Chapter 8
Alex pulls his car up to the hospital with Lindsey and Dixie in tow. Alex turns to Lindsey and asks, “Still couldn’t get through to her phone?”
Lindsey hands Alex back his phone, “No, sorry.”
Alex sighs, “Ok you two stay here. Megan may respond to this better if it’s just me and her.”
“Very well but please move quickly. We will guard the car”, says Dixie.
“Uh…thanks”, says Alex as he gets out.
“What are you going to say to her?”, asks Lindsey.
“Not sure yet. I heard it from a talking dog and I am still not sure I believe it.”
Alex walks through the hospital corridors. Cops and EMTs are everywhere. People are running back and forth. Stretchers are being wheeled past in a frenzy. Alex spies Megan and rushes over to her calling out for her. Megan turns amid the hysteria and cries, “Honey! What are you doing here?! Is everything alright?”
“No, not really I need to talk to you privately.”
“Baby can’t you see I am in a crisis over here! People need my help! It will have to wait.”
As Megan turns to go back to what she was doing Alex reaches out and grabs her arm. “No, it really can’t.”
Megan sees the seriousness in Alex’s eyes and concedes. They duck into a janitor closest. “Ok what is it that is so important?”
“Lindsey came to our apartment with a dog and it teleported and phased through walls and then started talking to me.”
Megan does not look pleased. “You took me away from saving lives to try out one of your book ideas! I gotta go.” Megan starts to leave.
Alex stops her, “I am serious. It really happened.”
“Then you’re delusional and need to be in one of these beds”, Megan snaps. She feels Alex’s forehead. “You don’t feel like you have a fever so hopefully that means your not turning into one of…well…zombies is what everyone is calling them.”
“That’s just it. They are not zombies. They are an alien race that feeds off emotions like fear and anger and hate and loneliness. It’s like food to them.”
“You can’t feed off of emotions.”
“The dog said it’s energy just a different type than what we are used to thinking of as food. He said they lay their eggs inside of other living organisms who have a lot of those emotions and they hatch and feed off that energy and they literally take control of the person they are inside of and feed until they are mature enough and then they emerge from the person as an adult.”
Megan stares at Alex, “Well aside from the emotions as food part, I have heard of certain insects that can do something like that. But usually just to other insects or maybe small mammals.”
“He said these are intergalactic insects that can do it to humans.”
“The dog told you this?”, says Megan raising an eyebrow trying to process.
Alex nods, “He says he is an alien too. Part of a different race though. He said he was born a dog as part of a rescue mission. He said humans cut themselves off and left themselves open to an infestation of these creatures. He is here to help you, me and Lindsey save humanity and this planet and reconnect it to the nexus of life.”
“Ok you almost had me half considering it for a moment till the saving humanity part. This isn’t one of your book ideas this is real life so start taking it seriously. Now if you will excuse me I have real people who need my help.”
“He said the only way to truly help them is to come with him. Otherwise everyone on this planet will be lost. Please it’s real.”
Megan stares into Alex’s pleading eyes.
Megan and Alex are walking up to the car when Dixie phases through the car door. Megan stops dead completely in shock.
Alex says, “See told you. He can talk to you himself. You just got to believe.”
Dixie walks up to Megan, “Hello Megan I take it Alex explained the situation to you.”
“How…”, says Megan.
Dixie continues, “I am sure you have many questions but time is of the essence and we still need to pick up the last member of the team so I can answer any of your questions as we drive.”
“Alright let’s go”, says Alex as he gently leads Megan into the car.
“What…where?”, says Megan.
“Uh I guess to Ashley’s office”, says Alex.
“Ashley who?”, says Megan.
“This girl…I mean woman I grew up”, says Alex.
“How do you know where she works?”, asks Megan.
“I ran into her a couple weeks ago and she told me where she worked”, says Alex.
“Are you having an affair with her?”, cries Megan.
“No!”, yells Alex. “I mean full disclosure I did sleep with her once but that was like almost an entire month before I met you.”
“Oh so you just happened to run into a women you slept with right before dating me and now we suddenly have to find her!”
Dixie chimes in, “There are no coincidences in life. Ashley and Alex are twin flames. Two halves of one soul. They will always find each other when they need to.”
Megan looks between Dixie and Alex in displeasure. Alex uncomfortably says, “He’s a dog what does he know.”
Alex, Megan, Lindsey and Dixie pull up to an office building and get out of the car. “Sooooooo”, says Lindsey, “we just walk up to her desk and tell her intergalactic parasites that feed off fear have infested human kind and you need to come with us because a talking dog says so.”
“Sounds about right”, says Alex.
Megan sighs, “I’ve never met this woman but I don’t see this going well.”
Suddenly the group spot half a dozen zombies running towards their car.
“Quickly inside”, shouts Dixie. They all run inside the office building and quickly barricade the door before the zombies can reach them. But more show up and try to break through the glass.
“Shit they are swarming!”, says Alex.
“Well according to Dixie, they are apparently insects”, says Megan.
“They will overrun the building soon”, says Dixie, “We must find Ashley and get out of here.”
“Ok ok third floor let’s go”, says Alex looking at the directory and heading off, “Fuck for crying out loud if this was some well orchestrated plan why didn’t you find us sooner?”
“We felt it was best for you to witness this for yourselves in human form”, says Dixie.
“Swell”, says Megan.
The group emerges onto a cubicle farm. Alex frantically looks around as people are huddled around computers or trying to call people on their phones.
Someone then cries, “Fuck, the land lines just went dead.”
Alex turns to who said that and sees Ashley at her desk looking concerned. “Ashley!”, he cries out and runs over to her with the others following.
“Alex!?!”, says Ashley shocked to see him. “What the hell are you doing at my office!?”
“It’s a long bizarre story”, says Alex.
“I’m Megan his girlfriend.”
Lindsey shakes Ashley’s hand, “Hi, I’m Lindsey.”
“Uh hi. Why are you all here?”
“Good question so um….let’s see….”, says Alex.
“No time we need to get to the roof now!”, interrupts Dixie.
“We need to get to the roof. Can you take us there?”, Alex says to Ashley.
“Why?”, asks Ashley confused and suspicious.
“Hurry”, says Dixie, “They will overrun the building any minute now.”
Alex suddenly turns to Dixie. “What?! Haven’t you ever seen a zombie movie. You get stranded on roofs!”
“Um why are you talking to a dog?”, Ashley asks.
“Trust me”, says Dixie.
Alex turns back to Ashley. “Look I know this all seems crazy and I am saying crazy fully aware that a zombie apocalypse is happening right now but it is very important we get to the roof immediately then we can explain. For old times sake humor me, please.”
The group emerges onto the roof of the building. “Ok we are on the roof. Now can I get some answers?”, says Ashley.
Alex barricades the door behind them and turns to Ashley. “Ok let’s see…how do I begin.” Before anyone can say anything else an explosion is heard. Everyone runs to the side of the building where it came from and sees the building across the street on fire. Zombies are climbing the building and pouring in through the windows.
“Holy shit we are all going to die!”, yells Ashley. She turns to run back down the stairs but stops frozen in shock and disbelief. Alex turns around and exclaims, “What the fuck!” The two other women also turn to see what Ashley and Alex are looking at. They see Dixie standing beside what looks like a portal with bluish light coming from it.
“What…what is that thing?”, asks Megan.
“Hurry we all need to get through this portal where we will be safe”, answers Dixie.
“I thought you said we are supposed to help people”, says Megan.
“Who the fuck are you talking to? What the hell is going on here?”, asks Ashley.
“Well you see apparently this dog is really an alien and these zombies are part of another alien race consuming humanity because we are a lonely fearful people. But the dog says all of us here are part of some inter-dimensional team assembled to save humanity and now he wants us to go through this portal where we will be safe”, says Alex.
“Are you shitting me! That’s the craziest thing I have ever heard. I thought you said you were a reporter, not a science fiction writer”, exclaims Ashley.
“It’s all true”, Lindsey says. Just then a crash is heard and the building shakes. They all run over to the edge again and see a car crashed into their office building now. Zombies are crawling through the hole it made.
“Fuck!”, yells Ashley. She then turns to Alex. “So your telling me I either get torn to shreds by these zombies or walk through some inter-dimensional portal with you three and a talking dog from outer space.”
“Something like that”, Alex says.
Ashley sighs, “I can’t believe I am about to say this but mystery portal beats being eaten alive.” She then turns and walks up to the portal. She looks at Dixie and then takes a deep breath and goes through the portal.
“But what about all these people dying?! What about our friends and families?!”, exclaims Megan starting to tear up.
“I am sorry but there is nothing you can do for them right now. You have to see the bigger picture. This has to happen so things can heal”, says Dixie.
“But..”, says Megan as Alex puts his arms around her to try and console her.
Dixie continues, “You have to be strong enough so you can make the right differences and the only way to do that is to go through this portal with me. Otherwise you will be swallowed up in what is coming and won’t be able to help anyone.”
Lindsey looks down at the chaos below them. She wipes the tears from her eyes and walks through the portal.
“He right”, says Alex. “It’s a war zone down there. It’s not turning your back if we are in a better position to help by doing this.”
“But what about everyone we care about? There must be something we can do”, says Megan.
“If he’s right there is but we gotta trust him. Otherwise we will die on this roof and not be a help to anyone”, says Alex.
“You have to let go and allow change to happen”, says Dixie.
Megan looks Alex in the eyes and nods her head. She pulls away from his embrace and grabs his hand tightly. Together the two of them walk through the portal. Dixie then jumps in after them and the portal closes behind him. Seconds after the portal closes a jet plane crashes to the ground a few yards away.
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