My heart is pounding so loud that I can hear it beating. I looked at Aspen with wide eyes as he gestured to me to stay quiet. There one of the sick people is scratching and baring his teeth at the window trying to make his way inside when obviously he couldn't. It feels like his minimal sense of logic is not working right now. And what was even more disturbing— actually scratch that horrifying— is that his flesh is peeling off of his body and there are patches of what remains of his hair in his skull. He looks like a walking rotten body.
"W-What?" I asked whispering, "W-Why does he look like that?"
"They didn't look like that the last time we were here." Aspen replied.
"When did rotting in the human body start?"
"Not sure."
"Do you think he is..."
"Dead?" Aspen then returned his gaze to the sick person, "He looks like he is but he isn't."
"Do you think that's part of the sickness?"
Aspen and I locked eyes again as he said, "Well fungus was the one they were researching and fungus eat dead flesh."
"And somehow they still were able to control human's brain?"
Aspen didn't reply immediately as if he was deep in thought, "I think?"
"This is serious science fiction stuff. All of this shouldn't be real."
"But it is." I sighed as we stayed there quiet only hearing the scratching and the growling of the sick man outside, "We should go. There might be more of them here. It wouldn't be a pretty sight."
I chewed on my lip well knowing what he was referring to. The day he and the others returned from their trip this car was covered in blood and they didn't have to explain what they did and why it turned that way. I just nodded at Aspen as he restarted the car and we continued on our journey.
A few minutes later the houses are now replaced by an open road again. This time instead of trees I see fields of grass. I didn't notice it at first but on the horizon, I noticed an isolated building that looked like a factory. It is surrounded by diamond fences that have a dirt road path where what looks like a warehouse is.
"I'm not sure if we'll find anything here." Aspen said as if he was telling me not to hope too much as he slowed down the car and we parked in front of the gate. There aren't any signs that people are there. "Most of the research is in the main building and that's in a different state. But it's worth the shot."
"Have you been here before?" I asked as he nodded.
"A few times just checking the place. I didn't memorize the whole area but I can still remember where some of the offices are."
"Okay. At least that's something."
He nodded, "I'll try to open the gate. You stay here and lock the door and be the lookout."
"Okay."
Aspen leaned to my side and opened the glove compartment. There I saw a gun and I immediately swallowed the bile slowly forming in my throat. He tinkered with the gun a little before returning his gaze at me as if he noticed the change in my mood he furrowed his brows. He opened his mouth which I was sure he was about to ask a question but decided against it and just nodded at me and opened the car.
I blinked a few times until finally waking up from my trance and leaning to his side of the car pressing the lock. Aspen looked around holding his gun as if he was waiting for something to come out from the field. I watched him as he strides towards the gate only looking away briefly to look at the fields for any signs of danger.
