CH3a
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JULY 10TH, 2011
Vrrrr!
The Jeep buzzed through the desert with great ease, much to the surprise of Seline and Jed. If the small mouse-woman was right about not driving it since 2003, then it must've rotted and sizzled in the desert heat for at least seven years. It was a miracle she was able to start it up!
Seline looked over her seat on the passenger side in the front to her comrade in the back. The mouse-woman had tied Jed's arms up to the frame with a sturdy rope in case he was to have another episode and try to attack her. He was hanging his head and giving Seline a most unpleasant look because she didn't help him out of the situation at all. Seline grinned. At least he wasn't singing.
"Excuse me, miss," Seline began to say as she positioned herself correctly back in her seat. She looked down at the mouse-woman who was stacked up on books and using raised gas and brake pedals, driving. "I never caught your name."
"Beedie Peray." It was a quick, simple response. She didn't even look at Seline. She was too busy keeping an eye out for Jed's plane.
"Beedie? Is that a nickname?"
"I have no real name since I been tested on. White suits make fun of me… You call me Miss Peray."
"Yes ma'am," Seline peacefully agreed.
"Don't remember real name anyway."
Seline looked away from Beedie. Apparently, several of the victims of the virus had suffered memory loss. Seline had to be the unlucky one, because she remembered everything. …Every last gory detail.
She sighed. At least the sandstorm hadn't picked back up since she'd gotten herself out of it earlier. That meant less sand whizzing around trying to find its way into the deep cuts across her neck and shoulder. The air was even starting to get cooler as the day turned into night. She took her long, rusty hair down and let it flow freely behind her as she leaned out into the desert from her window. The sky was turning purple and the sandy hills were turning deep shades of red and brown. She took the chance to let the peacefulness of the desert at night lull her to sleep.
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JULY 7th, 2008
"Are you feeling any better today, babe?"
"My gums have been aching all day. I dunno if I can wait 'til they find a cure for the disease…" There was a pause and a sigh, "I think my teeth and nails have gotten even sharper since yesterday. I feel like a monster, Drey."
"You're not a monster. You're my beautiful wife. And they'll find a way to reverse this soon enough. Don't worry."
"I hope you're right. I've been feeling really edgy for a while, like I dunno what I'll do. Sometimes I catch myself sniffing things like the houseplants, or the welcome mat! Or--"
"Seline, you just need your rest. It'll all go away soon. I promise you!" Drey Jackson kissed his lovely wife on her nose and directed her over to the sofa.
"Alright."
Seline, 25, blonde hair and blue eyes, wife to a supporting, charming house-husband and mother to two beautiful children, sat herself down on her living room sofa. She was so nervous about that hyena bite she'd gotten a few weeks earlier. It had gotten badly infected, but in no way she'd ever experienced before while working with the African creatures. Her skin was getting paler…and silvery. The whites of her eyes were darkening and her poor nose was turning black and wouldn't stop feeling wet. The constant feeling of having a runny nose was becoming more bothersome every day! She laid herself down with her neck arched over the sofa's armrest and took a look at her hands. Her nails were already turning brown and getting sharp at the edges. Like a hyena…and little black and brown spots were appearing on her forearms.
She'd already pinched herself enough times to prove she wasn't dreaming a very realistic dream about some whacked up science fiction movie.
"Ugh," she muttered to herself, "soon's not good enough." She didn't want this 'condition' to get any worse than it already was.
SHATTER. Seline bolted upright and looked towards the entrance to her kitchen where the sound of shattering glass came from. Her little mixed-race son Oliver was standing in the doorway, looking guilty and holding his hands behind his back.
"Mommy…?"
"It's okay Olly, mommy's got it." Seline stood up and walked over to her boy. "Let me see."
Before the child could show her what he'd made a mess of, Seline smelled blood in the air. It was as if she was right on top of a carcass. She had never smelt blood that strong before, and something about it started a blaring ringing in her ears. She covered them tightly. Her teeth then started to ache, followed by a terrible pain in her spine. She couldn't handle it, so she fell down on all fours. She looked up at her son, who was holding out the broken remains of a wine glass in his hands. Blood dripped from the four year old's fingers onto the tiles.
Somewhere deep in her gut, the urge to pounce overwhelmed her and she leapt onto the poor boy, digging her nails into his t-shirt and tearing it apart to get to the tender flesh. The boy screamed in shock, fear, and now agony. But Seline couldn't fight off the instinct to kill. She sunk her dull human teeth into his arm and shook him so hard the bones snapped. She then held him down 'til he stopped kicking.
"SELINE!"
She still recognized her moniker, so she looked to where she heard it being called from. There stood the tall, dark man who previously told her to rest, but she didn't recognize him as her husband.
Who's this creature invading my territory? He probably wants my kill! Well that's not gonna happen! She yanked her claws from her prize's flesh and lunged at the trespasser. She easily overtook the full grown man with one powerful strike—'paw' to the face. As he tried to scoot himself towards the door, he quickly shouted, "TANI, LOCK YOUR DOOR AND DON'T LET ANYBODY IN!"
At the last syllable, Seline's blunt teeth clamped onto his neck. Try as he might, he couldn't get her off. He was losing strength, losing blood… Seline growled and pushed his arms back so he couldn't fight back. He was a human. He was her enemy. She pulled her teeth out of his neck and snarled at him. But he made no noise in return. Just a soft choking noise from his gut as blood dribbled out of his mouth. She looked him up and down, and from his rolled back eyes and mouth hanging agape, he seemed to have perished. Not a threat to her anymore.
She crawled over to her first kill and examined it. There was a mighty fine puddle of blood forming around its arm where she had attacked it. She licked her 'paw' before lifting the small creature by its scruff area and dragging it back over to her perch - the sofa. After getting everything settled, she prepared to have her lunch…but the faint sound of a gasp reached her ears. She instantly averted her attention to the staircase behind the sofa. At the top of the stairs stood a female version of the creatures she had just slaughtered. It was small, just like the first one. It looked as though Seline didn't have to waste time or energy in a forceful attack, as the poor girl was frozen in place, a look of the utmost fear on her face.
Seline slowly crept up the stairs, not losing eye contact with the potential snack.
"Momma…?" A noise escaped the creature's lips, only to be hushed by Seline's powerful, crushing claws. Seline pushed down hard on the child, muffling the screams by pushing her face into the carpet. Not until she could hear the sound of the prey's skull crack did she stop. She then dragged the dead body down the stairs and piled it daintily next to her first kill.
She was proud of herself! Today was a good day for the hunt!
She sat down on her haunches and panted, as it wasn't as easy as it looked, and grinned only the grin of a hyena. Blood was spotting the carpet as it dripped from her face. Then she couldn't help it. She let out a hoarse, maniacal giggle…and it grew into a hysterical, strong hearty laugh. And she laughed until the police showed up.
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