The Survivors

Chapter 38-Shock and Awe

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THERE'S A CANNIBALISTIC CREEPY VINE LADY RUNNING AROUND THE JUNGLE WITH HER PACK OF CANNIBAL MUTANTS!?!?"

I blink Shane, reeling back a little. I swallow softly staring into his fury filled blue eyes. "Uhh..."

Then his face morphs to sheer panic, "We're going to die here, aren't we?" he states, his voice filled with horror.

"Um."

"We're not going to die, not today," Jenny speaks up but her voice wavers in confidence when she meets my gaze. I try not to scowl at her but I can't help it. She nearly got herself and Elliot killed. I take a deep breath and look away from her, focusing on Seth who sits tied up in the middle of the circle. This way we can all keep an eye on him. We're not letting him out of our sight any time soon. He's till dangerous, even though he claims to want to save us.

But the reality of mutating was like a slap in the face. This is what the chemicals do humans, they change them into animals. Raging, cannibalistic monsters. But Seth seems normal, well, lower on the crazy scale than the creepy vine lady. That's what we are calling the woman in the trees with the knives and vines. It seems very appropriate since one, she's creepy. Two, she's covered in vines and has vines coming out of her lower half. And three, she's a lady.

It's what Seth calls her and I guess it kinda caught on.

"We have to try the phones, at least try sending out a signal," Teren suggests with a grim look. He gestures to Seth with a sympathetic look, "Uh no offense but I don't want to end up like you..."
Seth looks up, scaring me with his dark amber cat eyes. He just shrugs causing his drooping wings to push away sand. He always drags them, claiming they are too heavy to hold up all the time, and they end up dirty with tiny branches snagged on the feathers. It's creepy, but a little cool to see real wings on a person. But he said it was extremely painful so I'm not too excited for that to happen to me.

"It's fine, I hate this too."

"That's just depressing, this is all depressing," Ayden states, throwing his hand up limply. Then he smacks it back on the ground, digging his fingers into the white sand. His grey eyes narrowed as he scans around us, "I'm not going to sit here and wait for something to happen again. I know capturing Seth was meant to do something but we can't do anything with him except keep him tied up."

Finally someone says it. Slightly relieved someone called out the previous plan and dismissed it as nothing but a futile attempt for revenge, I let out a soft sigh and close my eyes. I lower my head and continue to cradle my prosthetic arm in my lap. The metal muscle and real muscle was strained earlier and it had been hurting, but when Jenny came out of nowhere... I shoved her out of the way but ended up tearing something in my shoulder.

It was the most terrible pain of my life, at least when I woke up in the operating room I had a truckload of painkillers to numb the loss of an arm. But I no longer have that luxury. I also felt helpless and stupid. I knew Jenny wanted to come, I should have let her just come. Then Elliot wouldn't have followed her, and he wouldn't have a cut on his arm.

Then getting carried by Seth... that's just plain awkward. I can't believe I was so helpless, it was embarrassing and crushed all remaining dignity I had.

"You wanted revenge?" Seth questions as he lifts his head again.

"You killed them," Sammy growls, his eyes burning with hate. Immediately, the mood turns dark and sour. I feel grief choking my heart, if there's any left. We've all been trying to avoid what has happened, or it's our trauma. But something is keeping us moving.

"Let's not get into this, for the fifth time," Teren mumbles tiredly, rubbing his eyes. He did have the night shift after all. I'm still struggling to bounce back from my own night shift but adrenaline has done a great job of keeping me alert and awake.