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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/NotJustSomeNumbers on 2024-10-03 23:10:07+00:00.
The guy narrowed his eyes doubtful of Arlin's words but kept talking.
“There was an outbreak in a different forest a bit of a distance from here. We’re still studying it. We think something infected the local plants and then gets passed onto the animals.”
I glanced down at his swipe card again trying to see if there was a company name. I only saw his initials printed on the bottom of the card.
“Tell us J.C., can this infection pass to humans?” I said and nodded toward the two bodies we just put down.
His face turned pale and he frowned with a slight shake of his head.
“Yes. Eating a tainted plant, or an infected animal can pass it along. Or well... an infected human can infect you too.”
My head started to spin. I nearly fainted at the news. Not only did my friends turn into monsters, but they had been trying to change us as well. I realized something and it nearly put me over the edge.
“Can you be infected by eating tainted mushrooms?” I asked, dread clear on my face.
“Are chicken of the woods mushrooms or fungus?” Arlin added mostly talking to himself.
“Uh, yeah. Did you two eat some?”
We both glanced at each other and nodded. J.C.’s shoulders dropped disappointed the two normal humans he’d come across may be ticking time bombs.
“We haven’t come across a lot of humans coming into contact with this infection. There is a small percentage of animals that don’t react to whatever is causing all of this. But... we have seen people turn after seven or eight hours after being exposed. The biggest sign of the infection is a personality change. Some people revert to a childlike state, and others become extremely violent.”
“If you’ve studied this, then they’re must be a cure...” I said almost too desperate to think clearly.
J.C. pointed towards the body of the previous ranger at our feet. The flesh was still twisted from some unnatural disease.
“You think there could ever be a cure for something like that?” He explained.
My knees gave out and I slid down the wall. With some quick math, I assumed that I only had until sunrise. Then I would become like my friends. My body changed in gruesome ways and my mind gone.
“The only way to deal with this is fire. It seems like whatever carries this mutation is extremely flammable.” J.C added with a shrug not over concerned over our fates, or he was hiding it very well.
“Why wasn’t the park closed?” I replied. I wanted to sound angry but I was just so tired.
“I wasn’t certain whether this forest had been overtaken or not. And no one wanted to spare the manpower to double-check. Our hands are full because of the other location. I hired a private security worker to come along to confirm what I suspected.”
“Then you got spooked in the woods, ran off, and got separated from them?” Arlin suggested.
Despite the horrible news, he hadn’t dropped his smile. He only appeared a little tired but not on the verge of a mental breakdown like myself.
J.C.’s face turned red showing that was what really went down. Hell, I didn’t blame him. At least he found his way to the cabin alone instead of relying on a stranger for help.
“I’m meeting Cassidy here. We’ll protect you and get you out of the woods. There is a very, very slim chance either of you aren’t infected.” J.C. suggested recovering from his embarrassment.
“And if we are?” I asked barely able to keep my head up.
He didn’t answer. I knew why. We would either be killed on the spot, or taken away to be experimented on.
“We never should have come here.” My voice sounded as bitter as I felt.
“Since we might be carrying this infection, can you at least tell us where it came from?” Arlin asked, his voice calm.
I knew he was trying to keep the conversation going to distract me from my misery. J.C. frowned uncomfortable with the request. He had been told to not disclose that information but he felt like we were owed it. He pointed upwards as a small hint. I didn’t understand what he was implying.
“It’s a biblical event?” My new friend asked innocently.
J.C face flushed red and he jabbed his finger upwards a few more times.
“I’m gesturing towards the night sky!” He huffed.
I forgot about everything for a second as the implication hit me like a ton of bricks. We were dealing with something that came from space? Like some sort of alien disease? Was that even possible? I didn’t have time to dwell on it.
I had been too stressed out to be thinking clearly. I had completely forgotten what I had asked Matt to do the last time I saw him. He was supposed to come to the ranger’s cabin. His body wasn’t here when we arrived. That meant he should be out there in the forest. I was unaware he had been finding his way where the entire time.
Arlin’s body tensed. I quickly stood up causing J.C. to look at us confused. I was closer to the door and made it outside first. Countless streaks of light flew across the night sky. The sight should be beautiful but it chilled me to the bone. Someone was waiting outside for us just at the edge of the clearing to the cabin.
Matt’s clothing was stained with fresh blood. He lifted a heavy object and tossed it closer to us. A severed head of a large buck landed hard. The dark eyes still opened and the mouth moved slightly.
I was scared to see what he become, but I also felt so tired.
“Why are you here? I thought you were heading to the car.” Matt said sounding almost normal.
His voice had a distant sound to it. This figure looked and sounded like my friend but the features were just off enough for me to know he was too far gone.
“I got sidetracked.” I admitted.
So far, he hadn’t acknowledged the two other people.
“I did what I was told. I came here. I took care of the deer that bothered Eddie. They all asked me not to. All of them are my friends and they want me to join them, but you guys were my friends first.” He explained, his eyes looking forward and yet past me at the same time.
“Where’s the girls?” I asked him with foolish hope for a good answer.
“Sofie is at Big Bear Tree. I can’t hear Jessy anymore. Or Ben.” Matt’s eyes trailed off to the woods as if he expected our friends to be close by.
J.C. said he came with someone. I considered they had come across Ben and Jessy and silenced them. If that was the case, then it meant that Eddie wasn’t dead even after getting hacked apart. The world started to spin as I thought of him not only transforming against his will but lying injured and alone somewhere. Death would be better.
“They want me to take you all with me. There are so many voices telling me what to do.” Matt said, his head turning back to face us.
An odd cold rage bubbled under the surface. His flesh rippled along his cheeks but he didn’t act just yet.
“I’m sick of it. I was jealous of you, you know that? You don’t have parents ordering you around. You don't have siblings. You’re alone. No voices are bothering you.”
I found myself taking a few steps back. I knew Matt worked hard to support his large family. But I was never aware of how that affected him.
“Hey, let’s trade places. Let me crawl into your skin and be you for a little while.”
Matt's expression changed into a deranged smile. Arlin knew Matt was serious about the idea. He darted towards him, axe in hand ready to fight.
Yet again, I was too scared to act. Or rather, I couldn’t bring myself to move. Deep down I felt like I should die in those woods. Arlin didn’t agree.
A batch of flesh tendrils burst out from Matt’s back. I grabbed J.C. and pulled him out of the way. The unnatural appendage crashed into the window that had been behind him, the shards of glass slicing into the flesh causing it to recoil in pain. Most of the tendrils went for Arlin seeing him as the biggest threat.
One wrapped around the handle of the axe. He held onto it with both hands and dug into the ground with his feet trying to stay in one spot. He was painfully dragged along refusing to give up his weapon. With a massive pull, he brought Matt closer then suddenly let go of the axe. He moved too fast for his opponent to react. With one swift movement, he pulled out a small object from his pocket and grabbed a hold of one side of Matt’s head to keep it steady as he stabbed a pen deep into the creature’s right ear.
He screamed in pain, the tendrils wildly flailing around. He wobbled on his feet trying to recover. Arlin didn’t give him the chance. The metal axe had been dropped out of arms reach but that didn’t matter to him. He grabbed Matt’s shirt and tossed him to the ground. Matt reached and ripped the pen from his ear but it was too late. Arlin took hold of his skull with both hands lifting his head above the buck’s antlers. There was a struggle as Matt used all his strength to keep his head raised. Arlin his weight to slowly force down Matt’s body. Both of them shook with effort and sweat dripped from Arlin's face.
Slowly he won the silent fight and lowered Matt’s neck onto the tip of an antler. Blood bubbled from his mouth as the rest of his body fell limp and his eyes rolled back.
When I grabbed J.C out of the way I hadn’t let him go. I felt him grab a hold of my arm, fear overtaking him and he wasn’t ashamed to hold a stranger for support.
Matt’s face started to transform. The fleshy flowers spouted covering his eyes and his chest moved as if countless insects were moving under the skin. H...
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