Note: Well I really don't have the time to put up each individual chapter. I figured I'd upload it and have it on now for safe keeping. This is the rest of this story which will most likely under go some critical changes and revising in the near future.
-Nikki
Day 2: Let the Prey Run
I left out a slight yawn as I stirred in bed, the sun shining through the room. Slitting my eyes open I heard commotion and figured everyone was already up. Slipping out of the bed, my feet hitting the cold floor I pulled on some socks and wandered out, running a hand though my hair. "Okay, I need coffee." I muttered as I entered the living room finding the others sitting on the bench making a pot of coffee.
"Morning." Davis replied looking up to me as I walked in and collapsed on the recliner.
"Sleep well on the couch Davis?" I spat at him.
"Yeah, in fact I did." He replied rolling his eyes taking a sip of his coffee on the couch.
"Pass me some would yah?" I asked as Sully poured me a cup and passed it over.
Taking a large gulp I let the hot liquid flow down my dry throat. "So what's the schedule for today?"
"Two of us go down today around one, the other three tomorrow. We got to run some calls near Rich Moundville or something. See what's going on with the town." Faith explained lounging on the couch beside Davis.
"The towns full of people committing suicide. I don't think this is much of a case. It's more of a town gone insane." Cruz muttered in a cranky tone as she sipped her coffee.
"Anyone volunteers for today?" Faith asked looking at the group.
"I'll go. Rather get it over with." Davis said after a moment.
"Yeah me too." Sully jumped in.
"Fine, we get a day off then. Kick ass." I said standing up and open the sliding door to the small wooden porch off the side. "Check out these mountains." I said, Faith walks out with me. An ice cold breeze flows though the air.
"Damn, it must be nearly 40 degrees." Faith replied wrapping her arms around her.
"Yeah, really." I said though clenched teeth. "What a nice way to wake up in the morning." I muttered sarcastically before slipping back in the door.
"A little cold, don't yah think?" Cruz laughs at me as I head back into the hall.
"Just a tad, let's go take a walk or something. I saw a trail out the back." I replied before heading back into the bedroom and changed into a large hoodie and jeans.
Heading back into the living room I looked over everyone, "Who's coming?" I grinned when no-one said anything. "Come on!"
"I will." Faith volunteered standing up. "Let me go grab my jacket." She said and headed back into her room.
"Cruz? Davis? Sullivan?" I asked looking from one to the other.
"Fine." Cruz muttered standing up and heading down the hall. Davis and Sully shook their heads.
"We got to go down to town in a bit. I'm going to sit here, watch some of the news, and relax. No thanks." Davis replied. Sully nodded pouring himself another cup of coffee.
Heading out back though the kitchen and out the front door, I stood on the porch and waited, over looking the field that led to a patch of woods. It looked so serene. The only sound was the wind brushing along the trees and several birds chirping. It was so much different then New York City.
Faith walked stepped out on to the porch a minute or so later followed by Cruz.
"It took you two that long to find a jacket?" I chuckled at them heading down the steps on to the slate that left a small trail on to the driveway and down the hill. A small amount of the rocks left a small trail going up the hill, with several branches that crossed its path.
"Yeah well I wasn't expecting it to be this cold. I had to dig though to the bottom of my suit case." Faith replied following close behind.
The three of us walked up the trail, avoiding the low branches and finally arrived to the top, which overlooked the town. "I have never been someplace like this before." I commented as we came to the end of the path.
"Me either. It's pretty neat." Cruz replied as we gazed down the mountainside.
"I wonder where these woods bring us." Faith questioned as she headed off the trail into the woods.
"I'm not going in there." Cruz muttered crossing her arms around her.
"Come on. Are you scared?" I laughed at her following Faith.
"I'm not going to get lost. And there may be bears; and wolves. Sorry but I really don't feel like being eaten alive." She scowled at us.
"Live a little Ritza." I said back to her as we continued around the trees. She hesitated slightly but continued after us.
"We'll just walk straight and then turn back after a bit. Nothing's going to happen." Faith reassured her. We walked for about 15 minutes until we came to a small clearing. Trees were cut out around a circle and there was a small swing in the middle. It looked so lonely, swaying in the breeze.
"Isn't this a bit creepy?" Cruz commented shuddering as a cold breeze flew though the clearing.
"It's a swing Cruz." I laughed as Faith observed it for a second before sitting on it and swaying back and forth with a smile.
"In the middle of nowhere." Cruz continued. "Come on, let's go!" She said before turning around and heading back. I looked over to her and then to Faith who played a smirk on her face.
"She's scared." I coughed with a grin.
"AM NOT!" She yelled back, still walking.
Faith laughed as she continued higher into the air, staring at the sky. I leaned on a tree watching her for a moment, my hands in my hoodie trying to keep warm from the brisk air.
All of a sudden there was a large gust that made me shiver and I heard a fearful scream ripple though the air. I spun around, "Cruz?"
"BOSCO!" I heard her scream again and I broke into a run. I ran down the path we came from, jumping over the logs and dodging the branches. Cruz had vanished.
"Cruz!" I started to yell. The air went still suddenly and I felt a trickling feeling in my skin as I continued to run gasping for air.
I looked back to the clearing and stopped dead in my tracks. The swing was still and the bones of a skeleton sat on it. I let out a sharp scream and the image was gone. Faith was running towards me. Shaking my head, full of confusion and anxiety I spun back around as my body slammed into someone. Cruz fell backwards, her gaze glued to a large lump on the ground; surrounded by blood.
"What the hell is it?" I muttered, catching my breath, as Cruz grabbed on to my arm, her eyes locked on the motionless figure.
Faith caught up behind me, stopping dead in her tracks at the figure in front of us. Standing behind me I looked at her and then back to the thing. "It looks like a deer…" I said after a moment and couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
Cruz looked at me and punched me in the stomach, "Oh my god! It's not fucking funny you jerk!"
I cringed slightly and looked back to the figure.
"Well…it's dead, right?" Faith asked; her voice filled with tension.
Cruz who was now edged away from the lump, hovered in back of me, her hand covering her mouth disgusted. I took a stick a few feet away and poked it slightly not knowing what else to do. Nothing happened. I pushed it over so the deer was on its side. Faith fell backwards several feet along with Cruz. I moved away as thousands of worms crawled out of its stomach, wiggling in its blood.
"Oh gross…" I made a face. "It looks like it was skinned; and then butchered."
"Screw this! I'm going." Cruz replied and started back towards the trail. Faith followed close behind. Continuing after them I looked back at the figure and then away to the others, not able to get the vision out of my mind. We headed back to the cabin.
Day 2 Weird Occurrences
By the time we got back to the cabin, the truck was gone along with Sully and Davis. Cruz soon disappeared into the bathroom and Faith was in her room. I sat in the living room switching though the several TV channels we got on the Direct TV box. Flicking on the local news I watched as they showed down in town a recent suicide body found in Cobleskill's Lake.
Shuddering they showed the lady's face which appeared almost like it was burnt and the skin were gone. "Weird." I said to myself as I shut the channel off. I grabbed the coffee pot, ran some water in it, and started it for another batch.
Staring at the pot as it drizzled the coffee out, I couldn't seem to get the image of the skeleton on the swing, and the dead deer out of my head. Pouring three cups of coffee, I sipped mine, placed it on the table, and brought the other down the hall towards Faith's room. Knocking on the door I waited for a response.
"Yeah, come in."
I opened the door and looked around the room. Faith was sitting on the edge of the bed, reading a book, again. "Hey, you okay?" I asked he concerned and handed her the mug of brew. She took it was a thankful nod and took a sip.
"Yeah, just a little startled, that's all. I mean, it's not like you see that everyday." She told me with a half of smile.
"I know what you mean. You think we should tell the station? It looked like the deer didn't do that to itself…" I mused sitting on the edge alongside her.
"Yeah, maybe…" She paused, "I don't know though. It was weird… Hunters are up here a lot I heard, maybe a guy just shot it, skinned it for something, and left it."
"Wishful thinking, he wouldn't have left the meat to spoil." I replied to her staring at the rug. "Maybe it was sick of something. And that's why the guy didn't take it…It looked…diseased."
"Yeah." Faith replied quietly as silent tension fell over.
I stood up after a moment, "I'm going to go see if Cruz is alright." I said and headed out, closing the door behind me. Heading back down the hall to the left I knocked on the door to the bathroom. "Hey, you okay in there?"
"Yeah, I'm just taking a bath." I heard her reply and nodded.
Bored as hell I headed back into the lifeless living room and tossed myself on the recliner. Gazing out the window the breeze grew stronger judging by the long grass and trees.
Closing my eyes for a moment I laid my head back trying to clear my mind. When I reopened them my vision was drained into a red toned world. Blinking a few times the redness disappeared and everything was normal.
"Bos?" Faith called from her room.
"Yeah?" I yelled back really not wanting to get up again. My head felt heavy, like it was spinning.
"Can you come here?" Her voice sounded tense and nervous. I reluctantly got up and headed into her room.
"What's wrong?" I asked her. She remained silent staring at the mirror above the dresser, opposite her bed. "Faith?"
She blinks again and looks up to me, like she was just realizing I was standing in the doorway. "Look." She said after a moment and rolled up her right arm sleeve. Flipping her arm over, she revealed red bruises up along her wrist.
"What happened?" I asked her as I looked over the abnormal bruises.
"I-I don't know…when I got back here after the walk…I noticed it…" She said her voice a bit shaky.
"It's probably just a rash or something." I reassured her with a nod. "Does it hurt?" She nodded. "Ill get you some ice…" I said before heading into the kitchen and grabbing a few ice cubes and wrapped them in paper towel. Walking back into her room I handed her them and she placed it on her wound.
Her eyes looked worried, "You don't think this has anything to do with that deer…do you?"
I shook my head, even though there was a small part of me who was doubtful. "Nah, there's no way…"
"But…Bosco, maybe that deer was sick or something…and we came to close to it…" She continued as I shook my head.
"No…don't think about it. You probably brushed it on that rusty swing or something. It's fine..." I muttered trying to change the subject.
"Alright," She said, rolled her sleeve down and went back to her book, only I can tell her mind was elsewhere.
I headed out of her room and into the back room which I and Cruz shared. Sitting on the edge I rubbed my head wearily. My head felt like it was in a daze. Laying back I closed my eyes. I heard the bathroom door open several minutes later, opened my eyes, and found Cruz in the doorway drying her hair. She held a worried expression on her face as she laid on the bed next to be in her white robe.
"What? What's wrong?" I asked her quickly.
"Huh? Nada…" She said her face turning emotionless as she looked away from me and out the window.
"You look like something's wrong." I argued with her sitting up, "Really…Cruz."
"Nothing!" She snapped at me, her teeth clenched. "I'm fine." She insisted before standing up. I could tell something had happened. "You mind? I want to get dressed."
I gave her a funny look; one filled with confusion and stood up. "You can tell me…" I said softly. She didn't move nor react in anyway. "Fine." I muttered and walked out, closing the door behind me.
I hadn't realized it but there were tears building in my eyes. I wanted it to stop
It wouldn't though.
The clock was ticking away.
Tick Tock. Tick Tock.
I lost track of the days. The time. It felt I was in this hospital for years and yet I found out, it was only my second month since the incident that left me for dead.
Dead to the world.
I rather would be dead. I tried my hardest to die. It didn't work.
"Officer, have you been seeing things?" The lady suddenly said breaking the silence; Breaking my stare at the floor; the bloody floor; that thick stench of blood.
"I told you. Damnit." I curse as I close my eyes tight trying to make the wolf that growls in front of me go away.
"Please." I whimper as I hold my legs tight in a ball.
The wolves glowing red eyes stare at me as it bears its teeth. Its bloody teeth; the teeth that sunk into her skin.
"It won't go away. The wolf." I whisper even though the lady can obviously not hear me.
Now they surely think I'm insane. Maybe that's the truth though. Maybe it was always there, waiting for a chance to break free.
"Officer Boscorelli, there is no wolf." She says after a moment. I open my eyes and the diseased wolf is lying on the floor, covered in blood. Her blood. It's dead. Finally.
"I told you. It's the infection. We all drank the water. They all died." I hiss at her as I walk back over to the table behind my chair.
"Sit down Officer." She replies calmly.
I sit but not before staring at the letters that are written in blood.
F-E-V-E-R.
"Except me." I whisper.
"What?" She asks me turning her ear in my direction.
Nothing. Fuck it.
I shrug it off acting like its nothing. I know that this will never go away. "The walls… they never stop bleeding…" I reply with a heavy sigh.
"The walls aren't bleeding Officer. You're hallucinating." She tells me.
"I'm going to die in here." I trace my index finger over the words, "Fever. I have the fever and I'm going to die in here."
The lady remains silent.
"There going to fucking let me die in here!" I yelled slamming my fists on the table before getting up. Walking back over to the wall I pace a few times.
Back and forth.
"I'm dead anyway." I muttered as I take my index finger again and trace it over the wall writing the letters, F-A-I-T-H in my blood. My hands never stop bleeding. It use to. For a day or so. Now it doesn't stop.
The worm never stops eating my flesh.
After I complete Faith's name in blood I move on to the next wall. I can feel the lady's stares at me. "What are you doing?"
"Shut up. I'm busy." I scowl at her. She remains silent, watching me attentively. I head to the wall where the small door is and write D-A-V-I-S. Then to the next where I write, S-U-L-L-Y and then to the last and I write C-R-U-Z. After I admire my bloody artwork I walk back to the middle of the room where I sit back down in my chair.
"Faith, Davis, Sully, Cruz." I recite. "Faith, Davis, Sully, Cruz. Take a note of that too why don't yah?"
She obeys me and scribbles something in her notes.
"You know, when you get like me, they don't feed you. They only give you these pills that only make you worse and some water. They poison you when you get to be like me." I tell her leaning over the table. She looks frightened.
I hear loud cries ring in my ears. I cover them with my hands but it does no good.
Faith is crying now.
She got really sick. Really sick.
Not like the others.
She got the most painful death.
"It ate her skin away slowly, until there was nothing left." I exclaimed. I stood up for about the fifth time and walked back over to the wall where her name was written and sat down. My eyes closed and I dug my nails into my arms, letting the blood run freely to the floor.
Day 2- Your Skin That Boils
I sat around the table with Davis, Sully, and Cruz. Faith was in her room resting. Picking at the rice on my plate I took a sip of water.
"We got a second call which ended up to be a car wreck only it wasn't like anyone I ever saw before. The lady who was driving was okay but her son was D.O.A. His skin was burnt so badly after the car ignited but some how the lady got out of the car with a mild burn." Davis explained.
"Oh what a story to tell when we are eating." I muttered.
Cruz just took a sip of her water and stared down at her plate. I knew something was wrong.
"Too bad, but listen, it gets better. The lady was saying something about a doctor. How it was his fault that her son died. She seemed a little Looney, ya know? But she seemed so scared. Turns out they were rushing to the hospital because her son came down with some fever thing. She started telling some tale about this doctor that killed his wife, injected her with a toxic disease that deteriorated her skin and left her for dead." Davis chuckled.
At that I choked on my water. Cruz looked up quickly. Davis looked at us, "what?"
"We found a deer…in the woods…it looked like it had no skin." I replied. "What a weird coincidence." I said and added a nervous chuckle looking to Cruz who went pale and looked like she was going to be sick.
"Really? She said that the spirit lives in the Catskills, preying on anyone who crosses her woods by killing certain animals and people as an act of revenge." Davis continued, "What a story. This town is full of weirdoes, I'm telling yah."
"She seemed pretty sincere though. It was strange. Mrs.…Adams. Her husband had committed suicide a few weeks ago. They live down the road in a small cabin." Sully replied in between bites of his Chinese chicken. I looked down at my food with a nod and no longer felt hungry.
Davis and Sully continued to eat as Cruz and I sat there, exchanging weird expressions. "I'm going to go check on Faith." I said excusing myself and standing up, heading out of the kitchen and down the hall. Knocking on Faith's door I heard no response. "Faith?"
Listening for a moment I slit it open slowly. Faith lay on her bed, her eyes closed, motionless.
Walking to her bedside I sat on the edge of the bed, brushing my hand along her cheek. "Faith? You okay?" I asked her concerned. The heat from her skin struck my hand and I pulled back as she opened her eyes slowly.
"Huh? Oh…Bos…" She said her voice weak as she tried to sit up.
"No, lay down. What's wrong?" I asked her quickly.
"I-I don't feel well. I think I'm coming down with something." She replied with a hoarse cough.
"You feel like you have a fever. Want me to get you some aspirin and water?" I asked her looking her over. She looked abnormally pale, her skin moist in a fever.
"Yah…would yah do that for me?"
"Yeah sure…I'll be right back." I told her before disappearing out the door and heading back into the kitchen. Cruz is gone and only Davis and Sully remain at the table exchanging jokes.
"I think Faith has a fever." I said quietly digging though a small bag, finding the bottle of Advil and grabbing a cup off the table before running it under the faucet.
Davis and Sully look up, both fall silent. "Maybe she's coming down with the flu or something. A few people at work had it." Davis broke the silence.
"Yeah…maybe." I replied, my voice distant. "Where's Cruz?"
"Went for a walk. Why? You two got it for each other?" Sully cracks with a chuckle and guzzled his glass of water.
"Mature…" I spat, "Really mature Sullivan." I muttered as I continue back to Faith's room.
Gazing around the room, Faith sat up in bed as I placed the glass of water on her nightstand and handed her the bottle. "You need anything else?"
She shook her head trying to smile, but she failed. "That's fine. Thanks Bosco."
"I'll be here if you need me. I'm going to go outside for a minute but Ill be here." I nodded as I watched her toss the pills in her mouth and take a swig of the water.
Heading out I passed Davis and Sully who were now chatting like normal and walked out the porch. It was just getting dark, around 8, and the breeze was colder. The temperature had dropped about 20 degrees or so since we had taken the walk earlier. I wished I brought my hat and gloves. Walking down the porch steps I walked around the truck and down the small hill leading to the field, ducking under the few pine trees which hid the house.
Slipping my hands into my hoodie trying to escape the bitter frost bite, I spotted Cruz sitting in the grass, gazing over the mountain. Rubbing my hands together trying to get them warm I walked over. "Are you going to tell me what's up?" I questioned her making her jump slightly.
"What?" She asked a confused expression. "Oh…nothing," She muttered looking away from me as I sat down next to her.
"You suck at lying. Even I'm better then that," I chuckled trying to lighten the mood a bit. I failed.
After a moment she broke her stare from the mountains and looked to me. I watched her as her hands gathered her long hair down her back and pushed it to the side. "Look." She murmured.
Gazing at the back of her neck, I grinded my teeth nervously; "That's the same thing Faith had on her arm."
Cruz remained silent dropping her hair, letting it sway over her shoulders. The air was still and the only sound was our breathing. "Something doesn't seem right. I want to go back. I don't want to stay here."
"We can't just leave…this is probably some weird rash…its nothing." I swallowed hard trying to stay positive, even though the pit in my stomach told me I was wrong.
She looked back out into the distance silence filling the air once again.
"Let's go inside. I'm freezing." I said after a minute in a daze, staring at the mountain, rubbing my arms. I looked over to Cruz who was shaking like a leaf, "Come on."
"It's not cold…" She said after a moment looking up at me as I stood.
"Sure it's not." I smiled down at her offering my hand. Cruz gave me a puzzled look before pulling herself up by my hand.
"Whatever you say," She muttered. Putting my arm around her waist, and when she didn't pull back from me, I kissed the top of her head softly, but before I knew it, our lips were locked and her hands were on my cheeks and then on my neck. Parting after a moment she pulled away from me, a panicked expression on her face. My eyes met her bloody hands that she held up in front of me.
"What? What the fuck?!" I cursed loudly as I grabbed her wrists before she went to run, tears fighting to fall from her eyes, only she wouldn't allow them. She stared at me in a daze with a fearful expression. "Cruz!" I yelled making her snap back to reality.
"Your…your face." She whispered, her voice shaking. Letting go of her she stared into space, dread written across her face. "We should have never come here…" She said close to tears.
Before getting a chance to say anymore I broke into a run towards the house. Ducking over the trees and spinning around the car, I ran up the wooden steps and crashed though the door, not stopping until I reached the bathroom. Davis and Sully stood up from their seats at the table at the commotion as Cruz ran in after me, blood coated her hands.
Racing into the bathroom, I stopped in my tracks at my reflection. The red rash was all over my cheekbones and my neck was coded with a fresh coat of blood. I touched it lightly with my fingers and flinched in a pain. Grabbing a paper towel I ran it under the water and blotted it gently around the torn area. I couldn't believe what was happening. I didn't want to. Cruz stood in the doorway; her hands covered her mouth in shock. I stared at her in the mirror, our eyes locked. She tore her gaze away and disappeared behind the doors.
My hands were over my bloody face, my vision turned red and I started to hear cries again. This time they weren't Cruz's or Faith's but my own. My head was spinning and I slammed my head backwards into the padded wall. The wolf was back alive and sitting in the corner, directly under Cruz's name.
"I know this is hard for you. Losing 4 of your fellow officers, were you all close?" The lady asked me, her voice sounded as sincere as possible. I didn't speak up. This was her job. She didn't care about me. She was getting paid by the hour
I was sitting in the woods staring at the dead deer. I had left. Davis was sick on the couch, Cruz was crying in her room, and Faith was passed out.
I was the only one who didn't get too bad until the end. Until I tried to end it all but failed. That time when I lost all will to live and jumped into Suicide Lake. It didn't do any good though. I was stupid; I did it in the middle of the day.
"Were you close?" The lady repeated herself.
"Screw you!" I said loudly at her as I came crashing back to reality standards. Slamming my head back again against the wall the wolf lounged at me, trying to rip my throat. I felt a sharp pain and it recoiled, licking its bloody snout.
"Boscorelli, it's a simple question." She was taunting me now.
"Bosco. Call me Bosco would yah?" I muttered my voice twisted in a rage of anger and pain as I clutched my throat. "I'm bleeding. It won't stop bleeding! Please. Can you help me?" I watched her expression turn worried as I let out a loud chuckle releasing my grip on my throat.
I liked doing this to her; making her squirm. "The walls are seeping of blood. Do you see there names? Do you see all the blood that coats my fingers and face? My skin is gone." I say after a moment.
She remains silent, blinking at me. "Officer…"
I started to entwine my fingers is one another, trying to keep focus on the present. It didn't work though, and I went spinning back into my endless head.
Day 2 The Dark of The Moon
I sat in the living room, trying to focus my mind on the sport game that was showing. No-body seemed to care though. Cruz was in her room and so was Faith. Sully sat on the recliner, staring at the TV though I don't think he was paying much attention. Davis was lying on the couch with his hand over his forehead. He wasn't looking so hot.
"Davis, you alright over there?" I asked him after a moment. He looked over to me, across the room.
"Yeah…I'm just not feeling all too well…I think it was that Chinese." Davis made up an excuse. He too had visible burnt skin along his arm.
"There has to be an explanation to this…" Sully muttered.
I nodded slightly, still in a hell of a load of shock. Sully was the only one who had no symptoms. I stood up after a moment and headed out into the hall. Looking into Faith's room, she laid on the mattress, her eyes shut.
Her face looked lost and painful as I walked in and sat by her bed side. The cuts on her arm were now much deeper and had spread to her elbow. She was bleeding freely and I grabbed the towel that was on the side and wrapped it tightly. She didn't stir or wake up. Figuring it was best if she got her rest I stood up and headed out, closing the door.
Knocking lightly on Cruz's door before entering I found her sitting on the bed, her arms around her knees, staring out the window. "Do you hear that? The wolves…" She muttered sensing me in the doorway.
Sitting on the bed beside her, I followed her gaze out the window. I heard nothing but the water heater running in the bathroom and the game on in the other room. I didn't say anything. Placing my arms around her I let her fall on to my chest where she broke down into hysterical cries, those that were silent, and those that had been waiting to fall for so long.
Rocking her in my arms, I kissed the top of her head and leaned mine on hers. Within an hour, Cruz was asleep in my arms. Leaning back on to the bed, bringing her with me, I closed my eyes as everything became an eerie silence, and the clock struck midnight. The scent of blood, lingered in my nose.
Day 3- Fever
I awoke the next morning, once again by the light that leaked though the windows. Letting out a small groan, my head felt heavy and feverish as I looked down at Cruz who was still asleep in my arms. I slipped away from her and out of the bed and started into the quiet living room.
Davis was asleep on the couch, pale as ever. My stomach did a flip flop as blood trickled down her temple. I knew we had to get help. Looking into Sully's room, he was no where in sight.
Walking in I looked over his dresser. Everything was gone beside a small white note. I read it to myself.
Everyone is sick. Davis is bad. So is Faith. I went into town to get help. I'm not feeling all too dandy myself. I took the truck. It's 5:30am. Ill be back if I can. Pray for the best.
Sullivan
"If I can? Pray for the best?!" I said angrily. "That son of a bitch left us! That son of a bitch left us here to die!" I spat tossing the note at the wall as tears fought to fall down my cheeks. I wouldn't allow that to happen. I had to be strong. Turning out of his room, Davis was still passed out and as I got closer, I could see more and more blood that surrounded his head. I hoped to god he wouldn't wake up, for his sake.
Searching around the living room and kitchen I could find no phone. My cell was dead. Davis and Cruz didn't have one. Faith was the only one who had hers. It had worked the night they arrived, would it still? Slipping into her room, my eyes landed on Faith. Blood coated her arm.
"Oh shit!" I cursed loudly. Her temples were now drenched in blood and the shirt she wore, had splatter all over it.
My heart beat got faster and my breathing quickened. I had to get help; now. I didn't think Sully was coming back. Searching though the drawers I finally found Faith's cell. Switching it on the battery blinked dead and NO SERVICE showed on the sign. "No…no…no!" I cried before tossing the phone back on to the floor. Leaning over the bed I shook her gently, her heat radiant pulsing though her body, "Faith…" I said.
Her eyes flickered open slowly before she let out a weak cough, blood drizzling out of her mouth. I bit my lip, "Faith…listen to me…please…Faith…" I begged her, my hands on her shoulders. Patches of my skin was now gone from my hands.
Faith blinked at me several times trying to comprehend who I was. "Boz…" She said after a moment.
I nodded with a small hopefully grin. "Yah, Faith…it's me…you need to hold on. I need to go find help…Sully…he's gone. He took off. Davis is on the couch…he's not good. Cruz is in her room. I'm going to go walk…try to find someone that can help us." I paused. "I just need you to hold on." Tears started to trickle down my cheeks as I tried desperately to brush them away. Wrapping the sheets around her body I stared at her, "I need you to keep these tight around you…to stop the bleeding…you're not too bad though…"
She managed a nod. I went to leave when I heard her speak, "Bosco…What's going on?" She cried salty tears of pain and fear fell down her pale face. "I just…I just want to go home. I want to see Fred…and Em…and Charlie…" She was hysterically crying now. This killed me.
"I-I- don't know…I need to get help…please...Faith. Hold on." I told her and left her room, closing the door not knowing what more to say to her. I lowered my head. I had no idea what I was going to do. Fear rippled though me. Heading back into the living room I looked down at Davis.
"Ty…" I hissed softly. He opened his eyes after a moment.
"Ugh…man…that Chinese was really bad…" He muttered before sitting up. His hand went to his head and then to his face. "Oh shit."
"It's not the damn Chinese!" I yelled loudly, anger towering over my head.
"You don't look to good man…" Davis replied standing up.
"Yeah…I know. Sully…he left. The bastard left us!" I yelled as I headed into the kitchen.
"What? Sully? Why? He wouldn't take off…" Davis said his eyes in shock as he followed me.
"Go read the note in his room. He left at dawn! It's about 8 and he's not back." I scowled. "He isn't coming back."
Davis looked at me in shock.
"Fuck him. Listen…we need to get help. Okay? Faith is really bad. Cruz is alright for now…but we need to get help." I said staring at him.
"It's about 10 miles until town…We will all be dead by the time we get there if the truck is gone…" Davis replied.
"I know! I know! But maybe we can find a house or something…god, we have to try. I'm not about to sit around and wait until we all drop dead. I can't let that happen." I explain. "Grab your gun and let's go."
"And leave the girls?" Davis asked quickly as I headed down the hall
"There's no way Faith can get up. Cruz is going to have to stay here…and help her. We can't leave her alone." I mutter back continuing down the hall into Cruz's room.
She's gone.
"Cruz?"
Silence.
She couldn't have left. Me and Davis would have seen her. "Maritza?!" I yell as I head out and into the living room.
Davis walks in looking confused, "What happened?"
"She's gone. Cruz?!" I continue to yell. Within another minute I hear screaming coming from the bathroom. She's crying. Screaming my name. I look at Davis and we break into a run down the hall.
Opening the door I find her sitting on the floor, her hands over her face. "It won't go away! The blood! Bosco! It won't go away!" She's screaming this.
"The walls…there coming in…there coming in on me!" Hysterical tears fall freely from her eyes as I kneel in front of her. Pealing her hands away from her face, her skin is pale. It was now like porcelain, the bronze healthy look of her skin was now gone.
Blood was all over her hands and legs, dripping on the floor. The shower curtain was stained of blood along with the floor and mirror. 5 letters were formed on the mirror in blood, 'Fever'.
I took her into my arms and stood up as she continued to cry about the wolves. "There right there! Don't you see them?"
I knew that she's hallucinating. Turning to Davis, who was shocked standing in the doorway staring at the written artwork on the mirror, I spoke softly to her trying to get her to calm down. "Cruz…we are going to get help. You're going to stay here with Faith. Okay?"
"No! No! You can't leave me. Please! Don't let them kill me!" She cried on to my shoulder. I walked back into her room; a sad expression coaxed her face. I felt like dieing. Just laying down on the bed and dieing. I knew that wasn't an option. Sitting her on the bed, her arms still around my neck and reassured her everything was going to be okay, even though I knew it wasn't.
Stroking her hair she finally calmed down and passed out, her fever reaching the limit. Her moist, sweat and blood drenched skin burnt mine to the touch. Mine was rising. I knew it. And I had to do something before I lost the will. Turning to Davis in the doorway, I crawled out of the bed before leaving a tender kiss on her parted lips and headed out. I never reckoned I would be looking at her and Faith alive, for the last time.
Day 3- The Prey Will Be Hunted
"I can't believe he left us…" Davis muttered as we headed down the drive way path besides the woods. "He was like a father to me…the father I never had." He added with a sigh, his pistol loaded at his side.
"Yeah well it shows how much someone cares about you in times like this." I mutter in an unfriendly tone just thinking about Sully, my grip tightened around my gun. We hadn't walked too far as an icy breeze brushed though the area. I flinch and try to hide my wounded skin on my hand and neck in my hoodie.
"What's that over there?" Davis questioned, his eye caught on something in the woods.
"Looks like some lake. Forget it, lets keep-" I continued but stopped as Davis edged into the woods.
"Damnit! Davis, we have to keep going!" I yelled furiously after him. I took a deep breathe and followed after him. My yelling didn't see to place a dent in his hard head.
Davis walked towards the tip of the water. To the left was a small sign, "Mountain Reservoir." He read it out loud.
"Come on. It's a god damn water hole. Who the hell-"I stop dead in my tracks as I gaze down into the water, several feet away from Davis. I saw a flash of a human skeleton floating in the water, but as I got closer I noted it wasn't a human but a wolf.
Blood surrounded the animal, contaminating the inky water. Staring at it for a moment I held back an urge to vomit as flies gathered around the creature, saturated in its blood. The wolf's skin was gone, leaving the muscles and organs still in place. My eyes met my hand, one that was now stinging like hell, from the loss of flesh.
Davis threw up suddenly and headed into the woods without another word. We had drank that water; all of us. Faith, Davis, Cruz, Sully, and me. Whatever was in that wolf, that disease that killed it, we took into our bodies voluntarily.
I pulled my eyes away from the stomach turning image and headed back into the woods. "Davis?" I called my tone soft. I was scared if I yelled too loudly, I was going to throw up. "Davis?"
I heard a growling from the distance and then a howl. "DAVIS?!" I screamed and spun around startled as a bird flies out of the tree above me. My hearing suddenly becomes much more vibrant and alert; I hear a twig break, a wolf's growls, and someone stutter backwards over a log. I break into a run towards the road.
It's too late though. I hear Davis's screams for help and everything turns into slow motion as I race towards the road, my gun raised in front of me. Tripping over something I fall forward, on to my stomach, my face in the dirt. I can't breathe. My head aches like a bitch and I just feel like laying here to die. My fever is rising. I know it. I can feel my blood boiling in my veins, waiting for my skin to disappear so it can come running out like a small stream.
Everything has suddenly turned into different hues of red and black. I blinked but it doesn't go away. I pulled myself on to my feet, as something shiny caught my eye. His pistol lies over the dirt, unharmed. I start to walk forward several feet and that's when I start to see the blood smeared across the bark. More blood, smeared across the dirt trail. Patches of the material from his shirt lays torn on the ground. My hand clutched my stomach as I spotted him on the ground, the wolf hutched over him, enjoy the meal. The large dog looked at me, licking his licks, as I aimed my .38 pistol and shot it two times.
The wolf fell to the ground after letting out a sharp cry in pain. My eyes fall back to Davis. Leaning over him, I check his pulse. Letting out a heavy sigh I leave him there, laying in his blood, and start back up the road towards the cabin.
My body was shaking now and my head felt like it was going to roll off my shoulders. I still had the fever. It was quite obvious. The lady just continued to stare at me, like usually, taking notes in her notebook or file, whatever she had.
I stared at the blood on the floor and watched it pour from my skinless hands.
I was slowly dieing away in these flashbacks, and yet, I wanted to go back in hope to change the past. Unfortunately it was impossible to control yourself, since the cause of this was the fever. It was mental. I can see why I think I am insane. No-one would believe a jack ass cop.
"You don't see it. Unless you have it, unless you have the fever." I curled my lips into a hiss and leaned my head back on the wall.
"Don't see what?" She asks automatically.
"The blood. The sickeness. The pain. The fear. You can't see what's really in this room. The floors are drenched in blood. The skin is now gone from my hands and arms. Soon I'll be dead. But no. You can't see the truth. You can't." I continued motionless as my eyes rolled in the back of my head and all faded away.
Day 3 Emptiness Of The Soul
I walked up the hill to the house, the house that's hidden from the world. My vision returned to normal, finally. I'm all out of ideas for what to do.
All I want is to wake up and for this all to be some nasty dream. I want to wake up in my sunny apartment and maybe even Cruz at my side. Then I'd give anything to work beat cop with Faith and have another boring day riding around in our RMP. Hell, I'd love to see Christopher for crying out loud.
But I know that nothing is going to chance.
I trudged up the steps slowly. I could feel the fever starting to eat my energy away as I head through the dark kitchen and into the hall. A trail of blood streams down the white tiled floor. Bloody hand prints coat the wall, I feel like screaming. Turning into Faith's room I open the door slowly.
She looks so weak; so pale; so life-less. I move to her side and sit down, not caring that the sheets are drenched full of blood.
Tears are streamed down her porcelain cheeks and dried blood is caked along her lip line. I brush the back of my hand gently along her hair. She had been gone for a while now; her skin is ice cold to the touch.
The fever had fleeted her body.
I sat on her bed staring at her for several minutes, observing her face which was twisted into a serene expression. Her face which was once so beautiful was now torn and scared, patches of skin missing on her neck, under her left temple, and chin. Standing up I wiped my eyes and looked at her for the last time.
My partner.
My faith.
I took a deep breathe and headed back out into the bloody hall. Heading into the back bedroom, in search for Cruz, my foot prints became one in the blood. Slipping into the room, which was so dark, my vision blurred again, flickering in reds and then normal once again.
She laid on the bed, hutched over on her side, a blanket soaked of her moist blood seeped through the cover. I walked over to her slowly and knelt on the floor, leaning over the bed staring at her, my hand on her cheek. Her skin had turned a grayish blue now, as I placed my hand and cupped her cheek.
Several small patches along her neck and temples were skinless along with her skeleton like fingers that gripped the ends of the blanket. She was burning hot. The fever was taking over her body. My hand fell down to her neck as I found a weak pulse. She was hardly breathing.
Cruz stirred slightly as her eyes slit open, a glazed cover over them. She stared at me for a moment, a confused look on her face. I was pretty sure she didn't know what was going on. And I was glad. "It's okay…" I said softly to her and tried to offer her a grin, I failed.
Her lips parted as she tried to speak, not much but a draft of air escaping. "Shh…"
"Boz." She croaked her throat dry. "I didn't think I would die like this."
"You aren't going to die." I told her biting my lip. Her chances weren't all too well.
"I always thought, I'd get shot or something. Ya know? I never got to find him. I never found him for Lettie." She cried to me, tears leaking though her eyes.
"It's okay. Ill be back…" I told her my hands running along her hair as my lips found hers for the last time. I stood up and head to the door. I would have to try and find some ice. Maybe it would be able to keep her temperature from increasing, though I doubted it could get much higher.
"Do you see it?" I heard her whisper. I turned back to her, a frown coded my face. "The blood?" She coughed as a stream of blood trickled out of her mouth. I nodded to her slightly, tears leaking from my eyes, and headed out.
I walked to the kitchen, my breathing shallow, and my head burning. I grabbed a towel out of the closet and ran it under cool water. What would more water do? I didn't know. Nor care anymore, she was gone.
I stared out the window for a few seconds in visioning us getting out of the truck that night, all excited and happy to be here. Look what this trip had done to us. Two were dead, two were near, and if god damn Sully had survived, I don't know what I would do to him if I ever saw him again.
Pulling my head out of the trance I rung the wash cloth out and headed back down the hall, entering Cruz's death room. Kneeling back on the floor I observed her motionless body. Her face looked peaceful as I applied the cloth to her forehead. She didn't respond. My two fingers reached to her neck and I let go of the cloth, and watched it as it feel to the floor. Falling back, leaning on the dresser in back of me, I wept for my three fellow officers.
Day 3 Saying Goodbye
I covered Faith and Cruz's body with a clean sheet and sat in the living room for quite a while. I didn't do anything. Just sat there and thought about everything. I knew what I had to do. I wasn't going to wait around and watch myself die a slow and painful death like Faith and Cruz had done. I just wished I could have helped them.
I walked out of the cabin and closed the door behind me, for the last time. Making my way down the slate path I continued towards the road. I started to walk. I knew where I was headed. I didn't know how far I was going to be able to walk but I had an objective.
As I walked I could feel my skin peeling away. I bit my lip in extreme pain which just caused the flesh to break. I tasted my own blood. As I past the reservoir I was no longer alone.
Faith and Cruz were at my side, both looked normal. There was no more blood. No more suffering or pain showed in there faces. And then I heard voices in back of me. Sully and Davis were chatting together like everything was fine. Both with a grin on there faces. I could see Faith out of the corner of my eye smiling.
"The fever is never going to break." She started as I looked over to her in question, "But you know that well, don't you?" She questioned me. Her voice comforted me as we continued to walk.
I nodded weakly to her. "Yeah…"
"You can fight this thing." Cruz's voice rang into my head as I looked over to her. She stared straight ahead into the woods.
I shook my head, "No…no I can't." My voice was dry. I swallowed a lump in the back of my throat. I knew they weren't really here. I was hallucinating.
I didn't seem to care.
"You can." I heard her mutter at me. I didn't know what more to say. "You will." She said to me as we all continued to walk.
Everyone became silent as I spotted a car on the side of the road, smashed into a tree on the side. It was our truck. I walked over curiously. Sully was dead. His skin was gone, I cringed at the site. I felt a hand on my shoulder and the image of Sullivan nodded to me with a frown.
I looked down the hill and spotted my destination, the still lake, with murky water, surrounded by trees. I felt so weak now. All my energy was gone along with most of my skin. As the icy air continued to blow it felt like a lighter brushing along my flesh. I flinched but didn't stop walking. When I didn't think I could make it much longer I felt Faith to my left take her hand. Cruz had her arm around my waist.
"You don't have to do this, Boz." Faith told me as she looked at me fearfully.
"You aren't going to change my mind." I said with a cough. A hot liquid rolled down my chin. I didn't stop it.
As I approached the surface of the lake I closed my eyes for a moment. They were all gone now. Cruz, Faith, Sully, and Davis; their images had left me.
My head pounded heavily, my heart raced, and my breathing became shallow. I stood there until I couldn't stand much longer. Taking one last breathe of this world I jumped into the surface, sinking underneath the water as it took me in as one.
My body sunk to the bottom. When I stopped moving I took a gulp of the water, making my lungs collapse under the pressure; the bloody water. It wasn't painful though, my body was numb. I closed my eyes after a minute and let reality fall away.
I choked on the blood that surfaced in my mouth at that last thought. My eyes remained closed as I let a single tear sail down my cheek.
"Now do you understand why you were here?" The lady asked me all of a sudden.
My eyes opened immediately at this comment and I found my footing, leaning on the wall. "I do."
She nodded to me; a small smile crept on her lips. "So Officer, you understand what has been happening to you?"
Everything was in a blur for the next minute. I saw Faith dead on the bed, Davis ripped apart in the woods, Sully's body leaned over the driver's wheel, and then Cruz tucked into a ball on the bed. The last image was of me. I jumped into the lake. It all became so much clearer.
"Would you like me to show you?" The lady broke my stare at the wall, covered in blood, seeping down from the corners.
I shook my head repeatedly. "No…no please. No…it's not true…it's not!" I yelled at the top for my lungs at her but she didn't give me a choice.
Standing up the doors opened behind her and two large men walked in. I started to kick, to scream and cry I needed to get away from them. "No! No! But I can't be…I can't be dead." I cried in a harsh tone as they dragged my out of the room into the blinding white hall.
The rooms were glass, like a reflective mirror on both sides. I saw them. I saw them all. Sitting on the floor in there padded room, crying, screaming to get out. All the rooms had names written on the wall in blood. Only, this time there name was gone and my name was in place.
It all started to click and I realized that I was the one who was dead. I was the only one who was killed. And I was killed that night that we were driving on the thruway. I had crashed the truck and the deer had killed me. Everything else was my own hell. They were all alive. But see, there was something in that deer, something that the doctor's wife had injected in it. The deer was sick and they were all exposed to its blood in the crash. They had gotten sick. But they didn't die.
I watched as I passed each room. Faith was sitting in the chair with a doctor in front of her. Cruz was in the corner, her head in her hands, crying. Davis was staring at the ceiling, one that was dripping of blood. And Sully was asleep on the floor.
My world was flipped upside down and suddenly it all made sense. I was back in my room. You know the padded one. Blood was all over and I was crying. My skin is gone and there's not much left. I curl myself into a ball and scream for help, screaming about the blood. The blood that no-one can see. The screams that no-one can ever hear.
*~*~*~*~**~*~*~~*~*~**~*~**~*~*~~ OTHER ENDING FOR THOSE WHO ARE PUZZLED =)
I choked on the blood that surfaced in my mouth at that last thought. My eyes remained closed as I let a single tear sail down my cheek. My head back against the wall I ran a hand over my face before reopening my glossy eyes.
"If you have nothing more to say, I think I should be going." The lady replied watching my still for a moment. She went to stand when I spoke up.
"There's something's that no-one will understand or believe. You have to see it to believe it. You will never be able to see the blood." I paused and fell silent for a moment as she stood "You will never see how sick I am until I'm dead." I whisper. "The fever is going to kill me." The lady looks frightened and I let out a harsh chuckle. "It's sad. But true. I will die in here." I tell her after a moment, with a frown.
The lady's face turns blank but doesn't respond. Just picks up her folder, and punches in a code on the door. It opens and closes and she disappears.
The sound of her high heels hitting against the hard floor in the hall
Click. Click. Click.
I bring my knees close to my body as I'm alone, once again. Crunching into a ball close to the wall the hallucinations come back slowly. I see the growling wolf and his bloody fangs on the other side of the room, and Davis's gun in the corner.
I feel blood trickle down my skin and I start to cry. Silent tears of pain and sorrow. The bleeding never stops anymore. My skin is gone and there's not much left. I scream for help a lot not, trying to escape being alone even though I no-one never comes.
I scream about the blood.
The blood that no-one can see. The screams that no-one can ever hear.