The Venom Will Spread, but Still Walk the Dead

Frank's P.O.V:

She was upstairs somewhere. My heart was thumping in my ears. I could feel the blood rushing through my head. I felt sick. What if I didn't find her in time? Where the hell was she?

The first door I came across, I kicked open and scanned the room desperately. Empty.

Kicked the next door open. Empty. The wood had splintered from the power behind my kick.

"C'mon, c'mon," I flustered "Scream again, Eliza!"

The next room was empty.

"ELIZA?!" I cried desperately.

"FRANK?! HELP ME! HELP ME PLEASE!"

I'd gone the wrong way. She was back down the corridor!

My heartbeat thumped harder and faster.

My feet pounded on the floor as I ran. Oh God. Where the hell was she? Oh God. What if I didn't reach her in time? Oh God! I'd be a failure. I'd promised to protect her. My job was to protect members of society.

Another scream.

"ELIZA?! ELIZA?!"

Screaming.

It was getting closer with each step I took. Where was she, though?

Then I saw it.

There was an open door.

Screams.

I surged forwards, bursting into the room and recoiled in shock horror.

Eliza screamed wildly, backing away in horror until she'd scrabbled herself into the corner furthest away from me. She pulled on the door beside her. Locked. She screamed and screamed and screamed. I stood there in shock. What the hell was it?

She screamed again and struggled up to her feet.

Big mistake.

It raised its huge clawed hand and swiped.

All I could do was stare in shock at the blood now spurting from Eliza's slit throat. She looked past it at me, gasping in her last breath. The light seemed to be slowly fading from her eyes. She exhaled slowly.

Then she collapsed, falling limp to her knees and her torso flopping forwards. Blood spurting everywhere. It gave a crooning growl, leaning down and lapping at the puddle now forming around Eliza's limp body. Then there was a sickening crunch. It had taken a bite.

The smell. Oh God the smell.

Something, whether it was the smell or the realisation of what I'd just witnessed, woke me up. I jolted and screamed.

Big mistake.

It turned towards me.

It was huge. A sick slime green colour, crouched over. It looked like something that had emerged from a swamp in a horror movie. I backed away in horror. It growled softly at me. I put my arms behind my back and scrabbled.

Its eyes were yellowing, tiny black dots for pupils in the centre of them. The nose was squashed against its face with two slits, similar to that of a snake. The teeth. Oh God the teeth. Huge and sharp. Stained with dripping rubies. They were getting closer. I could almost see myself reflected in those lusting eyes. It snarled.

This wasn't one of those things. This was very aware of what was going on around it. I tugged. It was stuck.

"N-no!" I grunted "C'mon-c'mon!"

I started to whimper and cry as it got even closer. My cries got even more desperate with each centimetre that was lost between us. It reached out for me-

And recoiled with a loud wailing hiss. My combat knife had caught it between the eyes. I reached behind me again and pulled.

"C'mon!" I cried "C'mon!"

I gave a loud wailing cry of desperation, pulling hard one last time. . .

It came loose and there I was with my shotgun in my hands. It was snarling, still stunned from my knife stunt. But it was recovering quick. Pulling itself back up and growling ferociously at me.

I lifted my shotgun, closed one eye and pulled the trigger. . .

There was an explosion of red. Some of it splatted against my cheek. I breathed in and out shakily, dropping the shotgun and stumbling forwards. She was right in front of me. She was stained with those rubies. I dropped to my knees, still exhaling hard. I'd failed.

I reached out slowly with shaking hands. They managed to lift her head and pull her closer, one arm wrapping around her shoulders. I didn't cry. I just sort of sat there and shut down.

I don't remember much after that. Just the fact that I'd failed her.

The next thing I remember clearly is Ray's arms around me, pulling me up to my feet. I didn't cry. I didn't scream. I didn't shout. I didn't fight him. I didn't do anything. I was barely there anymore.

I was half-carried back downstairs to the kitchens. That's when I groggily croaked it out to Ray.

"Gerard. . ." I croaked out groggily "I promised him. . . I-I said-"

"I know, Frank," He hushed "I know what you said. Let me handle Gerard, okay?"

My breathing was still shallow and quick. Nothing was really in focus, least of all Gerard's panicked expression as we re-entered the room. Mikey rushed forwards and put both arms around me. I realised I was shaking. And a cold clammyness had overcome me.

Mikey led me away from the crowd of the others to sit me down in the corner. His fingers were on my forehead, then on my wrist and then pulling my eyelid up to take a look at my eyes.

"Take a deep breath," He whispered "C'mon. In. . . now out. And again. In. . . and out."

I was paying little attention to him. All I could see was Eliza's limp corpse in front of me. My hands were sticky with her blood. I wasn't focused on Mikey or what he was saying. My breathing had slowed to an inhale then a long sighing exhale.

Mikey's hands were on me again, feeling my wrists and then his fingers were pressing onto my neck.

"Frank?" His voice seemed so far away. Distorted like it was in another galaxy, speaking to me like the voice of God to one of his worshipers.

My eyes flitted to Mikey.

"I want you to lie down, okay?" His distant voice spoke "I want you to lie on your back. Can you do that for me?"

I heard it but it didn't mean anything. All I could see was that fountain of red wine trickling from Eliza's throat and down her neck. It had spurted and then trickled, running down between her breasts and all over her hands. Eventually it had soaked into her shirt. And inevitably, the carpet. Now that same red wine was growing sticky on my hands, caked under my nails.

Mikey's arms were around me and I was twisting and then the next thing I remember is looking up at the bright lights of the ceiling.

"It's okay, Frank - Gerard bring that little stool thing over here. Frank, listen okay? Listen, it's not your fault."

"What's happening?"

"He's going into shock."