Way of the Barefoot Zombie

by Jasper Bark

  Before Tatyana could come to any conclusions, Miriam shook her hands and seemed to banish the memory mist. The guards didn't move as she walked past Tatyana and back down the walkway.

  Tatyana watched her disappear into the darkness and then glanced back at the guards. They weren't even blinking.

  She had no idea what had just happened, but she knew she had to get out of there quick.

  It was already beginning to seem like a dream as she stumbled back down the walkway. She kept hoping she was going to wake up as she felt her way along the wall and tried to remember the way back in the pitch dark.

  She couldn't repress the feeling that she'd just had an entirely different sort of awakening though.

  Chapter Six

  "So, where did you go?"

  "Oh you know, just around." She was deliberately being evasive. This set off all his old paranoia.

  Benjamin had been trying to get Tatyana to talk about where she went since he found her up in their room hours later. He was curious what she saw when she skipped out. She seemed shaken and said she was tired, so he'd let her get some sleep without bothering her.

  Now she'd had a good night's sleep he tried again, rolling over to hold her beneath the sheets of their king size bed.

  "No I don't know," he said. "That's why I'm asking."

  "Why is it so important to you?"

  "Well for one thing you might have seen something that could be vital to our mission. Even the tiniest detail might have a significance you haven't realised yet. I can't understand why you don't want to tell me all about it."

  "Look, I'm still processing it all okay. I'm not even sure what happened myself. I just need a bit of time."

  "Won't it help to talk about it?"

  "Can we just drop it please?" She reached under the covers and took him in her hand. "Maybe we could have that make up sex you've been promising me?"

  He grew hard the minute she touched him but he couldn't keep the nagging suspicions out of his mind. "Is it because you were with someone you don't want me to know about? Did you sneak off with someone?"

  "One of the guests you mean? Come on give me some credit."

  "I did give you credit before remember, and look what happened then."

  "Do you have to keep bringing that up? Can't you cut me a little slack and maybe just trust me for once?"

  "How can I trust you when you won't talk to me?" He pushed her hand away and slid out of bed. "I'm going for a shower."

  Tatyana rolled over and stared up at the ceiling with an angry sigh.

  Benjamin punched the shower control and hurt his hand. The hot water relaxed him as he rubbed his sore fingers. He was more angry at himself than Tatyana. Partly because he'd just turned down the opportunity to have sex and partly because he hadn't gotten over that business with her old boyfriend.

  It was stupid really. It had happened six months ago. They'd been going steady for a while when Tatyana told him she was going to see an old boyfriend who happened to be in town. He'd been perfectly cool with it at first. But there was something about the way she'd said the guy's name that kept eating away at him.

  On the day in question he took Richard's Bentley and followed her. He knew it was stupid but he couldn't stop himself. He pulled up next to the park where she met the guy and kept tabs on them through field binoculars. He felt kind of creepy doing it and he had no idea what he'd say if some cop saw him.

  Nothing happened for ages. They wandered about, chatted and ate ice cream. Then, just when Benjamin was feeling like a total putz and was about to slope off, they kissed. He nearly dropped his binoculars.

  The guy moved in on her. They were laughing and she gave him a look that Benjamin knew all too well. The guy leaned in and she turned her head. He took her face in his hands, turned it to him and kissed her. They really went for it, tongues and everything.

  Benjamin couldn't believe it. He was so mad he was shaking. He threw the binoculars on the floor and battered the dashboard with his fists. He should have left right there and then but he wasn't thinking rationally anymore. He waited until they parted and confronted Tatyana.

  She couldn't believe he'd followed her. She was incensed at the way he'd behaved. Imagine the gall. After what she'd just done she had the nerve to get mad with him. They had a blazing row right there in the park and she stormed off.

  It was two weeks before he heard from her again. She sent him a couple of texts which he ignored. Then a week or so later he finally gave in to his Mom's nagging and tidied his room.

  At the bottom of a pile of dirty briefs and magazines he came across the DVD of Zombie Flesh Eaters that she'd bought him for his birthday. Inside the case was the note she'd written him:

  Yours are the hands that pulled my eye onto the splinter of love and embedded it in my brain. Yours are the teeth that gnaw on my guts every time I think about life without you. You are the Zombie that wrestles with the sharks of my fear and shines the sunlight of love on my despairing sea.

  He broke down and bawled like a kid when he read it.

  Their first date had been a midnight screening of Zombie Flesh Eaters. The scene where the Zombie fights the shark. That was their scene. They had their first kiss during it. Then, during the infamous scene where the splinter is driven into the eyeball of the Doctor's wife, she gave him the best hand job he'd ever had.

  Holding the note, he knew right there and then, that he would never find anyone to write him a more tender and touching love letter.

  They got back together the next day. He forgave her of course, but he could never bring himself to forget.

  He kept playing the image of her kissing the other guy over and over in his mind. It was like a scab that he couldn't help picking. It wasn't just his jealousy and insecurity that drove him to keep going over it. If he was honest, he realised that it turned him on.

  Every time he thought about their kiss he took it that little bit further. He imagined the other guy's hands roaming over Tatyana's body. Taking her dress off. Pinning her down to the park bench...

  Even now, just thinking about it in the shower made him harder than when she'd held his penis. He poured the shower gel onto his palm and took hold of himself.

  "Enjoying yourself?" said Tatyana. He dropped the shower gel and spun round to see her standing by the door in her robe. "It's okay. I only came to say sorry. You're right, I should have opened up to you. I've remembered something I saw. Something that could be really useful to our plans. I know a way to get into the compound where the Zombies are."

  Chapter Seven

  The dress code for the first encounter session was smart casual. Benjamin wore his Yves Saint Laurent shirt with a pair of Ralph Lauren jeans and his limited edition Nike trainers. He helped Tatyana pick out a long sleeved Gucci top with slacks and pair of Manolo Blahnik Slingbacks.

  He still felt sore at her even though she'd told him about the basement and the hidden door to the compound. She hadn't told him what she was doing down there. Still, they were making an effort to get along and be civil, for the sake of the mission if nothing else.

  Coffee and petit fours were being served in a room just off the mansion's entrance hall. They were among the last to arrive. The platinum blonde sashayed up to Benjamin the minute she saw him.

  "If it isn't the handsome young man who knows how to treat a lady," she said. "So long as she's staff that is. I'm Lavinia Ponsonby, I don't think we've been introduced." She flashed him her teeth, her cleavage and her jewellery as she offered him her hand. They all cost a fortune, Benjamin was sure.

  "I'm Benjamin Hollinger. This is..."

  "Your charming young friend," Lavinia said to Tatyana. "Love the slacks dearie. How brave of you to wear them."

  Tatyana bristled at this. Benjamin had never seen her do that before. "There's some people here I really must introduce you to," Lavinia said, taking Benjamin's arm and leading him off. "Hope you don't mind me stealing your man away." Lavinia said to Tatyana over her shoulder.
>
  Tatyana shot Benjamin an angry look that said 'don't leave me alone here'. He shrugged and shot one back to say 'sorry, got to fit in, you know that'. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lavinia flash Tatyana the sort smile a lioness would give a young cub whose prey she'd just stolen.

  They were totally fighting over him. He couldn't believe how much that turned him on. Seems Tatyana wasn't the only one with options.

  Lavinia steered him over to a group of three men and a woman. "This is Benjamin Hollinger," she said, displaying him on her arm like she'd just landed him. "I simply had to bring him over. This is Sam McKane." Lavinia pushed him towards the grey haired Texan he'd spotted on the first night.

  "Good to meet you," said Sam, crushing Benjamin's hand in his huge mitt.

  "Is that a Frank Muller Aeternitas?" said Benjamin pointing at Sam's watch.

  "Why yes it is young man," said Sam pulling back his sleeve to show it off. "Accurate to within one hundredth of a second. Tells the day, date, months and moon phases for the next thousand years, even takes leap years into account. You wear a Frank Muller yourself?"

  "Got one for my Dad's last birthday," said Benjamin, not mentioning that it was lost at a crap table in Vegas the next month. "People with a Frank Muller on their wrist, they're an elite. Like an exclusive club, you see someone wearing one, you know they've got class."

  Sam McKane threw his arm around Benjamin's shoulders and punched him affectionately in the chest. "I like this kid! He's got taste and character. C'mere you gotta meet these yahoos. This here's Arthur Sonnenfeldt. He owns a lot of real estate." A short, plump man shook Benjamin's hand. "George Griffin here founded a few investment groups," Benjamin shook hands with a tall, thin man who wore glasses and an air of smug superiority. "And Bessie here runs a shop or two."

  "Oh don't listen to him," said Bessie rolling her eyes in mock outrage. "I own several chains of exclusive boutiques." She was a redhead in a power suit who looked around thirty, but that was probably because she had a good surgeon. Bessie air kissed him and squeezed his biceps. "Someone works out," she said with a wink.

  "Hands off," said Lavinia. "I saw him first." She snaked her arm around Benjamin's waist and pulled him to her. It felt good. A few weeks ago these people wouldn't have given him the steam off their lattés, now they were slapping him on the back and praising his opinions. He was alarmed by how much he liked this.

  "Ladies and Gentlemen my name is Dr Susan Chen," said an Asian woman mounting a dais at the far end of the room. She was wearing a white coat and a headset mic. "I'm going to be leading your first encounter session. If you'd all kindly follow me we can begin."

  Tatyana tapped him on the shoulder. "Can I have a word?" she said, glowering.

  "Sorry sweetie," said Lavinia, with a menacing smile. "But he's promised he'll walk me to the compound and I won't hear of letting him go."

  "I should probably meet you in there," said Benjamin in an attempt to relieve the tension. Lavinia whisked him away leaving Tatyana looking far from happy.

  "You're all mine today," said Lavinia in a voice that made him nervous and excited. "One thing you'll learn about Lavinia Ponsonby, she never lets go of what's hers."

  Dr Chen led them all the way through the annex and up several flights of stairs to a state-of-the-art observation corridor. It was constructed entirely from glass and gave an incredible aerial view of the Zombie enclosures. Immediately below them Benjamin could see at least eight Zombies milling around the grass huts and crumbling concrete walls of their specially constructed environment.

  There was a cold knot of anticipation in his stomach as it dawned on him. This was for real. He'd pictured this encounter so many times and here he was. About to get up close and personal with the noble monster for the first time. Un-freaking believable.

  "There's a few things I need to take you through before we can expose you to the undead," said Dr Chen as the guests gathered round her. "I'm a scientist not a magician. I can't tell you anything about how these corpses came to life but I've been studying the undead on St Ignatius for over a year now. That's why, after a careful series of observations, I'm authorised to advise the following precautionary measures. We are not legally responsible for your safety in any way. If you want to stay alive it is essential that you bear them in mind at all times.

  "The golden rule in any encounter with the undead is to remain calm at all times. Just like dogs they can smell when you're afraid. Most of their other senses are as good as dead. But the lack of them seems to have sharpened their sense of smell.

  "They can scent blood and adrenalin from up to ten feet away. If your heart is pumping and your adrenalin is high they will be driven to attack." Dr Chen tapped the glass behind her and a screen appeared showing a CGI model of a Zombie.

  "The Zombie's bloodlust comes from a very basic survival instinct. It would appear that an infusion of human flesh and blood can slow down their body's decay." Dr Chen tapped the stomach of the Zombie image and the screen zoomed in on a shot of its insides. "The undead don't feed like normal living creatures. However, just as their muscles can replicate basic motor functions, it would appear that their guts can also perform a type of basic digestion. They can't ingest normal food but they can break down living human blood and tissue to replenish themselves."

  She changed the screen again. It split in two and showed accelerated footage of two different Zombies. Both of them strapped to an operating table. One was decaying rapidly the other remained unchanged. "The undead that we starved decayed at the normal rate of an unpreserved corpse. While those that received a regular diet of blood remain unchanged for an indefinite period."

  It was worse than Benjamin thought. Here they were openly flaunting the fact they were starving these proud monsters to death.

  "Is that where their hunger comes from?" said George Griffin.

  "Yes it is," said Dr Chen. "What makes it so pure is that it's the only basic drive the undead have. It's what sets them apart from any other predator. They have no fear of death or injury and no biological imperatives such as the need to procreate and protect their young. They've nothing to lose and everything to gain. Hunger is what they're all about."

  The screen changed again. This time it showed footage of a Zombie in a cage. Benjamin hid his fists in his pockets.

  "Never show any emotion or make any sudden movements in the presence of the undead. These are the things that identify you as prey. When people are first exposed to the undead they tend to exhibit hysteria or try and run. This is why they are attacked. As the following footage shows."

  The screen showed a clip of a woman in a white coat sobbing as another researcher shouted: "You're an idiot, an idiot!" at her. The caged Zombie flew at the bars.

  Next it cut to a young researcher with a pony tail. He was dancing to his ipod. The Zombie's arm reached through the bars and grabbed the researcher's hair. Another arm came into shot wielding a machete. It hacked off several of the Zombie's fingers and the researcher's pony tail setting him free.

  Incredibly, the final clip showed a guy on a surf simulator next to the cage. Surf music played as the guy wobbled about on the board. He turned and screamed as the Zombie smashed into the bars and grabbed the board. The Zombie pulled the board and the guy fell off. He ran as the Zombie cracked the board and threw it aside, grasping after him through the bars.

  It would have been comical if it wasn't so wrong. They were taunting the Zombies. Torturing them and pretending it was science. Benjamin felt his excitement sour. Several of the guest laughed and many smiled. He remembered why he hated them. Fuck their attention and approval. They didn't understand. They weren't capable of understanding anything he held dear.

  He wasn't a part of their world. He couldn't be part of any world that treated the noble monster in this way. He looked for Tatyana. She caught his eye and nodded to show she shared his sadness and anger.

  He realised what a jerk he was being. Lavinia had let go off his arm and was staring avidly
at the window. He sidled away from her over to Tatyana. The look on her face reflected her relief and anger at him.

  "Whenever you are exposed to the undead you need to keep in mind five basic rules," said Dr Chen. "These are the 'Five Rules of Interaction.'" The screen flashed up these rules as she spoke.

  "Number One: Show no signs of life. Take small shallow breaths, try not to twitch or scratch yourself and keep your expression blank.

  "Number Two: Move in slow motion. Keep every movement extremely slow and deliberate. The longer it takes for you to do something the less likely the undead are to notice you. Only sudden movements draw their attention.

  "Number Three: It doesn't matter and you don't care. Nothing here is personal, the less you care about the Zombies and what's happening around you the less likely you are to show an emotion. The less emotion you show the less likely you are to be attacked.

  "Number Four: Follow the herd but think ahead of it. In the case of the undead two heads really are better than one. They tend to form packs quite quickly. The more undead there are, the closer they come to exhibiting something approaching thought. Whatever tiny brain functions they have seem to increase en masse. Always act how the majority of the undead are acting, but concentrate on their reasons for acting the way they do so you can pre-empt them if you need to. When you are more advanced this technique can be developed to control or shepherd them.

  "And, finally, Number Five: Master yourself and nothing can threaten you. Self awareness and self control will allow you to interact with the undead in perfect safety.

  "If you keep these rules in mind at all times you will be able to observe the undead from an unprecedented perspective. You will be able to study them and become like them. You will face certain death every day and become stronger for surviving it."

  Dr Chen switched off the screen and led the group down the observation corridor. "Now if you'll follow me I'll show you to the changing rooms where you'll be fitted with the appropriate garments."