Paramind

It had started out simple enough. A flu shot. You don’t even have to go to the doctor to get one. Your local pharmacy hands them out like treats on Halloween, fully armed with little cherry lollipops for the faint of heart or children that are less than pleased with the prospect of getting a needle jammed in their arm. Unsuspecting families scurrying into the Walmart Supercenter with coupons and grocery lists in normal daily rituals, seduced by the ease of knocking everything out in the one-stop shop. That’s what it was about wasn’t it? Getting as much work done with as little effort as possible? Is this why sacrifices were made? Precise gave way to convenience? Precaution was overcome by availability? The screaming voices of demand outweighed the finality of consequence?

“Christy, stop dwelling on the why”, she sighed and narrowed her eyes as she looked at the girl in the mirror that appeared much older, much more tarnished than she remembered being. “I’m going to get myself killed chasing ghosts”, she chastised herself for not being alert, and then again for talking to herself. She grabbed her duffle bag from the closet in her desolate dorm room and started the vigorous search for food, clothing, shoes, medicines – all things that used to be so readily accessible. A laugh escaped her lips. That happened a lot these days. She bit her cheek to stifle it. If she kept laughing like this, people would think her one of ‘them’. ‘Them’, it was still highly debated if ‘they’ were a product of natural or artificial selection. She frowned at finding nothing in the dresser as her mind continued to walk backwards along the path of destruction that lead her here, yet again.

It was common knowledge that the influenza virus evolved quickly. Every year there was a new vaccine to counter the evolution. Also in existence was a commonly known brain parasite called Toxoplasma Gondii, known as T-Gondii. T-Gondii can be carried by any warm-blooded mammal, but their host of preference is house cats. This virus can, and has, been passed to humans, as much as 50% of the population. For most carriers, T-Gondii is latent; however, enough people are infected that it is believed that this virus which alters behavior has shaped entire cultures. T-Gondii effects dopamine. This can turn fears into love, decrease predator aversion, pathological effects, moods, etc. What we didn’t know is that the new inoculation for influenza would not only wake up the latent infection that most of the global population had, but would cause an evolutionary adaptation. The adaptation invited a virulent attack on those infected. Within 24 hours, the person that received the flu shot was no more than a shell, armor for a beefed-up parasite that had destroyed free-will. The person was alive, but no longer had control of their mind. They were Paraminds.

The flash of lightening through the window interrupted her train of thought. There was a time that she had loved Nebraska thunderstorms. She felt a sharp pain hit her chest from everything that had been taken from her. She had been robbed of her youth, family, home, future, hopes and happiness. She felt the pain being replaced by a slow burn. The anger simmering hotter as she thought more on how alone she was. A jealousy filled her of the Paraminds. They at least had each other. This is not how she had pictured spending her 17th birthday just one short month ago. The day had been planned out, it started simple enough. Go to Walmart Supercenter with her family for the party supplies and while there, get the free flu shot so no one would be sick on her birthday. Her mom, dad and two brothers. She, the only one allergic to cats. The only one that wasn’t infected. The only one left.