Media Blitz (Patreon)

Media Blitz.

              Virgina tapped her foot as she stared at the yellow boundary. “How are we supposed to report on this story if they will never let us in?”  She turned to her cameraman. “Tell me, Henry. How?”

              He shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe we should listen to the guidelines given by the people trying to investigate the situation?”

              “People telling us that this is some kind of dangerous virus.  How can we trust them?”  She narrowed her eyes.  “And are we to trust them that there are giant blueberry people as well when no one has seen them?  They just quarantine the entire area and tell us, the media, to get away.”  She grabbed him and shook him.  “Well, I want proof.  Otherwise, I am going to sue this second-rate, dangerous infectious disease group for trying to scare us into a panic!”

              He sighed.  “If you get us into some blueberry-filled situation, I will.”

              She snorted.  “Come on.”  She stepped over the barrier.  “We are just going to find out if this is real or not.  What is wrong with that?”

              He rolled his blue eyes and muttered under his breath, “Why did I get partnered up with you?”

              ***

              “I feel like we are going around in circles.”  Rachel put her hands on her blue hips.  “I swear I have seen that juice stain on that wall three times at this point.

              Landon took a deep breath and sat down on the sidewalk.  “It’s fine.  I need to rest my legs anyway.”

              Nora sat down beside him and rubbed his legs.  “Aww.  Does the big strong man need to rest his weary legs?”

              Christen knocked her to the ground.  “Back off.  He is my man.”

              Landon blushed.  “Wow.  Are you jealous?”

              Christen gulped.  “What?  No.  I just. . . look, Nora can be a bit juice-crazed, and I don’t want her thinking that she can just use you too. . .”  Christen ran her hands through her blue hair as she sat down to Landon.  “I am not jealous.”

              He laughed.  “Really?”  He rubbed her thick leg.  “And here I was wondering if you were defending my honor.”  Christen smiled.  “Look, it’s fine.  I get it that some of the berry girls around here are a bit. . .”  He looked over at Nora.  “Odd.  But I can handle myself.”  He kissed her back.  “I wouldn’t be around the best blueberry girl in the world if I couldn’t.”

              Rachel towered over them, almost blocking what little sunlight there was.  “We can’t wait around forever.  Besides, I know your lover boy here needs to get some food and water in him eventually.”

              Landon sighed.  “Yeah, there isn’t exactly much here in the quarantine zone.  I am guessing you lucky ladies are fine with the sun shining down on you?”

              Rachel snorted.  “It helps, but I could still go for a cheeseburger.”  She looked up at the sky.  “Besides, it isn’t like that big ball in the sky is shining down on us all that much thanks to these damn buildings.”

              Landon made his way to his feet.  “Well, we better get moving and find our way out of here.  The more time we waste, the more—”

              “Oh my god.  Christen is that you!”  They turned their heads to see Linda and a blueberry lady they didn’t recognize rushing towards them.  “I knew if I kept going, I would find you eventually.”

              “Linda!”  Christen rushed forward, their juicy blue bodies meeting in a juicy embrace.  “I knew those creeps wouldn’t keep you locked up forever.”

              Linda pulled away and put her hand on her hip.  “Of fucking course.  Why would they?  They are so afraid of even touching me.  I had the situation under control.”

              They all looked at the other blueberry woman who had come with Linda.  “Who is this?” Christen asked.

              The other woman turned her head and looked at the ground as Linda replied.  “Her name is Mandy.  She was the woman who was sent in to experiment on me.  I tried to tell her not to get my juices on her, but did she listen?  No.  When she started to swell, I did help her, and we used our big juicy bodies to escape, freaking her old comrades out in the process.  They didn’t even stop us.”

              Mandy snorted.  “I am still not happy that this virus is now my life.”

              Linda spun around.  “I told you; this is not a virus.  Others might have had a virus, but you didn’t get one.”  She threw her hands into the air.  “Ugh, this whole town is crazy.  Crazy, I say.”

              Christen put her hand on Linda’s shoulder.  “It’s fine.”

              “No, it’s not.  How the hell are we supposed to change anyone’s perspective.  How are we supposed to tell them that this isn’t a virus.”

              Nora walked forward.  “I don’t know where you fake blueberries come from, but it is most definitely a virus here.”  She giggled.  “And a fun one at that.”

              “Huh?”

              “Though I would like to see this place where you fake berries come from.  Maybe help spread things in your neck of the woods.  Make you real blueberries.”

              Linda narrowed her eyes.  “Why don’t you make—”

              “Oh my god!  Henry look.  We hit the fucking jackpot.”  They all turned their heads to see a young man and woman staring at them.  The man had a camera, and the lady, dressed in a jacket with a massive nine on the side, held a microphone.  “The berry women are real.  They. . . oh my god.  This. . . hurry, you fool.  Get us on the air.  Now!”

              “Okay.  Okay, you don’t have to yell.”

              Linda smiled.  “This is perfect.  I have been waiting for a chance like this.”  She rubbed her hands.  “Hello there.  My name is Linda, and I want to set the record straight.”

              Nora walked up as well.  “Oh no, you don’t.  I am going to explain things, and I will show the world what is to come.”

              Virginia waved her hands.  “Both of you stay back.  I want to hear what you say, but I don’t want to turn into a blueberry.  You hear me!”  She snorted.  “That might be good for ratings, but. . . ugh, I don’t want to feel what it would be like to be. . . that isn’t happening.”

              “We are live.”

              “Oh?  Hello, dear viewers.  I know you all have been wondering just what is happening.  Everyone is telling you to be afraid with these strange giant blueberries on the loose.  Berry women whose mere existence could turn you big and blue.  Well, I am here today to show you that they are real.  That this is not a hox.”  She lowered her voice.  “I can’t believe I have to do something that might scare the public, but here I am.”  She forced a smile.  “And here we are.  A small group of berries and a young man.  It seems some of the berry women are looking to speak.  So what do you have to tell us?  How did you get into this state?  How can we avoid swelling up like you?”

              Nora tried to speak, but Linda knocked the woman to the ground.  “I want everyone to know there is nothing to fear.  The risk of becoming a blueberry is very, very low.  It will only happen when juice is transmitted from one individual to another, and there usually isn’t much reason for that to happen.  I actually want to use this chance to highlight that some groups are trying to profit off of berry women and spread our juices out in the world so that they can use us as money making machines.  Please, put a stop to this instead of living in fear of us.”

              “Oh my god!  And I thought the virus was bad enough.”

              Nora laughed.  “Wow you fake berries really are interesting.”  She stood up.  “Now please us true blueberries are a virus, one that will spread across this world and bring juicy harmony.”  She giggled.  “Sure, juice is a way we can transmit, but just being around others, kissing, and more can. . . also help things along.  Our very essence will. . . juice up your life.”  She took a step towards Virginia.  “You do want to feel your juicy side come out, right?”

              “Umm. . . I don’t think our viewers would want that.”

              “Oh, come now.  I think you would look lovely slowly ripening.”

              Virgina looked at Henry and made a cutting motion across her neck.  “Cut the feed, and let’s get out of here.”

              “Where are you going?”  Nora grabbed her arm and licked Virgina’s exposed skin.  “You wanted to show everyone how the virus worked.

              Linda grabbed Nora and pulled her away.  “Stop that!”

              Nora moaned, her eyes flashing blue.  “What?  What is wrong with just showing them.”

              “Come on, Henry.  Let’s get out of here!”

              ***

              “Try and prove to the world that they are real.  Such a good idea.”

              Virgina snorted.  “Well, now they will know to stay away.”  They bounced over the quarantine line.  “We did the world a great service.  I don’t see how that is a bad thing.”

              “You took a great risk.  You could have turned into a blueberry.”  They rushed to their news van.  “Our boss is going to really give you the business when he sees the tape.”

              “Oh, that old man will praise me for taking such a risk.”  She started up the van.  “I can’t wait for them to hear how this live interview went.”

              “You mean tapping.”  He laughed.  “I lived about us being live.”

              She snorted as she pulled out on the street.  “Well, then, I will hurry and rush this tape to the studio.”  She didn’t notice the blue dot on the back of her neck.  “God, Henry, I swear you can be such a fool sometimes.”