CHAPTER 16
Flesh. That's what horrified Gavin so much. Gavin and Tracy peeked out of the doorway in disbelief, the shadowy figure groaned and tilted it's head down towards the cavity in it's midsection; it was no longer inky black but... red. It was bloody in contrast with the cold air and falling snow. The skin around the cavernous cave of flesh was flickering between the former black and stark white in hexagonal scales while the rest of the body stayed jet-black.
Shocked, Gavin ran forward towards the collapsed being, leaving Tracy at the doorway, baffled. Gavin fell to his knees above the beast and began to tear at the blocky beast as it reformed to the to the sterile white color as it retreated in hexagonal patterns, leaving the whole body that pearly white color that reminded Gavin too much of the sterile environment of various hospitals he had worked in. Before becoming a doctor in dermatology, he never knew there was so much horror to be seen in a place where aid and recovery was supposed to be taking place.
A pit formed in his stomach as he uncovered a pale white face of a Caucasian man with a rugged beard that ceased to extend off his face, brown sunken eyes, thick and scraggly eyebrows, and a shiny, tan bald head. A bitter cognizance swept over Gavin, he had just killed a man. Worst thing was, he had only realized he was a human when it was too late. Gavin lamented his foolish assumption that the shadowy figure was surely some sort of soulless bat out of hell, or maybe an emotionless automaton or a demon spawn of some sort.
His overactive and frantic mind had never even once; stopped for a moment to consider the insanely simple prospect that it was a living, breathing, and feeling human being. But it was a man, just like him, and he wished he could've known before he blasted a bloody hole in him. To think before he saw the true face of the man, he would refer to him, as an "it" seemed arrogant and ludicrous now. He even bled from the corner of his mouth, a probable result of one of the blows sustained by the man form Tracy in their brutal trading of blows. The skinny trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth also represented something symbolic to Gavin's soft heart: The man's humanity and his ability to bleed. It just meant something oddly special to him.
The event seemed to cause Gavin's world spin, he felt nauseous a she doubled over and puked into a bush. Tracy ran out and patted his back as Gavin wretched into the bushes that clung to the cabin, spewing toxic bile.
"You're alright, Mr. Garza." said Tracy while she patted his back, trying to sound comforting when in reality; she was disgusted too, holding down vomit of her own. Her disgust didn't stem from the gored man behind her, but from the vomit that continually spewed from Gavin's disgusting mouth.
Gavin craned his head up a little while taking in a single gasp of air, "Please. You just watched me kill some dude in a-" he said in between more gasps and panting but was interrupted with another sudden torrent of vomit, before continuing. "a ridiculous color changing suit. Call me Gavin." he exerted another burst of bile. Sure, you would think being a studious medical practitioner and father of six children; Gavin would be more tolerant of the blood. "Can't stand blood, sorry.,” he said as he wiped his mouth with his wrist. When he addressed his weakness to the red bodily fluid, he said, "I'm no surgeon." with a blank face. Normally he would draw a chuckle and a grin, but not today. Today he couldn't muster a legitimate or even faked smile or laugh if his life had depended on it.
Gavin was distraught; his heart felt heavy with poisonous lead, it was filled with guilt and regret. And he knew that it would surely sink like a stone if it were dropped into a calm and still pond.
Gavin, still hunched over, held out an arm, signaling he needed to help to get up. Tracy took it and helped him up. "Gavin, you're alright. You didn't know nay better, c'mon let's go inside." said Tracy softly, trying to help a visibly distraught and traumatized Gavin feel better and just slightly less guilty.
Gavin simply nodded his head, even though he knew that it wasn't ok. And as she kept repeating that it was indeed ok by intrinsically trying to input good vibes into Gavin, only to fail; he wished that she would stop saying that everything was going to be ok, not even his mother could've convinced him so. Tracy helped Gavin towards the front of the cabin while he moaned for a pain in his stomach and an ache in his kind and graceful heart. He couldn't tell if those pains were physical and real or just the emotional sting that came with remorse.
Meanwhile, on the observation deck the figure battled Blane, landing several critical shots to Blane's young face, staggering him. The figure pushed Blane against a strong and intact portion of the nice looking laminate railing.
Blane reeled in pain while he propped himself up against the railing, propping himself up by his elbows while he boldly motioned for his adversary to dish out more. The inky figure slowly approached the nearly disabled police officer with a casual, nonchalantly sashayed over with long struts. It strode with every elegant and long step while moving with it's arms in synchronization with it's legs with swagger. Worst thing was, he couldn't do anything about it, it was taunting and daunting with every step it took towards him.
But the fight inside Blane was not gone yet, he wouldn't let it die; whether that was gallant or unwise, could've been strongly argued from both sides. With great haste and pain in every move, Blane massed the sum of his remaining strength and used the strong railing as a base for a donkey kick that made contact with the enemy's chest; sending it staggering back, stunned.
Gavin and Tracy walked in and saw the incredible feat of vigor. They marveled the awesome act, that is until... he drew a desert eagle pistol. The handgun's silver finish gleamed and glowed as he hopped up and aimed down its sights. His sights directed onto a fallen and muttering silhouette figure, obviously still being alive.
"No! Bla-" spurted Gavin in a hurry, but it was too late, he was cut off by the sharp sound of a gunshot. A gunshot that came from the smoking Desert eagle Blane held in his hands. "Dammit!" screamed Gavin in frustration, horror, and disappointment.
Blane looked over at Gavin and Tracy from the edge of the railing, "What?" but before he could receive a morally heavy complaint from either one of them, he turned around. In front of him he saw the figure slated against the wall. A small hole in it's skin oozed with vivid red blood against the flickering black and white hexagonal tiles and down it's face of pure and smooth white. Blane's young eyes grew as round as saucers as he threw his cupped hands around his whisker-less mouth, stifling a gasp.
Gavin and Tracy climbed up the stairs and stood next to Blane as they looked at the lifeless cadaver.
Gavin spoke up and put his hand on Blane's shoulder in a fatherly manner. "Yeah, I know," he said referring to the disgusted face of Blane; his eyes were still fixated on the corpse with his jaw dropped to the floor. "I killed a guy too, I just made a bigger whole in 'im." Finished Gavin, pursing his lips.
The trio was broken out of that shared sentimental moment by the tapping of light tiptoeing steps inside the hallway of the living quarters. They entered the hallway, with weapons brandished and flashlight beams searching the dark hallway, and saw another figure that was slimmer and taller than the other two at the end of the hallway.
The narrow silhouette must've saw the trio because it opened the nearest door of a bedroom and slammed it shut, a sound accompanied by the cry of an infant that was muffled behind the locked door.
Without thinking, Gavin blasted off the handle to the door and kicked it open. The shadowy figure was backlit by the silver moonlight. The figure held a bundle of blue blankets in it's hands as it met Gavin's hateful and disgusted gaze, the figure tauntingly cradled the bundle of blankets back and forth slowly like it was waiting for Gavin to make his move. Gavin knew that only one thing mattered as of that moment: The baby.
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