Infection

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

"Wait! Stop!" Jarett tried to grab Gwen as she pushed up the shutters and dashed out the back of the truck. He briefly grabbed her wrist but she shook him off.

"Gwen!" Jarett shouted.

Gwen ignored him and had taken off in a sprint in the direction of Ralph's screaming. Jarett swore under his breath and jumped down from the truck, following her path.

You stupid girl!

They turned around the intersection, and halted as they saw Ralph staggering about unsteadily in the middle of the street, as their captors appeared in the opposite direction, observably still largely disoriented from Jarett's stun grenade, moving in a dazed manner.

Ralph collapsed onto the road, as Gwen rushed over to his side. The men slowly approached them, walking in a dazed manner, some falling over. Jarett ran over and pulled Gwen up, but she pushed him away.

"Ralph!" Gwen cried, falling once again and clutching Ralph's swollen arm. His arms had become extremely red and swollen, his nerves pulsing. He tried to push Gwen back with his other arm.

"He's infected! Who knows what would – " Jarett said desperately.

"Shut up!" Gwen screamed at Jarett. "Ralph, get up!"

"You... aren't going... anywhere!" One of the men shouted in a slur, and started a disoriented jog toward them.

Jarett raised his rifle. "Stop moving!" He stood firm. The men stopped and glared at him with bloodshot eyes, and Jarett saw that they only held blunt weapons, and there was still quite a distance between them. Perfect opportunity to get rid of them all for killing his two friends.

His eyes darted around. Around them, the zombies were slowly staggering toward all of them, attracted by the commotion they were making. Jarett kept his stance as he surveyed the surroundings with the corner of his eyes. "Get the guy and move." He shot back to Gwen, gritting his teeth. It was insane bringing that guy along.

Gwen ignored him, and continued to try helping Ralph get to his feet. Ralph was soaked in cold sweat and his body was extremely cold, his skin clammy.

"Fuhh--- Ruhhnnn!" Ralph choked, his voice getting lower. He pushed Gwen backwards and she fell over, as he fell to the street once more, his arms starting to swell even more, as his skin got stretched out.

"No..." Gwen stared in disbelief and hysteria, watching as Ralph struggled to his feet, both his arms suddenly stretching outward, as his upper torso grew bigger and more hunched. Gwen sat stoned in fear on the road, unable to take in what she was seeing. "Ra – no..." She whispered, as she began crawling backwards in horror.

Jarett glanced back and then ran toward Gwen in shock, pulling her to her feet, as she weakly tried to stand.

Whatever the men had injected into Ralph had begun to take effect.

One of the men started laughing, a crazed laugh of triumph and amusement. "HOO HOOO look at that!"

"RUUUHNN!" Ralph growled, his voice a beastly low groan, as his body continued its metamorphosis, his arms continuously elongating, his face slowly getting stretched out as his hair receded into his scalp. His eyes grew larger and more sunken, and claws started bursting out of his toes as blood splattered around the ground. His shirt and pants ripped off under the immense growth of his torsos, and Ralph screamed in agony, a roar that was no longer human.

Gwen breathed heavily, feeling a fear she had never known, watching the horror unfold upon her friend.

No.