Immunity

   Emily let out a sigh and leaned on her elbow as she watched Umbra begin dry heaving again. While this was far from pleasant, Emily was grateful that he had stabilized. His eyes were now blood red and his feather-fur a hideous neon green, with massive patches of matted fur. He was also back in control of himself and no longer tried to bite Emily whenever she came close.

   Umbra finished heaving and Emily swapped the full bowl of vomit for an empty one. She then stood up and walked over to the bathroom and dumped the bowl in the shower.

   Worn out, she watched the slurry of wikket stomach acid work its way down the drain. A tear dropped onto the sluggish ooze and raced on down the drain. Emily sighed and tried the shower knob again. It turned fine, but the water that came out of the showerhead was nowhere near clean and had the same consistency as Umbra’s vomit.

   I’m ready to be done with this now.

   Emily turned off the ‘water’ and went over to the mirror. She’d had better days. Her hair was a wild mess and she was covered in a shiny layer of sweat. She had bruises from the multiple tumbles she took when the door burst in and sore fingers from fixing it so that it hung properly again. She felt filthy and was unable to shower, for obvious reasons, and had no clean clothes to change into. But, thankfully, she wasn’t turning green and her eyes, though tired, were far from red.

   The sounds of Umbra dry heaving started up again and tears fell into the sink.

  I wish I could just make this all stop. The sickness, the filthy water, the vomiting...This stupid fog.

   After the initial wave, the strange gas had dissipated somewhat, though it still hung in the air like a green fog. The sight out Emily’s window, which still refused to open, was no less disheartening. Several guests were shambling about, green skinned and red-eyed, and the murky fog had spread into the forest a ways.

   I need something to do. Anything other than sit and helplessly watch Um barf...

   There was a shuffling sound and Umbra chirped weakly from the other room. Emily sighed again and collected the empty bowl before leaving the bathroom. She set the bowl next to Umbra, who was staring dazedly at the door, and looked at the stained carpet in front of the door.

   Things really do like slipping through there don’t they. Emily walked over to the letter and picked it up. The paper was fairly plain, but had curled where it had come in contact with the stain on the floor. Before she could read the writing on the paper, however, she heard faint laughter down the hall. Shaking, she read the note.

   Damn, the virus seems to have passed through you without affect. Consider yourself IMMUNE. - Kazu

   Emily crumpled the note, stormed into the bathroom and dropped it into her clogged toilet. “I am going to...to...” Furious, she stormed back into the room and paced angrily around the vomit stains.

   “He knew, he knew that this was going to happen! How the heck did he know?....Unless.” Emily stopped pacing. “He caused it.”

   Umbra let out a faint burp.

   “That slimy...He’s the reason you’re so sick, the reason why everyone is so sick!” Emily kicked her soggy blanket. “He’s gone and started the plague! I’m going to kill him!”

   On a roll, Emily stormed towards her door, passing in front of her wall mirror as she did so. She stopped and looked at herself. “I can’t go beat up Kazu looking like this.”

   Underwear was not proper hunting attire, especially when you were hunting a sadistic serpent demon know for demeaning comments and a potty mouth. Emily growled and looked around her room. All of her clean clothes had been in the dresser, and Umbra’s vomit had quickly de-cleaned all of them. Her battlesuit was in pieces and would take several days of intense work to put back together. Sheets were not suitable for fighting in and towels ran the risk of falling off...there was nothing here.

   Gran’s box.

   Umbra hadn’t been near the box since he started to vomit, and it had been out of the way when Emily panicked. It hadn’t been touched since it had first been opened. And the contents were geared perfectly for what she had in mind.

   Emily grinned. “Thank you Gran.”