U.G.L.Y (9 page)

    
The
second
wave
was
very
different.
A
lthough
human
infection
occurred
in
the
same
manner.
The
fact
that
the
digestive
systems
of
those
that
fell
ill
was
not
functioning
at
its
full
capacity
meant
that
the
fungus
wasn't
absorbed
into
the
body
and
was
able
to
integrate
into
the
ecosystem
of
the
existing
gut
bacteria.
The
fungus
adjusted
to
its
host
and
not
only
adapted
its
method
of
infection,
it
developed a way to replicate itself and pass to
other
hosts
in
the
species.

It
mutated
to
infect
the
glands
of
the
host,
including
the
saliva
gland
with
a
spore
that
could
then
be
passed
onto
another
host
through
fluid
contact. A bite
would
provide
a
path
into
the
blood
stream
of
the
new
host
and the fungus could
set
up
shop.
It
took
months
for
this
mutation
to
happen
in
the
ill.
T
he
symptoms
were
similar
to
the
stomach
flu
and
medical
officials
treated
people
with
standard
antibiotics
which
had
no
effect.

The
degradation
of
the
hosts
brain
was
much
slower
in
this
version of the infection. I
n
many
cases
the
hosts
were
sedated
so
the
progress
was
much
slower
than
it
would
have
been
otherwise.
Once
they
began
to
turn
however,
propagation
from
host
to
host
was
fast
and
it
took
only
minutes
to
turn.

S
pores
would
infect
a
new
host
through fluid transfer
and
target
a
specific
part
of
the
brain
that
caused
the
host
to
begin
losing
coherent
thought
within
minutes of infection,
and
not
long
after,
begin
searching
for
a
new
host.
A
newly
infected
host
would
attack
and
bite
another,
introducing
the
spore
through saliva
into
the
blood
stream
of
the
next
host
and
so
on.
They
were
not
killing
each
other anymore,
each
attack
had
a
specific
purpose.
A
lthough
bloody
it
would
stop
as
the
new
victim
began
to
react.

    
The
second
wave
began
to build
as
hospitals
filled
up
with
patients
that
had
fallen
ill
during
the
first
wave.
Authorities
had
to begin
moving
overflow patients
into
vacant
prisons
as the number of ill overwhelmed the system set up to support them
.
All
were
filled
to
capacity and
in
none
of
these
locations
was
there
any
thought
given
to
isolation
of
the
patients.
There was no reason to isolate them, as far as the authorities could tell they were not contagious. But they were very sick
.

Just prior to the outbreak, a
ll
of
these
victims
had been placed
in
tight
quarters
and
it
only
took
one turned patient in a  group
to
turn them all and everyone would be infected in minutes.
O
nce
it
started
the infection would spread rapidly. I
nflicting
everyone
that
was
not
able
to
escape.

My little town got its dose of the second wave one quiet evening
.
A
charter
bus
on
a
nearby
highway
carrying
the
gravely
ill
to
an
overflow
facility
in
the
desert
crashed
and
a
few
patients
that
had
turned in transit survived the crash. They
ran
into
the
woods,
towards
my
town,
my
family, and my
home.
It
only
took
a
few
to
change
everything
forever.

9
.

-Smoke
In
the
Distance-

    
In
the
hills
above
our
little
mountain
town,
the
government
research
facility
where I spent my days
was
perched
on
a
high
ridge.
I
worked
there
exploring
the
wonders
of
the
universe,
or
rather
fixing
old
instruments
so
others
could
explore
the
wonders
of
the
universe.
It
was
a
quiet
job,
I
worked
alone
most
of
the
time,
but
for
the moment
it
was
good.
After
the
turn
my
life
had
taken
I
needed
to
recover
and
I
needed
peace
and
that
is
what
I
had on the mountain.

I
f
it
hadn't
been
for
my
breakdown
and
subsequent
move
into
the
hills
to
get
closer
to
work,
my
family
would
have
been
living
in
a
densely
populated
city when the first wave broke.
We lived in a neighborhood
that
had
fallen.
I
was
positive
I
would
have
died,
and
worst
of
all
my
children
would
have
died
a
horrible
death.
Fate
is
a
funny
thing,
what
had
turned
out
to
be
the
worst
experience
of
my
life
absolutely
saved
the
lives
of
my
children.
From
that
perspective,
every
moment
of
horror
and
pain
was
worth
it.

    
It
had
been
months
since
the
first
wave
had
settled
down.
T
he
severely
ill
were
filling
makeshift
beds
in
overflowing
hospitals
and
prisons
and
authorities
had
begun
transporting
patients
to
overflow
sites.
One
of
these
sites
was
located
in
the
high
dessert
past
Victorville
,
California
.