A Parasitic Consequence

Before he could register anything that happened, he found himself pinned to the floor, with numerous punches coming his way. The air was knocked out of his lungs and he wheezed heavily. One punch landed right on his nose, and he could just sense an oncoming bloody nose.

“Ken, you’re the reason behind this mess! If you don’t fix this, things won’t end well for you.”

Ken Liu, a twenty something year-old who was way too young and naive to be a part of an elite faction, stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Eyes seemed to follow him around nowadays and it’s something Ken has yet to get used to. A couple years ago, he just graduated from high school, a living hell, and had the chance to attend a good university. Where did it all go wrong? Life was more survival than relaxation, with Ken constantly looking over his back in fear of someone or something attacking him while he’s vulnerable and defenseless. The whole world had gone to hell and Ken witnessed it all. Parasitic creatures combed through the streets, eating everything in its path with no hesitation or remorse. Their screams echoed inside Ken’s head on a daily basis, and he can’t shake this anxious feeling that’s been building up, slowly but surely, inside of him.

His nose was throbbing from the punch and he could feel blood trickle down his face, and onto the dirt floor. He did nothing to relieve it as embarrassment flooded his systems, and the one thing blaring in his mind was he needed to hide himself. But he stood tall, well as tall as he could. His black hair was swept back and out of his face, though he wished he still had his fringe so he could hide his eyes. Crying was not accepted, apparently. All of the room’s inhabitants had the same expression on their mundane faces: disappointment. He expected them to rage, to yell curses and vulgar threats but they all just looked dejected. Ken sniffed before even more blood spilled from his bruised nose.

“I’m sorry Captain.”

“You’re sorry!? ‘Sorry’ isn’t going to bring back the fifteen lives you threw away! I don’t know why I haven’t executed you yet with your damn recklessness and irrational behavior. And all of this for a damn locket!” The Captain was beyond furious and if the bulging vein in his neck couldn’t convince you, maybe the way his skin turned a bright shade of red could.

“It’s not just a locket, it’s-”

“I don’t care, Ken. What I care about is why you not only led an unauthorized siege with hundreds of weapons but also why you decided in your deranged mind, not to alert anyone. Those 'parasitures' killed a lot of good people.” The Captain’s voice went dangerously low and Ken knew not to talk back unless he wanted something worse than a bloody nose.

“Tell me why you did it?” The Captain’s face softened and the anger that once drove his expression dissipated and was replaced with sad eyes and frown on his lips.

Ken thought about how he could go about this without sounding like a total lunatic.

“I...it was the only way I could stay connected to my family without feeling like I’ve lost them. My sister is still alive and she’s all I have, this locket connects me to her. You’re right though: what I did was reckless and if you deem it necessary, I’ll leave the faction permanently.” Ken kept his head down; he felt guilty. He acted like he was the only one who lost his family when there are others who have it worse. God, he was so selfish but he couldn’t let the locket go when he knew where it was after years of it being presumably lost.

A gunshot ricocheted off the ceiling and pierced the Captain’s shoulder, causing him to groan in agonizing pain.

“Give us back what you stole! You all are not leaving until I have what’s mine!” A feminine voice reverberated from the hallway and the pitter-patter of feet kept Ken rooted to the ground. Shit…

“Ken! Get down-” The voice was instantly silenced when a bullet found the side of his head and easily went through both sides, with no effort. Ken’s breathing became ragged as bodies were dropping left and right all around him, yet he had not been injured at all. The Captain grabbed Ken’s leg and urged the younger to leave the compound if he still valued his life.

“K-Ken, go!” But as you know, things weren’t guaranteed in life, especially in this situation where humans were prone to betrayal and violent behavior. A woman emerged from the hallway with a pistol aimed at Ken’s sweaty forehead, the barrel of the silver weapon mere inches away.

“Ken Liu, the locket. Hand it over.” The woman had snow white mid length hair, but her eyes were blood red, like the 'parasitures'*. There were veins that ran from her eye socket to the base of her neck. She was in the process of becoming one of them, one of those creatures of night that know nothing other than destruction and chaos. The woman held out her hand, expecting Ken to hand over the locket, the one that belonged to his adoptive sister.

“Give it.”

The atmosphere became very tense in a matter of seconds and Ken was stuck in a predicament that involved whether or not he lived.

“I can’t, this is my sister’s locket. It belongs to her.” Ken spoke cautiously, hoping his words would resonate with the woman. The woman cocked her head to the side.

“Does it LOOK like I care!? Give me the damn locket or I swear I’ll blow your brain to bits.” The woman flung her arms as she grew more and more desperate, meaning she only had a little bit of time left before the transformation was complete. Ken held his hands out, signaling that he did not have the heart shaped locket.

“I don’t have it, I promise you I don’t.” Ken lied through his teeth, he kept his breathing steady and kept his eyes focused on the woman. Her movements were rapid and only desperation fueled her as she ordered her group to search the compound until they found the locket. What was so special about the locket? It was just some pieces melted and fused together into the shape of a heart, yet why were Ken and the woman so hellbent on possessing the locket? Ken had a familial connection to the locket while the woman most likely needed it funds, for the quote on quote antidote.

She shot Ken in the knee and he immediately collapsed, his body hit the ground with astounding speed and Ken clutched his knee carefully.

“I said I didn’t have it!”

“The human side might believe you, but the parasite can smell a lie from a mile away. It could sense your heart rate increasing slightly as you lied.” The woman’s voice deepened to the point she sounded unhuman. Her teeth grew sharper, more specifically, her canines grew to a point.

“Please, let me keep it! It’s my sister’s!” Ken pleaded as tears pooled within his eyes. Dammit, things were not going well. The Captain was right after all, Ken thought as a bout of pain surged through his body.

“Your sister...her name happened to be Adris, right?”

Ken looked dumbfounded, how did this woman know his sister? The woman only chuckled and came closer to Ken as he held his injured leg. The woman pressed her thumb into the wound which caused Ken to scream out in suffering.

“I killed her.”

The woman shot Ken in the chest.

*Parasitures= parasitic creatures