Echoes of Desolation [ TGC ; APOCALYPSE AU ]

8. You're not the one I used to know.

Larry, his brow furrowed with concern, watched Tanner stumble back against the wall. The others were busy helping a pale and gasping Larry to his feet, oblivious to Tanner's struggle.

"You okay, buddy?" Larry asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Tanner forced a smile, the effort sending a wave of dizziness washing over him. "Yeah, just a little winded," he rasped, his voice weak.

Larry wasn't convinced. He knew Tanner better than anyone. The way his usually vibrant eyes were dull, the way his shoulders slumped – it all pointed to something more than exhaustion.

Later that night, as the others slept, Larry found Tanner by a cracked window, staring out at the desolate cityscape bathed in an eerie moonlight.

"Can't sleep?" Larry asked softly, his voice barely stirring the stillness.

Tanner flinched, startled from his thoughts. "Just... thinking," he mumbled, his voice thick with fatigue.

Larry sat down beside him, the silence stretching between them. He knew something was wrong, a secret gnawing at Tanner from within. Finally, he decided to take a chance.

"Listen," Larry began, his voice gentle, "we've been through a lot together. If something's bothering you, you know you can talk to me, right?"

Tanner looked at him, his gaze filled with a mixture of fear and desperation. He hesitated, the weight of his secret threatening to crush him. But seeing the genuine concern in Larry's eyes, he knew he couldn't keep it bottled up any longer.

Taking a deep breath, he lowered his voice to a whisper. "It's my side," he confessed, wincing slightly as the pain flared. "Back in the forest... the zombie..."

Larry's breath hitched. "Oh God, Tanner," he whispered, dread creeping into his voice. He gently pulled up Tanner's shirt, revealing the now-infected wounds, a sickly green spreading around the puncture marks.

Tears welled up in Tanner's eyes. "I thought I could hide it, but..." His voice broke. "What are we going to do, Larry?"

Larry's mind raced, searching for answers. He knew the stories – the inevitable transformation that awaited the infected. Panic threatened to consume him, but he forced it down for Tanner's sake.

"We'll figure it out," Larry said, his voice firmer than he felt. "There has to be a cure, some way to stop it."

But even as he spoke, a sliver of doubt gnawed at him. Hope was a precious commodity in this desolate world, and he didn't want to give Tanner false promises.

The next morning, the weight of their secret hung heavy in the air. Tanner, pale and weak, tried to appear normal as they went about their daily routines. Larry, ever vigilant, kept a watchful eye on his friend, his heart sinking further as he noticed the subtle changes in Tanner's behavior – a growing irritability, a heightened aggression.

During a scavenging mission, a minor disagreement between Yumi and Tanner escalated quickly. Before anyone could react, Tanner shoved Yumi aside, his face contorted in a snarl. The sudden outburst sent a shiver down Larry's spine. It wasn't the Tanner he knew.

Later that night, a thick fog rolled in, blanketing the city in an oppressive silence. As they huddled around the fire, the unsettling presence of the mist gnawed at their nerves. Suddenly, a bloodcurdling scream pierced the air, ripping through the suffocating quiet.

They all jumped to their feet, hearts pounding. The scream came from outside, near the perimeter of their shelter. Isaac grabbed his makeshift spear, his voice grim. "Stay here. Don't move."

He and Nick cautiously ventured out into the swirling mist. Larry, unable to contain his anxiety, followed behind, casting a worried glance at Tanner.

The sight that greeted them was horrifying. A group of ragged, grotesque figures lumbered through the mist, their eyes glowing with a malevolent hunger. They were unlike any zombies they had encountered before – faster, stronger, and seemingly driven by a primal rage.

A fierce battle ensued. Isaac and Nick fought with desperate bravery, but the infected creatures were relentless. Just as a particularly aggressive one lunged towards Isaac, a guttural roar filled the air.

A hulking figure emerged from the mist, towering over the others. Its body was a twisted mass of muscle and decaying flesh, its eyes burning with an unholy light. It slammed its fist into the infected creature, sending it flying.

A hulking figure emerged from the mist, towering over the others. Its body was a twisted mass of muscle and decaying flesh, its eyes burning with an unholy light. It slammed its fist into the infected creature, sending it flying with a sickening crunch.

For a moment, they were frozen in shock. Then, recognition dawned on Larry's face. It was Tanner, but not the Tanner he knew. This creature moved with a feral grace, its primal rage palpable even through the thick fog. A low growl rumbled from its throat, not a human sound, but a guttural beastly echo.

Isaac and Nick scrambled back, fear etched on their faces. Larry stood rooted to the spot, a wave of nausea washing over him. This couldn't be real. It had to be some cruel hallucination brought on by the oppressive mist.

But the creature's next move shattered any doubts. It turned its glowing eyes towards them, a flicker of recognition momentarily fighting through the feral rage. In that fleeting glimpse, Larry saw a flicker of Tanner – a desperate plea for help, a silent scream lost in the throes of the infection.

Tears welled up in Larry's eyes. He didn't know what to do. Attack his friend, the one who had just saved them from the initial assault? Or try to reach the man buried beneath the monstrous transformation?