Broken Silence

Inhuman

"Cassie...Cass...sie..." Says a voice, quiet and muffled.

The world is black. Empty, dark, and cavernous.

"C'mon, Cass....Up...wake u...p..."

Someone shakes my shoulders.

A blinding pain hits me hard, forcing my eyes open.

I cough and cough and then I choke.

"Cassie! Oh, god! Cassie!" Says Mitch.

He's leaning over me, his eyes panicked and worried.

I open my mouth to speak, but instead of words, a rancid, thick liquid comes out. It trickles from the corners of my mouth and splatters on my chest.

I cough some more and my vision wavers.

"Cassie, hey, c'mon! Just try to sit up." Mitch says.

And I do. I try and try and try. I attempt to push myself up but I only fall over.

I'm racked with another fit of coughs and I can feel the disgusting fluid flow out of my throat.

"M-itch!" I croak.

He's still standing above me, his face filled with anxiousness.

"S'okay, Cass. You'll be fine. Just let me help."

He slowly pulls me to a sitting position and leans me against the wall.

We're in the school, I think. The brick walls and tiled floor and beige lockers still look the same. But something is different.

I'm about to ask what it is when a tsunami of the repulsive bile rises from my throat and explodes all around me. Through my watery eyes, I can see that it's red. A dark, almost-black red. Blood.

"What's...happen-ack!-happening?" I choke out.

"Um, it's...nothing. Just be patient." Mitch replies.

He kneels down in front of me and I can see sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

I open my mouth to speak but only blood comes out. It finds it's way to Mitch's shirt and leaves a dark, black stain. Black. It's not blood. Not my blood anyways. Not human blood. I'm hacking up zombie blood.

"Mitch!" I cry.

And he shushes me, momentarily looking behind him at the door. A loud thump cracks from the other side. Cracks and dents illustrate the already beaten up entrance. Through the rivets, I can see faces. Rotting faces, peering at me through he holes. Black liquid-blood-trickles down their faces.

"No! I'm...AGH...I'm...zombie! A...zombie!" I spit.

"No, no you aren't! Your fine, Cass!" Mitch says, his voice rising.

I'm about to reply again when my body breaks out into uncontrollable fits of seizures. My arms and legs are paralyzed, but they shake spastically. My head rolls back and smashes against the wall. I scream, or at least attempt to.

More thuds and thumps reverberate off the door. It shakes on its hinges.

"Cassie!" Mitch shouts, but my ears are slowly fading. I clench my fists and kick my feet.

"Mitch! -HAGH!- Help!" I beg.

But there isn't anything he can do.

A sharp pain splinters through my neck, causing me to curve my body inward. Dark, sticky black blood drizzles from just above my collarbone. Right where Snake Eyes dug his knife.