Outpost: Part I

The clouds parted slightly in the cyan-drenched sky as Kiara closed the door of her slightly rusting Sunfire, revealing a blinding, ashen sun rising slowly from the depths of the horizon. She shielded her eyes from the ultraviolet assault, walking towards the medical office's front doors. Cars ambled by behind her, destinations unknown. Carrying her folders with one hand, Kiara brushed her brunette bangs from her eyes and pushed against the heavy glass doors, entering the office. The door bell rang lightly as she walked in. It was a small place, just a hallway with two rooms, a foyer, and a metal grating that led to the monstrous shopping mall. She locked the door behind her.

"Morning, Kiara!" Doctor Iannis waved to her as he passed from room to room, carrying a truckload of books in his arms.

"Morning, doctor." She briskly paced to behind the receptionist's desk, setting her books down and checking the calendar.

'Sunday, May 4, 2014' read the calendar. She crossed it out with a large, red X. Setting the marker down, she ran her fingers over the calendar, reading the dates.

"Counting the days until you can get out of this hole, eh?" Dr. lannis stepped beside her, turning on the computer. Kiara's face flushed a shining red. The doctor was a very attractive man, late 20's, genius, and perfect, suave hair. She almost swooned when he brushed against her, reaching for his glasses on the desk.

"Of-f c-course not, sir." On the contrary, she thought, saddened. Her pitiful internship had only 3 weeks left, and it seemed like the last 4 months passed by much too quickly.

"Well, perk up, then!" He flashed her a stunning smile and glanced outside to the incoming mob of seniors at his doorstep. "Today promises to be a busy day, it seems.." He quickly headed towards the entrance, opening the lock, and allowed 5 elders, a mother of 3, and a dog to be herded into the main seating area.

Kiara plopped down in the receptionist chair and sighed. It was going to be a long day.

~~~

Andrew wiped his brow as the blistering sun beat down upon the 3 acre field behind his cottage. He raised his entrenchment tool and hacked at the ground, softening the soil. A soft howling was heard in the distance, down the road leading towards the town of Franklin.

His back cracked. He moaned, standing up straight too quickly. He fell over. His body wasn't made for this strenuous activity, but his regular farm boy had fallen under some sort of bad flu and couldn't help him today. He cursed under his breath at the infallible timing.

"Andrew!" Luella dropped her laundry as she stepped down the stairs and ran to her husband, moaning in the soil. "Are you alright? You stood up too fast again, didn't you? What did I tell you, always rest your back, don't push yourself! Ah, that boy better get healed real soon, you aren't made for this work.."

Andrew groaned. “Lucy, I’m fine, really.” He attempted to stand and almost fell again. Limping, he walked towards the house. Slowly, he climbed the stairs and pushed open the door, with his right shoulder, finally falling to rest in a wooden chair next to his gun cabinet. He rotated his left shoulder, making a solid cracking sound.

Luella remained in the field, smiling softly. Her eyes slowly filled with tears as she clutched at her trodden apron.

The bright sun was shadowed unnaturally fast by swift and teal clouds, covering the sky. Andrew’s eyes narrowed, looking out the door towards the sky. The previous howling repeated, much louder now, echoing across the field.

Luella turned her head around to the source of the howling, confused. Immediately, a crimson flash enveloped her top half; in an instant she was on the floor, her innards being ripped apart by a blood-faced, rabid Rottweiler. She could not scream, her throat was torn apart as the beast ripped her flesh with his rotted teeth..

“LUELLA!” Andrew roared as he banged the cabinet, blowing the door open. Pulling out his Remington 870, he charged out of the door and kicked the dog in the face, knocking it on its back. Flipping upright, it screeched at him and lunged. He put the gun to his shoulder and shot.

A loud thumping sound rippled though the sticky air. The gauge mauled the dog’s neck, knocking it down mid-flight and putting it to rest. Andrew dropped the gun and knelt down to his beloved Luella.

“Lucy…”

~~~

The sun had almost set as Kiara cleaned away the rest of Dr. Iannis’s desk. She yawned and stretched her arms back while leaning in the chair. It had been a mind-numbing day. 13 newcomers, 3 spinal fractures and an overbite infection. She felt like sleeping in the soft chair. Her head flopped to one side, her tongue drooped out.

The soft bell of the door crashed as a pale young boy in overalls fell though, limping. His face was a mangle of grey and brown, his eyes a bloodshot red. Kiara stood up immediately, a shocked look blanketing over her face.

“I-I..got bi-..” The boy fell over, drooling on the floor, still clutching his left arm which had turned sickly gray. Kiara ran over, yelling while she lifted up his arms. There seemed to be a yellow-tinged substance that oozed from various cuts on his body.

“What’s going on-holy mother!” Dr. Iannis swiftly sprinted over and lifted the boy’s legs. Moving the body to the nearby bed in the nursery room, Kiara stepped back, vigorously thrashing her hands around. The substance stuck to her fingers, like super-glue. It felt disgusting, as if there were living organisms in the goo, moving around on her fingers.

“This man has been severely injured. Bite wounds, scabs, internal bleeding..and a secretion of sorts. I cannot tell what this is.” The doctor lifted the boy’s arm, examining the ooze. He pulled a plastic tube from his interior coat pocket, and caught some of the dripping substance in the container.

“Take this to the post office and mail it to Nashville General! Hurry!” He waved the tube at Kiara, his eyes not wavering from the mutilated body. Kiara obeyed, grabbing the tube, placing it in a pre-packaged envelope, and snatching her coat as she ran out the door, the bell ringing.

~~~

Andrew creased his brow. The sun had finally set outside his bedroom window, fabricating a luxurious stand-off between day and night outside. The butterflies still flew, the moon struggled against the wall of clouds, and Lucy kept bleeding..

He shook his head. Getting up, he slid out the crimson red towel from her neck and replaced it with a fresh one. Stumbling to the washroom, he flipped on the light and turned the knob of the sink. Cold water turreted down the ceramic bowl; he stuck his hands into the waterfall land it turns a crimson red, the blood washing away from the medical cloth…

Tears fell from his eyes. His hands shook, his face trembled. The cloth fell from his hand and fell into the sink as Andrew yelled into the mirror in rage, punching it. It shattered, glass flying everywhere. A few shards penetrated his flesh, his left fist now bleeding. Wrapping it in the cloth, he swore under his breath as he left the washroom in search of his keys..

~~~
Kiara slammed the brakes as she arrived back at the medical office. The night sky was now filled with pellets of rain, she ran to the door and fumbled with the keys as the water splashed everywhere. Entering the office, she stopped. It was dark. The only light in the room was dimly emitting from the nursery door window. She slowly walked into the foyer, dropping her coat on the nearby seat. Ambling towards the nursery, she suddenly heard a yell.

She ran towards the room, but as she reached the door, the window was abruptly splattered with dripping blood. Kiara screamed, falling over backwards. The yelling continued inside the room, followed by a screeching. She heard a sickening crack as the side wall trembled as if a body was thrown at it. She screamed again. The mall entrance grate jiggled, creating banshee-like, metal scraping sounds against the floor. More blood splattered against the window. The light inside the room flashed on and off, blocked by moving shadows. Kiara continued to scream as she picked herself up.

The light inside the room turned off. The office was bathed in the moonlight flowing through the foyer windows. She heard a growling from behind the door. The door dented towards her, the sound of claws scratching on metal.

She ran towards the metal grating in blind horror. A flashlight shone in her face. She fell backwards in shock. The growling grew much louder, the clawing more frequent. The window shattered, part of the door fell out and rattled against the floor.

"Ma'am?" A gruff voice was heard behind the grating. A jingling of keys was heard, and soon after the grating slid open. The mall guard stood there, staring down at Kiara as she slowly wept on the floor.

"Ma'am? Are you alright?" He held out her hand. She pointed to the nursery. The door finally blew out, falling apart onto the floor. The guard opened his holder flap and took out his Glock G21, aiming at the door.

"Stay down, ma'am!" The guard gripped the gun tightly, beads of sweat forming on his brow. A shadow crawled out of the room slowly. It screeched, the pitch of the scream rocked the walls of the office. With a graceful leap, the shadow pounced past Kiara and onto the guard. Severe yells were heard, muffled by the sound of flesh being torn out and ripped.

Kiara screamed, shuffling away. The guard's face was invisible, all Kiara could see was the white of a doctor's coat..

A sudden bravado took over her. The Glock had slid along the floor when the guard had fallen over. Feeling around, her hands gripped the metal bindings of a flashlight. Shuffling on the floor, she reached for the Glock. The scream stopped. Kiara turned and shone the flashlight at the silhouette.

A piercing screech broke her eardrums. The beast knelt down and leaped at Kiara, claws raised. She aimed the Glock with both hands and pulled the trigger, falling backwards in the process. It fired a metal slug into the Hunter's face, stopping it in its tracks. It lay down, twitching. Kiara pulled the trigger again, holding her hands tight like the guard did. The bullet went through the beast's face, killing it. It laid there, the white doctor coat stained a blood red, as Kiara got up, shaken. She recognized the face of the beast..it was too familiar. She realized that she had just killed Dr. Iannis..but how?

The bell of the office door rang again..