Name:Malady
Gender:Female
Tribe:Mummy
Stage:Cub
Mate:None
Parents:None
Siblings:None
Caretaker:Selina

Outside the Window
Wind whipped and pulled at the branches of the sycamore trees, as the bright moon shone down with iridescent light onto the meadow they bordered. A blood curdling cry broke the silence as a bobcat began feasting on its meal. It was only partway through with its meal when the bobcat began twitching and jerking madly on the ground. Its head snapped from side to side as it cried out to the world in agony. It stopped momentarily, chest heaving as it breathed hard, and its wild bloodshot eyes gazing off at the horizon with a blank look. Then with one last cry it sprinted into the forest giving an involuntary jerk with every step.

~~~~~*~~~~~

Drought in Libya causes tension. Teens killed in drunk driving accident. Selina flipped through the channels before halting on another news cast as something caught her eye. The screen showed a swarm of people gathered in the darkness holding candles. The reporter came on the screen then telling Selina and the rest of the worls of a series of mysterious deaths only to be explained at this time by a new epidemic already reported by many cities around the US. Selina sat there on her beaten couch, a bowl of popcorn resting precariously in her lap, watching as the camera turned to the bodies now being zipped into the deep blue body bags by men in fluorescent orange suits with biohazard sign stamped in black on the front of them. Selina could see their tangled hair crusted with blood, pale skin stretched across their malnourished bodies, and bloodshor eyes, tinged with a sickening yellow, staring off at nothing.

Selina then noticed something on the screen not but a minute later. Something to the right of the crowd the camera angle just made noticeable. Screams began erupting from the group of people as they all began moving as a wave in all directions. The reason for this became apparent as two, maybe three, people came into full view of the camera. They had the same tangled hair, same pale skin, and same bloodshot eyes as the bodies. The only difference was that they were moving jerking frequently and seeming to growl as they began attacking the others. The camera man apparently decided to abandon his filming as the camera angle dropped now facing up at a sharp angle, and what was now on the screen made Selina`s stomach turn. She knew that tall office building that now shown on the television screen. Another piercing scream averted her attention, not to the left of the screen where a few people could still be seen, but to her living room window. The scream had come from outside. Heart pounding fast Selina sprinted to the window and looked out. On the far end of her street she could make out the silhouettes of several people jerking and screeching to the night.

Selina acted quickly as she ran to the living room and grabbed a glass case, enclosing a machete blade, and smashed it on the ground. She grabbed the knife and ran out the back door listening as the screeches cam closer. Running as fast as she could she let her feet carry her away from her home and deep into the city in which she lived. As she was running as fast as she could it surprised her at how long it took her to reach the only sanctuary she knew of: the old, abandoned apartment building in the middle of the city. Once she had reached it she wrenched open the rusted door and sprinted up the stairs.

Selina climbed the stairs listening for any screeches. She thought she could hear a few but they were faint and distant so she didn`t worry. She reached an apartment with a sturdy looking metal door. She turned the knob, delighted to find it unlocked, and entered the front hall bolting the door behind her. She proceeded to lock all the window and close the blinds. She scoped the rest of the apartment concluding that it was safe, at least for now. She sat down upon the bed finally able to think of what had just happened. It was so sudden, and so unexpected all she could do was cry silently. She didn`t know how she could survive. Tired at all of these thoughts Selina let herself fall backwards onto the pillow immediately aware of something hard beneath it. She sat back up and moved the pillow to reveal a small white cocoon. Not stopping to think of why it was there she scooped it up and held it close. She could feel its own fear as though it too knew what was going on outside the building. Selina hugged the cocoon.

�Its alright,� she told the cocoon as she cradled it, �We`ll get through this together.�

Fight of the Infected
Selina couldn�t get to sleep that night. She just laid there her eyes wide open and staring at the bedroom wall, her arms wrapped so tightly around the cocoon she was afraid to smother it. Finally, she saw a few rays of light stream through the tightly closed blinds. She sighed heavily knowing she should have gotten some sleep, but she didn�t dwell on it. She knew she had to leave the apartment today and look for other survivors, or at least some food (the apartment was completely empty of food), so she pushed herself out of the bed and walked quietly through the apartment the cocoon tucked under her arm and the machete knife clenched tightly in her hand.. She pulled open the door and stood for a second listening before walking slowly down the stairs and out the door at the front of the building.

In the daylight Selina could see the damage down in not even twenty-four hours. Buildings around her lay in a pile of rubble or were burning though no one was around to scream for help. She saw several bodies, infected and non-infected, laying about the streets. She stood stationary for a moment letting a few tears drift down her cheeks before taking a deep breath and walking forward into the chaos. She searched around looking for anyone who had survived other then her, but found no one. She also noticed how few infected people were around. With any luck they just came out at night.

After a few hours Selina took a break sitting down upon a large piece of rubble that she assumed was once City Hall. She set the cocoon down and looked around. The sky was completely covered in dense, grey clouds, and the air smelled of burning flesh. Her mind drifted to memories of her home and her family. Today was her little sister�s birthday, but she supposed she wouldn�t be able to make it. She closed her eyes trying to remember her family�s faces, but all she got were blurs. She tried some more, but just as she managed to get the blur sharpened slightly a noise that struck her heart with fear jerked her from her thoughts. She looked to the end of the street and saw three lone people involuntarily jerking and screeching with signs of the infected. Selina didn�t need to think twice before she grabbed the cocoon, clenched the machete knife tighter, and ran in the opposite direction.

As she ran Selina could hear them getting closer. The snarls became louder and the irregular footfall coming nearer. She could never outrun them. She had to face them. She turned around tossing the cocoon gently to the side, a set look of determination. She raised the knife in her hand as they came nearer and she thrust it into the chest of one and it immediately slumped to the ground. She got the next on in the back of the neck, turning her head away as a spurt of blood hit her. She needed to make sure none of the blood got into her own system. Wrenching the blade out she raised it again and made to bring it down on the last one�s head but it anticipated and leapt onto her. She held it back with her hands as she lay on her back on the ground screaming, trying with all her strength to hold the infected person away from her. As her strength dwindled she heard a growl near her head and saw a flying ball of fur leaping at the screeching infected person knocking it backwards and off of Selina. She turned to her side and looking in front of her.

The cub and Selina`s attacker were furiously slashing at each other thought the cub seemed to have the upper hand. Selina looked over to where she tossed the cocoon and her fear was confirmed as she saw the cocoon lying in tatters. That cub fighting was her cocoon. She watched fearfully as the cub was slowly covered in blood and cuts. Selina searched for her knife and found it. She picked it up and thrust it deep into the back of the jerking being. It gave another loud screech and shoved the cub back into a pile of rubble with a last jerk of its arm. When it was finally dead Selina slowly crept over to where the cub had disappeared as the cub came limping out. It was covered in bloody spots though some of them, Selina saw, were naturally inlayed in her fur. The cub was dominantly flesh colored with sandy colored, gauzy tips with the same pattern dotting her fur along with the dark blood red spots. Then Selina saw its eyes and she almost cried. Its eyes were red as though bloodshot as though it were infected. She reached to her side to grab her machete knife but the cub saw the movement and leaped into the air towards her. Selina yelped with shock and fear as the cub landed on her and she closed her eyes waiting for the bite. But instead of biting her, the cub began licking her furiously and nuzzling her. She looked at it amazed before hugging it tightly. Everything was alright as Selina and her new friend left the three bodies lying in the street and went to find their next shelter.

Adam and Bio
Selina named the cub Malady, one of the many synonyms for the word �disease�. After the battle with the infected Malady had been slightly aloof with Selina. Selina supposed it was shock from the fight, but in the back of her mind she knew it was more. She decided not to dwell on it as the two walked the destroyed road climbing over large pieces of cement as they went. Finally, they stopped to rest on a tall slab of concrete where they would be able to see if anything were to approach them.

Malady went off to the edge and lay down. Selina watched for a minute as the wind tugged the cub�s flesh colored fur. Selina smiled and lay down herself listening to her stomach grumble. They had to some food soon. But as Selina lay there dreaming of pizza and Pepsi, she heard Malady�s unmistakable growl behind her. She crawled over next to the cub and looked in the direction her growls were directed. Selina clenched her blade tightly as she saw two people sprinting towards them in the jerking screeching fashion of those infected with the unknown disease.

Both Selina and Malady stood up at the same time preparing for another battle, but just as the infected got close enough for them to smell the infection coming from their bodies, a stick of dynamite flew through the air from somewhere behind them and landed shortly in front of the two infected fuse burning quickly.

�Get down!� yelled a voice as a hand grabbed Selina and forced her to the ground behind another slab of concrete. A yelp and a snarl told her that Malady had suffered a similar fate. There was a loud boom and a dying screech as the dynamite detonated. Selina could hear the blood and different body part fall to the ground with sickening splats. Something that looked horribly like intestines fell beside her and she leaned to her other side being silently sick for several minutes before passing out where she sat.

Selina woke up to her head throbbing, and her lip stinging. A loud groan rose from her chest as she tried to sit up, but a gentle hand pushed her firmly back down. She looked up into a pair of kind eyes staring back with a warm smile gracing his tanned face. A worried look appeared upon his face and he reached a hand up to her forehead. When the hand touched it Selina felt a sharp pain, and he retracted the hand a smear of blood on his fingers. He gave a small nod and reached to his side bringing up a roll of gauze bandages. He started wrapping them around her head.

�My name is Adam,� he finally said as he finished tying the bandage and sat back smiling at her, �Did you train that thing to bite strangers?� He nodded over to Malady who, Selina was relieved to see, was unscathed and laying in the corner. Selina smiled at the question and shook her head.

�Nope,� she said, �Didn�t train her. She does it naturally I suppose. So what happened, and where are we?� She had been wanting to know the answer since she had woken up, but she hadn�t had a chance to ask. Adam looked as though he was happy she had asked.

�Well you�re in a warehouse I found some days ago,� he said looking around them, �What happened is this. I was taking a walk with Bio and-�

�Bio?� Selina asked interrupting him.

�You�ll meet him soon. He�s keeping an eye outside till nightfall,� he said not caring about the interruption, �Anyway so I�m walking with Bio, and we hear the cries of the infected so we quickly ran to where the sounds were coming from, me lighting a stick of dynamite I had found in this warehouse.� He looked extremely proud of this as though he thought it was impress Selina. On the contrary it annoyed her very much.

�Well we were doing just fine till you showed up with your dynamite,� she said rather viciously though she knew he probably had ultimately saved them by bringing them here. But it was true. She and Malady would have easily taken on those two without blowing them up. Adam looking at her curiously as though he were going to retaliate. He decided against it.

�Well we did,� he finally said trying to sound calm, though Selina could hear the indignance mingled in his tone, �And after you passed out you were luck we were there.� Selina opened her mouth to comment but something interrupted her.

�Don�t try arguing with him,� said a voice from near the doorway, �His head is as thick as a slab of concrete.� A teen egyptis strode over to them with Malady right behind him. It was then Selina realized Malady had grown and was just as big as the other sitting there. Malady must have seen Selina`s surprised face for she spoke up before she could say anything.

�I changed to protect you,� the cub said in a low voice that clearly stated that she hadn�t wanted to change for that reason. Selina sighed inwardly at this. To take her mind off of Malady�s attitude toward her, Selina took a good look at the other teen.

�So this is Bio?� she asked Adam curiously. Adam, however, was still glaring at the egyptis from the comment he had made when he entered.

�Yeah this is Bio,� he said giving the teen a rough scratch, �He�s the one who grabbed Malady and he�s been watching her while I watched you.� Bio gave a low growl and nipped at the hand scratching him, and Selina saw Malady blush slightly though it was hidden in her blood colored fur. Selina and Adam both laughed at the same time then looked quickly away from each other blushing. It was Malady and Bio�s turn to laugh now. Then Adam and Selina slowly looked back at each other and they all laughed.

Only when Selina and Malady yawned at the same time and gave each other and odd look, did Adam say it was time for bed. He would take the first watch since Selina was still injured. She was too tired to protest this time. She slowly lay back down on the ground watching Malady and Bio trot over to a corner and lay down oddly close to each other, and felt Adam spread a blanket across her body as she suddenly realized how cold she was. Finally, Selina would get some sleep.



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