Higher pitched than the first time a squeal from one of many long purple worms slithers its way through the rubble.
Hillary teleported back inside the SUV and ducked down while her sister yelled demanding to know what was going on. Doing what she did may have been looked on as cowardly, but she was incapable of being able to do anything against them while they were still worms. She knew that she did the smart thing.
One of the worms jumped and flew through the air at the old people. It hit one of the men in the side of the head. While the man flailed on the ground screaming it wriggled its way into their skull.
One of the others quickly shot in the direction of the worms. Purple splatters of their wormy flesh flew through the air. Another fired their gun having the same result against a handful of the worms.
Joe stood ready to fire his remaining shot knowing he would have to reload right after.
Laura sent a wide wave of force forward and blasted a large amount of the fiery debris and worms away from them.
One of them had made it past Laura and went right for Ken. His electrified shield stopped it upon making contact with him. It squealed on the ground before it passed out next to the vehicle.
Ken’s foot stomped down hard on it splashing it’s insides against the door of the SUV.
Everyone stayed ready to attack again if there were any worms left.
Laura’s telekinetic blast had both cleared the way for their vehicle and probably crushed the worms that were still in it.
Fire crackling was the only sound while both groups stood waiting.
Silence was broken from the man who had the worm invade his body getting up. In a quick motion he reached down for the gun he dropped when he was still in control of his body.
Joe fired his shotgun into the face of what was no longer his friend but a monster. It dropped to the ground both the host and parasite being instantly dead.
The woman leaned down to the body and wept softly against their chest.
Joe ejected the empty shells from his gun and reloaded. “Perhaps I was wrong to judge you folks… I would say that an apology is in order and a thank you.”
Laura thought for a moment. “Apology accepted if you point us to the nearest hospital or somewhere we can find a first aid kit, anything to help our friend.”
Joe pointed further down the street unfortunately in the direction of all the bodies. “Three blocks that way is the clinic. You could back track some, but we’ve made a bunch of roadblocks so we can’t get flanked by any of those worms.”
“Along with killing everyone in town?” Ken asked crossing his arms.
Joe snapped back at both Ken and Laura. “I don’t expect someone as young as you two to understand. The livelihood of our town isn’t in a bunch of young people; it’s in keeping the elderly like us around. People who know how to work hard and know what it is like to sweat for everything you have,” he spits on the ground. “Young people now days take everything for granted. The things that we old folks worked day and night, long and hard for to make sure they have. Because of that, we are the future. Not them.”
“Whatever you feel will help you sleep at night,” Ken said boldly.
“Again, I don’t expect you to understand. We’ll leave this area unblocked so you can leave after you help your friend. In no less than two hours I’m blocking it off again. You hear me?”
“Yah, we got you,” Laura said walking over to the SUV as the old men and woman walked back into the house they came from.
With the light from Joe’s armpit no longer shining on the area the area was lit only by the few streetlights creating an eerie glow over the boulevard of death.
Hillary poked her head up from the backseat where she had crawled in order to calm Ginger down from the excitement going on outside.
“It’s safe now,” Laura said after opening up the passenger door. “They told us that there is a clinic where Ginger can get help.”
Ken opened up the side door and explained to Ginger what he was about to do. “The Ken is going to pick you up and carry you over to the clinic very carefully ok?”
She thought for a moment and nodded remembering that the bodies were all over making it difficult for them to drive.
Ken carefully grabbed a hold of Ginger and lifted her out of the vehicle.
“We have to hurry, please. I don’t want to give this thing a chance to wake up. I don’t want to hurt you all,” a tear rolled down Ginger’s face and dropped onto the cold black asphalt.
“Don’t worry Ginger, it won’t come to that I promise,” Laura said. Ginger gave her a weak smile.
When Ken got her out of the vehicle Ginger’s head was facing to where the pile of rubble was. Now that he turned around she was facing down the street. She reacted to all the people dead in the street by screaming as soon as she saw them.
“Just keep your eyes closed. It’s going to be alright,” Laura said softly.
“Yah, ok,” she quickly closed her eyes tightly trying to bring her breathing back down.
“Come on Hillary,” Laura said closing the passenger door and holding onto the side door.
“I… I can’t,” she said sitting down on the floor of the SUV.
“What?”
“I’m not going with you guys. I just can’t.”
Laura said motioning for her to get out, “Oh hush, it will be fine, now get out and let’s get going.”
“No! You don’t understand Laura. I’m not like the rest of you. I don’t have any powers to protect me. I’m only going to be a liability for you all. I’m not going with you and that’s final.”
“Just come on Hillary,” Laura said louder.
“You are not a liability. The Ken will keep you safe.”
“Just like you kept Ginger safe?” she shot back.
“Hillary!” Laura yelled at her, “That is terrible to say!”
Laura looked over at Ginger who was noticeably disturbed by her sister’s comments.
“Come on Laura. She made her choice and Ginger is losing time by us sitting here arguing,” Ken said as he started walking forward.
“Hillary?” Laura pleaded.
“Shut the door and leave please. I’m not going and there is nothing you can do to make me. Now go help my sister before it’s too late.” Laura didn’t move, instead she looked at her friend disappointed. “Just go already!” Hillary yelled getting up and pulled on the door to shut it.
Laura stood sadly looking at her friend not wanting to admit that she was mostly right.
After a moment Laura ran to catch up with Ken who had stopped at the sea of bodies and was waiting for her.
When Laura caught up to the other two Ken asked her, “You ready Laura?”
“Yes, let’s hurry.”
“Agreed,” he started walking again. “Just be sure your shield is up at all times.”
“Right, you too.”
“Would it work if you just covered your ears?” Ginger asked suddenly.
“The Ken would guess they might try to get in through your mouth.”
Laura shivered and gagged at the thought.
The two walked down the street completely avoiding the bodies when they could.
Ken was silently hoping that the worms needed a live host and Yang just looked sick. If they could get inside a dead body and animate it they could end up in a rather terrible situation very quickly. He wondered if the old people knew more than they did about how the worms worked because they had all the dead people laid out in the street. He didn’t want to think that they accidently did such a stupid thing, but he couldn’t help it.
Laura’s mind was occupied with how exactly they were going to help Ginger. It wasn’t like they could just bandage the other end of the worm so it couldn’t crawl the rest of the way it. Would they be able to cut the other end off? If they did that, would the remaining part go the rest of the way inside her giving them no chance of saving her or would it die?
Laura didn’t want to think the worst she had to try to think positive.
She felt she had to premeditate what they would do with her in case those idiots had killed any medical professional that would be able to help. They hadn’t exactly asked them if they had. Also being a small town she wasn’t sure if there would be someone there twenty-four hours a day either.
Even if the place was locked up it would be easy for them to get in with their spark powers.
They were halfway there and both Laura and Ken were disgusted with the actual amount of dead that were lying all over the place. The smell they emitted didn’t help things for them either.
Ginger had been doing a good job of keeping her eyes shut and keeping herself peaceful when suddenly she started yelling and squirming with the part of her body she could move.
It all happened so suddenly that Ken dropped her onto the ground.
Before he could apologize he spotted the end of the worm thrashing about and slip all the way inside of her skull.
Ginger’s body went completely limp as the worm went through the small amount of time it needed to take control of her.
“No!” Ken screamed at the top of his lungs and yelled out a string of swears. “Laura, what the hell do we do?”
Laura didn’t have any words. The images of Ginger on the ground brought her back to seeing Magnis on the ground in front of her. Tears streamed down her face and she was stuck in place unable to do anything. What could she possibly do in any case? She was powerless to stop Magnis from being taken over.
Ken paced back and forth franticly trying to think of something to do. The only way to stop her from attacking them was to kill her now that the worm was inside her. Even if he shocked her it was only a matter of time before she came to again. He didn’t want her to be used in that way. She herself had feared it.
Fish huffed and puffed as he ran briskly down the highway hoping to find signs of civilization.
Fish had no idea how long he had been running. Being lost in his head fearing for the others wasn’t making time go by very fast or at least he didn’t think so.
Off in the distance out of the woods he saw lights that he knew had to be a town.
When he got there who exactly would he go to for help? Who would believe him that some crazy spiked worms had taken over one of his friends?
It didn’t matter so much what he was going to say. He thought that if he contemplated it too much now that he would be too caught up in remembering it andt it wouldn’t come out right.
Fish picked up the pace and ran hard in the direction of the town.
Ken stared down at Ginger. Whatever it was that he was going to do he had to do it fast. Every moment that ticked by brought Ginger one step closer to getting up off the ground to attack them.
He closed his eyes and brought his fist back charging it with a great amount of electricity.
“Ken what are you doing?” Laura yelled at him.
“The Ken has no choice,” he said almost crying. “This is what she would want us to do before she turns into a mindless zombie.” His tone was desperate, he knew what had to be done and he had the strength to do it for her.
With that last statement he brought his arm down to crush her head to end her torment. He closed his eyes not wanting to see it happen.
Laura covered her own eyes not wanting to look as well.
His fist was just about to make contact when something big smashed into the side of him knocking him down causing him to roll across the blacktop.
Laura took her hands off her face hearing different noises than what should have happened and screamed.
Magnis was back.
Want to continue? Part 8
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