Chapter Seventeen:
A/N: I wanted my fic to be a bit like FFIX in that there are several hidden references to other games and stories. However, I really stepped out of my element on this chapter and tried to emulate a movie's dialogue. And, should you not know where it comes from, you probably aren't a big zombie fan. (Hint: listen to the hysterical woman)
Gullwing Yunie: You really think that I'm that good in my descriptions? I always look at them and see where they can be improved. Hmm... Must be one of those things where nobody is ever happy with what they do.
Rakunya: I don't have any plans for killing Tessa (though my other OCs don't have the same promise), so feel free to use her. As for my grammar, I used spell check about 8,000 times. It's stuck on Canadian, though, so my words are going to be "centre" instead of "center," and "colour" instead of "color." Still it looks right to me. As for the blonde being Elena, look at the clues...
Sorry about the rambling, here's the story!
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"What's going on?" Tessa asked as she ran into the car, thankful that the blonde woman hadn't hurt her legs. "What happened?"
"M-my husband," a woman wailed as she pointed at a door to a cabin. The woman was covered with blood and her eyes were wide with paranoia. "He's killing him!"
Rinoa was kneeling next to the woman and looked up at Tessa. "You're a medic, take care of her. I'll see what's happening."
Tessa nodded and knelt next to the woman as Rinoa stood up and edged to the door. The woman looked up at Tessa and gasped, "He got you, too!"
"I'm afraid that this was done by a woman," Tessa said. "It's okay, though. Tell me what happened, will you?"
"We were eating in the dining car. We came back and when we went into our room, he grabbed me! He tore at me!" the woman screamed. "I screamed Johnny, help me, Johnny! Johnny fought him and I got scared and ran away."
"It's okay, don't worry," Tessa said. "But did he hurt you?"
"We should get Johnny," the woman said. She looked at Tessa and began screaming. "Don't you hear me? We have to go get Johnny!"
"We're doing that," Rinoa said from the door. Tessa watched as she grabbed the handle and threw the door open. Rinoa peered into the room and turned away, looking ready to vomit.
"What is it?" Tessa asked. She stood up and left the woman sitting on the floor. She peeked into the room and saw a sight that utterly disgusted her.
A man in a dirty blue suit was bent over another man that couldn't be seen. The first man's face was hidden, but he was making chewing noises.
"Is he… eating him?" Tessa asked Rinoa. That was when the first man jerked his head in Tessa's direction, a long piece of human entrails dangling from his mouth. Even more startling He snarled and stood up.
"We've got to get Johnny!" the woman screamed. She leapt to her feet and ran past Tessa.
"Wait!" Rinoa yelled as she reached for the woman and missed. The woman ran into the room, past the man, and to her husband who was lying motionless in a pool of his own blood. She fell to her knees and gathered his bloody head in her arms, pressing it to her chest.
Rinoa ran into the cabin and held up her arm, the one with the kite-object on it. "Stop! She yelled at the red-eyed man. When he didn't, she narrowed her eyes and planted her feet. "I'm serious, stop now!"
Tessa gave off the appearance of observing the entire scene, but in actuality she was in shock, her eyes trapped on those of the man Rinoa was threatening. He stood still for a moment, staring at Tessa, and Rinoa's shoulders sagged out of relief. Tessa then blinked, breaking the eye contact that she'd held with the man.
Within a second, the man gave a blood-curdling scream and lunged at Rinoa. In retaliation, Rinoa jumped back and pressed a latch on her wrist. The mini-kite flew off her arm and into the man's chest, knocking him backward.
The kite ricocheted off the man, hit a wall, and came back to Rinoa. She caught it on her arm, where it seamlessly reattached. Tessa was still kneeling and Rinoa turned back to her and gave a thumb up sign.
"No, Johnny, no!" the woman shrieked. Tessa turned her head and saw the man referred to as Johnny sitting up. He had his arms gripping her and he bit her shoulder. The woman screamed as a large portion of shirt and skin left her body.
Rinoa ran over and shot the man in the face with her weapon, knocking his head back. There was a sickening shriek escaping Johnny's wife as his hands left her arms, carrying large pieces of meat with them. Tessa recognized muscles among them, but was paralysed. Johnny had red eyes as well.
"Do something!" Rinoa yelled at Tessa, snapping her out of her daze. Tessa stood up and ran to the woman, who was howling.
"Can you stand?" Tessa asked. The woman didn't seem to be able to control herself. Tessa slapped her in the face, but it didn't seem to work. She reached into the bag she was still carrying and pulled out a syringe filled with a liquid. She stuck the needle into her arm and pushed the liquid into the woman's vein.
"What did you just do?" Rinoa gasped.
"It's just a sedative," Tessa said calmly. "She should be fine. Help me get her in the hall so I can bandage these wounds."
The two women each grabbed an arm of the screamer and tried to haul her out of the cabin, but she thrashed about, foam flying from her mouth. Rinoa lost her grip and the woman fell, bringing Tessa down with her.
"Hold on!" Rinoa yelled. She grabbed the free arm and tried to hold her down. "When does that sedative take effect?"
Tessa was about to answer when she suddenly lost her voice. She just opened her mouth to scream, though no noise was emitted.
"What is it?" Rinoa asked as she looked over her shoulder. Johnny was standing up and looming directly over Rinoa. He moaned and grabbed at her, but she threw her hands up in front of her face and a small bolt of lighting flew out of them. It hit Johnny in the chest and knocked him over, his feet continuing to move as they flew into the air.
The woman kept screaming and fighting Tessa, who finally regained her senses. She drew her hand back and punched the woman in the face, knocking her out. Rinoa turned and looked at Tessa. "It works now?"
"What works?" Tessa asked. "Your Thunder spell?"
"No," Rinoa said, indicating the unconscious woman. "The sedative finally took effect?"
"Yeah," Tessa lied as she pushed down on the woman's shoulder. "Let's get her back to my cabin, we'll keep her there until she wakes up."