Fate by V. A. Brandon

Author:V. A. Brandon [Brandon, V. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Infected
Published: 2020-06-21T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

Against Casey’s better judgment, she decided to take Roy back with them to the lake house for first-aid treatment and observation. Cain had vehemently objected – the jock, according to her brother, still remained a highly infectious and dangerous threat despite his reclamation of speech. What Cain said, of course, made sense; just because Roy could talk didn’t mean he no longer harbored unspeakable cravings to chew off their face at any given moment.

And yet … there were certain factors that also couldn’t be ignored. About an hour had gone by, but Casey’s mind and body stayed the same, free of the virus. The so-called “vitamin shot” was definitely working like a vaccine, at least for now. On top of that, Roy had behaved himself for the last hour; the only problems were the stab wound in his back and his inability to exercise full control of his body.

“Where … are we?” Roy whispered painfully around his swollen tongue. The twins had created a makeshift cot with just two thick branches and vines roped around to help support his weight. His weeping eyes stared up into the sky, unaffected by the glaring sun.

Casey glanced down, frowning in thought. She was holding the back of the makeshift cot, with Cain supporting the weight in front. “We’re almost at Ashley’s lake house. Do you remember visiting there for summer break?”

“Sssummerrr …” Roy fell quiet, and then a low snarl escaped through his bloody lips.

Casey nearly lost her grip on the branches. “Damn it! Cain, let him down for a minute.”

The twins hurriedly placed Roy on the ground and stood a safe distance away, fixing him with a gimlet eye. The jock may have reclaimed some of his senses back, but both twins were ready to end his life if he started regressing back to his mindless, infected state.

Roy worked his mouth over and over again, much like a dying fish on land. “W-Water,” he said, but Casey stepped forward and did something else, something completely unexpected.

She crouched beside him, holding her arm out, and then slashed at her flesh with the carving knife.

“What are you doing?” Cain bellowed in fury as his sister’s blood splattered into Roy’s gaping mouth. He wrested the knife away from her and slapped his hand over the wound to staunch the bleeding.

“Testing something.” Calmly, she fished out a balled-up handkerchief from her pocket and pressed it on her arm. “Here, tie this around the wound.”

“So?” Cain said angrily, making the knot tighter than necessary. “I’m guessing you had some brilliant reason for pulling that stunt, right?”

“More like an epiphany, actually.”

“Okay, then, let’s hear it.”

“It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” Casey raised her arm, wincing at the flaring pain. “I mean, look at me. More than an hour ago, I was bitten by an infected person, and yet I’m still fine. No fever, no symptoms … nothing whatsoever.”

“Maybe the infection rate works differently for everyone,” Cain said, dubious.

“It’s possible, I suppose, but highly unlikely. More importantly, look at him.

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