“Holy shit,” Donna muttered. “What is that?”
Trevor turned his attention back to the road and slowed the RV. “What is that?”
“It looks like a crowd.” Donna couldn’t hide the fear from her voice. “Oh my god…they’re heading this way.”
Trevor fumbled with the overhead compartment and gripped a set of binoculars. He held them to his eyes and felt his blood run cold. “Fuck me,” he whispered.
“What?!” Donna nearly screeched.
“It’s Ragers.” Trevor swallowed hard. “And I swear to god…Simon is leading them.”
“I really don’t want to pry.” Carol spoke softly as the sun began to set. “But I was part of the research team that created the cure.” She searched the woman’s eyes, hoping to make a connection. “It would really help a lot if I knew some particulars from somebody who was infected.”
The woman sat with her hands in her lap, her jagged fingernails a new and sudden point of interest. She gave Carol a slight shrug, the clean t-shirt slipping from her neck and off of her thin shoulders. “I’m not sure what I could tell you.”
Carol sat back, her notebook open and ready. “Can you tell me how you were infected?”
The woman sighed and closed her eyes. “My husband tried to…” Her voice trailed off. She suddenly sat upright and opened her eyes. “He scratched me in the chase.”
Carol quickly jotted down her notes. “And then?”
“And then?” The woman shivered uncomfortably on the short couch and adjusted the clean clothes that Carol had given her after her sponge bath. “And then I got a fever and the worst headaches I’ve ever had.” She glanced away and lowered her voice. “I don’t really remember much after that.”
Carol stared at her, unmoving. A moment later she closed the notebook and leaned forward. “Okay. What about recently? What’s the first thing you do remember?”
The woman pulled her legs up onto the couch and crossed them, trying to get more comfortable. “I woke up today and…and it was like I could remember…things, but not everything.”
“You still can’t remember your name?”
She shook her head slowly. “I feel like it was Kelly. Or Shelly. Or…maybe Telly?”
Carol gave her a reassuring smile. “Let’s just run with Kelly. If you remember later, we’ll switch.” She patted her hand then flipped her notebook back open. “What about before you woke up this morning? Any recent memories that maybe led to this morning?”
Kelly rubbed at her temples. “Can I get a few more aspirin? My head is really starting to hurt again.”
“Sure.” Carol stood and rifled through her makeshift medicine cabinet. “How about some acetaminophen instead?” She shook out a few tablets and handed them to her. As she took her seat again she noted that Kelly seemed very uncomfortable with details. Maybe if I ask more generalized questions.
“Thank you.”
“I’m sorry to bombard you with so many questions, but it could really help as we go from here.” She sat back and tried to read Kelly’s body language. “Do you remember having any ‘feelings’ while you were infected?”
She snorted as she screwed the lid back on the water bottle. “Anger.” She looked up at Carol and her expression was one of morose. “I was angry all of the time. At everything.”
“Okay.” Carol scribbled in her notebook. “And there was no real cause?”
Kelly shook her head. “Just absolute rage.” She looked up. “And intense headaches.”
Carol paused and studied her for a moment. “Like a migraine?”
Kelly shook her head again. “No, I’ve had migraines. I remember that much.” She inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, her mind trying to put into words the pain she suffered. “No, this was much worse. Blind rage and blinding headaches. Also, a hunger…like you wouldn’t believe.”
Carol nodded as she wrote. “That’s understandable. You look like you’ve lost a lot of weight.”
“No.” Kelly interrupted. “From the beginning.” Her face went slack and she had a thousand yard stare as she spoke. “Insatiable hunger. Constantly. Even if I’d just fed.”
Fed? Not…eaten? “Go on.”
“No matter how much you gorge yourself, you’re still starving. Nothing satisfies.” She swallowed hard, her eyes filling with tears. “Ever.”
Carol closed her notebook and leaned forward, her hand reaching for Kelly’s. “I’m sorry.”
The woman jerked her hand back and stared wide eyed at the researcher across from her. She suddenly realized what she had shared and stood up from the couch in a panic. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“Wait!” Carol stood and reached for her. “The sun is down now. It isn’t safe out there and—”
“Look at me!” Kelly screamed. “I’m one of them. Even if I’m really not.” She turned and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror. “Bald. Ghostly white.” She held her arms out, dark veins still visible under the paper thin skin. “A killer.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
Carol stepped closer and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened while you were infected.” She stared at Kelly’s eyes in the mirror. “You had no control.”
Kelly turned and gave her a stern stare. “I remember.”
Carol gave her a reassuring nod. “Good. And when you’re ready, we can explore some of what happened, but for now, just accept that you weren’t responsible for your actions.”
Kelly gave her a sad, slow smile. “You still don’t understand.” She turned around and faced her. “I enjoyed killing.”
Simon stopped and stared at the machine ahead, its lights nearly blinding him. He watched as it sat in the middle of the road, taunting him. After a brief moment, the vehicle backed up and turned around, driving off at high speed.
He stared at the retreating taillights and knew that he had seen it before. He just couldn’t remember where.
Clyde appeared by his side. “They come to us?”
Simon gave him a puzzled look. “Where have we seen that before?”
“Last night. When we watch.”
Simon groaned as he suddenly remembered the large white
