Rampage

Chapter 3

     The group decided to leave Mark at home, locking him out of the house so that if he continued to grow he would break anything and cause more damage. Amy drove the van to woods where Mark had left her to investigate a "missile" last night. She had a strong superstition that the missile, whatever it was, had caused this. Rather than going alone, Ethan and Tyler decided to join her while Kathryn had stayed behind to watch Mark. She led the trio into the woods and saw a coyote pawing at the device. Tyler scared it off and went to touch the object, but Amy slapped his hand.

"What if it's still active?" She said. She took off her jacket and handed it to Tyler so that he could pick it up. He examined the object in his hand, poking it with a finger. Amy and Ethan braced themselves for smoke or something to happen, but nothing happened.

"I guess whatever was in here infected Mark?" Tyler said.

"We need to find someone who can tell us what this is." Amy said. Tyler and Ethan nodded and left the forest, leaving an array of sticks and rocks in a video game logo so that they could remember where it was that they found it.

     When they got back the first thing they noticed was Mark's head over the fence disappear.

     "What the hell-" Tyler began. The three got out of the car and ran to the backyard. Mark was twice as tall when he last was, and a lot longer and more reptilian.

     "Mark? Are you okay?" Amy asked. Mark looked at her with scared, dragon like eyes.

     "I don't even know. I just started growing and kept growing and I couldn't stop!" Mark said, panicking.

     "Okay, well, we're going to fix this, okay, me and Ethan are going to find someone who can help, Tyler and Kathryn are going to stay here with you, okay?" Amy said.

"Okay, and can you bring me something to eat as well, I'm starving." Mark whined. Amy gave him an "are you serious" look. "What? I have the metabolism of a dog." Chica barked at him, probably offended. Mark gave the dog an apologetic nudge with his snout and coiled himself, since he was long enough.

Amy and Ethan left and took the van, again, into the city. Ethan was driving and in a way that said he knew exactly where to go. He pulled up in front of a shop that read "X's Hunting Goods."

"Really? We said we'd help him, not kill him!" Amy said.

"He's not that kind of hunter. He's not even a hunter." Ethan countered. "He probably knows more about this than we do." With that he got out of the van and walked into the shop.

Amy muttered under her breath then followed him. Inside were different rifles, various animal trophies, and a deer skull on the counter by the register. Behind the register was a tall man, probably around 7'2 reading a book while enjoying a salad.

"Where's X?" Ethan asked the man. He looked up with kind but fierce icy blue eyes, the kind that made you feel cold even if he was giving you a warm smile. He swallowed his mouthful then spoke with a warm voice that offset his cold eyes.

"In the back, he's on his break. If you want I can go get him for you." He offered, standing up.

"Yes, I heard he could help us with a problem we have at home." Ethan said.

"Coyotes? Deer? Ducks in your pool?" He asked. Ethan shook his head.

"Worse than mountain lions." Ethan said. The man nodded and went into a separate room, having to duck down to get through the door. He was back there for a while before a different man with strange green eyes came out.

     "My assistant told me you needed my help. What can I help you with that's worse than a cougar? An eagle taken over your house?" He asked.

     "How is that worse than a mountain lion? Anyways, we found this in the woods and a friend touched it, and now he's, well, big." Amy said, giving the man the device.

     "It turned him into a giant wolf dragon creature." Ethan blurted out. Amy elbowed him while the man gave them a suspicious look.

     "Hmm, not good, not good. Has he been fed?" The man asked.

     "This morning he ate five pounds of raw chicken and wasn't big enough to grow out of the house. Come an hour and a half later he's gigantic." Amy said. "Why?"

     "Okay, then he shouldn't turn feral. Are there anymore of these things in the area?" He asked.

     "No, just the one." Ethan said. "Why?"

     "Take me to him, now." The man said.