Manifestation

11: Phase Four~The Take Over

I groaned and tried to roll over to throw up but my body was paralyzed.

I couldn't move. I was screaming inside myself. I couldn't think straight anymore. Everything was a blur. It felt like the pain had lasted for years. When was this going to end?

I threw up black vomit on my own chest. A nurse rushed over and changed my hospital gown. This was the third time she had had to change it in the last two hours.

"Into the bucket, sweetie." She said. I was getting sick of the sympathy names.

"Ah wood if ah could." My speech was warbled.

Some more scientists came in and studied my symptoms. They asked me to rate my pain tens of times and checked my temperature. I was freezing, yet I still sweat like I just visited the sun.

They left and my hand started twitching. I stared at the blank wall. My head throbbed and my eyes were strained.

Then, everything went black.

***

"Give her a shot of Lamicital." A nurse said.

I waited a few moments until I heard another voice. "She stopped seizing."

"This Virus has really taken a toll on all of us." The first nurse said.

"You got that right. I haven't seen my son since she got sick. Can't risk getting him infected."

"I don't want to be rude, but I'll be glad when this girl dies." I will be too.

"Yeah, if she doesn't take us all down with her first."

"Don't even talk like that, it gives me chills."

"I'm going to go get some dinner. Can you hold down the fort?"

"I've got her."

I couldn't open my eyes to see who the nurses were. I couldn't feel my eyes or move them, but the pain was all the same. The Virus has completely taken over my body and brain.

"Is she stable?" I heard Jane's voice ask.

"For now." The nurse said. I heard her footsteps echo out of the room.

I heard Jane sit in the chair, she was sniffling.

"You gave us quite a scare there. I don't want to bother you while you're sleeping, but I just have to talk to you. I don't know about you, but I just want to have a conversation with you, even though I'm the only one doing the talking." She chuckled. "So, what to talk about? Well, Ryan is finally sober. It took him a week but he did it. He doesn't resist a shot or two now and then, though. He is really depressed though. I've been working with your sisters at the front desks. It's not a very hard job, just stressful. If we mess up one thing, the whole camp could get messed up. One bullet count is wrong and the whole armory could be compromised. OCD freaks." She laughed. I wanted to laugh with her. I wanted to be in her conversation but I couldn't. "I just want you to wake up and get better. I don't want you to die. I have a feeling you are going to. And if you die, then Ryan dies. And if Ryan dies, my mom dies. And if my mom dies, Jack and I will die. You can't die. It will hurt too many people. You just have to keep going." She started getting choked up. I wanted to tell her that I had to die. It was the only way to end my pain. My constant pain. "Do you hear me? You have to fight! Just wake up and fight!" She sobbed. "You're not allowed to leave me! You have brought me this far! You can't go! You just can't!" She took a deep breath. "So wake up and I will come back when you do."

I heard her leave the room. I wanted to tell her to stay. I screamed inside my head. I was going crazy. I couldn't stand not being able to do anything. The only thing I had control over is myself and I don't even have a control on that anymore.

Visions flashed in my mind of creepers so close I could smell them. This was going to be my fate if somebody didn't silence me soon.

I felt someone's warm fingers press up against my neck to feel a pulse and sigh.

"She is still here." They walked back out of the room. Believe me, I was as disappointed as she was. I don't think I could do what Jane said. Maybe it was better if everyone died with me. They would be happy if they died. We could all escape this forever. Surviving and living were two different things and we sure as heck weren't living.

I sobbed inside my head. I imagined the warm tears spilling over my eyes and down my cheek. Maybe this would keep me sane. Pretending I had control. I could leave physically, but I definitely don't want to leave mentally.

But I knew I couldn't stop it.

I was going crazy.

***

My eyes finally fluttered open. But I wasn't in the infirmary, I was in the forest.

One thing was on my mind. Food.

I staggered through the trees, snarling and snapping my teeth together.

I saw two unassuming children playing in the forest. I stumbled over to one of them and the other screamed.

"Mommy!" She yelled.

I held on to the closest one and sunk my teeth into the soft skin of her shoulder. She screamed in agony. I was starving. I hadn't had food since I don't know when. But one bite didn't satisfy my hunger. I took another bite, ripping out tendons and muscles until I hit a bone. I chewed around it and the girl stopped struggling. She slump to the ground and I took a bite of her stomach.

"Elli!" I heard a woman sob. I wasn't going to risk losing this food for a stronger woman. Another creeper came and joined my in this feast. I hit a rib again and moved up her chest.

I heard a gunshot and the zombie next to me slumped to the ground. I heard another shot and a bullet hit my chest. I kept eating.

Another gunshot sounded and a bullet sunk into my brain.

***

"She was screaming earlier, I don't know what is up."

"Probably nightmares." A man's voice said. "My sister had the Virus, she told us she had a lot of visions. Nightmares."

"And you would think her mind is gone by now."

"Believe me, it is. It's the Virus taking control of the brain cells and mutilating them to give the victim the mindset of the creature that is yet to come. Kind of like preparing them for their future."

"I'm just glad it wasn't me. Poor girl."

"Not just the girl, but her family too. I heard her boyfriend tried to kill himself last night. Classic bed sheet hanging method. Sister found him before he turned blue."

"I can't imagine how he must feel."

"He knows she won't survive. If I was the sister, I would've let him kill himself."

"It's horrible. How did our world get this way?"

"It wasn't the work of Mother Nature, people made the Virus. They thought global warming was going to destroy our world, so they decided to destroy us. The stupid hippies are probably flesh eaters now."

"Probably all went together kumbaya style."

The man snickered. "Probably."

I felt fingers check my pulse again. "Nope. Not gone yet. Have you guys made any progress with a cure?"

"We gave up on that a long time ago. We gave her a few medicines, but none of them worked. If anything, they sped up the process."

"So she is going to die?"

"Most likely."

"Not an absolute yes?"

"Nothing is an absolute yes. There is the slight point one percent she could get out of this alive."

"Yeah, at what cost though? Would the Virus give her side effects like cancer? She would probably have depression too. I assume she wouldn't live very long after that."

"Life is like the lottery, you never know."