POV of Steve, a random city guard

Today has been so shit. First, there was a mass robbing where a bunch of severed heads and a monster were found. It took me along with another guard to subdue and kill the monster but not before it managed to kill 12 people and injure at least 20. How did the monster get into the city? No one knew. The rest of the day was spent inspecting the stores that were robbed but I couldn't find any clue which leads me to be yelled at by the store owners.

At the end of the long day, I finally headed back to the barracks where I removed my armor and sat down in the mess hall with my friends. Or at least we tried before our captain came into the mess hall wearing her full armor set completed with the sword strapped at her waist.

[Oh for fuck sakes we’re going to have to go back out aren't we.] The others on my table broadcast their similar thoughts on their faces. Despite this none of us make any vocal complaints. This was the job we all signed up for after all.

The captain walks into the center of the room and stands on a table causing the room to go silent as everyone focused onto her as she starts to talk. “Listen up! (Fucking cliches) I have just gotten word that the city is rioting. [Just gotten news? That doesn't sound right. Usually, everyone knows well before a riot even starts.]

As far as we know this isn't a normal ‘everyone is pissed off riot’ There seems to be some sort of infection that causes people to go crazy. As of yet, we have yet to find the source or the cure. Our job is to limit the spread of this infection and try our best to detain any infected individuals. The infection appears to be transmitted through the infected bite marks so make sure to cover up well. Each squad meet with your squad captain for further briefing. Squad 6, you're with me, now let's protect our homes and loved ones!”

I along with the rest of the people in the mess hall went into the armory where we suited up before finding our respective squad leaders. I, however, was in squad 6 so along with some others I left the guard station with the captain as we headed towards the middle sector.

The sounds of yells and screams invade my ears while the smell of smoke and blood attacks my nose. [What the fuck is going on? The city was fine yesterday, and now its in chaos. What could have caused this?] We walked around with battens as we did not want to kill people who were not in control of their bodies, but we still had our swords strapped to our hips.

Walking down the city streets we would occasionally find and subdue a single ‘crazed’ as people were now calling them, we would tie up their hands and feet before we would have to move on.

After tying up an old woman we were about to round a corner when the captain, who was in the lead, froze in shock before starting to gag. Raising my guard and preparing my already high strung nerves, I step around the corner and immediately vomited from the sight. 50m Of gore cake the street and houses. Blood is everywhere, the scarlet liquid oozes forward drowning the cobblestone road. Lifeless carcasses lay scattered across the streets or displayed in revolting effigies. Decapitated heads had their skin pulled taut to the frames of their ribcage, Corpses hung from intestines, backs ripped open and pinned to walls depicting vile bloodied angles, and severed arms plunged through the membrane of a deceased child.

Watching the living bodies of the crazed I dry heave as tears stain my face. Some sexually violated the dead or made effigies. Others just chaotically smashed and cut the bodies of their previous fellow citizens while a few mutilated their own bodies. Smashing their heads into the ground, cutting their wrists and biting off their limbs and digits.

I run.

[I can't deal with this! What is happening?! Who..? What…? It's not my fault ...I just can't…. It can't be real…] I trip over the tied up body of the elderly lady and fall face-first onto the ground. I groan as I try to lift myself back up but my fellow guards trample me back onto the floor as they run in terror. I feel my ribs crack causing me to cry out in agony. As my friends and colleagues run over me I hear the roars of rage from the crazed who have started to give chase. Beaten and bruised I crawl forward trying to get as much distance between myself and the horrors behind me.

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But once again I am forced to the floor as a crazed mounts my back and proceeds to grab a fist full of my hair and repeatedly smash my head into the street. I feel my brain rattle around my skull as my nose breaks before every fades to black.

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Pov of a Butcher

*Bang, Bang, Bang*

“Shit, shit, shit!!”

I shiver in fear as the crazed outside continues to slam itself repeatedly into the door. I grip my butcher knife tighter as I peak around the counter I was currently hiding behind.

The splintered mess which used to be a door was barely holding itself together and would break at any second. Summing up my courage I stand and try to prepare myself to fight the middle-aged woman with foam pouring from her mouth and wild bloodshot eyes. But all I can manage is to get into an awkward stance while I try not to piss myself.

Suddenly she stops as a lasso made from what appeared to be chains, latched around her neck and pulled her to the ground. Blue arcs of electricity danced across the surface causing the woman to spasm uncontrollably before she is dragged outside of my field of vision.

Before I can properly comprehend what had happened a young man comes into view, his city's guard uniform and confident expression fill me with hope.

“Any sane people left in there?” He calls out in a cocky voice.

In a rush to get closer to my salvation I break the rest of my door and run out of the store, only to see the young man's eyes widen as he takes a step back.

*Snarl, zap*

“Shit!”

Without warring a feel a cold sensation around my neck before I am pulled to the side causing my neck to crack painfully. Now sliding along the floor I see a large furry animal with three tails crackling with power land in the space I was just standing.

“What the fuck is that thing?” I look up to see six more guards.

“Gods if I know, but we don't have time to tie them up.” An elf said while raising a knife as his fellow guards rush to help their comrade.

Eyes widening in realization I call out “Wait! I am normal I, I am not one of those!!!”

“Then what the fuck are you running at us with a knife for?!” The elf yells in rage.

“I...I...I…”

*Crash*

Both our heads snap to the fight as we witness another monster comes crashing through a building.

“Shit!” With a flick of his wrist the mental lasso releases me before igniting with electricity, but before he made is halfway to the fight, a dark long shadow rushes towards his side.

Before the strike could land however the elf glows with power and deflects a tentacle.

I, on the other hand, was crawling away from the fight, my speed intensifying once I saw the monsters the guards were facing. The elf who inadvertently saved my life was facing off against a mass of tentacles tipped with weapons, while the others fought against a hellish looking dog with three tails and a giant with a snake for a head.

Trying to get away, I feel a strong grip around my ankle before excruciating pain explodes from my calf. I cry out in pain as I turn around to see the crazed from before taking a bite from my leg, blood dripping from her mouth.

[No, nooo!] Screaming in pain I use my other leg to repeatedly kick her in the head in a desperate attempt to escape. I keep on kicking and kicking until I feel something give and hear a horrid squelching noise.

Too scared to see what I have done I begin to crawl away frantically, tears streaming down my face.

“Somebody…” I try to stand “Help me.”

But my bad leg can't support my weight and I fall to the ground. [I don't want to become one of them, please…] “Please no, please no.”

I feel my genitals swelling.

My mind begins to cloud.

I feel urges I dare not deny.

My body spasms on the floor in pain and desire.

I hear a stampede of feet on the cobblestone streets causing hope to blossom in my heart.

My eyes rise to see the beautiful sight of a horde of rage-filled bodies with foaming mouths and bloodshot eyes.

I struggle to stand so that I can limp along with them, roaring my hate to the world as I set forth to destroy and spread chaos. [Yes. I feel at home now and I will…] “ KILL ALL THE FUCKING CUNTS THAT HAVE KEPT ME DOWN. I WILL BREAK YOU JUST FOR THE FUN OF IT AS I RAPE YOUR BLOODIED CORPSE!!!”

[But if this is what I really want then why am I crying?]

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POV of dead Steve, a random guard

I find myself floating upwards away from the world. Looking down at myself I notice that I am a golden outline of my body. Continuing to float confusion begins to claw at my mind as I see a golden field made from trillions of outlines, surrounded by tens of planets, each with a screen showing a different person. In the middle of the field is an impossibly large mouth with a single hoving purple eye. Sitting atop the eye was a normal-sized man which despite the distance could easily be seen as if reality itself wanted to amplify his presence. His skin and hair color continuously changed but his eyes stayed a constant gold.

I look around in panic and desperation but I am drawn to the end of the field where I am forced to bow to the mouth and ever-changing man. Now on my knees, I notice the hundreds of thousands of people coming from different planets. [What the fuck is going on?!?!?!]