Infected

Chapter 12

The outside of the property looks as well-kept as the inside with weeds growing up to Ivy and Ethan's knees and the trees are so bare that their branches look like razor sharp claws. The darkness of the night only makes the bayou look creepier, shadows dancing around as if taunting the two to venture closer, to see the horrors hidden within.

After searching the porch as much as they can, the two instinctively race to the small trailer in the center of the yard, but only because it seems to be the most well-lit place on the farm. There isn't much inside of value unless you count piles of dirty clothes as valuable, but what is valuable is locked away inside a few golden cages, which takes the strange coins that Ivy's collected while running through the main house.

One cage holds another round of steroids that Ethan definitely needs, another holds a stabilizer that's supposedly supposed to help you reload faster, and the last one holds a magnum that would pack one hell of a punch if used correctly. There's also a broken handgun on the bed, but the two already have those guns on hand, so they toss it into the green chest that's inside the trailer. Aside from all of that, there's nothing else of any value, and Ivy quickly sticks the coins into the slot on the cages with the steroid and stabilizer since that's all she has enough for at the current moment.

"I'm alright, but you need this. Especially after what we just survived, and with what we're probably about to head into." Ivy says as she hands her brother the syringes, and Ethan nods his head in thanks before injecting them into his arm as he instantly feels stronger, almost as if he can take on anything that's thrown at him. "Now, let's get going-"

Ivy's cut off by the phone ringing the second that she opens the trailer door, and Ethan picks it up since he's closer, more like since Ivy's about ready to throttle Zoe into the next century. "You made it. You two are the first I've ever seen make it this far."

"Oh, so you've had others go on this wild goose chase? Good to know." Ivy deadpans, her voice sharp in anger as she debates on whether or not to kill Zoe the second that they meet. "At least tell us that this goose chase is going to help us in the long run."

"It will, I promise." Zoe responds, easily catching the twos attention as they lean closer to the phone to hear better. "Now, listen very carefully because this next part is trickier. My family and I, and Ivy and Mia now...well, our bodies are contaminated. I can't leave this property unless I get it out, and the same goes for Mia. Ivy, you're stronger than she is, so she can't contain you, which means you can leave as you are or share in the cure to get it out if you choose to."

"Well, that's a relief, though I'm confused as to how I'm stronger than a child." Ivy responds, genuinely not understanding how a mere child is so dangerous, but not willing to underestimate her as well.

"Something inside you makes you stronger than her, and I'm willing to bet it's that fire inside you that you use to protect your family with everything you have." Zoe tells her, making Ethan comment that it makes sense, and Ivy suddenly feels extremely proud of her strong, fighting nature. "Now, the serum will clear this stuff out of our bodies so long as we're not too far gone, which we aren't. My family is, however, so you'll have to get through them to get it. You already dealt with my daddy, which leads you to my mother. I reckon that she has some hidden in the old house."

"So, if we get this thing, we can help you and Mia, then we can get the hell out of here?" Ethan asks, wanting to double check that they have all the information that they need as of right now.

"Exactly. The old house is near the water. You can't miss it." Zoe answers, making Ivy comment about the flooded house in the video. "Yes, that's the one. I just hope you can handle my mother. She's got more tricks than my father had."