~Tuesday~
My name is Maggie and I’ve decided to document as much of the next week as much as possible on here… it might be all the time I have left.
I’ve been practicing for months for the upcoming cheerleading competition. It’s in exactly a week, next Tuesday, and it’s been the only thing on my mind. I’ve been dreaming of winning the trophy for years and I want, no I’m going to make my team the best in the state. Fate seems to have other plans, but I’m a determined girl.
There’s a secretly growing pathogenic threat. It’s caused by a neuro-parasitic infection- a parasite that takes over and controls the host brain and body. It’s spread through bodily fluids, and it has unique mechanisms to ensure its continued spread. Scientists are working to slow the spread and the government has contracted some of the top minds for the job. One of those scientists happens to be my dad’s brother, my Uncle Jerry.
As far as I know, the number of infected is unknown as they can blend into society to a degree. They still appear human, and they are smart enough to attack secretly. I often look into the darkness of the woods, and alleyways, when I walk to school. Sometimes I see dark forms lurking in the shadows and walk a little faster. The number of shadows in my town seems to be increasing. Is it like this everywhere, or do I just know what I’m looking for? I’m ashamed to admit that in my 17 years of life, I’ve never traveled out of my isolated town, much less to another state. Does anyone else see the human shaped shadows in the darkness?
I think Uncle Jerry only told me everything to protect me. First, who would believe me, when I wasn’t even sure I believed it before today. Anyway, as Uncle Jerry told me, the infected don’t like feeding in sunlight, or even being out during daytime, so they aren’t really a threat on a sunny day, and with any common sense they are easy to avoid. He tried to warn me.
As I walked home from school on this unseasonably warm afternoon, I decided to take a shortcut through a dark alley. It looked empty, safe. It was a mistake that would change my life forever. Out of nowhere, a large form jumped out from behind a dumpster and lunged at me. I screamed and tried to move out of the way, but the creature was too quick. It sank its teeth into my arm, and I felt a searing pain shoot through my body.
“What the hell! Get off me!” I shouted, trying to shake it loose. But it was no use. The infected creature had a firm grip on my arm, and it wasn’t letting go.
I struggled to get free, but it was too late. It had already bit me. As I watched in horror, beneath the long greasy, stringy brown hair, the infected creature’s eyes began to redden.
“Um, excuse me, can I help you with something?” I said sarcastically, trying to lighten the mood.
The infected just growled and continued to gnaw on my arm. I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to survive.
“Okay, okay, I’ll give you my allowance money. Just let me go, okay?” I pleaded, hoping to reason with it.
But the infected was beyond reason. It was now fully focused on turning me into one of its own kind. As I felt my arm starting to go numb, and the feeling traveled to my shoulder, I knew I had to get help.
I used my free hand to jab the infected in its sunken eyeball and stumbled out of the alley, clutching my wounded arm. I could feel the infection spreading through my body, slowly turning me. I had to find a way to stop the transformation, or else I would be doomed to roam the earth in the shadows as one of the undead.
As I stumbled down the street, I caught sight of my reflection in a shop window. My eyes were turning bloodshot, my skin was starting to peel around the wound, and my arm was covered in gore. Also, my hair was a mess. I stopped for a second to fix my long blonde ponytail. I was turning into a monster, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. But I wouldn’t be a monster with bad hair.
My thoughts turned to the cheerleading competition. I’ve been practicing for months, and now I was changing into an undead monster just a week before the big event. I couldn’t let my team down. I had to find a way to stop the transformation, no matter what it took.
I stumbled down the street, my arm throbbing with pain. I knew I had to find my uncle Jerry, the mad scientist, er, freelance biochemist who lived on the other side of town. He’s been working for years on a treatment to stop the parasites, and he was my only hope.
As I approached my uncle’s lab, I could hear strange noises coming from inside. I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I was making the right decision. But then I reminded myself that this was my only chance to save myself and my cheerleading team from a fate worse than death.
“Uncle Jerry, it’s me, Maggie!” I shouted, pounding on the lab door.
A few seconds later, the door creaked open, and a cloud of smoke billowed out. I coughed and waved my hand in front of my face, trying to clear the air.
“Hey there, kiddo. What brings you to my neck of the woods?” Uncle Jerry said, grinning from ear to ear.
I glared at him. “I got bit by an infected, Uncle Jerry. I need your help to stop the transformation.”
Uncle Jerry’s eyes widened. “Whoa, whoa, slow down there. You got bit? How the hell did that happen? Did you go in the dark?”
I rolled my eyes. “It just happened. Can you just give me it or not?”
Uncle Jerry stroked his chin, looking thoughtful. “Well, I do have a treatment that might delay the transformation. But it’s not foolproof, and it might have some side effects. It’s still in development.”
I didn’t care. I just wanted to stop the transformation before it was too late. “Give it to me, Uncle Jerry. I don’t care about the side effects. I just need to make it to the cheerleading competition.”
Uncle Jerry nodded, pulling a vial of cloudy liquid from his refrigerator, and filling a syringe. “Okay, hold still. This might sting a bit.”
I gritted my teeth as Uncle Jerry injected the fluid into my arm. I felt a strange tingling sensation spread throughout my body, and then everything went black.
When I woke up, I was lying on the lab floor. I looked around, feeling disoriented. “Uncle Jerry? What the hell did you do to me?”
Uncle Jerry chuckled. “Relax, kiddo. You just passed out for a minute there. It’s a common side effect. “
I groaned, rubbing my head. “Great. Just what I need.”
Uncle Jerry patted me on the back. “Hey, at least you’re not turning anymore, right?”
I had to admit, he had a point. I felt a little better already, like the medicine was fighting off the infection inside me. I knew I wasn’t out of the woods yet, but at least I had a fighting chance.
“Thanks, Uncle Jerry. You’re a lifesaver,” I said, getting up from the floor.
Uncle Jerry grinned. “Ah, no biggie. Just doing my part to keep the world safe from zombie cheerleaders.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Yeah, I guess I owe you one for that.”
As I walked out of the lab, I knew that my life would never be the same. I was bitten by an infected, injected with a mad scientist’s concoction, and I was soon competing in the cheerleading competition of a lifetime. I have no idea what the future will hold, but I know one thing for sure - it’s going to be a wild ride.
I just got home and stumbled into my bedroom, exhausted from the day’s events. I can’t stop thinking about the side effects that Uncle Jerry had warned my about. I hope that they won’t be too severe. As I crawl into bed and my eyelids are becoming heavy, I feel a strange tingling sensation in my limbs. I’m just going to brush it off as fatigue and try to get some sleep.