Sasha's body felt weak as she listened to the strange phenomenon Dr. Smith described taking place at the morgue.
"Dr. Fletcher and I are working to obtain answers in the lab. Dr. McCall, you won't believe the findings..." Dr. Smith's voice cracked.
"Are you alright? You don't sound too good," Sasha asked, worried.
"I'm fine, just a little tired, that's all. Anyway, the brain matter I retrieved from the corpse was the only thing that wasn't decomposing rapidly. It was like a part of it was still alive. Plus, the blood cells were extremely weird. I've never seen anything like it," Dr. Smith said.
"Weird like how?"
"The white blood cells were attacking the red blood cells at an extremely rapid rate."
"So, an extreme case of Evans syndrome?" Sasha asked.
"No, Dr. McCall, nothing at all like Evans syndrome. After the white blood cells attack and destroy all red blood cells, something even more unusual happens. The white blood cells mutate the brain's serotonin levels, sending the aggression to an intense high resulting in violent behavior, accelerated heart rates, skyrocketing hypertension levels, and the body becomes exhausted as a fever takes over. Then finally, the heart stops because it's unable to manage the stress of the ailments."
"Okay, so this sounds like a new disease. And diseases have to come from somewhere," Sasha declared.
"Yes. That's what Dr. Fletcher and I are trying to find out. I think we need to talk to the survivor. Dr. Dwight Weston might know something, but he's still in a coma. I'll talk to him as soon as he's up—Ahhhhhh!" Dr. Smith screamed in agony.
"Dr. Smith? Dr. Smith! Are you okay?" Sasha asked urgently, but Dr. Smith continued to groan in pain.
She heard Dr. Fletcher's voice in the background. "Easy, old friend. Let's get you checked out."
"ANDREW!" Sasha shouted into the phone, hoping Dr. Fletcher would hear her.
"Hello," Fletcher finally answered.
"Andrew, what's going on? Is Dr. Smith okay?"
"I think it's his hand. The corpse scratched him and now he has a very high fever. I'm taking him to intensive care. Sasha, I think we could find some evidence at the crash site. I'll have the proper documents by tomorrow for clearance to the site," Dr. Fletcher explained. "I need to go. Talk to you soon."
Sasha ended the call. "What the hell is going on?" she muttered as she walked back to her friends. She was worried about Dr. Smith, he was like a father figure to her and Tashell when they first started at the hospital.
The symptoms he was experiencing were the same manifestations of the new virus he had just described to her. She knew exactly how she wanted to spend the rest of her night. She wouldn't wait for Dr. Fletcher to obtain clearance to search the crash site—that could take days.
"Damn, Sasha. It looks like you just saw a ghost," Ruby said as Sasha walked into the living room.
"Carla, can you get me to the crash site?" Sasha asked. Tashell set the wine she'd been drinking on the glass table.
"Why?" Carla asked, perplexed.
"Can you get me there or not?" Sasha snapped.
"Yes, I can. But what's going on?" Carla stood up.
"I'll explain on the way. Let's change into something more comfortable," Sasha said, heading to her bedroom.
"Hold up," Tashell followed Sasha into her room. "What the fuck is happening?"
Sasha quickly gave her the short version.
"Wait—what? A new virus?" Tashell was in awe. "And you think we can find out more about it at the crash site?"
"Yes. Whatever it is, it came here on that plane from wherever it was coming from. Maybe we could find some evidence to help fight this thing. Based on what Dr. Smith explained, if this infection spreads, it'll be difficult to control, so we need to understand how it works now."
"You're right. Let me go get ready," Tashell said.
"Are you coming too?"
"Hell yes. I wouldn't miss this for the world. This is so thrilling."
"But Tashell, you don't like the outdoors," Sasha raised an eyebrow.
"I know, I just don't wanna stay here alone."
"You wouldn't be. Adrian would be here."
"Your brother doesn't count," Tashell rolled her eyes. But Sasha saw right through her.
"Look, Tash, you're my best friend, my sister, and it hurts me to see you hurting. Why didn't you tell Adrian how you felt all those years ago?" Sasha held her hand.
"I never realized it until I saw him kissing Carla on their wedding day," Tashell sniffled.
"Oh, babe. Come here," Sasha hugged her. "You know Adrian loved you for years before he met Carla."
"Yeah, and I was just too stupid to see it."
"Don't cry. At least Carla is nice," Sasha chuckled.
"Yeah, I grew to love those two bitches," Tashell giggled.
"But remember, you'll always be my hope in these trying times," Sasha told her.
"And you're still my strength in these bitter days."
They moved their shirts, exposing their shoulder blades, revealing their matching tattoos.
"Hearts together, sisters forever." They recited in unison. Then they got dressed and joined Carla and Ruby outside.
"Ready?" Sasha asked.
"I could get in trouble for this," Carla whined.
"With whom? The sheriff?" Tashell chuckled.
"I'm serious, you guys. You know how hard I had to work to beat the men to become sheriff. I don't wanna blow this."
"Look, we'll be in and out before you know it. Let's go," Sasha said as they climbed into Ruby's truck.
Eighteen minutes later, they pulled up to a desolate dirt lane.
"This is where the road ends. We'll have to hike from here," Ruby said as she looked at Tashell weirdly.
"What—why is everyone looking at me like that?"
"Tashell, you're wearing six-inch stilettos," Sasha smirked.
"So? A girl can't look good going into the woods? For all you know, I could meet my soul mate out here," Tashell smiled.
"Right. Prince Charming is waiting in the woods dressed in a ski mask and wielding a hatchet, waiting for his overly dressed princess," Carla rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go."
The four women set off into the woods, but Ruby found something strange.
"Do you guys hear that?" she paused.
"No, we don't," Sasha answered.
"Exactly. It's too quiet. No toads, no crickets, no owls hooting." Ruby stooped to the ground and placed her palm on the grass. She examined the way the blades were bent and broken. "Someone came through here," she declared. "They went that way." She pointed to the left.
"So we should go to the right," Tashell suggested, but Ruby took off in the left direction.
"Fuck me," Sasha sighed, following behind her.
"Guys, the crash site is up ahead," Carla fussed, but the girls just followed Ruby.
"Dammit!" Carla cursed as she trailed after her friends. "Isn't this the place from the news?" she asked when she noticed the sign on the tree that said Hunting Grounds.