The Revenant Mutation

Chapter 2: Alive

Everything felt foggy, like I was slowly waking up from a deep sleep. I could feel a tightening force around my waist, the pain from the force became more vivid until it pulled me from my foggy reverie. When I opened my eyes the first thing I saw was a blinding light, my hands blocked the sunlight. It was warm. Forest sounds surrounded me, it was deafening at first, but it gradually faded into the background.

What happened? I could remember the plane crash, but that was about it.

My eyes adjusted to the light and a vibrant forest stretched in all directions. I was hanging from my seat, suspended several meters above the ground. 

I'm still alive. That's good. Alive is good.

The seatbelt had saved me from falling out of the broken plane, though the pain in my stomach and waist was a stark reminder of its tight grip. 

I didn't know whether to curse the creator of the seat belt or bless them.

The air was cold and the forest around the plane crash was gloomy. 

At first glance, there was nothing around the plane crash. Not even the remains of the passengers of the plane, apart from the debris, I was the only human in the crash.

Did the zombie eat everybody? 

Given where I was hanging from, it would have been difficult for a zombie to reach me.

With a deep breath, I managed to unlock the belt, plummeting towards the ground and landing on my feet. A strange, newfound strength filled my body, like adrenaline.

"Strange…” I muttered, flexing my hands.

Was this over excitement from a crash? Or something else. Why do I feel like I could run a marathon?

As the thought flashed across my mind, I caught the sound of four rapid footsteps approaching from the forest. 

Zombies? I mean, it could be, but it could also be survivors. There was no way to know.

Better to hide and find out, if they are zombies, I can just run away. Hopefully they will be humans. I hid behind some wreckage just as three figures burst into the clearing. 

Two men and a woman, dressed like hunters. 

Humans, phew. Was starting to worry there. Wait, humans. 

I stood up with relief and a smile, “Hey, help!” They probably saw the crash.

But, why do they look like they are running for their lives?

At that moment, a five-meter-tall cat-like creature with flesh and barbed whips extending from its back burst out from the middle of the trees, chasing the trio. 

This is clearly a normal house cat but it was magnified, with deadly tentacle appendages extending from its back. 

Shit. A zombified cat. 

But, why is it so big?

The trio saw me and the lady shouted, “Run!”

Yeah, I would have run even without you shouting it, Miss. 

The monster's tentacles lash out, narrowly missing the fleeing humans and leaving deep gashes in the wreckage.

Holy shit! That was close. Not gonna stay around to see the end of this show. I turned around to escape. I mean, why should I stay around when I could get a headstart? 

The burly man, wearing a fur coat, turned and fired at the creature, blinding one of its eyes. The beast roared in pain but remained alive. A tentacle struck the man with terrifying speed, sending him flying through the air. He landed near right in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. His chest was a bloody mess. 

A tantalizing scent hit me like I had run into a brick wall. Is that…is that his heart? Wait, what is smelling so f*cking good? 

The man tried to speak, raising a trembling hand towards me.

No, I think he spoke, but I just couldn’t hear his words, only the thumping of his heart and the scent…that heavenly smell. 

Everything around me faded away and the world narrowed to that heartbeat and the crimson flow. Overwhelmed by an inexplicable hunger, I reached the man in a blur, biting down on his neck. The man struggled, his hands weakly hitting my shoulder, but the taste of blood drowned out everything else.

“David!” the woman screamed, her voice echoing alongside gunshots and the monster’s snarls. 

I felt something hit me a few times. I hope it wasn't what I thought it was. Wait, what am I even doing? Why is this so intoxicating, like a man taking a sip of water after a long walk in the desert.  The blood filled me with warmth, a stark contrast to the cold world I had woken up to.

After what felt like minutes, I finally felt no more warmth in my grasp or mouth. The man dropped from my grip and landed with a thud.

What just happened? 

Some meters away, the cat monster was standing over another man, growling. The woman lay dead not far from the cat, her innards spilled across the ground. 

I looked down to my own hands, covered in blood.

No… I…

Did I…?

What is happening?

I wanted to deny it but my clothes were soaked with blood and I could feel the blood all over my face. 

Realization hit like a hammer. After all, I was standing over a corpse just like the zombie cat. 

“Argh!” 

I stepped back from the man. Not like it could reduce the horror I felt. 

I kept moving backward, away from the corpse, and finally, I turned around and ran, directionless and terrified. 

I didn't stop running until the sun vanished from the sky. When I did stop, I didn't feel any less energetic. But I was breathless, not from exhaustion, but from the overwhelming emotions churning inside me. 

The scene kept flashing in my mind. I enjoyed it. It was an addictive high. 

Why did I enjoy it? A human wouldn't do that. 

“Ah!” 

My scream startled creatures in the forest. 

Sliding down the body of a nearby tree, I hugged my knees.

A zombie… I'm a zombie.

I’m a monster.

I stared at my blood-stained hands. The blood had dried, but the horror remained. ‘I would rather die.’ 

Desperate, I pressed my hands against my neck, trying to strangle myself. Minutes dragged by as my face reddened, but instinct kicked in, and I gasped for breath, releasing my grip. It was pointless—survival instincts were too strong. What I needed was a sure way out, something beyond my control. A scent of water reached me, probably a river about two kilometers to my left. With determination, I set off toward it.

After nearly thirty minutes of running, I arrived at a breathtaking waterfall, surrounded by lush vegetation. I searched for a path to the top and began climbing. From the summit, I gazed down at the majestic sight—a 330-foot drop, rocky outcrops, and a pool of ice-cold water below. Taking a deep breath, I leaped.

When dawn approached, my eyes fluttered open to the sight of the sky. I was lying at the edge of a river. “I survived.” I sat up, inspecting my body. Not a single injury marred my skin despite the fall. A sad chuckle escaped my lips. “I can’t even die at will,” I muttered, looking up at the sky.

I replayed the events in my mind: boarding the plane, the zombie outbreak, the crash. I searched my body for bite marks but found none. “How did I become this?” Unlike the mindless zombies I had seen, I was not mindless. My mental faculties even seem to have improved somewhat. My urges are a little out of control, but I’m not feral. 

I remembered the passengers turning without reason. “Did I turn like them?” The thought of a virus indiscriminately affecting all biological creatures sent a shiver down my spine.

Sighing, I stared at the flowing river. The scene of the burning hotel came back to me…

Mom, Emily, Sam… I was alone in the world.

 Pah! I slapped myself. “Get yourself together, Vic!” I needed to get back to society.

My body felt energized, a stark contrast to my failed suicide attempt, but it offered no solace. I decided to trace the river—civilization often sprang up near water. Without the stars to guide me and the sun blocked by heavy clouds, it was my best option. Yet, the worry of being hunted by humans nagged at me.

“How can I mix in with normal people?” My clothes were torn from the fall, but my black shirt and trousers remained mostly intact, though my once-white sneakers were now a dull red. I dried my clothes on a rock by the riverbank, sitting in my underwear. Watching the fish swim by, I wondered if I could still eat regular food. My inhuman feeding habits meant living with others was out of the question. I needed to know if I could blend in.

Whoosh! Splash! I moved in a blur, darting into the water. Before the fish could react, my fingers had speared two. Blood stained the water as the other fish scattered. Flop! The two fish landed on the rock, their struggles silenced. I stared at the blood on my fingers. It didn’t look as enticing as human blood, but it still drew me in. Entranced, my fingers found their way to my mouth. The fishy taste brought me back to my senses. I tried to choke, but couldn’t. Whether I liked it or not, my body craved the taste of blood, though my mind rebelled. Leaping out of the water, I landed gracefully on the rock.

Cursing my situation, I gathered sticks to roast my meal.

Minutes later, I sat a few steps from the shore, eating the roasted fish. To my surprise, it wasn’t revolting. In fact, my enhanced senses detected new flavors, making the experience almost pleasant. A small spark of hope ignited within me—I could live among humans, as long as I could control my thirst for blood.

Once my clothes were dry, I resumed my journey along the river. The walk took several hours, with the sun high overhead, though heavy clouds mercifully blocked most of its rays. In the distance, I noticed aluminum roofs glinting in the leaking sunlight.

"Houses!" I quickened my pace, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and hope. Would I find safety? Answers? Or just more chaos? Either way, I had to keep moving forward.