Death Rot

My breath came in gasps as I ran. I could feel the creatures' breath on my neck. This was going to be my end…and it all started with a locket. Oh God how I wish I had never come across the bloody thing! It was both a blessing, and a curse. It’s what set all of the current events in motion. I still remember as if it was yesterday….

I was 13 years old at the time and had been strolling along my favorite beach along the coast of my hometown in Greenland. The recent global warming often brought glaciers almost completely melted to our shores and with it-treasures. It had been 5 years ago that I had made my final stroll along that beach. 5 years ago that this hell started. 5 years ago I saw that silver, antique looking, rust covered, heart-shaped locket.

At the time I didn’t realize opening it would unleash the most deadly pre-historic parasite of all time. An undiscovered virus within the tiny body of a blood-sucking ancient ancestor of the mosquito.

When I picked up that sand covered chain, the beauty of the locket allured me. It was obviously hand crafted by a primitive people, about half the size of my fist, and yet it had been stained black in places as if smelted too long. It gave me an eerie feeling. But curiosity got the better of me. After fiddling with the ancient locket, it came open rather easily. But I let out a startled yelp when suddenly a large black bug erupted from it. It looked like a giant mosquito, but it’s body had a tar like texture that reeked of rotting flesh.

Its proboscis seemed layered and strong as a sharp blade. It lingered a moment as if studying me, and right as I opened my mouth to scream for help, it seemingly spit in my mouth!! The liquid it spit was vile and thick like syrup. Then the insect was gone. I spat the vile liquid out of my mouth but some still managed to make its way down my throat. And it burned.

Still clutching the locket, I ran home. And that’s when I saw it happening. I was still about a half a mile from my house when the insect’s absurdly loud buzzing caught my attention. When I turned to look, it was drinking the blood of one of our native Fauna-a caribou. But as it feasted on the beast’s blood, the blood veins in the animal began to darken from the wound site and you could see them as the venom or toxin from the mosquito quickly made its way through the animal’s system.

I should’ve ran, but I had been entranced. It didn’t help I had a fever. I watched as drool began foaming at the caribou’s mouth and its eyes turned bloodshot. Then the same foul smelling tar-like substance began oozing from the wound site and the caribou began convulsing. The mosquito’s abdomen was now swollen full with the animal's blood and it took flight.

I didn’t see where it went but I wish I had followed it and killed it. But like a fool I watched the caribou, waiting for it to die. I should’ve known only female mosquitos drink blood so they can nourish their eggs and then find a water source and lay them. I didn’t know that single mosquito would choose to lay its eggs in our town’s water source.

Finally the caribou lay still and I thought it was dead. What an awful way to die I had thought. If only I had known then what I know now. As I began to turn away the caribou made the most bizarre guttural and unnatural sound, almost like it was growling and choking on water.

I whipped around. It was on its feet, the foul substance oozing from its pores. Its pupils were completely retracted and eyes bloodshot. And then it charged. I never made it home that night, because I was forced to take refuge in a tree high above its sharp antlers. I was lucky the tree was ancient with a thick sturdy trunk. Otherwise the beast would’ve knocked it down and devoured me.

The beast kept me up there for 3 days. I found it strange no one had come to search for me. And I was growing weak. My own fever had definitely rose. My body began to tremble and I could see my veins turning dark red and I knew I needed medical attention or I would become like the caribou-or so I thought. Finally, something else caught the infected creature's attention and it left me on the dawn of the 4th day. I knew I needed water and fast and that day it so happened to be raining. I opened my mouth to the skies, grateful for the moisture on my parched throat.

My only possessions at the time were the clothes on my back and the locket. So I cleaned up the locket and let it catch some water. Enough to drink at least. That’s when I noticed when I drank from the locket, the darkness in my veins began to recede. Was water the cure to the toxin? What a fool I’d been to think that.

After making sure the area was clear, I cautiously climbed down and made a full sprint for home. When I got there, I found my house abandoned. It looked like it had been robbed and desecrated by vandals. There was no sign of life. After making sure nothing was hiding inside waiting to eat me, I quickly gathered what little provisions I could in a duffle bag and grabbed my mother’s keys to her sedan which was surprisingly untouched outside. That’s how this whole thing started. And ever since that day I have been on the run.

When I got to our town, I found solace with a few survivors who had barricaded their homes. I learned quickly that the whole town became ravaged with the disease, which I nicknamed Death Rot. Apparently it started with a strange smelling fish with black blood veins that was fed to one of the fishermen’s dogs and to a homeless couple.

The disease turned anyone rabid and gave an insatiable hunger. It drove you made until your organs literally burst inside you and killed you. Anything with a heartbeat became a target to quench the hunger. Pets were the first infected then the tainted water and fish slowly began infecting everyone else. Over time the mosquitos population grew. Nowhere was safe for long.

Soon I came to realize I was immune to the disease and water did not cure the Death Rot. It was only when I drank the water from the locket that the Death Rot receded and vanished. I'm not sure why this is. Whatever it was, it was the only thing besides my innate ability to hide and run and survive that kept me alive. Until now that is.

I had to watch and learn the hard way that I could hold no attachment to anyone or anything. My family were dead. And every person I came across eventually succumbed to the Death Rot. All it took was one the smallest exposure to it one way or another. The disease became a national emergency, and some scientists linked it to the ancient mosquito. Last I heard before all civilization died, they were researching, testing, and unsuccessful at finding-a cure. After 3 years I’m sure over 90% of the human race was gone as well as most animal species other than those that haven’t died to the Death Rot. I only ate canned food or dried food locked away and boiled any water I drank. With my immunity it wasn’t really necessary but any tainted animal or water tasted foul. I preferred water bottles but they were becoming increasingly rare. So now, 5 years after the start of it, I’m pretty sure I’m the only survivor. And EVERYTHING wants to kill me. Currently some Death Rot wolves have found my most recent hiding place. And now, running for my life, is where my story resumes.

I felt one of the wolves’ teeth snap inches from the back if my neck when suddenly there was a strange horn-like sound and abruptly the Death Rot wolves broke into the unnatural sounds caused by the Death Rot along with snarls of seemingly a few very large livestock guardian type dogs. When I turned around, there were 4 un-diseased dogs. Two were Kangal Shepherds, One was a Great Pyrenees, and the last was a mix of maybe an Anatolian shepherd and Tibetan Mastiff.

But where had they come from? And why jump to my rescue? Wherever they came from, I needed to get out of there. They wouldn’t be able to hold off the wolves for long. But just as I turned to run, I heard a loud “Psssst!” I whipped around. No way! Another human? I was sure I was the last! But as I looked around I didn’t see anyone. Maybe I had imagined it?

“For a survivor, you’re not very bright. Down here!” Came the loud whisper, and looking harder I saw a small dip in the ground barely big enough to fit a person through. A man's hand was waving outside of it beckoning me. I blinked, thinking maybe I had lost it. “Hurry! I'm not sure how long my dogs can hold off the entire pack!” Without a second's hesitation more I jumped down and joined him, squeezing my body through the crevice at the back of the dip. Inside was something of a bunker and once there, he whistled and it sounded like his dogs ceased their attacks and took refuge somewhere the pack couldn’t follow while several of the wolves sniffed and growled in frustration outside instead of pursuing.

“Who're you? How’re you alive!?” I asked. The man before me could only be in his mid-twenties. He adorned himself with a lot of camo colored gear and had various weapons in various holsters and mud plastered his body. “The name is Kyle. My dogs and I are immune to the tar disease. What about you? I could ask you the same.”

“Tar disease? You mean the Death Rot? I’m Riley, by the way. How are you immune to it?” I asked. “Riley…a beautiful name for an equally exceptional young woman. As for answering your question, I have one for you. You’ve survived 5 years of this hell, and don’t know there is a cure to this sickness? Surely you didn’t think you were the last human?” I remained silent. Kyle laughed. “You poor thing, you must’ve been so lonely. But worry not, I’m only one member of the Tar Wars Task Force. You’re safe now and hopefully in the next year we will have eradicated the disease. The disease for some reason cannot handle water mixed with pure metal alloys like silver or gold. I’ve watched it cure an infected lion 10 times over. And those mosquitos are easily killed by fire. Before all hell broke lose, my father and some of his friends and their families joined a military force with a scientist who figured this all out. So you’re safe now. I promise.” He told me. I looked down at the locket. That wretched locket. After all this time, it saved me because I drank water from it as much as I could. It was pure silver and it had saved my life time and time again when the disease threatened to take hold of me. Finally, this nightmare was over. I wasn’t alone. And maybe…just maybe, there would be hope for the future yet. Kyle smiled down warmly at me, and just then 5 others filed down into the bunker. I knew then Kyle wasn’t lying. Finally, my solitude survival could end. Hope for my future was a possibility.

The End.