Tainted Blood

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven
The Herd

(Nobody's Pov!)

     A terrible odor plagued each community causing panic and confusion. The smell of decaying flesh filled the land and sickened all who smelt it. What was coming for them?

    The gang sat around the center of the summer camp thinking about what they should do. They weren't sure what was coming or why it was so strong, but they knew they needed to find out.

"Harlow and I will go. We're fast and quiet and we'll sneak around." Valentine spoke, knowing that her and Harlow could discover the source of the scent without being detected.

"You guys have to be careful!" Evelyn said, her eyes lighting up with worry. She clasped her hands together and stared at her two friends. "Don't worry, we're great at this!" Harlow said, smiling confidently.

"Are you sure?" Damien asked, causing Valentine to nod. "Of course. Harlow and I make supply runs all the time and we don't get spotted." Valentine said, giving Damien a reassuring smile. Damien nodded and looked off into the distance, the smell invading his nose.

"Whatever is it.. it's disgusting." Alcameano said, plugging his nose. "I hate breathing it in." Evelyn said, her eyes watering from the smell.

"Surprisingly, I'm starting to get used to it." Valentine said, causing everyone to look at her with shocked expressions. "I have no idea how you can get used to that!" Damien said.

"Me either!" Evelyn said, motioning to her eyes watering. "It's god awful!" Evelyn added.

"Yeah, it is pretty bad." Harlow said, looking over at Valentine. "If you can smell it then you can find it!" Valentine said, jokingly wrapping an arm around Harlow. "Great.. I get to sniff out the disgusting smell..." Harlow groaned, rolling her eyes.

"Yep! You're like my hunting dog." Valentine chuckled, causing Harlow to groan again. "Curse my nose!" Harlow complained, dramatically flopping backwards onto the grass. Valentine chuckled and looked up at the sky.

"Even the sky looks dark." Evelyn said, seemingly more nervous. "It looks like a storms coming." Alcameano said, hoping that it would pass.

"Then we better hurry and investigate. We don't want any surprises during a big storm." Valentine said, motioning for Harlow to stand up. "Alright...! Let's go." Harlow said, playfully rolling her eyes. The girls exited the camp, and prepared to find the source of the smell.

"If we find it maybe we can get rid of it." Harlow said, walking down the dirt path. "Yeah, let's hope it's just one really stinky creature." Valentine said, her knives in their sheaths on her belt. Harlow played with her machete, twirling it around in her hand.

"Do you ever miss what life used to be like?" Harlow asked, looking over at Valentine. Valentine nodded and sighed. "Of course I do. I really miss good food. I'd kill for some general Tso's chicken right now." Valentine said, chuckling at the end. She hoped to lighten the mood, but Harlow seemed down.

"Is something wrong?" Valentine asked, causing Harlow to sigh. "I was thinking of my parents and my pets. I honestly don't know what happened to anyone. I never saw my parents again. I found you guys and then nobody was home." Harlow said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.