A Blessing and a Curse

Chapter 35

   I stared at Tua in confusion.

My hand settled back down on my lap and all the fear I had before shortly leaked away. What was so important about Tua? Does Cornelius know what's special about her? Does it have to do with her powers of having an out of body experience? Does she see things that others can't? Maybe know something?

   Whatever it was must be pretty important if creepy shadow dude points at her.

That's when I noticed it was eerily quiet. The trooper stood from his corner and silently made his way towards the hole until it was above him. His gun pointed up then slowly lowered his eyes never leaving from their spot.

   "Hey."

   I averted my gaze over at the voice. Sabine raised her arms enough to show me that she was able to pick the cuffs off. Why didn't I think of that? I glanced over at the trooper before grabbing a tool from my boot. A bobby-pin. I adjusted my arms so that way the pin was able the slip into the lock's slot.

   Messing around a bit with the pin, I was able to unlock the cuffs. Sabine managed to do the same with Tua, who still seemed to be in her own world, as I got started with Cornelius. My eyes went from the cuffs to the trooper to make sure we didn't get caught. He seemed focus on the hole to care to much about anything else.

   With the final click, the cuffs released Cornelius's wrists. I took them off and quietly placed them down. I nodded over to Sabine, signaling to her that we were good. She nodded back and began to raise her hand at the trooper.

   I rapidly shook my head and tried to get her attention, desperately wanting to say something to make her stop. To late, she fired and the trooper hollered in pain as he went up into a blister of flames. His skin burning of flesh and blood smearing all over. The fire was bright, screams were loud, and smoke clouded out through the hole.

   "Sabine," I finally spoke. She stopped her attack and looked over at me.

   "What?" She asked. Before I could get another word out of my mouth, shrieks and heavy, fast footsteps ran across the top of the vehicle. The trooper was already on the ground dead but still burning as things became silent. There was a few clicking noises as a long piece of drool began to slowly slid down from the hole and onto the fire.

   My heart pounded against my chest and breath caught my throat as an Infected slowly lowered itself down next to the man, back facing us. It just stared down at the dead trooper who still had some small flames burning him. Luckily the vehicle was fire proof or we all may be up in flames. What wasn't lucky, we could become something worse than death itself.

   The Infected was huge without a doubt. Claws were long and sharp that it was probably how it even broke through the thick metal of the car. Its tail was so long that it could beat even two young adult giraffe necks. It's skeleton and machine-like body was truly one to put a regular Infected to shame.

   In other words, this was terrifying compared to everything that we've been through. And that's saying something.

   Even in the dark when night fell and with little light coming from the hole, I could see the Infected lower itself down to the body. Then it sniffed the corpse of the trooper. From this angle, I could see it lick its lips with more drool coming out. In a flash, the Infected began to messily wolf down the burn't up trooper.

   The sloshing noise made me want to throw up as blood began to pool on the floor. I wanted to look away but couldn't. Tears of fear prickled my eyes. I clasped my hand on my mouth tightly, trying not to breath hard that it could hear me. I had to stay quiet. I need to stay absolutely silent.

One slip up...I don't want to think what would happen if we get caught. I'm surprised it didn't find us yet.

Finally, I was able to pull my eyes away from the Infected and over to the girls to see how they were doing. Cornelius just kept staring at the wall with sweat sliding down from his head from the tension.

I thought every fiber in me began to rush faster as my blood ran cold. My eyes were so wide that they could be mistaken for plates. I had no problem with my breathing now that it got caught in my throat.

Sabine had a shaky hand pointing at the Infected.

Shaking my head desperately and lips moving , trying to say 'no' but couldn't. It was all happening so fast. Anymore movement could attract the Infected's attention but that may not matter if she fires.

Everything happened in slow motion that it became a blur. With all her strength and bravery, she quickly stood and released a ginormous blast of fire at the Infected.

Waves of heat set a burning feeling on my skin and the power of thundering flames pushed me hard against the wall. The Infected roared and shrieked at the top of its lungs in pain. It was knocked off of balance and hit the ramp with full force. It still struggled against the blistering heat and tried to break free.

I never knew Sabine could keep it up this long with how much power she was using. Yet, by the tired, scared, and confused look on her face, it wouldn't last very long.

The ramp began to melt and I thought I heard soft echoes of shrieks coming from outside. There were more Infected waiting patiently outside of the vehicle. It's all an ambush!

"Sabine, stop!" I yelled, trying to make her stop before it was to late. I could even feel the Infected grinning as its masterful plan was about to become reality. How did it know? Why did it do it? To mess with our minds and play its sick game of murder?

Clanking noise came from above and a blur of green flew in, knocking Sabine down, pinning her to he ground. The green Infected. Sabine stared up horrified at the green Infected along with Cornelius and Tua. They were frozen in their seats. I stayed calm and got up, knowing this Infected.

"Kanan, don't do it. I know you better than this. Fight it," I said but he didn't get up almost as if he was trying to fight the urge. The urge to kill and eat. He snarled and shook his head as drool dripped from his mouth onto Sabine's head.

The other Infected was slowly getting up still dazed by what happened. My eyes widen as I looked back at the other two. I had enough.

"KANAN!" I yelled. The green Infected roared then stood tall and tackled the other Infected. Sabine was still on the ground in a daze and breathed heavily.

I helped her up and ordered Cornelius and Tua to go through the hole. They didn't think twice and Tua helped Cornelius onto the top of the car.

Once Sabine was leaning on me and on her feet, we quickly made our way up the hole. I looked back down into the hole with worry as Kanan still was fighting the powerful Infected.

"Kanan," I called.

"Ezra, we need to go," Sabine said, tugging at my arm.

"I can't leave him, again," I argued, trying to make her let go.

"You can't help him. He's going to be fine but we are not if we stay here any longer," Sabine said, glancing up as some younger looking Infected having trouble climbing the vehicle.

I gritted my teeth and debated on my next move. I didn't want to leave Kanan but I don't have the power to help. I feel so useless. So helpless with this curse.

   What made things worse, was the sun was starting to rise over the horizon.

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