Miley's Virus

Rule number one: All entries MUST be no longer than 3,000 words.2258 words

Rule number two: All Entries MUST contain DIALOGUE!

Rule number three: Only ONE entry per person please!

Rule number four: NO late entries will be accepted.

Rule number five: You may either do a 18+ and under story. Limited swearing, limited blood and guts. Please! Or if you prefer you can open the door and do a GC or XGC story which includes all the gruesome details and/OR an Erotica spin if you like.

Rule number six: PLEASE post all entries in bitem format. {bitem: and the item number}

Rule number seven: Rules and content maybe changed at anytime during this contest so please check back.

Rule number eight: Please no bestiality, no rape, no sex acts involving children.... etc.....

Rule number nine:ALL entries must use some form of magic in the story. Remember this is about Witches and Warlocks.
***********************************************************************************************************

Miley's Virus

By Indelibleink

Phil Espinoza watched as the two rodents scurried about in their container, making occasional notes of their actions. His fellow lab technician, Mary Lewis, walked over from an adjoining room and joined Phil in the intense studying of the two fairly good-sized test rats.

"Well, Phil, how are our two newest patients doing today? Notice anything different in their behavior?"

"Not a thing. But you know, it would have been helpful if Dr. Weston or Dr. Ride had left us with just a little more information."

"Yeah, that was really strange. Any idea where they went? Or, more to the point, why they went on such short notice?"

Phil, following the instructions on his clipboard, took an eyedropper of some liquid from a bottle and put a couple of drops into the rat's water supply. He made the appropriate notations on the sheet on his clipboard, and then resumed his conversation with Mary.

"Well, since before they disappeared we were all working on the same project, there are a lot of rumors circulating that they contracted the virus and administration forced them to leave. Some suggest that they were working on an antidote that backfired which was actually accelerating the rate of progression of the virus."

Mary shrugged and looked around at the other cages containing test animals of various species. "What I really wonder about is why they left daily instructions for the care of these two crummy rats. I think I'm going to take a look at the 'Dear John' letter they left us again to see if I can figure this mystery out."

Mary walked over and picked up the envelope lying on the desk. Yesterday, Mary and Phil had discovered it taped to the glass enclosure that was home the two most recently added test rats. She opened the letter and for a second time examined the contents:

"Dearest Mary and Phil,

          We apologize for having to abandon this project so abruptly and not having the opportunity to address you both in person regarding our departure, particularly given the years we've spent together 'fighting the good fight' versus infectious disease on the behalf of mankind. This was not something either of us had anticipated, so please understand, and trust our sincerity when we assure you that had we been able to stay with you, we would have. Unfortunately, circumstances preclude us from providing any additional information regarding our hasty departure, and for that we are truly sorry.

          Please note the arrival of the two new test rats in the main observation enclosure. These two additions are critical to our research. We have gone to great lengths to provide daily feeding and care instructions for these two, so please do everything in your power to see that our specifications are followed precisely. These two have already received an experimental viral injection, DO NOT SUBJECT THESE TWO TO ANY ADDITIONAL EXPERIMENTAL DRUGS outside of what we have already prescibed. The introduction of any additional drug or so-called antidote will most likely prove fatal, which will, obviously, render any progress made with these two as "meaningless," and we know that that's the last thing you would want to do.

          We chose to leave these two with you as we felt that the very best chance of their success would be if they were left under your very capable care. We know that in choosing you, we made the best decision possible and trust you implicitly.

Good luck in all of your work, and we hope to see you again very soon.

Best Wishes,

Dr. Miley Weston
Dr. Warren Ride

P.S. There is a sealed envelope attached to the last sheet of test rat care instructions, entitled "Emergency Only." It is important that this be opened only if there appears to be something that's gone wrong with the rats. Please do not open unless this condition is met as to do so prematurely could compromise the entire test. Thank you again."

Mary folded up the letter and placed it back in the envelope. She the walked over to Phil, who was now documenting the reaction of a chimp who had just been injected with an experimental antidote.

"I say we open the 'Emergency Only' envelope. I bet it would answer all of our questions. What do you say, Phil?"

Phil leaned back and rolled his eyes. He then took a deep breath, coughed into his arm, and turned to face Mary.

"I really don't believe you would actually consider doing that, now...would you? Didn't you read the letter? That would be morally corrupt, if nothing else. Remember...they chose us for a reason: They felt they could trust us. How could you just bail on them that easily?" 

******************************

Three weeks after the disappearance of Drs. Weston and Ride, the entire facility had become bitten with the flu bug. As a matter of fact, most of the country was under a 'Medical Advisory Watch' as the H1N1 virus had taken a much firmer grip on the country than expected. While the incidence of deaths attributed to H1N1 had only gone up slightly at this time, emergency rooms were unable to handle the onslaught of new patients arriving daily and were turning hundreds - if not thousands - away on a daily basis. The research center now had implemented mandatory face mask, vinyl glove and protective smock rules. The use of hand sanitizers and other personal hygiene procedures were not just recommendations; they were now SOP, with violations - even first time offenses - now resulting in 'on the spot' dismissal.

Mary Lewis suppressed a cough while assisting Phil Espinoza remove the body of their prize chimp, Skittles, from his cage. Because of the rapid nature in which Skittles had gone from perfect health to a dehydrated shell in a matter of 30 hours had both Mary and Phil terrified. They were in full Hazmat garb, using disposable tongs to lift Skittles up and out of his former home. He was placed in a hazardous waste container which was then sealed and taken to a temporary holding area which was, in essence, now, a test-animal morgue.

Phil leaned back against Skittles' now empty cage and looked skyward, as if asking for a higher power to intervene.

"You okay, Phil? You don't look so good. Maybe you want to sit down for a minute?"

Mary was concerned by the stress that showed through the mask on Phil's partially covered face. He looked as if he had aged 5 years in the last three weeks. The mirror had been equally unkind to Mary as well. Phil shook his head 'no', and walked over to a cage that only yesterday had housed 6 healthy mice; today he was going to perform autopsies on at least one or two of them.

"Don't want to stop. Can't stop, Mary. We need to get a handle on this, and right NOW!"

He had raised his voice to a level he hadn't intended, the magnitude that was confirmed by the look of terror on Mary's face.

"Forgive me, Mary. I'm tired. I know you're tired. Maybe we should both take five and collect our thoughts before we move on."

******************************

Only three days since Skittles died, virtually all of the test animals were now dead. The H1N1 was now a full-blown epidemic. People were fleeing cities in spite of constant medical advisory announcements stating that the virus was everywhere; there was no point in trying to 'outrun' it. 

Phil was sitting at his desk in the lab in full Hazmat regalia, which was now standard operating procedure. The breathing of regular 'outside air' was now out of the question; self-contained breathing apparatus was now the norm. Mary walked slowly - slow was also a new norm in the interest of conserving a limited supply of oxygen - into the lab. She breathed with the difficulty of someone twice her age suffering from emphysema even with the oxygen tank. She carefully sat next to Phil, who was staring at an envelope marked 'Emergency Only'.

"You know, Phil, I was wondering about that envelope. We've done everything Miley and Warren requested. Those were two of the best cared-for rats ever. Giving them some of that weird stuff like tiny bits of sand, herbs and stuff was pretty dumb, though. Rats don't even eat that stuff. Wonder why they wanted us to do that."

"Mary, look at those two rats. They are in perfect health. I want to know what sort of vaccination they were given so we can create a human dose. We did everything they asked. Unless we figure out what the antidote is, we'll be dead in a week, too. There's only about 20 people still working here, Mary. A week ago there was two hundred. Tomorrow it will be 10.
Warren and Miley are in all likelihood dead. If this isn't an emergency, then I don't know what is. And I want to draw blood samples from those two rats."

Before Mary could even nod in agreement, Phil slowly tore open - even the opening of an envelope was difficult - the emergency instructions. The contents read as follows:

Dearest Mary and Phil - (or to whom it may concern):

We must assume that you've opened this letter due to the fact that there is a medical emergency right now. The truth is that we discovered early on in our research of the H1N1 virus that it had the potential for far greater devastation of human life than ever imagined. The fact that you have opened this indicates that our fears have been realized. We left the lab in search of a vaccine that can only be achieved by finding some rare plants and minerals in other parts of the world. We were not absolutely sure about the right antidote for H1N1 when we left, but if the test rats are doing well, then the vaccine that we left behind will save you. It is taped to the back of Phil's desk in two vials, one for each of you. Good luck, and we will see you soon.

Dr. Miley Weston
Dr. Warren Ride

The two lab techs rose from their chairs with every bit of energy they could muster. Phil leaned over his desk, wedged his hand down between the wall and the desk top, and, indeed, located two vials of liquid. He carefully loosened the tape that was holding the vials to the desk, and brought the two containers out. Meanwhile, Mary had gotten syringes for the two of them. The two jumped with the new-found energy of school kids as they injected the liquid life into their thirsty veins. In fact, they moved with such reckless abandon that even the lab rats stopped to watch the activity ouside of their container. Within 30 seconds, Mary and Phil smiled as they could feel a 'rush' of change in their bodies.

Within 60 seconds, Mary and Phil were both dead.

******************************

Three weeks after the deaths of Mary and Phil, and 2 1/2 weeks after the death of the last human at the research lab, the test rats began to act differently. They began to bring pieces of sand out to a flat area of the container, fashioning a crude circle. Around the perimeter of the circle they laid different herbs and other odd items that Drs. Weston and Ride had requested - and which Phil and Mary had supplied for them. Then, the pair of rodents both entered the small circle and began making slow, rhythmic noises, taxing their vocal chords to the very limit. They then paused briefly, then took up the 'chant' again.

******************************

The following morning's sunlight produced the naked bodies of an adult male and an adult female - humans - lying atop what once was the rats' home, shards of glass splintered everywhere. As the two adults began to move as they awoke, both grimaced from the minor cuts they were receiving from the glass. The male was the first to speak.

"I guess we didn't think that part through completely, did we?"

Miley laughed as she got up and gingerly stepped down to the floor. Warren was right behind her. The smiles were short-lived, however, as the stench of bodies in various stages of decay ravaged their nostrils. Miley went to their locker nearby, dialed in the numbers to the combination lock, and opened the locker which contained clothes and respirators for the two of them. As they dressed, Miley looked at the bodies of Phil and Mary.

"It's a shame we had to poison them, but you know that eventually they were going to sacrifice us to save themselves. It was us or them."

Warren nodded in agreement.

"Yep. It's also very lucky that we discovered a type of animal that we knew had immunity to H1N1 but was also something we could change into - and then back out of - without any help."

"Absolutely," Miley continued, "It got kind of scary chanting in 'rat' there. I was afraid we might not pull it off. Sort of ironic we spent most of our live hiding the fact that I was a witch and you were a warlock for fear of what people would do to us."

"Ironic that we're the ones left to carry on the human race. Just hope our estimate of the time for the virus to burn itself out was accurate."

"Yeah, let's hope so. Let's also hope that others like us survived."