Overrun

>It was quiet here.
>This old, rusted warehouse was silent.
>None of them around, nothing to fight, nothing to run from.
>A place where they hopefully couldn't find you, where you could rest.
>After searching through the area, you discovered a few areas that you could hide.
>Just in case.
>A pile of boxes, an old, broken down fridge, a few closets, and a few lockers here and there.
>The wound on your left leg would prove to be an issue if the situation required a quick escape, however, as it made movement difficult.
>You sat down on one of the wodden crates, then checked the gash that trailed upwards from your ankle, spiraling upwards in a jagged path to your knee.
>The bleeding had stopped, but the possibility of infection was still a threat.
>You had seen many pass from sepsis; without antibiotics a small wound could be dangerous if not treated properly.
>Your leg lacked the telltale red streaks that indicated that brand of certain death.
>The bandages on your leg would need to be changed soon, and you were running out of medical supplies.
>Though the gradual decrease in material that your pack held was a blessing in the form of a greater ability to manuever, it was also a constant reminder of your current, dwindling state of existence.

>It made the anxious blend of fear, dread, and exhaustion that much worse.
>This hour would mark the forty-third you had been without sleep.
>It had taken a toll on you, made everything that much more difficult, made every moment a well blended mash of perception that lended nothing to assist your survival.
>You forced yourself to stand and make your way back to the pile of boxes that you had passed.
>It would be a suitable place to rest, as it would provide a warning to whoever lay within in the form of a loud variety of sound.
>With that warning, you could use the one bullet that rested in the magazine of your pistol.
>You crawled in between the boards and scrap metal, then collapsed inside of the pile of broken material.
>Nothing would be able to see you in here, so you hoped.
>The thoughts didn't have time to tear your slumber apart this time around though.
>The world darkened around you as your mind faded from concsiousness.

There was a new scent in this place.
It crawled along the ceiling, searching.
It hadn't eaten in such a long time.
The thought of warm, bloody flesh... it salivated at the thought.
All it needed to do was find it, find the source of the scent.

>Light rain tinkling along the metal roof of the warehouse.
>The wind whistling through this place.
>Sunlight.
>And you were awake.
>The old watch that you had strapped around your wrist with a length of twine indicated that it was around two in the afternoon.
>For the first time in a long while, your head was not clouded with exhaustion and the desire to sleep.
>You could think clearly, your sight was not blurred, and the lack of balance was gone.
>The place where you had slept was a wise choice, as little light and water seeped through the gaps.
>You were hopefully safe for the moment.
>So you decided to take this time to change the bandages on your leg.
>Slowly peeling them away was agonizing, but necessary to make sure that the wound was not reopened.
>It was healing at a good pace, and the ointment that you had found was definitely helping the process along.
>There were no signs of infection either.
>You breathed out a sigh of relief.

It had found the source of the scent.
Metallic and sharp.
A fresh wound.
Easy prey.
Through the small gaps in the makeshift shelter, it glimpsed the sight of its prey.
A strong, sterile scent pervaded the air for a moment.
It clambered down to get a better view and heard a slight, almost unnoticable vocalization of pain.

>The wound was clean now, after being disinfected with alchohol.
>You had to bite back a scream though, for it burned worse than anything you had ever felt in your life.
>It was a small price to pay to continue living.
>You rubbed some ointment around the wound, then used the last of the gauze and bandages to cover it.
>That was all that you had.
>At least you still had a bit of food and water left.
>Two cans of sardines and three bottles of water.
>Canned fish was typically left behind by most scavengers, and it had become something of a godsend for you.
>You gripped the lid of a can and peeled it open.
>The fish had a strong smell to them, but the taste wasn't half bad.
>After a few sips of water you were ready to keep moving.
>You didn't know where you were going, but you had to travel from town to town to obtain supplies.
>It was rough, and your injured leg had only complicated things.

There was another strong aroma now.
Familiar, but still exotic.
The man was crawling out of his shelter.
It watched for the perfect time to strike.
He was halfway out, legs still within the odd tunnel of wreckage.
It silently skittered across the floor, being careful to stay out of his sight.
Now it was in perfect position.

>You were on your way out of the hiding place.
>It was slightly claustrophobic, and your leg ached as you crawled through the cramped space.
>You were halfway out when you heard the clang of metal falling and hitting the floor.
>It made you jump, your pulse skyrocket, due to the sudden contrast to the silence.
>You took a moment to look around and ensure that nothing was here, holding your breath all the while.
>They hadn't followed you to this place, but that didn't mean you should forgo being cautious.
>You slowly pulled yourself out of the alcove and stood up.
>It was always somewhat unsettling, being in a place like that.
>They could catch you trapped within and take you apart at their leisure.
>You swept your attention across the area, looking for what may have created the sound earlier.

The man appeared to be in an alerted state.
It would be spotted and lose its advantage if it didn't strike now.
It quietly slipped around his gaze, slowly weaving its way through the environment, gradually getting closer.
Then, it saw an opening.

>There was no scream, no sound, nothing to warn you of what had just hit you.
>All you felt was a searing, sharp pain across your right leg.
>The creature seemed to dissappear with a blur of movement after tearing the chunk out of your calf.
>You quickly fell to the ground while screaming in pain.
>One of them had found you, so there was no point in being silent anymore.

It had crippled its prey, but now it was making too much noise.
The screams would attract others, others who would want to take his prey from him.
It would not allow that to happen.

>Before you could draw your pistol, it was upon you again.
>This was the first time you'd ever seen one of them up close.
>The monster was barely humanoid in appearance.
>It had scaly, bloodied skin, an emaciated figure whose broken and deformed bones jutted out from its body, and two thin arms that ended in hands endowed with a set of jagged, but razorlike claws.
>It was tall as well, towering over you by at least a third of a meter.
>And its face... no eyes should look like that, several seemingly strewn across its face in various sizes and shapes, but they all shared that same look of murderous hunger.
>Its maw contained a full set of incisors, ready to rend and tear flesh from bone.
>It had leapt on top of you, but for some reason had not dealt the killing blow yet, instead pushing its clawed hand into your face and around your mouth, effectively muffling your screams.
>You were frightened beyond belief, but now your body was being pushed well beyond its limits by a sudden fight or flight response.
>And you had chosen to fight.

Instead of staying there and letting its life drain out of them like the others it had hunted, this one was struggling against its grip furiously.
It did not want to kill its prey just yet.
Their blood tasted better while their hearts were still beating.

>You pushed against its thin, lithe body to no avail.
>It was almost strangling you at this point, but you were not going to have that.
>You punched it in the chest with everything you had, and your fist impacted its ribs with a surprising amount of force.
>Its grip loosened and you heard a slightly pained gasp, but then you felt the hand on your face tighten once more.
>All of its eyes narrowed in anger, and it swiped a claw across your left arm.
>The attack had done nothing to deter it, yet you still continued to struggle.
>You were not going to die here without fucking this thing up as much as you could.

It was hungry and could not wait any longer.
The scent of blood and fear seemed to permeate the air in a tangible cloud.
The man's expression was full of grim determination.
It was time to have a taste of their life.

>It leaned down and brought its face to your own.
>You could smell its rotten breath from here, and all of its eyes stared at you with an intense, animal hunger.
>This was it.
>Your right arm was pinned down by a clawed hand, while the pressure it held your face with was decreasing.
>Then its head slowly moved down.
>Soon, you felt its cold breath against your injured arm.
"No, no, no, no!"
>You managed to heave your body up, but it held on tight.
>Then you felt something cold and wet drag across the bloody wound on your arm.
>It was licking away the blood.
>And you could do nothing, not even scream.
>You were trapped underneath the creature without any weapon or other hope of escape.
>And now you were most definitely infected with whatever these things carried.
>That single bullet wasn't meant for an attacker.
>It was meant for you.
>If this creature left you alive long enough for the pathogen to start changing you... it was over.

Its prey had stopped fighting back.
They were still moving, but they were also making an odd sound every time their body shifted.
It didn't care, for its prey could not escape and was still alive.
And the blood seeping from their wounds was the most delicious thing it had ever tasted.

>Your situation was dire.
>Of course, it was going to get worse as time went on.
>Your body was racked with hopeless sobbing, and unless you reached your pistol soon...
>Things would start to change.
>You couldn't move your arms though, because they were pinned underneath the creature atop of you.
>Which was still running its tongue along the length of your wounds, lapping up the gradually slowing trickle of blood.
>Your right arm was still held tightly in its grasp, and you wouldn't dare move the left.
>Oddly enough, the monster had become almost gentle in the way it was going about this.
>Which was unsettling enough as is, but all of this combined, everything happening like this...
>And you realized something.
>The flow of blood was slowing.
>Oh god it was slowing down
>It shouldn't be happening this fast oh god

It had enough blood for now.
The warm feeling flowing down its throat was as good as it was the first time.
And its prey had calmed down, or maybe that was the result of it losing so much blood.
They would take a long time to change, so it would keep the man around until their blood and flesh started to become bitter.
It was excited at the idea of having sustenance for such a long time.

>You were being carried.
>Slung over the creature's shoulder and being carried.
>and you had heard its fucking thoughts
>Your body was weak from losing so much blood, and due to the wounds you had accrued during the encounter.
>you could still hear its hunger echoing through the air
>the insidious feeling of its fucking tongue against your arm
>the creeping infection crawling its way through your veins
>You couldn't keep pushing the thoughts away for too long.
It heard the man, but they were not speaking.
>The pathogen that had killed so many fucked with genes and broke them randomly, causing a variety of symptoms or mutations that spanned across every sort of thing imaginable.
>The drastic ones always took more time to show, for they required resources for cellular growth to set the changes in place.
>You would think that-
Why was it hearing its prey so clearly?
Their thoughts were so foreign, so organized.
>The creature dropped you, and the resulting impact to the metal catwalk sent radiating waves of pain through your body.
When it dropped him, it felt the pain too.
Spikes of a feeling long forgotten tore through its arm, and it hissed in confusion and surprise.
>It wasn't a one way street, it seemed.
>Your thoughts were audible to the monster next to you.
>Of course this would be first thing to plague you.
>At this rate, your mind wouldn't even make it to the point of no return.
>That being the point where you could no longer be considered human.

>You realized the monster was still in a confused state, like it couldn't comprehend your thoughts.
It was confused, though with some effort it could sort through the sudden burst of input.
>You stood up, using the railing of the metal walkway to brace yourself and keep balance.
Its prey was standing, moving.
>It had noticed you.
>Your heartbeat picked up speed, pushing blood and energy throughout your body.
>Adrenaline tore through your veins once again, and you rapidly stumbled away from the monster.
Its prey was running.
No.
>That single thought shot a line of fear straight through your brain.
>And another feeling was presented with it.
>Hunger.
>The agonizing hunger tore through your very being.
>You turned around and faced the creature.
>Yes, this would do.
>A quiet voice in the back of your mind told you otherwise, but to no avail.
It took advantage of the man's return to close the distance between them.
>You met its charge by planting a fist into its skull with an incredible anount of force again.
Pain, unable to see, why was it fighting back?
>Its thoughts were still a jumble.
>And they were irritating.
Anger, no, fury.
And hunger.
These feelings radiated from its prey in waves.

>As it recoiled from the strike, you continued to punch the monster again and again.
It couldn't see, its eyes were broken.
It was afraid.
>The feeling of its bones breaking beneath your fists brought some sick satisfaction.
>No, it was not sick.
>It felt right.
It couldn't move.
Its limbs wouldn't work the way they should.
They felt disconnected in some way.
>It laid there, unable to move.
>You stood above it, reveling in its fear and agony.
>It was time to feed.
It felt the intent of its prey.
No, it was the prey now.

>You leaned down against the struggling creature and licked the black blood that dripped from its battered face.
>The void that lay within you screamed for more.
For the first time in its life, it was afraid.
>The errant thought stopped you.
>what were you doing why was there blood in your mouth
>You hesitated, but then realized what was happening.
>You were already becoming one of them.
>That fucking can of fish that you had eaten had given the pathogen resources to work with, and the animal instincts that accompanied the infection were setting in.
>But you wouldn't do it.
>No, you couldn't
>but you have to the hunger eat feed it's right in front of you helpless prey
>It took all of your strength to pull away from the creature in front of you.
>You were going to find the fucking pistol and end this shit before it was too late.
The man was leaving.
Why?
Why were they showing mercy after that?
>You ignored the incoming questioning thoughts and stumbled down the metal stairs of the walkway.
>It was getting easier to move around, as if your wounded leg had healed already.
>At least the mutations were making it easier to get to the thing that would solve all of this.

It couldn't see, but its other senses would work just fine.
Its sense of smell allowed it to track the man.
"Alright, you can eat me when I'm done blowing my fucking brains out, okay?"
>You were going to end this shit.
>The idea of becoming one of them was not something that you desired.
>The creature silently followed you, but kept its distance.
>Soon, you made your way back to the pile of refuse that you had slept in.
>The small pistol reflected the slightest bit of light that came in through the broken roof.
>You picked it up and chambered the round.
>It was time.
>Why did it have to end this way?
>After all of this, making it through so many trials and succeeding against so many odds, everything was falling to pieces.
>You were bound to die at some point, of course.
>But you wanted to pass in the arms of a friend, or even a lover.
>Cradled against someone who you knew and could trust.
>This... this wasn't what you wanted.
>Standing here with a gun in hand, ready to end your own life on your own terms.
>With no one here to stay by your side and lie about how everything would be okay.
>Only that fucking monster, who was staring at you much like a starved canine would eye a fresh steak.
>Either way, you had no choice.
>One bullet.
>You put the gun against your temple, the barrel feeling cold against your skin.

>Do you pull the trigger?

>You... you can't do it.
>What a fucking failure you are, now dooming yourself to some fucking cruel existence because of your fear.
What was the human doing?
"Alright, fuck it."
>If you were doing this...
>Then you should at least injure the monster so it couldn't attack you again.
The man was now pointing something at it.
>For some reason, the idea of killing this thing, the first living thing you've met in months, was one that didn't appeal to you.
>So you aimed the gun at its hip and fired, knowing that the shot wouldn't outright kill it.
The sound was loud, and the scent of smoke went through the area.
>You prepared yourself for the incoming-
Pain and blood it hurts pain
>The monster dropped to the ground, letting out a sounds that was a blend between a whine and a growl.
>But it wasn't dead.
>The pistol was empty now.
>But it would be a good idea to keep it on you, just in case you find more ammunition.
No no no more loud pain.
Smoke and bang are bad no more.
Blood everywhere.
This is its own blood.
Not good to taste.
>This one-creature cacaphony of thoughts was irritating though, to say the least.
>You looked at it and your stomach lurched.
>No, it was a pang of hunger.
>The blood draining onto the ground seemed like it would taste so-
>no no you weren't doing that
>There was still the possibility of being able to eat normal food.
>Until you learned what you could survive on, if you could actually avoid eating others...
>You would stick with whatever food you could scavenge.

>The backpack that you had been using was still on the ground where you left it.
>You picked it up and put it on.
>Its familiar, though still dwindling weight was reassuring.
>Where would you go now?
>The pathogen was still in your body, so things were bound to continue changing.
>You shouldn't go near any people at this point.
>So even if you met someone, the risk was too great to stay with them.
>The only company you'd have would be your own thoughts.
It was still in pain.
Why didn't the human kill themselves?
"I couldn't, okay?"
>And now you were talking to this fucking thing.
>It couldn't understand you, and it had tried to fucking eat you.
It was confused.
And still afraid.
"Find someone else to gnaw on. I'm leaving."
>Though your situation appeared hopeless, at least you had an advantage over the monsters.
>The other monsters, you should say.
>You walked through the warehouse and out of a side exit.
>At this rate, you were going to have to eat again.
>So you dug out the last can of food you had, peeled the lid back, and downed it.
>Then you knocked back a bottle of water to wash away the salty aftertaste.
>There was no sudden nausea, no rejection of what you had just eaten.
>This gave you a bit more hope.
>You might end up looking like one of them, but you sure as hell weren't going to act like one.

>Now you would need to find more food somewhere.
>The warehouse was empty, but there were a few stores in the town that might have something.
>So you set out, heading along the sidewalk in the direction of a gas station you had seen on your way here.
>The weather was still in a dismal state, grey and lightly raining.
Another one.
>The thought was directed at you, but...
>This wasn't the monster you had encountered in the warehouse.
>It felt and sounded... different.
Not human.
Not prey.
>From what you could gather as you walked down the empty street, the monsters didn't attack each other.
>They only preyed upon uninfected living creatures.
There is prey here.
>That got your attention.
>If there was another person here, you could help them.
>or devour them
>the taste of flesh upon your tongue-
>You quickly forced the idea back down into the depths of your mind.
Found them.
Fresh blood.
They do not see me.
>Fuck, you had to hurry.
Wait for the right time to strike.
>This one seemed to be more intelligent than the one that had attacked you.
My prey is so small.
It will be easy.

>you could see a child
>Oh fuck.
>You knew exactly where the thoughts were coming from somehow.
>So you took off in the direction of a destroyed supermarket.
The child must be here somewhere.
>Anything that you had been thinking about before this was inconsequential.
>You had to save the kid.
>If only to prove to yourself that you were still human.
>The monster still hadn't found the kid, luckily.
>Its thoughts were becoming more hungry, more stained with that void that you knew and hated.
>You hurried, breaking into a full on sprint.
Something is coming.
"Damn right, you fucking bastard!"
>The door was already open, so you ran right into the store.
>The place was damn near demolished.
>Overturned displays, trampled products, rotten food, and the lights were off, draping the place in a thick darkness.
>you could smell the fresh-
>Nope, no, fuck that, no.
>but the hunger-
>The sight of the monster stopped the thought in its tracks.
>Fucking hell.
>Its body was hunched over, legs and arms both on the ground.
>From what you could see, it had no claws, but its mind conveyed that it had venomous fangs.
>Its skin was a sickly gray-green, sparsely covered with patches of dark, unkempt hair.
>The creature's face was narrow and had two, almost human eyes, but it also contained a maw full of broken, crooked fangs.
>Its face held an accidental grin that was just... really unsettling.
Another predator.
>You were considering shooting a remark out there with your thoughts, but the effort would be wasted.
>At this moment though, you realized that you had no weapon in your possession.
>This was a supermarket, however, so there should be some knives and whatnot.
The child is hiding.
I must find them.

>The monster was not paying any attention to you, only casting a glance in your direction before continuing to through the shelves and racks of clothing.
>You decided to search for a weapon before taking this thing on.
>As you scavenged through the aisles for something usable, a scent caught in your nose.
>the child
>sustenance
>They were close by.
>it is time to feed
>No, you weren't-
>so close bite and tear rend flesh
>You collapsed as wave after wave of agonizing hunger tore through your body.
Why is there pain?
I am uninjured.
>Somehow, you used the creature's thoughts as an anchor, pulling yourself back into reality.
>The scent was almost overpowering at this point though.
>Then you saw the source.
>The face of a young boy peering out from underneath a fallen shelf.
>He made eye contact with you and quickly retreated.
>go after him
>so vulnerable devour him
I can see the child?
>You heard the creatures footsteps as it bounded over in your direction.
>Without realizing it, you had projected the sight of the child outwards.
>Now things were going to get worse if you did nothing about it.
>There was a broken piece of a shelf with a jagged edge laying beside the kid's hiding spot.
>This would work.
>You stood up with the shaft of wood in hand, and readied yourself to fight the monster.
>It rounded the corner and halted.
This one is in my way.
They will not take my-
>You brought the wood down upon its head, sending it reeling backwards.

They are a foe.
"Damn fucking right!"
>It lashed out at you with its right arm, the blow impacting you directly in the chest.
>The wind was knocked out of you and a severe, piercing pain kept you from taking in any air.
Weak predator.
>You were livid.
>Everything happening like this, and you were helpless to stop it.
>give in
>you won't be helpless if you let yourself go
>That little voice was becoming louder with each passing second.
>it is standing in front of you
>right there
>go ahead
>You stood up.
>The pain in your chest burned, but it did not take away from your hunger.
>This creature would die.
Weak predator.
I do not want to kill.
Useless to kill other.
>it is hesitating
>take advantage of it
>You did as the voice told.
>But you didn't aim to attack the monster directly.
>The sharp end of the wooden chunk you had could work.
>You hurled it at the monster's face.
>From the sound it made, and the splatter of
>delicious
>Black blood everywhere.
>It screamed and its thoughts poured out in droves of agony tainted flashes.
I will kill the other.
>It charged you, but its thoughts had given its plan away.
>You stepped to the side and it crashed into another shelf, sending it toppling down.
>finish it quickly
>The monster was trapped underneath a pile of broken wood and metal.
>You walked to it and stood within its line of sight.
I do not like the pain.
I do not like the hunger.
I do not like the fear.
>it is vulnerable.
>So you brought your foot down on its head, and the creature's thoughts came to an abrupt, though expected, halt.
>look at what you have done
>now finish what you have started

>feel the taste of its flesh in your mouth
>the bitter, black blood of another
>it tastes divine
>savor the feeling of another's life in your stomach

>It must have been at least an hour...
>There was a lapse in your memory, but you must have been in the middle of something...
>You looked down at the creature, at your hands, at the bloody stains and chunks missing from its body.
>Oh... there was blood coating your hands, dried and streaked across your skin.
>There must have been some on your face as well, because of the feeling of dampness and the metallic scent.
>And that sensation of being full, which you hadn't felt in such a long while.
>But...
>You could feel the contents of your stomach rise up at the thought of what you had done.
>The monster's corpse lay in front of you.
>that is enough for now
>Your hunger died down, and so did your nausea.
>One single positive about this situation... well, you wouldn't have to eat anything else for a while.
>No... no people either.
>You realized something though.
>You didn't have to eat humans!
>It was fucked up, but these animalistic desires could be sated by consuming the monsters.
>Why were you so happy about this?
>No matter how you looked at it, they were still once human.
>The little voice in the back of your head had disappeared for the while, at least.
>Something falling from a shelf and crashing to the ground interrupted your thoughts.
>It reminded you that the kid was still here.
>You quickly wiped your face clean to rid it of the blood that streaked across it.
>The sleeves of your jacket came back with a deep crimson hue.
>If things took a wrong turn, you would explain the situation to the kid and hope for the best.
>You tracked his scent and found him hiding in a corner of shelves.
>He noticed your presence and stood up straight, ready to fight.
>"Get the heck away from me!"

>You tried to say something in return.
>You couldn't speak.
>The words worked in your head, but they refused to come out as anything but an incomprehensible growl.
>No, no, no, you couldn't fucking speak!
>The monster... you had torn it to pieces and eaten it.
>Giving your body raw material to work with, of course something would change.
>He looked so fucking scared.
>The boy, couldn't have been more than fifteen, he stood there like he was on the edge of collapsing.
>You could relate to his situation.
>Being constantly hunted, always living in fear of the next one to follow you, and the risk of becoming one of them.
>You raised your arms and backed away from the kid.
>"That's right... you better get away..."
>He was waving something around.
>On closer inspection, it was a stick.
>A fucking thin, piddly little stick.
>"I'll... I'll hurt you."
>The wavering pitch of his voice was the one thing bound to hurt you; spikes of anxiety came along with every other syllable and tore though you.
>You weren't going to leave the boy behind though, not going to leave them to die.

>So you did the one thing you probably shouldn't have.
>You rushed them and knocked the stick out of their hand.
>The plan was not to scare them, but to disarm them and then cease the assault.
>Maybe that could get the point across that you weren't going to hurt them.
>But the kid fell backwards while screaming and hit the floor with a thud.
>At this point, he was curled up in a ball and sobbing.
>"I don't want to die. I don't want to die."
>Though you really wish you were able to talk and sort this out, you knew it just couldn't be that easy.
>So you stood there, leaning against a pile of rubble, and waited for the boy to notice that he wasn't being eaten or torn apart.
>Slowly but surely, the kid's crying slowed down.
>He looked up at you with a confused expression.
>"Go away!"
>There was a momentary pause before he began to crawl away from you.
>You felt afraid.
>For yourself, and this kid.
>It was likely for the best if you left him and continued on your own.
>But they could be the last person you ever see before you lose yourself forever.
>The idea of that crushing lonliness sent a chill through your body and an ache into your gut.
>You decided to leave, however, as the threat that you would present to him would be too great.
>The last thing you wanted to do was kill one of the few uninfected left in this world.
>The boy watched as you turned around and started to walk away.
>You were a few steps out of the door before you heard something behind you.

>For some reason, the kid had followed you out here.
>He looked up at you, expression a blend of fear and exhaustion.
>"Are you... you're one of them, right?"
>You nodded your head.
>"How... why... are you not going to kill me?"
>The kid's eyes carried with them something you couldn't identify.
>You had no idea what he was feeling, but you reassured him with a quick shake of your head.
>At least you had retained your ability to reason and communicate somehow.
>The boy seemed to have some trouble forming his next sentence, and it all poured out in a rushed burst.
>"Can you travel with me? To the next town...?"
>If only he had asked that before you had turned into a monster.
>Though the next town over past the bridge was where you were heading before.
>And you had no idea, no plans at all on what you were going to do after finding food and shelter.
>There had not been a bigger picture.
>No magic cure to chase after or any fabled sanctuary to run off to.
>"I haven't seen another person in months. You're the first out of everything I've met that hasn't tried to tear me to pieces."
>You wonder for a moment if he saw you eating the monster.
>"You're still really, really scary though. I mean... you took that other monster apart right in front of me."
>Fuck, he had seen.
>"But I... I don't care. Having you around oughta be better than being alone for the rest of my life though. It's so goddamn empty everywhere."
>He looked up at you.
>You could finally see him in detail using the sunlight.
>The weather had actually cleared up since you'd been in the store.
>Your previous estimate for his age was off by a good bit, as you could see he was likely twelve.
>He stood a foot shorter than you, and he looked like he was starving.
>Sunken eyes, thin form, the whole deal.

>You were tearing yourself apart over what to do.
>If left alone, the boy could end up dead, eaten, or infected.
>If he traveled with you... you could protect him.
>And if you knew that you couldn't control yourself, leaving was always an option.
>Hopefully, it would never come to that point.
>"Could you... go with me?"
>It would be a waste not to.
>You nodded your head.
>The kid let out a relieved sigh.
>This was the path you had chosen.
>Though you were no longer human, now you were no longer alone in this world.