Being The Difference

Chapter One- Experiment Gone Wrong

The hum of a machine jolts me out of my slumber. I glance around to examine my surroundings before noting that my every moment it's being displayed on the monitor. My head whips when a man steps towards me. I try to lash out at the man before letting out a soft groan. My whole body is strapped to a table along with a gag covering my mouth. The man pulls a needle with liquid off of the metal tray next to me. I struggle even harder in that moment.

The scientists hustle back and forth near me while speaking in hush tones.  My hunger is overwhelming. My feed has been limited over the past couple of days because they've been feeding me. The scientist sets the liquid back down next to me before heading back to the other room with the other scientists. They all take a step away from the window before I spot them searching through filing cabinets.

A man comes back out wearing gloves, "Alysha."

He snaps his fingers a few times in front of my face so I would focus on him. I go to strain my head forward to snag his fingers, hunger driving me in that moment. He reaches for the pen next to me as he scribbles notes down.  My shirt ripped and shredded from when I was attacked by the zombie.

Current status: a goddamn zombie.

The man heads back over to where the needle is laying. He applied a slight pressure to the needle so a little liquid comes out of the end of it. Soon he waves for the other scientists to come out and help him.

His voice is raspy, "Alysha, listen close. You probably don't understand anything I'm saying, but we have the cure! You're flesh driven right now, but you are going to appreciate this cure. It's probably going to hurt."

The other people in the room near me before holding me down. The man closest to me has a ping of hurt in his eyes. Who is this man? Does he feel guilt for me? I feel like I should know who he is but I can't remember. I can't remember even who I am, but damn all these people smell appealing. 

I thrash before there's a voice from the man with the sad eyes, "Leah, hold still hun. We're just trying to get you back."

The needle begins to get closer and closer to where I was bit. My body spasms as the needle enters the site of my bite. Before I know it, the needle is removed and everyone that was holding me down gets away from me.  I begin to spasm violently on the table before a tiresome feeling overcomes my body. My eyes close before I hear shouting in the background.

"Ben what do you do?" A man yells.

Ben responds, "Everything that you told me to do. This wasn't supposed to be a side effect!"

"Next vial of liquid, quick!"

Everything crashes around me. I fall into a deep slumber while the people around me frantically move to get the vial.

*****

Hours pass after being injected with the medication that is supposed to bring me back from the zombie state. A slight yawn escapes my lips before I notice that the restrains that once held me to the table are gone. I swiftly sit up before I'm hit with a wave of nausea. I place one foot on the ground before I get ready to stand up.

There's a tray on the opposite side of the room with a fresh meal placed on it. The first couple of steps I take are wobbly, but soon I'm standing in front of the food. I grasp the fork in my hand before shoveling the food into my mouth. I guess I didn't realize how hungry I was. I take a couple more bites before the food starts to come up the other way. I lean over away from the table and vomit up the contents of my stomach - both the current food and my previous contents.