One small decision can change the outcome of your entire life.

No one knows it better than Magdalena, a regular girl whose whole life changed in one day with one logical decision.

She was cleaning the lab as usual when Reginald, the creep she did her best to avoid, popped up behind her. He was a spitting image of a crazy scientist in everything except his age.

"Hm, you smell so good, Magda," he said, sniffing her like a dog. "You must be doing this to seduce me. Why else would you smell so tempting?"

Magdalena retreated until her back hit the metal cabinets she had cleaned moments ago, a shiver running down her side, bile rising in her throat because of his proximity. She felt disgusted, as if slime surrounded her, cutting off her oxygen supply.

Before that night, he had made several suggestive comments that Magdalena ignored and did everything to avoid being in his presence. She was sick and tired of guys like him who thought because they had doctorates, every woman had to fall at their feet, especially one as poorly educated as her.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Mr. Robertson," Magdalena said subserviently, as she swallowed her anger for the paycheck she needed if she was to save up as much as she needed to leave this place and its horrible people behind. "I can assure you that it's not my intention whatsoever to seduce anyone. I am just here to do my job."

"Of course you are. After all, I know I'm quite a catch!" Reginald said, winking at her while he put his hand on the wall next to her face, boxing her in before she could move to the side. "After all, with all my doctorates and accolades, how can you not fall for me? I am irresistible! And I chose you to be mine! Aren't you the lucky one?"

Even though Magdalena had no high degrees, she knew one thing. He wasn't really into her, he wanted her body, and that was it. Magdalena, on her part, didn't find anything appealing in someone who constantly gave her lascivious looks, made inappropriate comments, and did his best to find himself unnecessarily close to her.

"I am sorry, sir, but I am not interested in pursuing any type of relationship with you except for a professional one," Magdalena said, shaking as if electricity ran through her body.

"Sure you do," he said as he brought his face closer to hers, his foul, garlicky breath hitting her straight in the face. "You are just playing hard to get, that's all. But I've got you now."

A creepy smile crawling over his face was just an added factor snapping Magdalena out of her daze just before his disgusting, chapped lips had the chance to connect with hers. Instinctively kneeing him where it hurt the most and then making a run for it while he rolled around the floor, wailing in pain.

"Well, there goes my plan," Magdalena mumbled once she ran into the elevator, unsuccessfully trying to catch her breath. "I'll need to get the rest of the money somewhere else. I promised Zed, I'd get him out of this crumbling country! I'll do it no matter what!"

One part of her hoped that once she reported everything that happened to HR, all would be well. Justice would prevail, and the guilty would be punished.

She should have known better.

That night, she didn't tell Zed anything. He was on an out-of-town business trip, so telling him would have only distracted him from work. At least one of them needed to keep their job.

The first thing she did in the morning was report the incident. Since there were cameras in the lab, she hoped everything would be clear for everyone to see.

Magdalena underestimated the cruelty of people.

She was called into the office, and as she walked down the lab room with its wall lined up with cabinets, test tubes, beakers, and other lab equipment, she wondered if she had made a mistake. This was their turf. She was just a speck on their beakers that they were about to rub clean. Still, she walked into the office with her head held high because she at least knew she hadn't done anything wrong.

"Ah, there you are," George, the lab director, said as soon as she entered the HR office. "We've been waiting for you."

As he said that, he motioned with his hand to the armchair in front of him, where sat her attacker, drinking coffee and smoking a cigar, a picture of relaxation.

"Where is Jannet?" Magdalena asked cautiously.

"This... attack... is beyond her abilities," George said, looking at her oddly, waving his cigar to motion for her to sit in the remaining armchair.

"I wouldn't really call it an attack," Magdalena said carefully, not sure what trap they were setting for her but doing her best to tread lightly. "I would say it was sexual harassment."

"Oh, no, no. You misunderstood," George said, a stern look crossing his face. "We're here today because you physically attacked an innocent man who was politely chatting with you. Which is mighty nice of him, trying to elevate your inferior status."

Magdalena felt the rage she had suppressed for far too long rear its ugly head.

However, before she could let it loose, George continued talking, blind to the boiling rage emanating from her.

"But we have graciously decided that since this is your first offense and good workers are hard to find ever since the Fair Working Conditions Zombie Act was implemented, we'll look beyond your mental breakdown and let you stay, with a cut pay of course and with the provision you have to take care of Reginald until he deems that he has fully recovered," George spewed out proudly as if he wasn't saying absurdities.

They were suggesting she stay in a place where she was sexually harassed and do everything her harasser told her to for lower pay and no respect. She was to be her abuser's slave, and George thought that was fair.

"I honestly can't tell if you guys are delusional, monsters, or both, but if you think I'll continue to stay in a place where I am treated worse than zombies were in the beginning, you can't be more wrong!" Magdalena screamed out. "I tried to do my job and stay invisible, but no, you had to fixate on me for no reason but your inflated ego! You are both on a power trip that will end badly, but I won't be here to see it. I'm leaving this godforsaken lab!"

As she stopped talking to take a breath, she noticed they were staring at her dumbfounded, which was no surprise since no one ever dared speak to them that way.

"Whatever do you mean?" George asked, his brain failing to compute.

"I mean, I quit!" Magdalena shouted, bursting through the doors before she would do something she might regret, like attacking the insensitive idiots she had endured for years.

As she rushed through the lab, Magdalena felt a sudden pull on her hand, turning her around, face to face with the disgusting human she came to hate, something Magdalena didn't know she was capable of.

"No one rejects Reginald Barnabus Maximillian the Third!" Reginald screamed at her. "You'll regret rejecting me and beg to be mine!"

As he said that, like a flash, he grabbed a beaker from the working desk nearby, and before Magdalena's brain could catch up with what was happening, he splashed the liquid into her face. It smelled foul, but at least it didn't burn, so Magdalena was grateful it wasn't acid. But then again, he wouldn't destroy her face as it was what he liked, her face and body.

"You...little..." Magdalena said through gritted teeth as she tried to wipe her face clean, realizing some of it was already in her eyes. "You better pray we never meet again because next time I see you. I'll kill you."

She said, marching out of there, telling herself he wasn't worth it.

******

The moment she walked through the front door, relief washed over her because Zed was home. The whole house felt warm and smelled of delicious food. It's such a Zed thing to do that Magdalena couldn't help but smile even though her eyes still itched, even after she washed them out many times before returning home.

"Zed, you're home," Magdalena said upon entering the kitchen, wrapping her hands around Zed, who was chopping the vegetables.

"Yeah, I missed you, so I hurried back as soon as I could," Zed said, abandoning the vegetables and turning to hug her tightly.

"I missed you too," Magdalena said, melting into the hug, finally feeling safe.

After receiving the warmth from the person she loved more than she ever thought possible, Magdalena felt better, like everything would be okay. She didn't even register she was sniffing him.

"What are you doing? That tickles!" Zed said when she buried her nose in his neck, breathing in deeply.

"Something smells delicious," Magdalena said dazedly.

"It's the broccoli and cauliflower casserole I'm making. It's almost done," Zed said, enjoying her closeness.

"No, no," Magdalena said slowly. "I smell brains... I mean, I smell meat."

Zed quickly broke the hug and looked her over carefully. His eyes scanned the gray skin, the dull look in her eyes coupled with gray circles and the white film barely noticeable at the edges of her eyes. It all told a truth he didn't want to accept.

"Honey... ahem... did you notice you've been zombified?" Zed asked cautiously, sad he was the one to break the news.

"What?" Magdalena yelled out. "That's impossible. I was fine this morning. Even when I was talking with those women-objectifying idiots, I didn't show any signs and..."

And then it hit her. It hit her so hard that, for a moment, she stopped breathing as rage and fear clashed against each other in a losing battle.

She hurried to the bathroom mirror, confirming what she already knew. She was showing all the signs of transitioning from a human to a zombie, but since she wasn't bitten, there was only one way that could have happened.

"That revengeful lousy excuse for a human being..." Magdalena spat out angrily.

"What happened?" Zed asked immediately.

She quickly told him all about the events leading to Reginald splashing her with a foul-smelling liquid that she now suspected was some experimental mixture containing zombie blood, as that was the only way for a non-bitten human to start turning.

"How long ago was it?" Zed asked, his quick thinking kicking into gear when he saw panic threatening to swallow up his girlfriend.

"About an hour," Magdalena said, already starting to feel sluggishness in her muscles, terrifying her.

"Then we still have 5 hours to find the cure and reverse the process," Zed said resolutely. "let's go find the monster who did this to you, and I'll make sure he talks. He'll tell us where the cure is no matter what."

Zed was never violent, but Magdalena believed he would do anything for her. And even though being a zombie wasn't generally a big deal anymore, he saw how much that scared her and was ready to do anything to help her.

*****

After searching for Reginald for an hour unsuccessfully, Magdalena and Zed went to the police station to report the unlawful zombification, but they weren't of much help. After all, even though he did something like that, being a zombie was no longer a big deal, what with them having equal rights and living regular lives. The only difference was their diet, which consisted of brains of recently deceased humans or not-so-recently deceased ones, which were apparently less tasty.

"What are we going to do now?" Magdalena asked, feeling beaten.

They already lost two hours searching the lab and his office but came up empty and were nowhere near finding the guy.

"Don't worry, we'll find him," Zed said, sounding unsure.

"And if we don't?" Magdalena asked, aware Reginald was the only person who could stop the process he started but that once she turned full-on zombie, there was no going back. "What am I going to do all alone as a zombie? I can barely survive as a human with your help. How could I as a lonely zombie?"

"Don't you dare talk like that!" Zed said sternly, hastening his steps to stand before her, looking deep into her eyes. "We're going to find him at his house. And even if we don't... Even if you do become a zombie, you'll never be alone because you'll have me standing by your side. Always. Zombie or human, you are still the amazing, kindhearted person I fell in love with, and I'd have to be an absolute idiot to let you go. Got it?"

A slight smile blossomed on her lips. After a storm, the rainbow finally appeared, reminding Zed of their first meeting. How she was a shining star bringing him out of his depression after everyone he ever knew had died, before humans realized zombies could live normally, without hurting anyone, with a little bit of help.

The only dangerous zombie was a starved one. Many of those who first turned tried to starve themselves, not wanting to hurt their loved ones, and then ended up killing them because they lost control of their hunger. That rarely happened anymore.

Upon reaching Reginald's house, the same one he always bragged about because it had the best location in the city, Magdalena was struck with a strong smell overwhelming her senses. It was as if her senses were on a hyperdrive, and the foul stench of rot and decay was all she could sense.

"Argh, can you smell that?" she asked.

"No, I don't smell anything," Zed said, looking around worriedly. "Your zombie senses must be kicking in. What does it smell like?"

"Death," Magdalena said grimly.

Before Magdalena could realize what she was doing, she was already sniffing the air and following the stink that led right into Reginald's backyard. Over there, the stench was overwhelming. It made Magdalena gag in disgust.

"Over there," she pointed to the recently disturbed patch of ground. "That's the freshest one."

Zed stood hesitantly for a moment but then dialed the police. Zombie Senses were considered good enough evidence, and the house seemed empty, so there was no harm in doing the right thing.

Two hours later, he regretted his decision because even after all the bodies were dug up, all they learned about Reginald was that sometimes he killed the women who rejected him, which was horrible but not very helpful for Magdalena.

"What do we do now?" Zed asked after finally being allowed to leave.

"I know one more place where he could be," Magdalena said as an idea occurred to her. "Free Love bar. He used to brag about going there after work and how all the girls loved him."

"Do you really think anyone is so cold-blooded to commit so many crimes and then just go enjoy himself?" Zed asked doubtfully.

"Yes, Reginald is," Magdalena said with certainty.

She had worked with the guy for years, and she knew he cared about no one but himself.

"Alright then, let's go," Zed said, trusting her judgment, which was one of the many things she loved about him.

He had fate in her.

As luck would have it, they found Reginald in the parking lot just as he was about to leave with a gorgeous blonde on his arm.

"Reginald, we need to talk," Magdalena said, cutting off his path to the car, anger burning brightly in her already half-glazed-over eyes.

"Come to beg me, have you?" Reginald said mockingly, laughing like the maniac he was.

"Leave," Magdalena told the woman beside him, her zombie features more prominent than ever.

The woman took one look at the zombie spots that had begun to form under Magdalena's left eye and ran away like there was no tomorrow.

"Where is the cure?" Zed asked, grabbing Reginald by the neck.

"Is this little nobody the reason you refused me?" Reginald asked, amused even though his life was in danger. "You have such poor taste."

"The police are at your house right now, digging up all the bodies," Magdalena said, trying to control the sudden urge to attack that was getting more difficult to subdue. "It's over. Why don't you do one decent thing and give me the cure."

"I am sorry, little missy, but it's already too late for you," Reginald said, not sounding sorry at all. "You are clearly already beyond 60 percent zombie. There's no going back from that."

As his maniacal laughter echoed off the empty parking lot, Magdalena's senses blurred, and she lost herself among the dark clouds of her heart.

The next thing she knew, she was crouching in the middle of the parking lot with Reginald underneath her, his skull cracked open like a watermelon, and his brains in her hands, mostly already eaten. Upon realizing what had happened, she looked around in alarm, only to find Zed subdued up with a twisted street sign wiggling like crazy but completely unharmed.

"What... what happened?" Magdalena asked, even though she already knew.

"You went into blackout rage, turned completely zombie, and started attacking him," Zed said calmly. "I tried to stop you..."

"Did I hurt you?" she asked, moving as quickly as she could, with her sluggish muscles, to his side.

"No, you were surprisingly aware of who I was. You just restrained me like this, said Reginald had to pay for his crimes, cracked open his skull, and started munching on his brains," Zed said, stating facts, no noticeable fear in his voice. "Now, a little bit of help would be nice here."

As she used her superstrength to unwind the sign she used to restrain him, Magdalena was surprised to note how she was still herself, but there was a part of her that was completely different.

"I'm not sorry," she said.

"For killing him?" Zed inquired. "Neither am I."

"What do we do now?" Magdalena asked, dazed from all her senses being heightened.

"We call the police, say it was Zombie Self-Defense. You started turning, and he tried to kill you, triggering the zombie rage and his own death," Zed said, thinking carefully about it.

"You would do that for me?" Magdalena asked.

"Of course," Zed said without hesitation. "In this crazy world, you're the only thing keeping me sane. I love you. I'm not about to lose you to anything."

Things with the police went better than expected, with them not caring much about the death of a serial killer. Still, Magdalena and Zed decided to move away and have a fresh start. They were also determined to survive on the brains of evildoers, as Zed had also become a zombie.

Who knew kissing was enough to turn someone? But neither of them minded their new existence. They were in it together. That was all that mattered.

"What are you doing?" Zed asked, approaching Magdalena from behind and gently kissing her neck.

"Just trying to preserve some food for winter," Magdalena said and then turned to kiss Zed's cold lips.

Even though they were much colder than humans, Magdalena still felt warmth when kissing him, and when he deepened the kiss, his lips exploring her mouth expertly, Magdalena's breath hitched even though she didn't need to breathe anymore.

When they finally broke the kiss, Zed looked at the bloody sack of brains from which she was pulling brains out and putting them in a large container.

"Who knew preserved brains could be so delicious," Zed said as Magdalena tried to fit the brains without breaking them apart.

Magdalena would take a brain, make a small hole, put some salt in it, and then put it in the container. Once one layer was filled, she put more salt on top of that layer, and Magdalena did so with each layer. Once the container was filled, she would put special liquids for brain preservation, and she was done.

It was their inside joke that it was like putting regular preserves for winter.

In the summertime, they would eat the bad guys. While in wintertime, they would happily munch on homemade preserved brains, many of which came from different mortuaries and could be bought online.

Being undead wasn't so bad because they had each other. Their love was one of a kind. A love that managed to conquer all, even being a zombie.

And they spent their undead existence happily ever after.

Prompt: You reject a blind date with a scientist for someone else, only to find that the scientist, in revenge, turns you into a zombie. Now, you and your partner have 5 hours to find the cure before the transformation is complete. Will you locate the cure first or catch up with the scientist? And the pressing question: would your partner stay with you once you become a zombie.