by Sam Lang
I never had a biology or chemistry class, so I didn’t get it. What’s the big deal if the trees and plants grow bigger? He explained that it would put more oxygen into the atmosphere and other things would grow bigger. The things that eat the plants will grow bigger. The whole food chain would be affected. He says that it has been happening for a while now and that he saw an eighteen foot alligator on the east side of the lake last week. I lived in Florida my whole life and the biggest gator I ever heard of was fourteen feet.
That’s big, but I’m not worried about alligators. They stay away from the hotel. He said I should worry about the birds. That didn’t make sense. I thought most of the birds died off back when everything fell apart. He explained the earth had been oxygen rich once before, back in the days of dinosaurs. He says we should worry when the birds come back.
Every morning since then, when I get up, I check the wide, empty parking lot for walkers and then I stare at the sky. Liz caught me this evening and I told her I was watching the sunset. She thinks I’m romantic.
It’s funny how the sun never changes. Regardless of what’s happening down here, the sun still does its own thing. It looks the same now as it did when I was five.
July 12th
Haven’t felt like writing, but I have something to write about now.
It happened.
Maybe I did it on purpose, looking back at my last entry. I’m not sure. Matthew would say I’m expressing my right as a human to create. I might say it was an accident. Either way, Liz is starting to show. She says that means she is already at least eight weeks pregnant.
I don’t know if I’m ready for this.
I’ve known for a few days, but I felt putting it on paper would make it too real.
Still, I had something else to write about today.
The first zombie in over a year came stumbling across that huge parking lot that used to be filled with rental cars and RV’s. The creature did not pay attention to the faded yellow lines. It was not coming to feed. It was trying to escape.
Three seagulls, bigger than any I’ve ever seen, circled high in the air. They would swoop down, one at a time, nipping at the walking corpse with their beaks and claws. Even with its eyes pecked out of its skull, the creature kept moving forward, getting closer to the glass doors at the front of the hotel.
We watched the giant birds shred the zombie from the safety of our balconies. At least, we thought we were safe.
The birds were relentless as they cleaned the body down to the bone in several areas. The zombie finally collapsed and stopped moving when one of the gulls easily pecked through the weakened skull and swallowed a large chunk of putrid brain matter.
Either the birds didn’t see us, or they were full. They flew east, hopefully back to the Atlantic coast, far away from us.
Thinking of the Atlantic made me wonder what brought sea birds so far inland. Could those enormous creatures have eaten all of the fish?
February 18th
This seemed like good enough news to pick up the journal again.
I’m a father.
We celebrated by roasting a three-horned goat that some of the guys hunted. That’s not the only strange creature we’ve seen these past couple months. There are squirrels the size of my old pet dog, but they are quickly snatched up by the increasing number of birds. Gulls and hawks mostly, but we keep the girls inside when the Sand Hill Cranes come around. Those things can reach the second floor with their incredible necks now. We’ve also seen a few more zombies, but the birds quickly take care of them. They have definitely developed a taste for the dead flesh.
That’s not important now.
I have a healthy, breathing son and Liz is doing great. One of the ladies in the next building used to be a nurse and she coached us through everything. I am so amazed at the power and beauty of a woman right now. We didn’t have any pain killers or machines. Liz did everything on her own. I am in awe of her.
We are going to call him..........
February 19th
I’ve had a little time to recover. I needed to get this down on paper because I still don’t believe it really happened. I have never heard my name called so many times. Zac. Zac. Zac. I didn’t even recognize the voice because I never heard Holly speak until that moment. It took a minute for me to understand what had happened to Gladys.
I have no words for my despair. I thought we were building a life and now everything is gone.
They came out of the woods. They must have torn Gladys apart right in front of Holly. In the time it took her to get to me and explain what happened, the hoard swarmed our hotel. It was a bigger hoard than when Orlando fell. At least, that’s how I remember it. I saw one wearing a Tampa cop uniform. Is it possible that they walked this far, amassing numbers, like a wave washing life off this land?
I grabbed my son and I grabbed Holly. I think I saw Liz with Matthew, but it all happened like a nightmare.
We are safe for now. The three of us are hidden, but I can hear the dead nearby. They come close, probably smelling us.
I will wait as long as I can. The baby needs food. He is crying out with the only form of expression he knows. I understand that it is hunger, but it feels like a cry for his mother. My plan now is to head east for the turnpike. Maybe stay in my Aunt Liz’s apartment near Lake Cherokee. Matthew told me he always wanted to go to the Keys. From there, he planned on taking a boat to the Dry Tortugas. He said it would be the perfect place, safe from zombies. If Liz is alive, she might have gone with him.
I will find Liz.
We will be safe.
That will come later.
For now, hide...and hope.
*****
This is the first installment of the Severed Series
by Darrent Sant and Sam Lang; we hope you enjoyed it.
Look for future installments coming soon.
