by A. Giacomi
“Have you found her yet?” His voice sounds heavy with fear.
“No, but we’ve found her first victim. We came to find Cam, and we found his roommate instead.”
Dr. August’s voice begins to tremble a bit. “Is he…has he been taken care of?”
I know what he means. He wants me to make sure Mark won’t become a zombie and start killing others.
“Claire took care of that.”
He doesn’t reply right away. “Strange that she wouldn’t let him rise and join her.”
“I guess she likes to do things solo…Listen, I think she has Cam. He’s disappeared, and I have no idea where to start looking.”
“Eve, I have been reading up on zombie mythology in order to help you with your…umm…condition.”
More like a curse, but good save.
“Now from what I’ve read, zombies have a superior sense of smell. If you can smell living flesh, you can certainly sniff out one of your own kind.”
I didn’t think of that. I suppose we smell differently from the living. Although I’m not rotting, I have noticed a difference in my natural scent.
“Good idea, Doc. I’m going on the hunt. I will call you when I find something.”
Dr. August tries to say something else, but I hang up before he can finish. I am much too eager to get started. There is no time to waste. I don’t know what Claire is up to. For all I know, Claire wants a new undead boyfriend all to herself. I can’t let that happen.
“Alex, I’m going to hope to hell my nose will lead me to her, or Cam is as good as dead.”
My eyes well up with tears at the thought. Alex comes over to me and hugs me. We both look back at Mark’s covered body as we leave the room. My heart is heavy knowing that I can’t save him; he was a great guy.
“Mark, we’re coming back for you. I promise you. You deserve a better resting place than a dorm room floor.”
It is strangely comforting talking to the dead, just like visiting a cemetery. I guess it is a bit of denial as well. I want to talk to him like he is still alive.
***
We walk around campus trying to find Claire’s scent. I don’t really pick up much. I smell her in the garden, but of course, I would; that’s where she became infected, by me. I hang my head in shame as we pass the garden. We continue walking, and I let out a snarl when I sense something foreign.
“This way, Alex. I think I have her.”
I follow the scent all the way to the cafeteria. It seems like a good place to hide out. No one will be in the cafeteria at this hour. I tell Alex to stay close behind me as we enter.
Once inside, I notice all the lights are out. Something is definitely lurking in here. Even after hours, the cooks usually leave the lights on in case anyone wants to use the space as a study area. I feel Alex clinging to my shirt. She is sharing the same thought.
We venture further into the cafeteria, and we’re not able to see much, but I feel a rush of wind to my right. I push Alex to my left side and turn to face the source. I still don’t see anything, but I know there is something in here with us for sure. My nose flares; one of my kind is among us.
My senses are on overload. I want to attack in every direction. I hear something shatter in the kitchen and head that way.
“Eve, I can’t fight this feeling that we’re being watched.”
I pull Alex closer to me. She screams when we feel another gust of wind to my right. I pause and sniff the air. My eyes grow wide. This is an ambush.
“Alex, get down!” I yell.
She doesn’t hesitate and throws herself on the ground under a table. I am able to block the first attack. I am holding the head of another student as she chomps at the air. She looks familiar, possibly from one of my anthropology courses? And then it hits me. “Oh God, Nina! What has she done to you?”
Nina looked a little like herself but very veiny and bloody and definitely not as friendly as I remember. She moves like a real zombie, slowly and without thought. I don’t want to hurt her, and in my hesitation, another zombie takes the opportunity to attack me from behind.
They jump on top of me and try to tear my head off. They will do anything to get at Alex, who ironically is the dinner they have been waiting for. If they need to go through me first, so be it; food is their only desire.
As I try to fight off the two students, I see another zombie exiting the kitchen. I better do something quick, or Alex and I are finished.
I decide to give into the virus and all its power. My strength immediately intensifies. I grab a hold of the zombie on my back and throw him to the ground. Alex smashes his head in with one of the chairs closest to her. She smiles victoriously, but the zombie that grabs her from behind quickly erases her grin. Her scream is blood curdling. I grab Nina and snap her neck.
“Sorry, Nina, nothing personal.”
I rush towards Alex, who is trying her best not to get bitten. When I reach them, I bite the zombie’s hand so hard that he’s forced to release Alex. He lets out a monstrous growl.
Yup, he is definitely a regular mindless zombie, and he is super pissed that I took his food away.
I move back with Alex in hand, and as I look around, I can now see that the room is full of zombies. Claire was a very hungry girl.
“Al, I think we need to make a run for it. I can’t fight off all these zombies and keep you alive at the same time.”
We start to back out of the cafeteria slowly as the zombies watch us. As soon as we are outside, I look around for a way to contain the zombies. I see an iron fence and tear one of the bars free. I bend the bar around the two door handles, creating a temporary lock. The zombies begin pushing against the door. I can see them smashing their faces against the windows; their fingers claw desperately at the glass, their eyes starving for flesh. I can sympathize with their hunger, but I don’t want everyone on campus to become a meal tonight.
“Let’s go to my car. We should call Dr. August and let him know what’s going on.”
I agree with Alex, and we make our way to the parking lot. Once there, we get inside and lock the doors in case there are any more surprises stumbling around. As soon as I’m back to my senses, I pick up my phone and make the call.
Dr. August doesn’t speak but listens.
“I’m afraid I have more bad news, Doc. Claire seems to have created a mini army of fucking deadites!”
Dr. August is now freaking out on the other end, making it harder to continue explaining.
“Whoa, whoa, hang on. I managed to contain them in the cafeteria, but that won’t hold forever… Doctor August, tell me what to do next. I don’t know what to do.”
As I try to formulate a new plan with Dr. August, I hear Alex trying to get a word in. “Eve…Eve, you need to see this.”
I ignore her at first, but when I hear the terror in her voice, I decide to check it out.
“Umm, Doc, I’m gonna need to call you back.”
As I look through the windshield, I can see a hoard of zombies approaching us.
That’s no mini army.
As we watch speechlessly, one of them appears at the driver’s side window, and Alex lets out a shriek. The other zombies will be on us in a matter of seconds. I see no point in making a run for it.
“Alex, I know this is a fairly new car, but I think it’s time to scuff the paint a bit.”
Alex is shaking, but she understands. She turns on the car, spilling light onto all the zombies surrounding us. They are ugly and rotting. I think I see one zombie’s ear fall off as they approach. Gross!
Their arms are stretched out in front of them with longing; some of them are beginning to thrash against the car. Alex is finding it hard to compose herself. I can see beads of sweat forming on her forehead as the zombie at her window begins beating against the glass even more violently. He finally manages to
smash through the glass. This sends Alex screaming in motion.
“Screw all of you! I’m going to squash you all, like bugs under my shoe!”
It is a little odd seeing Alex this aggressive, but that’s what it is going to take to stay alive.
Alex shoots the car backward and then throws it in drive, taking down the first row of zombies. It is slightly comical seeing them shoot into the air and burst into pieces. Once Alex clears a good chunk of them under her tires, she throws the car in reverse and squashes a few more that have been following us. Luckily, zombies aren’t that smart. They don’t think to take cover.
“Al, there’s one more over there. Get him!”
She doesn’t hesitate to slam her foot on the gas, and we go flying towards the motionless zombie. He is hit with such force that he splits in half. The zombie’s torso hits the hood and then glides up the windshield and off into the air. He leaves a nice big bloody streak in the process.
“Ewww, gross!” Alex exclaims and then uses the wipers so that we are able to see again. There doesn’t seem to be a single zombie left.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
CAM
My eyes find it hard to focus. The room is dark and unfamiliar. I think I see a small rag doll in the corner by the window. Where am I? My disoriented state makes it hard to recall what happened in the moments before. I know my right temple aches quite a bit; my guess is someone knocked me out. I can only focus for a few seconds at a time. I try to stand and get a better look at my surroundings, and that’s when I notice that I can’t move. My hands are laced behind my back, and my legs seem to be tied to the chair I am sitting on. I shuffle about to see if I can wiggle free, but the ropes are on there tight. I begin saying, “What the fu…” and I am cut off by a dark image coming towards me.
“Who’s there?”
The figure doesn’t answer; instead, it begins laughing in a terrifying and sinister way. Sweat begins to bead at the back of my neck and run down my spine. It makes my entire body shiver.
The figure moves an arm into the light. The arm is small and delicate but grotesque at the same time. Its nails are blue, and the skin seems so abnormally transparent that I can see every vein. The arm reaches towards my face. I try to back away but am only able to turn my face away freely. The cold hand strokes my cheek in a loving way. My mind decides this must be Eve; perhaps the virus has done something strange to her.
“Eve?” I question.
The hand retracts quickly, and the dark figure paces the room. Why won’t she answer? What is wrong with her? I begin to panic.
“Eve, let me help you.”
The figure halts and then races towards me. Before I know what’s happening, her face is lit up by moonlight, and she is only inches away from my nose.
“Why did you have to go and mention her for? She did this to me. That bitch bit my arm, and now I’m hideous. I will rip her spine out next chance I get.”
Claire is foaming at the mouth in a very literal way as she spits out each word. Clearly, I am dealing with a whole new level of psychopath, and if she is as powerful as Eve, then I will need to tread lightly.
“Claire, what am I doing here?”
She laughs again in that repulsive way.
“Cam, you should know why you’re here.”
I shake my head with confusion. I have no fucking idea why I’m here.
“Oh, silly Cam. I’m going to make sure we’re together forever. Now that I’m stronger, I can get rid of Eve, and then I will make you into something just like me. I’ve already made so many like us. I thought I would test out how to make the perfect zombie. It seems the less I bite, the more human you’ll remain, but with a few upgrades. Unfortunately, I was really hungry at first, so I may have eaten more students than I meant to.”
Claire pouts as if she expects me to feel sorry for her. My stomach is turning, threatening to explode.
“Claire, I don’t want to be like you and Eve. I want to be human.”
Now Claire is the one who looks confused.
“Why wouldn’t you want to be super strong and super unbreakable? Oh, I get it. It’s a joke. You’re joking, Cam. You’re funny.”
Her laugh makes me want to throw up; it sounds like demon laughter. Claire begins to stroke my face. She’s leaning in closer, and she looks so hungry.
“Claire, don’t do this.”
She’s so close that I fear she is going to take a bite out of my cheek. Instead, she settles for licking my face.
“Mmmm, that is delicious. Sorry, I had to have a quick taste. I don’t know how Eve does it. I get so hungry so quickly. I don’t want to eat until Eve gets here. I know she’ll come for you, and then I will destroy her. She messed with the wrong girl.”
I shuffle in my chair with rage. I won’t let her hurt Eve.
“No, you will leave Eve alone. I will stay with you. You don’t need to hurt her. If she shows up, I will tell her that I want to stay with you.”
Claire looks touched and places her grotesque arm over her un-beating heart.
Claire moves over to the window and keeps watch. I take a deep breath now that I’ve been given some space. I try to think of a way out of this, but I don’t have any bright ideas. If only I can signal to Eve that this is a trap. I know Eve will eventually come here, wherever here is, and I suppose I would do the same if it was her.
I close my eyes tightly and think of her smile; my God, it is breathtaking. I won’t let anything happen to her; she is mine to protect. I try to quietly fiddle with the ropes around my wrists while Claire is distracted. Perhaps I can find a way to loosen them enough to slip free. I mean, if magicians can do it with strait jackets, surely there is a way for me to break free.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
ALEX
We burst into Dr. August’s office out of breath.
“Doctor, we need your help. Something awful…”
Eve stops talking once she notices we are not alone. Dr. August is seated at his desk, and there are three men in suits sitting in the chairs across from him. It seems as though we have interrupted a very important meeting because the three men don’t seem at all amused when they turn to sneer at us.
I quickly interject. “Something awfully important to talk to you about on our upcoming test. Can we speak to you real quick?”
Dr. August rises from his chair and addresses the three men. “Will you please excuse me for just a moment, gentlemen?”
They don’t seem pleased, but they nod. It’s creepy how they seem to mirror each other.
Dr. August leads us into the hall, and his tone quickly changes from that of a calm and collected man to that of a terrified one.
“Girls, you should not be here. Those men are from CSIS. Eve, if you hadn’t rushed to hang up on me, you would have known this.”
He seems very ticked off with Eve. She fidgets with her hands, looking ashamed, and apologizes.
“Sorry is not good enough, I’m afraid. They are on a bit of witch hunt, and your panicked entrance looked a bit suspicious.”
Eve and I exchange confused glances, and I venture to ask, “Who are they hunting?”
Dr. August’s eyes move to Eve.
“Do they know about her? How can they know?”
Dr. August looks behind him before answering my question; he most likely fears the men in his office may be listening in.
“They have eyes everywhere, and I’m sorry to say, Eve, but they found some of the data from our tests. They know I’m studying someone, but they don’t know it’s you. They will find out soon enough, and you will need to run. They will track our trip to Egypt and knock on every volunteer’s door until they find the person they are looking for. I’ve been trying to convince them that I was running tests on Vincent’s blood again, but they aren’t buying it.”
Eve’s eyes are wid
e, but she’s trying to stay calm. “We will need to worry about that later. There are a bunch of squashed zombies in the parking lot, and we still haven’t found Cam. I’m afraid CSIS is going to want answers for that too.”
Dr. August looks nauseous. “Yes, that will be hard to explain, won’t it?”
Before we can continue the conversation, one of the men appears at the door.
“Excuse me, ladies, why don’t you come on in and wait? Our business here is almost finished, and we are in a bit of a hurry.”
Something smells fishy, but what other choice do we have? If Eve and I flee, won’t they suspect something and come after us? We silently decide to follow Dr. August back inside. Eve and I sit in the love seat just on the other side of the door.
Before heading back to his seat, the CSIS agent introduces himself. “Oh, how rude of me. I really should introduce myself. I am Mr. Williams.” I shudder; he must mean “Agent” Williams. I remember his name from Dr. August’s story; this is the man in charge.
Agent Williams holds out his hand and waits for us to introduce ourselves. I almost want to give him a fake name, but I’m sure he can always check on that, and then lying is always suspicious. Why lie if you have nothing to hide, right?
Eve takes his hand first and introduces herself. I extend my hand out next and simply say, “Nice to meet you.”
Agent Williams looks a bit taken aback by the half-introduction, but I don’t feel he needs to know my name, and I know he won’t bother asking for it now; it will be a bit awkward. We are both hiding some of our cards now. I can tell he has instantly become suspicious of me, but I don’t care. Perhaps that is a good thing. It will lead him off Eve’s trail.
Agent Williams is not terribly old and is quite handsome. However, his grin is something sinister; I can’t explain it. I shiver as he smiles at us and then begins walking towards his seat. He is almost in his seat when he turns back to look at us and asks, “Just out of curiosity, ladies, when is your test? If it’s tomorrow, I shall try and be quick. You will need your study time.”
