The Infested

A dad goes on the run with his daughter when an ancient evil infects humans.

The Infested

Midian Celcius

An archeological dig site uncovered its amazing. An intact urn. 

‘What do you  make of it, professor.’

The tall slender professor with large glasses and in a tropic outfit with walking boots rubbed in his hair getting soil in it. He cleaned his glasses with a handkerchief and took his magnifying glass. ‘It’s old, even older than Mesopotamia was, this writings look very advanced for that time, but I bet it is over a million years old. ‘

‘Shouldn’t it be deeper underground?’  Geoffrey said

‘Not necessary, this place is notorious for it’s volcanic eruptions.’

‘We have to send it to the lab right away.’ said Geoffrey, the financer of the expedition totally not dressed for excavations, with his fancy suit and shoes to match. He had short black hair, a goatee and a way of strutting saying I am richer than you. The professor stepped on a stick and fell. The jar broke a ink black smoke appeared filling the nose and mouth of Amy and Geoffrey.

There urns turned black. ‘Thank you, stupid clumsy, human, you set us free, and the whole world will be ours. We’d infect you too, but your old and useless.’ Geoffrey pulled his gun and shot the terrified professor in the head. Amy and he kissed. ‘Let’s go darling, we have a plane to catch.

Jessy couldn’t wait to see her mom again, she was away from home for months and skyping isn’t the same if you wanted a hug. Her dad was with her. The plane landed, the people acted strangely. They had a mean grin on their faces and started to fight with the persons on the tarmac. Then Jessy saw his mother, she pushed a security guard down, a black cloud escaped her mouth and entered the security man. He stood  up with the same grin and black eyes as her mother. ‘We are leaving’ dad said

‘But mom, honey, that person isn’t your mother. We have to go before they reach the lobby.’

‘They drove to the city. The news reported a strange virus seemed to have infected an entire airplane and is spreading. People infected have a grin on their face and laughed maniacally also they were very strong and infected others by releasing black smoke from their mouth, everybody is advised to stay indoors.’ Jim took a short cut but the infected smashed his window, he drove further with two on the hood, black smoke left their mouths. ‘Quick, Jessy blow.’

They blew hard enough for  the smoke to pass out of the window. Jim drove faster turning right and left to get the creatures of his hood. Suddenly he hit the brakes, the 2 infected lost their grip and fell off. Jim started to ride again, they reached their home after a half our drive.

Her father loaded up his gun. He checked the food supply. Luckily they were the kind of survivalists who prepared for end of the world scenario’s.

They ate beans with a steack. Dad, a muscled soldier of the marines put the radio on. ‘The situation isn’t under control, police is firing on the infected who kill elderly, sick and disabled people. A shot through the brains is the only way of stopping them, but the police threatens to be overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of infecting that keeps on rising. The scientists working on a cure were baffled by what they saw. We go for a report with doctor Hofstadder, leader of the science division at FEMA.

‘It’s living.’ he said ‘some kind of parasite that invades a body and makes the host do his bidding. We have no clue where it came from and how we can cure it. Test subjects don’t respond to our vaccines. The thing we have to do is forcing the parasite out. But we have no idea how.’

‘Thank you, doctor Hoffstader, this was Kathy from decease control center live.’

‘Dad turned off the radio. He knew a handgun wouldn’t be enough and got his M-16 assault rifle with grenade launcher, he began to pack food, water and ammunition. He also got a lighter and a flashlight.

‘Kiddo, we are going to drive the hell away from here. We are taking a plane to the place this virus came from and go looking for clues.’

Jim knew how to fly a Cessna, so he was betting on finding a clue in Pakistan. 

‘Will that save mom?’

He rubbed through the same curly brown hair he had before he went in service and laughed:’ we are going to be heroes, we will save them all.’ Jessy got excited.

On the way to the airport Jim drove the infected over. ‘You are hurting them.’ said Jessy

‘They don’t feel it. It would be a lot worse if they got their hands on us.’

Hey drove the Firebird pushing the throttle to increase his speed in a way that would make Schumacher proud. They reached the abandoned airplane. Jim looked for a suitable plane and found a private one, he refueled it quickly. They were ready to leave when two infected people came running. Jim took his M-16 and fired a short burst in the head, one went down, the second burst finished the second one off. Jessy had closed his eyes. ‘Common son, sit next to me and buckle up. They drove over the airstrip and the  jet left the ground and flied in the sky heading to Pakistan, that’s where his mother went to for charity work.



Landed, Jim hurried himself while carrying Jessy his hand towards the police station. ‘We come from America, a plane of infected people landed, could you tell me where we could locate the place of the first infection?’

‘We haven’t gotten a clue to where this took place, sir, I am sorry.’

Outside an elder spoke to them. ‘What you seek lays hidden in the caves in the mountainous region. Do you  have a map, he asked. Jim took his map, the elder man pointed with his bony finger. ‘Over there.’ he said

‘Ok, thanks very much. We will find it, but what are we looking for?’

‘The box of Pandora, it sucks the evil right back in.’ the man said

‘A box?’ Jim said skeptical

‘This infection, is in fact a demonic infestation, open the box, let the evil in and close it  then.’ the man said

They drove with a rental car to the location on the map. After two hours of seeking in vain they found a cave. Jim took his M-16. Jess, you wait outside, ok, if I don’t return in two hours you leave to the village. Take this money, when I don’t come back, go to an hotel and book a room. After that take e cab to the American Embassy. I know I am asking a lot, kiddo, but please be brave.’

‘I will dad, but please come back.’ Jessy begged

He entered the cave with his flashlight fixed on the M-16. He saw an endless mace of narrow  corridors. He decided het would start with one and left a mark with a piece of chalk on the wall. He came back out the way he went in. The second corridor ran deeper underground, he heard something grawling. A strange spiked animal with sharp teethes and flaming eyes appeared, be breathed fire.

Jim dove away. He shot his M-16, the beast screamed, a couple of bursts finished him off. He went deeper underground. 

Jessy saw a car approaching. He looked at the driver. He grinned and had black eyes, Jessy ran into the cave and took the second way in. De infected took each a corridor, the third one ended with a latch, Jesse jumped and pulled himself up the infected grabbed his leg. He stomped it on the nose. Madly the infected you man loosened his grip. Jessy ran on the latch into another room.It was filled with gold and gems. Between the riches there was a box. Jessy took it, the infected reached the chamber and wanted to attack but Jessy opened the box, the shadowlike substance was sucked in. The man asked: ‘where am I the last I remember was that a strange looking lady tried to kiss me at the street. ‘You were possessed.’ said Jessy, this is the cure he said

‘You know the way back?’ he asked 

‘Yes, mister.’

‘Call me Dan.’

‘I am Jessy.’

‘Please to meet you also if it is in a damp cave, one moment please he shoved coins and gems in his pockets.’

‘That won’t do, a ghost sais who appeared out of thin air. My treasure I share with no mortal. He zapped Dan who turned into gold, ‘for I am the ghost of Midas.’ the ghost bellowed

The other infected heard the hard spoken words. They ran back to the third cave and entered it. They found the latch and climbed on it and entered the room of the ghost. ‘More thieves?’ he stated

Jessy opened the box of Pandorra and the foul black smoke went into the box. ‘What are we doing here?’

‘I was in a bar, somebody blew something in my face, that’s all I remember.’

‘Boy, you want to save the world from the infected people, yes?’ Midas asked

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Go outside and lift the box in the air, all the smoke from all over the world will enter it.

Jim got his hands more than full a group of monsters attacked him; he launched a grenade, the cave began collapsing, he ran back to the exit. He found his son standing there with the box, a large black cloud came towards it and was sucked in the box. It automatically closed.

They took the plane back to the States. Jessy fell asleep in his chair. What a kid, Jim thought, such bravery. It make him look pale in comparison.

Kathy, his wife and the mother of Jessy said, were where you, I have been sitting here for hours. And what are you doing with that rifle?’

Jessy hugged his mom.

Jim gave her a kiss.

What happened to us? Everybody in the city has holes in his memory. Jim did the story. Kathy almost didn’t believe it till she looked at the locked box. 

‘I don’t want that thing in my house.’

‘We keep it in the cellar, it’s safer we guarding it than risking another one foolishly opening it.’

In the cellar there was a light and an angel appeared. ‘Jim Walker, this box has no place on earth, let me take it to heaven and it will be guarded there for eternity.’

Jim handed over the box.

‘You are brave and good, Jim Walker, but also easily deceived and foolish. The angel transformed into a horrifying demon. Jim shot him, the bullet didn’t affect him, earth’s weapons are useless to me, remember that before I kill you. Jim shot the jar with holy water on the shelf.

‘It burns.’ yelled the demon, you ratchet fool, I’ll get even with you.’

Jim took the box, no you won’t, you wanted the box, now you get to live in it. He opened it and the demon got sucked inside.

‘What’s happening over there?’

‘Nothing honey, just some disagreement about faith.’ he said

Het made some concrete and hid the box inside a brick wall. That will do nicely. He also put a note to warn people coming after him not to open the box.

‘I made meatloaf with carrots.’ she said

‘Thank you.’ said Jim kissing her, I was starving

‘We saved the world today.’ Jessy said

‘Well that deserves a dessert, how about apple pie.’

‘Mom, you are the best.’

‘Later on, I’ll show you my appreciation.’ Jim said naughty with a wink of his eye