I vaguely remember having the chicken pox when I was very young, maybe 4 years old. My parents would take me to the doctor’s and they would put a strange Brown liquid on the pox. It burned. Every. Time. I think they were literally burning them off. Maybe I was just too young to remember and the treatment just stung. I would brush it off as just that it I didn’t have the burn marks to prove it. I have scars of red all over my entire body. I actually thought that was the typical procedure in this sort of scenario. I didn’t have freinds for the majority of my life so I had no one to compare it to. Then, when I finally got to collage I made some friends.
One night after drinking a little we began talking about having lice and ear infections and chicken pox. When I mentioned how mine were burned off pretty much everyone gave me strange looks. They were completely baffled and I was just as taken aback as they were that my procedure was an unusual one. They just kinda said “Dude, that’s fucked up” and moved on. I thought it was strange but honestly didn’t think much of it. I just assumed it was an outdated procedure. I would’ve brushed the whole thing off if it wasn’t for one of the girls at the party, Tammy, coming up and explaining how she had the same thing happen. She was 6 and had her chicken pox removed in a way that left scars. This rekindled my interest in the topic. After hearing Tammy speak it just all felt a little odd. I began thinking about it until the end of the party. It was on my mind for a few days but I couldn’t really think of a reason for why it bothered me so much.
A few days later we all went to explore some sewers like dumb teenagers do. As we were walking down there one of my freinds, John, decided to pick up some strange object. Now I don’t know what possessed him to touch sewer objects but this was worse than sewage. It was a yellow packet with a tear in it and had all the warning symbols on the globe. Radioactive, biohazard, poison and I swear I saw the symbol for the Jolly Roger. He instantly dropped it but I suppose it was too late. His skin began to boil and have bubbles of skin appear. His hand and arm began filling with the horrific bumps. The whole time this happened John was screaming. I still wish it was a quicker process, for the sake of those affected. In seconds he was completely filled with bumps. His screams turned to garggles as of he was constantly gagging for air through a stream of fluids in his throat. He began walking towards Tammy. Well, at least I thought it was walking. In reality he went 10 meters in 1 second. He grabbed her and she struggled. There were 7 of us there, all from what I now call the chicken pox party. There was some gas or odour emanating from the packet. Anyone who had told me they had been immune at the party, from either getting it or being vaccinated, began to have the same painful, screaming transformation. There were 2 who never got it or a vaccine for one reason or another. Them, me, and Tammy all stayed the same as we watched 2 of our freinds turn. One of the freinds who didn’t transform, Robert, went and pushed John off Tammy. He did it successfully and Tammy got away but Robert was not so lucky. From the very hands he used to push John off boils began to form. He was transforming like the rest. Scared as shit me, Tammy, and the last one left with us, Sally, all ran as fast as we could away.
We ran through with mucky sewer water splashing into our faces. Our freinds (if you can still call them that) were close behind. I couldn’t even recognize which one it was, but I remember a massive boil in the right side of their forehead. They got Sally. As soon as she was touched she transformed from her shoulder to the rest of her in the blink of an eye. It was faster and more greusome than any of the other transformations I’d seen, except maybe Robert, the poor lad was just trying to help too. I was to in shock of the situation to process but only now do I realize that me and Tammy were now alone, and we had lost all our freinds to whatever this was. Thinking about it now with what limited time I have left, well I’d rather not think about that. All my freinds that it took years to get, possibly all if humanity. Gone. Just gone.
You might as well get to where we are now Tammy hasn’t transformed despite being touched. I think the gas activated something within those who had it and it can spread by mere touch but burning the pox must prevent the spread. It doesn’t really make sense but it’s the best I’ve got.
We ran until we found a large metal door. We slid in and closed it just in time for the crash and scratching if those creatures that used to be our freinds outside to begin their frenzy. We were safe as long as they were out there. The only problem is we were trapped. We were in some irrigation control room. The way we came in was the only door. A door that seems to be caving in under the pressure.
If you haven’t had chicken pox burned from your body your are susceptible. And sooner or later these things will find their way out of the sewers and they will get out…