CHAPTER 27
Eddie and Jimmy emerged onto a hall that resembled a hall in a hospital as the doors behind them slowly hissed to a close. The same sterile, generic smell lingered in the air; it still overpowered the sweet scent given off by the red walls. The two had heard a scream coming from down the hall, the end of the hallway split into two other hallways.
On their right, there were multiple light, wood grained doors, like doors to doctor’s offices or patient rooms; next to each of the doors were clipboards with stacks of papers and forms clipped to them. On their let there was a short window that was positioned on the middle of the wall and ran the length of the wall and continued around the bend at the end of hallway.
Judging by looking through the window at the bend, the windows were one-way windows. Eddie and Jimmy walked down the hallway as quietly as they could, disturbed by what they saw through the windows.
On the other side of the window was a bullpen that consisted of at least a dozen small cubicles. There were six cubicles that lined the corridor Jimmy and Eddie were currently in, and each one held, within its plastic grey walls, were different exhibits of terror. They were like experiments, experiments conducted by the sicko who ran whatever that place was.
In the first cubicle, there stood two middle-aged men who were shackled to the ground by braces around their ankles. The two men each had a plain white shirt on and grey sweatpants. They were noticeably skinny, they looked malnourished and sick; their beards long, thick, and ungroomed. Specs of food and stains of vomit infested their beards and white shirts. Their grizzled beards looked like they were as sharp and stern as a pad of steel wool.
Eddie and Jimmy watched through the glass, appalled, as two robotic arms folded out from the ceiling holding oversized needles that must’ve been as round as a quarter. They eyes of the men grew from sad and tired crescents to bright full moons as they visibly winced at the sight of the arms. The arms were white and looked very similar to the robotic arms that assembled cars in factories. The robotic appendages slowly descended for the frightened men like the hands of god reaching down to eradicate a pair of sinners. Their arms flailed in panic but they couldn’t prevent the inevitable, Eddie and Jimmy forced themselves to watch.
The whirring sound of the arms made ceased as they stopped on either side of the men. The men braced, closing their eyes and the veins in their necks disappeared. The arms finally plunged the needles into their necks, slowly and grievously. The men’s eyes grew larger than Eddie and Jimmy thought possible. They clenched their teeth and sounded cries of agony through their clenched teeth.
The needle withdrew and the robotic arms folded back up into the ceiling. The men immediately started hyperventilating as they began their transmogrification. Their pale skin turned lime green, their eyes filled with crimson, the newly pigmented skin absorbed their clothes as it swelled from malnourishment to toned, and lean. They grew sharp teeth and claw, spots of darker green blotted their new skin, and they began to roar, groan, and growl maniacally.
Jimmy and Eddie were appalled by what they had witnessed. The realization that the cause of zombification was manmade made the situation even scarier than it was before. They came to a realization; they had a villain now, only question was, who and where was the villain?
After a couple moments filled with growling and thrashing, the robotic arms descended once more, sticking the needles back into their necks. The effects were instantaneous, the infected men quickly turned back to their normal selves. They looked hurt and tired, as they breathed heavily, their eyes turned to crescents once more. The arms rose just above the heads of the two test subjects and projected a holographic banner between each other. The banner read “Trial #32 complete. Product ready fro distribution. Please verbally verify in order to commence production.”
A new glimmer of hope shined inside Eddie and jimmy, there was a cure. Jimmy cleared his throat and adopted his British accent. With fear that his voice wouldn’t register this time around, he said “Commence production.”
Silence haunted the room, until the doors from whence they came locked with a click. Eddie panicked, he dashed back to the doors and bashed them with his feet and gun repeatedly. Eddie was desperate to break down the doors, he didn’t want this anymore.
Jimmy wrestled his gun to his hip as he heard running footfalls echoing from down the halls in front of him. The lights dimmed before turning red and the dispensing of a barely visible green gas came from the ceiling. They both held their breaths immediately. Jimmy fired as armed men in gas masks revealed themselves and opened fire with automatic weapons from the end of the hallway.
Jimmy rolled over to the nearest door and pulled it open, the door was thick enough that it should’ve taken a couple rounds before reaching Jimmy. Jimmy was able to take out a couple guys before he couldn’t hold his breath anymore, gasping wretchedly.
Jimmy’s vision began to blur, he looked back to see that Eddie was passed out at the door, as the gunfire ceased, two of the soldiers dragged Eddie away. Then, Jimmy was knocked out cold.
ns 15.158.61.50da2
