𝑋𝑒𝑛𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑑

Inktober2024

Parasite

The world had once been vibrant, teeming with life and laughter. Now, it lay draped in squalor, a barren landscape devoid of joy. Cities that had been pulsating with energy were transformed into ghost towns, and silence reigned where once there were bustling streets. Half the population had succumbed to the flesh-eating parasite called Xenoconid, a parasite that searches for a host to live in while feasting on their insides. Some Xenoconid will take control over their host, changing their behavior, the way they think, taking their speech away and turning them into monstrous creatures while slowly killing the person and taking over their brain. Other Xenoconid will lay eggs in their host and use the host's body as food for the young ones before they eat their way out and carry on their cycle.

The outbreak that had swept across continents, left veins hollowed and bodies decimated. The only way to be infected is through biting and contamination of the blood.

As the world came to a chaotic end, some survivors, a precious few, were left to scavenge in the remnants of civilization.

Among them was a ragtag group of seven, a diverse collection of characters brought together by misfortune. Marcus, a former paramedic with a heart for healing; Journee, a once-optimistic teacher burdened by loss; Ryan, a quick-witted mechanic who found humor even in despair; Lyra, an artist whose creativity persevered through sorrow; Tahir, a retired Army sergeant, strong and stoic; Ellie, a teenager sharp in mind and spirit but also a damn prissy princess ; and finally, the mysterious Calder, a man whose past was riddled with secrets and whose piercing gaze belied an intelligence that often made others wary.

They had formed a fragile alliance, each one offering something unique: Marcus led with medical knowledge, Journee offered laughter and hope, Ryan's resourcefulness kept them equipped, Lyra provided warmth through stories and keeping their forgotten past alive while trying to stay positive in difficult situations, Tahir's leadership kept them united, Ellie often got them in troublesome predicaments but her ingenuity got them out of it, and Calder… Calder was the riddle. He didn’t contribute much during day-to-day tasks, but his insight was keen, and they valued his presence.

They traveled from building to building, venturing through the tall skeletons of skyscrapers, suburban homes, and dilapidated warehouses. Their footsteps echoed amidst an eerie stillness as they searched for food and supplies. An unspoken bond had formed among them as they faced danger together. The infected, once human, now grotesque caricatures of what they had been prowled through the ruins, rising from mounds of decay and despair, voices lost to the insatiable hunger that had overtaken them.

One day, while exploring an empty school, they stumbled upon a half-buried cache of canned food in the cafeteria, a meager hoard of sustenance. Their excitement, however, was short-lived. As they feasted, celebrating their small victory, something began to gnaw at Marcus. The laughter echoed hollow in his ears. He kept casting furtive glances at Calder, taking note of his contemplative demeanor. He wasn’t the only one who was observing him, Tahir was also keeping a close eye on Calder as well.

Days ed as they continued their journey, yet Marcus's instincts flickered with suspicion. He noticed Calder's strange affinity for solitude, his seemingly effortless way of playing along with their conversations while cleverly dodging any inquiries about himself. Was it just paranoia? Or was there something deeper at play?

Tension mounted when the group found themselves cornered in an alley by a swarm of infected. It was Ellie’s quick thinking that led them to a side door, where they managed to escape with only bruises and a few shallow cuts. But the encounter had shaken them. They felt the crushing weight of mortality, the dread that they could be next.

It was that night, huddled together for warmth under a discarded tarp, that the truth began to unfurl. Marcus had noticed Calder disappearing into the shadows during their brief rest stops, seemingly unfazed by the threats lurking just outside their fragile sanctuary.

In a moment of boldness, Marcus confronted Calder.

“What are you hiding?” he demanded, taking a step closer. The others stirred, tension mounting like a thick fog hanging over them, the atmosphere charged with uncertainty.

“Keep it down Marcus or do you want us to be caught by the infected!” Tahir replied with a harsh tone. Now wasn’t the time for them to be loud and give away their hiding spot.

”I’ve been watching this guy and he keeps slinking off at night while we’re asleep. Don’t think I haven’t seen you sneak past me.” Marcus replied in a hushed tone. “Well?”

It felt like eternity as the silence lingered in the air. Taking a deep breath, Calder met their eyes, and for the first time, his facade cracked.

”I’m immune,” he whispered, each word laced with anguish. “I carry the parasite, but it doesn’t affect me.”

Stunned silence enveloped the group, disbelief mingling with fear. They sought clarity, but confusion reigned. Then, questions spilled forth.

”Why didn’t you tell us?” Journee asked, her voice trembling. “Do you think we would have left you behind?”

“Of course we should’ve left him behind! He’s infected! How do we know he hasn’t infected us or been giving away our position all this time? How can we trust him.” Marcus snapped. He was right! Calder wasn’t like them.

One by one each of the started to look at Calder differently.

Calder's gaze fell to the ground.

”I didn't know how. I thought, maybe it’s a blessing. But now… now I fear I’m a curse. What if Marcus is right? What if I infect you? What if I can’t control it?”

Calder began to get discouraged. He knew that he shouldn’t be with the group any longer. He was a burden and a ticking time bomb just waiting to go off at any second.

“Now just a damn minute, how long have you been infected?” Tahir asked as he stood up and crossed his arms. Before anyone makes a decision they need to get to the bottom of this.

”I’ve been affected ever since I ed the group. It happened so fast too.” Calder replied. “Like I said I don’t know how I’m immune to it but I just am.” As he continued to speak he slowly pulled the sleeve of his jacket on his right arm up, revealing an image that only came out from books and movies. But not this time. Calder’s entire arm was covered in a dark grayish colored veins that ran from the center of his palm and the top of his fingers all the way up his forearm. They were stretched out like tentacles, goin in every direction across his skin, and in various area the veins would get larger, forming together and creating circles that resembles barnacles. And each one of those circles were oozing out yellowish and greenish puss mixed with blood.

“I’m a disgusting monster like them.”

Each member emitted out a sudden and shocked gasp while backing away, some placing a hand over their mouth and trying their best not to vomit. But Tahir took a step close to examine the mark and Lyra stepped closer to him, her empathy igniting.

“You’re not a monster. We survive as a team. Look how far we came.”

But the shadows of doubt lingered. That night, Tahir insisted that Calder didn’t mean harm to them because if he did he would’ve attacked them by now but he also had his guard up and made Calder sleep in a different room from them with the door locked just for safety.

As each of them slept fitfully, questions became brewing in their minds. Could they trust him? Should they leave him behind for their own safety? Scared for their own safety they all slept with one eye open.

In the days that followed, they faced close calls with hordes of infected, surviving by the skin of their teeth. With every engagement, Calder was either their savior or their burden. Then, one harrowing afternoon, Ryan fell victim to an attack, his leg injured and bloodied. Not watching his left flank as the group were fleeing , an infected had snuck up on Ryan by crawling underneath a car and latching its teeth onto his leg and sinking into his flesh.

In the chaos, as they rushed to safety, Marcus fought to stabilize Ryan, but despair crept into their hearts. They had to amputate Ryan’s leg and stop the parasite from spreading throughout his body. But they needed to get to a hospital for the right equipment and they were rushing against time.

Lyra who lived in the city knew about a hospital nearby but that meant they would have to run there at full sprint while one of them carried Ryan and dodged the horde of infected. Each member began to get into an argument amongst themselves, saying that they could make it while others were saying they wouldn’t. All this fighting was making Ryan dread with fear and unwanted stress until he shouted “ENOUGH!”

“I get to decide my fate , not any of you.”

Ryan replied while pinching the bridge of his nose. Argufying wasn’t going to solve anything, plus he already made up his mind on what to do.

”Leave me behind and let me be a distraction for you all to get away.” As soon as those words left his mouth Ellie shouted a stern no.

“No way. There has to be another way.” Ellie didn’t want to cry in front of these people but she didn’t want to leave Ryan behind either.

“Ellie this ain’t an option, I already made up my mind the moment I was bitten. I’m sticking to it.” Ryan argued but that only made Ellie more upset. “We could make that run to the hospital! I’ll go and be a distraction while you guys get there!”

“Are you even listening to yourself? You’re gonna put yourself in danger while trying to save someone who’s already dying as we speak? Are you stupid?” At this point Ryan was past being reasonable.

“We can't leave you behi-…”

“Listen to me, Ellie. I know you’re scared , but what if we say we did go to the hospital and cut off my leg. I’ll just be a burden and a hassle to everyone. I won’t be able to run while on crutches , I’ll be slowing us all down. And the longer we stood her arguing the faster it’s eating me, I can feel my left leg going numb.” Ryan replied as he hobbled over to the far wall and slid down to sit.

“Trust me, this is the best choice and we all know it.”

As much as the others didn’t want to it , Ryan was right. There was no way around this crisis besides the answer that’s sitting right in front of them. The one who was taking it the hardest was Ellie. She came to like Ryan , not just for who he was but his intelligence with mechanics , his dark humor and how kind he was towards her.

That night as the group got her ready to leave , each of them had a little talk with Ryan before saying their goodbyes.

First was Marcus , then Journee , Lyra , Tahir and finally it was Ellie’s turn.

As everyone gave them privacy , Ellie fell to her knees and began to sob asking Ryan to take back his decision but he insisted he wasn’t changing his mind.

“Then I’ll stay and die with you!” Ellie replied stubbornly. Seeing how hard headed she could be made Ryan laugh.

“That would be the stupidest thing you ever did El. I need you to survive this , for us.” Ryan said with a sad smile forming on his face. “I just wished I could’ve spent more time with you.” Ryan took Ellie’s hand in his and held it tightly while interlocking their fingers together. “I don’t regret meeting you, I just wished I had met you sooner, when our world wasn’t like this.” The sadness in Ryan’s was evident and it only made Ellie cry more as she held onto his hand tightly with all her might, not wanting to let go at all.

“Please don’t forget me.” Ellie mumbled through tears and a quivering lip.

Chuckling and shaking his head, Ryan pulled Ellie close against him in a tight and warm embrace.

”I could never forget. You’ll be the last person I’ll before I die.” Ryan almost choked on the ending of his sentence as realizations began to settle in, he was going to die and no longer be Ryan, but a hollowed creature without a soul. “ me , El, and here..” beside him he pushed his backpack towards Ellie. Inside were Ryan’s tools and his notebook on things he wrote about the tools and what they were used for, he figured if he ever died and the group needed a mechanic, his notes would help them figure things out for the time being if they ever needed it.

As their long heartfelt goodbye it was Calder’s turn.

Standing in front of Ryan, Calder felt like fate was unfair. Ryan shouldn’t be the one suffering and sacrificing himself for the group. If Calder could take Ryan’s place he would do it in a heartbeat and Ellie wouldn’t be sad and the group wouldn’t have to alway watch their back around him.

“Listen Calder, I don’t care if you’re infected or immune and don’t think about our situations being unfair, it is but it is what it is. We were dealt these cards , you were with us for a while and I know you mean us no harm, but the others are scared and skeptic. Keep them safe, especially Ellie. Can you do that for me?” Ryan asked, looking up at Calder with a serious expression.

Nodding his, Calder agreed he would look after the others the best he can before he said his goodbye too and closed the door behind him before a loud BANG went off.

Ryan’s death left the group saddened but they still had to move on as they held a desperate plan to find shelter while hope turned to desperation. The group still felt unsure of Calder, Ellie was still mourning and Lyra couldn’t help keep them on a positive note. Slowly the group had gotten quiet, no one communicated to each other and everyone was in their own thoughts while they continued to travel on through another deserted town.

As morning turned into nights and the days began to blur by the group was running into more of the infected while striking out on finding more food.

Marcus still felt weary of Calder but Tahir made sure there weren't any more arguments. But still Marcus didn’t want to be part of a group that had an infected amongst them who could snap and jump on them at any time.

“I think it’s best if I depart from the group.” Marcus replied, stopping in his tracks while the group stopped to look back.

“Why? That’s a stupid idea.” Journee spoke up.

“Is this because of Calder? Just give it a rest Marcus, has Calder ever hurt you or anyone else? Stop being so paranoid.” Lyra sneered while crossing her arms.

“Believe whatever you want, just because he didn’t attack now what makes you think he won’t? When the timing is right he will.” Marcus argued.

“It’s always the same damn problem with you. But fine, leave if you want no one is forcing you.” Lyra gave up because she knew the argument wasn’t going to be resolved and they’ll just be going around in circles.

In a fraught moment of disagreements and chaos, Ellie finally called for silence.

”We can’t disabanoned the group. Not now, Ryan wouldn’t have wanted that.” She spoke that last part softly while her heart began to ache again.

Just as Marcus was about to reply, a piercing scream shattered the air. The infected had found them, drawn by the discord. As the group scrambled to fight or flee, what happened next would become the mystery that lingered in their minds forever.

In the frenzy, an infected lunged toward Ellie. She screamed, clutching Ryan’s backpack and turning to face the wretched creature head-on. But then, Calder’s form surged forward, sharp and fluid. He tackled the infected, but in the struggle, they both fell hard into the shadows. Lyra yelled for Calder, but in an instant, they vanished behind a crumbling wall of debris as the others pressed forward.

When the dust settled, silence returned. The group made it close enough to safety in time, panting and shaking. But as they turned to see what had happened, uncertainty clawed at their hearts. Calder was gone, swallowed by the shadows.

In the days that followed, Lyra begged the group to stay just for a few more days in case Calder came back but Tahir had to remind her that it's been almost 3 weeks since the attack, they were running low on food and had to move. So they had no choice but to move on, and that forever changed them. They watched each other closely, staying vigilant. Whispers of mistrust lingered, yet they continued to rely on one another. In their minds was a fractured hope and a mystery that hung heavy: Was Calder truly gone? Was he a monster or a guardian? And would he find the note that Lyra left telling him what directions they were heading in?

As they trudged through the remnants of their world, a faint echo of Calder’s words lingered in the air, “Trust the whispers of your shadows.”

None of them could bring themselves to say it aloud, but as they stood together against a bleak future, they wondered , was the parasite truly the enemy?