A Tragic Creation 3: At Pepperland's End

Chapter 16: Contamination

John quickly spat out the chewed piece of apple, starting to breath heavily as he started to panic.

Paul shivered, now wishing that he hadn't eaten.

"W-what's going on?"

The Chief, running towards the pair, shouted.

"SOME OF THE APPLES ARE CONTAMINATED!"

"W-WHAT!?" Randel exclaimed, standing up as Ringo continued to sit on the ground.

"B-but... How!?"

Slowing down, the Chief caught his breath.

"I... T-they're saying that some of the trees were... they were in a p-puddle of that stuff, but they didn't think that it affected anything!"

Jeremy, who was a few feet behind the Chief, quivered.

"It... It d-didn't absorb the grass or a-anything not organic... I... W-we should p-panic..."

John stood up, shaking as he looked over at Paul, who stood up as well.

"S-so... W-what you're saying is that it got into the apples from the trees?"

"It did!" The Chief yelled in response, "It must have soaked into the roots and got in them that way!"

Ringo took in a breath.

"H-how do we know-"

"The liquid is very hard to spot! You need to focus on it in order to see it! It's like... Microscopic!"

Ringo, taking a moment, to understand the Chief's response, turned his head back to his apple and focused on the exposed part.

"I don't see anything in ours... And, I feel fine."

Randel exhaled in relief, but before he could say anything...

"AAHH!"

Paul screamed as he noticed small droplets of the black liquid begin to leak out of the exposed part of his apple, and he shot up onto his feet instantly.

John stood up as well, more worried about the bassist than his own safety.

"It... T-there's no way it could... Stomach acid is...'

Paul's words came out quick as he began to hyperventilate.

"I... It's already happening to... M-many others P-Paul..."

The Chief lowered his head down in shame.

"I'm s-sorry."

"No... No, I can't die!"

Paul held his face in his hands as tears of sadness and fear began to flood from his eyes. His breathing was sharp and quick.

The moment that Paul's appearance started to dull, John gasped in shock.

"No, Please! A-anyone but you, please!"

Ringo slowly stood up next to Randel, not being able to tear his eyes away from the scene.

John made his way over to Paul, placing a hand on his shoulder as colour continued to slowly drain from the bassist.

"T-their has to be something w-we c-can do. C-can't he just throw up to get it out of him!?"

"Some already tried doing that... But the liquid just stuck to them like glue. It can't come out..."

The Chief's words did little to help the the situation.

"J-just like w-what happened with G-George..." Ringo whispered, "he c-couldn't get it off...'

"NO! NO, PLEASE!" Paul screamed as he felt the last of his happiness and colour drain away from him.

John now knew that Paul was the only one of them who ate a contaminated apple now, and that very fact tore at his heart.

"P-Paul-"

"J-John... I... I..."

Paul started to gag as he felt a numb feeling spread in his stomach, and he stepped away from John.

Tears started to from in John's eyes as he helplessly watched the bassist.

Max, who had been silent the whole time, fainted. The Chief stared at him, wishing that he could have spared him from everything that had happened.

Paul leaned over and began to cough, starting to feel very ill.

When Paul's mid-section began to turn into black goo, John covered his mouth as more tears flooded down his cheeks.

Finally, Paul threw up onto the ground.

The black liquid splashed onto the ground, some of it sticking to Paul's lips and the inside of his mouth and throat.

He fell on his side, feeling the liquid travel down to his legs.

"J-John... P-please h-help me..."

Paul reached his hand out toward the guitarist, but John didn't move.

"P-Paulie..."

Randel felt tears start to from in his eyes, and he tore his head away from the scene, burying it in Ringo's shoulder as he hugged him.

Ringo placed his arms around him, placing a hand on Randel's head to pat it.

The drummer couldn't stop looking at the scene in front of him.

Jeremy was on the ground now, crying as he tried to block out the sounds.

The Chief merely just stared wide-eyed at the two musicians.

The entire lower half of Paul's body was covered by the goo, and he couldn't feel it anymore.

Liquid leaking from his mouth, Paul stared up at John, tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

"I... I l-l... Love..."

Before Paul could continue, more black goo came out of his mouth, making him choke as it clogged his windpipe.

The liquid climbed up onto his chest, covering the area where his heart and lungs were.

Within a moment, Paul's eyes rolled up into his head.

"P-Paul!?"

Paul couldn't comprehend what John what John was saying.

His head moved sporadically as he began to gurgle softly, his outstretched arm now still.

John saw Paul's hand twitch.

"P-Paul..."

The liquid climbed up onto Paul's neck and arms, and John took a step back.

Paul's head was completely covered within seconds.

As the goo engulfed Paul's outstretched arm, his hand slowly stopped twitching.

"N-no... No."

John couldn't see Paul's body anymore. All he could see was a man's shape under the liquid.

In an instant, the liquid collapsed on itself, just like how it did with George.

John, lips quivering as tears continued to stream down his face, fell to his knees.

All was silent.