Into The Dark (Rewrite)

Chapter 3

It was just after midday, and I had killed all the leeches surrounding my home. At first, it freaked me out how they looked so human yet so dead. At one point, I stopped thinking about it all together and just kept killing them, one by one, till none was left. 

However, as I make my way to my jeep to begin my search for Daryl and Merle, I feel another sharp pain in my stomach that causes me to double over in pain. I fall to my knees as I hold my stomach, loud groans of pain escaping my lips. 

What was happening? 

I quickly took off my backpack and dropped my bow to the ground as I felt my stomach rumble and...growl? 

Oh my god...my baby...is one of those things!

I screamed as I felt a painful spasm on my right abdominal side and I bent forward, hoping the pressure of my weight would hold it back. 

However, the pain increased and it felt like I was being torn apart from the inside out. I screamed and screamed, my voice full of agony. 

"Hey, you! Put your hands up!" A voice called in the distance but I couldn't muster to take them away from my stomach as the pain only grew. I screamed again as I fell forward and face planted in the dirt. 

"Hey! I said-" The voice was cut off by another one of my pain filled screams. 

Footsteps neared me but I couldn't care less. The only thing I could think about was how much pain I was in. 

"Be quiet! You're gonna draw in those things!" The voice sneered at me and I let out a whimper as I shook on the ground, my body in so much pain, I was too distracted to be angry at their words. "Hey, you okay?" The voice asked and I let out another loud scream as I felt like my stomach was going to burst. 

I fell to my back quickly and it was like my stomach had a mind of its own as it lifted off the ground. I looked down at my exposed stomach through my tears to see little finger-impressions pushing against my stomach. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I threw my head back. 

"Cut it out! Cut it outta me! Now!" I screamed as I dug my fingers into the dirt, wishing for the love of god to put me out of my misery. 

I felt the person drop to their knees and then I had a gag over my mouth in seconds. "You need to be quiet! Either shut up or we're both dead!" The person said, and I finally noticed that it was a woman's voice. 

I nodded as I bit down hard on the cloth, trying to muffle my cries of pain. I heard the woman take in a deep breath before letting it out. "Just so you know, I'm only a med student. If you die of blood loss, it's not my fault. Also, this is gonna hurt. A lot." 

Then I felt it, the sharp sting of a blade slicing open my mid section and I let out a piercing scream as I felt blood pooling everywhere. Then I heard it, the growling of a small leech.

I lift my head, my vision blurry and my mind disoriented from the blood loss, and I see my now born undead baby growling and snarling. Not even fully formed as the entirety of the baby was so small and shrunken. 

My head lolled back to the side and I fell into the deep waters of unconsciousness. 

***

I woke up on a soft, familiar bed. I felt the fabric between my fingers and smiled, the familiar rough comforter filling me with warmth. "Daryl…" I say as I reach my arm across the bed but all I touch is air. I open my eyes and turn my head to the side. 

I am in mine and Daryl's room and laying in our bed. But I am alone in this shared space and suddenly I feel cold under this thick blanket. 

I go to sit up but pain erupts in my stomach and I gasp with a wince as I wrap my arms over my stomach. I pulled the blanket back to see that my torso was neatly bandaged and a small amount of blood seeped through the white fabric.