Project 43
2616

Things have stayed quiet, and the sun is up so I guess I better continue. Obviously, I’m not... one of them.

That’s the thing now- zombies because that’s the only thing I can compare this to. Zombies are real now. They bite you and you die. You get infected and you die. That’s what I’ve seen and know so far.

Maybe I’m actually dead and not writing this now.

I was bitten. I’m alive.

I was bitten and it was the worst burning pain imaginable. I fell down in the grass, the little girl leaping off me to run out of the yard to who knows where. Blood spilled from my body but all I could smell was earth, soil, water and even the musty smell of a mushroom near my nose that was red with white spots.

My vision was fading, my breath was failing, and the angry ripping pain was spreading through my body.

Breathe.

I willed myself.

Breathe and live.

I had to replace mom, I had to replace my sisters. I had to not become whatever that thing was.

"No matter how your heart is grieving... If you keep on believing. The dream that you wish will come true."

Maybe it was sheer will- I thought when my eyes opened. When my hands weren't an ugly shade. When the world felt right again it was dark and my skin felt cool from the dew that sat on it. It was quiet and there where crickets singing.

Everything was peaceful- until it wasn't. "Hold"

"State your name."

"Is she alive?"

"Is it one of them?"

"I said hold!"

A dozen different voices, a blinding light in my eyes. Then nothing. "Pupils respond, get her with the others. Restrain her."

I felt my hands, feet and mouth be bound- still disoriented and lost as to what was going on. Hands lifted me and suddenly I was in the back of a truck with several other people, many of them huddled and scared looking at me like I was going to go feral. Not everyone was bound like me, but every single person had a gag including children that clung to their caregivers in the streetlights.

"Anyone else in the area?"

"Area is clear sir, most of the infected moved north."

"Good, clear out and quarantine this group. I'll expect your group back at O-five hundred."

"Yes sir."

I remember the truck driving for a long time. Even though it was a warmer night the wind whipping around made it cold. Or maybe it was the fact that I had no idea where we were going. Not that I could even ask.

The worst part?

The worst part is that I had left my medicine, information and everything back in my mom's car.

Now I was worried- maybe the bite wouldn't kill me. Not having my medications though? It was bad enough I had no idea where I would get a blood transfusion out here.

When we got to quarantine there were plenty of people with guns again. One by one they removed us from the truck and began separating us. This caused a lot of screaming and crying but most people complied and just followed whoever was in charge of them. It was two or three people to one person- both of the people escorting me where female.

This made sense to me- this disorganized organization that was military. They had me strip, checking me over for wounds and letting me take a quick shower to remove any dirty. The water was warm despite coming out in a harsh spray. We were in a large building but I wasn't sure what it was for. It had a lot of lockers though where they handed me some cloths.

Standard issue green pants and shirt. Military. Comfortable. Home.

"We'll need to get your blood drawn." One of the girls said. She had large wide kind eyes, honey brown hair that matched the flecks of gold I could see in her eyes.

I held out my arm without protest, not even wincing at they tied off my arm and stuck the needle in. It was hardly any blood compared to what I was use to giving. Before I knew it I was being shoved into another room with five other cots, the door being shut and locked behind me.