The Infected Mind

Chapter 24

My mind was foggy and my limbs were numb. Uhhg...my head is throbbing...what happened?

I opened my eyes, my right was still blind, unsurprisingly. My vision was blurred and doubling, and I felt dizzy. My mouth tasted of blood, Did I go hunting?

I propped myself up on my elbow, and noticed my torso felt light...too light. I looked at my stomach and saw what I definitely didn't expect. Though the hoodie was big, I could tell it was baggier than usual. I sat up, stiff and unnerved, and lifted it up to look at my stomach, the bandages were gone and there were red lines and bumps in my skin from where they had been rippled, though the marks were fading swiftly enough.

Did I take the pills? I don't remember taking them, why would they get rid of the bandages if I wasn't healed yet? I'm so confused...

Breathing was no longer painful, it was pure relief to be able to breathe unlabored after several days of sparing my breath. Even better, with my back uncovered, I could extend my Crawler legs, finally. Once I gingerly let them out and stretched them, the pain was finally gone. Though something felt off. I looked back at them and froze in confusion, for my Crawler legs were covered in fur.

For some reason there was coarse grey fur on my Crawler legs, starting from the knee joint, and going all the way down to the ankle, it didn't wrap the whole way around, but covered most of the surface. What the actual hell?!

Was this because of the winter? Had I adapted to the cold? This was the first winter Crawlers had ever existed, so no one would know how we would react. I looked over my body for anything else that seemed amiss, such as missing bandages, but instead I saw something that made my blood run cold.

There was a tranq dart in my thigh, or at least what looked like one.

I yanked it out with a grimace, and looked over it in my hand. Someone tranquilized me and there was blood in my mouth. The bandages on my Crawler legs were removed for one reason or another. I was not liking the way things were going as new puzzle pieces set into place.

I stood with my Crawler legs to prevent from limping, and stumbled somewhat. I shook my head hard and looked around. The floor was covered in blood. Oh no...

It was pretty damn clear now, I killed someone. Or at the very least infected someone with my bite, meaning I destroyed their humanity and turned them into a monster. I started shaking in shocked horror. No no no, not again...

I had spent so long as a Crawler, and trying to convince myself that I wasn't the monster I had been made into, but I just killed someone who was trying to help me. That is irredeemable. I started to feel sick, and lightheaded, despite the fact that whatever drugs were in that tranq dart should have been wearing off.

I heard the door open, but I didn't bother looking up, I was just staring at the floor while my ears started to ring and I clenched my jaw to keep from chattering. Someone walked up to me, they were hesitant, I didn't even acknowledge it.

They took a few more steps forward, and I felt them grab my hand slowly, before there was a sudden sting and ache in my arm, I reluctantly looked up. The woman that always came down here was injecting something into my wrist with a syringe. I didn't really care, whatever she was planning to do, I probably deserved. I only even knew it was her because of her scent.

All I managed to do was say two words before my Crawler legs gave out and I completely passed out, whatever she injected was strong shit, "I'm sorry."

○ ○ ○

I reluctantly opened my eyes. I could imagine this is what a hangover feels like...

I was on my back, so I pushed myself up and sat there, holding my head. I realised the floor was wooden instead of the concrete I had grown accustomed to over the week. I smelled pine and mint.

I looked up to scan the room, and jumped back into the wall. There was a bloody Crawler on the ceiling, hanging from a rafter using his legs like a hammock, like how any Crawler would sleep. After a moment of looking over them, I noticed just how familiar he seemed, and my heart dropped. That's the man who always came down to the basement, that's his scent.

From my angle I could see his arm was bandaged, I had bitten him. He had either turned quickly, or I had been asleep for days. I decided to try and talk to him, since he should be able to understand me.

I spoke in the Cralwer language of growls and clicks, but I was silent just in case being louder would rile him up, "...Hello?"

He stirred slightly, shifting unnaturally. He slowly turned his head down so he was looking at me, partly upside down. His eyes were black, just like mine. His face had some blood smeared across it, clearly from turning and having his fangs come through. His voice was even more scratchy than mine was, since he had no time to heal his damaged throat, "I remember you. You infected me."

Wait, how does he remember that? I shook my head, "I'm sorry, I never meant to. But pain and overactive instincts were sending me into a feral frenzy. I don't remember anything of that time when I had bitten you."

His expression changed, and I was very confused. He isn't acting like a Crawler...

He jumped down to the floor and looked at me, he was standing on his Crawler legs, which shook with the simple task of standing, he sounded genuinely concerned, "Please tell me how to control my instincts."

I took a startled step back, "uh...I can't tell you how to do that. Crawlers can't control their instincts, I can, but that's because I'm Sane..."

Then he did something that made me trip over my own feet and fall backwards, "I believe I am as well."