I always dreamed of zombies. Not that I wanted to be viciously torn apart, or watch my loved ones suffer, but being in the medical field all of my life, I found zombies; or "reanimation" absolutely fascinating. Epidemiologist. A bit of a toungue twister to the general public. I worked at the CDC for 2 years, and climbling up the ladder to the top dogs of the building at a surprising pace. Dealing with mainly smaller issues such a behavior studies, or cures to common diseases. Occasionaly though, the building would be put in lock down, and that's when we knew we had a project on our hands. I worked on the deadliest diseases. Man made or natural, it always would effect the public, and I always made sure to get the job done and keep my people safe.

I'm 25. But I feel 100. Every day, my schedule was hectic. Wake up at 5am, shower, no perfume, no scented soaps, everything sterilized. Doctors attire, check. Shit breakfast consisting of a granola bar and coffee that roasted a bit too long, check. Hideous crocs, check. Hair pulled back in a tight bun, check. Generally I always take the bus to save gas, Altanta was a busy city to try to get to work on time, but today, I say fuck it. The only up side to working like a mad man was the income. I have a top of the line house along with the car of my dreams. Shelby GT500, 2012.

My dad was a handy man, he worked as a plumber, carpenter, electrician, painter, you name it. But his real hobby, was cars. I think he really wanted a boy, so I said hell with it, I acted like the biggest dude you could think of up until he passed. We sparred together, worked on his cars together, and had a perfect bond you could say. My parents had me at a older age, they were both 35 by the time they had me. Both unhealthy with the years before they had me with the drinking and drugs. They cleaned up for me though, I can thank them for that.. My dad gave me the attitude and skill set, my momma though, she gave me my charm and motivation. From a young age my momma and dad fought over me. My mom wanting me to be some fashion queen of the south and my daddy wanted me to be one of the boys. So I gave them the best of both worlds.

My dad passed away first, he had cancer in his liver, not telling either of us until one morning there he was in the shower. Knocked out, cold water was running by then. We pulled him out, I was only 16 then. I stayed strong through that though. I had to for myself, and my momma. About 3 years later, I was in college away out of Georgia. I got a call asking if I knew a woman by the name of Priscilla Butte. I knew what happened, I knew that damn woman got in trouble somehow. Turns out, my mom started using again when I left. I would of never known, she must have been lonely to turn back after being sober almost 20 years. Heroin overdose of course. So here I am, staring at my fireplace, both of their ashes in vases above. At least they were with me. I must sound like a freak. A complete freak. Thinking of all of this nonsense getting myself worked up.

"Shit, shit, shit!", 6:30am read the clock. "Gonna be late for work, shit!". I really need to not do this again, lately my mind wonders and never gets back to the right track. I locked my door and headed out to my car. "You have got to be kidding me right?". Keys are in the house. I ran back in and grabbed them, "let's try this again". 90 degrees out today huh? Windows down and AC blasting it is. The start of the car caused a loud roar, shifting into reverse to back out of the drive way and starting down the road. "Already 6:40 now and I need to be in by 7, let's see what miracle can happen to help pull this one off".

Let's just say my miracle was going 105mph on a 65mph highway saving me 10 minutes, occasionally slowing down for police cruisers passing by waiting to pull over sorry suckers like myself. Pulling into the parking garage with 5 minutes to spare I made it somehow. My dark purple/black hair was a mess by now from the windows being down. A quick brush through the wavy mess and I look good as new. Grabbing my bags and keys, I can now casually stroll into work.

I enter my level on the 15th floor. I join my work crew and say the usual goodmornings. Mondays, were never fun here. Me, I'm the type to blast Megadeath and Metallica to wake myself up while here are these idiots who crowd around a coffee pot and hope the small amount of caffiene will keep them running, good luck with those attitudes. I shake my head and go off to my lab station. Don and Cindy were generally good people to work with, they both of course have always been very competitive with each other though. Working on the same cure to a smaller version for the shingles is what we've been doing for 3 weeks now. I've already figured out a easier cure then what was out on the market now, but I'll wait and see what these idiots come up with.

1PM came around, I'll be out in a hour and a half. Until level 15 got word of a outbreak in a small town of Florida. Apparently we have a flu type disease spreading again. Getting calls from every state, Ohio, Maine, Nevada, Texas, Rhode Island, Maryland, etc. And then we got the call from Georgia. We asked for them to immediately send the patients to the nearest hospital and if any volunteers had came up to come as soon as possible to the CDC so we could examine them and get a further idea of what the hell was going on.

By 2 we already had 13 people in the rooms, 1 person per "chamber" we called them. They almost looked like a doctors office room. I got paired up with a woman about the age of 40. She had no idea what was going on. She seems frantic. Like she saw a ghost. Most of the sick were like that. By 3 we had a line of people, the news already started broadcasting warnings about staying healthy and to avoid contact with anyone who seems to be sick. What was strange to me though, was there was no sneezing, coughing, vomiting, or any normal signs of being ill. There was only one, which was the skyrocketing fever. Most of the people were given ice packs and fluids to try to drop the fevers, no luck though. I already took blood from my patient. I had skin samples, and hair samples too. While she was napping in her room, I was in the next looking at the samples I got.

Something is very wrong, I checked the samples again to see that I wasn't imagining anything. I wasn't. I put on a face mask and then went immediately to the patients room. Is she dead..? She couldn't be. She was sleeping a minute ago. "What the fuck, there's no pulse, Don! Get in here now!". Don rushed in, "What the fuck is going on right now? She was fine a minute ago and now she's not even breathing? That happened too quickly. Is your patient okay?" "Harley, they are all dropping like fly's, they want us all evacuated, they want us to move to a more remote spot to not be crowded with the sick, I don't know what is going on like anyone else. Only thing on my patient was the cataracs in his eyes and a cut on his leg".

"So when are we leaving Don? And what's happening to the people?".

"I really have no idea Harley, but you and I, we need to evacuate before you get yourself sick too". To leave all of these patients here, dead, dying, ill… seemed to be too much..

Don was right though, I need to get out of here. I grabbed my bags and shoved my research in to some binders. Took my first aid kits, my keys, and booted out the door to the stairs. The elevators were packed, all the kickboxing and track will certainly pay off now huh? Practically jumping down the flights of steps I almost jumped into a young woman, hey, I know her.. "Tam, you okay why are you going upstairs?". "I'm sick Harley, I.. I can't breathe..". "Tammy you need to come with me, all the doctors are leaving, I can help you back at my house".

That's when it happened. Her eyes, they just.. they changed. They almost turned white.. a grey just flushed over her face.. and then she stepped back. I knew she was going to fall so I tried to grab for her before she toppled down the stairs. Then she lunged at me, "what the fuck do you think you're doing Tammy! I'm trying to help you, the hell is your issue?". No answer. She.. snarled at me? "I tried helping you Tammy, I did, you go ahead upstairs but I will not have you attack for purely trying to help a sick soul". Again she lunged at me, more sounds a human could never make escaped her mouth. She pushed me down the the stairs, my bags toppled down, and my head hit the back of the steps, I knew I was going to get attacked. This disease must be invading the brain, making these people psycho. I took my elbow and shoved her shoulder of and away from me. She tossed aside and I got up, got my crocs off my feet and took off again down the stairs, quickly grabbing my bags. I looked back and saw her getting up again.. this isn't happening..

I entered the parking garage finally, alarms were going off everywhere. I finally reached my car and saw someone taking a bat to the window of it. "What in the world are you doing psycho!". His head whipped around, "I need this here car lady, and if you got a damn problem with that I suggest you walk away before I make this a real bigger problem".

"No you asshole, this is my car, I paid for it and I need to go now! Get out of here". In no time the guy had his fist lunging at me, a quick block and jab to the gut always works. Here this tough guy was, bent over, almost whimpering. "Fucking rednecks". "I'll pay ya lady, just give me a damn ride". "Why should I give you a ride after you almost attacked me and bashed in my car window?" "My brother, hell knows if he's alright, have you seen the dang streets? Filled with those creeps, for fucks sake let me get my brother. He's not to far from here, he's just up there yonder across from the old bar, bout' 8 miles away".

"What's your name asshole?" "Names Merle Dixon, but that's not the first I've been branded with that there name asshole, your name pretty lady?" he asked while looking me up and down. Never have I met a guy so far out there as ignorant, he wanted to aggrivate me. I can do just the same. I leaned forward and pressed my body against him, his back to my car. I heard his breath catch as I moved my leg inbetween his and pressed my mouth right next to his ear. "Names Harley, Harley Butte", and with a swift grab of his shoulders and a lift of the knee to his crotch, Merle Dixon was crouched over for the second time now. "I suggest you don't think about touching me unless you want this to happen again, asshole". "Understood, little shit…" he muttered. "What'd you say sir?" I asked while I threw my bags and aid kits in the drunk, "Nothing," he muttered again. I walked by him and got into my car, feeling his eyes travel from my breasts to my ass.. God I hate men sometimes..

With a start of the engine, and a roar to follow, Merle knew this girl was no joke or a easy fuck like the ones he's pick up off the side of the road.

"Get in asshole". And for once, Merle Dixon listened.