Chapter 9: Self Destruction (2).

1.

"Screw this I'm going out there, that explosion means Z probably succeeded, I don't want him to suffer more than he has already."

She readies a bow in her hand, its the one she bought from the hardware store, and a few arrows.

She also grabs the knife she took from Z, looking at the blood for a second, before putting it into her pocket.

Emily begins to open the front door, all the hosts followed Z when he escaped so there were none outside at this time.

Diana is still sitting in the rocking chair, rocking back and forth.

"Fine! Go! See if I care!"

Emily doesn't even reply, she just leaves, leaving Diana all alone.

She felt cold.

"Stupid, stupid stupid Emily, I was your best friend Emily, but this is how you treat me?"

She stomps on the floor in anger, her hair has gone from red to black.

She grabs the matches, so she can watch the fire, she was a bit of a pyromaniac.

She lights it and it burns her a bit.

"Owwwww" she drops the match.

"That really hurt."

Diana wasn't used to pain, she could usually avoid it, but accidentally burning herself made her think.

"Is this how teach feels right now? But, a lot more?"

She rubs the burn, it hurts.

She didn't like to think about the emotions of other people, she had no way of connecting to other people either.

She was an actual sociopath.

"Emily hurt me, was she that mad about her mom? I didn't mean to hurt her mom, she was yelling at me…"

She was dealing with strange emotions, she considered Emily a sort of friend, since she was the servant who has been around her for the longest time without dying.

She didn't hate to spend time with Emily, she usually went along with everything she said and did.

But.

What Emily said hurt her emotionally.

"Is this pain I’m feeling? Does Emily feel it all the time about her mom?"

"If my mom died, would I feel sad?"

She is just muttering to herself.

Diana needs to figure out how to stop feeling this pain, she assumes this is some sort of curse Emily can release. She just needs to get Emily to forgive her.

2.

Nothingness,

No taste no smell no vision no thoughts.

Blown to bits, not even my brain survived the explosion, I was hoping this would've killed me, but nope.

I feel my body slowly growing on top of another building, this is where a piece of my brain fell.

I regain my ability to think, and my memories, somehow the healing restores those too.

Funny.

It took some time, but I felt my skeleton grow back around my brain, then the muscle, then my skin, it was surprisingly calming.

I was dead for a few seconds I think, all I remember is the abyss, my consciousness floating in space.

Then I was pulled back into this body.

I begin to move, it feels weird, like my overall bone structure and muscles have changed somehow.

Standing up I can see the burning town.

The town hall of this small town is full of wooden buildings, so I basically set the entire place on fire after the explosion.

I'm no longer burning though, which felt great.

I also didn't have any clothes, they were all burnt in the fire, and unluckily, my hair was used as fuel.

I'm bald now, for some reason this annoyed me more than it should've.

I could never pull this look off.

"Haah"

I laugh about where my priorities are.

The building I was on was burning rapidly, probably was about to collapse, I quickly and effortlessly climbed down into an ally, now I just need to run back to the Bakers estate and get Diana and Emily out.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Easy.

This plan was going surprisingly well, I turned a corner and saw charred remains of some of the hosts, I hopefully got all of them.

I turned my head left, which should've been the exit to the field, it was full of hosts who stayed a distance away, blocking the only path from this street, rabbits, cows, humans, dogs, sheep, pigs.

They all saw me when I turned the corner.

Alright time to run.

I turned the other way and grabbed a burning piece of plank wood.

It burnt my hand as I held it, but it was a good enough weapon.

The hosts swarm around me, but every time they get close, I waft the burning wood at them, they aren't even shooting the worms at me.

Surprisingly docile, they must think I'm a demon or something, taking out 200 of their brothers with ease.

I'm guessing they are also confused about how I survived them infecting me twice and the explosion.

Alright I just need to lead them a little bit into an alleyway where that building was close to collapsing.

There were about 60 hosts around me, I was hoping to rack up more, but they all probably dispersed after the explosion.

I walk slowly backwards into the burning building, and kick the now weak support beams, they break easily, the building collapses setting everyone in a 10-meter radius on fire.

Covering everyone in burning embers.

Urgh here comes the pain again.

I just wait until the wood crushing me becomes weak enough for me to go through.

It felt like an eternity.

Let it end, let me die.

These are the only thoughts that run through my head when I'm in pain.

My god is that all I can think about? Is pain really enough to make me give up?

It feels like I'm swimming in a vat of lava.

Urgh I'm so cowardly. Why can't I just be useful?

I eventually reach the top and slide down the ashes of the building.

By now, a lot of the other buildings have collapsed, it looks like this place was hit by a nuke.

I hear a scream in the field.

"Z, WHERE ARE YOU!"

Urgh don'tshout,it'll only attract more of the hosts.

I crawled up the ashes to find out who it was.

I see Emily, running away from a couple hosts on a field, two men were chasing after her with manic movements.

Urghh I gotta help.

I swiftly run down, I don't even know if I could take down these men without fire.

On my way I pick up a piece of heated metal from the rubble, I'm not sure where it's from but it's glowing red and instantly burnt into the bone of my hand.

I'm gonna need some serious therapy after all this pain, there is no doubt I could have some actual mental health issues after suffering this much.

I run out to the field and see her, she had hit one of the men with an arrow but couldn't get another shot in.

She was surprisingly good with a bow.

She sees me and turns her head, running faster.

Crap I can't catch up, the men and her are faster than me.

I just decided to do a Hail Mary, a stupid decision, I throw the metal rod that was super-heated by the fire in-between the distance of Emily and the two men, setting the field grass ablaze instantly.

The men stop and try to find a way around, and that gives me time to finally catch up and push them into the flames, easily killing them.

Emily just watches me.

"What are you doing out here??? I told you to stay in the farmhouse, it's not safe."

I shouted out, still running towards her.

She averts her eyes to the sky.

"I... sorry… I just didn't want you to feel pain..."

That was actually really sweet. Still stupid though.

But we have a real problem.

In this field, now that the fire had made all the hosts leave and disperse out of the town, this largish field was the only safe haven for them.

Meaning around 1000+ hosts were slowly making their way towards us, cutting us from the path to escape.

We were completely surrounded.

3.

The first ones to arrive at the scene were Sophie and Holly, they ran on top of the buildings clearing the long distance with their blessed physicalabilities.

They reach the edge of the town, which was the huge park pathway, it was basically a man-made forest.

They could see all the smoke rising in the distance.

There were already guards setting up a perimeter.

As they try to walk through, some guy stops them.

"Where do you think you're going? Two pretty young things like yourself?"

It was a knight, he had an aura of confidence and cockiness that surpassed most royalty in this city.

His helmet was off, he was unusually attractive in a noble way.

Weirdly his hair was light green and shined bright in the white crystals light.

His armor was red with gold linings, signaling that he desperately wanted to stand out.

Royals come from the royalist circle, it's separate from the outer circle and inner circle.

It's where the huge castle is, and where the useless king lives.

Most of the pricks live there, and this was one standing before them.

Sophie steps towards him "do you know who we are?"

"The Caldwell twins I assume, this whole situation is above you."

This really pissed Sophie off.

"What did you just say? Above me?"

She stupidly reached for her knife.

But a force was stopping her from moving.

"Attacking a government official? Your reputation precedes you."

She just tries harder and harder to reach for the knife, nothing is working.

He simply chuckles.

"I'll let this one slide; I assume someone you know was in this town? I know the twins love to mingle with the gutter rats."

She can't move her arm, was this man blessed? Why hasn't she heard of him before?

"Since you seem to be a bit of an airhead let me actually explain the situation."

Sophie just wanted to rip this guy apart.

"We can't risk having a blessed individual being taken over by a parasite, over 1400+ people have become hosts, surely even you understand your limits?"

This made Sophie even more mad, because it actually made sense.

A surprisingly strong and mature argument, he was dealing with these worm creatures it would be best to take a safe and calm approach, slowly killing them with fire.

He simply went back to ordering soldiers to secure the perimeter.

At least he is effective, even though he has that royal aura that pisses Sophie off.

She hates the fact she and Holly used to be considered as nobles.

Her hand suddenly can move again, slightly strained.

"What do we do sis?"

Holly asks while tugging at Sophie's hair. She really dislikes it when Sophie gets mad, so she plays with her hair to soothe her nerves.

Sophie began thinking. If she went in, no doubt she would be breaking the law.

Diana was in there though.

Sophie had only talked to Diana a few times, she was a very weird individual, much like her mom.

And the rumors from the outer circle folk's families who get hired there are less than stellar.

About 20 people had gone missing after working for Immy.

And, from the stories Holly told, she wasn't too good at planning and combat, if this whole town had really been infected by that parasite, she would probably be dead by now.

It's not about strength in a situation like this, it's about cunning and strategic thinking.

She must've been dead already, taken over, that might've been what the explosion was.

Maybe Diana is going on a rampage after becoming a host.

Either way it was too dangerous.

She looks back at Holly.

Wait.

Holly?

Where was she?

"Dumbass." She mutters to herself.

4.

Completely surrounded, we couldn't even get to Baker's farmhouse.

The hosts were walking slowly, clearly knowing they had won in the end.

They work as a sort of hive mind, so it makes sense they'd try to preserve energy when they feel half of their colony burning alive.

An idea pops into my mind.

"Emily, can I rip your shirt off?"

She looks at me then looks away instantly, her ears look red.

"Huh???"

Ah shit she must've taken that the wrong way.

"I need a ripped piece of cloth to write a message on, I'll use my blood and an arrow to shoot it through the farmhouse window."

"Oh! Okay yeah! That makes sense!"

Her face is completely red. It was kind of fun seeing her like this.

I'd have to make a deal with Diana with this message, even if she is weak, she should be able to clear a path so they can barricade up in the safety of the farmhouse.

Emily rips a bit of her sleeve, I prick my finger with the arrow and write on the clothing with it like a fountain pen.

I do this fairly quickly, I wrap the small cloth around the arrow and shoot it through the bottom window.

Bullseye!

Man,I'mpretty good at this.

Now hopefully she takes the bait.

Instantly Diana barges through the door with bright glowing white hair, it's longer and flowing with no gravity.

"What kind of offer was this?"

Emily looks at me worried, but then again, looks away instantly.

"Something she can't refuse I guess."

I had really sold my soul here.

As soon as Diana made an appearance, all the hosts ran towards her, her hair quickly began to automatically attack any living being nearby.

I knew the parasites would probably try their hardest to turn a blessed being into a host, so her showing up and showing off her abilities made me and Emily low priority, basically invisible.

Great now I just need to sneak into the farmhouse.

"Hey Emily? Can you climb?"

We would have to run around and climb to the second story window I climbed out before earlier.

"Maybe..."

She sighs.

Okay whatever good enough, not like a no was going to stop us anyway.

I could actively see Diana's hair getting slower, the bodies of the hosts just piled on top of each other, each strand had to counteract the worms that were being shot out at high speeds.

I grabbed Emily's hand and ran to the side of the house, we could easily get there, the hosts don't see us as a priority at all now due to the opportunity to make a blessed child a host came along.

I climb the ridges of the planks, effortlessly getting to the second-floor window and climbing in.

"Uh… I don't think I can do that."

There was a window downstairs, but I didn't want to risk breaking it and having the hosts have a way in.

Urgh.

I jump down.

My ankle rolls, it hurts for a second then heals back.

"Get on my back"

This sucks.

She looks at me and slowly clings around me, shaking.

"Okay… sorry…I'm really sorry..."

I need to put clothes on, this is so embarrassing.

She is actually lighter than my backpack was when I was climbing those rocks, this should be easy.

I began climbing, she squeezed onto my small body, she was a little bigger than me, so it was an awkward way to climb.

Her arms tighten as I get higher, her legs are around my waist and her arms are tucked around my armpits.

This is probably the closest I've been to a girl.

I get through the window.

Uhm...

"You can let go now."

Is she frozen in fear or something?"

"Right!"

She lets go of my back and stands far away.

"Go tell Diana to come back inside, I'm going to put clothes on quickly"

Clearly this situation was just as embarrassing for her since her face was bright pink.

She runs downstairs.

This situation isn't over yet, hopefully people are coming over to save us.

The smell on this second floor is awful, it gets worse the moment I begin to open the door to the bedroom.

There is a corpse on the bed.

I think I found Miss Baker.

Suicide, I think? Maybe shedidn't want to be turned into a host.

Makes sense.

Time to find some clothes. I'mdefinitely going to need therapy after this, genuinely.

End of Chapter 9.