If I harvest the prey’s head, I’ll be attacked. Like earlier, the prey came out of the cabin. But it doesn’t matter. I thought I needed a head to escape. But it isn’t as dangerous as I thought. In the middle of the herd, I’m safe. There’s a nice buffer between me and the prey. And the prey aren’t attacking, focusing on running instead. Behind the second set of cabins, there were more tents. There weren’t any prey inside, the flaps hanging open. The sound of crunching echoed through the air, alongside the crackling of the fire. The prey must’ve escaped, climbed over the fence, ran away. But not all of them. There’s still a dozen in the territory, climbing the fence, away from the others.
“Move! Hurry up and move!”
The prey at the top of the fence were blocking the ones still climbing. The others surged forwards, stabbing the spikes on their arms into the prey that were below. Biting them from behind. One of the bottom prey grabbed the top prey, pulling it off. It screamed, falling onto an other. The bottom prey climbed the fence while the others ate the one that fell. Selfish. To survive, prey will do anything, sacrificing each other, denying each other shelter. That’s what makes them dangerous. Doing anything to survive, they’ll fight back. Maybe. The very first prey I ate didn’t. But it was different, coming back to life thanks to God. It didn’t struggle.
These prey must not know God. None of them are coming back to life. I already know. Since I’m going to eat their brains. There are six dead prey. Eighteen others are busy eating them. The others are clawing at the fence, pressing it down, seeking the prey that fled. But that’s wrong. They shouldn’t be chasing those prey. They should be hunting these. I banged my metal rod and stick together, drawing their attention. They turned to me. This way. Towards the cabins. There are prey inside. But how to get them out? Pressing the door? Will it work? I don’t think so. The prey couldn’t force their way inside. Others won’t either.
“What the hell? Is it leading them to us?”
“Move over. I can’t see.”
The voices of the prey were enough. The others fixated on the cabin, clawing at the slits in the side. A spike dashed out, stabbing an other in the dead, killing it instantly. That’s dangerous. I banged my metal pieces again, calling the others away.
“Hey, get over here! Let us stab you!”
Louder voices echoed out of the cabin. Followed by laughter. For some reason, my heart is itchy. Is this hunger? No. Hunger is painful, throbbing. This is irritating, coarse. The laughter is grating. Annoying. Very annoying. Angering. Anger? Is that what this sensation is? But it’s gone. Left as fast as it came. Another other died to a spike stabbed through the slit. I banged on the metal, harder, louder. The others flocked to me.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
How do I enter the cabin? The prey used the door. But like at the store, there’s a mechanism keeping it closed. Getting close to the cabin allows the prey to stab the others through the slits. Troublesome. Pressing the door down won’t work. Approaching the walls won’t work. Waiting. Is waiting the only option? Prey have to eat. They have to come out eventually. What if they have more food? I have six brains. But the number doesn’t matter. They can’t be preserved. At most, I have enough marrow for one day. If the prey don’t come out then, the hunger will consume me.
“What’s wrong? Scared? Come and get us!”
An other near the back peeled away from the herd. It approached the cabin. A spike stabbed into its head, killing it. What if I stab back? Prey aren’t the only ones with spikes. I have them too. But their spikes are longer, reach further. My spikes aren’t long enough. Another other died. That’s four already. The prey’s voices attract the others better than my banging. If it weren’t for the cabin. That stupid block of wood. Shielding the prey. Annoying. My heart is itchy again. Burning.
Burning? Fire burns wood. Can I burn the cabin? The wood inside the fire will melt my skin. Maybe my hand will fall off like my fingernails if I hold it. Then the pieces of wood next to the fallen prey. These won’t burn me. Yet. If I place half of it into the fire, will it burn? No? Is something wrong with this wood? No. It’s burning. It’s slow. But it caught; it’s holding the fire. Now, can I set the cabin on fire with this? The others were gathered at the front of the cabin. I went to the side.
“Hey! Hey! This infected is trying to set the cabin on fire!”
“What!? Where? Stab it!”
“I can’t! It’s crouching! Why aren’t there any windows near the ground!?”
It’s not working. Maybe it isn’t enough? The piece of wood is small. But a large fire took a while to burn it. This wooden wall is larger. But the fire on my wood is small. Then I need more wood. More fire.
“It’s leaving! But it left a burning piece of wood there!”
“It’s fine. One piece isn’t enough to do anything.”
“It’s getting hard to kill these things. Their corpses don’t move, and I can’t push them away.”
“That’s easy enough to solve. Hey! Make some noise, people! If all of us work together, we’ll kill these things in no time!”
Another piece of wood caught. It’s more efficient to burn multiple pieces at a time. I’ll put them next to the first piece. Is that enough to set the cabin on fire? Not yet.
“Hey! Make some noise! Why the hell aren’t you guys saying anything!?”
“Do you think they’ll just leave once they’re done with us?”
It caught. The bottom of the wall, a small patch of fire is growing.
“Is something burning?”
“F-fire!”
“Put it out!”
“The water bottle’s not enough!”
“Piss on it or something!”
Thumping sounds came from the cabin. But the fire continued to spread. Like red tendrils, spreading, stretching, devouring the whole wall. Like hunger. Hunger is similar to fire, eating everything, spreading everywhere. Coughing, choking sounds came from the cabin.
“What are you doing!?”
The door creaked open. A small, tiny bit. But it was enough. Two others pressed on it, one tumbling through. They got inside. But there’s a problem. What if the fire burns the others?