Chapter 11 - 9: Infections (1/2)
John had meditated for a while thinking back to his previous events as they had unfolded. He died and was offered the option to become a god of death, but what did that really incur exactly? This thought had John on the fritz, thinking randomly and at high speeds making sure Dixie had no idea of his doubts about his mission. But those doubts were quickly laid to rest after remembering his hatred for the world that gave him such a shitty hand.
Joseph who had been laying on the ground like sleeping beauty for the past day had raised as if experiencing a bad dream. He looked around in horror not sure what to make of what he had been through. Thoughts rushed through his mind as if trying to find a reasonable explanation to what he'd seen in his dream, but they all went out the window after turning to look at the pitch-black skeleton that sat before with its legs crossed sitting in a meditative pose. Its eyes had two small fire floated in them as if he had will-o-wisp in his eye sockets. To Joseph who throughout all his years a the Secret General had never seen such a spectacle, but the one thing that struck Joseph wasn't the awe of the figure before him but the fear he felt towards it.
Seeing how it didn't move Joseph rose and looked around himself to see the huge circular room he had awoken in. He remembered it as the room that most of the homeless people like him would gather every once in a while to have get-togethers. Although he did attend he didn't mingle with everyone else as most of the time he was reliving some of the horrible things he had to do for his country, his home, the very place he believed he'd become a monster for.
Not seeing much of a reason to stick around he got up and headed towards the exit. Not even a second after he reached the exit to the huge room he was blocked off by two shambling individuals that couldn't have been seen clearly because of the darkness of the corridor. Confused he said, ”Can I help you?”
”Indeed you can as soon as you come back towards me Joseph.” The Ghastly and grate voice of John said from behind Joseph.
Joseph turned around to look back towards the black skeleton which from his view he could finally see what looked like a little girl laying behind it. He walked back towards the skeleton confused with a hint of fear. Was this an attempt by his former allies and into finally ensuring he was insane? Or was it the other homeless people playing tricks on him? These thoughts raced through Joseph's head as he cautiously walked back toward the skeleton.
He looked around the skeleton and the surrounding area to make sure there weren't any speakers or tricks that he could fall into. It wouldn't be the first time he'd fallen for the childish pranks of some of the sewer children.
”Oh I ensure that I'm very much the one whose talking to you General,” said John as he watched his cautious general walk towards him slowly.
John knew that the man with his overtly cautious behavior wouldn't believe him and only see it as another trick by the sewer kids, so John thought for a sec before standing and approaching his zombie general to be. Joseph stopped as he saw the skeleton stand while looking for indications of strings and pulleys, but he saw none as the skeleton began its approach towards him.
Joseph wanted answers, answers to why he in this part of the old sewers, why there are two shambling people in the corridor blocking him from leaving, why there's a black skeleton talking telling him what to do, why is there a girl laying behind the skeleton. So many questions flowing through his head. He stopped at what he felt was an appropriate distance between him and the skeleton since he didn't know what was going to happen.
Almost at the same time as Joseph stopped John stopped as well leaving just a half a meter between them. Just as Joseph was about to ask what John was John interrupted him by saying, ”You're overly calm for a man who'd just died a while back. Hmm interesting.”
As if something in the back of Joseph's mind had flipped he felt a painful throbbing from the back of his head. It was intense, so intense he fell to his knees and yelled. Joseph had closed his eyes for split second and it all came back to him. His memories flooded his mind like a dam had broken. He remembered laying in the middle of a corridor by himself when he began to hear the screams of fear and agony. It was then that he pulled out the old service pistol he used while he was served as the secret general for the U.S.
As he was backing away he tripped over a plank of wood he had completely ignored when checking where the screams had come from. As he fell tried to catch himself but failed as he made a loud crashing sound when he landed. Not knowing what the hell was going on he knew better to continue laying on the ground he rose back up and tried to scurry away before those ravenous people came around the corner, but he was too late as he peeked behind him and saw the bunch making their way around the corner. The first of the bunch he could clearly see as the light from the knocked over barrel around the corner revealing his greyed and yellowed flesh along with the rotten and dark flesh from the side of his face that was missing skin decorated by the glowing hazy blue eyes that were hard to ignore.