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The Eclectic Pen - Creeps Part 6 [W.I.P]

By: Kenjii H. (Daalmonette) - ,   + 36 more  
Date Submitted: 4/23/2010
Last Updated: 11/29/2014
Genre: Horror » General
Words: 1,616
Rating:

[Edit 4] Alan’s pulse beat in time with his wound, causing the blood to spill at a more furious rate. He had not yet figured the cause of the accident but he was sure he had hit something. He did not know the condition of everyone in the car. When he tried to move, he felt numb, but also a slight pressure across his chest. A seatbelt? No. Cassie's arm was braced against his chest. He hears her warning, “Alan. Your hurt. Be still.” He mumbles something back to her. “We have to go. Danger.” He willed his mind to clear. Someone in his critical condition should be unconsciousness. He had to have been going 70 mph when he smashed into the blockade that he did not even see put in place. What had the Creeper turned these people into? Super beings? Capable of moving faster than the human eye could track? These thoughts moved alongside a plan to get to Alan’s lab. Still another 20 or so miles down the road. Alan's turns to Cassie, “Get the first aide kit. Trunk. We have to go, now.” Alan struggled to steady his shaking hand. Reaching up to press the clothe to his head that Cassie had been holding there. Even through the thin, bloodied fabric her healing touch left an impression. Taylor did as instructed. While her injures were minor, reaching over the seat into the trunk caused her to gasp out loud. Cassie looked back at her warily but Taylor quickly reassures Cassie, “I’m OK.” Alan went to grab keys from the ignition, they were not there. Cassie saw his distress and tells him calmly, “I have the keys, Alan. What are we going to do?” Taylor handed the first aide to Cassie. He had Cassie hold the clothe to his head again while he readied the items he would need for a quick field dressing. If he moved to quick, waves of dizziness washed over him. He reminds the group is a hushed voice, “Their out there, waiting.” Cassie did not see anything moving. The Creep that banged on the window was gone. They were once again, alone on the road. It was strange to see them one second, and the next, they were gone. Cassie covers her mouth and nose, her words muffled, “Goodness that smell gets worse every time I smell it.” Alan had his wound cleansed and bandaged in minutes. Turned out to be a small gash at the edge of his scalp. He explains to the girls, “Head wounds always look worse than they are.” Alan asked Taylor to reach under the backseat and grab the case He thanked her for handing it to him. As he opened it he explained the contents, “Cellular mutation and degeneration. They are changing and dying faster than they are able to repair and replace. The smell is a combination of death and stressed organic matter. This is something we came up with to exterminate the last creeper infection. Though it was more a like a cold virus than an actual infection. This gun would deliver the medication like an injection. Since the worst infected could not be approached these were built to project the pellet and disperse. Its intention was to kill the virus and incubate the uninfected against getting sick. Hopefully this will slow down anything we meet along the way.” Alan loaded a cartridge in the barrel and engaged the gun. Then grabbed the spares. He hated using an untested strain on a new infection. That lead to…complications. Cassie did not understand why the Creeper was getting worse or why it kept coming back. She understand the nature of illness though. Anything that adapted to a cure would have to be fought more aggressively. If the Creeper had already been up against something lab created, which meant years of research, how much worse had it come back to be? What were the people becoming once infected? Cassie shivered as she thought about questions. She’d witnessed the Creeper become a worldwide epidemic. Several small towns had to be quarantined. When she was confronted with the fact that she was indeed the cure, she nearly panicked. Taylor got out of the backseat, shutting the doors, she walked a few feet behind Alan and Cassie. She glanced left and right. Alan had given her a powerful light to carry. Taylor thought, it gave her something to do. Kept her mind off the fact that as night fell, the shadows pressed in closer. The Creeps were out there, waiting. She only thought about Sam. She wanted to think about him getting better, but her thoughts would stray to him crouched over that gutted corpse and hands contorted with hooked nails. His face locked in a vicious mask of anger. Did she see fangs in his mouth? Cassie's soft voice broke into her thoughts. “Taylor, you OK?” “I’m OK.” “You keep saying that. In all that’s happened even I can admit I’m not OK.” “Cassie, I know it’s your nature to help, but if I want to it together even a fraction. I’m OK, ok?” Taylor swept the light back and forward a little faster. “OK.” Cassie sighed. She knew it was not the time to press Taylor for details about Sam. Perhaps once they reached the lab. “We won’t reach the lab tonight. So we’ll have to find shelter. There’s a gas station about 2 miles up.” Alan felt a little nauseous but not enough to puke or pass out. He was thankful for every step he took. Then something dawned on him. “Hey you didn’t get a scratch, did you?” Cassie pondered Alan’s question for a second. Cassie thinks a moment then answers Alan, “I blacked out but then woke up and-” “Its started then.” Alan’s white, even teeth glowed absurdly in the casting of the super-bright light. “My connection to you is what’s even keeping me awake. I should at the very least be unconscious. The guardian/healer strand is thickening. That means we need to hurry, Cassie. The Creeper grows stronger, as do we. “What?” Cassie and Alan turned to face Taylor. “What are you talking about? Connections and strands?” Cassie sighed and stared straight into Taylor eyes, then something struck her. Cassie grabs Alan's arm, “Can she be added to the strand? I mean she made it out of the hospital. That’s gotta mean something.” Cassie swung her eyes to Alan. His lopsided grin spoke volumes. “Until you spoke the words, I couldn't reveal the truth. Taylor is your Warrior. She’ll give her life to keep yours safe.” With this revelation the still of the night roared to life. Cricket chrips seem to multiply, buzzing insects twittered, the very air came to life, “We need to keep moving. The gas station is up ahead.” They walked faster. The unlit building stood out against the darkness of the night. Alan was able to find a chair leaning up against the side of the building. The bathroom was the only door unlocked. So they went inside and propped the chair against the door and the first stall. Once they all had washed up and cleaned the floor up and best they could with handsoap and towels, they settled in while Alan explained to Taylor what he and Cassie already knew, “There are roles we play. We are not accidentally placed in each others life. We find each other when the timing is right.” Alan asked how Taylor knew Cassie and Taylor ponders, “Oh I see. Perhaps even Sam had a role. He’s still alive. When I left him in the bathroom, he was alive. Infected but alive. Unless he gets through four inches of wood, he’ll be there when I get back. I am going back. Once Cassie gets to the lab, she’ll be safe right?” Already there was a change in Taylor’s mood. She was attuning to her surroundings and testing the safely/threat ratio. Her fight or flight stimulus was mellow but when they were on the road she felt itchy and anxious. Her feelings of jealousy nearly vanished as she kept watch over Alan and Cassie.Cassie asked Alan. “So you’re my guardian in what sense?” Once they had settled down and were once again close to each other the connection between Cassie and Alan pulled tight. Cassie shifted her position, leaning towards Alan. Her knees pulled up and her body against the wall. Alan has no problem giving Cassie the explanation she needs. He senses her needs and fears and it puts him on edge, “Sort of like an information keeper. Everything that’s happened before, I know. When the right question is asked, or a situation calls for it I am able to aide to the best of my ability. For example, the Creeps in the road have never been dealt with before, so their tactics aren't something I am constantly thinking about and trying to avoid. In other similar situations, I hope I am better prepared. Just from what I've learned today.” Cassie yawne and Alan grinned at her, “That boring huh?” She giggled and air rushed from her nose. She shook her head and covered her mouth. “Mmm. No but after all that excitement I think I could actually fall asleep right here.” They turned on the lantern function of the light and a soft bluish glow lit a small circle on the floor. “Perhaps if we put our heads near the light. The roaches won’t crawl into our mouths while we sleep.” Cassie teases.Taylor makes a comment, “Ewww. Gross.” Scooting closer and gathered as many paper towels as she could to make a cover to lay on. Outside death crept by.

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