Worst. Tuesday. Forever.

How did I end up here? Me of all people!? Back to a wall in a dead end alleyway staring down a horde of zombies as they shuffle towards me to eat me. As many zombie games I've beaten and movies I've seen, how did I find myself between a rock and a hungry place!?

Franky: "Because you never listen, that's why!"

Meet Franky, my imaginary flying friend who's also a zombie.

Me: "Thanks Franky!" sarcastically. "That's realllllly enlightening considering the readers have no idea what you're even referring to! And for the last time, stop responding to my private thoughts. They're private!"

Franky: "Well good news, those private thoughts you're so proud of are about to match your insides when those zombies get a hold of ya!" whispers "Maybe you should tell them your privates are private."

Me: "Would you knock it off and actually help me!" panic rising "This is serious! Try telling your family over there to back off!"

Franky: "I am. Comic relief in your times of stress is very important. Besides, I'm a vegetarian. Me and those boneheads got nothing in common. All I'm saying is had you listened to me you wouldn't even be in this mess. Maybe you should use your final moments to tell the readers how we got here."

Me: Sighs "Fine. Maybe they'll be able to tell my story to someone it can help."

By now you're probably thinking that I'm living in some dystopian fantasy world where the powers that be launched some nuclear missiles and boom! Everything went all Walking Dead? NOPE! News Flash! It's the middle of June, 2039, Atlanta Georgia, United States of America. Or what used to be the United States at least. I'm only 17 so I don't really know all of the details, only what my dad has told me.

He said that back in 2019 some virus named after a drink, hit the world pretty hard and shut everything down. A few years went by and the world started to cope with the virus, treating people as they got it and adjusting their day to day lives to fight it off. The major world companies took the virus seriously and even began producing vaccines at an unprecedented rate. Around that same time is when HSL was formed and with backing by the world hea..

Franky: interrupting "Kid, you're gonna have to explain what H.S.L. stands for. The readers ain't from around here"

Me: "Oh right! Thanks Franky."

H.S.L. is Heart Shaped Lives, you know. The company with the heart-shaped locket logo. Well maybe you don't, but HSL is or maybe was is more accurate, the company that created the first virus cure. The way my dad tells it, it was "the worst best thing that could have ever happened to the world."

The cure created by HSL supposedly combined the vaccine with DNA from the animals suspected to have produced the virus. Unlike the vaccine the cure didn't lessen the severity of the symptoms, it completely eradicated them! What we didn't know was that alongside the symptoms there would be long term brain and cell deterioration. After a few years, once the cure and DNA completely combined, everyone who took it began to experience violent tendencies. They stopped having bad thoughts and just started acting on their instincts.

With cells dying their skin began to peel and now even a scratch from one of them with their messed up DNA is enough to infect someone who didn't take the shot in a matter of days. Not that they just scratch you and leave you alone to talk about it though. It’s less zombies and more simple minded cannibalism.

Franky: "Hey! You watch who you're calling a cannibal? One well placed tweet from me and all my followers will be at your door. You wanna get cancelled!?"

Me: "Franky I've told you before, I have no idea what you're talking about with this cancelled thing."

Franky: blows raspberry "Kids these days. They don't know nothin!"

Franky likes to make a lot of jokes that I'm guessing are from my dad's time period.. He used to be my dad's imaginary friend when he was a kid... I don't know why I still see Franky... I haven't seen my dad in months... he goes off from time to time to check out the remains of major cities and places that we travel to alone and says he doesn't want me to come with him and get hurt... He always comes back... He usually comes back... He always said "If we get separated, you can find me at The City of Magic in Atlanta"

Franky: "Kid you have no idea how hilarious that is"

Anyway that's where I'm headed. I'm in Atlanta now trying to find him and this Magic City...

Franky: blows raspberry

My birthday is in a few weeks on the 29th... If... If he was ever here, it'd be now... sigh... anytime anything went bad my dad would say "Well, at least it’s not Monday" even on Mondays and then we'd laugh.... but with this wall of zombies closing in, it doesn't feel like i'll make it. Worst Tuesday Ever.

Franky: "Well how about you stop daydreamin and open the door behind the dumpster?"

Me: "Franky What!!! You mean you've been letting me sit here think i'm about to die a slow death this whole time!"

Franky: "Well your story was really captivating and you're always saying don't interrupt your private thoughts." smirks

Franky: "Also.." points finger towards zombies "..The alley's too small and the zombies got stuck. Might wanna get a move on on moving that dumpster... on"

Me: "Ha! Well what do you know? Seems like this story might not be coming to a slow end after all."

Narration: He struggles to move the dumpster and opens the door enough to slide in before closing it shut and locking it. Backs away from the door as zombies untangle and begin to pile up against the outside of the door groaning and clawing. He hears a shotgun cock behind him. He and Franky turn around slowly with their hands up.

Mystery Woman: "Who the hell are you!?"

Franky: whispers out of the right side of mouth "Worst. Tuesday. Ever"

-Chapter End-