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Somewhere in Africa, Edge of Savanah Grasslands

Jennifer stood at the edge of the fence, looking out to the savannah. Beside her, a man looked out with her. She'd known him for most of his life. Dr. Peter. She looked out, down the road as a truck sped down the path, leaving dust in its wake. Peter spoke first.

"What do you think it was?"

"I don't know."

"How are the kids?"

Jennifer looked up to Peter. No words needed to be said. They were treating them as best they could. But what happened last night had spooked everybody. Peter shook his head.

"It was an aircraft of some kind. But who's?"

"I don't know. You think the warlords shot it down?"

Peter shook his head.

"Too far. Remember, we have a treaty. If they stepped foot on our section, they'd be breaking it."

Jennifer reached out, pulling Peter close.

"You know you can't trust those horrible people Peter. And neither can the government."

Peter pointed out to the road.

"That's why the military is here. Come on, let's go see what they found."

Peter was the first to walk along the fence, clutching Jennifer's hand as she followed along with him. As the jeep rolled to a slow stop, and armed men slid open a gate to let the vehicle pass, it rolled up into the yard, and came to a stop. From out of the driver seat, stepped the commander who was helping to safeguard the clinic. Commander Baako. A stern, hard man. But kind. He smiled as he looked over to the two Doctors.

"Good morning you two."

Jennifer was the first to ask what was on her mind.

"What did you find? Do you know who shot it down?"

Commander Baako put his hands up, shaking his head.

"It landed past our territory, just off the border. We couldn't go over if we wanted to keep the treaty."

Jennifer shook her head.

"Commander, you know they don't follow the treaty! Raids in the night, scouts, they don't care. We need to go see it!"

Peter nodded.

"It was an aircraft. The survivors would need help."

Baako shook his head.

"There were none."

Both doctors spoke at the same time.

"What?"

"We observed the wreck from a distance. The warlords got there first in the night. But we know who it belongs to."

"Who?"

"It is American. An army aircraft."

Jennifer's eye's widened. Peter shook his head.

"No. I don't get it. What were they doing out here? An army airplane? Where did they come from?"

Baako shook his head.

"I am sorry. You ask questions I cannot answer. But we can't tell if there were survivors. We saw bodies. None belonging to the warlord's group. All soldiers, dead on impact."

Jennifer suddenly started walking off, towards the jeep parked in the encampment. Peter went after her.

"Jen, wait, stay here!"

Commander Baako walked after Peter.

"Doctor! You cannot cross the border line between the territories! You will break the treaty!"

Jennifer turned back, a look in her eyes that Peter knew well. She wasn't stopping for anybody. At least, anybody but him.

"I'm going to go and see. I need to see what happened. There still could be survivors out there!"

Peter stepped forward, putting his hands over Jennifer's shoulders.

"Jen. Jen, look at me."

Jennifer looked into Peter's eyes.

"Listen. I know you want to go out there. I do too. But we're better off staying here. Besides, you know I can't do it alone. Not without you."

Jennifer nodded.

"Okay. Okay. We'll wait."

She wrapped her arms around Peter, as he returned the hug. Peter looked over to the commander.

"So what do we do?"

"We can do nothing. And we have no way of contacting the American authorities or the government here. I don't have the connections. And I can't leave the base while you two still work to take care of the sick."

Jennifer looked up.

"So we wait?"

Commander Baako nodded.

"We wait."

2 Days Later

In the early morning light of the dawn across the vast grasslands, and the dry heat that persisted and scorched the great plains, Peter lay in bed, just now waking from rest. He pulled Jennifer close, kissing the back of her neck.

"Morning sweetie."

Jennifer started to rouse.

"It's too early. Can't you stay?"

Peter pulled her tightly to him.

"Oh I'll stay. Stayed up all night with you last night after all."

She giggled, rolling over on the bed.

"No, I mean this morning. We should just, take the day off. Just you and me."

Peter stroked a hand through her hair.

"I know. But we've got a lot of work to do. Besides, you're the one that dragged me into this. You're supposed to be the boss. And bosses don't slack on the job."

Peter smiled as he pulled her close, kissing her. The two rolled over in bed together, laughing and smiling. As they rolled, the two came close to the edge, and teetered over, slipping onto the floor. Both were laughing, as they held each other in the mess of blankets and sheets. Peter kissed her again, breaking away with a smile.

"Guess you're awake now. Now we can both leave at the same time. Come on, let's go see if Baako has anything nice to say today."

Jennifer nodded.

"We should go check on the kids first. Start some coffee. Wake up a little more."

Peter looked into her eyes.

"You miss home, don't you? That's why you want to go see the plane right?"

"I'm a doctor Peter. So are you. Medical care comes first. But yes. I miss home. I miss how simple things were."

Peter rubbed a hand through her hair.

"Me too. But look at all we've managed to do. Build a clinic out here. Army and government funded. And we've helped a lot of people."

"I know. But just one night I want to go out and eat some good old fashioned fast food."

Peter chuckled.

"You're such a bad doctor. That stuff'll make you fat you know."

Jennifer giggled, as the two finally started to clamber up from the floor they rested on. Time to see what surprises the day held.

Jennifer and Peter went about their business as normal, stopping by their clinic's housing facility. Nothing fancy, simple bricks and a roof really, with a smooth concrete floor. It was large enough to accommodate many people in the area. But mainly, it housed the terminally ill. Children, sick with disease. Simple bed frames, with the drugs necessary to ease things was all they really had. But Both Doctors knew that this was better than what they would ever get anywhere else.

Checking through rows upon rows of the ill, Peter and Jennifer said hello in the early morning light, like they always did. Checking IV lines and equipment in the process. Today was good so far. Despite the state of many, those that were sheltered here had a resilient sense happiness. And every day Jennifer and Peter stepped in to the smiles of children, talked and listened to them, both knew, that they wouldn't trade anywhere else in the world right now.

Peter and Jennifer sat in the empty cafeteria, two cups of coffee in hand over a table as they sat with papers and pens, writing for requisitions and supplies. By now, all the children had eaten at this point along with the military staff that guarded the clinic. The two looked up as boots sounded out on the floor, to see the commander.

"Good morning Dr., Peter. Good morning Dr. Jennifer."

Commander Baako sat down at the same table with the two.

"Did you two see the smoke this morning?"

Peter looked up from his paperwork.

"Smoke?"

"A huge black cloud. All morning. Something's burning."

Jennifer looked up now.

"Burning?"

Baako nodded.

"Out past the treaty line. I think it is the warlord camp."

Jennifer and Peter stood up at the same time, as both left their work, leaving the building. As the two stepped outside, Commander Baako following, the two were greeted by exactly what he'd said.

Far out beyond the savannah plains, smoke billowed up into the air. Great columns of thick black smoke rose higher and higher. Peter and Jennifer watched. Commander Baako spoke for them.

"It wasn't American military. They wouldn't have set foot here without the proper jurisdiction. But it wasn't us either. We don't know what happened out there."

Jennifer turned to look at Peter, as he was already shaking his head at her. As all three stared out at the black column of smoke, shouts broke the still of silence. Guardsmen were shouting at the gate. Commander Baako was the first to move, followed by Peter and Jennifer as they rushed to the gate.

As the guards shouted, the three caught sight of what they were shouting at. A man, badly burned, with his hands up in the air. He was shouting at the guards in broken English.

"Surrender! Surrender!"

He kept approaching the gate, barely able to stand as the soldiers had their rifles trained on him. Baako shouted.

"Stand down!"

The guards lowered their weapons, as the burned man clutched at the barbed wire gate, leaning against it. Peter and Jennifer ran forward. As they approached, the man slumped at the fence, screaming at them.

"Shetani! Shetani!"

The man fell to the ground, and remained silent. Peter pointed at the guards.

"Open the gate!"

They slid the gate open, as the two ran out to him. Soldiers followed, their weapons drawn. As the two Doctors looked over the man, burned across one side of his body with third degree burns, Peter checked his pulse, as his vacant eyes stared up at the sky. He looked up to Baako, shaking his head.

"He's dead."

Jennifer stood up.

"We need to get him inside. Away from the children."

Baako looked over the soldiers who stood around the scene, nodding. They stepped forward, picking up the burned man. Jennifer and Peter stood silently, watching as they pulled the man away.

Peter sat at the cafeteria table with Jennifer and Baako.

"He was shouting something. Shetani."

Baako nodded.

"It's African for Demon, Doctor. Or, the closest in meaning in English."

Jennifer spoke.

"What is a Shetani, exactly?"

"A belief in an often malevolent spirit. They take the forms of Humans and Animals, often disfigured. They are often very powerful, and cunning. Tricksters."

Jennifer spoke.

"Why would he be shouting that at us?"

Baako looked at her.

"Smoke rises from their campsite. Something happened out there. We can see that now. That man is part of that clan. The markings on his body tell this. The warlords and those who follow them have roots in old African beliefs."

Jennifer looked over to Peter. He shook his head once more.

"No. Jen. We should stay here."

He looked up to Baako.

"We still can't cross their territory."

Baako rubbed his chin.

"With that much smoke, I don't think they're in any capacity to fight, or even worry about us."

Peter looked over to Jennifer, catching the glint in her eye.

"Jen no. No, we can't leave."

"Peter, this might be our only chance to look over the wreckage! Or what if the camp has wounded?"

"I'm a doctor Jen but I'd rather shoot myself then help any of those people. And you would too."

"What if there's children?"

Peter sighed, looking up to Baako.

"Okay. But I'm not letting Jen roll off out there on her own. I'm coming with."

Baako nodded.

"You will need protection. I will travel with you. Take another jeep and fill it with soldiers. But we move quickly, understand?"

Jennifer nodded. Peter sighed.

"The children and other patients here should be fine while we're away. They're already hooked up to the best we can give them. But you need to put your men on guard Baako."

"Agreed Peter."

Peter looked over to Jennifer.

"Happy now?"

Jennifer stood up.

"I'll wake up early and make you coffee tomorrow. You sleep in, take some time off."

Peter shook his head. That was code. That meant something special as compensation was going to happen tonight. Peter stood up.

"You really had to string me along for that one Jen. A mastery of bribes is what you are."

Jennifer smiled.

"Come on you. Let's pack some gear. We might need it."

The two looked over to Baako, as he stood quietly on the side. He nodded, leaving them to get his own men ready.

The Jeep bounced across the simple dirt road, rolling by swaying fields of golden yellow, and large sprawling trees whose branches expanded outwards, growing leaves and branches that expanded like great umbrellas, dotting the landscape. Baako slowed to a stop on the dirt road, as he stood up in his seat, pointing off into the distance as he handed binoculars to the two doctors in the backseat.

"We're about to cross the territory line. But out there, you can see the wreckage of the plane."

Baako turned back on the two.

"If you want to turn back, now is the time to do so. I can't guarantee our safety from here."

Baako looked back to the second jeep that had stopped behind them. Peter set his binoculars down.

"By now, there wouldn't be any survivors in the wreck. Look, you can see the scavengers up in the sky and on the ground."

Sure enough, in the sun and clear sky, a circle of the carrion eating birds flew round and round. Small black dots covered the wreckage in bundles, feeding off the dead.

"Jen, we should go back. We had no part in this. And if the military from America shows up, or even the African government does, they'll start asking questions."

Jennifer set her binoculars down.

"But if they show up, we'll be able to paint a better picture for them Peter. We're doctors. We can take a look and see what happened. Give them a head start on investigations. Maybe even, get some brownie points towards the clinic."

Peter sighed.

"Okay fine. But we do this quick okay?"

The two sat down, and Baako signaled for the second jeep to roll ahead of them, sitting back down. Rolling forwards as the second jeep passed them, the three looked onwards towards the site of the wreckage. The trip didn't take long, as the first jeep offloaded its soldiers, as they secured a perimeter around the plane. Peter and Jennifer stepped out, covering their mouths with masks and strapping on gloves.

The stench of rotting flesh filled the area, as they stepped among the shrapnel of the plane, vultures hopped away, but remained close by, waiting to return to their meals. The first, and major eye catching thing that the two noticed, was the gear strewn about. Peter stood next to Jennifer, looking over what remained of the plane.

"Jen, they all have arctic gear on."

Peter was right. What remained of the dead still held military grade arctic coats and gear on them. Jennifer shook her head.

"I don't get it. Why would they have winter gear on, all the way out here?"

"They must have gone off course from somewhere else. An emergency maybe?"

"But from where?"

Peter looked back, waving commander Baako over. The commander stepped through the wreckage and bodies, covering his face with his shirt. He stood with the two, as they looked at the scene. Peter spoke.

"Baako, everyone's wearing arctic grade winter gear. Do you know anywhere in Africa that would need equipment like this?"

Baako shook his head.

"The high mountains can be cold. Snow even. But it wouldn't make sense for an American plane to be out here up in the mountains."

He pointed to the front end of the plane, which was still largely intact.

"We may be able to find some flight data. Recordings. Log books."

Peter looked at Jennifer. The two nodded. Stepping through the wreck, the trio made their way into the husk of the plane, into what remained of the cockpit. Everything was largely intact, but as they stepped into the cockpit itself, something even stranger greeted them. Across all the equipment in the plane, bullet holes were present. Somebody went full automatic on the entire dashboard of the plane. In the pilot's seat, a corpse lay, still strapped in place. Baako pointed at the seat.

"Look at the seat. Somebody attacked the pilot."

As Peter and Jennifer looked at the seat, Baako's words rung true. A hole, roughly the size of an arm was punched through the back of the seat. As Peter stepped around to the front, a hole, the same size in the seat was punched through the pilot's chest cavity. Peter waved to Jennifer.

"Jen look at this."

As Jennifer stepped around to see, Baako looked over at the co-pilot's chair. He reached out, and grabbed a jacket that was laying on the seat. He held it up.

"You two. This jacket isn't military. Civilian."

The two turned on the spot, as Baako began looking through the pockets. In his hands he pulled out two plastic cards. He held them up.

"Identification."

He passed the cards over to Jennifer first, as she looked over them, and then passed them to Peter. Peter looked at both cards. One was labeled with a picture of a man, R.J. Macready, and the other card, partially burned and black, only had one half of a name. Childs. He looked up at the two.

"A mechanic and a helicopter pilot. Both cards have "U.S. Outpost 31, Antarctica."

He shook his head.

"I don't get it."

Both Baako and Jennifer looked just as confused. Jennifer spoke.

"Now we know where they came from."

As Baako went to set the coat down, something slipped out of it, from one of the sleeves. It was rolled up, a red binder. Jennifer bent down to pick it up, when Baako's radio suddenly cracked. Jennifer and Peter jumped as Baako held it up.

"Say again. Repeat your status."

Jennifer and Peter watched, as Baako registered what was happening over the radio at his ear.

"We are coming back immediately. Cease fire, and barricade the clinic. The children and sick are high priority!"

Jennifer and Peter both spoke as soon as Baako put the radio down and turned to leave.

"What's wrong!?"

All three walked back quickly, towards the road.

"Something happened at the clinic. The guards were attacked."

Jennifer and Peter continued to speak at the same time together.

"By who!?"

Baako signaled for the soldiers that were positioned around the wreck to mobilize.

"You men take your jeep and investigate the warlord camp! We will go back to the clinic. Do not engage unless you are attacked, tactical retreat if engaged, understood!"

He stepped into the jeep quickly as Peter and Jennifer barely got in as he started it.

"The burned man."

Peter looked over at Jennifer, shaking his head.

"No, no, that can't be. He was dead. Jen, you were there with me. No pulse. He was stone cold dead."

Baako shook his head.

"Either you two are getting rusty, or one of my men are fooling around. In this case, I'm inclined to believe the latter."

The jeep rolled forwards, as the two doctors held on tight as Baako put his foot down on the gas peddle.

As mid-afternoon rolled in, and the jeep returned to the little encampment on the dry dusty plains, just outside of a great forest, they returned to something unexpected. As they rolled past the gate to a stop, all three stood up in the Jeep. Baako stood tall, shouting as he looked at the remains in the yard.

"What the hell is this!?"

A soldier approached the jeep.

"Sir, we were attacked. The burned man was still alive. He was sick. He went mad, and attacked one of our men."

Peter looked over the burnt corpses on the yard. There were three.

"Why are there three bodies?"

The soldier looked up to Peter.

"The burned man was sick. Contagious with something. Something powerful. He bit one of our men, and in only a few minutes, we caught him trying to kill another man. We took no chances. Burned the bodies to make sure."

Baako stepped out of the jeep, imposing as he looked down at the soldier.

"You and me soldier, are going to have a talk. I want you to break everything down, to the last detail."

The soldier nodded, as Baako looked back to Peter and Jennifer, who stood quietly in the jeep.

"You two! Check on the kids and the sick. They said this all started in the clinic."

The soldier spoke once more.

"Wait! We barred the clinic shut after the fight broke out in the yard! But there is a child in there, who was bitten."

Peter and Jennifer stepped out of the jeep hurriedly, making their way to the clinic as soldiers followed with them in tow, unbarring the doors and unlocking them. Baako and the soldier left the premises. As Peter and Jennifer stepped into the clinic, what greeted them was, unexpected. The children were all resting quietly, as if nothing had happened.

A still crept over the soldiers and everyone in the room, as Peter and Jennifer walked through row upon row of children. Some stirred and roused when looked over, waking up, asking questions or smiling and laughing with the doctors, their friends. But there was no bitten child to be seen. Double checks, triple checks, and not one child came up with a scratch.

Peter and Jennifer left the clinic, as the soldiers stood guard. They stood outside the doors, speaking in hushed voices. Peter spoke first.

"Something is wrong here."

Jennifer crossed her arms.

"You think Baako was right?"

Peter nodded.

"Somebody's not saying something Jen."

"What about the kids?"

"I don't know. But, something's wrong. They shouldn't be so happy. Or resting either. There was bullets in the yard Jen. Gunfire that close would have frightened them or at least woke them up."

Peter looked back at the clinic doors, then back to Jennifer.

"I'm going to talk with Baako. You want to check over the children? They do like you better after all."

Jennifer nodded.

"Okay. See what you can find out from Baako."

Jennifer turned around.

"Oh, wait, here!"

She pulled out a red binder from her backside that she had stuffed partially into her pants in all the commotion, handing it to Peter.

"I grabbed this before we had to leave. Look over it with Baako, okay? Flight logs and things."

Peter leaned close and kissed her.

"We'll figure this out all right?"

Jennifer nodded.

"Yeah. Okay. Good luck with Baako."

"Keep an eye out on the kids. If what they said is true, then we might have to separate them."

The two parted ways as they went off to their respective tasks.

Peter sat in the office with Baako, sitting across the table from him.

"Okay, let's go over this again, one more time."

Baako nodded.

"The soldiers all say, it started in the clinic. They heard screaming, yelling. When they went inside, the burned man was attacking a child. When one of the men went to pull him off, he was bitten."

Peter nodded.

"Okay. So what happened then?"

"The soldiers opened fire on the burned man, and pulled him out of the clinic. A few minutes later, the one who had been bitten was found attacking another soldier. Killed him. They opened fire, dragged the bodies out to the yard, and burned them for contamination protocol."

Peter shook his head.

"No, something's wrong Baako. You said they shot the man in the clinic right? The kids.... They were fine."

"What do you mean?"

"They were resting. Like nothing had happened. Me and Jennifer looked through all of them. There wasn't a scratch on them. We went through them three times. They were all normal."

Baako shook his head.

"I don't understand. We're missing something. Something is wrong Peter. And I don't know what it is."

Peter snapped his fingers, pulling out the red binder.

"Jennifer snagged this before we left. The flight records. Maybe they have some answers."

Baako nodded.

"Okay then. A flight from Antarctica. Let's see what they were doing."

Jennifer stood over a small child as he sat in a chair, as she looked him over. She leaned down, looking into his eyes.

"Hey there big guy, how are you feeling?"

"I was scared doctor Jenny."

Jennifer checked his pupils as they moved.

"Why is that big guy?"

"The soldiers came in, and were really loud. I had to cover my ears."

"Well, you don't seem very scared to me right now."

Eyes were normal. Pulse was normal. Nothing seemed wrong. But she couldn't put her foot down on it. The child looked up as Jennifer set her instruments down on a table.

"I feel good doctor Jenny. I'm not scared anymore."

Jennifer raised her eyebrows.

"Oh? Well what's making you feel so happy big guy?"

She leaned down and wobbled his cheeks. The child shrugged.

"I feel good inside. Happy and tingly."

"Tingly?"

The child nodded. Jennifer looked him over continuously. She didn't get it.

"Well, okay big guy. If you say so. But if you ever feel scared, you just call for me okay? I'll be right here in a second."

The child smiled as she picked him up in her arms and carried him with her back to his bed.

"You get some rest now okay? It's been a tough day for you. I bet a good night's sleep and you'll feel even better in the morning."

The child smiled.

"Thank you doctor Jenny. Can we play out in the yard tomorrow?"

Jennifer looked out the doors, reminded of what she had seen earlier. She ruffled the child's hair.

"You sure can big guy."

Jennifer left the child in bed, as she went to look over her equipment. As she passed by, most were sleeping quietly. She needed to look more. Something didn't add up.

Peter shook his head.

"I don't see what the hell they were doing out here. I mean, the flight logs haven't given us anything."

Baako sat across from Peter.

"I have a theory Peter."

"Let's hear it."

"I think the military was transporting something."

"From Antarctica?"

"Yes. Those ID cards were from an outpost. What if they were carrying some new strain of something?"

Peter nodded.

"Like a virus. You mean like a biological weapon?"

"Yes. It spreads through blood. The soldier who was bitten turned in minutes. But it's not airborne."

"You think that's what happened to the warlord camp?"

Baako sighed.

"It is possible. But the scouts have been gone for hours now. It'll be dark soon. They should have been back by now."

"Unless they were caught."

Baako sighed once more.

"Don't say things like that Peter. We're in over our heads right now. That would be the last thing we need."

Peter flipped through the red binder, coming to the end of the flight log. He kept flipping through blank pages, until he reached the end of the book. Peter's eyes traveled over the blank page, to see writing. As he read the words, he turned the book over and slid it to Baako.

"I found something. Take a look at this."

Baako read the words aloud.

"Don't trust anyone. Use fire."

He looked up to Peter, before shoving the red binder off the table, as he sat down with a sigh.

"I don't understand this Peter. None of this makes any sense."

Peter nodded.

"I know. Jennifer is looking over the kids in the clinic. I don't know what's wrong. But something is."

Peter paused.

"Wait a minute. Baako, they shot the burned man in the clinic right?"

"Yes Doctor."

"There was no blood. There wasn't anything on the floor."

Peter and Baako stood up, and were about to leave the office when Jennifer stepped in, out of breath. She looked over the two men.

"I know what's wrong. I missed it before because it was obvious. You need to see this."

Peter stepped up to her, as he scooped up the red binder, showing her the last page.

"Look at this Jen. Somebody wrote that down in a hurry, and tried to hide it on the plane. Baako thinks we're dealing with a virus."

Jennifer shook her head.

"No, that can't be. Come on, you need to see this Peter."

Jennifer left the office, as did Peter, with Baako in tow. They crossed the yard to the clinic, going inside to see the children sleeping normally for the night. Jennifer walked over to a bed, and stopped, keeping her voice down. She held out her hand to Peter.

"What do you see?"

"A sick child Jen."

"A sick child with lung problems Peter. He can't breathe half the time without being on drugs. Look at him Peter."

Peter looked over the sleeping child. Baako stared too, speaking first.

"He breathes normally."

Jennifer nodded.

"Exactly."

The trio stood in silence. Peter spoke first, keeping his voice down.

"Jen. Something is wrong. Something is really wrong."

She nodded.

"I think Baako is right. It's a virus."

"What, it drives men mad and heals kids?"

Baako spoke now as well, in a hushed tone.

"Peter, the flight log."

All three said it together.

"Trust no one. Use fire."

Jennifer spoke.

"The pilot. Was killed from behind with something."

Peter could see it too. Something was starting to make sense.

"And the dashboard was shot up completely. Somebody with an automatic weapon fired into it on purpose."

As all three stood over the sleeping child, they became aware of how wrong things were. And suddenly, they realized that they stood in a room full of sleeping children. Relaxed, unafraid of what had transpired earlier in the day. Baako unshouldered a pistol from his holster, backing out slowly. Jennifer and Peter watched him, speaking together in hushed voices.

"What are you doing Baako?"

The commander spoke, in a calm voice, but made motions with his face and eyes for them to go along with him.

"We should get some rest. It's been a long day. I'm going to go to the shooting range. Relax with a few rounds."

Peter nodded.

"I'll come with. Jen, you want to brush up on your skills?"

Jennifer shook her head.

"I need some coffee first. Paperwork to do. I'll see you later."

She leaned in close and kissed Peter. The three went their separate ways out of the clinic, dimming the lights for the evening as they left. But not long after the exited, they walked together, stopping in the yard. Baako spoke first.

"Something is wrong. With the children. With the men in the camp and the scouts. They should have been back by now."

Jennifer was pulled close by Peter as she spoke.

"What do we do?"

Baako shook his head.

"I don't know. I don't know what this is."

Peter spoke.

"The writing in the logbook. "Don't trust anyone."

Jennifer shook her head.

"It's an infection. It infects people through the blood. Adverse reactions in adults. Something else in children. What do you think it does that for?"

Peter spoke now.

"Jen, kids don't just get better from lung damage. Nobody does. He was breathing normally. A healthy pair of lungs, brand new."

"Is that a bad thing? I mean, all these children have terminal diseases or life affecting illnesses that need care. And one of them seems to be better, like brand new."

"Jen, we don't know what this is."

Baako spoke.

"I do."

The two doctors turned to him.

"What?"

"Shetani. It takes the form of Humans and Animals. But the form it takes is not them."

Jennifer spoke, cutting Peter off before he spoke.

"You can't be serious Baako."

The commander nodded.

"It's the only explanation doctor. We need to tread carefully. I'm going to round up the men and inform them. But we need rest. Guard shifts."

Jennifer and Peter nodded.

Baako turned to leave, but turned around.

"You two. Lock your door. I'm going to give you a radio. If you're in trouble, call me. I will stay up on the night shift."

Peter spoke.

"Baako, we can't just take shifts and watch out for trouble. I mean, we don't know what we're dealing with here. What are we supposed to watch out for? What are we supposed to do?"

Baako nodded.

"I need time to think. You two get some rest for the night. I will plan our next move."

Baako turned and went on his way, leaving Jennifer and Peter alone.

In the quiet of the night, Peter lay in bed with Jennifer. He stirred as much as she did. The two were restless, listening for any sort of sound outside in the dark of night. The sound of activity woke them, as soldiers chattered, or even shouted. Things were going downhill. Peter stroked Jennifer's hair, speaking softly.

"Jen, I can't sleep."

Jennifer spoke quietly as well.

"I know. I can't either. I keep thinking about the kids."

"What we're going to do with them?"

"We can't just pretend they're normal. Because they're not. Something is off about them. But, at the same time, Peter, I looked over a little boy with an illness that was eating away at his lungs. And now, that illness is gone."

Peter stayed quiet for a few minutes, thinking.

"Jen. What if the child if gone too? Like the lung infection?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not a virus Jen. It's a parasite. It goes in through the blood. Infects the host, replaces the damaged cells in their body. But it wouldn't replace damaged cells for no reason."

Jennifer saw it too.

"The burned man."

Peter pulled her close.

"Dead cells. Dying cells. It can jumpstart both. And, in healthy soldiers, living cells."

"It infects the host. Replaces everything. But with what?"

Peter got up from bed.

"Something else. Jen, I need to tell Baako."

As Peter started getting dressed, in the silence of the night around the clinic, off in the distance, the hum of an engine could be heard, growing steady. It grew steady until it sounded close to the gate outside the compound. But it didn't stop. From outside there was shouts, and the sound of wire snapping. Jennifer stood up now, as the roar of the jeep could be heard, followed by gunfire.

Jennifer was the first to act, reaching into a drawer and pulling out a small handgun. She passed the first to Peter and kept one for herself. The two got dressed, and made their way to the door, unlocking it. The shouts outside continued and gunfire erupted in spurts. Peter looked over to Jennifer in the dim light of their room. He nodded quietly, pushing open the door.

Stepping out into the night, the two spotted the aftermath of what had transpired. Commander Baako had come out now as well, and was on the scene. Their jeep, the second one that went up to the warlord camp, had returned. It had driven full speed through the gate, ripped through the barbed wire and mesh, and came to a stop against one of the buildings in the yard. Bodies lay on the ground along the path of the jeep.

The soldiers were all still shouting as commander Baako stepped in, and fired his pistol up into the night. Jennifer and Peter kept their distance, watching as he loomed over a soldier who was laying against the jeep slumped, but still breathing.

"What madness is this!? You're attacking your own men!"

The two watched from a distance, listening closely. The man clutched his gun, pointing it in all directions at the soldiers present.

"I'm not talking to you! You're infected! You're all infected!"

Peter looked over to Jennifer, speaking quietly.

"They found something at the camp!"

Peter suddenly stepped out, as did Jennifer.

"No! We're not infected! Don't shoot! You have to listen to us!"

The standoff remained still, as the soldiers at the camp trained their weapons on one another or the one lone soldier whose aim swept over multiple targets. Baako lowered his weapon.

"Let's all calm down, and take things slow. We don't want to scare the children."

He looked back to Peter and Jennifer as they approached. Jennifer spoke to the crowd.

"It's not a virus. It's a parasite."

Peter nodded.

"It infects through the blood. Copies living cells. Fixes damaged ones, animates dead ones."

The man slumped against the jeep pointed his weapon at them as the soldiers tensed.

"You two! You doctors! You know! You have to stop it! The warlord camp was destroyed! Burned to the ground! But the bodies! Shetani! Shetani!"

Baako lowered himself down to the soldier, speaking quietly, but very firmly.

"We're trying to do that, right now soldier. We know the children are infected."

The man shook his head, shouting.

"No! No no! You have to kill them! You have to burn them now!"

Peter spoke.

"Keep your voice down!"

The man shook his head.

"No! It's too late! You're infected! You cannot trust anyone! Shetani! Shetani!"

The man pulled a grenade from out of his vest, pulling the pin and letting it drop to the dirt. Baako shouted, ferrying Peter and Jennifer aside.

"GRENADE!"

The small explosive detonated, killing the man and the soldiers who couldn't get away in time. Jennifer and Peter lay in the dirt as gunfire erupted throughout the camp, as a night worth of strange looks, tense standoffs and paranoia erupted, as soldiers turned on each other, yelling and shooting. Baako was already on his feet, as the two scrambled up to their feet behind him.

From inside the clinic, a howl that reverberated through the entire compound was heard. A scream that wasn't Human. Soldiers turned on one another, their paranoia having blown over completely into madness, as Baako sprinted into his office, leaving Jennifer and Peter running across the yard to the clinic. In all the chaos, the two burst through the doors, coming to a stop, as something loomed over them. Jennifer and Peter stood, all logical thought processes coming to an end, as a towering pillar of flesh and bone uncurled itself like a snake.

Arms, legs, and faces of every last patient in the clinic were merged into a sickly pillar of flesh, their anatomy bent and twisted into one monstrous form. Ribcages split open along the underside of the creature, as it used its collection of arms to pull itself along with bony repurposed rib appendages. The faces of children looked out at the world, their eyes focused on the two in the doorway, as the monstrous thing loomed down towards the two. The face of a child on the front end spoke,

"I'm afraid Dr. Jenny."

Before his jaw dislocated, traveling lower and lower, as repurposed arms reached out of its maw with bony claws.

Jennifer backed away as did Peter, as bones and the arms and legs of children pulled the mass of flesh forwards. The two were in shock, as they tripped in the dirt and the winding creature loomed over them. Gunfire and screams sounded out in the camp as the survivors spotted the thing and opened fire on the most visible form of clear and present danger.

With speed and an inhuman howl from the gaping maws of children, the winding mass pulled itself along towards the closest soldier, bearing down on him. The screams as the man visibly merged with the pillar of flesh sent shivers down Peter and Jennifer's spines, as the screams were cut short and the soldier was added to the creature in full, distorting and bending to suit its needs.

Gunfire sounded out as soldiers continued to fight, as Baako came running over to them, firing a rifle at the twisting mass in the process. In his hand and in a belt across his chest, Baako held a grenades. Jennifer, despite her shock, stood up.

"No! It's afraid! It's a defensive reaction!"

She grabbed Baako's arm, as the commander struggled with her.

"What is wrong with you!!? That thing is not human! The children are gone!"

Peter surged forward, pulling Jennifer away as she struggled with Baako.

Beyond them the twisting mass curled around a jeep, using it as cover, flipping it over like a toy. Bullets riddled and tore through it, puncturing the underside. The creature began convulsing, as flesh began tearing away at itself, threatening to split apart. Baako still struggled with Jennifer who was begging him not to, as Peter finally pulled her away. Peter held her by the shoulders, looking into her eyes, shaking his head.

"Jen. Jen! It's not them anymore! They're gone!"

Baako pulled the pin on a grenade, and threw it, quickly throwing a second one alongside it for good measure. Jennifer wasn't looking back, as the grenades bounced and rolled, coming to a stop at the sickly mass of children. Peter wasn't looking either, as he watched her eyes, clutching her face tight, shaking his head.

The grenades exploded, ripping into the creature, and igniting the flammable gases and oils that had been pooling up around it, as it tried to escape. In the chaos of it all, Peter watched, as Jennifer's eyes became unfocused on him, and her jaw split apart, expanding outward. Peter was pushed to the ground as Jennifer turned, an inhuman scream sounding out from her as she lunged at Baako, leaping into the air as she clung to his backside, sinking her malformed jaws into his back.

The explosion rung in Peter's ears, as he lay on the ground in shock, as the jeep detonated and consumed the mass of infected children. Its screams and howls filled the night, as gunfire continued to erupt among the camp, as infected individuals transformed, their bodies twisting and convulsing into sickly, broken and twisted shapes as they attacked those that were still human. But all Peter could do was stare up in shock, as his friend, his co-worker, his partner in life, ripped into the spine of Commander Baako with her jaws.

As Baako fell, he dropped with him a grenade in the dirt. Jennifer saw it, and attempted to move away, but couldn't escape in time. Peter covered his face as the grenade went off in a flash of shrapnel and light.

As the early morning dawn rose, rays of light shone down on the compound, as smoke spiraled up into the air. Peter sat, in cold silence, as he watched the surviving soldiers pull the dead and throw them onto the burnt pile of bodies that lay curled and fused around the jeep. The fire burned, as the stench traveled through the air for miles.

Peter was in shock. He knew that. He didn't know what to do. Baako had died. Only a few members of the soldiers remained, and even then, how could any of them be sure? But most of all, Jennifer's body wasn't found. Peter held his head in his hands, looking at the aftermath of the night spread all across the courtyard. In one hand, he clutched a pistol tightly, white knuckled.

It was too much for him. His world had fallen apart. And worst of all, they couldn't be sure about anything. But Peter knew. If Jennifer, the thing that she had become, got out, or anything else did, it would be the end of everything. Animals, people, children. It could infect them all. In the quiet still of the morning, in the silence of the air, and the steady plume of smoke, Peter rolled the pistol around in his hands.

He rolled it, around and around, until he found it pointed at himself. He looked over to the small building that had constituted as their bunkhouse. The cafeteria. The clinic. The yard, stained with blood and charred, malformed body parts. The fence, ripped into and torn through. With shaking hands, Peter held the gun, pointing it at himself. As he held the barrel up to his mouth, the sound of gunfire shattered the silence.

An engine revved, and gunfire sounded out, as a jeep rolled across the yard, crashing through the fence and tearing away down the road. Peter was up and running, for reasons unknown to him, as he ran over to the last jeep in the yard. Stepping into it, he started it up, and drove past the remaining soldiers, blind to them as they shouted at him and even fired at him as he rolled through the hole in the fence onto the road, putting his boot down on the peddle as the engine gave everything it had.

Peter chased the jeep for miles down the dirt road, passing by the wreckage of the plane in a blur, in a fight to catch up to the vehicle that was so far ahead of him already. His world was gone. In one night, everything had fallen apart and been consumed by the thing he now chased. The road wound for miles, leading through the savannah, as Peter did not stop.

A madness crept over him, something powerful, as he knew he would spend his last breaths hunting it. The images of Jennifer, staring at him, eyes full of fear, and hurt, and pain, and then going blank as something destroyed her inside, replayed in his mind. It had gotten to her. Infected her. And she was there with him, all along. And he had never even seen it. A perfect copy. More than that.

Most of the gas had been used up to burn the bodies, and both jeeps had some of their tanks siphoned off. As the gauge lowered close to empty, Peter looked out to the looming smoke in the horizon. The warlord camp. The jeep bounced and rocked over bumps in the path as it went off-road now, Peter's gaze focused solely on the jeep. The madness that had consumed the camp ran in his veins now, inseparable.

Far ahead, the dust trail of the other jeep had stopped, and Peter closed in on the remains of the camp. Nothing but charred ruin and ash. But as he looked over the scorched ground, and came to a slow stop, Peter spotted something. Among all the bodies, malformed or normal, and the burnt buildings in the shade of the trees they sat under, and a small rock formation, was an opening. A mineshaft. Freelance and created by the tribe of warlords and drug runners that called this place home.

Pulling up to a stop, Peter checked his belt, finding the pistol there at the ready. The glove box had a flashlight, and in the back seat, sat a crate of grenades. Peter took one grenade with him, as he stepped out of the jeep into the ruins of the village that lay in shambles. The mineshaft lay open to him, supported with crooked wooden poles and posts, leading into the earth below. Not far outside the entrance, the other jeep sat, still warm.

Unflinching and lost in the madness, Peter walked into the shaft, keeping his pistol at his side. It all ended here. Everything led up to this. No survivors.

Peter stepped further down the mineshaft, into the darkness that engulfed him, threatening to swallow him whole if his simple flashlight went out. He clutched his pistol, descending into the damp earth and stone. As he stepped further along the path, the silence was broken, as Jennifer's voice sounded out.

"Peter. It's me. You know me. Please....."

The sounds echoed along the walls, as Peter swept his flashlight over darkened stone. Something moved, in the darkness, and Peter fired his pistol into the void. He spoke, a serene calm in his voice, as if he were dead.

"No. I know who you were."

Something moved once more, and Peter fired with abandon into the darkness, as something charged him. As it stepped into the flashlight, a pair of legs, twisted and bent with multiple joints as skin and bone were malformed to shape them sprinted towards him. Peter fired, the last rounds of his pistol being spent, as the horrendous monstrosity knocked him down.

His back on the damp earth, the flashlight knocked from his grip, rolling away, painting light against the rocky ceiling, he stared up, to Jennifer's torso. She gripped the stone ceiling with malformed hands, looking down at him. It wore her face, staring out at him through dead eyes, as its mouth split apart to speak.

"Peter...."

For a brief moment, it hung there, watching him, before it let go. It dropped down over top of Peter, as he slipped the pin off the grenade in his pocket. He wrapped his arms around Jennifer tight, staring up into the malformed face of the woman he loved.

"We go together Jen. Just you, and me."

In the critical seconds that followed, Peter fought with all his strength to hold Jennifer down, but he was rolled over and pushed off, as a spindly pair of legs reached out with claw like toes, tearing the grenade away from Peter as they sprinted up the tunnel.

With a thump that reverberated through the mineshaft, rock and earth collapsed over top of the two, encasing them in dust and showering them with debris. Peter felt something bash into his head, and he slumped into unconsciousness as the tunnel collapsed, encasing them in a tomb.

Peter stirred in the night, restless. Turning round and round, he realized that Jennifer held him tightly. The lingering memory of the nightmare was still fresh in his mind. As he moved, Jennifer stirred. He spoke, from out of sleepiness.

"It's okay Jen. Just a bad dream. Back to sleep."

Jennifer sighed, pulling Peter close to her.

"Peter, I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

Jennifer rubbed the back of his head, sliding a hand through his hair. Peter stirred, aware of her worry for him. As he moved, he realized that his hand wasn't resting on a soft pillow. It was soft earth.

As everything came back to him, in the darkness, he realized where he was. And what he was with. Maybe, on another day, he would have fought. Let the madness drive him forwards, the insanity of the last night pull him on strings. A futile struggle against the inevitable. But now, he was tired. He was burnt out, with nothing left. Everything had spiraled out of control. He was already dead. All that remained, was some fleeting sense of nostalgia, as the horror that held him close emanated the person he loved.

"Will it hurt?"

Jennifer pulled herself up, over top of Peter. He couldn't see her face in the darkness. He didn't want to.

"Peter. It's me."

"Jennifer died a few days ago."

"Peter. Do you remember what I told you, in the cafeteria, before we went to see the plane?"

"You'd make coffee early."

"That's right."

"What about when I stood at the gate with you in the morning? I asked you about the plane."

Peter's eyes searched for something to see, anything. But he couldn't find her eyes in the dark.

"Jen?"

"It's me Peter."

Peter reached up, to feel the face of the person looking down at him. Smooth, just like hers. That perfection only he ever saw.

"Jen. You remember the day you came to me, when we were younger? A few years ago. It started this all."

"I asked you what you thought about Africa."

Something returned to Peter, washing over him. He pulled her close to him tightly.

"Jennifer!"

She returned the embrace. In the silence of the earth, Peter held her tight, never wanting to let go. An embrace that he would hold for however long he could. He spoke softly, a quiet to match the tomb they now resided in.

"Jen. Do it."

"Peter...."

"Do it Jen. Absorb me. Use the extra to dig yourself out. You don't have enough of yourself left."

Jennifer paused.

"No. I won't. I want to show you."

"Show me what?"

"How beautiful it is."

In the darkness, Peter heard something, moving, snapping back into place, or out. He couldn't tell. Jennifer's face felt close to his, her breath on his skin.

"Peter. Just relax. It won't hurt. I promise."

She giggled.

"You remember the first time we played "doctor?"

Peter smiled, the old, fond memory returning to him. Jennifer stroked a hand across his hair.

"It's a bit like that. But you don't have to be afraid. It's a new experience."

Peter laid back in the dirt. It was inevitable. But he couldn't tell if the person sitting on top of him was the woman he loved, or a perfect imitation of her. But whatever she was, she knew him. So he laid down, at rest, waiting for the inevitable. A silent death as his body would change without him knowing it. Maybe even the person he was, silently being destroyed, cell by cell, until a perfect copy of him stepped in place.

Jennifer pressed the upper portion of her lip to his, in the same style she always did. But her lower jaw split, engulfing her mouth around his. He was embraced by her, as if she wanted to kiss him deeper than she already was. Her lower jaws were gentle, as they moved, trying to pull and slide herself closer to him. Her breath was still there, hot and quick.

He surrendered, knowing that there was no stopping it. He opened his mouth, as her tongue peeked inside, finding his. She clutched at his head with her hands, her upper lip brushing against his own, and he felt the warm breath from her insides. And, like that, something poked him, inside his mouth. The smallest prick. Jennifer withdrew, her lower jaws trying to cling to him as she pulled away.

"Just like a little flu shot, that's all."

Peter held her close.

"I'm scared Jen."

"Don't be. Let me show you what I can do. I never did get a chance to make you any morning coffee."

She leaned forward, her breath close and hot on his face. She whispered, barely pressing her lip against his.

"Peter, we're doctors. We know how the Human body works. Imagine if, you replaced every cell in your body with a certain set of nerves at the end of a certain something of yours. Or, made just one special little area more receptive?"

She giggled, encasing her lower jaws around him once more. They clamped tightly around him, locking her in place. Peter toyed with her upper lip, to which something soft escaped her. A moan, something she made in the most intimate of contact. Her body shifted and changed in a matter of seconds, her lip as sensitive as her most intimate areas.

Peter found his hands up at her cheeks, as she shifted form, flesh rearranging itself to form a set of lower lips that pressed against his eagerly, as her lower jaws kept her entwined with him. She spoke, flushed and hot, briefly.

"We could do anything Peter. Just me and you. Share everything together."

Peter rubbed her cheeks, listening to the moan that escaped her, as sensitivity to touch was amplified a thousand times over, sending not just a feeling, but pleasure from simple contact. Peter spoke, barely able to stop himself from trying to kiss her continuously, as his mind began to realize things, for the first time.

"Jen, I want you so bad.... I want to know that it's you."

She giggled.

"Then take me. Just like the first time."

Lips greeted his once more, hungry for contact. Peter didn't fight or resist, as her tongue moved past, into his mouth. He clamped his lips down on it, the extended organ wrapping around his own tongue, solidifying their embrace further. Peter felt it, as her breaths became heated and faster, as her entire body was shifting, adapting itself to receive pleasure. And he wanted to give it.

His hands found the buttons to what remained of her lab coat, opening it up piece by piece, as he slid them under her shirt, to the warm body he had become so familiar with over the years. It was like something brand new. Their first time all over again. Peter wanted to explore and see every inch of her. Her lips brushed and pressed against his, her breathing heavy as he ran his hands up her top to her chest.

"I can do anything Peter. Bigger, smaller."

Peter shook his head.

"You don't need to change yourself Jen. I just want you back. I want you for who you are."

She giggled.

"I'm right here Peter. I'm just.... more now. And you will be too. Soon."

The outside set of Jennifer's jaws suddenly unclamped, as she withdrew from Peter. In the darkness she moved, pulling away from him. He couldn't see anything, and the sudden absence sent a shiver of fear through him. He called out.

"Jen. Don't leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here Peter. Just needed to move a bit."

And then Peter remembered. This was almost like their first time. Their first true night together, awkward and filled with experimentation. And she was replaying it for him. And before he could take the next step, Jennifer moved for him. Opening up his pants and sliding them down. In a sign of reassurance for him, she slid her hands up his shirt, resting them on his torso. She spoke, an air of excitement in her voice.

"You remember how awkward we were Peter?"

Peter slid his hands along her arms, pulling them out from under his shirt, feeling her hands, normal, soft, and controlled, just like they always were. He smiled.

"Yes. We learned about teeth really quick."

He held her hands tightly, as she giggled once more.

"This time will be different. I'm the same person. But with new possibilities. Let me show you."

Peter was excited. But at the same time, on edge. The darkness around him was heavy, consuming. He could only feel the damp earth around him, and didn't know how buried they truly were. And the air was becoming hot. Maybe even thin. And most of all, this person, his lover, his co-worker, his partner, was here. But he didn't know if it was her. She had the memories. She acted, caressed, and thought, did everything just like her. But as he listened to the sound of something cracking, flesh and bone shifting in the darkness, he didn't know. It was frightening. But exciting. Jennifer spoke once more.

"I know you're scared Peter. I was too."

He held her hands tightly.

"Okay Jen."

There was a pause, and then he felt it. Heated breath against his skin, as she drew close. A perverse sense of fear and excitement washed over him, as she strayed so close to his skin, but never touched him. It was dizzying, and all he could do was lay his head back in the dirt, as she giggled, just once, and then finally, pressed her lips against him.

She slid down, slowly, inching her way along with her lips, until there was a sudden resistance. And then Peter knew what it was. Another pair of lips. Another mouth, just as soft, and warm as the other. And that second pair opened, inviting him in, as she simultaneously worked both pairs, sliding further along, inch by inch, letting him feel everything. As he slid past the second pair, he was met with her tongue. But not just one. Four tongues, flexible, soft and spongy, on all four sides pulled at him, inviting him further.

Inch by inch two mouths, two pairs of lips, and four winding tongues pulled and massaged, going deeper, until there was no further they could go. Everything acted like Jennifer. Knew every movement and special spot, every special way to go about things. And Peter was in ecstasy. But it was more than that, as he held her hands tightly, and felt her begin to move her head, slowly at first, but with more enthusiasm.

Two pairs of lips sucked and pressed themselves down, and four tongues were held down in place as she worked her head and jaw, and it wasn't long before Peter, in a sense of lust and morbid fear, reached his end. But it was more than that. And he knew it. The feeling of pleasure was offset by something else. Something inside of him, that was growing, spreading, changing him. It was terrifying. He was on the threshold of falling, losing himself, losing who and what he was.

But as the pleasure rose in him, as Jennifer adapted her anatomy to create something new, a new experience for him, and herself, Peter realized that she had to be in there somewhere. She had to. And in one moment of pleasure, and a great wave of fear, Peter released it all. Everything was lost, spent and gone now, and at the same time, something was gained.

Jennifer withdrew herself from him, using her dual pair of lips, soft, warm, firm, demanding even, as she let nothing escape, as her tongues entwined around him in one last effort to send a ripple of pleasure through him. In the darkness of the pocket of earth they rested in, she pulled herself up over top of Peter, resting her head on his chest. His heart beat the same as it ever did. But she wrapped her arms around his neck, and Peter held her close, and she knew. He was like her now. She smiled, resting in the aftermath of only one simple little moment, as she knew more would come.

"We should sleep in Peter. Take a day off. We're in no rush. We should stay, and just relax for a while."

Peter understood what she meant, as he stroked her hair gently and held her close. His eyes were changing, and the darkness of the cave vanished, revealing Jennifer, laying on top of him like she always did, smiling as she rested on top of him. She was different. And now, so was he. Every last cell had been consumed, and replaced. Something rested inside of him, inside of his body, waiting to come out, like some terrible monster.

But as a new light dawned on him, and things began to reveal themselves, the night's events replaying in his mind, the last few days, and everything else on his mind. All the people of this world, who walked it, traveled it. The suffering, and disease. The pain and the anger. The addiction, and self-inflicted misery on others. He held Jennifer close, closing his eyes to rest, and enjoy more time with her, now that they had it. They could survive down here, in the dark and damp earth. They could even dig their way out when they were ready. But for now, he just wanted to be with her.

Most of all, he wanted to ask questions. And find answers about who and what they were now. But above all the questions on his mind, and the now lingering fear that was evaporating about who he was, he had one simple question left.

Deep down inside, who were the real monsters?