Deadville

by Tessa Leon

  “Let’s get out of here!” said Sonya. She grabbed her friends’ hands and they left the end of the party.

  As they hurried out of the building, they saw chaos in the courtyard.

  “Damn! What are we going to do?” asked Mariko. “It’s a bloodbath out here.”

  Strangely, as zombies attacked the remaining professors, they avoided their group. They watched as Professor Singh shot a zombie through the head. The zombie went down.

  “I think the professor has things under control,” said Mariko.

  “This way guys,” said Jane, and led them around the side of the building. Soon they were safely back in the women’s dormitory.

  “What’s happening?” asked Mariko.

  “I think it’s the zombie apocalypse,” said Sonya.

  “Whoa, I thought zombies were only characters in a movie,” Mariko replied.

  “And what was that biting about?” Sonya asked Jane.

  “I don’t know what came over me,” said Jane. “Am I a zombie?”

  Her two friends looked worriedly at her.

  “Your eyes seem normal, not like the crazy zombies outside.”

  “I think I was just angry at Bev, for all this time,” said Jane.

  “Let’s get back to our rooms,” said Sonya.

  “Let’s check on Helen, first,” suggested Mariko. She led the way.

  ***

  Inside her room, Helen had tidied up. She’d managed to shove Sarah’s zombie body out the window. She’d spent some time mopping up the blood. Fortunately, the flood was linoleum, to making cleaning easier. She’d had to toss out some of her stuffies, but she was an adult anyway, and she had killed a human after all.

  Cleaning had calmed her mind somewhat. She was carefully inspecting the floors and walls to be sure that she had left no speck of zombie blood behind. She wrapped up the ends of a large black garbage page, and closed them securely. She could dispose of it once it was safe to leave her room. She still heard moans and groans coming from the hallway, so she was still trapped in her room.

  Chapter Seven

  Mariko, Sonya, and Jane walked carefully down the hallway. There were some zombies around, but surprisingly, the zombies avoided them. Perhaps zombies only liked older adults? The professors had been fighting them in the courtyard. It was just another mystery of zombie life.

  Mariko stopped in front of Helen’s door, which was securely shut.

  “At least she had the sense to close it,” said Sonya.

  Mariko knocked on the door. “It’s us,” she called.

  The door slowly opened. Helen’s eyes peered out.

  “Mariko?” she asked.

  “It’s just us. It’s crazy out there!” said Mariko. “Whoa! It reeks of bleach in here,” she said, as Helen opened the door wider to let them into the room. The three women stepped in.

  “What’s happening out there?” asked Helen. “I had to deal with my zombie roommate! I feel so bad! I had to kill her!”

  Mariko and Helen embraced.

  “It’s not your fault!” said Mariko. “A whole bunch of students have turned into zombies!”

  They let go of each other.

  “Right guys?” asked Mariko. She turned around.

  Sonya was advancing on them. Her eyes glowed a deep red color. Her facial skin was starting to peel away from her face.

  “Oh my god! What happened?” cried Mariko.

  She and Helen headed to the back of the room. Jane stood near the door looking confused.

  “Oh, the bat,” said Helen. She looked wildly around the room. Where had she put it during her cleaning?

  Sonya raised her arms in the air and advanced towards them.

  “Brainnssss,” she said. “Must eat brains.”

  “Is this a joke?” asked Jane, standing there confused.

  Helen slipped off to the side to grab the bat. Sonya grabbed onto her wrist.

  “Do something!” cried Mariko.

  Helen raised the bat and slammed it into Sonya’s head. Her head went splat, and her body dropped to the ground.

  “Godammit!” cried Helen. “Now I have to clean the friggin’ room again!”

  “Holy shit! You killed our friend,” said Mariko.

  “I had to!” yelled Helen. “She was a zombie!”

  Mariko started crying. Helen patted her on the shoulder. All this time Jane was cooly watching them from the door.

  Helen looked towards Jane.

  “Oh no, not you too Jane!”

  They watched as Jane’s eyes glowed red. Some of her skin was starting to flake off.

  “Leave right now Jane! I don’t want to have to kill you too!”

  “Ohhh I can’t watch you kill another of our friends!” said Mariko grimacing.

  “I’m not a zombieeeee,” said Jane, slurring her words.

  “Please leave, while you can,” said Helen.

  Jane listened and turned away. She left the room. Helen slammed the door after her.

  “Holy crap! What just happened?” asked Helen.

  Chapter Eight

  “We were at a party having fun, when we saw a disturbance outside,” began Mariko.

  “Yes?” asked Helen. They were both seated on a clean part of her bed, ignoring the gore from Sonya’s body around them.

  “We saw the professors fighting off zombies in the courtyard. And then they shut down the party. Bev was harassing us, and Jane bit her.”

  “Jane bit her? And you brought her back here?!” cried Helen.

  “Sorry, we didn’t know. We just thought she was annoyed.” They both looked at each other and started laughing.

  After the horrific events of the evening, they both needed a good laugh.

  “Well, while you guys were away, I was battling off my zombie roommate.”

  Mariko looked around the room. “Where is the body?” she asked.

  “I pushed it out the window,” Helen explained.

  “Oh my god. The police are never going to believe this!”

  “I know,” replied Helen. “We need to do the same with Sonya’s body, and then clean up. They’ll think they were killed outside.”

  “Right, let’s do it!” said Mariko.

  As they were cleaning up, they continued to discuss the evening’s events.

  “What I don’t understand is how the students are suddenly turning into zombies,” asked Helen.

  “It’s strange. Like an infection or something,” said Mariko.

  “Maybe none of us are immune? We could all turn at any moment,” said Helen.

  “Very strange. Like there is a common element. It was triggered by something, possibly,” her friend replied.

  Sonya’s brains hadn’t made as much of a mess as the last one’s. Soon they had the room cleaned up. A second garbage bag now stood by the first.

  “We’re going to need to dispose of these bags before the police see them in here,” said Helen.

  “Speaking of which, I haven’t heard or seen any around,” Mariko said.

  “They must have their hands full,” said Helen, shrugging.

  Mariko was sitting on the bed dead still.

  “What’s the matter?” Helen asked her.

  “I just thought of a common element.”

  “Yes?” her friend asked.

  “When we were at the party they were handing out lollipops,” she replied.

  “Oh, sugar gets a bad rap, but I doubt it’s caused zombiosis.”

  “No, not that. The lollipops were tainted with some drug, to make us feel happy,” said Mariko.

  “Didn’t we try something like that last weekend? But nothing happened. Why now?”

  “I’m not certain,” said Mariko. “Oh no!” she cried.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Helen. “Besides the usual zombies running rampant.

  “I had a lollipop too!” Mariko started crying, and put her head down into her hands.

  Helen stopped and thought about it.

  “If this is a tru
e theory, we’ll know for certain when you turn into a zombie!” She grabbed the bat, just in case, but Mariko did not notice. She was too busy crying.

  Chapter Nine

  Outside Jane was walking around dazed. She saw humans run past her and avoid her. Since she didn’t appear to be much of a threat, they left her alone. It had tasted good biting Bev, and she wanted more, but she felt it was wrong to bite humans. Perhaps she could find some deli meat or hot dogs and that would fill her up.

  There were several dead bodies, both human, and zombie, in the courtyard. A small gang of professors and campus security were still actively fighting off the more active zombies. Other zombies merely milled around confused, and for the most part were left alone.

  Jane briefly wondered if there were different levels of zombies.

  ***

  “Maybe I should leave?” asked Mariko.

  “No, please stay. I’m curious as to whether it was the drugs that caused the zombie outbreak. If so, I can get word to the authorities, so at least they can prevent it from happening again.”

  Helen gripped her bat by her side.

  “I wonder what happened to Juan?” asked Mariko. “He never showed at the party.”

  Helen jumped. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

  Mariko raised her head. “Do you know what happened to him?”

  “Yes, and it’s not good.”

  Mariko started crying again.

  “How did it happen?” she asked.

  “I was watching out the window as Juan was trying to get in here. He was a zombie. Professor Singh shot him in the head. I’m so sorry,” Helen said, wrapping her arm around Mariko.

  “It’s okay,” Mariko sobbed. “Soon I’ll be a zombie too, and you can shoot me in the head.”

  “No!” said Helen. “We don’t know for certain.”

  ***

  In the courtyard Jane didn’t know what to do with herself. Perhaps she should go back and lock herself in her dorm room? That way she would not be a hindrance to anyone.

  “Jane? Is that you?” said a familiar voice. She turned to look at him. Was it her time to die once they realized that she too was a zombie?

  ***

  “Do we just wait here?” asked Mariko.

  Helen nodded. “I think it’s best. It’s safer in here. I’ve got my bat, I’m armed.”

  Outside a lot of the noise seemed to be dying down. Helen got up to peer out the window. There were significantly more bodies lying in the courtyard than there had been the last time she looked. So, things were progressing. Until the cavalry arrived there wasn’t a lot she could do.

  In the distance she thought she saw a woman who looked like Jane. She appeared to be chatting with a guy.

  “Say, Mariko, something odd is happening out here,” said Helen.

  Helen turned to her friend, but she wasn’t there. Mariko was at the door trying to move a bookcase in front of it.

  “Listen! There’s a swarm of zombies out there!”

  Mariko was right. Soon there was pounding and banging at the door. The door shook on its frame.

  Helen jumped forward to help her friend move the bookcase. She’d take her chances with potentially being stuck in a room with one zombie, rather than the dozen milling outside.

  Chapter Ten

  Mariko and Helen didn’t know what to do. These zombies were smart. They were banging and hammering at the door, trying to get in.

  “How do you feel?” Helen asked Mariko.

  “Not like a zombie, if that’s what you mean,” she said.

  “Good, so far so good,” Helen replied. Though she still clutched the bat in her hands anyway.

  The door splintered. The zombies must have been using something to ram it.

  “If Jane retained some of her intelligence as a zombie, it stands to reason that these guys have too,” said Helen.

  “We’re going to die,” moaned Mariko.

  The door splintered inwards, showering splinters and fragments everywhere above the bookcase. The bookcase remained in its place, keeping back the hoard.

  Just as suddenly as the door exploded, the zombies were gone.

  “Hi guys!” said Jane.

  “Jane!” cried Mariko and Helen in unison.

  “I’ve gotten rid of these guys for you now, but I suggest you find a more secure location,” Jane said, her words sluggish.

  Mariko and Helen hopped over the bookcase and into the hallway.

  “This way!” said Jane.

  The two women looked hesitantly at each other. Should they trust a zombie? They followed Jane anyway.

  Jane led them to Juan’s room. Mariko was a bit confused. They walked inside.

  “Stay here! I’m helping the professors to round up the zombies outside,” said Jane.

  She closed the door behind them.

  “Oh my god! Juan! You’re still alive!” Juan stood by the window. He was indeed well and happy.

  Helen was confused. Perhaps she had been mistaken?

  “I thought you said he was dead!?” cried Mariko.

  Mariko and Juan held each other.

  “That was actually my brother!” explained Juan.

  Helen looked remorsefully at him.

  “I’m so glad your brother was killed and not you!”

  Juan let that one go. In fact, Helen had to stifle a giggle. Who could be serious after what everyone had just gone through?

  “Oh no! You can’t touch me!” said Mariko.

  “What?” asked Juan, confused.

  “I licked one of the contaminated lollipops. I’m going to turn into a zombie too!”

  “Surely it would have happened by now?” reasoned Helen.

  “Oh those damn lollipops. You’re right, they were what caused the zombiosis.” Juan looked concerned. He looked over Mariko’s arms, and face, but so far they were clear.

  “Tell me Mariko, did you eat a red lollipop, or a green one?”

  “What? What difference does that make?”

  “Because Professor Singh told me it was the green lollipops that were infected with the zombie drug, not the red ones.”

  Helen and Juan looked expectantly at her.

  “It was... green!” she said.

  They all had horrified looks on their faces.

  “Ha ha! Fooled you! It was red.”

  They all burst out laughing.

  Someone pounded on the door.

  “Yes?” Juan called out.

  “Coast is clear,” called Jane.

  He opened the door. Professor Singh and Jane were standing there.

  “It appears campus security has things under control. I recommend you stay here for the night, while we clean up,” said Professor Singh. “I’m going to take Jane somewhere safe so we can find a way to cure her, along with some other zombies who helped our cause, rather than killing anyone.”

  “Bye guys!” called Jane.

  “Bye! Take care,” her friends called after her.

  Juan closed the door. “Who wants pizza?” he asked. “There’s always pizza delivery, even during an emergency.”

  “Me!” cried Helen and Mariko.

  “But make mine vegetarian, said Helen and Mariko, at the same time.

  “I just had a thought. What happened to Bev?” asked Helen.

  Everyone shuddered to think that Bev was now walking around campus as a zombie.

  The End.

  BONUS STORY:

  ZOMBIE TRAIL

  Jenny sat at the stool near the kitchen counter, uncharacteristically silent. She had felt shitty most of the week. After the buzz she got from drinking a bottle of Jack, she had a two-day flu or something. Now she had a headache. And depression. It just came. Like a freight train and there was nothing she could do about it.

  She had a tall and thin physique, and took Cross-fit classes long before they were cool. She wore her long blonde hair pulled back. She had red rims around her eyes for the longest time now.