Our Dead Bodies [Anthology]

by Wright, Jerry

  “Too late for me, Katiebug.” He smiled, but his eyes were full of sadness. “Where’s your sister, your mom, are they…”

  “They’re fine. Mom was out of town when it happened, and Kacey was already cleared to go in the first tent.”

  “Baby girl, if you make it out of here, I--,” his body seized up as he tried to speak, “I need you to tell your mom and sister that I love them, ok?” His neck tensed up. His breathing was labored. “Tell them I should have been there for more little league games,” Katie’s dad groaned in pain as he struggled to get the words out, “and parent-teacher conferences.”

  “Dad they know how--”

  “Katie let me finish. I don’t have long.” The blood drained from his face. “Tell them I’m sorry, ok? I need you to be strong for them when this is over.” His eyes started to dart back and forth, unable to focus. “They’re going to need you.” He convulsed at the end of his sentence.

  “Dad?” Katie fought against her restraints. Her legs and arms struggled to find any give in the straps that had her pinned to the stretcher.

  “I need a sedative in here!” Officer Clifton yelled to a nurse.

  “I love you, Katie” Her dad looked at her as he tried to keep himself from shaking.

  “Dad? Dad!” Katie yelled as nurses surrounded her. She moved her head trying to see her father. She felt a needle slide into her arm. “I love you!” She shouted as her mind became hazy. Her eyes closed even though she fought to keep them open. The sedative took hold of her, and the world went black.

  After a few hours, Katie came back to consciousness. She blinked and squinted as a nurse shined a tiny flashlight in her pupils. “Do you know your name?”

  “It’s Katie.” Katie pulled her head away from the nurse.

  “Good news, Katie. You appear to have no symptoms of the infection. I’m going to take off your restraints, ok? Just lie still.”

  “What happened to my dad?” Katie turned her head to look at the empty stretcher behind the plastic.

  “He was contaminated. We gave him an injection to help him along peacefully.” The nurse touched Katie’s arm. “He didn’t suffer.”

  Katie tried to fight back the tears as the nurse removed her restraints.

  “Please change into these.” The nurse handed Katie a pair of green scrubs as she sat up.

  Katie felt numb as she changed her clothes. An officer came and showed her the way out of the observation tent. Katie followed, not really paying attention. It was close to twilight now.

  “Katie!” Kacey ran to her sister and hugged her. Her mother followed closely behind and put her arms around both of her daughters.

  Katie pulled away and looked at them. “Dad...dad didn’t make it.” Hot tears ran down her face as the words came out of her mouth. Her mother sat down on the ground and placed her head in her hands. Kacey knelt down beside her mom and cried on her shoulder. Katie’s shoulders started to heave as she fought the sobs that were trying to finally escape. Behind her, she felt a strong chest against her back. Katie turned around and buried her face into Eric’s chest as his arms encircled her. This was the safest she had felt all day. She let her grief wash over her in waves. She thought about Mia and her dad and all of the devastation she had witnessed.

  “Where’s Gracie?” Katie mumbled into Eric’s shirt.

  “She found her aunt. She’s with her family now.” Eric held Katie tighter as she nodded.

  “Here, take one and pass it on.” A lady handed them a box of candles with a lighter.

  Eric and Katie each took a candle. Katie handed the box to her mom. The survivors all stood in silence, mourning their loved ones. Bodies of the infected were being burned in the streets of the town. They could smell the smoke from outside of the quarantine. The flames of their candles flickered and shone out in the dark as the flames from the burning bodies roared in a crackling cackle. The living and the dead were joined, for one last time, in a vigil of flame.

  END

  DEADVILLE by Tessa Leon

  Chapter One

  “For today’s homework you are to write a 5000 word essay on the female philosopher Hypatia,” said Professor Singh to his class of 60, in the large college auditorium.

  “Yawn! Is he done yet?” asked Sonya.

  “Sssh!” responded Helen. “I need to write this down.”

  When the class was dismissed, the philosophy students headed outside to the courtyard. It was last class of the day, so everyone hung out, firming up Friday night’s plans.

  Helen’s classmates and best friends hung out near the fountain.

  “Is everyone going to the party at Epsilon tonight?” asked Jane.

  Mariko and Sonya both responded with resounding yeses. They looked at Helen.

  “Nope, not me. I’m room-bound tonight.”

  “Again?” asked Sonya in her Finnish accent. “You missed last weekend’s party too.”

  “Last weekend was great! I met Juan at the party!” said Mariko in her heavy Japanese accent.

  “I haven’t met anyone yet, but there’s hope right?” said Jane. “Perhaps I should borrow some makeup from Sonya.” She pulled out a mirror and had a look at her plain face.

  “You look fine Jane,” said Helen. “I just need to get this essay done. I have to work at the coffee shop all weekend, and I still need to do my math and my astronomy homework too.”

  The women all groaned.

  “How long is this going to go on?” asked Sonya.

  “As long as I need the cash,” said Helen. “You guys go and have fun! Tell me all about the party when you get back home tonight. Or, tomorrow morning, ha ha!” She waved them off.

  The three ladies headed off to get ready for the party, while Jane headed for her own dorm room. She left the door open and sat at her desk.

  She had just started doing some research on her laptop when her friends poked their heads into her room.

  “Last chance for fun!” said Mariko.

  “Nope, you guys go and have tons of fun! And be careful!” said Helen. “Remember there was that student who went missing last week.”

  “Party pooper!” said Sonya.

  “Bye!” said Jane, with her half-hearted attempt at makeup.

  Helen breathed a sigh of relief. Now she could get some work done. Should she close the door? She peered up and down the hallway, but it was quiet. Likely everyone had gone out for dinner, or was already at a party. She’d tackle dinner later. Right now she wanted to outline her essay on Hypatia, Alexandrian philosopher, who’d been brutally murdered by Christians. And to think that they bashed Muslims nowadays. She shook her head.

  The Epsilon building was located right next to her dorm. Unfortunately, she could already hear pounding music, so she closed her window.

  It wasn’t so great being stuck in her room all night. She took a break to eat some leftover pizza from her mini fridge, but then it was back to work. Having to work to pay for college was frustrating at times. Her parents helped, but it simply wasn’t enough.

  She had just finished her essay, and was going to get started on her math homework, when she heard a piercing scream fill the air.

  Chapter Two

  Sonya, Jane, and Mariko were squished into the corner of Epsilon’s living room. The room was packed with people, with a loud pop song overwhelming most of the conversation.

  “I can’t hear what you’re saying,” yelled Mariko.

  “Great party!” yelled Sonya back at her.

  “Hey, some guy gave me a bunch of lollipops,” said Jane.

  Mariko pointed at them. “If you suck on that, you’ll get high,” she said.

  “Yep, it’s never just candy at a party,” said Sonya.

  “Oh, but it was safe last weekend,” said Jane. “It only gave a nice light buzz. I was completely within my faculties.”

  “You can say that again. I hadn’t realized you were high,” said Sonya.

  Jane handed them out to everyone. “Here you go. We’ll wa
tch out for one another anyway.”

  “I wonder where Juan is?” asked Mariko. “He said he’d be here.”

  “It’s still early. I’m sure he’s on his way,” said Sonya.

  “Ooh! I hope I’m at the right party! There might be something else happening tonight. I’d better text him,” said Mariko, as the song finally died down.

  Jane took the wrapper off her lollipop and stuck it in her mouth. Sonya did the same. Mariko was busy with her phone.

  “What on earth is that shrieking?”

  “I don’t know,” said Sonya. She pulled the drapes aside and looked out the window. The others at the party were oblivious to anything happening outside. A new CD started playing and drowned out any other sounds.

  ***

  Helen was just heading to the window to see who was shrieking, when a red splat struck it, and its ooze dripped slowly down. She backed off.

  “Ahhhh,” screamed a voice outside.

  Helen peered out the window.

  “What on earth?” she asked, her eyes deceiving her. Outside her window Juan, or what had been Juan was reaching up at her window. He had a huge hole in his head, like someone had shot him, but still, he kept on moving. His jaw was spasmodically making chewing movements on what appeared to be a severed hand.

  “Oh my god. How I am going to tell Mariko?”

  She watched as Professor Singh ran up to Juan and shot him in the head. Finally, his body dropped to the ground.

  “How odd,” said Helen. “It was almost like he was a zombie.”

  “Lock your doors and windows,” yelled Professor Singh. “Pull the drapes! There are zombies out here!”

  Helen waved at him and did as he said. She rushed over and closed her door and locked it. She grabbed her phone and dialed 911. For some reason, it rang busy. She decided to call campus security instead.

  “Hello, security? There is some sort of disturbance happening in the courtyard. Oh, you already know? Yes, I’ll stay in my room, thanks.”

  Helen hung up. She didn’t know what exactly was happening outside, but she’d better stay safely in here. Perhaps it was another riot, like the one they had in ’97.

  She just noticed that someone was in her bathroom. They must have snuck in when she had her door open.

  Chapter Three

  The party was rapidly turning into a drug party. People were becoming more outgoing and social. The noise level of the party had just cranked up a notch, with conversations competing with the fast pop music.

  Mariko had given up on trying to track down Juan. She was chatting with guys, while licking her lollipop. Sonya and Jane has long since discarded theirs, and were pouring themselves drinks from the punch bowl. They’d long since forgotten about the noise from outside, attributing it to a drunk college frat boy.

  “Oh look,” said Jane. “There’s that nasty Bev, over there in the corner.”

  “Ugh, can’t stand her!” said Mariko, giving up her chat with the guys.

  “That girl is a bully. Even when she pretends to be nice she has an ulterior motive,” said Sonya.

  “No lollipops for her!” said Jane, and everyone laughed with her.

  “Seriously though, she could use one. Look at how uptight she looks over there. Everyone is avoiding her.”

  “I can’t stand people like that,” said Jane. “Remember she kept on asking me why I was going to the bathroom during math class? None of her frickin’ business.”

  “Not one social attribute in that one,” said Sonya, taking a sip of her drink.

  “Come on guys, I didn’t come here to talk about Bev,” said Mariko. “I’m here to have fun!”

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished! Let’s see what’s on the buffet table,” said Sonya, leading them away from the drinks table and towards the food.

  “Now that you mention it, I do have the munchies,” said Jane. “Hey look, a deli tray!”

  “Check it out, meatballs!” said Sonya.

  “Yuck, I hope they have some veggie food here,” said Mariko eyeing the table. She found the veggie platter and filled up her plate.

  “Hey, I feel a bit nauseous. I don’t think that lollipop and the vodka got along. I’m going to the bathroom,” said Jane.

  “I’ll check on you if you’re not back in five minutes,” said Mariko.

  Jane left to use the bathroom out in the hallway.

  “No sign of Juan?” asked Sonya.

  Mariko shook her head.

  “It’s okay, we’ll meet up later. I’m not his mommy, he can do what he likes,” she replied.

  “Well, who needs to be saddled down at a party!” said Sonya.

  The music was dying down. Again, they heard sounds coming from outside. They headed to the window and pulled open the drapes.

  “Cool!” said a voice from behind them.

  What appeared to be the figure of student was madly racing around the courtyard. Except it was lit up with fire.

  “Holy crap, what’s going on out there?” asked Sonya.

  “Why doesn’t he drop and roll?” asked Mariko.

  Surrounding the burning man were several people wielding various types of weapons. The burning man’s arms reached out to grab one of them. His jaws were frantically moving, appearing as though he were trying to bite one of them.

  The girls heard cries of “zombie!” coming from outside.

  “Wow, entertainment!” said a voice from behind them.

  Chapter Four

  Helen walked towards the bathroom.

  “Excuse me? This is a private room. The public washroom is down the hallway,” she said to her private visitor.

  The girl in the bathroom seemed to just be standing in front of the mirror, looking at her face. She didn’t say anything.

  Helen decided she had to start getting tough. Students couldn’t just barge into her room at any time they wanted. There was a code of entry in the dormers.

  Helen walked into her bathroom. She tapped the girl on the shoulder.

  “Hello! This is my bathroom,” she said.

  The girl turned to face her. One of her eyes was missing. Her lips were gone and much of her face was bloodied, like she had been in an accident. There was a terrible stench of decay mixed with the metallic smell of blood. If there were any doubt that she was wearing stage makeup, it was gone when a maggot slipped out of her eye socket.

  “Eek!” cried Helen.

  The girl turned completely around and started walking towards Helen. She raised her hands up.

  “Get away from me you freak!” cried Helen.

  ***

  In the guy’s dormer room Jane was using the private handicapped washroom, as there was no ladies’ room here. She vomited into the toilet, and felt better. Perhaps she shouldn’t mix drugs and alcohol. She rinsed her mouth out and washed her face off.

  By now her efforts to cover her face with makeup were gone. But she felt so awful that she didn’t care by this point.

  Her shoulder was really itchy so she reached inside her blouse to scratch. When she pulled her hand away, it was bloody. Horrified, she pushed her blouse aside. A large flap of skin was hanging down.

  She screamed. Was this part of the drug’s side effects? To hallucinate? She didn’t know what else to do but hunt through the medicine cabinet. She found a first aid kit and cleaned the wound. She sprayed on antiseptic, and then carefully pushed the skin back up. She placed a large bandage on it.

  She didn’t see anything else wrong, so she decided to head back to the party and tell her friends she was calling it a night.

  ***

  “Holy shit, what is happening?” asked Sonya.

  Outside, there were a pack of professors brandishing weapons. Could it be that they were fighting off a pack of zombies? The man on fire was still running around trying to attack people.

  The president of Epsilon had turned off the music, and was yelling out instructions.

  “Hello everyone! The Faculty wants to inform us that
the campus is under zombie attack! This is not a joke! Everyone is requested to return to their dorm rooms ASAP and do not engage with anyone. Thank you for coming to our party. Goodnight.”

  He then started guiding people out the door.

  Sonya and Mariko decided they’d better wait for Jane to come back from the bathroom. They tensed as they saw Bev heading towards them.

  “Why do you girls always hang out together?” asked Bev. She was short and had fake blonde hair. She was standing there holding her beer and smirking from behind her Chanel eyeglasses.