THE MEDUSA VIRUS: Book one of the Beta Viruses

Chapter 13- Kit Burdine*

My lungs are burning. I wish I was as healthy and in shape as Jolene. She's running so effortlessly, leading our group that now has a new member. 

Because of me turning into a stone I can smell when people are infected with the virus, and this dude: He's infected. He's smell is so strong I can barely breathe, but just like Nikala he's not completely gone. It's like he's able to over come the Virus. I wish I was as strong as them. I can't fight what's taking over me. I can feel the urge to attack the smallest sounds and smells. My stomach growls for one food and that's meat, and I don't mean animal meat, I mean human meat. 

I want to run away so I can save Jolene and yes, even Jason. But now that this stone is here, this person who is able to over come the virus. Maybe he can teach me, maybe he can help me overcome it too. But the question is: How do I ask him?

I don't know how, or even when it would be the right time to ask him. It definitely wouldn't be now, obviously. But maybe when we get somewhere that we are out of the way and safe from these nasty stones.

In front of me I notice that Jolene keeps looking off into the forest. Her face looks panicked but she also isn't running away. Then she just stops. Damion has to put his right foot forward and turn around so he doesn't fly forward from stopping so suddenly. I stop a couple feet from Jolene and shake my head. "Why did we stop?!" I question, taking another step towards her. She points towards the forest instead of answering. I follow her hand and look directly where she is pointing. From the forest there's a couple of glowing eyes. As I squint my eyes, trying to get a better view I realize that they belong to. A giant cat, that looks like it has horns is slowly walking out of the forest. It's golden and as it turns towards the direction the stones are coming from it also has holden wings. When I look towards the stones that were chasing after us, all of them have stopped and are just as surprised as we are. The cat growls and steps onto the road, becoming a dividend in between us and the stones.

"What is that?" Jason asks, his voice going high, signaling he's panicked.

"It's an evolved."

"How do you know that Damion?"

"When my pack was still alive we encountered a whale dog. The evolved is just the name I have the animals that are mushed together. Their stronger and tougher than you could imagine." Damion replies.

"When your pack was alive?" I ask panicked. Damion nods.

"The whale dog killed everyone except for me." I shake my head and back away from the cat. Even if it seems more interested in the stones than us.

"We need to move, sorry for stoping." Jolene says before she begins to run again. I take a deep breath, realizing then that I had been gasping for breath the entire time we stopped. I shake my head and look down at the ground, crouching and resting my hands on my knees. Jolene doesn't stop but keeps running. Damion waits for me, standing silently and just watching me. Eventually I'm able to breathe again.

"Right, lets catch up to Jolene."

                                         • • •

We're now in a city. Skyscrapers stand all around us, casting shadows all around. The sun is now at the top of the sky, but I want it to be night. I'm so tired, my body aches and my mind has become crazed from a lack of energy. 

We aren't walking anymore, but instead are walking, being careful not to step on any debris. From the looks of it, a lot of people survived from here. But it looks like they were all attacked by stones, and the aftermath of them fighting is this: Bodies scattered, blood smeared on cars, bullet markings on the sides of cars and on the windows of cars, windows that lead into stores all shattered. To top it off, it looks like some type of rocket, missile, or grenade went off on one of the buildings, as one building is leaning against another. I can hear the creaking and the sound of the supports straining as we pass underneath it.