Godead

LXIV

Claude then looked to Jake, hurrying over to him along with Caroline and Reed. They knelt next to the man, realizing he was bleeding profusely from the neck. They did their best to help him, but Jake's motions soon came to a stop. As his breathing ceased, the three paused, slowly standing up.

"...Damn," Claude said.

"...Jake was a good guy," Caroline added.

"Yes. He seemed like an upstanding young man. We should give him a proper burial," Reed said.

"No. There's no time. We should return to Debra and Reuben and see if they've found Elsa. If we stopped to bury every person who died, we could very well start our own mortuary," Claude replied cynically.

Caroline worriedly looked to the boy, noticing the jaded look in his eyes. They weren't the same eyes she once found so charming. Since killing Abby, Claude's whole demeanor seemed to have changed. His eyes were somehow less caring. Less compassionate.

Less human.

Back on the streets of Berkfield, Reuben wandered the sidewalk looking for Elsa. As he passed a pharmacy, he suddenly noticed two figures off in the distance. He quickly hurried over to them, realizing who they were as he neared.

"Debra! And...," Reuben said, eyes wide as he looked to the woman standing next to her. "...Elsa!" As Reuben stopped before them, Elsa mechanically turned to the boy.

"...Ruuu... binnn," she said, voice cold and raspy. Reuben frowned in shock.

"No...!" he said, realizing she'd turned into a zombie. Debra smiled at him.

"Well heya, cutie! Decided to stay back and keep ol' Debra company, did ya?" Debra asked, somewhat flirty. Reuben blinked, continuing to stare at Elsa in disbelief. "Shame about Elsa, huh? I found her like this, wandering the streets with a dopy stare."

"Elsa...," Reuben said somberly.

"Hey! Don't act like that! She's actually not as far gone as you think," Debra said. The naked, winged girl stepped forward, tilting her head at Elsa as the zombie stared back. "Elsa! What's my name?!"

"Deb... rahhh," Elsa replied.

"That's right! And what's your name?" Debra asked.

"Ehh... ssaaa," Elsa said. Debra squinted and grinned, gingerly turning to Reuben.

"See? She responds to basic questions!" she explained. "Basic commands, too. Watch! Elsa, raise your right hand!" As Debra gave her orders, Elsa did precisely what was asked. As Debra clapped twice, Reuben slowly clenched his fists.

"...Damn you," he said angrily. Debra tilted her head at him.

"Hmm?" she asked. Suddenly, Reuben raised his hand, firing a sharp quill through Elsa's head. As the zombie fell to the floor, Debra paused, face going furious.

"Hey! What the hell?! How dare you kill my new pet!" the girl asked angrily.

"Elsa wasn't a pet. She's not your puppet on a string to do with as you please," Reuben replied.

"Why you little punk! You know how long it took me to teach her to obey commands like that?!" Debra asked angrily. "You're really starting to annoy me, brat! Maybe I'll kill you and use your corpse as a plaything!"

As Debra spoke, she suddenly raised her wings, releasing thick pollen in the air surrounding them. Reuben then raised an arm, shooting it through the ground as spikes shot up from below Debra. Debra cringed, slightly taking damage as she took off in the air. She flew over Reuben, continuing to pollenate their surroundings as the boy held his breath and ran sideways.

The two fought back and forth, Reuben firing quills as Debra filled the air with mist. Despite landing an earlier hit on Debra, Reuben was starting to feel the sleep-inducing effects of Debra's pollen. He continued attacking, but soon found his eyelids start to feel heavy.

"You can't hold out forever, kid! You're starting to feel sleepy! Very, very slee-py!" Debra taunted.

As he watched the girl fly around in the sky above him, Reuben cringed. He knew she was right. He had to do something and fast, lest he fall asleep and Debra kill him in his dreams. As Reuben felt ready to pass out, he suddenly yelled, rushing forward before jumping high in the sky.

As he leapt twenty feet in the air, countless quills suddenly shot out from his skin, eviscerating his clothes as the air around him filled with sharp spikes. Debra watched in shock, screaming as several quills suddenly dug deep into her arm. She staggered back, losing flight before swiftly plummeting to the asphalt. As she warily rose to her feet, Reuben fell to the ground, naked as he landed on the street. Debra cringed in annoyance, slightly blushing as she looked to the boy from twenty feet away.

"...Damn you! You're stronger than you look!" the girl said, reeling from the multiple wounds he'd given her. "This isn't over! Next time, you're as good as dead!" Debra declared, taking flight before making a hasty escape. Reuben chased her several blocks, but her speed was too great, the girl soon vanishing from sight.

Back in the science labs, Claude, Caroline, and Doctor Reed left the building, getting in the van before heading back to town. As the interior of Westview Research Facility stood in silence, Abby's motionless body lay still on the floor. Her skin was cold and pale, eyes staring blankly up at the ceiling above. As a single gunshot wound rested on her forehead just above her left eye, she twitched.

She then twitched again, soon going into violent convulsions. As her body flung up and down, the bullet lodged in her skull was suddenly pushed out. In the hole that was left, countless long tentacles shot out, wildly quivering as a high pitched hiss filled the air. The tentacles shivered and twitched over her wound, Abby soon coming to a stop as the tentacles shriveled and broke off. Seconds later, Abby returned to her senses. She slowly sat up, hand to her head as she squinted at her surroundings.