The bloated infected continued dragging its massive body across the floor. As it turned slightly, Jaxon's eyes caught something that made his chest tighten.
Stitched into the swollen mass of flesh was the face of a young girl.
Her skin was pale and stretched unnaturally against the surrounding flesh. Blood streamed from her eyes, mouth, nose, and ears as if her body were being crushed from within.
Then her mouth trembled open. "Is… anyone there…?" the voice cried weakly. "Please… help me…"
The voice echoed through the quiet mall, and a cold shiver ran through Jaxon's spine.
'What the hell...?' His mind struggled to process what he was seeing. And a horrifying thought crossed his mind.
'Is she… still alive? Could she still be conscious… trapped inside that thing?'
The idea made his stomach twist violently, and he almost gagged, but he forced himself to stay still as the bloated infected slowly passed by their hiding place.
