I wasn't unfamiliar with horror movies, books, and attractions.
In fact, I enjoyed the genre. One of my favorite scenes in particular always consisted of creepy zombie hands in between two barely opened doors. Said hands clasping at the material trying to break free as growls and roars sprang out from the other side never failed to send a shiver down my spine. Of course, I would always reassure myself that they weren't real. They were simply machinery or ideas in a writer's twisted head.
Now that I was witnessing the same thing I've seen countless times, I couldn't help but gulp.
There weren't that many infected in there. Maybe around thirty at most. I had a sash that stored the same amount of small vials that contained the cure on top of what I now called my "battle gear". I made sure all of my weapons were strapped on properly before readjusting the tactical headset on my head. I was the only one in the small hallway that went to the door where the infected were, and there was a reason for that.
It was because the infected on the other side were my friends.
Doggy, Bunny, Sheepy, Foxy, and everyone else I encountered throughout my first journey around Lucella pounded on the doors. Even Georgie's family. I specifically asked for them to be gathered because I wanted to cure them myself. I explained to Oliver and Liam that it would be better for them to see a familiar face amidst the supposed confusion they would feel after being cured. That was how Zizzy recalled her experience, at least.
Speaking of the scientist and the soldier, I now had another secret I had to keep from the others.
And this wasn't something I could tell Zee, either.
I was told that I needed to have emergency treatment after I passed out during the blood extraction. According to the medical team, I was having some type of seizure. That was when Oliver and Liam managed to put two and two together. The changes to my eye and my behavior was enough to tell them that I was seeing something they couldn't. So while I was still under, an incision was made in my head, right around where my optic nerves were.
And a miniscule camera was slipped inside. Catherine and a few other scientists were watching me from elsewhere.
I turned to Oliver and Liam, who were separated from me by a wall that contained a giant window. Willow, Georgie, and the others weren't that far behind them. I asked if they could help calm the others down once they were cured, and although their reactions to me going in there were different, they came to a consensus and agreed. Besides, the plan was to bring out the infected one by one in order for me to cure them, so it wasn't exactly anything I couldn't handle.
With one last look, I turned back to the door and grabbed a vial. Then, I lifted my free hand to the microphone.
"Alright. Bring the first one in."
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"It's okay, Mousy. I'm alright. Go and join the others for me, will you?"
Mousy nodded with tears in her normal eyes before wheeling herself and her wheelchair to wear Zizzy stood. The zebra placed an arm around her shoulder before leading her out of the hallway. I let out a shaky sigh of relief. My body was practically covered with sweat, causing my clothes and hair to cling onto me like I was their lifelines. I was exhausted from all the attacking and curing, pinning the infected down in order to shove the potion down their throats. Fortunately, there were only six infected left I needed to cure.
Doggy, Bunny, Grandma, David, Amanda, and Penny.
"Alright, Lucinda, you're almost done," Oliver reassured me through the headset. "Finish off strong, kiddo," Liam added. Then, the doors opened slightly once more, and an infected slipped through before they closed again; Doggy. His eyes were still as red as ever, and his teeth were just as sharp. It took all I had in me to not throw up at the sight of him foaming at the mouth. I let out a heavy sigh as I clasped the vial in my hand tightly. I lifted my free hand forward and beckoned him over.
And, boy, did he deliver.
I quickly jumped to the side as Doggy tried to slash me with his claw. I already fell for that trick once, and it cost me my eye. I wasn't going to make the sake mistake again. I needed to get behind him so I could pin him to the ground where I wanted him and give him the cure. He tried to attack me a few more times with his axe and his claws, and I either stepped back or jumped out of the way in order to avoid getting more wounds than I already had.
As Doggy tried to slash me one more time, I quickly reached outwards and grabbed onto his shoulders. I then tightened my grip on them before using my upper body strength to launch myself up and over his head. That way, Doggy would be on the ground and I would be behind him. I quickly turned around and ran towards him before grabbing onto the back of his head. Using that grip, I forced him down onto the ground and wrapped my legs around his torso, preventing him from moving.
Once I was sure he couldn't break free, I forced a struggling and growling Doggy's head upwards before wrapping an arm around his neck from behind. My grip then went up to his jaw in order to force his mouth open and keep him in place. Then, I used one of my fingers on my other hand to twist the cap off the vial. Finally, I put the vial in front of Doggy's mouth and forced the cure down his throat. Like the other infected, he struggled against my grip. As soon as the last drop went in, I tossed the vial aside and forced his head back down to the ground. At that moment, his struggling began to slow down.
Then, it stopped.
I grabbed the rusty axe in his hand and pulled it out of Doggy's grip before tossing it across the floor where the other weapons were. When I checked his pulse, it was stable, and his airy breaths filled my ears. I slowly got off of his back before sitting on my knees beside him. I then flipped his body over and rested his head on my lap. That was when I noticed his eyes were closed and his breathing was a lot calmer compared to when he first came in.
"Doggy?" I asked, keeping my voice as quite and as reassuring as possible and trying to hide any sign of weakness and exhaustion. "Are you okay?" I found myself smiling when Doggy slowly opened his eyes. They weren't red and yellow anymore. They were back to their natural colors. Doggy blinked a few times and took in his surroundings before he looked at me once more. Then, his eyes widened. "Kid...?" He questioned as if he wanted to confirm that what he was seeing was real.
I chuckled lightly. "Well, I'm not exactly a kid anymore," I joked. "I'm actually fifteen now, but I'm still the same Cindy from the forest." Suddenly, much to my surprise, Doggy immediately sat up straight and turned around to face me. Not even a second went by before he pulled me into his arms, resting his head on my shoulder and clinging onto me as if I would dissappear the second he let go. I didn't think much of it at first until he started sobbing.
"Doggy?"
"I'm sorry, kid," he shakily apologized through tears. "I'm so sorry." I instantly knew what he was apologizing for, so I slowly reciprocated the hug he was giving me. "It's okay, Doggy," I reassured him. "I'm alright now." We stayed like that for a few more moments, him apologizing over and over, and me reassuring him that he had no control over his actions and that I was alright. Soon, I gently pushed him away from me. "Listen, we'll have plenty of time to talk later," I promised him before noticing a nervous Pony behind us. "But I need you to go with Pony for now. There are other infected that need to be cured."
Doggy's eyes widened, and suddenly his expression changed to one of anger. "Pony?" I was confused as to why he was so angry, but then I remembered. Pony and Willow were the ones who ambushed and infected us both in the forest. It was no surprise that Doggy still held a grudge. He immediately whipped his head behind him to face Pony, and I could see the blood vessels poking out of his skin. "You..." he muttered under his breath.
At that moment, Doggy got up, ran up to Pony, and grabbed onto his shirt harshly before lifting him up and pinning him to the wall. "YOU MONSTER! I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!" He yelled, his voice booming throughout the room. "YOU DID THIS! YOU DID THIS TO ME! YOU MADE ME TEAR HER EYE OUT!" Pony's eyes widened, and I was certain that his mind brought him back to my outburst back at the camp. I let out a gasp before grabbing my rifle from my back and running up to Pony and Doggy.
The latter's shoulders instantly tensed when the barrell of my weapon met the back of his head.
Doggy slowly turned his head around until the barrell was against his cheek. "Kid...?" He asked. "What are you doing?" I narrowed my eye at him in response. I wasn't planning on answering his question. Not when I had a few words of my own. "Listen, Doggy, I don't want to have to shoot you," I explained to him. "But you're making this really difficult for me right now." Pony also seemed shocked that I was threatening Doggy.
"You, me, Pony and Willow can talk the whole 'forest situation' out later," I reassured him. "But right now I have more important things to worry about." Doggy flinched as I pressed the barrell further against his cheek. "Now, I can either do this with you, or without you," I carried on. "Either way, I will not allow for you to ruin my plans. Not when we're so close to getting Lucella back to normal." I stepped back from Doggy and Pony but kept my gun pointed in their direction.
Without breaking eye contact from them, I pointed my gun towards the ceiling and fired a warning shot.
Then, I pointed the gun back at its original target. "So? What will it be?" I asked as I raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to put him down? Or am I going to have to blow your eyes out of their sockets?" Silence filled the room once more as the two men looked at me in shock. I know that it was wrong of me to threaten my friend the way I was now, but the only thing on my mind at that moment was the plan I carefully constructed in my head. I was so close to finishing it, and I wasn't going to allow for any interference, whether it be from a friend or foe.
Doggy complied with my demand and dropped Pony before turning to face me entirely. As he did so, I returned my rifle to its place on my back. "What's gotten into you, kid...?" He muttered. "You've... you've really changed." I only shrugged in response. "A lot can happen in three years, Doggy. You of all people should know that," I responded. "And, to save you the trouble, let's just say that a lot went down since the last time I saw you." With that, I turned around and walked towards the door once more. One down, five more to go.
I only hoped that they wouldn't give me more trouble.