One thing should be said before you continue reading! This story is set in the future and focuses on a 2nd generation character, she's the main character but you will see a lot of the canon characters, don't worry. Sorry if this is a little confusing at first but it'll all make sense later!
I'm surprised I'm uploading this, I'm usually super self conscious about my stories and keep them to myself but I felt the random need to share this. So here?
Chapter One:
My Unknown Illness
I felt gross…horrible. I was burning up and my head was killing me. Sometimes depending on how I was laying I couldn't get air into my lungs. I choked a few times waking up, my body jolting me awake so I could move and breathe properly. My mother would check on me every hour, she would bring water and sometimes a snack; it was usually a candy of some kind…even though my dad would come in later to replace the treat with an apple or peach. He didn't like to tell mom directly to do anything, it usually started an argument and he was sort of a push over when it came to her too.
I clutched my stomach harshly, it felt as though my organs were rearranging themselves or going into some kind of remission. Mom said it was the flu though, probably the new strand of influenza going around. Something about stray dogs spreading it. I didn't pay too much attention to it; I wish I did now though…because this rightly sucked. I squeezed my eyes shut as tears lined my eyelids and fell around my cheeks and onto my pillow. My pillow was soaked with sweat already and I refused to cover with any blanket…my skin burned, as though it was on fire…another wave of pain surged through my intestines and up into my chest, I groaned deep in my throat in reaction before turning my head and screaming into my pillow. Pills didn't work, so far nothing did. I took Tylenol, Advil, Excedrin, and even some of my mom's Ambien so I could sleep through the night without waking up to excruciating pain in my stomach or head.
"How are you doing sweet pea?" my door slowly moved open to reveal my father as he tip-toed into my room. My father was tall—probably around six feet tall, giving an inch or two. His hair was a slick black and it fell loosely in front of his dull blue eyes. His hair snaked around his ears and curled around his chin, depending on how long it's been since he showered it would sometimes look particularly curly around the ends as well. It never past his shoulders though, he didn't necessarily like having to take care of his hair at all.
I just groaned in response, not having the energy to speak really. I curled in on myself further as he approached. He carried a cup of water but made no move to put it on my nightstand as I left the cup mom left completely untouched. Eating or drinking left me nauseous and in horrid pain, water did the most damage it seemed, it burned going down my throat and eating only seemed to intensify that feeling, especially if it was something crunchy. I shuddered at the thought. It's been a whole day since I ate and almost twelve hours since I drank anything.
"You gotta eat something Zoe," Dad nervously said. I shook my head vigorously before further turning myself to lie on my stomach. "Honey please, you haven't eaten anything, you'll get even sicker," he droned on and sat on the edge of my bed by my legs. I made gurgling noises into my pillow as if to protest against him somehow. I heard him sigh softly.
"I suppose I'll just get your mother again," he said in a somewhat louder voice. I tensed, but made no intention to move. My mother was a scary person; she could get her way with just one look or flick of her wrist. She's been nothing but nice since I got sick though so right now I felt I had nothing to fear from her. Father just sighed again but this time louder before he got up and walked out of the room. I didn't bother to move as I heard him and mom talk. She sounded angry.
"Please let me go back to bed," I squeaked as I sat with my knees brought up to chest. Mother had forcibly picked me up and taken me into the kitchen to eat. I didn't have much of a voice or energy to protest though so I just slumped against the chair.
"No, you need to eat," my mother replied harshly. I looked down at my food, it was chicken noodle soup. I sighed inwardly, what else did I expect, honestly? I squinted my eyes at the white colored ceramic bowl. I really didn't want to eat. Father had some leftover noodles and beef from last night while Mom had a small plate with crackers and sliced ham. She had probably eaten earlier. After eyeing my food I looked up at my parents, who sat across from me. Father was eating silently with a slow hand and Mom was just glaring at me. She probably thought if she looked away I'd get up and run for my room. Which I absolutely would do if I had the energy. But no, so I was stuck at the small dining table until my mom or dad carried me back to my room. My messy and unkempt hair was tied up into a very loose bun; I was instructed to tie it up when I was sat at the table. It was most likely in case I passed out or vomited. Since I had done both at least once in the past few days.
My mom watched me vigilantly; her narrowed amber eyes bore holes into me as I returned her almost challenging glare. I was told I could very well rival my mother's intimidating nature if I so chose but I often times couldn't pull it off because my conscious was much more prevalent than her's supposedly. My cousin tried to get me to do "the face" more than once to get through security at special events at the supercenter or when her dad, my uncle, banned her from a part of his main lab downtown. I really scared the guards there for some reason. My cousin was banned from the animal wing of her dad's lab for a whole year and a half because she let loose some lab mice, rats, monkeys, and cats. It cost my uncle two years of research. She was actually supposed to be banned for two years but my uncle caved after a year and a half. He was even more of a push over than my dad.
"Zoe. Eat." Mother sternly said, breaking the silence that shrouded the room. I just continued to glare, not making any move to touch my bowl. I was at an inner war with myself; every cell in my body begged me not to eat, even my stomach who seemed to be shut off right now. But I know if I didn't eat, my mom would hold me down and force the soup down my throat. She hasn't had to do it yet, but I wouldn't at all put it past her.
I suddenly felt like all the air from my lungs was coercively sucked out and my head dipped forward before I jerked it upright again. My eyes drooped before my head dipped again. I was overcome with exhaustion as my body unexpectedly felt weightless. My head just narrowly missed my bowl of soup as I face planted almost brutally.
The last thing I remember was my mother's startled gasp and my father standing up so quickly his chair tumbled over. I woke up to darkness and unfamiliarity, I heard hush voices in the distance. One voice I almost recognized while the other was deep and hoarse and one I didn't know. I slowly opened my eyes to see a blood red ceiling, I couldn't move, and my eyes stayed trained on the deepening color of the ceiling. I heard footsteps, and the voices I heard previous had echoed into nothing. I felt cold, and oddly enough, wet. I wondered if I was in a tub of shallow water or if I was bleeding out onto the surface I was lying on.
"Child…" I heard the hoarse voice call out threateningly. I saw a gloved hand enter my vision; it held a long silver syringe that contained a pinkish liquid. It glinted in a bright white light that shown from somewhere outside my line of sight. "This will hurt only for a moment, hold your breath…" the voice spoke softly, in a somewhat unsure tone of voice. They sounded like they were defeated and taken-aback at the same time. My vision blurred as they lowered the syringe toward what I could only assume was my arm. From the darkness around me and the blinding light that didn't seem to dissipate the surrounding dark I could make out a figure, and they held the syringe out toward me. I couldn't make out who it was…I thought at first it was my Uncle, but the voice was too hoarse and the figure stood just too short. As they stepped into the light my vision got worse, I could make out a long white coat and a red shirt before I blacked out.
I groggily opened my eyes to see my room's ceiling. My rounded light shade with the skull shaped screw in the center. The room was dark; the only light was flooding in from my door that was half open. My body ached and I could feel my damp bed sheets beneath my body, my shirt was pulled up to my chest and I wore no bra. I groaned loudly as a wave of searing pain racked through my lower back, ribs, and stomach. I suddenly noticed something in my mouth; I would've noticed it earlier if it wasn't for the hair pulling pain in the majority of my body. I thought it was a pill but I was quick to think my parents weren't that dumb to leave a pill in their sick daughter's mouth while she slept. I slowly sat up as I swished the object around in my mouth; I tasted blood as well, which was odd. I brought my hand to my mouth and lightly spit it out.
It was a tooth. A fully developed adult tooth. I gaped at it for what felt like an hour before the pain registered, my gums swelled with unmeasurable pain. It felt like the roots of my teeth were being leisurely melted with acid. I sputtered unintelligent gibberish as I held my mouth in my hands. I quickly began to sob as the pain increased and another tooth fell out. I gasped through my sobbing and spit out the second tooth. Blood flooded the bottom of my mouth and trickled down my chin and onto my bare belly. I grasped my face harshly in a vain attempt to stop whatever was happening. What was happening? This couldn't be the flu? Unless it evolved to gross levels and were killing people with no problems at this point. I hadn't watched the news in over a month so I wouldn't put it past the new strand of influenza I suppose. The world was beyond screwed up at this point an epidemic like this might as well happen. But I just couldn't put the thought out of my head that this wasn't the flu…or any disease.
Two Weeks Ago
"Mom! Where's my brush?" I shouted down the hall. I heard ruffling in my parent's room before my mom appeared walking toward the bathroom I was in. She peered in the small room and quickly opened the drawer closest to me. Just two old toothbrushes and the plug to the sink. She made a scrunched up thinking face then looked around toward the shower behind me. My mom was short, probably 5'6 or 5'7, she was much shorter than my dad and she was often times confused for my sister rather than my mother and it pissed her off to no end. Her hair was short as well, it was in a bob cut and the ends curled around her face. It was a dark violet color, oddly enough it was her natural hair color, she explained to me her mother, my grandmother, had the same hair color though it wasn't her natural hair color — some science happened and she made it so it became her natural hair color? And when she had my mom it passed on? I'm not entirely sure. I don't quite remember, that's the gist I think. I remember hearing my grandmother was sterile as well and my grandfather helped them have kids using science. That's about all my grandfather talks about actually. My grandma isn't around anymore though; she actually died in a freak lab accident when my mom was three. That's about all I know really, my mom or really anyone else in my family doesn't really favor talking about it. Typical, I guess.
"Check the living room, I think your dad was using it to brush Piglet," she mumbled and turned back to walk down the hall. I grunted in annoyance and ran my fingers through my hair. Piglet was our dog by the way, my dad was a sucker for puppies and when he saw them being sold at the parking lot of our local Walmart he couldn't help but bring one home.
"Why?" I called after her bluntly. She stopped at the end of the hall.
"I dunno, ask him yourself," she replied just as bluntly as she strolled into the kitchen. I glared at where she was standing for a moment before swiveling back into the bathroom. I glanced in the mirror; my medium length hair was a mess in the morning, no matter how I slept. I yawned and just ran my fingernails through the bulk of my hair before I tied it up into a thick bun. I didn't care much about my appearance anyway. I was pale and riddled in tiny scars, my violet hair was thick and had split ends. Only real quality I really liked about myself was the fact my eyes were two different colors, one blue and one brown. I yawned again and then began to fix the collar of my jacket. I suddenly felt dizzy and swayed around before grabbing the counter. I looked into the mirror to see something stranger, a skin patch on my neck that looked lighter than the rest of my skin. When the wave of dizziness passed I studied the patch and curiously took off my jacket and lifted up my shirt to see the patch stretched from my neck to my navel. The patch was tender and felt like I had just shed skin there. I swallowed nervously and lowered my shirt. I'd worry about it later.
"Zoe! Let's go, you're gonna be late!" I heard my mom call from the kitchen. I quickly put back on my jacket and ran down the hall in compliance.
As the days past I noticed some, what you would consider weird things about my body. When I got dizzy my head felt like it was being blown up with hot air. The skin patch didn't get any bigger but some other smaller ones appeared on my arms and legs. My parents never noticed them thank the stars, or else I'd be main event at my uncle's lab. Poster child of the new strain of influenza. I shuddered at the thought. My mom never trusted other doctors, she only slightly trusted my uncle (her brother), and my grandfather (her dad). Big thing that began to bother me though, the skin patches appeared to change from a lighter tone of my natural skin color to an off shade of green. Then you know the rest, I became bedridden with horrible unrelenting body aches and pains. It traveled from my groin all the way to my head; it was like the pain from the flu but to the extreme. I kept telling myself, it's the flu. It's gotta be. But at this point everyone, even me was being to doubt that.
Sorry again if it's confusing! I had my friend proofread it and she told me it was a little so I gotta apologize.
So we meet Zoe; she's Gaz's daughter if it was at all hard to put together (though I don't think it was, but I still felt the need to say anyway). Yuu is her father, a character of mine, well more of a random character I made up to be her dad lol. I didn't put much thought into him besides his name and personality.
Thanks for reading if you did! I have another chapter written already and I'm currently working on the third. I'll upload the second one soon and if the story is well perceived I'll upload the third. :)