How much longer am I doing to suffer?" My words thoughtfully perceived to be nothing but damning silence, I wanted it all to end this nightmare. Seeing limbs torn apart, seeing my very arm broken over and over again to feel bones giving way against a monster's strength. I saw that damned glass cage appear again to see her smiling at me warmly, I felt my stomach churn with absolute fluttering and I screamed longingly to crush anything save for hateful spite. It refused to die, a feeling refused to go away and it was wrong to have for it to reveal affection.
Unable to kick, punch or even throw anything I settled on screaming silently. Why did I feel so hurt inside my chest, why did I feel so agonizingly close to snapping fingers and utterly bewildered to think clearly? Everything hurt, I couldn't breathe properly as lungs continuously were collapsing to make me spit out something warm and coppery, I wanted to die than endure a life such as this hellish landscape of feeling. Weakness, I felt it all and being alive certainly held more in that regard as I felt more closer to sleeping when dying.
Somehow I recovered from that brutalizing encounter with my sanity in shambles. Waking up in a hospital room crying out for my mother, father or anyone only to learn they were dead from poisoning when said monster had broken out! I was alone, I was frightened and not one damned person comforted a young child who wanted someone to hold him close. I got nothing, I received nothing and got was a person forcefully having me sign a wavier to never speak about Sil, or anyone inside that asylum of a laboratory ever. It hurt, it simply hurt and I had no one to cry too save for crying myself to sleep those long nights.
I lividly had myself screaming out defiantly, "Why can't I forget you! Why can't you stay dead like you're supposed to be damn it!" That beautiful face so innocently kind, curious and pleading returned to look at me smiling so earnestly. Sil, I saw you time and time again before becoming a creature not even close to human. I watched you shred me alive, break my bones and jump on me as if I were nothing save for your playing. I felt it all every night my scars burned, bled and tingled from phantom pains people went crazy from!
Yet my feelings simply refuted to dissipate for some sick reasoning. Unable to see anything, unable to hear or smell, I laid there in total darkness speaking to nothing save for a void. I wondered if living would be worth any effort now, I cried pleading for an end to this never ending coil of numbing coldness and my heart broke, "I...I loved you...didn't I?" I finally relented to say that taboo word which teenagers never understood their meaning, I never wanted to admit it but that crush was beyond what I expected whenever I spent time with her.
I admitted it after years of incredible resolve to ignored it's existence entirely. Closure and I weren't compatible since it required me to feel guilt, I felt more than that! I felt disgust, I felt hurt and I felt betrayal on all levels to believe naively I'd been doing something special for someone. Being alone was so much worse than being in pain, I scoffed now at that saying given I'd rather feel nothing then becoming a desolate existence in this nightmarish world. What was feeling when it brought nothing but crippling weakness for myself to beg to slip a living life?
Anger surged beyond to liquefy that cold feeling into skin scorching damnation! My teeth snapped into pieces unable to cope with strains far beyond humane limitation, I wanted to do more than just scream and seethe to finally unleash my rage. I wanted to get back at everyone who left me in this miserable existence, I hated many and wished for more upon others who were responsible for me to suffer in this wallowing madness. Faces of those responsible, faces of those damning me and faces of those thinking they had a chance for forgiveness were all but naught ash in my eyes, I'd slay them over and over again until I felt resolved!
Distantly I thought I heard a sound, "What now?" I groaned seeing nothing save for blackened voids and feeling absolute close to falling through air. It never became clear, I found myself falling and falling again until I felt something hard crush into me. Unable to cope with it's massive weight I faded away into nothingness only damning myself to further endure living a life, a life I slowly began to wish I had never held in hand to live.
Slowly fluttering eyelids painstakingly opened to reveal a tilted ceiling I had never seen beforehand. Absently trying to wet my mouth brought back wheezing lungfuls of air, I tried to twitch to move a leg yet it was impossible. It hurt to breathe through my nose so I settled on mouthfuls to inch over to see a large expensive looking hotel room. It wasn't my room I'd been accustomed too and glancing down to see that the bed I'd been laying in was practically king sized, I couldn't even reach to get my own hand over it's edge due to it's massive width alone.
Heat radiated off so potently I closed both eyes again quickly as sweat made moving my own face difficult. Bit by bit memories started recalling, "Rally. Bar..." I gulped down fluid building when something warm settled beside my right side, I felt someone shift tightly over a burning limb and trying to move it wasn't physically possible. It might have been some steel vice clamping down to where even wiggling scant inches might as well been moving the moon, I didn't whether I was so weakened or else I'd fear too imagine.
Inhaling slowly to ward off panic I looked over to witness a sight that sent adrenaline flowing signifying terror. "Oh my god, oh fucking Christ and son of a fuck!" I chanted quietly avoiding from awaking a sleep monster whose peaceful expression hid it's true nature. I gulped down that natural reaction to scream for help, I settled on breathing quickly and consistently to search for any possible means for assistance. Minding a fact if I even moved I'd wake up something best left completely forgotten in my book.
Eve's near silent sleep seemed deceptively innocent even if given how she was for some damned reason topless. I stopped myself looking downwards to understand she wasn't wearing anything, damn myself to hell since I shuddered at seeing a sight I'd want to rip my own eyeballs out to forget. Breathing deeply I started to garner some semblance of thought to look for a phone, "Wait! Where's the cell that I was given, oh shit! No, no, no!" Lifting my only free hand I found out I wasn't immune to being nude, or rather I had only my pants on causing me to internally snarl in frustration! I saw shirts, coats and boots across an entire room on some carpet like floor stained in reddish liquids, I almost wanted to feel nauseous due to being held captive.
"Okay, okay, okay! You're not dead yet." I began rationalizing any possible pros and cons from utterly having a panic attack, "You're still in a city! City means people, people means getting help and help is your key to getting the hell out of this situation!" Panic subsided to allow me to continuously start putting together some sort of explanation, "All I know for certain is that she broke out, somehow. Hours ago, a truck abandoned and she's killed...people, a lot so far." I knew all those facts from last night, my uncle's frantic calling and now my own assumptions to firmly wish I was so damned wrong it'd be laughable.
Eve shifted underneath my entrapped arm murmuring softly forcing me to look over again. Tightly gripped limbs had pressed my scarred arm between what was on her chest, "Why do I get a feeling that's not accidental." I thought looking upwards to figure out what I could do to get out of this situation altogether but suddenly I went rigid feeling soft warm and firm mounds of flesh pushing against my forearm, I'd say it was giving me a full imagination. Eventually my eyes strained in squinting ahead doing all I could ignoring that sensation entirely, "God help me! Just think about something icy damn cold, or maybe something random like jumping off a building."
Easing upwards in order to look over strands of blond hair which were akin to silk much to old memories. I noticed an actual corded phone on a small coffee table but it'd been pushed well out way for anyone to grab it. Being captive for a long time must have instilled some common sense after all as I darkly imagined, "Can't get up because my legs have practically shortened themselves out. Can't even scream loud enough because I'm too damned tired to try, plus a phone's well out of my arm's range and I can't even squirm out of this thing's grip!"
Nimble fingers created an awareness due to them tracing small indistinguishable patterns across my rapidly ascending chest. Electric sensations ran up my arms forcing me to gulp down audibly, "This is not purely accidental! She's deliberately doing...oh, fuck!" Any thoughts pertaining to that line of question ceased to form as I came into contact with a pair eyes wide awake. My heart almost stopped dead in seeing a curving smile appear when I refused to say a word. I assumed she'd been intentionally provoking me for reactions all too easily.
Not a single verbal exchange went on for possibly well over five minutes as I damned myself to remain silent. Up close I never realized how close she mirrored Sil's face, I thought being separated across a once indestructible glass wall provided details but face to face? It was Sil's face but not exactly given how subtle a few features were capable to fool anyone at first take. Right away I noticed any lack of warm smiles and deceptively innocent curious looks, it failed so miserably I wanted to snark out a wheezing laugh. This creature looked far more scrutinizing in a way that I knew wasn't friendly, or played to what it seemed and amazingly enough I swore it was trying to learn to adapt to my gauging gaze.
This prolonged resistance must have queued her to finally giggle innocently pleased as if I'd passed a test. I looked away to stare upwards ignoring any triggering facial expressions to remind me of another similar to it, "You're very perceptive." Eve's voice complimented my resolute stubbornness to stare upwards, "Aren't you going to try to escape now? It's more fun to see you try to squirm off this bed, I expected you to fight back." Her admission was awfully tempting to attempt, if I hadn't any control over my lead weights for arms and rubber for legs, so in any other situation for sure I'd have tried to book it.
"Fucking jump off a high ass building would you?" I internally snarled feeling her hands coyly dip underneath my ribs to lightly start prodding me, god I almost wanted to snap physically since Sil had done similar notions years ago. Grunting to avoid pulling lips into a twisted grin since I hadn't lost my ticklish spots but it'd be so utterly sick to laugh, "Stop! It!" Biting down onto an inner cheek to nearly bleed I grounded out those two words making the creature pause briefly. I counted to twenty when Eve mused openly before ideally smiling widely to reply back with a simple yet clear message to showcase where we stood, "No."
Gathering enough anger I glared spitefully to stare her eye to eye, "Do not touch me!" The creature just smiled leisurely coy before poking me deliberately, "Stop!" I hissed causing her to gleefully do it again as I jerked away like it'd been a rod dosed in flames, "God damn it! Enough!" I bit down hard on my inner cheek to taste blood corroded any feelings remotely close to laughing faded when bitter tears formed to keep myself in check.
"This is fun, I like it." She said it so simply enjoying my growing anger in being prodded like some demented lab rat, "And no! You're very wrong." I blinked confusingly when her smile got slightly sardonic which really seemed natural on that face alone, "Being a lab rat isn't fun, Alex. They try to kill you over and over again, it's very painful." Why did I feel like I just been called out on something not meant to be thought? More so to my growing concerns what gave it away I'd been relating a torment to...
Eve interjected slightly bemused in leaning forward to lay across my bare chest, "Teasing is not torture. And torment to you is my desire, Alex." Her smile curled knowingly when I stared at her in sheer bewilderment unable to process how in hell's name she knew this! I felt tremors indicating she'd been holding laughter as I slowly replied back, "What exactly do you mean? Desire?" I didn't like anything about how this conversation was going, I had a gut churning feeling I'd been lead on without even having a chance to guess how.
A hand settled over an organ beating nearly out of it's natural position. I shuddered feeling pressure exert itself just enough to force me to remain still, "It's what I want." Eve stated longingly looking to where my heart beat rapidly before placing her entire face against it, "Waking up alone. Cold, silent and having no freedom to want happiness, I want that as a desire. I want warmth..." I stared not quiet sure what she meant yet it certainly rang some bells on days I awakened feeling similar, I wasn't immune to sometimes asking whether being alone was worth it. Especially during days when I traveled long distances to simply carry on living, it wasn't eventful or remotely exceptional without exactly feeling anything worthwhile.
Normally offering sympathy would have been humane save for one little fact that refused to give me motivation, "Spare your shit pity party." I hissed remembering faces of those who got in this things way and slaughtered them effortlessly, "It'd be far more empathetic if you hadn't massacred five people last night! What kind of lonely, cold or whatever you are thinks that's reasonable just to get to me?" I wasn't close to any of those people yet I knew they hadn't deserved to die, no to be slaughtered like animals and why did this thing decide upon it? What gave it a right to just waltz in terrorizing people who weren't aware of it's true face, so now why did I have feel disgust and guilt knowingly I'd get people killed?
Eve suspiciously remained quiet a tad bit longer than I'd peg normally. I refused to allow a causal disregard for what she did in her fully capacity since I hissed out scathingly, "Why don't you answer me? Five people being torn up not enough to be mentioned, or are you getting off on..." A lone innocent finger gently placed itself on my lips causing me to go frozen solid. It wasn't forceful to showcase irritation yet it's texture for warm flesh turned something akin to scales indicating an underlying warning, "I don't like humans too much anymore, Alex. They were in my way of my desires, they were obstacles and I refused to be denied what I wanted for so long."
Those eyes which were once mirroring Sil's shifted into what they were more naturally. Instead of greenish crystal like pupils I saw slits of a monster which found itself rearing awake, "Doesn't change what you did! They weren't involved with me, I knew one of them personally as a friend at best and you killed them like animals for what?" Apart of me wondered if I had a death wish to provoke this creature which could have easily crushed my neck. But I wanted to hear from the horse's mouth all too happily to see why it'd justify doing mass murder to get to me, hell I wanted answers and I wanted them on my terms for her to chew on.
Lines were being crossed all too apparently much for it to remain idly passive. Sitting upright I flinched seeing this monster in it's full glory to slip over my abdomen looking down upon me. Between seeing eyes belonging to an honest to god monster and a ceiling I had some choice to avoid lesser instances focusing on immediate danger. Eve's expression remarkably looked closer to irritated than angry given how she placed both hands as a warning over a shoulder. Patches of once smooth flawless skin started to turn an ugly greenish black leaving enough to give me an imagination, so I provoked it for to feel much more natural, "Go on! Show yourself for what you really are Eve, I'll admit for certain since I just hate being in suspense."
Reptilian slits from fresh haunting nightmares flashed openly as a hiss of frustration slipped past lengthening teeth. This semi looking humane thing came to settle whispering a warped guttural voice in an ear, "You're afraid." It's breathing earnestly turned a hell of a lot colder! I almost shivered realizing it was natural and crawling sensations related to slithering made it's way up across over a cheek. Even still my smile mockingly gave it praise to let it turnabout was fair play, "You're very perspective."
Sharpened nails turning mid way into possible claws dug further in exposed warm flesh, "You're afraid to look in a mirror." I twitched to look over see strands of hair that were once blond turning an ashen gray as it said that maybe grinning, "Monsters don't seek out normal people." My throat tightened when mocking chuckling found silence all too appealing, I gasped out loud feeling points digging into shoulder blades drawing blood and pressure mounted forcing me to inhale a rotting scent of dead hair. Tingling sensations ran a muck underneath my neckline due to moist movements of someone tenderly kissing it's exposed target, I somehow managed to grind out a few words to have it hum eagerly, "Knock it off!
Nothing remotely good should have been felt in this situation yet fluttering sensations grew well beyond sanity! I didn't need to see it's widening smile, "You like what you're feeling, we can do more if you want." A sly hint nearly making my brain revolt in sheer disgust as I started squirming, "Get! Off! Me!" Anger practically ignited itself, I felt so much raw anger consuming what control I held and I snapped forward! It was like a coil from hell and by god every bit of force suddenly became a literal truck slamming full throttle.
An arm slanted backwards to literally shove this thing off me across an entire room! I screamed once again hearing a voice not my own, "GET OFF ME!" I rasped in air slicing it like it'd been through some unseen grinder before migraines forced my eyes shut tight. Both hands miraculously light tore at my face in some desperate bid to ride itself of constrictions! It hurt, it burned and I needed to get whatever it was off as I clawed endlessly feeling nothing save for...what?
Stopping myself mid action I lowered each hand once I noticed a particular detail crawling up my back like some demented nightmare. Quivering limbs unable to decide on moving, or remaining still due to hyperactive nerves turned themselves over and over again, "C...Claws?" Finger nails normally clear and natural had lengthened to harden into blackened carapaces! Veins black and blue mixed in with once normal healthy light skin turned into ugly scales! My whimpering was only matched when I saw it trace up an entire arm and over blotchy like flesh covering a chest, "...god, god...no, NO!"
Squishy like sponge objects which I damned to wish I thought it was my own skin! I saw clumps of it mangled and in fistfuls pooling around myself in some twisted array of panic, "No, no, no! This isn't real, this isn't real and it's all some fucking bad dream man! This can't be real!" I thought over and over again unable to process in seeing bloody flimsy strips of flesh that belonged on my face! Why was it on these bed sheets?
"It's very real, Alex." Staring up in grieving horror I saw a monster casually leaning it's disfigured face against an equally similar closed fist, "You're very afraid. It's real." Tears or what amounted to them fell only on my face's right hand as I started to tremble so violently I couldn't breathe! Everything started to swirl as nausea gripped a stomach keen on purging itself clean, "No!" I whimpered out loud unable to take all these details in, so suddenly I simply couldn't handle it and I started to hyperventilate falling limply back onto drenched pillows covered in blood.
Helplessly lifting both hands to view them over head I happened to see several droplets of clotted crimson fall down. They hit my face mocking what little human I seemed to emulate, "How? Why, why am I...what is fucking happening to me?" Turning over limbs which were once normal in every aspect furthered my desperation for an answer, or something to tell me that I wasn't going insane for believing this madness called reality! What in god's name could do this to me, so just what the fuck was what anymore now?
Dimly aware of a bed creaking I numbly looked down to see my nightmares originator return quite deviously pleased. Eve crawled purposely to come settle right over on each side pinning me in place as I looked up helplessly confused. In desperation to I mewled out a single word as constant streams of tears poured down to my right, "Please!" This monster which found an expression so electrifying refused to say a word at first. Much to my disgusting sense of right and wrong it instead trailed kissing up towards where an exposed throat lighting biting sporadically. It wasn't going to tell me shit, or anything at all much to a growing shock!
It leisurely planted chaste pecks before settling down to place itself right over my heart. I had no will to try to push it off in favor to aimlessly wonder why, "How can something like this happen? It's not possible, right but it is? Since when..." There would be no clear answer to hint at, or sure indication as to how my body was practically changing itself on it's own accord. Exhaustion crept back to force me to close both eyes inhaling heavily to ward off disorientating swings, "Can't even keep my eyes open properly because they feel so damned heavy, what in hell can I do? There's nothing I can fucking do but ride this out, what insanity am I even considering?" So little could be done, so little could be used or done in my favor to try to make light of anything and yet what was going to be the point if I had nothing to go on?
"Stop being afraid." I heard it whisper warmly pleased as I looked down to see resting comfortably over my bare chest, "I can hear you so clearly now. You're not alone, Alex." One of its scaled like limbs reached over to thumb what little flesh I felt on my face. It wasn't as cold as before which ironically scared me senseless, it almost felt like comforting? Perhaps I'd lose all sanity to believe such a thing possible after all.
Laying there with a monster wrapped around me felt absolutely surreal. Underneath flesh changing at will I dimly became aware of snake like sensations churning forward, I felt them shift and move muscle to occasionally have me twitch involuntarily. It hurt at times, it really did yet I grew into them somehow and ironically enough I kept track how many dug underneath my own neck to have me gulp audibly to dull their approach. Maybe they weren't snakes yet they sure as hell churned like them when moving through limbs shaking uncontrollably, "...it hurts, a lot." I wheezed out closing both eyes again when feeling them slither up into my own skull, I wanted to scream but felt no energy to do anything save for whispering.
Eve said nothing save for reaching over to take a hand of mine and press it against her face. Unsurprisingly it gave me deja vu moments back with Sil years ago, "Trust me, it will." What sick deranged person believes a monster's word? I apparently did since I laid back easing myself to calm down as subtle movements closely related to nuzzling managed to take away some awareness of tendrils slithering about within. Why me? Why did I have to endure horror after horror and night after nightmare for a life?
Arching myself suddenly I felt a pop as sharp pain racked an entire spinal cord. I silently screamed unable to stop, "No more! Please god, no more!" Yelling mentally over and over like some broken record seemingly added a lot to nails being dug in every literal inch of skin, I heard several more jaw jarring pops as though bones were being realigned. Vertebrate moving an inch to the right than back to it's left before popping upwards, I felt like some rattling cage and vibrations akin to being tightening just flat out ceased all function for me to move. I was literally experiencing a person who was becoming paralyzed while in a bed with some monster trying to comfort me?
"Nothing makes absolute sense anymore! Fucking hell, kill me!" No response from any living being granted me mercy in that plea, I endured it without much choice. Focusing on what little function I held in reserve was my breathing, I paced myself counting silently and exhaling in tantrum to cope with a fire so hot it burned any reaction I held physically. Whimpers escaped me long before realizing I'd been aware, "It'll be over, soon. Pain is what life requires." It whispered next to me almost sounding knowingly as though been through similar experiences, I wondered if my mind had broke to consider it genuinely sympathetic?
Fluid either blood, or saliva mixed together had built up to have my words gargling, "...it hurts, it really hurts. Why..." Eve didn't respond to an unspoken question as to why me yet again and that made every second excruciatingly agonizing. She shifted above me to hover just over where I remained unable to move now. Her eyes which weren't human stared down trailing over an occasional twitching limb, or half jerking movement of nerves unable to cope with strains not even my mind hoped to comprehend sensibly, it only just hurt and continuously refused to die down. I noted however what was once hair seemingly formed tube like dreadlocks or something similar, I blinked once to see they were trailing down past her exposed chest now.
I might have been hallucinating now, or else I'd peg to see droplets of sweat starting to form on that hardened skin. It couldn't be real despite deliriously reaching outwards, "Am I crazy?" Cold yet strong hands guided a blend of twisted flesh and scale to gently settle on an abdomen. Ignoring another round of popping bones I felt smoothness, I actually felt a smooth surface and it wasn't icy cold at all much to my half dementia induced weak chuckling. Fingers I noted eerily getting similar to her own entwined into each other as an amused laugh reached dampened ears, "You're not losing yourself, Alex. You're finding what you've lost and regained, anew."
None of those words made anything remotely clear at all. Fading piece by piece I started to see something humane return as Sil's face returned leaning forward to have me earnestly see it in absolute perfection. I shook myself once to rid a delusional daydream, "Not Sil, it's not her. She's gone, she's gone for good." Tears from both eyes streamed freely when I blinked again to see that face dissipate into what it truly was, "That's right. Gone, not real and utterly fake to know what's beneath something that isn't a person."
Repression failed when a damn within broke apart unleashing years of pent up grief. I started crying earnestly allowing the limb being held go limp, I didn't care if it held up and supported someone who couldn't let go of the past. It hurt, it hurt so fucking much and I didn't have any courage to say I wanted it to go away. Would such memories go away with time, or would they remain forever engrained to keep myself broken because it kept me sane ironically? What madness did a man hope to love a monster and one that constantly hurt him so, no reason given along with no warning or reasoning attached to such brutality?
Maybe ending it all wasn't such a terrible idea after all? Just one action to jump off a building, or maybe pulling that damned trigger to experience eternal slumber? How would one go, or rather would it be courageous enough to simply get it over with instead of wondering? Laughing absurdly twisted in deciding to become actually suicidal, shit I'd hit rock bottom and just say to hell with it all! End it I told myself over and over again, end it now and end myself all this misery to get some peace in death for life wasn't kind enough.
"Live." I heard a word cry out over some vast distance causing me to stop thinking. Feeling myself fading into darkness, "Live? Why?" I expected nothing to answer yet I heard it again, "Please live." Why did it sound so familiar, I know I've heard that voice but who in the hell was it? Straining I managed to shuffle left to right before blindly reaching outwards, I thought I lifted a hand or maybe I imagined it?
It came back chasing away all my pain bit by bit, "Sorry, I'm sorry." Apologizing? My mind refused to understand those words yet I allowed it to wash over me, I asked internally why? What, or who was saying sorry to me and for whatever reasoning? Dementia maybe, literally damned insanity or possibly psychotic breakdown was what I considered my consciousness now it seemed.
Gathering enough will I called back, "Sorry for what?" I entertained this delusional uptake if only to get away from life's grueling cost to live, I felt bones snap again and it sent waves of crippling agony to have me cry out softly. Too much had been spent to resist one monster, too much given and not enough gained for any amount of hope. It was simply too much to bare yet I heard another answer send that pain into oblivion, "Everything. I tried to stop, I tried."
More knee jerk reactions followed by fingers bending into angles not meant to be done. Pain dulled yet ignited anew over and over again, I held on to sanity's line due to focusing on this voice. It sounded too familiar to be utter nonsense, "Please, I tried! I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" So frantic in it's pleas I swore I heard screaming, no was it crying or perhaps shrieking? Twitching involuntarily as an arm bent awkward destroying more bone did I gasp out in shock hearing screams so familiar that they were...a child?
Another bone belonging alongside ribs splintered when I moved over a few inches. Everything inside felt so brittle, weak and powerless when a vice crushed me within. It wrapped, it snarled and tightened over and over until I gagged on air itself. Yet I heard that voice cry out again, "Save him! Please save him, save him, save him please!" My heart imploded when it all clicked together, I knew who that was now! I cried out in either earnest disbelief for hearing her again, or rather hearing her crying out to save someone who was...me?
Sil's voice sounded so close now yet it wasn't really her was it? Laughter so gently amused yet truly disappointed reached ears which filtered out gagging from a clogged throat, "I'm always with you, Alex. I'll always be with you, never alone." Reflexively I spat out clumps of solid objects which seemingly started to feel distinctly close to teeth? I must have been losing myself completely to ignore that in favor to hear her voice again, it sounded beyond happy and almost hurt knowing why I'd been placed in such a state of misery.
"Sil, I...I..." I stumbled over my own thoughts unable to fess up courage, or anything to say something I wanted to say as a child. A word I wished I could have said, a word I wished to say and a word that meant so much to me. Dare I finally say it after years of denying it? Did I dare myself to let go and admit a truth I found equally terrifying because it defined explanation, I must have been too tired to care as I outright said it letting it all go.
The pain went away when I called out softly weakly smiling, "Sil. I wanted to say, I..." Nothing but blissful silence along with comfort rivaling heaven itself came to float over my senses, "...I love you. There I said it, I loved you." Silence reined for seconds as I laughed tiredly knowing it'd been a delirious dream yet I felt more at peace now. I felt so much better, I loved her then and even now I questioned myself whether those feelings went away because of what happened. Sil was a monster, a monster I loved at first sight and she nearly killed me for being one altogether. What else was there to admit?
Warmth captured my mouth to cease all thought as I heard Sil's voice distantly reply, "Thank you." It was fleeting when air coursed inside pathways keeping myself alive, "I love you too, Alex. Thank you..." That sensation faded away whilst I imagined a face smiling so beautifully I cried out begging her to return, I wanted to say more! I wanted to keep talking to her, I wanted her back and silence reigned once more forever leaving me. Pushing forward I felt myself running through darkness, I ran with all my power and what was left.
I smashed through a barrier, or maybe my own guilt to feel absolutely calm. Frantically I called out to her one last time before something snapped, I looked around seeing nothing and hearing nothing as well. In mere moments my world went white as my vision exploded leaving nothing but an all consuming need to awaken. My eyes fluttered feeling lighter than air, I felt my body jerk around and arms fling forward powerfully uprooting what weight settled upon, I unleashed a howl of absolute rage at myself. And in that split moment both eyes opened revealing slits onto a world I had once seen as but a mere human.
End Chapter IX
Author's Note: This is what I call a writer's high, I'm literally unable to stop. I blame you damned people, I honestly do and I hope you're all ashamed to make a man such as myself possibly be late again for work! Oh, oh, oh I know pretend to be innocent and say you're not! Works every damned time, I tend to find enough PM's to sink a ship enough to motivate me to get something done, so thank you again for driving me into absolute zealous fun to get this story rocketing into something...different, I hope.
To those lost, confused and eerily entranced? Good, I hope you are all feeling unsure as to where this will go, I like that suspense. In the next chapters, or so I imagine you'll be revealed as to what happened, or rather how did 'Sil' seemingly appear and go. What caused such a violent, radical and uplifting change within a person who by all accounts should have been broken away. Let me assure you, if this was 'me' in this youngster's shoes, I'd have cried over and over again. The graphic detail of pain, injury and self-infliction would have broken me, I'm not a tough guy when it comes to matters of a heart, I'd say I'm more likely to agree with not throwing stones in a glass house type.
Regarding our dear other pursuers who are frantically searching for answers, you'll find out and they'll find out. Nothing is the same as the movie anymore, I wanted to depart from it's cheesy cult classic which is quite fun to watch still. I get a kick out of how simple yet smooth it transitions into everything, it's just a work of fun and absolute cheesy 90's moves which are pure gold by today's content. I think after the mid 2000's all the crap went from a diamond in the rough into complete bullshit. That's my opinion when growing up and watching that iconic Sci-Fi channel, I mean from that opening which still sends me nostalgic tears (Not Sy-Fy/bleh) when my imagination was allowed to wander, I found this site and now I have free reign to just do what I think is right.
Other than that, I must say I do feel we all need to understand any imagination can do wonders for us all.