Infection

Chapter 44 - Humanity

An early post because I am going away for 3 days camping! I hope your enjoying the book so far. Thank you for the support and powering your way through my bad grammar and spelling, I can't believe this book has come so far and has had so many reads! Little heads up, Book 1 is nearly at a close and there will be a book 2! Once again a big thank you and enjoy!

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With the assistance of make shift bulldozers and the combined efforts of civilian and solider alike the main field, and the rest of the camp was restored to some order. A mountain of body's and the charred remains of possessions and tents stood erect against the decaying sun on the main field.

I stood there, masked against my comrades as they smothered the heap in flammable fluids, striking a match at its foot before allowing the flames to hungrily consume are days work. I could feel the heat even from this distance, radiating through my rubber mask, but I didn't move. I watched a child's cuddly bear set a light, it's fur sizzling away, exposing it's hide before that to blackened and turned to nothing more then a pile of ashes. The smell was the worst part, filling my mask with a sickly sweet taste that made me nauseous, forcing me to retreat.

"PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR DESIGNATED FIELD, A MEAL AND SHELTER WILL BE PROVIDED"

This place was starting to feel more like a prison then a shelter. Complying, I began the walk back to my field watching others do like wise, some not so pleasantly. I'd noticed it earlier... the murmuring.

*

They whipped the black bag off of my head as the orders were shouted for use to return to are field, the twilight sky temporarily blinding me. "What you gonna do with Will?" I asked, shrugging the soldiers off of me.

"We'll take him to his fields, you keep yourself to yourself missy."
I nodded, It took everything I had to stop myself from ripping the pistol from the mans belt, and shoving it in his mouth... wait what?

"What you waiting for... scram!"

Taking one last look at Wills limb form, I got my bearings before jogging towards the opposite end of camp, finding a familiar trail...home... It felt strange being back, it had only been a week if that, but it felt longer. It had changed me. Even without thinking I was running more efficiently, my mind constantly alert. In a way it was a curse, a constant weight enthralling my senses but at the same time I fed off of it. The passion of battle, a dance with death, the complete and utter break down of democracy into erotic chaos. Their was no greater pleasure.

Reaching field three, I shook myself out of my trance, concentrating on finding what was left of my old group... Seth

"It can't be... EVE?!"

Taking me off guard, the infamous twins embraced me, their skin leathered in cuts.

"What happened to you two?"

"More like how are you alive, we though we were seeing things," one of them replied, releasing me. "Does Seth know?"

"Yeah, I saw him last night. Where is everyone else?"

"Right this way," without hesitation Eleanor - or is it Isabella? - grabbed my hand and whisked me away, pulling me through a crowed of masked individuals.

"You're kidding me right! You expect us to sleep under this?"

"I'm just the guy who gives stuff out, don't look at me"

"You've got to have something better then this."

"I'm sorry, best I can do."

Typical Seth, chuckling to myself I came up behind him, slipping my arms round his waist feeling him tense. "I slept under worse, leave the poor soldier alone," I purred. I could see the solider redden, avoiding my gaze.

"And where have you been!" Seth asked, turning to face me.

"Confinement... I've been a bad girl." His reaction was priceless, I couldn't help myself.

Bitting my lip, I released him turning to the others. "Where's David?"

"He... didn't make it." mumbled Meredith.

"And who are you?"

"I...I...I was your replacement," she stuttered.

"Not getting ride of me that easy, anyway lets set up shop, James."

He looked unintelligently back at me, his mouth hanging slightly open.

"Yes I'm alive, hello, anybody in there?"

"Sorry," he muttered coming to his senses before awkwardly leading the way.

"You do realise all we have is a large tarpaulin, a couple of poles and a real of rope?" Seth started.

"I know right, christmas came early!"

"Can't wait to see what they replace are sleeping bags with." Jamie added.

*

After several hours of arguments and a delivery of blankets we ended up with a make shift 'tent', if you could call a large sheet tarpaulin suspended nearly a metre of the ground a tent! We used a couple of the blankets to give us some privacy, covering both ends as best we could. To be honest the whole camp site was starting to look more like a slum, the once green field know a muddy wasteland, covered in misshaped silhouettes. Even the people were starting to look the part, their eyes scared by horrors no man should have to witness.

"Come on Seth, time for some food." Eve called.

Stamping some life into my feat, I joined Eve, slipping my hand into hers. "Hey, at least we don't have to cook are food anymore. You think one night we'll have pizza?"

She snorted, entwining her arm with mine dragging me closer. "Nope, more like prison food."

"I heard they got fed pretty well!"

"Guess we'll find out soon," Eve finished as we joined the growing line to the makeshift canteen.

"...what is the muck! First are shelter now this..."

The queue suddenly went quite, are eyes all drawn to the abrupt outburst at the head of the line.

"Sir you need to calm down..."

"NO, I'm fed up of this, you guys can't even protect use!"
   
"Sir..."

CRASH! I stiffened, my hand tensing round Eves as the man threw his pallet down, sizing up the timid soldier.

"I bet you guys eat like kings in your lovely little huts," he spat. "Hot water, a nice warm bed."

My eyes flashed over at Eve, her form calm and collective.

"It's not like that!" The solider retaliated weekly.

"Then you won't mind me..."

BANG!

I flinched, watching the man in question stumble backwards, the look of confusion pasted across his face.

It was an odd thing to spectate, there was so many of us and yet no one jumped to his aid, there was no gasp, or screaming, just a haunting silence.

The man shakily raised his hand to the moonlight, the light glistening of the blood that now flowed freely out of him. His pale expression was still trying to comprehend the reality, his knees giving way as he sunk to the floor. Out of the shadows emerged his shooter, an officer of course. Without hesitating he rested his pistol against the man's temple.

Knowing what came next, I quickly looked away, the night once again disrupted as the weapon discharged. I couldn't help but notice Eves stiffness, she hadn't even blinked.

"Does anyone else have anything to say?" growled the officer.

There was no reply.

"Good," and without further adieu he left, disappearing into the night.

Little if anything was said as we waited our turn, the body remaining where it had dropped still oozing blood. So this is what humanity had come to.