Seldom Six Feet Under

Chapter Four: The Devil on the Other Side

          As reluctant as they were, the dozen armored guards had no choice other than to release the wild infected from its tube. Dreading as they walked, they made their way down the hallway that radiated with tainted green. The one they were after was especially tricky to contain. It had no arms, its sleeves dangled over its shoulders. It's jaw had long unhinged and was slumped down near its collarbone, and all it did was scream and kick. It's tongue hung from its mouth, it's teeth were very sharp and pointed, rotted away with time.

      Arriving at the abnormal infected's tank, they stared up at it as it pressed its nose against the glass, gurgling within the liquid. They found that they could not meet its gaze, for it's large, bulging eyes were looking two different directions like googly eyes. A control panel was positioned in front of every tube, that had three large buttons on each. A guard stepped up to the panel, looking down at it. He pressed the button on the left, which drained the contaminated fluids inside the tube through drains in the bottom where the feet of the infected were planted. Another guard stepped beside the tank, where a leash was hanging from a hook. He took the leash off the hook, turning to the tank and eyeing the collar that had been placed on it. Every infected had one of those- At least the ones in tubes. Other guards backed away, standing in a line formation by the other tanks, gripping their guns and nightsticks tightly. Guards across from them did the same.

      The guard standing at the panel looked at either side of them, nodding once. He pressed the largest button in the center, then took several steps back. Locks on the tops of the doors to the tank unhinged and the door itself slid off to the side of the glass. Almost immediately, the infected lunged out at the guard who released him. He shoved it back, unclipping the nightstick from his belt. In a panic, the zombie screamed and turned to charge at the guards at the furthest end of the hall only for it to be blocked and shoved back. The guard who released it approached it, grabbed its shoulders and turned it towards the one with the leash. The leash clipped onto its collar and the guard held the leather leash, as though his life depended on it. The guards broke their line to allow them to pass through, letting the infected lead the way.

      The infected proceeded to howl and kick about. The guard who released it sped up to walk in front of it to guide it through the hallway. The one restraining it gagged under his mask, turning his head away from the infected. It reeked of decay, and everybody could smell it. But being so close? It was all he could smell, as if the cleanliness of the air had left. But he didn't let go. The infected was as wild as a dog when seeing a squirrel.

      They passed by the corridor of patients, but none of them looked over at the riot gear men and their vicious beast. The guards directed it to the testing hall, where the old man was already waiting for it, as well as the two doctors and the addict pilot.

      The room was set up in two different sections. One was behind a large, bulletproof glass wall, that can be seen through in two different perspectives. Through the front, down by where the desks and control module were located, the other through a set of stairs leading upwards for a side view. With the control module, different experiments could be done. For example, a button could set off the sprinkler in there to see how the infected reacts to water, or another could set off tear gas. Between the desks and the stairs was a sliding door, made of the same material. The other section was dedicated for observation. Which was all the doctors were going to do.

      The infected was put into the glass cage first, where it was unclipped from the leash. Richard stood off to the side, his trembling body supported up by his walker, which he clenched so tight his knuckles turned white. The creature was going crazy in there. It skipped around frantically, screaming and thrashing around. Chris approached the glass, nearly pressing his face up to it and staring in. A victorious smile formed on his lips. The two limbed madman caught sight of the pilot, then screeched at him, his tongue wailing around in his mouth. He hopped back several times, before charging into the glass in attempt to break through. Chris staggered back at the impact, but was relieved at the flunk of the infected's escape. It crashed into the wall with a thud, falling over onto its back. It laid there and whined in failure, then kicked its legs up to get its feet back on the floor.