Viral Hunt

CHAPTER2

ELENA’S POV

“Wha-,” my eyelids opened groggily, as I tried to shift in my bed, only to find my movements restricted.

My gaze flew open, darting around frantically as I found myself, hands and legs bound to the bed with Eric nowhere to be found and the nauseating smell even more prominent.

“Eric?” I screamed, my voice frantic as I pulled at the bed-stand, trying to wring free of my bindings. “Eric help,” I yelled, scared of the possibility that we might have been invaded.

My chest tightened as I wondered if they took him out. My head felt woozy as I thought about what they would do to me next.

“Eric say something,” my voice came out broken as tears streamed down my face. I was relentless as I kept calling his name.

As though my prayers had been answered, I heard the old floorboards creak as a familiar shadow reared it’s head.

“Eric!” My eyes brightened as I silently thanked the stars. “Eric quickly, before they come. Untie me,” I let out hastily with tears spilling out from the corners of my eyes.

Hope burned bright within me as I hugely felt his presence draw closer. My nose scrunched as I tried to ignore the fact that the nauseating smell only intensified with his growing presence.

“Eric?” I called out once again, as he made no move to help me. His figure loomed like a silent disaster as he stayed, rooted to the spot.

“Elena,” a raspy voice floated into my ear as I blanked. I blinked continuously, wondering if I had heard wrong.

My head tilted towards where he sat, disbelief evident in my eyes. I shook my head frantically. It couldn’t be. He lost his voice ever since the incident.

There was no way he could speak now. “Elena,” the disbelief morphed into shock as I watched his blackened lips move, albeit slightly.

“Eric? You can talk?” I choked, tears spilling down my face as my thoughts spun, trying to figure out what was going on.

“I-I talk,” he croaked out, his tone still raspy but more audible than before. “Okay. What’s all this then?” I asked, swallowing a lump as I stared straight at him.

“Cure me for you,” he let out, as he began to flip through the pages of the book in his hand. My pupils constricted as I wondered how I had missed it.

It was then, that I also noticed black, circular drawings on the bed I was chained on. “Eric? What are you doing?” I cried out as his muttering turned incorrigible. The black circles underneath me glowing an ominous red as my body began to boil.

“Eric stop! Please!” I cried out frantically as I shifted, trying to pull at the bindings, but it was to no avail. I was stuck without anyway to get away.

“Eric please! Eric don’t do this!” I cried and cried, but his words only increased in intensity as the bunker we were in shook.

It was like an earthquake was happening to us at its center. A gale appeared out of nowhere. My nightdress flapping as it brought a cold draft.

The alternating heat of the circle and the cold bought by the wind sent my body into disarray.

My mouth was forced open as a silent scream escaped my lips, my eyeballs threatening to roll towards the back of my head as my veins popped, threatening to burst.

It was a pain I didn’t know existed, and I was experiencing it right then and there. Tendrils of darkness caressed my skin as the darkness consumed whatever light source was present.

Just before the darkness consumed me in it’s entirety, I struggled, forcing my head to move as I looked at Eric for the last time.

His distorted features were clouded with excitement as his once bright green eyes were turned into black whirlpools. With streaks of red flashing.

His head tilted slightly as he met my gaze. His excitement intensified. My lips parted as I mouthed with as much hatred as I could muster. “f**k you!”

And then, darkness. I found myself floating in a dark space with nothing else present.

I couldn’t even see myself. I just knew I felt weightless. Weightless enough to know I was somehow floating.

“So this is th afterlife huh,” I muttered, as I stuck a hand through my abdomen. My ghostly figure phasing.

I stared into the darkness, silent for a while before a bloodcurdling scream escaped my lips.

I thrashed, pulling at my hair, my dress, wanting something to latch on to so I could destroy it in my distress.

If I could, bloody tears would be rolling down my face at that moment. I thought about everything. The virus, my family members dying to it, Eric getting infected.

Spending every waking moment of my free time taking care of him, or others.

I thought of life before it. Completing my residency, being on my way to becoming the youngest neurosurgeon the world has ever seen.

I thought about being relegated to being a ghost simply because I decided to stay true to my abusive boyfriend.

My thrashing continued for a while, until a low chuckle resounded across the space, making its way into my ears.

And with that, a blinding light erupted, as I let out a low thump, feeling my figure hit solid ground.

I laid on the floor, my thoughts in disarray as I wasn’t sure what just happened, or what to believe.

My eyelids fluttered, as they opened groggily. I let out a silent hiss as the bright lights of the room sent me into a recoil.

So much so that I shifted backwards, only to bump into something…or someone. “Hey! Watch it!” a cold snarl rang out, confirming what I had bumped into.

I scrambled up to my feet, my eyes finally adjusting to the light as I drew in a sharp breath.

My mind spun as numerous questions and thoughts popped up, before settling on a single one as I breathed, “Where the heck am I?”