Living Legacy: Among the Dead (Zombie Apocalypse)

by RWK Clark

  The bathroom light came on, illuminating the room to the point that I could actually take things in. I stood to use the toilet and Lilith came out of the bathroom at the same time.

  “Did I wake you again?” Her voice had no inflection; the statement didn’t even sound like a question. It was a dead sentence that fell limp and lifeless from her mouth.

  “I had to pee anyway,” I replied. “No big deal. How are you feeling?”

  “Fine. Great.” That was her only response as she got into her bed and covered herself with what appeared to be at least three blankets, the top of which was a heavy quilted comforter. How could she possibly be cold? It had to be eighty degrees outside, and there was no breeze. This was another out-of-sorts behavior which I had taken note of recently, and not just with Lilith; most students and professors were donning sweaters and jackets most all the time, and it was September.

  “Have you thought about seeing the doctor at all?” Lilith emitted and angry growl; she had begun to sleep and my words had rousted her. Like I said, short fuses.

  I relieved myself and returned to the comfort of my bed, but sleep would elude me for the remainder of the night. Thanks to the coffee. I tossed and turned incessantly, thinking about Lilith, the water, and the way the world around me seemed to be spinning out of control. I was losing my mind…

  I wound up turning on the small desk lamp next to me on my nightstand and pulling my biology studies into the bed with me. I figured if the light didn’t bother Lilith I could drill my notes even deeper into my brain. After a night with no sleep I would need all the help I could get. Thankfully my roomie didn’t even twitch; she slept like the dead until around 1:15. At that point she rose to have more water, and this pattern continued until 7:30 the next morning, when I went to seek out nourishment in the dining hall.

  The day would present more tests than just the one I faced in Biology.

  CHAPTER 2

  While this day remains somewhat of a blur in my mind it is also painfully clear. This would be the day things became so much clearer to me. It would be the day that would prove to change my entire life; I would figure things out; I would see them for what they really were.

  After having a small breakfast I crossed campus and took my Biology exam, feeling quite confident that I had aced it. This was a relief, as I had been worried about the lack of sleep I had gotten. I left the lab almost walking on air and experiencing a second wind. The test had taken three hours; it would soon be time for lunch. I decided to stroll to the business district and find a nice coffee and a sandwich.

  The walk was refreshing and beautiful, aesthetically anyway. Everyone I looked at seemed to lurch along forcefully, their gait entirely off. They were all pale and lacked energy, but yet they strove to tackle their next task, whatever that may be. Every individual I came across, even at the café, was detached, giving short answers to questions or asking questions consisting of few words. There were no conversations or laughter; there was a dark cloud over the entire world.

  While having my lunch I noticed something which was not only disturbing, it brought chills to my flesh. Either I had failed to notice it before, or it was a new change taking place in those around me. Areas of the pale skin on these people was actually turning a greenish-gray, and I noticed that on several individuals (my waiter included) these gray patches appeared to be flaking or peeling away. The guy who served me was actually leaving traces of himself behind, and this compelled me to pay closer attention to everyone else. The metamorphosis was obviously reaching another stage. The entire café was guzzling water uncontrollably.

  It was at this point that I finally determined to take some of the tap water from my bathroom sink and put it under the microscope at the lab. This was simply out of control, and no one seemed the least bit concerned but me! What had taken me so long to come to this decision I cannot say, but once I got the idea in my head I couldn’t let it go. My stomach had grown sick at the sight of my waiter’s failing flesh, so I paid my bill and left the remainder of my Reuben and fries on the table next to my coffee and the full glass of putrid water they had brought me.

  The Biology department was fully stocked with anything I could possibly need to collect the water without contaminating it myself, so on the way home I stopped and obtained several sterile collection kits to hold my samples. I used one to get water from the ladies room in that building. I then made my way back to the dorm and collected a sample from my bathroom. I also grabbed my purple backpack with my books and cleaned it out, with the exception of a new spiral notebook and my laptop and cell phone. I also made sure to have a highlighter, pencil, and pen. Then I packed my two water samples and the rest of my collection kits inside as well and made my way back to the business district. I had three kits left, and I planned to collect water samples at a couple of businesses in town, and I would also hike to the Los Angeles River and acquire a sample from there.

  Other than a few growls and shady glances from those I had begun to mentally refer to as ‘zombies’ my venture was uneventful. During my excursion I made it a point to pay close attention to those around me, and I noticed that cars on the street seemed to veer quite often; this alarmed me. These people were struggling to walk properly, yet they were operating motor vehicles? The true impact of the situation was sinking in, and my concern was gradually giving way to fear.

  I also took notice of a number of disagreements between random people on the street. Dead, lifeless voices were reaching heated tones, and this was taking place everywhere I seemed to go. I made it a point to keep to myself; I was scared to death, and the worst was yet to come.

  With my final sample in hand I headed back to campus and the Biology lab to make use of the equipment there. I planned to take thorough notes and then hit the library with my findings so I could sort this mess out as best I could. The nagging sickness I felt in my gut was tugging at my brain, and I was determined to calm it with something other than liquor, though that solution had crossed my mind more than once.

  I grabbed a bus that was headed to the campus and found a seat in the rear near the back door; I wanted to get off and begin my testing with as little hindrance as possible. The campus was a good fifteen minute ride, so I wrapped my arms around my backpack, which sat securely on my lap, and settled in for the ride. It was at this point that one of the gray-faces who had gotten on the bus with me attempted to take a seat next to an older woman. The woman was staring blankly out the window when the guy sat, but as the bus pulled away from the curb and gained speed she turned to the man and said, “Could you sit somewhere else?” Once again, the voice coming from her mouth was flat and lifeless, but she looked a bit annoyed by his presence. It was the most emotion I had witnessed from anyone in what seemed like a very long time.

  “You sit somewhere else,” was his response.

  Suddenly, the woman swung on him with what appeared to be a mighty backhand. The strike connected fully with the front of his face, knocking him out of the seat and flaying the flesh from his nose as though it were nothing but butter. A growl came from deep within him, and he appeared to feel no pain as he stood and went at her. My heart was pounding and I could feel boiling hot blood pumping through my veins. He grabbed her and lifted her from her seat, throwing her like rags to the floor of the bus. It was then that things became nightmarish, horrible, to say the least. As she lied there struggling against her weight to rise to her feet the man knelt over her and took a hearty bite from her cheek. She gurgled and snarled, but did not scream, no, I was the one doing the screaming, but no one paid attention to me. They were all looking on with slight half-smiles and saliva covered lips. The man feasted on his squirming meal until the fight became too much for him, at which point he punched effortlessly through her chest, easing her fight to nearly nothing.

  The bus pulled over to let a passenger in the front off, and I didn’t hesitate: I ran for dear life, off the bus and in the direction of the campus. I know I was sobbing uncontrollably, and I do bel
ieve I screamed much of the way back. In retrospect, however, I believe my screaming was in my head, but to me it was deafening.

  CHAPTER 3

  I ran all the way to the dorms, my fear driving me to bypass the lab completely. I ran into my room and slammed the door, making sure it was closed tight and locked securely. I then flung my backpack to the floor and fell to my bed sobbing hysterically and in a state of hyperventilation.

  “Get control, get control,” I repeated to myself over and over. My body was shaking uncontrollably and I felt nothing but ice cold, despite the thin layer of sweat covering my body. Every noise I heard on the other side of my dorm room door was one of them; it could be no one else. I was the only real human I knew.

  “Come on, Alicia, get control of yourself.” I forced myself to control my breathing, keeping my eyes glued to the door until I was calm enough to think clearly. I had to get to the lab, I had to figure out what was going on. Either the world had gone mad or I was dreaming. My mind flashed back to the violent scene on the bus and my stomach gave a violent lurch. I barely made it to the bathroom before the vomit came, and I wretched it up until nothing more would come. I could not even rinse the taste from my mouth because the water was poisoned. I made my way to the mini-fridge Lilith and I shared and fished a Pepsi from it. I swished it around in my mouth and spit in the bathroom sink. I then guzzled about half of it. I was dying of thirst.

  In an effort to clear my mind more quickly and keep in touch with reality I began to vigorously pace the room, sorting my thoughts as I went. I kept a constant eye on the door, and I listened closely to any sounds coming from the other side. I heard many pass, but no one slowed or stopped.

  ∞

  After around an hour I was relaxed enough to talk myself into continuing on with my mission.

  I grabbed my backpack, which held my precious water samples, and cracked the door to my room open just enough to scope out the hallway. One girl loped toward a door at the end of the hall; she had her back to me and didn’t seem to be aware that I was watching her. I took advantage of the opportunity and, making sure I had my room key, I entered the hall, tugging the locked door firmly shut behind me.

  The walk to the lab was uneventful, and I was panic-stricken and highly cautious. I noticed that even though everyone seemed to be in this monstrous state, most took absolutely no notice of me or of each other. What could have sparked the violent scene on the bus? Certainly something very specific motivated the woman’s dreadful mood swing, which had started the entire nightmare. What was really going on?

  Once I reached the lab I took to the isolated workstation in the far corner so I could be left to my testing. I gathered the things I would need and began the process of testing all the samples I had acquired that day. I took vigorous notes, and I found myself scrawling thoughts and theories more than I would have liked. My initial findings, though completely mind-boggling and unrecognizable to me, were petrifying. I had detected a bacteria in the water, and though I didn’t recognize it from any resource books in the lab, I knew I would be able to identify it at the library. At least, I could if it had ever been recognized before.

  The bacteria was in each and every sample, and it was rampantly abundant. The worst part was that it seemed to have attached itself to what I considered unidentifiable molecules within the water, and the bacteria was growing at an alarmingly rapid pace. How I wished I had a pure, clean sample to compare them to, but alas, I did not. I needed to conduct as much research as possible to identify the unknown molecules and bacteria; I had a feeling that the turn the world had taken was due to the water, and could be attributed to nothing else. I needed to solve this mystery and find a way to rectify the situation and the lives of everyone around me. As I packed my things into my backpack I vowed to myself that I would ingest no water at any time, which wouldn’t be difficult; the very smell turned my stomach, and that it did from a distance. I would have to learn to get by without clean water.

  As for bathing, I had a microwave in the room which I used for minor cooking tasks. I figured that the next day I would boil some water in it and check it out in the lab after it had cleared out in the afternoon. If boiling worked to clean it up I would sponge-bathe until the world straightened out…or not. Otherwise I would resort to getting some dry shampoo and baby wipes at the drug store. Something had to be done, because to smell myself on top of all this chaos was an unbearable thought.

  I left the lab, backpack slung over one shoulder, and I headed for the library to do some research regarding my findings. I made my way with my eyes to the ground, keeping my pace up. I hoped I could figure out the problem, and the solution, as soon as possible.

  CHAPTER 4

  As I approached the library it was nearing 5:00pm, and I took note of all the ‘zombies’ which were loitering around the front entrance outside. Mostly they were shuffling around and staring blankly. One kid, about 20 years old, was struggling to operate his bicycle properly. I was filled with an overwhelming sense of trepidation at the thought of coming anywhere near him, but I bucked myself up, and staring straight ahead I began to pass him. Just as I got by him his frustrations overwhelmed him; he simply could not put the peddling and maneuvering of his bike together. He lifted the bicycle over his head and violently smashed it to the ground, loud screams and growls emitting from his lips. He bent over and retrieved the bike and repeated his actions. I began to shake, backing away from him fearfully as he did this a number of times. The others looked on, and it seemed with each repetition of his actions they became more and more riled up, even enjoying the violence he exhibited. I finally got my wits about me, and even as the group of gray-faces came closer I was able to snap out of my petrified trance and make a break for the library door. I hoped the group out front meant the building was empty.

  There were three people inside. Two wandered aimlessly to the rear of the common area, while the third sat intently reading a book and taking notes. He seemed a bit different, as if he had purpose, knew what he wanted to do, and was able to effectively get the job done. This was not characteristic of the questionable warm-blooded people who now inhabited the world. In an effort to get a better view I sat only about three chairs from him, and while I took my sample test notes out of my backpack I kept one eye on him.

  His face was full of color; he was pretty hot, actually. There was no gray tint to his tone. His eyes had life in them. I cleared my throat without being too obvious, and his head snapped up quickly. We made eye contact immediately.

  “This is a library, you know. You should be a bit more still.” His words seemed confrontational, but his eyes were smiling. Did he see that I wasn’t a zombie? I could tell he wasn’t; maybe the appearance of my normalcy was obvious to him as well.

  “I know…frog in my throat.” I couldn’t help but smile fully at him. I was so relieved to see a normal human being that I was literally on the verge of tears. I held back with all my might. “I’m Alicia…uh, Alicia Gaden.”

  I half-expected him to jump up and begin shuffling and groaning, as though I had jumped to dangerous conclusions. I was quickly learning that, while the zombies were fairly functional, they seemed to irritate quickly, and their ability to control their irritation was minimal. Had I really just set off another gray-face?

  “I’m Jace Booth. You look flushed. In this day and age that is an awesome thing to see. Normal?”

  I released the breath I had been holding with full force; I’m sure it was audible, but I didn’t care. “Yes. Absolutely. You are a sight for sore eyes!”

  Jace laid his pen on top of his notebook and sat back, crossing his arms over his chest. What would possess a normal young lady like yourself to brave the deathly troops to come and study?”

  Young lady? I was 21, and he couldn’t be much older than I, if at all. He was being gentlemanly. “I’m doing a bit of research. I’m a Biology major, and…”

  “Biology, huh? I’m majoring in chemistry myself. What brings you to the library with
all this chaos? You must have more balls than any girl I’ve ever met. Things are looking worse for the world than ever before, yet here you are.”

  I opened my mouth to respond, but just then a commotion started toward the rear of the common area. A commotion between the two zombies. Jace turned in his chair when he caught wind of the grunts and growls emitting from the rear of the room. I just stared.

  One zombie was holding a large book; the other wanted the book. It was that simple. What began as a two-second tug-of-war soon turned into a full-fledged battle, only it wasn’t fists that began to fly. It was teeth gnashing and hands tearing at flesh. I could not bear yet another gray-face confrontation, and within seconds I dropped to the floor and situated myself under the study table for sanctuary. It was mere seconds and Jace joined me. I welcomed his company whole-heartedly.

  He began with, “Hi!” Then he continued by putting my feelings into words for me: “I don’t think my stomach can take another match of monsters chowing down on each other. It seems like it’s happening more and more often lately.”

  “Wow, so it’s not just me…”

  “No. It’s reality.” This was his only reply. We turned our attention to listening to the wet chewing and crunching noises coming from the common’s rear. I plugged my ears and clenched my eyes tightly shut. I don’t know how long I stayed that way, but when I opened my eyes Jace was staring at the floor. He sat on his rear with his knees bent, and his arms were wrapped tightly around his legs. I took my fingers from my ears, catching his attention.