The Infected Mind

Chapter 9

I could feel sunrise approaching, and dreading every second it got closer. I still didn't have a new pair of sunglasses and I was willing to bet that these guys didn't realize how bad that was. The sun - or any bright light really - could almost completely blind me if I stared at it for a fraction of a second, but it would fade somewhat swiftly. If I had to go out in the day without sunglasses I would be completely blinded in a matter of minutes, and it would take hours for my sight to return to a human level. Let alone a Crawler level. All of this was ignoring the agonizing pain I would be in the entire time.

I had searched the cabin for something to cover my eyes, but came up empty. The girls said they didn't have anything in their bags either. I growled in frustration from the kitchen. I had my elbows leaning against the counter as I stared at my hazy reflection in the surface of the shiny metal.

As I growled, a sharp - almost inaudible - gasp came from behind me. I turned around, to see Raven had her eyes open and she was looking back and forth over the ceiling. Her eye had blackened out.

I spoke quietly, as to not wake the humans, who had only just gone to sleep a few minutes ago. Of course I didn't want to startle Raven again either, "Raven?" I said, standing completely still. She slowly turned her head to me and her eyes widened. In what emotion I couldn't tell. She was looking me up and down, I realized my hoodie was still soaked in her blood, and I must still have dry blood around my nose. Of course, the last thing she remembered was being attacked by a Crawler, and now there is one standing in front of her.

"Raven, please don't freak out." I put my hands slightly up to show I meant no threat. In the Crawler world, we would usually shrink our legs so we were shorter than the other, But at the moment I was hiding my Crawler legs, and she likely wouldn't understand the things her faint instincts were whispering in her ear.

She said nothing and started looking around in confusion. She tried sitting up, only for her eyes to widen suddenly with a pained gasp, obviously still in pain from being impaled. No shit. I almost stepped forward to try and help her, but stopped myself. What am I? Insane? That's the one thing I have to convince everyone I'm not.

I kept my distance, "Raven. Do you remember what happened?"

Her voice was almost inaudible, "Yeah...we were attacked by Crawlers...and I got stabbed."

I swallowed a lump that had formed in my throat. She doesn't know. She doesn't know. I have to tell her, but how? How did I get myself into this mess.

Her next sentence made my blood run cold. Her pained and quiet voice had an undertone of fear building steadily, "Wasn't it you that stabbed me..?"

My mind was spiraling. Why would she think I did that? I inquired that exact question, tentatively, "What makes you think it was me...?"

"Well, your sweater is covered in blood. And with the sense of smell like a Crawler, I can tell it's my blood...strangely. I also faintly remember you stabbing something, and seeing you over me."

I tried starting a sentence multiple times but I couldn't get any words to form. Finally, after what felt like hours of trying to speak, the words obeyed, "I stabbed the Crawler that broke through the wall. You were pulled into the street and impaled by another Crawler who I also killed. You punched me in the nose hard enough I think you broke it, and you were trying to attack me while I was carrying you and the others out of there. That's the only reason I have blood all over me, I carried you away from the threat."

She seemed intrigued, somewhat, but was frightened when I mentioned she had attacked me. I sighed slowly, "I think you were only half conscious. I'm pretty sure you saw me as a Crawler and assumed I turned or something. You were trying to get away from me while I was trying to get you away from Crawlers."

She lay on the couch thinking for a few minutes. I relaxed without even realizing I had been tensed, thankfully she didn't appear to fear me for the infection, possibly because she knew she was going to be a Crawler too.

"So you really are a Crawler? When did you turn?"

"Yes I am, I turned a few months back. When I told you about my friends shooting me because I was infected, I wasn't entirely honest. I survived because I was a Crawler, not just luck."

"Wait, you've been a Crawler this whole time? I guess that explains some things..." I nodded. Feeling kind of guilty for not telling them the truth, what is important is that she isn't afraid like I had anticipated. Maybe she was still in shock.

I started walking towards her. I helped her sit up, knowing that her injury would be barely healed, and only really stopped bleeding because I had bound it with some supplies from my backpack. I had no idea when she would be able to walk again, but I doubted it would be before she turned.

I started telling her about what life as a Crawler was like for me, and how I was lucky to be sane. I told her the truth about Travis shooting me, and even showed her the scar that was usually completely hidden by my bangs. I had no idea how she might become sane as well, or of it was even possible, but we would hopefully figure something out. I figured we would be hidden in the cabin for a while, wait until the others calmed down, and until she had either turned or healed.

I was wrong.