The Diseased Heart

Chapter 35

Dozens of Crawlers around me, the collective sound of our running no longer sounded like a living being. We sounded like a rumbling avalanche, threatening to crush and bury anything in its path. The full moon above us gave us power, like it was fueling our corrupted souls.

The dusty ground resulted in clouds following us and the armored vehicles of the army, it stung my throat and eyes, but at the same time, I barely noticed. With our pack of Sane Crawlers, and the military on our side, we could not loose this fight.

As that chain link fence came into view across the horizon, I felt nothing but fury. These horrid people had kidnapped one of my best friends, and possibly killed her, along with dozens of innocent civilians. They were not going to get out of this unscathed if I had any say in the matter.

We approached the facility. I inhaled deeply and let out an ear splitting screech. The others echoed back my call, a chorus of monstrous cries that caused a human's heart to skip a beat, and the very earth to shake.

We charged.

I launched myself at the chain fence, climbing across it and darting into the facility as gunshots echoed around me. My claws slashed tires and wrenched weapons away from the enemy, all while a red tinge was growing deeper in the corners of my vision.

A white hot like of pain carved it's way through my back and stopped as it crashed against a rib, I spun around to lunge at the fiend who attacked me. I dug my claws into his arms and threw him across the gravel road. Sliding to a stop, he attempted to stand before being shot by one of his own. I sneered and ran off, following the weak scent of Riley somewhere in this place.

A screech rang out behind me, I turned to look only to see one of my pack being sprayed from all sides with something. Whatever it was, it was hurting them. Several more of my pack, including myself, began to run to them to help, but a wall of that substance had formed, crossing this invisible barrier proved to be impossible as my instincts screamed at me to run the opposite way.

It smells like...coffee, bug spray, and Bleach...did they make a Crawler Repellent?! How could they have done that?!

It graded on my mind, but I had to abandon my packmate to escape the dizzying stench. I had to find their Crawlers.

I found something else first. Riley's Jacket was on the roof of one building. I was only confused why I couldn't catch her scent for a second, as when I got close enough, I recoiled as the repellent hit my senses. She had been sprayed with it! Judging by the blood stain on the roof just a few feet away, she was soon captured.

My stomach turned at both the realization and the smell. They captured her, or possibly killed her. There's a chance, we will have to fight her to get out of here. I screeched in fury and my vision flared red, I was done playing nice.

I lunged off the roof and dug my claws into someone's throat, they dropped their gun, one that carried the repellent. I tore their throat open in a bloody spray, I had already run off before they even hit the ground.

Roars rang out. They hardly sounded Crawler. I turned to see whatever creature I was hearing as I tore another fiend to bloody shreds. There, on the roof of that very building I was just standing on, was what used to be a human.

They looked somewhat Crawler, but they were more than that now. They had a long, curving, barbed tail. It was covered in a black carapace, and had hundreds of silver spikes in varying sizes. Long claws jutted out of their hands, not just fingernails anymore. A pair of black, smooth horns rose from their temples like a demon, they were sharp and pointed. They let out a rattling roar again, and I could see they no longer had just fangs, but all of their teeth were sharp and pointed like a shark. This was not something to be called a Crawler. This...This was a Lurker.

What did they do to you...

The Lurker jumped off the roof with terrifying speed, it had to more than double my own. In my horror, more and more left that building, each letting out their own roars. I had an idea.

I hid down behind one of the many abandoned vehicles. Watching, I waited for the stream of Lurkers to stop flowing from the opening in the roof. More screeches and gunshots rang out, sirens blared behind roars and crashes. One after another, Mutated people began their assault.

The last one left the building, and I charged towards it.

I dove through the gap in the roof that had been broken open with blunt force. Crumbling material from the roof poured down in a slow dust shower, it was strangely calm in this building compared to the warzone outside.

I slowly began to stalk through. The room was layed out like a barn, with stables and doors. Only instead of wood, it was made of reinforced steel and electrified gates. There were five stables in a row, and two rows stacked on top of eachother for each wall. With two sections in the middle of the room, this made fourty stables. A chill ran up my spine at the very number.

Each door was swung open, with the power shut off, it was unclear whether they were opened intentionally or not. I shook my hands out and tried to settle my nerves, but I just couldn't. All I could smell was fear, rage, and pain. The Lurkers had a conscience somewhere under their instincts, they were aware of what was happening, but not in enough control to stop it. I feared that the only way to save them would be to kill them, with their mutilated bodies and minds.

I looked at the wall ahead of me, it was sturdy, and required a key card to open. Strangely, I would not need one nor would I need to bust it open. Because it was hanging ajar of its hinges.

Against my better judgement, I pushed the door open farther, and entered the dim room.