[Edit] Almost done

Disclaimer: I don't own fictional characters

Within These Walls

Chapter 3

Three hours utterly wasted by staring at white walls and having people yell at me or treat me with kid gloves. Following a long lecture from Holiday and a bottle of horse pills-I mean medicine later I was finally out of the infirmary. Nothing new for Providence's cure; though it was hard to explain why the sheets were torn apart when I woke up and against my better judgment I didn't tell Holiday or Six about my nightmare. It wasn't that I didn't want to; it was that I couldn't. When I tried to tell them my mouth either clamped shut or my voice failed me, which left me in another unexplainable situation. It scared me to no end. When I finally regained control of voice and I was left sputtering to come up with an excuse and trying to understand what had just happened. It was as if something was stopping me from telling them and the same chill would run up my spine as when I had seen the shadow from my nightmare. I wanted to tell Six and Holiday, I really did. I wanted them to explain to me the gripping terror that would arise deep within my gut and make my skin crawl whenever the memory of the nightmare would come crawling back with a vengeance. But what could I do?

Now that Holiday's medical interrogation was over, and I had escaped Six's piercing gaze; I am left to absent mindedly wander the halls of Providence desperately trying to find something to occupy myself. Trying to figure out the answer to the strange happenings around me. Not to mention I'm sore, I have a splitting headache and according to Holiday the bite on my shoulder was infected; which I severely doubted. I'm usually not paranoid, that's Noah's job, but all of this strange stuff started happening after my visit to Abuela's. Not that I had much proof though.

Even if I could tell them I can already imagine, 'Yeah, I had this dream where you guys were all mauled and moving like zombies. Oh, and there was this creepy shadow thing telling me I did it. So what do you think that's all about?' that would definitely go over well. Holiday would most likely give me some weird medical jargon diagnosis relating to stress and Six would just tell me to get some sleep. I feel like I'm losing my mind in the wake of everything that is happening. Still my thought swung back to the events of the nightmare often conflicting between myself with whether or not it was the result of sleep deprivation or it actually meant something. Blood covered bodies and death covered eyes haunted me and I had to physically shake my head to remove them. I need something to get my mind off of things and sleeping was definitely out of the option. Bobo was god knows where in Vegas (lucky chatty monkey) and I was deemed unfit by Holiday to do anymore training. I guess it's time for an unscheduled trip to Noah's.

Noah's

When Noah answered the door, the grimace I received when he took in my appearance let me know I must have looked as bad as I felt, and I felt pretty bad.

"Dude what happened to you?" Noah asked eyeing me like I was just to keel over, which I felt like doing. Instead I unceremoniously plopped down on his couch. Making myself comfortable with face imbedding in the familiar smelling fabric.

"Yeah, man I'm fine, don't worry about it. Just some tough training with Six," I replied waving my hand dismissively as my eyelids began to flutter closed. I desperately tried to unwind the tense muscles in my shoulder and back if only to find a little reprieve. Even so, the bandages that kept catching on the inside of my shirt almost made that impossible.

"Do you wanna talk about?" Noah asked being the ever concerned friend as he tried to find a comfortable position on the very end of the couch. I could feel his eyes searching my back for any sort of reaction. I went to tell him about my weird dream only for my voice to wither and die. Clenching my fists and giving a weak shuddering sigh I could only shake my head.

"Are you sure, Rex? It looks like something serious happened," really I just wanted to forget the whole nightmare business and be done with it. Nothing was wrong. I'm sure I just needed a vacation from the constant EVO threats and crazed maniacs.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Noah. I just….I just I don't want to talk about it," I rolled over as not even the cozy smell of Noah's home offered any comfort. Blankly staring at the back of the couch I heard Noah shift and sigh before his voice piped up again.

"Seriously, it looks like you could use a burger," Noah offered. I only mustered a weak shrug. Not really feeling all that hungry but appreciating the gesture none the less. One reason I'm friends with Noah is he doesn't pry. I could come to his house beaten and bleeding after a long day, which I have done on multiple occasions, and he just shrugs going to get the first aid kit. Sure he can be a party pooper sometimes, kinda a wimp, but he's my wingman. He knows that sometimes I just need to get my mind off things.

Even still I stiffly unfolded myself to get up from the couch feeling as if I had aged 30 years just from lying there. I gave my shoulder an experimental roll to find the ache was still there but the burning had faded slightly due to the Holiday's medication. Wincing despite knowing the obvious outcome of that. Noah gave me a once over with eyebrows furrowed. My only reply was to stuff my hands in my jacket pocket and walk out the front door to our usual burger joint.

After we had ordered our food and sat in relative silence despite a few failed attempts on Noah's part to start up conversation about literally anything. I sat knowing that Noah would eventually cave, allowing his curiosity to get the better of him, and ask me what was wrong.

"So what's up man? You're definitely acting a bit off," refusing to meet his eyes I chewed on the inside of my cheek debating if I should share my suspicions or not.

"Okay, remember when I told you Caesar was taking me to go see some relatives?" I asked feeling good to finally be telling someone seeing as things were going well so far. Maybe this was all just in my head.

"Yeah, and didn't you say some of the people there went EVO only at night like werewolves or something?" Noah offered brows still furrowed not knowing where the conversation was going.

"Exactly! While I was there, I met one of my friend's way before I lost my memories. Before the nanite event even. He was one of the people that changed and started attacking the nearby town and things got all sorts of messed up. Then while we were fighting he accidentally bit me, but I'm starting to think it's more than just a "bite" y'know. While I was training, the shoulder I got bit on started hurting to the point where I couldn't move my arm at all and now I had this nightm-," I was cut-off by the bloody face of Noah flashing through my mind. His mouth agape with blood leaking through empty eye sockets and skin limply hanging from exposed bone.

My mouth that was open midsentence clamped shut with an audible snap and my eye widened in panic. It was the same presence that seemed to wash over me every time I spoke about what was happening to me but it seemed to have amplified. It was suffocating and I swear I could hear the shadow's laugh reverberate through my skull tauntingly. As soon as the sensation settled, it vanished leaving me chilled to the bone. This was getting really annoying to say the least. Noah was staring at me in mild confusion while he began to snap his fingers in front of my face.

"Rex? Earth to Rex? What were you saying about nightmares?" my eyes swiveled to him owlishly but I still couldn't bring myself to say anything.

"Do you want me to call Holiday?"

"No. No, I'm fine I swear," I said shoulders slumping sullenly at another failed attempt. I stared at the crude writing scratched into the cheap linoleum table.

"Okay, you keep saying that but something is eating at you. You look like you haven't slept well in a week and you're pale," he moved to reach across to me but I jerked away. Seeing Noah's hurt expression I was about to make up some excuse for my actions, but before he could say anything our food arrived.

Miserable reaching for my burger I didn't realize how hungry I was until I stared at the glorious piece of greasy meat and bun in front of me. My previous mental struggle was put on the back burner only slightly as I took the biggest bite of my burger, which was topped with everything possible. But instead of tasting fattening bliss, I tasted dirt. I quickly spit it out and chugged half my drink trying to get the taste out of my mouth.

"Is something wrong with your burger?" Noah timidly asked having seen the whole scene and was now eyeing my burger like it might go EVO any second.

"It tastes like ass," I bluntly replied while I continued to rub my tongue on my jacket trying to get the taste off of it before once again chugging my drink. Now I glared at my burger as if it had somehow wronged me.

"It doesn't look bad," I just gave him a withering look that said 'trust me it tastes like shit' and he sighed while begrudgingly handing over his burger; which I greedily swiped. It was disappointingly plain but I was too hungry to care at this point. I took a bite of the meat, and the flavor that assaulted my taste buds was almost enlightening. I couldn't remember a time when meat tasted this good.

I devoured the patty in one bite, but I had to have more. So I took another and another and another. Until all that was left our table was discarded wrappers. My mind was just focused on meat, meat, meat, but the greasy patties left me strangely unsatisfied. Still I craved more.

Turning to the table beside us I could see the couple had several burgers in front of them. I paid no mind to their indignant shouts off protest as I leapt over to snatch their food. Buns forgotten I went from one table to another gorging myself on the over patrons food. My feast was only interrupted as someone grabbed my arm and forcibly pulled me away.

My response was to throw the attacker to the ground as I pulled back my grease stained lips and give a threatening snarl. That was until I caught a whiff of the smell of warm blood pumping through the person in front of me. I felt something stir deep within me as I watched the pulse beneath the papery skin of their jugular quicken with fear and I reveled in it. So easy to just bite into their throat despite my dull teeth and rip it out. I could hear their heartbeat and it caused my mouth to water adrenaline pour into my system.

This time though, I felt something warm grab my shoulder and whirl me around forcing me to focus on whomever was standing before me. Several quick throttles and eventually a panicked voice broke through to my senses.

"Rex! Rex! You need to stop!" my eyes stared vacantly at him wondering what the hell was wrong.

"Dude, calm down, you've had like 12 hamburgers! You just went over and fucking stole their fucking food! And you started growling at people and shit! Literally what the absolute hell was that?" I stared at Noah in shocked silence trying to remember what I was doing just moments ago. I turned around to see a scared employee still sitting on the ground from the fiasco staring at me and trembling in fear. People were huddled by the windows while other had fled out of the building when things started to get out of hand.

"Seriously, are you okay? Do I need to call Providence to come get you or something?" Noah asked, both eyebrows rising in confusion from my sudden horror but his voice was still a couple octaves too high. My previous thoughts came rushing back and I realized what I wanted to do; what I almost did. Part of me wanted to be sickened but truly I didn't really care.

"I-I did this?" I asked in hush horror staring at the scared people around me. My stomach churned with disgust and something foreign as I rushed to the bathroom. I clamped a hand over my mouth and urged myself to keep my lunch down but failed miserably. I ended up on my knees praying to the porcelain god as I emptied the contents of my stomach. My shoulder dully throbbed and it felt like my mind was going through jelly. Everything felt slow and I heard the shadows laugh one more time before I felt it fade to somewhere dark.

"You can't fight it…" the words kept echoing through my skull until I was sure my head was going to split open.

"Oh my god. Oh my god. This isn't happening. I'm fine. I'm fine," I said feeling myself shaking as panic began to seep into my mind. Splashing water onto my burning skin. Get a hold of yourself, I mentally urged but my resolve was shattered as I looked in the mirror to be met with a ghastly sight. I looked unnaturally pale for how warm I felt but the eyes were what caught my attention. Blue rings surrounded both pupils and gave off an ominous glow, while my slightly open mouth exposed the tips of pointed canine teeth.

Something is definitely wrong.

The usual