Chapter 37

“We’re never going to get out of here.”

Elli glanced behind her and saw dozens of rail-thin malnourished prisoners. They had wandered the underground tunnels for a full day but the tunnels were so dark and twisting it was hard to find an exit.

Her father’s underground lab had a main entrance everyone used but to escape she had to sneak the prisoners out of the back entrance which led them to the sewers. It made escaping easier because the twisting underground tunnels were just as hard to navigate as it was to track others through.

The group saw a crossroad of tunnels ahead. Elli had three paths she could take, after thinking about it she decided to take the left path.

Time held no meaning underground, it was dark and humid. The putrid smell of the sewers mixed together with the stench coming from the prisoners. It was so bad it made Elli want to throw up several times.

After what felt like hours the group finally found a set of ladders leading to the surface. “Thank god!” The prisoners behind her exclaimed. They began getting excited and rushing forward, bypassing Elli.

Thunder boomed overhead. Streams of rain-water poured down the manhole cover and down the ladders.

“Be careful.” Elli urged the first prisoner as she helped them to the surface. The prisoners rushed up the ladders and removed the manhole cover sending rain water down upon the others.

“Go, go, go.” Elli continuously helped the prisoners up the ladder. When she was the last one and began climbing she heard something behind her.

Looking behind her she saw glowing eyes staring back at her. Elli turned back and scurried up the ladder as she heard the person behind her run towards her.

When she was almost to the surface something grabbed her foot. Elli swung her foot with her super-human strength trying to dislodge the hand but the hand held firm.

As Elli struggled she heard yelling and screaming coming from overhead. She had no time to wonder what was going on. Reaching her left hand over her right she began pulling herself up the ladder, the weight gripping on to her leg making that ascent a slow and tiring process.

When her head was above the surface she saw several people running in her direction, throwing themselves at the hole.

“Get the fuck back! What are you doing?!” She yelled as she struggled with the weight holding her down and the rush of people trying to dive into the manhole.

“Zombies! Go back! GO BACK!!!” One of the prisoners yelled in a terrified voice.

Someone kicked her head, she pulled back into the manhole. A body fell from up above. Elli could barely hold on as the weight of the body jerked her downward. When it was over she felt the person, who was holding her ankle had let go. She quickly rushed up the ladder, exploding out of it as the people tried to stuff themselves into the manhole.

Once she was free and past the crowd she looked around and saw utter chaos. Buildings were on fire, the rain barely able to douse the flames. Corpses that should’ve been dead running around chasing people.

Farther down the road she saw a parking lot where werewolves and vampires fought a gruesome battle, tufts of hair and limbs being tossed as the two sides clashed against one another. The clouds overhead were an eerie violet color as thick drops of rain fell, splattering the ground.

“Has the world gone mad?” Elli muttered to herself.

Elli felt a presence behind her. Turning around she saw one of the prisoners staring at her with a blank expression.

Elli’s face changed when she realized who the prisoner was. It was their newest patient, the presidents daughter. She stood before Elli completely healed and an expression that showed no emotion.

“How’d you escape?” Elli asked.

“You are a disappointment. Father has tasked me with bringing you back.” Andrea said in a monotone voice as if she were a robot.

Impossible, how can father already send her out? Furthermore, the fact he sent her out to chase after me means he’s confident it can bring me back. We’ve escaped less than a day, how could he already have prepared the President’s daughter?

A flurry of questions ran through Elli’s mind. She knew her father was a genius when it came to biology but this went beyond her expectations. To alter the human body was a long and grueling process fraught with missteps.

When Elli didn’t respond, Andrea stepped forward. “I’m prepared to use force if necessary.” She threatened.

Elli sniffed. Behind her several corpses ran into the alley after discovering there were humans here. The two stood there staring at each other as the zombies ran past them and threw themselves at the prisoners.

Elli dashed forward the same time as Andrea did. The two clashed in a flurry of fists and kicks before breaking off.

Elli looked at Andrea in shock. The woman was already as strong as her. Father had experimented on Elli and her brother for decades before achieving the levels of power they had now, so how was Andrea already at her level.

Andrea suddenly groaned and put her hand to her head. “My name is Jody! MY NAME IS JODY!!!” Andrea screamed aloud, her face contorting into one of agony.

A pit grew in Elli’s stomach as the implications hit her. The answer to how Andrea was already as strong as her was right before her; father had fused two humans.

How… how did he fuse two people together. And where is Jody? I can only see Andrea before me. Elli couldn’t understand how her father had done what he did. There were no signs of Jody, in fact, Elli would have never known anything was wrong with the President’s daughter if she hadn’t had this little episode.

After a minute, Andrea straightened, face regaining its indifferent expression. “Father said to be civil, to try and bring you back un-harmed. I tried. Now, I will bring you back bloody and broken.” Andrea said in a cold voice sending shivers up Elli’s spine.

…

Kill. Kill. Kill.

Nate felt an incessant need from deep within whispering him to let loose. To quench his anger upon the form before him.

Anza was knelt over Razor’s corpse, mouth covered in red liquid. When she saw him, her eyes widened in terror as she tried to run away.

Every pain you’ve endured, she’s the cause. The need to kill was rising like a wave, prickling, and tickling his insides. His body vibrated with a rush of power. His body that was normally enhanced through mental energy was now running at fast speeds without the need for mental energy. As if his human body had reached new levels.

Anza was before him and his inner voice screamed with glee. “Now! Now!” It screamed.

An ethereal blade formed on his hand as he swung at Anza’s head. Right before it collided his hand stopped.

Nate looked over and saw a green bamboo pole wrapped around his wrist. Using the distraction Anza fled into the distance weaving through the trees as Amelia appeared before him, anger written across her face.

“I told you, if you kill her you kill me.” Amelia’s lips quivered with barely contained anger as tears streamed down her eyes. “But now it’s clear: you don’t give a damn about me!”

Nate was wondering how she could’ve possible reached him in time. But when he heard her last sentence it sent a lance of pain through his heart. He saw the hurt Amelia felt written across her face. Her hand held a short dagger in a backwards grip.

“If you’re going to condemn me to die, you might as well do it with your own hands!” Amelia snarled as she leapt forward.

Nate formed and ethereal blade around his body and cut through the green bamboo poles, dis-entangling himself from its snare. As Amelia leapt forward he dodged to the left and recalled his golden spear.

It appeared in his hand but the bamboo forest surrounding him made it too difficult to wield the spear.

“I have to kill her. I have to!” Nate tried to dash around Amelia to go after Anza but she appeared before him at a speed that shouldn’t have been possible, not for Amelia anyways.

“Look at you! You’re so far gone you can’t even think straight! The demon side of you is taking over your human side!” Amelia shouted.

“There’s no need for you to kill her, Anza is finished no matter what. Yet you’d rather kill her, and indirectly kill me in the process. For what?! Do you care about me so little that you’re willing to do this?!”

Nate should have listened, but his body was throbbing with energy. All his nerves told him to hunt Anza down and kill her. If he missed this chance he’d never get the same opportunity. He had to do it.

The darkness, the need inside him was so powerful that it was the only voice he could hear. The only voice resonating with him. He didn’t want to listen to reason, he just wanted to satiate his hunger, his need.

After seeing Nate’s expression, Amelia’s face hardened into one of resolve. She gripped the knife tightly and commanded the bamboo poles to wrap around Nate restricting him tightly.

The two battled. Amelia’s forest of bamboo poles made it difficult for Nate to utilize his spear. He sent it flying to the sky instead as he used his body to fight off Amelia’s advances.

He tried to get past her but every time she was there obstructing his path. Dozens of poles wrapped around him. Each time he’d cut them away but they were never ending.

“I don’t have time for this!” Nate roared in a warbled voice. He increased the power of his attacks hoping to knock Amelia out so he could go after Anza. But Amelia kept up with his speed and strength.

Nate was surprised. Amelia shouldn’t have been capable of this, yet here she was keeping up with him. His confusion turned to anger when she began slashing away at him, her face filled with indifference.

Is she trying to kill me?! The voice inside him was screaming now, it was begging for blood.

Amelia kicked the back of his knee, buckling it. He fell to one knee and the forest of bamboo poles all fell towards him, wrapping around him, and squeezing his body tight. Nate was lying on the ground covered in bamboo poles that squeezed him tighter and tighter.

Amelia appeared beside him. She sat down on his chest, straddling the hundreds of bamboo poles. Looking down at his face she said: “You brought this upon yourself.”

She held the knife above him.

As tears streamed down her face, mixing with the rain-water Nate came to a realization: She really is going to kill me.

Confusion turned to anger when the knife began its descent towards his chest.

Strike!!! He commanded the spear.

As it began moving towards Amelia’s back he knew it wouldn’t make it in time. The dagger held in Amelia’s hand would kill him before he could kill her.

Time seemed to slow down. Nate reflected upon where it all went wrong. He realized his thoughts were being influenced, but not by an external source. No, his thoughts were being influenced by something within him. Something primal and ancient. It’s voice so powerful and commanding that all he could hear was its voice.

The inner demon within him had influenced him in his moment of anger, and now it was about to get him killed. By someone he loved no less.

Clang!

Nate heard the knife stab into the ground beside his head. He looked up and saw Amelia lean forward, grabbing his hair, and pulling him up for a kiss.

His mind blanked at the sudden development. From thinking he was about to die to being kissed had shocked him into inaction.

Amelia pulled back and looked at him with a sad expression that hurt Nate’s heart. “I can’t kill you. Please, don’t kill me.”

“I’m sorry Amelia, I swear I’m finished. I won’t go after her.” Nate promised.

Amelia looked down and smiled when she saw his eyes return to its normal brown color. She was about to bend down for another kiss when her body jerked forward.

She looked down in confusion and saw the golden spear protruding from her chest, covered in crimson blood. She looked down at Nate and saw his face pale in horror.

“NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!” Nate screamed.

Amelia’s body lurched to the side. Nate caught her before she could fall. He cradled her body in his arms and looked down. “I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry. Please tell me you can recover from this.” Nate was frantic. He had completely forgotten about the spear.

“P-pull it out.” Amelia sputtered as a mouthful of blood came out of her mouth.

Nate tentatively pulled out the golden spear. Amelia looked down at the gaping hole in her chest then looked at Nate with a forlorn expression.

“The spear went through my heart.” She said in a sad voice, “There are some wounds even vampires can’t recover from.”

Nate felt his heart being torn to shreds as Amelia spoke. Her face contorted in pain as she put a hand to her chest.

She looked at Nate with fear, "I don't want to die." She begged. "Vampires... I don't know where we go."

Tears streamed down his face but he couldn't do nothing for Amelia except hold her, comforting her in her last moments. Nate felt her take her last breath then go still.

Nate put a hand to her neck and felt her heart beating.

Bump, bump, bump… bump, bump… bump…