The Corrupted Soul

Chapter 17

The full moon's light was intoxicating, I had nothing to compare it to. The silver light that shone down on the ruined planet was so beautiful, I almost couldn't believe for the past while I had dreaded its approach. As agonizing as the turning had been, the moon was just as beautiful.

I cupped some water in my hands that had collected in an empty planter, and splashed it against my face to try to wake myself up. I stared down at the black-eyed reflection, with the gruesome bullet scar on their forehead. Even after turning a week ago, I was only just now truly accepting I was still mentally me, and seeing my own reflection never seemed to get any easier to look at.

The fangs and eyes I had feared now adorned my own face. What kind of cruel twist of fate was that?

A nearby trio of Crawlers screeched to the sky, and much like a wolf's howl, I had the urge to return the blood chilling call. Though I refrained from letting forth the static-sounding scream, lest it attract any unwanted attention. I knew a large group of humans were setting up a Safe zone very close by, and they would absolutely hear the trio. Hearing me much closer, and alone, would make me a target, and getting shot in the face was something I didn't want to do again.

Though, the trio did intrigue me. Groups rarely travelled together unless they were a pack of sorts, and I had been alone for two weeks. I felt a sting in my heart knowing the people I thought would protect me thought I was dead, and I had no idea where they were. I had tried to see if any stray dogs or cats may want to stick around, but any cat reacted to me as if they had jumped on tinfoil, and most dogs either ran or tried to attack me.

Crawlers had a strange way of forming their packs, they recruited based on skill at times, but usually it was as if they formed a bond with one another in some fashion. I had no idea how things worked in their minds, but I was willing to at least try fitting in with their ranks. The strange voices in the back of my mind told me safety was in numbers, that humans were much less inclined to attack packs than solo Crawlers.

With a heavy sigh, I launched off the ground and over the wooden fence around this backyard. I was currently in some suburban area I hadn't known existed, though there really wasn't much to note. There were about a dozen streets lined with eerily similar houses and backyards, many with large holes broken through the roofs or back doors as early on, humans tried to hide in their homes, not realizing a Crawler could smell them through the walls.

The three Crawlers I had heard before all ran along the deserted road not far from here, I could catch their scent easily as I was downwind and they were travelling across a large and flat area. I was still far from accustomed to my enhanced nose, but it came in handy more often than I had anticipated. It was bizarre to think just two weeks ago I could barely smell the woods, and now I could tell the group ahead of me was made up of two women and a man, one of which had recently hunted a goose or duck.

I had no idea what part of their scent gave them away as packmates, but there was some underlying and unpleasant smell that was woven into their trails like threads within fabric. I felt my heart rate quicken as I followed behind the three, they had undoubtedly heard me, I was allowing my footsteps to fall heavier than usual purely to avoid them turning towards me with teeth bared. I wished I knew how to communicate with them, I knew it was possible. I had heard several Crawlers 'speak' to one another, and one or two had tried to initiate a conversation with me. I had recognized the odd snarls, growls, and clicks as language, but I was struggling to grasp how to make the same sounds. When I tried, the other had taken it as a threat, so clearly I needed to learn the difference between growls before attempting speech again.

There was something about running with other Crawlers, it made me feel at peace in some strange fashion. I didn't need to look over my shoulder to make sure I wasn't about to be jumped or shot. Yet at the same time, I felt on edge, as I didn't know these individuals, and any of them could decide I was the perfect candidate for a midnight brawl.