Acid

Chapter Thirteen: What Is She Turning Into?

THE GROUP ALL gathered by the back door. We were all heavily packed with machinery, a.k.a some big guns. With Acid feral's you can never be to sure. Of course they all had silencers so we don't attract more but everyone knows that the Acids can sense when someone in their pack is endangered. I never really understood them, well of course I didn't I'm no bloody feral and I sure as hell will end myself before I even turn into one of them. 

Since the moment the storms started happening and the feral's who got caught up in the storm evolved, no one was quite sure their true meaning. Over the years my group would run into survivors that had been face to face with them and would tell us stories but of course I've never been face to face until now. From what I've put together from all of them is that for some odd reason they travel in packs, never leaving someone behind. They also can tell when a pack member is injured or dead, I don't know how I guess it's just a sense they have? They move fast, running instead of walking or crawling like the feral's do, they can even climb! I heard that they don't even need stairs they use their long fingers and attach themselves to walls climbing like geckos, I also heard that when the acid storm ends, after a few days they go into hibernation, attaching themselves to walls or the ground until the next storm, or the next feeding time. Freaky right? What scares me the most is that the Acid feral's have different colored skin then the normal feral's. After a while the feral's skin starts to decay and dies and rips off, when the Acid's stays almost like human skin, never ripping or tearing, the only difference is that their veins turn different colors; purple, blue, green, yellow. Their usually more pronounced too. I think back to Poppy's burn on her arm... how her skin had showed purple and yellow veins. 

"Let's keep it quiet you guys, there is noway we can outrun these things" Liam said.

All of us nodded, as he opened the back door peaking out the crack, carefully scanning the surroundings. After 3 minutes he turned back around to us nodding, while giving hand signal. He started to use his hands to explain to us to be quiet and follow out one by one, waiting 30 seconds before exiting the daycare after the person in front of us went out. Liam soon exited and 30 seconds after him Tatum went, then Mark and so on. Elliot and Oscar were in front of Poppy and I, but as they exited I felt Poppy tug on my top.

"Mama"

"What is it Poppy?" I whispered.

"Front door... this one not safe"

"What do you mean? The front door was crowded with them" I paused "It's our turn, let's go"

"No! They're out there" She said trying to pull me in the other direction.

"Oh come on! Don't throw a fit now!" I Grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out the door.

She fought me as I pulled us both through the door, her little weight nothing compared to mine as she tried and failed to pull me the other way. The second we were all outside in front of the door Liam signaled us to keep moving, all of us breaking from the back door and moving on. I looked back to Poppy, giving her an I told you so look, but all she did was pout and after she was done that her face went white and she pointed up. I slowly looked up to the top of the medical building an Acid was hanging over the edge, it's fingers attached to the wall holding it in place as it watched us. I pulled out the pistol Liam had brought for me and aimed it at the wall.

"Liam!" I shouted in a loud whisper.

The group halted and as it did I shot, before the bullet could make impact the Acid had jumped off the wall. Its new ability's forcing it farther than a normal leap, and the second my bullet took impact the thing was so close it dropped right in front of my feet. Liam and the others took out their weapons as the other Acid's started screeching, knowing that someone in their pack had died they began to run to the scene. Our group got divided Tatum and Liam went one way as two Acid's followed, Elliot taking shelter with his brother to keep him safe, Mark taking Poppy's arm while he ran them the opposite way of me, and myself standing alone in front of the dead Acid I had killed. I looked over to Mark and Poppy an Acid approaching them slowly growling. I started to run to them but stopped suddenly when I heard Tatum scream. I turned my head the other way seeing Liam and Tatum in distress from two Acids that were over powering them. I froze. Who do I save? If I save Mark and Poppy, Liam and Tatum could die! NO! I blocked Tatum and Liam from mind bolting over to Poppy, I couldn't give two shits about Mark he's gonna turn anyways! I'll risk the chance of them dying, Poppy is my daughter and she comes first above all! I soon realized I was to slow compared to the Acid who was quickly gaining on them. Poppy saw me running and broke off from Mark trying to run to me but she got to close. The acid jumped over grabbing her ankles and forcing her to the ground.

"Mama!" She screamed, trying to break free from its grasp while continuously screaming.

The Acid soon started climbing up her body as it showed it's teeth flipping her over. Her fragile body slamming quickly to the ground as she flipped over.

"No! Poppy!" I screamed.

She started to cry out, her sobs could be heard for miles they were so loud. I tried my hardest to get over their quickly but I was too slow, I grabbed my gun aiming it at the Acid, my finger on the trigger. I pulled the trigger. Nothing happened. My gun jammed shit! I quickly tried to fix it but by the time I looked up something I never expected happened. The Acid stopped attacking. They never stop! Frantically fixing my gun I looked up again, the Acid hid its teeth and went close to Poppy's neck just smelling her. It's face soon changed from aggressive to calm as day, suddenly turning it's face to the air as it smelled the breeze before turning around eyeing Mark, leaping off Poppy it jumped on Mark ripping into his flesh. How? Why? Why'd it stop attacking her? Poppy got up and ran to me, I stood frozen so confused on why it stopped the only thing that brought me back was the collision of Poppy into my legs, her tears dripping from her face to my legs. I gathered my baby into my arms, looking her over. The Acid didn't even bite her! Not even a scratch! She cried holding onto me. My ears were ringing from myself being so withdrawn until they snapped back, screaming in the air from Mark being ripped into. The Acid who attacked Poppy was lavishing in Mark's blood. Ripping every part of his body. Soon another Acid came running up trying to jump on me yet I dodged it, it stood up straight coming so close before smelling us and walking away. What the fuck is going on? Why aren't they attacking me? Or Poppy? 

"Alaska! Get over here!" Elliot yelled, as he stood at the door of a car left behind.

I sprinted over to him. Tossing Poppy into the back seat before running away from the car.

"Alaska what are you doing?" Elliot yelled.

I ran to Tatum and Liam, firing my gun that had un-jammed itself. I shot the Acid who was attacking Tatum in the head, it's corpse falling to the ground. The one attacking Liam stopped screeching as it came running towards me, wanting to avenge his pack member. I lifted my gun but the Acid soon dropped to the ground Liam's gun smoking. 

"Hurry! Come on!" I screamed.

They both dashed over to me, Liam running straight passed me and Tatum grabbing the back of my neck pulling me close to him in a hug before grabbing my arm and bolting to the car that Elliot finally got working. The engine roared to life as we all got in. An Acid running over to the car.

"Step on it!" Liam screamed.

Elliot stepped on the gas peddle. The car blasting off, sand and dirt from the ground flinging in  the air. We zoomed out of there, the Acid who ran after us slamming into the back of the car before falling to the ground from the car going so fast.

"Ha Ha! Holy Shit!" Elliot screamed laughing.

Liam soon started to laugh in the front seat with him, while the kids slumped in their chairs giving a sigh of relief as they were exhausted from what just happened. Tatum soon slid his arm around my shoulders joining in on the laughing before starting a conversation with them. I ignored all of them as I turned my head so I could see Poppy out of the corner of my eye. I've never seen anything like that before... It leaves me alone when she's in my arm but the second she leaves I'm food again? Did it just smell her then decided she's not it's type of food or something? No... I looked down to her arm that was nicely bandaged. 

What are you turning into Poppy?