Self Preservation
| Published on Creepypasta.com | July 2010 |
|---|---|
| Length | 828 words · about 4 minutes to read |
| Story level | Short |
| Reader rating | 8.7/10 from 670 votes |
| Category | Deaths, Murders, and Disappearances |
If you’re reading this, then I am hopefully long gone. It’s been… two months now since the meteor struck Mississippi. There was a lot of public interest in it, astrologers and the like all gathering around for a look. They took samples of the rock and shipped them all over the world to museums in every country. Hell, I almost made a trip to have a look myself, but I had an interview with a potential employer. If he hadn’t called me up the previous day, I’d be dead now. Three days later, after the initial hype died down, the news reported nothing on the meteor for a couple of days.
The next thing I heard about it was when I got home from the pub and turned on the late-night news. I was just in time to catch a breaking news article. The worried-looking reporter informed me that almost everyone who had been in the vicinity of Mississippi when the meteor went down had been hospitalised. Their symptoms were similar to those that a corpse experiences during decomposition. Ten people had already died, mostly the elderly and the very young. Scientists and geneticists from all over the globe were working frantically to try and find a cure. Being smarter than the average bear, I gathered some supplies and prepared for an epidemic. Years of being paranoid beyond reason was finally about to pay off.
The news the next day had a lighter tone. A Chinese scientist had worked out that the meteor had contained an alien strain of bacteria that slowly broke down flesh tissue. The scientist also remarked that the bacteria were only affecting humans. He had also worked out that if a victim consumed a living being, such as an insect, it would delay the progression of the bacteria, giving the scientists more time to figure out a permanent cure. Anyone who thought they may have contracted the infection was to eat as many live creatures as they could. The reporter also explained that the US Army was attempting to contain the infection.
They failed.
Anyone who has read Stephen King’s book, The Stand, will have an idea of how the bacteria made its way around the world. It passed through the air, but to catch it, you had to be near someone infected. Because the symptoms took between three to five days to kick in, people didn’t realise that they were infected. In a week, Victus Somes Disease, as it had been named, was global.
Also read: The Scuttler
I had barricaded myself in my house, with towels and blankets stuffed into every crack. I had the TV tuned to the news all day and night. The scientists had not predicted that the bacteria would adapt to the infected people’s efforts at trying to keep it at bay. Victims all over the world were claiming that the insects were no longer working. People were starting to catch small mammals and eat them.
As the days went by, people were slowly eating larger and larger animals. The first reported case of cannibalism was, ironically, the last broadcast made. The anchorman’s hair was falling out and he was missing three teeth. He nervously told America that there had been a reported case of cannibalism in Southern Europe. He also said that there would be no further broadcasts. All survivors were to lock themselves in their house and not let anyone in.
For the next week and a half, I watched the infected shamble up the street, knocking on doors. One of my neighbours, a couple of houses down from me, was stupid enough to open the door. Three people dragged him out and started biting his flesh. They started with his arms and legs, trying to keep him alive for as long as possible. They were crying as they ate. Their meal was shrieking in pain, and the three people eating him were apologising furiously through mouthfuls of his arm. I don’t think they were unable to control themselves; it looked more like they were disgusted by what they had to do to stay alive.
They tried to break into my house five or six days later, but my barricades held. They were outside, begging me to let them in. “Just one bite. Please, be generous.” I listened to their pleading all night, too scared to sleep.
I suppose I should explain why I’m writing this. I’m infected. Yesterday I coughed and lost a canine. I spent the night pulling out my teeth, easing them out one by one. It didn’t hurt; they just slid out, like pulling up carrots. Anyway, as I was saying, I’m infected. The bugs have stopped working, and all the wild animals have long since run away. I have decided to lure someone into my house and attack them. It sounds so wrong writing that out, but I don’t want to die. And I’m so hungry.
I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.
//
Credited to BananaCorn.
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this is interesting and someone brought up the idea that the reader is reading this inside the person’s house and was lured in by this alone and if that’s the case it’s very interesting. what’s odd is that i thought these were real people’s entries considering ive never been on this site before. i thought maybe these people are crazy…haha but now i know so interesting idea.
plooooooooothooooooooooles
i liked it bunches!
,,,but how are you going to eat something living without teeth?
Decent. Better-written than some of the shit on here, definitely. [:
Points:
1. How would the bacteria survive the heat&shit in the atmosphere?
2. Would it seriously specialise to only attack humans? What’s its motivation?
3. Chimpanzees&etc would be simpler, I think.
4. And what about bacteria themselves? They’re living things, too. BACTERIALIST.
5. There are better, stronger&probably more nutritious animals out there. WHY NOT POLAR BEARS?
Answers would be appreciated. Muchly.
Considering one of my greatest fears in the world is a global pandemic of a killing disease, this… sorta scared the living crap outta me. Thanks. Nightmares T.T
Overall, though, 8.5/10. Yummy.
I assumed the narrator was already a cannibal. The story itself is false and the meteor was his attempt at justifying murdering people. The other cannibals are how he perceives himself, the “self preservation” is the preservation of his waning sanity.
I found it interesting, and just because you pull out your teeth, doesn’t mean you couldn’t eat someone. My friend’s sister in law had all her teeth pulled by some idiot dentist that forgot to sand down her bone under the gums, now she has no teeth and can’t be fitted for dentures yet because she has razor sharp, ragged bits of bone that protrude from where her teeth were.
Not the scariest I have read, but the part where you describe the teeth being pulled out was disturbing, 7/10
Thanks, this pasta was delicious :)
By the way, I don’t taste good, please don`t eat me :(
FIRST!!!!
Nice. I’ve read both the “Zombie Survival Guide” and “World War Z” by Max Brooks, and it follows closely, except he says it’s a virus, whereas this guy says it’s a bacteria… but since there was no real vaccination from it, it might as well be…
Love it. Will eat again.
Love the concept, and most of the writing. The lack of teeth is a big error, but hey, we all make mistakes. 8/10. :)
I liked it!!! But how are zombies supposed to eat people if they have no teeth?
I think you mean “astronomers” in the beginning >_>; vast difference. Astrologers are the people who write those New Age books on the Zodiac. Also…
THANKS FOR THAT ONE. XD I live in MS…
Really good new take on the old zombie genre. Two thumbs
I liked it, but the ending was honestly disappointing. It just felt like it could go on to something much darker, and then poof. Nothing. QQ, I’m infected. You feel for my trap! Nom, nom, nom. Other than that good read.
Is the reader supposed to have broken into this guy’s house, and this note is the bait he setup to eat someone, or are we just reading it?
Interesting take on zombies. Very interesting.
And I liked the ending, despite how cliche “now I am the monster too and I will om nom nom on your soul” endings are, this one was really quite good.
I thoroughly enjoyed it.
9/10
So…Small insects huh…Plants have no life then?
And then the narrator was a zombie.
I think the concept is really neat, how the “zombies” are still aware enough to be apologetic, and I’m a sucker for meteorites with space bacteria, but the whole thing felt rushed and like the writer didn’t bother going back to do any editing what so ever. For example, in the first paragraph, he states “years of paranoia.” That’s a bit out of left field with no set-up. And why a chinese doctor? I mean, it’s filled with hastily written bits. Could have been great.
lol @ astrologers. Story was good, but this cracked me up.
How does one eat people without teeth. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Astrologers? This a has probobly already been pointed out so this comment is useless. *sigh*
Sup BananaCorn
The storys pretty original, even for a zombie pasta. I like how the zombies aren’t mindless.
Huh… how do they eat raw flesh with no teeth?
I liked it. I think it could be polished up a bit more perhaps, but it was still an entertaining read :)
I honestly didn’t realize the ‘toothless=can’t eat’ thing at all while I was reading. D’oh.
But that aside, I thought that this was pretty nice. I usually don’t like Zombie pastas, but this one was relatively fresh and interesting.
WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THAT THEY STILL HAVE A FEW TEETH TO FUCKING EAT PEOPLE!!!
That was amazingly well written. I’d like to see this is a movie. It’s a nice twist on the cannibalism/zombie take :D
8/10