Devil Equinox

Hours after we had returned to the main group, they had managed to get one of the bombs down but needed help to move. I stepped up and lifted the first bomb off the ground and carried to the first place it should be placed. It wasn't far from the temporary base, a few hundred metres away.

I went into a dark and damp cave with the half tonne bomb on my shoulder and I was using the tie-down ropes that kept the bombs from moving inside the truck and during the flight. 'A few more steps,' I thought to myself as I ventured deep into the caving cave. And I tested the comms they had set up, "Kevin, do you copy?" I called over the comms. Static on his end on his end, then I called again and he came rushing back, "Captain, is there anything else in there with you?" he asked me.

"No, there isn't. Kevin, I set down the bomb as deep as I could in this cave. Isn't anyone going to come and set things up from here?" I said feeling something off on his side. Static again and just when I would leave the area a terrified individual spoke over the comms, "C-Captain, I will g-guide to arm the b-bomb. K-Kevin needs your help r-right now and w-we have t-t-t-to hurry!" a woman spoke stuttering at different intervals in her speech.

She guided me and I had to bomb armed and it would detonate within 2 hours of the operation. I hurried out to find Kevin nowhere around. I was informed that he had gone out and needed my help, he was going to double-back to pick me up and that was what had happened.

In the off-road vehicle he was coming in hot before he turned the off-road vehicle before stopping the vehicle before me, "Hop in!" he demanded and I stepped into the off-road vehicle. He put it into gear and floored it. I held on to the handles on the passenger side not of fear but to keep myself steady.

We drew closer to something that felt uncanny to me. Still dark out we, the headlights were bright and shone the path ahead making it easier to meander around the forest plants. We spotted lights ahead. The eerie feeling did not leave me entirely; I had my pistol appear in my hand.

He stopped the vehicle nearby the other truck. Blood was on the ground and yet everyone stood and walked around unusually. Kevin rushed out and called to Aubrey, the female member that handled most of his work for him. She didn't respond but only turned around, her and the others I analysed each person and noticed they all did the same thing.

I walked toward Kevina and asked him, "Don't you think something is wrong here?" He didn't know what I meant but looked around and noticed what I had observed. "They are not acting like themselves," he responded and it was the same conclusion I had. They were grunting, grumbling and groaning. Walking in the most reanimated way they could.

One of them ran toward Kevin and I looked at the back of their head and saw that it was missing. Instead of using my gun I punched and laid it out on the ground. It slowly rose up from the ground, "What the fuck!" I exclaimed. "What?" Kevin asked.

I looked at him in shock. "They shouldn't even be getting up from that. I hit them with enough force to knock out a regular person," I told him.

"What!" Kevin exclaimed, looking at me for an answer and I gave him one that was gruesome. "They are all dead, but something reanimated them." I told him. It was not speculation or superstition, it was a fact and I didn't know what caused it.

Little to no chance to speak we were soon hounded by them, and we had to unload on the ones that attack us. They each dropped down to the ground but rose once more. I had to stomp those that were on the ground while Kevin shot down the others. Then we met Aubrey once more, but she seemed less reanimated than the others.

"Kevin," she uttered and it confused us. "Please don't kill me," she said and sobbed.

I looked at him and he lowered the gun and approached him. I grabbed him by the wrist and warned him not to approach her. I didn't trust the situation. "Aubrey is that you?" Kevin asked her. Her body slowly turning pale, then as dark as the night. "I was sick and now I am free of my burden. Kevin join us and die with us? We have peace! Hehehehe," she said and laughed hysterically, her mouth glowed red and her lost colour turned bright red. Her body became dark; the clothing she had on turned an ashy black to cover her body.

All the others stood still and focused their eyes on us, along with Aubrey they laughed and attacked us. We unloaded our rounds sparingly, but they kept getting up. I then used my hands to fight, hit them hard enough to keep them down and then I shot them in the head. The one I shot stayed down. Then turned to dust.

Kevin didn't get the chance to shot, so, I rushed to his aid. "Thanks," he said with gratitude. "Aim for the head, only way to kill them," I advised him. He heeded what I told him and killed each and every one, but when he pointed the gun Aubrey his hands shook unable to aim straight. I had to choose between killing her for him or let him do it. He wasn't going to shoot her, so I lowered the gun for him.

He looked at me heartbroken and I let his gun go. A tear ran down his face, and he quivered in anger and screamed. Two bullets flew out of the barrel of his assault rifle, and it clicked. There weren't any bullets left in the chamber. He collapsed down to his witnessing Aubrey's lifeless corpse before her body disintegrated into dust.

I extended my hand and he grabbed it. I lifted him up and asked if he was doing well. He silent and heartbroken. He gained the motivation to destroy this island and approached the truck. After a few minutes, we were setting the bombs in the respective areas, with the knowledge I had gained in arming them it was easy now. The second bomb I set it down by a cliff not to far from where the second base was to be set-up.

"We gotta hustle Captain, we are running out of time," he said.

We had been gone for half an hour and needed to hurry to the next location. Enroute to the next location Kevin radioed the other team and informed them of the situation and asked about any progress that side.

He got the answer he was expecting and it was fathomable. But he felt that things were going to get worse.

After five minutes of driving we arrived at the next location, but an unsettling feeling fell over me. Something was nearby or should I say somethings were nearby. Waiting. We got out of the truck armed and with our guards up. I went to the back of the truck while Kevin checked the perimeter. Carefully offloading the truck, I set the bomb on the ground, hoisted it on my shoulder and headed deep into the forest close.

Water was rushing down, flowing away as a stream into a cave. As I continued down, a woman, perched up on a rock by the river, sang a song that would've lured men to their deaths, but I am not saying she was a siren not in the slightest. She wasn't even human.

She stopped singing and spoke to me, "Leaving your friend is a mistake you are making," I tensed up and set the bomb down. I didn't want to escalate the situation since she wasn't being confrontational. I ignored her and began arming the bomb. Frustrated she spoke again but more intense, "You are and all the others on this island will be devoured and we will nothing left of you all."

She shrieked in frustration and rose from the rock she sat on and attacked me. I didn't have time to grab the guns or even summon my pistols. I had to fight bare-handed. She tried slashing me with her claws, I ducked under it and hit her on the side. Coming back for another attack, I grabbed her arm and tossed her on the ground. Another one surprised and tackled.

Lying on my back I was defenceless and it continued attacking me. It then tried to bite me, and I grabbed by the throat and hold on to my pistol and shot it in the abdomen before I shot it in the head five times. I threw it off me because that woman vanished and ran back to Kevin.

When I got there, he was fine and I told him to get in the truck. Confused he questioned me, but I didn't have time to speak to him at that moment. Before I could get him in a demon came heading toward us with no regard for its safety. I jumped back and Kevin could only move to the side and fired all the remaining bullets he had in there.

He then reloaded and the demon rushed back to him. I tried to step in the way, but it was strong and hit to the side. Getting up, I saw it tear off his arm up to his elbow with its teeth and screamed. Using my pistols I shot it, bullet after bullet entering its head.

I drew its attention toward and saw that my pistols weren't doing much to it. Its mutation was intense as well. Charging me I kept shooting and when it got close enough, I took the chance to close-line it into the ground and I kept bashing it until grabbed its jaw and ripped it off.