Death Cursed (Death Touched, Book One)

Chapter 21

They reached Matt's apartment in record time. Nena was the first to leap out, and she led her sprinting companions up the stairs to Matt's door. She was out of breath as she slammed the bottom of her fist against the wood.

"Matt? It's me, Nena, you there?" she called. Silence was her only reply. She tried the knob. Locked. "Matt!"

"Move!" Jack yelled as he pulled her aside.

He pulled off his glove and thrust his hand into the lock. There was a clicking sound and he shoved his shoulder against the door. The entrance opened and they rushed inside.

Nena slipped past Jack, but he grabbed her arm and drew out his gun. "Wait."

She thrashed in his hold. "Let go of me! Matt! Matt, where are you!"

The door to the bathroom that separated the bedroom from the kitchen flew open and slammed against the wall. Matt stumbled out with one hand clutching the left half of his face.

"Matt!" Nena yelled.

He looked up and inadvertently lowered his hand to reveal his bare skull. An amber-colored eye glared at them.

Nena gasped and her hand flew to her mouth. Her body trembled as she slowly shook her head. "Matt. . ." Matt took a step toward them and curled his lips back in a snarl that revealed teeth that were growing sharper.

Jack stepped forward and stretched out his arm in front of Nena as he drew his weapon. "Stay back!" he commanded her.

Nena whipped her head up and looked from the gun to Jack's tense face. "You can't shoot him! He's my friend!"

Jack pursed his lips as a few wispy tendrils of darkness replaced Matt's hair. "Not anymore."

Nena returned her attention to Matt as he took another unsteady step toward them. Shadows covered his left hand, and when they drew back the flesh was gone.

Nena pursed her lips and leaned against Jack's arm. "Matt, it's me! You know me!"

Matt's human eye fell on her and widened. He clutched the sides of his hand and shut his eyes as he stumbled backward away from them. When he spoke his voice was a mixture of his human self and the echoing shriek of the Corrupted. "Get out of here! I can't control it!"

Jack pointed his gun at Matt's chest. Nena wrapped herself around his arm and looked into his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"We have to destroy him before he creates Kinder!" Jack told her.

Matt whipped his head back and stared with wide eyes at the ceiling as he let out a shrieking scream. The building shook, causing dust to fall from the stained popcorn ceiling. Cracks climbed the walls and raced across the floors.

Nena's eyes widened as a dark void appeared behind Matt. Tendrils stretched out and started to wrap around him. "Matt!" she screamed.

A bell tolled. It wasn't the tinny sound of a hand bell, but the deep gong of an ancient church chime. The strange noise echoed through the small apartment.

The void vanished. Matt's eyes widened as he stared at the ceiling. His human eye turned to amber and narrowed. He turned away from the group and rushed into his bedroom, disappearing from their view. A moment later they heard the sound of glass breaking.

"Matt!" Nena yelled as she sprinted forward. The other two followed and together they reached Matt's room.

The computers were intact, and on the primary screen was a black-and-white logo. It looked like an upload arrow, but the bottom curved into itself like the shell of a snail.