The Diseased Heart

Chapter 25

The next several days went by all the same. This place ran on routine, and the neverending pattern was beginning to drive me mad. My Crawler side enjoyed it, everything was predictable, but my human mind was beginning to feel as though it was in a time loop. At this point, a time loop wouldn't faze me, I've been through too much ish to be surprised anymore.

From becoming a Crawler, to regenerating, to reviving myself, to being stuck in permafrost and waking up in the future. God, simplicity is dead.

At least there was one bright side, I did not have to struggle to hunt. They gave me food daily here, which was more than enough. The fact that it was always familiar animals such as cow, goat, or sheep meat helped my instincts settle as well, they preferred familiarity. A recent change was that twice a day Clementine would take me to that small section of forest, and I would get to hunt if I wished. I didn't often, unless there was a critter there I rarely had otherwise, but it was still an option.

I had just eaten several hours prior, so I was not surprised to have nothing to do but stare at the ceiling, listen to passing conversations, and attempt to get this damned brace off.

So far, I had tried everything I could. The others couldn't see any latches or straps, but instead, an actual lock that required a key to release. That had irritated me more than I expected it to. With my Crawler legs unusable, and with no way to use my teeth, I had no other option than to use my sharp nails to attempt to cut through the brace.

Apparently, the fabric on the surface was merely a facade, or possibly a way to make it more comfortable. I had cut through the thick and tough material, breaking one nail in the process, and soon was met with a layer of metal plates beneath. My nails left faint scratches in its surface, but hardly damaged the frame.

Considering how strong the brace itself was, I would be unsurprised if past the metal there was a material that was stronger yet.

Oh what people wouldn't give for this stuff in the old world...

With a gusty sigh, I leaned against the wall beside the thick door, listening to snippets of passing conversations. Many were about whatever work was being done here, most of which I understood approximately three words of. Others were about whatever was going on in the city. The amount of scientists that are so interested in sports is staggering.

° ° °

I hissed as I felt another crack. Seriously?! That's the fifth nail I broke on this damned thing! Thank God my nails grow so quickly.

I had successfully broken each claw like nail on my dominant hand, and my right hand was a lost cause. Growling lowly at nothing in particular but the offending device around my torso, I began pacing around the room. Being trapped this way was making me restless. At least it wasn't painful and sending me into a blind, feral rage. It was just a major annoyance.

I grimaced at the memory of the time in the basement when I had gone insane. I never thought I would infect a human, but, maybe it was a good thing it was me and not any feral Crawler. At least then humans were able to understand the Sanity Mutation better.

Maybe that was why this brace wasn't tight around me, Maria likely wrote about my...instinctual outburst, therefore those in the world now were able to take notes.

Maybe they should read that thing a little more. Don't they know that restricting a Crawler's movement like this is a really bad idea? Maybe it's because I'm sane, they assume I won't be as bad. News flash for you, you've seen me angry, twice, and both times you had to send in the police.

With another aggravated sigh, I leaned my back against the wall and slid down it. Was this what it felt like to be in quarantine? Technically, I am the only one with a certain disease, and I am dangerous to everyone else in theory, but, you'd think these people would notice by now. The fact that three kids show up every other day, and twice each day I leave this room to hunt small animals, and yet I still haven't attacked anyone unprovoked should give them some hints.