A sea of red. Screams. Food. Running. All of it blended together in Emi's head as she gorged on a brain that was nearly still living. She heard the boy's protests sputter into complete silence as she helped herself to any bit of brain tissue left in his skull. The clashing flavor of the residual blood didn't bother her at all at the moment, but as soon as it started, it was over. The brain finished.

When she came to, the cafeteria was empty, minus the two security officers standing at the door, who were aiming their guns at her. Emi looked down at the aftermath of her hunger. The boy was unrecognizable. The red was everywhere on her and the floor.

"Hands where we can see them, zombie!" said one of the police. They both inched closer to her. Emi stared at them nervously.

"I can't control myself," she said. "Stay away so I don't hurt you too."

"We have orders to bring you in, Ms. Parks."

"No!" she began to cry blood.

The officer in front set his gun on a table. "We aren't here to hurt you. Just let us take you to Zedra Labs and we can get this handled."

Emi scratched her arm, which was peeling again. Then she knelt on the floor with her arms raised in front of her. "Fine, take me."

The officers approached her and placed her wrists in handcuffs, careful to avoid her now-sharp nails which were covered in the blood of her victim. One cop accidentally sliced his leg on her hands, but he ignored the pain and pushed on. The car ride was silent, save the sirens that were running the entire way there as the police sped to the city.

When they arrived at Zedra Labs, Ness and Wendy were already there waiting for them on the front steps.

Ness was the first to speak. "We heard about the whole ordeal, Emi. And Zedra Labs called us here to examine us more, which is annoying. But they can possibly find a cure for you."

"Well, I don't want them poking and prodding me," Wendy said. "I'm gonna try to sneak into their tech labs and build some stuff. Wanna come with me, Ness?"

"Why can't we stay with Emi?"

"They're quarantining her so she doesn't have any more...rage moments."

Emi sighed. "It's okay, guys. Go on without me. I'll probably be locked up for the rest of my life and slow you two down anyway."

"We won't forget you or leave you behind, Emi. Okay?" Wendy placed her hand on Emi's shoulder, then took it away swiftly as some of the dead skin stuck to her hand, revealing more green underneath. 

Emi let herself giggle for the first time in a while. "Got it." She waved goodbye to her friends as she was pushed towards the main elevator and taken up to the observation room.

*****

Zedra the 5th set her clipboard on the table beside Emi's bed. "Well, as a doctor, I am required to tell you that you are dying."

Days of testing had occurred before this very moment. Although Emi was well-fed, her appetite was growing restless and larger by the day. Her skin color had settled for a deep green color.

"Dying?" Emi said angrily. She couldn't sweat in nervousness anymore, but she began to shiver a bit. "Can't you fix me?"

"You're falling apart on a molecular level. Soon there will be complete cell death. Thankfully, we have a solution. But you may not like it."

"What is it?"

"Well," said Zedra, "We can keep you from dying, but we can't cure you just yet. You'll likely stay a zombie until you die of normal causes like pneumonia."

Emi stood out of her bed. "Do it."