Eryi stepped forward and the family ran back, tipping the table on its side.

The father yelled, “Get out!”

Eryi sprinted off, sword in hand, and pierced through the father’s stomach like butter. He pulled it out with the same smooth sensation and blood and screams filled the air.

Eryi asked, “Is this what it’s supposed to feel like, killing someone?”

It felt like nothing.

The mother’s appearance started to change. She grew pincers and her pupils enlarged. Eryi didn’t waste any time, lunging at her with his sword. He slashed at her stomach, but a large straw-like spear came out of her mouth and stabbed into Eryi’s neck. The grandparents took the children and ran to the front door, where Andri was waiting to strike. Andri smiled wide and with quick violent slashes he killed the children in an instant. The grandparents’ hands grew spikes, but Andri swiftly cut them off. Alba ran into the house after Andri moved away from the door. He was instantly overwhelmed by the sounds of screaming and the intense smell of iron. He then noticed the mother sucking blood out of Eryi’s neck, as he struggled to pull the proboscis out.

Alba screamed, “Eryi!”

Alba ran after Eryi, and cut the proboscis with his sword, spraying blood everywhere. Eryi covered the back of his neck and slumped to the floor. Blood was pooling out, and Alba held Eryi’s hands tightly, to put more pressure on the wound. Alba looked to Andri who had finished killing everyone in the house, even the dogs. Andri’s eyes were emotionally cool, yet when he saw Eryi on the floor, they drowned with red.

“Get up, Eryi.”

Alba asked, “What? You’re kidding, right? He’s fucking dying, Andri!”

Andri commanded, “Stand and get your hands off your neck!”

Eryi pulled himself to his feet and Alba helped him not fall.

“Andri, this is messed up, just stop!”

Andri asked, “Do you want us to get caught?”

Alba was stunned into silence. Andri went to the stove where a kettle was boiling water. He grabbed it and pressed the bottom of it on Eryi’s neck where he had been stabbed. Eryi hurt so horribly his screams were caught in his throat. Then, in a blink, Eryi found himself laying on his mattress in the garage. Lumi and Alba were nowhere to be seen, only Andri was there, writing something in a notebook.

Eryi’s voice was hoarse. “Andri?”

Andri’s pen scraped on the paper, barely taking any breaks. He breathed deeply and didn’t turn to face Eryi as he said, “I’m disappointed in you.”

Eryi felt his heart collapse.

“Not only did you nearly get us caught by getting injured, you made me steal your medicine. You are in debt to me now.”

“I’m sorry,” Eryi cried.

“Eryi, you’re not cut out for this.”

Eryi rushed to his feet, and nearly fell over. He ran to Andri’s side and Andri said, “We’re not a team anymore, me and you.”

“No, no!”

Tears streamed down Eryi’s cheeks. Eryi got to his knees and grasped at Andri’s legs as though he were grabbing onto a rope as he dangled over a cliff’s edge.

“Please, give me one more chance. I won’t get injured again. I won’t get us in trouble. I’ll do everything you say, just please, don’t throw me away. You’re all I have.”

Andri pushed Eryi’s bangs from his eyes, revealing a face full of despair. Andri wiped the tears from Eryi’s eyes and said, “Fine, one more chance.”

Eryi’s lips quivered into a smile and he said, “Thank you.”

The police, who had gotten several calls from neighbors of a house seemingly under attack, arrived far later than they normally would. Normally, they would arrive in minutes, but because the call was for this street, the one notably famous for false alarms and poverty, they arrived hours later. Only two police cars arrived at the house, and they got out and joked around.

“This house, again? What do you think the problem is this time?”

“The screaming the neighbors reported was probably heavy metal, like it was last time.”

“Dang, this is a waste of time!”

“And what else would you be doing? No one beside Bug’s are ever committing crimes anymore, and the fucking military stole our jobs with that.”

“I mean, I’m not complaining about that. Who wants to deal with Bug’s anyway? They’re unpredictable.”

“Yeah, when I was in high school a kid got infected without telling anyone, and to be honest, I knew something was wrong with the girl! She then attacked the school, and even the military had a hard time capturing her.”

The police knocked at the door, but whoever was inside didn’t answer. They knocked again, but still nothing. They then looked at each other, and unlocked the door. A smell of metal so powerful it stung one’s nose and made it hard to breathe washed over them, and the police choked with fear.

“What the hell happened here?”

A family of seven were sitting on the couch, each holding each other’s hands. They were mangled so horribly they no longer looked human.

“Wait… Are these people Bugs?”

“Shit, Joei, go back to the car and call the chief! We probably have to get the Snow Military involved!”

Joei did as he was told and ran out the door, and he was glad to do so. The smell and sight of the crime was making his sight swirl. The police couldn’t get their eyes off the message on the wall above the Bugs.

Extermination is the only solution. Thank the Spiders for this revolution.