The Virus Within- Changing

Laugh At the Suspicious Egotistical Rabble (LASER)

At the next stronghold, Plywood, nobody knew what I was. The adults on the trailer wanted to keep it that way. This stronghold was known for its stubbornness against change, and everyone was deathly afraid of the virus.

I had to avoid all the people in the stronghold, which was hard for a few reasons.

The kids were oblivious and were mostly all extroverts. They always got onto the trailer to 'befriend' us. I had to hide or escape from them when this happened. each time they caught me, which was most times, they started laughing or grinning like it was a joke. Each time, I got more irritated.

The adults were also social. They talked among Campfire stronghold adults easily, but they were forceful about making friends. It was exasperating. They even locked me with Trevor, one of the extroverts. I started reading while he tried to socialize.

This didn't turn out so well, as he apparently got tired of me not listening and wrenched the book out of my hands.

I stood up. "Give it back."

"No." He sneered. "We're supposed to socialize."

"Well, there's no chance of that now!" I lunged at human speed. He skipped out of the way and started ripping the cover off.

I saw red and slammed into him, grabbing the book and tossing it gently on the floor. He stumbled but regained his balance and held up his hands in a fighting stance. I noticed that he never lost guard; he was always tensed, though to someone else it wouldn't seem like it.

"Fight me." He sneered.

I assumed a fighting stance. "Oh, I will."

He snuck close and jabbed. It was a move designed to test the opponent's reflexes. I caught it with my fist, wincing as the hard knuckles slammed into my soft palm, and pulled him forward. He stumbled, off balance, and I poked him with my elbow. He gasped, but quickly recovered and kicked as I started forward. The kick slammed into me, causing me to lose balance. I fell.

He tried to stamp, but I caught it, wincing once again, and threw his foot into the wall. I rolled to the side and got up. He punched again, but I ducked and threw out my foot, hitting him in the shin. Then I got someone's belt in the closet and tied his hands. Then I shoved him into a pile of clothes.

I took my book and hid in the top shelf, above the cloth rack. I rearranged some boxes so I was neatly hidden but I could still somewhat see.

After a few minutes, I stopped reading. Trevor had gotten his face out of the box and started shouting. An adult, his dad, judging from his looks, opened the door and gasped.

He asked while he untied Trevor's hands, "Who did this to you?"

"Garon. He was reading, and I tried to get him to stop by taking his book away, and then he attacked me and tied me up. He's gone now."

My mood darkened. He forgot to mention taunting me, ripping the cover of the book, and landing a few blows.

"That's bad news. We need all the help we can get if we want to spread to other Strongholds."

I stopped breathing and listened.

"Yeah, but this won't help any. We need to get them to lower their guard." Trevor opened the door for his dad. As they walked off, I heard them talk.

"Come to the meeting every Wednesday. 12:00, 2B auditorium." They walked out of earshot as the door closed.

Investigation time.

At 11:30, I walked out of the trailer with a cheap camera and some incognito clothes.

I made my way to auditorium 2B. The corridors were a little confusing, and sometimes I had to sneak into a closet to avoid someone, but it was mostly smooth sailing.

I finally got to the 2B auditorium and snuck through a side door. There were many chairs set up, and a projector and a screen for a presentation. I looked around for a bit before jumping up from the stage to the rafters and crawling to the darkest corner. There I made myself comfortable.

At 11:55, people started to pour in the doors. There were about one hundred people in all. The leader, a man in a white suit, got on stage and started speaking.

"Friends, three years ago a vaccine for a disease was dispersed worldwide. Little did we know that this particular batch was contaminated. The zombie virus was born. Today it has killed billions, claimed millions for its own, and has destroyed our society." He paused for dramatic effect. "Well, for those of you who are new to here, this is the VEO: Virus Exterminating Organization."

"We've gathered here today to talk about a new type of virus. The Phantom Virus." He took something out of his pocket, probably a remote, and the projector turned on and showed some diagnostics. "We've conducted some experiments. The Phantom Virus is a close relative of the zombie virus, but it is substantially more resistant and it'll be harder to take down. For this reason, we are coming out of the shadows. In two weeks we shall storm the commander's room and take control of the stronghold. From there we'll influence other strongholds to get them to hate zombies too. Then we will lead the charge to victory!" The man talked a little, but I stopped paying attention. I had just discovered the largest conspiracy in the post-apocalyptic world.

They talked a little before the man said, "That's all for today. We'll see you next Wednesday."

Once the meeting ended and the room was cleared, I slipped out of the auditorium and searched for paper. I found some in a room that looked as if it was a classroom. I took a paper and pencil and wrote in a neat, short scribble that was as far away to my own as I could get.

Wednesday. 12:00. 2B auditorium. Revolt.

I slipped the paper under someone's door where the leaders slept.

Once I got in my bed, I silently laughed as I imagined their faces when they found out.

We left the next day.