Chapter 49.

Anxiety.

Dawson Todd.

Time/Area: August 3rd, 2013. Blue Hook Water Treatment Plant, Queens.

“You can, and you will, Mr.Harris.” I sighed at Jim from my desk, trying not to take joy in his horrified face.

So many of my workers were pulling this kind of crap; I wasn’t about to let a lazy worker like Jim Harris off the hook too.

I looked around my office, leaning back in my leather chair as I awaited Jim’s response.

“S-sir!” he pleaded, faking a cough, “I-I’m really sick, really!”

I rolled my eyes, taking off my glasses to wipe them.

As the water treatment plant’s superintendent, it was my responsibility to keep the slackers in this place on a tight leash. I was cracking down on these things more than usual now only because of the times.

“Even if you were,” I started, “with these so-called monsters running around and causing a lot of our workforce to stay home, I can’t afford to grant any more time off.”

He tried to interrupt, “But sir-!”

I laughed, more out of disbelief than of humor, “This is Blue Hook Water Plant my friend, and as systems operator, you should know we take our jobs seriously.”

Jim was dressed in his typical uniform: a blue polo shirt and black jeans with the words ‘Plant Systems Operator’ inscribed beneath the chest pocket of the polo.

Jim ran up to my desk from his previous position by the door, causing me to stand up,

“Yo-u don’t understand!!” He yelled, coughing in my face, “I’m sick!”

He continued, fumbling for words as he spoke, “I- I keep hearing this voice, like he’s t-telling me something!”

“This..!”

I grabbed a nearby napkin beside my laptop, wiping his germs off my face.

My eyes widened when I check the paper wad, noticing the red color on it,

“Jim..” I started, tossing the napkin into a trash can under my desk,

“M-maybe you should have a day off.”

He slowly nodded, stumbling backwards, “Th-thank you sir…”

I frowned, noting that the voice change I was hearing was consistent.

It was greatly… disturbing to say the least.

My thoughts instantly reached the morning news, which only increased my worry.

These…monsters…how did they…happen?

“I shouldn’t take any chances,” I thought, clearing my voice as Jim approached the door again.

“Jim..” I called.

He turned around, coughing some more, “Y-yes boss?”

I frowned, “If you can’t take your health seriously in a water treatment facility, then I don’t think you need to be working here anymore.”

I shook my head as Jim slowly let go of the door handle, tears materializing in his eyes,

“I-I have a family sir-!”

“Don’t we all?” I interrupted, sitting back down,

“Don’t take this personally, Mr.Harris,” I sighed, studying him carefully through my glasses, “I just can’t take any chances. I will be meeting with our senior engineer next to see if we have a similar story.”

Suddenly, Jim fell on his knees.

Was he..begging?

Oh boy.

“What’s wrong Mr.Harris?” I asked, leaning back, “Do you-?”

I stopped talking when his skin started to…change?

It was becoming darker...like a noir color.

“Don’t...f-IRE me!”

A black sludge was hurled from his mouth as he shivered on the floor, his body beginning to convulse rapidly as his uniform began to tear.

I felt my heart race as I stood up again, rapidly pressing the intercom button next to my coffee mug.

“cmon!” I gritted my teeth, confused as to why it wasn’t working.

The lights began flickering, the hum of the light bulb increasing in volume until it threatened to burst.

“AAAAAAARGHWAERRRR!” Jim cried, throwing his head back as his body...oh my…

“Help!” I yelled, backing up to my wall as I aimed my voice at the far door, “Help, somebody!!”

Jim’s body had grown about a foot taller, his clothes now bits and pieces upon the floor.

The fat on his body began to diminish quickly, his once pale complexion now comparable to charcoal. Bulging muscles began to ripple from beneath his stretched and torn skin, some kind of vapor steaming from his body and clouding the room.

Even as it transpired right in front of me, I forced myself to not believe it. This wasn’t a monster…it couldn’t be a monster.

But doubt flooded my mind as more changes started to occur.

His hair was quickly falling out, and his eyes...

I thought I was seeing things at first, but it was impossible to deny.

With each flicker of the overhead light came a deep, bronze pulse of light from Jim’s eyes, black colored blood leaking from his eyelids as something like static rushed over his face.

Jim screamed an unnatural scream, his mouth opening so wide that the skin of his cheek began to tear. Inside his mouth were broken and chiseled teeth, results of whatever bronze-colored electricity was ripping and burning away at his body.

The process continued until Jim Harris became unrecognizable, my heart a constant hammer in my chest as the seven foot beast seemed to grow quiet.

I gulped after a moment, the lights still flickering as the thing Jim had become maintained its’ kneeling position on the floor. All that could be heard was the crisp, sulfuric fumes blowing from the practically burnt nostrils on the creature’s face.

“J-jim-”

“ARRRRRRRGH!”

I screamed as he leapt upwards, flipping upside down before sticking to the roof with his fingers.

Yes…his fingers.

They had penetrated the roof and gripped the rebar pipes within it, small clouds of debris raining down while mixing with the vapor of Jim’s still steaming body.

I fell backwards on the floor as Jim scaled the roof, watching him crawl until he was directly above me.

“P-please..please..please..” I whispered softly, watching as its hideous mouth open wide, “I-I have a fam-”

“DON’t We ALLLL ARRRH!”

It dropped onto my body, shoving its teeth into my stomach as my vision was instantly shrouded in red.

T-this was…my blood.

My voice shattered as my screams echoed through the room, the feeling of sharp fangs jutting into my flesh overloading my senses. My limp arms and legs beside my body became drenched in the blood that was spraying everywhere, the sounds of wet crunches only adding to the pain while I felt my stomach literally being pulled inside out.

I couldn’t think, and the pain at this point was unbearable to the point where my vision began to darken.

I tried to look up, I tried to will my arms to push this thing off me…but it was impossible.

I just watched as it swung its teeth wildly through the three inch deep pit in my body, chewing and chewing away as my cries began to deteriorate.

Then it was over.

-

So..So hungry.

Anxious..I’m anxious?

Hole..in body. My body?

Brother above me.

I stand. I stand up. Look around. I see outlines of people.

SO HUNGRY!!!

Walk to door.

Door..closed?

Door..locked?

Locked. Door is locked.

BANG!

I push door..open!

AH! Outlines are SCREAMING?!?! STOP SCREAMING! AHRR JUST BE QUIET ARHG

DIE!

…

Over now. All...twenty?

All twenty dead.

All twenty finally quiet.

Brother left.

Blood...is everywhere now.

I….

Hello…mutt…that took longer than expected, yet a new breed has been added to the flock.

Voice. I hear voice…

I look around…no one here…

Yes…this is what I’ve told your other brothers here, and you need to do that as well.

Can you do that?

I..

Yes?

Good, good.

What..do I…need to do?

Just Listen.