I'm Not Dead

[ C H . 1 7 ]

Casting change: 
Dane DeHaan as Rocco Maneli (photo above)

This chapter is dedicated to @WriterAnimated who so graciously updated the cover for me! <3

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I ran my hands over the curve of my knees, scratching a little at the rough skin.

The television filled the barren room with some life, but I wasn't paying attention to it.

Instead, I was examining the charts hung on the isolation room door, all five pages in a straight line, starting with mine and ending with Mateo's. On top of each chart was a short schematic of our general information. They didn't have one for Alice though, they decided she was too young to be included in the experiment. That, and they weren't entirely sure if she was immune or not. The only way they would be able to tell was to infect her and that wasn't going to happen.

Rocco James Maneli
5'10
170 pounds
DOB 04-02-1997

Eleanor Jane Maneli
5'4
150 pounds
DOB 09-09-1998

Lorenzo Greyson Maneli
6'0
185 pounds
DOB 05-30-1999

Evelyn Marie Maneli
5'9
130 pounds
DOB 03-17-2003

Mateo Eric Maneli
4'11
115 pounds
DOB 07-04-2007

We were all seemingly ordinary, slightly overweight, flawed individuals who were insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Yet, two weeks ago, we found out we were the luckiest people on earth.

While the world got torn apart, the only sting we felt was from the needles they prodded us with. As cities burned, we enjoyed the warmth of the CDC lobby and played a game of soccer with paper balls. We weren't hungry, we weren't thirsty, we weren't barricaded away in our homes praying, we were together and alive.

Vividus

Vividus was a microscopic parasite of the Ophiocordycipitaceae family that bred in the coffee beans Moon River had discovered. When they tested the beans, I guess no one thought to slip them under a microscope. Whether it was negligence or ignorance during the testing process, no one knows, because investigations are still underway. I think it's a waste of time. The damage has been done. It doesn't matter anymore where the sickness came from. Dozens of Vividus parasites entered the systems of millions of people when they purchased a cup of Animate coffee--which explained why I threw up my entire cup in a bloody mess.

The parasite goes unnoticed in the immune system for about two weeks. It takes its time slicing into your white blood cells, slowly breaking down your immune system. The victim doesn't notice though, because as soon as the Vividus enters your bloodstream it releases an addictive toxin that makes you feel good. That's why so many people felt perkier and healthier after drinking Animate. It was the toxin activating their adrenal glands. Then, once the toxin wore off, the fever that wouldn't break settled in. 

The fever, chills, nausea, body aches—nothing that would indicate you were about to die.

The parasite then works its way out of your immune system, growing in size from absorbing your nutrients. By the time the doctors realize it might not be the flu, the Vividus wins and you die. After you do, the Vividus latches onto your fading cerebrum and inhabits your corpse. Within minutes, it's nervous system links with yours and it claims ownership of your body. Upon awaking, the hunger the corpse experiences due to the lack of nutrients is immense. The victim must constantly keep eating, to keep up with the parasite's needy appetite.

When the Jokers, dead men, or whatever people are calling the sick people bite into you, their saliva transmits thousands of the parasitic eggs into you. Once in the host, they hatch and began attacking the immune system at a faster pace than when they're consumed. The toxin takes effect quickly and they began their assault. This accelerated process takes eight hours on average, sometimes less.