[IC] Monsters? *Anyone Can Play!*

[PopeAlessandros]

Dr. Izea Lex walks through the halls of work, his eyes drifting from one horror to another. St. Agnus Hospital had turned from a well ordered clean facility into one's worst nightmare in the matter of hour. His stomach churns but nothing threatens to come up. He had long since given up all there was to give from it, and now even the dry heaves have subsided. He steps gingerly over the right arm and half a torso of one of the nurses who worked in his wing. He vaguely recalls her name is. . . was Mable. Against one wall brain matter and bits of skull seem to be embedded in the cracked drywall. His gray eyes shift back and forth as he moves towards the source of the carnage.

Moving down the ward he stops by the nurses station and glances inside. The clean stacks of rags and medical equipment along the right hand wall is untouched, pristine, starkly contrasting the red painting the wall and floor by the back supply closet. The door had been ripped from it's hinges and now lay in splinters across the floor. The doctor licks his lips uselessly, his tongue dry as they. His eyes water ever so slightly as he recognizes a few of the people stacked atop one another, their bodily fluids and organs coming together in a pile around the mound. The smell of blood and such coming from all corners of the hospital no longer seem to register in his nose for the most part, but this concentration of stench hits him hard.

Stumbling backwards he catches himself before falling face first into a mess of redness splattered across the floor of the hallway. There are no longer any scream ringing in his ears. No longer the sound of bodies breaking, of people dieing pounding into his mind. The red emergency lights flash silently, feeding into the quiet that seems to invade his senses. He at last come to a room, it's door clean and the area around it untouched by the claw marks that had littered the walls and floor in almost every corner of the hospital. A lone tear falls as he reaches for the handle, pushing the door open on well oiled hinges.

Bloody footprints and streak marks are the only signs that anything is off in this sterile room. His eyes trail the blood up to the hospital bed where the cause of all the carnage lay. Now looking completely human the creature seems to be sleeping soundly. At 27 years of age, young Sasha Minxs lay curled up like a cat laying before a warm fireplace after a long day of frolicking. His clothes had been entirely shredded in the massacre and not even a shred remained. The tear falling from the doctors eye falls to the floor as he look over at his life long friend.

He and Sasha had spent their entire childhoods together, even sharing their birthdays of October 13th, they were close as could be. As he steps into the room the doctor walks as quietly as possible, not wanting to wake the sleeping man. Stopping by his bedside he watches as the blood coating much of Sasha's body soaks into the white sheets. A light breeze through the window ruffles the sleeping mans shortish tousled brown hair, causing him to shift in his sleep. Izea holds his breath, praying Sasha wouldn't wake. When he settles back down with a sigh the doc lets out his breath slowly.

Sasha had spent the last 5 years of his life in this hospital. The two of them had been chem and bio majors in collage, and after graduating went to work for Izea's uncle in a testing facility. Having skipped a few grades, they graduated young, and were by far the youngest guys working at the facility. This earned them a little flak at first, but eventually they became quite respected by the other scientists. Their work war revolutionary. However, after an accident with one of the specimens they had been working on, Sasha had to be admitted to the hospital. At first it had seemed he could return to work in a few weeks, but instead of getting better, things got. . .Strange.

Wracked with guilt over what happened, blaming the whole ordeal on himself, Izea had quit his job at the testing center and instead got a job in the lab at the hospital Sasha would spend the next 5 years in. While Sasha did not blame Izea, that didn't stop Izea from devoting most of his time trying to find a cure for his friend. Before today his fits of rage and transformations had been small, short, and contained. Sasha had been a kind and mild mannered guy before the accident, and remained so most of the time afterward save when the experimental DNA took over. Izea racked up a small collection of scars from various outbursts from his dear friend.

But that evening, that hour, everything had changed. Izea watches as before his very eyes Sasha became, a monster. The change was smooth, almost graceful, but the sounds of bones shifting and organs rearranging was sickening. Sasha had busted out of his room, ignoring Izea completely as he sat frozen in horror at the end of Sasha's bed. They had been talking about how to celebrate their birthday that evening, and laughing over the fact that Sasha's mother still sent him gifts. It took until the first scream for Izea even to stand. The chilling sound had dropped his stomach to his shoes. He'd rushed away from the screams, to his office where he kept a strong tranquilizer that had worked before when he'd gotten particularly violent.

Izea pulls the syringe from his pocket, the plunger pushed to the hilt, the tube empty. “But it didn't work.” He whispers, his voice dry and wispy. Another tear falls, this time splashing down on the blood soaked sheets. “You killed so fast. . . . .” As fast as Izea ran, he couldn't seem to catch up to his friend to stop him. Bullets had no effect, passing through his body like he was made of jello, the wound healing up an instant later. When at last he caught up to Sasha and had injected him, everyone was dead. Sasha had stumbled off towards his room while Izea was finally hit hard by all the carnage around him.

Letting out a small sob Izea pulls another syringe from his pocket, this one full of a slightly luminescent liquid. This, this would kill his friend, but could he do it? Would Sasha even let him? He knew that even in his sleep, Sasha would sense the danger, and could stop him without thinking. What should he do? Was there ever any chance he could save his friend?

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

You look down at the building bellow, your sight passing through the roof and walls. The bodies and blood below sends a shock through your system. Your astral body hangs suspended above it all, but some part of you knows. Quickly you search for him, your friend, Izea. ~Please, let him be safe~ Your eyes are drawn to your room. There he is, safe and sound. But, what's this? He's. . . .He's crying. And ~Oh god. . . . .~ you, you're, covered in. . . . .It all clicks into place and you feel a rush of guilt. Not for the fact that you just slaughtered a hospital full of people, but that Izea had to see it.

Your feelings had been strange since the accident, and you almost seemed to need to feel through Izea. You still remember feelings, and when he's around everything seems normal. ~He must be so upset right now~ You ache inside for a moment before you notice the syringe. The tell-tale glow lets you know what's inside. ~He, he's going to kill me? But, but we are friends~ You manage to drift a little closer, your mind whirring. ~I guess if he thinks I should, but, I don't want to die! If, if he could just help fix me. . . . .~ Your mind continues to drift about as you debate whether or not to stop your friend. ~If I die, he can get on with his life, and I won't make him sad anymore, but if I live, maybe, I can make up for what I did. Maybe, I'll be able to be myself again~

[PopeAlessandros]

Part 1

(Each idea will be color coded for easy identification when putting forward future ideas. Eg. If one wants to put forth an idea that follows the red section, simply put “Red:” (Minus the quotes)followed by your idea, and I will know which section you wish to continue from with your idea.)

Red - Sasha wakes up before he can be injected, in his right mind.

Green - Sasha is injected, but the drug doesn't kill him, only paralyze him. His 'other' mind wakes up and finds it can barely move.

Purple – Sasha wakes before being injected, transforms back into the monster and leaves the hospital, but doesn't hurt Izea.

Blue – Izea injects Sasha and kills his body, however his spirit self survives.

Orange – Sasha is injected and instead of dying goes into a death like coma, and is essentially buried alive.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Red – His fingers begin to tremble, a slight catch in the back of his throat causing a small chocking noise out as he tries to breath. 'I don't want to do this my friend, but do I have any choice? Will you ever wake again as yourself, not as that monster?' He lets out a sigh and moves a little closer to his life long friend. The pressure of his hand on the bed making Sasha stir.

~~~~~

With a great rush I feel my body falling back towards the world below. My mind races ~I can not lay this burden upon him~ An instant later I can feel again. The weight of my own skin feels like led hanging from my bones. Drawing in a deep shuddering breath I manage to whisper, “No Izea, my friend. Do not force this great pain upon yourself.” Behind me I hear his chocked gasp and the clatter of the syringe falling to the floor. I can not recall ever having left my body before when in my transformed state however as I pull myself up carefully into a sitting position I know I must tell Izea about it some time.

My eyes finally crack open and I manage a faint smile. The smile fades quickly however. 'This is not the time for that' “Forgive me my friend. I don't know what happened. . .”

Izea looks down at my, his arm hanging limply by his sides. “I. . .I couldn't do anything. . . You just. . . .” He falls silent as I nod. His voice sounds raw and harsh.

“I know my friend.” I whisper. The red lights flashing in the hallways add an odd pulse to the scene and I can almost feel my heart beat thumping in time to the crimson flickers. Izea moves back to the edge of the bed, the shaking in his hands stilling as he reaches out to take hold of my shoulder. I look up into his eyes and I can see the question ringing through my mind echoes in his eyes. “What do we do now?”

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

Green – Steeling himself Izea leans forward. Pressing his hand into the mattress he quickly plunges the needle into his friend's blood soaked arm and injects him with the full dose. The glowing purple liquid does it's work quickly, and in a matter of moments Sasha's breathing slows. Pulling back the syringe Izea subs gently but after a couple seconds his brows furrow. Leaning in close once again his eyes widen as he realizes Sasha is still breathing. “Impossible.” he whispers, a hint of fear in his voice. Suddenly Sasha's eyes open and begin darting around the room. Izea leaps back from the bed, but when he realizes that his friend isn't moving he carefully makes his way around the bed.

Sasha's eyes continue to dart around the room and Izea's breathing picks up. “You can't move, can you?” he asks softly. The man in the bed doesn't respond. Moving in closer Izea kneels down and looks into his friend's face, looking for any sign of recognition. The nude male looks anywhere but at the doctor before him, seeming almost frantic despite the complete lack of any other movement. The sound of sirens in the distance outside snaps Izea out of his stupor and without hesitation he turns Sasha on to his back and straps him down. “I was ready to kill you my friend, but this must mean something. Perhaps you are meant to live.” he mutters and moving quickly he pushes Sasha out of the room on his wheeled bed and down the hall.

~~~~~~~~

I watch curious as Izea makes his decision. ~Well, if he thinks it best, I guess I can't argue with that~ I can see almost at once that something is wrong. Once again I feel the rush of the creature taking over and I move closer so I can see better. ~I have changed, but only inside? How can this be?~ Focusing hard I drift all the way down into the room, passing through walls and floors until I'm drifting at Izea's side. ~So strange. He's looking into my eyes, however I am watching him do it rather than looking back . . .~ Dropping my gaze to my hands I can see the floor through them. ~A ghost?~ Before I can think too hard about just what I am now the sirens from outside prompt Izea into action. Drifting along slowly behind him as he moves down the hall I can not help but wonder where we are heading, and what Izea is planning.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

Purple – A roar echos in my ears. A burn deep inside that tears at me. ~No! I don't, what is this!?~ No one is here to answer me. I am alone up here, high above the carnage and my dear friend. I look down, but even as I wonder at the distance, a hand clutched at my stomach the world comes rushing up to meet me. In an instant I am looking at my own unconscious form as my friend stands over me with a deadly cocktail of chemicals in a syringe. The roar echoes again and fear shoots through me as I see my very skin shift and bulge. Then all is darkness.

~~~~~~~~

Izea gasps loudly as once again the creature begins to take over his friend's form. A clawed hand snaps back and with the sound of breaking glass the luminescent violet liquid explodes out of the glass syringe as it shatters against the wall. Izea falls back, unscathed but unable to run for fear of drawing what was once his friend Sasha's attention. He swallows hard, his sweaty hands pressed firmly against the wall behind him. Then he freezes. Sasha is looking at him. Towering above even the tallest man ever recorded the creatures russet colored fur looks almost black in the emergence lights. Long fangs peek out from beneath tough looking lips and clawed hands curl at the ends of rather human looking arms, were they not covered in the same coarse red fur as the rest of it's body.

Unable to move Izea simply watches as Sasha looks him up and down before turning to the open window. His whole body shakes violently as the creature roars, rattling the window in it's frame. An instant later he's all alone in the hospital room, a blood soaked bed and bloody claw marks on the windowsill the only sign of the beast's passing.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

Blue – A single tear falls from the doc's eye as he comes to his decision. “Forgive me my friend, but I can't do it any more. I know you may no longer be in there, but please, forgive me. . .” With a small hiccuping sob he leans in and presses the needle into Sasha's flesh. Sinking the plunger down to the hilt he pulls the needle out and throws it against the wall. With only the smallest shudder Sasha passes away in his sleep from the poisonous concoction and Izea falls to his knees at his bedside. He sobs loudly, crossing his arms as he hides his face in the blood soaked sheets of his live long friend.

~~~~~~~~

A searing pain races through my body. ~I can feel it. My body, the poison! Like fire in my veins~ An unholy scream finds it's way out of my mouth, but none are around to hear the sounds of my dying agony. Though I know I am crying I can feel no wetness on my cheeks. My body curls around itself as the pain washes over me again and again. Such a pain I have never read of, not ever thought could be, but it is here now, and if I were not sure I was dying I would believe that the only thing worse could be living afterward. As it is as soon as my heart beats it last the pain fades and soon I can breath again. I know I am not actually breath, but it is still comforting to pretend. ~If I am dead, then why am I. . .?~

The tears clear from my eyes and I look at the world below. I first seek out my friend Izea. He cries at my bedside and my heart aches for him. Movement catches my eye and I turn. Just outside the room is another doctor but something is off about him. I can see right through him. Another movement, a nurse this time. She is likewise incorporeal. ~Ghosts?~ Looking down at my own hands I realize that I too have a distinct lack of substance. ~Odd.~ All I feel is a bit bemused at the thought and soonmy attention returns to Izea.

The need to be closer to him overwhelms me and in a rush I find myself falling down through the building to float by his side. His tears have stopped and now he stands, looking down at my now lifeless body. I too look at the pile of flesh and bones that were once mine. I let out a sigh, somehow unable to feel remorse or sadness at my passing. ~It was the right decision my friend.~I watch curiously as Izea's head snaps up. He begins looking wildly about the room and a curious thought crosses my mind. Drifting a little closer as he turns away from the bed to search the room more thoroughly. ~Can you hear me my friend?~ He jumps again, his movements frantic but after a second of fruitless searching he calms down a bit and with a faint cough he simply nods.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

Orange - Everything is darkness. Cold, hard, all around me I can feel it. My tongue is like sandpaper in my mouth and I can almost hear it crackling as it moves about aimlessly. Panic wells up from deep inside me and the need to free myself begins singing through my veins. I try to call from someone but all that comes out is a dry rasping sound. My arms come up with effort and the touch of cold stone above me rocks me to my core. 'What, where am I!? What's happening?' The fear builds and I feel a touch of the familiar burn tickling my insides. 'No, not that, not it! Stay away!' However it does not go away, however it grows no stronger either. With a great effort the stone above me begins to move. As it slides aside light begins to pour into my dark little space.

As the light strikes my eyes I flinch back. At first I think it is the sun, a mid day blaze high above. However as my eyes adjust I recognize the cool blue of a full moon. It takes several minutes of straining and resting, letting my body adjust to moving and my eyes to the light until at last I manage to sit up. A shudder runs through me as I recognize my surroundings as those of a graveyard. 'I am in a graveyard, and this is my tomb. . .Am I dead?' Looking down at my skin I can see how pale it has become. The once simply pasty white of a scientist has been replaced with the clammy sickly look of someone who is no longer a part of the living. However I check my pulse just to be sure. 'No, I'm not dead. That's a weak, but steady beat. So, what. . . .'

Moving slowly I manage to crawl out of my stone coffin and as I breath in the fresh night air I can feel my strength return. My eyes and mouth are still very dry so I begin searching from some way to fix that. Luckily it must have rain recently. As I wander down the hill where my resting place was into the graveyard proper I splash through several large puddles. Not really caring it the water is clean I fall to my knees at the closest one that is large enough to scoop water out of and drink deeply. Splashing the water over my face I shiver as a mixture of the crisp water and cool breeze forces a chill down my spine. Base needs taken care of I make my way towards the fence in the distance. 'How long have I been here? Was I really. . . Dead? What happened to. . . Izea. . . .' The thought of my dear friend brings me new strength and I break into a run. Reaching the fence I seek out the nearest street sign. 'I know where I am. We lived near here! Maybe, he still does. . . .'

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And that's the end of part 1! I hope you enjoyed and I can't wait to see what you guys come up with next!

[PopeAlessandros]

Part 2

(Red) Yellow - Izea sneaks Sasha out of the hospital: he can't bear to kill him now and knows people will come looking soon.

(Green) Blue - The beast doesn't 'change back' into Sasha, even when the body slowly starts to regain movement. Izea has to deal with the weakened beast.

(Orange) Teal - Sasha slept for years, the beast slowly merging with him in a desperate bid not to die completely. He has new instincts, but cannot be taken over completely. Izea has not moved but has become a recluse.

(Orange) Maroon - It is the next day. Izea is about to move away to escape the memories when Sasha catches up with him.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Yellow – His gaze turns to the window and after a few seconds he answers me softly. “We run.” I can see a kind of strength returning to him, his breathing becoming stronger with each breath he takes.

'That's my Izea. You never give in' Despite my feeling still eluding me I can recall how I would feel at a time like this and the memory brings a faint smile to my lips. Nodding silently I stand up carefully and wander over to the small cart I've been using as a dresser during my stay. Behind me I see Izea pocket the syringe through my periphery, and I do not blame him. 'I would rather he he feel safe, and that I have the option should I feel myself slipping again' Pulling on some jeans and a plain white button up tee I turn back to him and give him another nod.

Without a word we set off into the flashing lights. Despite the carnage, the smell flooding my head and making it spin, I feel almost as if I am seeing the scene through a TV screen. Somewhere, somehow, it is all real, but to me my mind can not accept that it's right here in front of me. Reaching out a put an arm around Izea's waist as he stumbles slightly in a pool of blood. Glancing over at him I see his eyes are fixed strait ahead. But rather than looking as if he's trying to avoid the massacre, I recognize the look of deep concentration he gets when he begins planning far into the future. Suddenly we both freeze, the sound of sirens drawing our attention like a gun shot.

“This way!” he unnecessarily whispers. Grabbing my hand we turn down a side hallway and race as fast as we can towards the far end. Like a game of whiplash he takes several turns at top speed, his grip on my hand firm but causing my to snap back and forth as I try to anticipate his next turn. As we race along hallway after hallway, down flights of stairs and through a string of abandoned looking rooms the bloody mess lessens and eventually a thick layer of dust on the floor lets me know that we won't be seeing any more bodies.

“What is this place?” I ask softly as we pass an ancient looking X-ray machine. In fact, most of the device we pass now look nearly midevil.

“The dean here likes collecting old things, and uses the unused wing down here, the old mental ward, to store them. He comes though maybe ever six months or so to look at and toy with them, adding one or two new slash old devices a year.” He responds. His look of concentration softens slightly. “He and I use to talk about old treatments for disorders and the like, making fun of the primitive medicines, while simultaneously marveling at some of the innovation those old medicine men showed in their day.” His face falls once more and I con only guess I killed the dean in my rampage by the slightly sick expression now donning his features.

Finally we reach an old boiler room, the pipes all cold and cobwebs hanging from almost everything. With a faint cough he slows and following a faint stream of light coming from a little square window across the room we at last come to a door. He tries the handle a few time, then with a harsh grunt he manages to turn it one handed. The groaning creak of the rusty hinges makes me cringe but the rush of cool evening air is by far the most refreshing thing I've smelled all night. Still holding tight to me Izea moves through the door, and I follow after, flinching slightly at the cold stone beneath my feet. Closing the door carefully I take a moment to examine the place where we are now. It looks to be a shallow stone cave, and as we move forward unto the moonlight I can see that it is a natural formation. The cave empties into a thick forest, the cave itself set into a hill, and several yards beyond that the bleach white wall of the hospital's old mental ward rises up into the night.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

Blue - Following closely behind my friend I watch my body move, ever so slightly as we reach our destination. ~Watch out Izea, it's moving~ He pauses, looking over my immobile form closely and I feel a faint tingle. ~Did he hear me?~ My fingers move again and Izea swallows hard.

“Hold on, just a little bit more my friend.” He whispers softly, turning my bed around so that my body is facing a large one way glass viewing area. I float slowly around the room, having been here many times it feels familiar even though I was never myself in this room.

~This is smart. Even if the police storm the place, this area is restricted access, built to keep me in. There is no way they could get in here with anything short of a heavy duty bomb~ I watch as my body begins moving slowly, the straps holding me down creaking slightly. Izea ducks out of the room, the door to the observation area in the hall rather than between the two rooms. For safety reasons. Trying out my new abilities I float close to the glass. The distinct lack of a reflection feels a bit off, but after a few seconds I drift through, wanting to see what Izea is up to.

The monitors of the various devices and computers slowly hum to life as he begins flicking them on one by one. I watch as he glances every few seconds to my now relatively active body. I too keep an eye on it, praying the beast does not damage what I hope to get back into some day. ~Hey, don't pull at the restraints like that, you're going to dislocate my shoulder~ Izea's eyes snap to the figure beyond the glass.

Stalking over quickly at the sight of my still groggy form rocking this way and that he leans down a but to a long flexy neck microphone. Slapping the big red call button under it he tries to calm “Me” down. “C'mon Sasha, I know you're not stupid. Even if you're pure beast right now, you've never been stupid enough to hurt yourself. You don't have the body right now, so just let me work, and don't take your frustration out on yourself.” I can't help chuckling as he tries to reason with the beast currently manipulating my body. The sound is echoed by Izea as he steps away from the glass with a shake of his head. “I can't believe I'm trying to talk to it. . . . .Sasha, what's happened to you. . . . .”

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

Teal – I can feel a burning in my lungs as they get use to being used again. A low rumble from above lets me know that either a storm has just passed, or is about to let loose it's fury. 'I need to find Izea. He is the only one who can help me at this point. Mother and father. . . .' Shaking my head I begin my slow trek down the road towards my home. The rumble sounds again followed by crackling. Looking up I try to figure out how close the storm is, however above I see stars. 'That's funny. It sounds so close' It takes several minutes of pained wobbling before my steps even out a bit. It seems the longer I walk, the easier it becomes. Suddenly a peal of thunder drives me to my knees, clamping my hands hard over my ears. Once again I seek out the storm. This time I can see the clouds, but they are still a good distance away. 'That's impossible! At this distance it should have. . .' Even through my hands the next crack pound hard on my eardrums.

Taking a deep breath I pull myself to my feet and begin moving as fast as I can towards my old neighborhood. From inside the houses I pass I can hear voice, the sound of machinery, TVs babbling away. 'I can hear it all. It's as if I am standing right beside these noises. It's. . . . .Something is wrong' Choking on my own saliva as my pace quickens I notice that I am literally panting as I run. The old burn returns, but instead of overwhelming me it seems to almost aid in my actions. My footing is surer, my balance better. Skidding to a halt I can feel my breathing slowing quickly. Before I can give these oddities too much thought however an unearthly call goes up in the distance that freezes my blood in my veins.

'I know that sound. I made one much like it when I would transform. Izea would play it for me. . . .' Turning slowly towards the sound my eyes seem to focus much like a telescopic lens and I spy movement in the distance. 'Four of them. Oh god, has it spread? Did this. . .this. . . Whatever it is, spread? How!? I thought it was destroyed after I was infected. . . .The other test subjects were terminated as well, or so they told us. . . .' In a panic I take off once again, but a part of my mind knows they are following. In less than a minute I reach our home. However I can hear them behind me. Pausing on the old worn looking porch I whip around to face them. The sight of them makes my heart race, like looking in a distorted mirror. They are all a bit smaller than I was when I changed, but other than that they have all the physical features I remember.

Sharp claws dig into the soft soil of the yard as they prowl back and forth, their eyes watching me intently. Somewhere deep inside I can feel the beast stirring. Unconsciously I let out a faint growl, and they recoil. 'Okay, this is too weird, it's like they are afraid of me. But, I look human now. . . .Why?' Not willing or ready to think on such things I reach behind me and grab the handle to the front door. Letting out another growl I turn it and the faint click lets me know it's unlocked. In one swift motion I open the door and dart inside, practically slamming it after me.

The relief at being in a familiar place and away from creatures built for killing lats only moments. It takes a few seconds but eventually my surroundings sink in and I can tell something has gone very astray. Piles of boxes block off half of the front entrance hallway, and to my left I can see a kitchen in need of a thorough scrubbing. Moving carefully through the what looks to be controlled chaos I take a closer look at the kitchen. 'I recognize these dishes, Izea still lives here. However his fastidious nature seems to have. . . . .become rather lax' My nose wrinkles with the amount of dust floating in the air, however I can tell by even cursory examination that the place isn't actually filthy, just, cluttered.

_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_--_

Maroon – It took the rest of the night for me to make my way to the street with out house on it. One or twice during the night I had to lay down and rest, my muscles giving out on me or jerking involuntarily. Now, as the sun rises turning the blanket of stars into a sheet of pink and golden hues my movements are steady. The light allows me to examine my skin and with a grin I nod as I am now nearly appropriately flesh toned. 'Good, now I won't look like a zombie when I show up at out front door after rising from the dead' Looking down the street my heart skips a beat as I notice a moving van parked in front of our house, a pair of movers hauling what is distinctly my favorite sofa up the ramp into the back. 'He's moving? Well, I guess that makes sense, but then, how long was I gone?!' Picking up the pace my eyes travel from house to house in a vain attempt to gauge how long it has been since I saw them last.

'Though that would not help much seeing as I spent so long in the hospital and any changes I notice now could have happened during that time period' Just then I catch sight of a familiar head of black hair and before I can think about what I am doing I call out, “Izea my friend, moving so soon?”

Even at a distance I can see his whole body freeze at the sound of my voice. Hoping that he doesn't bolt outright I break into a jog, closing the distance between us swiftly. When I am less than ten paces away his head comes slowly around and our eyes meet. To say he is shocked is an understatement, however my own feelings, so long absent from me, overcome all my rational and in a rush I practically plow into him, wrapping my arms firmly around his back. His body is tense, and from the light tremble I can tell he's not going to readily respond to me, however I can not break my hold. “Forgive me my friend, I do not wish to frighten you, I am just so happy to see you again.” My voice is rough from disuse but I continue despite the pain. “I don't know what happened nor why I am still alive, but I am glad you did what you did. I'm know you did what you thought right, and I feel comfort in the fact that you were willing to kill me when I needed it.”

As my voice trails off I feel a wetness against my cheek. Leaning back I look into my friend's eyes and I see they are damp. My stomach turns once but after a few seconds I realize that his tears are ones of joy. Unable to speak he mouths the question, “Am I dreaming?” Shaking my head hard I feel tears of my own pouring out over my cheeks and with a shuddering breath I pull him back into a tight hug. This time, he reciprocates.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And that is the end of Part Two! I am glad one of my ideas lives on! I can't wait to see what comes next!

[PopeAlessandros]

Part 3

(Teal) Green - Everyone is infected by the virus, only it is seen as a good thing. Society has adapted to the change, and the new powers are seen as 'the next step in human evolution'. Sasha is seen as a savior type figure, as he was the 'original'. Izea can either agree with the majority or hate what humanity has become.

(Teal) Red - Monsters haunt the streets at night, terrorizing anyone who is out at night. Izea is one of the few who knows how to kill them, but he is a recluse who hates himself for killing his best friend.

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Green – Slowly I make my way into the kitchen, hoping to get a drink that doesn't taste like asphalt. I can still hear so much more than I should, and as the storm moves ever closer each clap of thunder makes me flinch, trying to crouch away from it on instinct. 'Thank god, the taps still work' The plumbing groans a bit as I fills a glass I pulled from the dish rack and my mind wanders over to the clutter as I sip the water slowly. 'I wonder what's happened here. The Izea I remember would never allow for things to get like this. The mess of stuff. . .Normally he has like, three garage sale a year, just to make sure we don't overflow with crap stuffed into every corner'

I look this way and that, trying to figure out what could be in the boxes when another clap of thunder makes me tench. I let out a yelp as the glass in my hand shatters. I stare at the tiny cuts, the broken pieces falling to the floor only to shatter further across the linoleum. 'I. . . .Broke it? By what, squeezing it? That's ridiculous. I mean, I'm not that strong. . .' As it begins looking more and more like I have some residual something or another left over from the virus I shake my head firmly, turning to wash my hand off in the sink. 'Well, at least my skin isn't like jello. I watched a few videos of what it was like to try and wound me. . .That was freaky'

I pause, my heart skipping a few beats as I hear footsteps on the stairs. I manage to filter out all other noise for a few seconds, allowing me to confirm that the sound of feet on stairs is coming from inside the house and not next door or something like that. Turning toward the kitchen doorway I waits calmly for the owner of those feet to appear, and when he does, I smile. “Hello Izea, good to see you my friend.” My nose tells me something is different about my old friend, however at this moment I do not really care as without a word Izea's stunned visage becomes one of disbelief, then moves right on into overjoyed and in a flash we are hugging and all I can do is focus on breathing and my friend's joyful sobs.

We take a few minutes to just take in eachother's presence before we make out way to the kitchen table and sit down, so much to get caught up on. I become more and more shocked as he tells me how the virus had mutated and spread, infecting the world over, however because of me and my genetic sampling, taken upon my 'death' the scientists we once worked with were able to come up with, not a cure, but something to stabilize the mentality of those infected. “They released it in gaseous form all over the globe, and other than a few rare cases, it was successful. Everyone is like you now, even me.” Izea speaks this with a note of pride, but rolls his eyes at the next part.

“A lot of people are claiming that this was the 'next step in human evolution' but I say it was just man's science creating a monster, then managing to contain the mess rather than cleaning it up. . .” His eyes glisten as he looks at me, it still clear that he thinks he may be dreaming. However after a moment my stomach growls and we both laugh. “Let me pull something out for us.” As he opens the fridge my eyes go a little wide at all the cuts of meat stacked up inside. He sees my widened gaze and offer me a slightly pathetic look. “One of the side effects. It varies from person to person, but as a result of the alterations, our digestive tracks become more able to handle either meat or veggies. I'm a meatavour, and even if you're not, we are all still technically omnivorous, so this should be fine.”

As he begins cooking, explaining that he like the meat a little on the rare side now, I look tot he mess in the front room and let out a sigh. “So, is one of the side effects in you case hoarding as well?”

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Red – Thunder claps once more and from outside I can hear the beasts yelp and flee. The scrabble of their claws on the cement grates on my ears, but at the moment all I care about is finding out what the heck has happened to Izea, and the world for that matter. Brushing my hand over my nose to try and dispel some of the dust I look up the stairs, wondering if hes' in bed. 'It's a good a place to start as any' Shrugging I slowly make my way up the creaky steps. I have to dodge around a few scattered boxes, but as I reach the top of the stairs I still. 'That sounded like a gun' My gaze slowly shifts over to my left, towards Izea room, and as my focus zeros in I realize I can hear. Someone approaching his bedroom door.

Not wanting to get shot by my best friend I call out before he can open the door and mistake me for an intruder, or one of those creatures for that matter. “Izea? When in the world did you learn to shoot my dear friend? Last time I took you out shooting you managed to get bit by you hand gun. Slide bite, remember?” The footsteps still as I begin talking but after I fall silent I hear the loud clunk of something much larger than a pistol falling to the thickly carpeted floor of Izea's room. The footsteps resume, slow and shaky, and I remain still. The door cracks open ever so slightly and I can see Izea's familiar green eyes peeking out at me. I offer him my warmest smile however a moment later I flinch as the storm finally breaks right overhead.

He watches me fall into a crouch, holding my head with both hands with a groan. The door opens a little wider and my head comes up as I here his whisper, even through my hands. “Sasha? Is that you?” I offer him another smile and a nod.

“Yes, it's me my friend. . .” The door bangs open and I let out another groan at the sound, however he ignores this and tackles me to the ground. He alternates between hugging me and punching me in the arm as he rambles on and on about how bad he feels about killing me, and how he must be dreaming. I sit up best I can, marveling at the now faint muscle tone my old friend has. Before the change, I was the only one with the barest hint of muscle, but now it looks is if Izea has been working out. Looking at my own arms I notice that 'm abnormally muscular for what I last recall of my physical fitness, however I brush it off as Izea is once more punching my arm. “Yea, I am sorry you had to do you, but as you can see, I am not dead Izea, so could you stop trying to see how many bruises you can put on me in less than two minutes?”

He laughing, rolling off of me as he wipes away his tears. He apologizes and drags me back to his room where we flops down on his bed to talk. As we pass it I eye the large, vaguely odd looking, shotgun he had dropped earlier, but all my focus falls on him as we get comfy. He tells me of how the test subjects got out, and because of their invulnerability how the police and event he army have been unable to do anything about them. “They escape even the most well laid traps, and no one knows how to kill them. Well, almost no one. . .” He looks away and I can almost feel the shame radiating off of him. Placing a hand on his arm I nod for him to go on. “I. . .I have killed a few, the ones who get too close to the house at night. However, no one knows this because they drag off their dead before any humans can find them. . .”

He glances at me and answers my question even before I can ask it. “I thought a few times that I should give up the secret to killing them, but each time I do I. . I feel this sick pull in my stomach and I think of you, laying there. . .Dead by my hand. . .It's one thing to kill out of defense, but I. . .These were people once, and I swear, they are not as vicious as they seem to be, they just. . .'[/i] As he stops making sense I pat his shoulder, giving it a squeeze. This seems to calm him and he once more manages to look me in the eye.

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And that is all for part three! I hope to see you all next time, and I can't wait to see your ideas!