Z Day is Here

by Rob Fox

  I think humans are losing this war. The undead were everywhere. Maybe it was the zombie blood covering up my stench, because there were many times I would pass by a group of them and they would not even glance at me. I'll have to remember that. I’m not sure why the blood didn’t change me. Maybe it has something to do with the blood hitting the air. Maybe whatever it is in the blood that infects people is suppressed or killed by the oxygen that keeps us alive.

  As night turned into day, I found a lot of candy wrappers on the ground, candy wrappers just like the ones back at the house. I was getting close.

  As I came out of the woods, I noticed a large building directly in front of me. Of course, it would have to be the one place to NEVER go during a zombie outbreak. A fucking mall!

  Stupid kid.

  I have been hanging around outside here for hours waiting to find a break between zombies so I can climb onto the roof. Once night falls, I will make my way up, if I can make it till night fall. This place is crawling with the ghouls.

  Oh. I need to go NOW! There are none around that can get to me before I make it to the fire escape ladder. Sure they will see me, but they can't climb. I can make it.

  Day 14

  Shopping malls.

  As if they aren't bad enough, now they are crawling with zombies. But if you think about it, weren't they always? I mean, they were full of thousands of brain-dead people wandering around aimlessly, ready to bite your head off if you got too close to them. Very little difference. I almost feel safer now.

  Yesterday, I saw an opening between two groups of zombies and made a run for it, my ankle still throbbing from the fall a few days ago. When I got to the side of the building, I realized the ladder was much higher up than it had looked from the wood line. By that time, it was too late. I had committed, and the zombies had spotted me. There was no turning back. Looking around, I had found an old metal dumpster that I could push under the ladder. By the time I managed to get the dumpster under the ladder and climb on top of it, I was completely surrounded by the undead. Their smell had gotten worse. The fumes were too much for me to stomach. As I began vomiting, my memories began taking me back to a time when I was a child playing in my father’s barn. I flipped over a bail of hay to find a freshly rotting opossum. In my mind’s eye, I could still see the maggots and worms covering the body. I opened my eyes to see the same sight, but now they were covering the bodies of the living dead. Once I came back to my senses, I grabbed my bat, pretending to play golf; I swung at the nearest zombie head I could find. He hit the ground about three feet away with a thud and a grunt. I didn't have to do it for my survival; I did it because I could. Those bastards have put me through hell, so now I plan on sending as many of them back there as I can.

  I made my way to the roof and found a door leading into the mall. As I began walking down the stairs, I heard people talking and arguing. The closer I got, the louder they became. I turned the corner to see a group of people arguing about what to do with a young teen they had found wandering around in the mall. I glance around the room to see Cole sitting in the floor, curled up like a beaten dog. His eyes were wide and unfocused, but over all, he unharmed from what I could see.

  I was not going to allow these people to decide the fate of this kid, so I straightened myself, hid my bat, and approached the group slowly with my hands in the air.

  I had not made it three feet before they noticed my approach. After another three feet, I had five guns shoved in my face. One more step and I received a nice smack to the back of my head with what must have been the butt of a shotgun. When I awoke a few hours later, I could feel the nice golf ball-sized knot forming on the back of my skull. I opened my eyes to see the same group of people standing around me. This time, though, no guns were drawn. After a few apologies from a very British-sounding man, they began asking me questions about "the outside." What was it like now? Where were the safe places? Was I there to rescue them? Question after question was thrown my direction. I had no answers.

  After the barrage of unanswerable questions, I informed them I came for the boy and would be on my way after I rested. The group began arguing again. Some wanted to go with me, and others insisted I stay. Hours went by. Finally, in the end, I had convinced them to allow me to take the boy, and we (alone) would leave the mall with anyone who dared go with us.

  Cole slowly stood up and made his way over to the group. With hollow eyes, he looked directly at me, ignoring everyone else. "I had to. I mean, I just had to." That was all he could say. There was nothing else he had to say.

  We head out later tonight. I am taking Cole and three others. I can only pray I am not leading these sheep to their slaughter.

  Day 15

  Fallen ill.

  Everything was set yesterday to leave the building. We had our new supplies, weapons, and even a hand-drawn map for each of us in case we got separated from each other. We were ready. All I had to do was take that first step. I could not move. My body felt like it had been hit with a dump truck. I felt feverish and had the sniffles. I knew it was a sinus infection. They did not. In fact, most of the group swore I had been bitten and was now infected. The group broke into a full-blown fight over when to shoot me! I was surrounded by idiots. These people needed to be eaten alive. If all the guns weren't firmly planted in my direction, I would have run or even shot them all, but I couldn't. I was stuck, waiting for them to decide my fate, the fate of a man with a sinus infection.

  After about half an hour, they came back with a decision. They would lock me (and now Cole, only because we knew each other) in a room until we changed, then they would shoot us! Great! My life is getting better by the second.

  So here I sit, a prisoner wrongly imprisoned for having a runny nose, Cole imprisoned for just knowing me. I don't know, maybe it is better this way. After all, I am not much for taking out zombies in this condition. Plus, I could use a few days of sleep and rest. Thankfully, Cole doesn't say much. He knows the difference between a cold and "the change," so he is not worried either.

  Well, I am feeling a little dizzy now, so I am going to lay down for a bit. I'll update ev

  Wait!

  Oh, Christ! The zombies are in the mall! There must be hundreds or thousands of them in here! I have to get out of here. Cole is freaking out. We are like big old worms on a little bitty hook in here.

  Day 16

  They are still in here, and so are we.

  The beauty of being locked in a room is, even though we can't get out, they can't get in either. So here we sit in a sort of stalemate. We are desperately trying to find a way out while they are staring at us as if we were lobsters in a tank. It is only a matter of time before they break down the gate. The bottom is already starting to give way. I would say that within a matter of hours, they will be all over us.

  I just saw all three people that were going to leave with us. They are now zombies. Kind of funny how they were so worried about me that they never realized they were about to turn themselves.

  That’s when I see exactly what I was looking for: the keys to the room hanging from one of their belts! All I have to do it get close enough to the gates to reach it without getting bitten.

  I am alive. For now, that's all I care about. I have the key, and Cole has found a vent just big enough for him to crawl into.

  We have a plan!

  Cole is going to crawl through the vent till he finds an opening. From there, he will distract the undead bastards. I will unlock the gate, sneak out of the room, and make my way upstairs to the roof. Once I reach the roof, Cole will meet me there. We won't have much time, so we will have to climb down the ladder and make our way into the woods.

  A long shot, yes, but it's our only shot. We have found some things we can use as weapons lying around in the room, and I can see three guns on the ground right next to the room. We are ready.

  Ok, Cole is in the vent. I need to sign off and get ready.

  Day 17

  I am exhausted! I am tired, sick a
s hell, beat up, cut up, bloodied, but alive and infection free. Cole is the same minus the sickness. I am only able to rest for a few minutes before we have to make our way back to our safety. God, I can't wait to get back. Sure, the "fortress" is cramped, but it is safe.

  So I am guessing you want to hear about what happened yesterday, right? Well, it was insane! The plan was working fine, and Cole made a very nice distraction, just enough for me to unlock the door, squeeze out unnoticed, and grab the guns. What we didn't count on, though, was the one lone survivor of the other group. That stupid bitch just about got us all killed. Just as Cole was sliding back into the vent, out of nowhere this woman comes up behind me, screaming and crying, begging me to take her with us.

  Right as she began screaming, every zombie within a one-mile radius turned. You all have seen the movies where the nerdy white kids go into the predominately black bar, and when they get in, the music stops and everyone turns to look. Yup, same thing here! I couldn't think of what to do, so I turned and screamed for her to shut the hell up. She was caught off guard, just long enough for me to watch three zombies rip into her neck with their teeth. Blood covered me and everything nearby.

  I ran. I ran faster than I had ever run before. I looked like a slalom skier, swerving back and forth to avoid the undead.

  I reached the top floor before I ever had to use the gun. The sound of the zombie’s head exploding was louder than the gunshot itself. I put the barrel of the gun directly at that bastard’s nose and pulled the trigger. I am now getting a little concerned; I enjoy killing and hurting these things too much! That first shot was not the last, not by a long shot. I used every round I had for one of the guns. I believe it was a .45. Regardless, it did its job.

  Once I reached the roof, I was alone. Cole was nowhere in sight. I cursed under my breath. Bam, bam, bam, the vent burst open, and a very dirty Cole slid out, coughing dust clouds. We had made it halfway so far. We barricaded the door so the zombies couldn't get onto the roof. I knew it wouldn't last long, but we did what we had to do. Next, we ran over to the ladder and crawled down onto the dumpster. Zombies everywhere! We decided to just have fun with it. I handed Cole a gun (now I am not saying I believe in kids with guns, but during a zombie apocalypse, it is necessary). Together, we sent at least twenty of them back to hell. We jumped off the dumpster, running with everything we had in us. Once we got to the woods, we never turned back. We ran until we could no longer hear the dull moaning.

  I have to rest some. My sickness is getting worse by the second. We will rest for just a few hours here, and then we will make our way back to safety. I cannot wait.

  Day 18

  They are all gone.

  We arrived at the "safe house" early this morning to find the place destroyed. The gate was pushed over, and blood covered the ground and side of the house. Inside, the house was trashed and covered in blood. All the bodies were gone, except for a few zombies with smashed-in faces lying around. It must have been a massacre.

  As my mind wandered to Deanna and how I hoped she had made it out in one piece and without getting bitten, I turned to see her standing in the doorway. This was not the Deanna I had left, not the Deanna who helped save me just a few days ago. This was her body, but everything else about her was gone. Most of the side of her face had been removed, and she was missing an arm. She slowly shuffled towards me, moaning, with fresh blood streaming out of her mouth. She had eaten recently.

  As I reached for my gun, Cole jumped in front of me. He would be the one to put his mother to rest. He slowly raised his gun, pointing it straight at his mother’s head. I could hear him crying as he pulled the trigger. In a movie, this would have taken place in slow motion, but this was not a movie. This was real. Less than a second after he pulled the trigger, her head exploded into a huge puff of blood, skull, and brain matter. Her now-lifeless body thudded onto the ground. Cole fell to the ground, grasping her body. I could hear him whisper through the sobs, "I love you, Mommy. I’m sorry."

  We buried her body under a tree beside the house and secured the gate. We will stay here for the night and leave in the morning. Cole has been asleep for a while now. God, I hope I don't have to do that to Darcy when I find her.

  Good night, Deanna. You were like a sister to me. You will be missed.

  Day 19

  We couldn't go anywhere today. I am deathly ill. Cole is beginning to look at me funny. I think he is now thinking I am changing. I swear I am not. I will get better. I have to.

  Last night was quiet, almost too quiet. It is as if they know to leave us alone. Hell, I probably smell like death. I have been making plans in my head for our escape from this place. We will stick to the woods as much as possible. I don't know how far we can make it before we will have to stop for shelter, but we will walk until we cannot walk anymore. Cole wants to find a car or a truck. That may be a good idea, but the streets are packed with cars. I think we will assess that situation when we get near a road. We have quite a few miles before we get to my apartment. I have no idea how bad it has gotten in other parts of the world. Maybe we’re lucky and this outbreak is getting better. I bet right now, scientists are putting the finishing touches on the anti virus as we speak. Yeah, wouldn't that be nice? Then the world would go back to the way it was. I would go back to my company and act like everything is normal. I can forget that I killed my supervisor with a fish bowl. Sure, I can forget it all.

  Okay, I am delusional. My fever is getting worse. I can't stop throwing up. Oh God, what if I am changing?? How can this be?

  I have to sleep now. I am so cold.

  Day 20

  Hi! I hope this works. My name is Cole. The guy that has been posting this is really sick right now. At least I hope he is just sick. He has been passed out all day. I hope he is going to be okay. He told me if he doesn't make it to please continue this little project.

  I am not much of a writer. In fact, I have no idea what to write. I guess I should just go with what I am feeling. I am sad. I am scared. I am lonely. I don't know if I will make it out alive. But then, where will I go? I have seen some really bad stuff. I wish they would all go away. I have lost so many people I love and care about.

  Today, I saw three of my old friends, only they weren't my friends anymore. Everyone around me calls them zombies. I think that’s total bull crap, though. I don't know what they are, but I know I am not stupid enough to call them zombies. Mom said they are just very sick. She told me to stay away from them. I should have listened to my mom. My mom, who became one of them. All I know is that when someone gets bitten, they turn into one of them. Maybe it's a parasite, like that Superman comic I read, or maybe it is aliens like in that movie Invasion. That’s my real theory. I think maybe they switched my mom and friends with alien counterparts. Maybe I will see my mom again soon. I have to stay alive so I can help them all.

  Why isn't he waking up? He is just moaning. I don't want to have to shoot him too, but if the aliens got him, I have my gun right here. If he isn't better in the next few hours, I will have to kill someone else.

  I can't wait any longer.

  Day 21

  Okay, so I didn't kill him last night. I was going to, though. I approached him slowly, with my gun drawn and pointed at his head. I could tell he was still breathing, so obviously he wasn't one of those alien things yet. I sat in front of him all night long, waiting for his breath to stop, but it never did.

  See, what I think happens is the aliens stop time and somehow switch bodies really fast. That’s why the people are breathing one minute but not the next. I think the illness people get is like a slow-moving poison or something that prepares the people for transportation. It takes the aliens a few minutes to restart their new bodies, so I knew if he stopped breathing, the switch would have been made and I would have just a couple minutes before I would have to kill him (or it). Hey, maybe that's it. I remember my uncle letting me stay up late one night and watch a scary movie. We watched the movie The Thing. Man, I was so scared. B
ut now I'm thinking that could be what’s going on. I wonder if I should test our blood. I'll try that and come right back.

  All right, I just figured out two things. First, getting blood from your finger hurts! Secondly, I learned that he is not one of them. Not from the blood test but from the fact that he punched me right in the nose and yelled at me for sticking a pin in his finger. He called me a stupid kid. He said something about feeling better but that he was just tired now and needed more sleep. He also said in order for him to be a (now he called it a zombie again), but in order to be one of those things, he would have to be bitten and he was clearly not bitten. Then he told me to shut up and let him sleep. I think he's going to be okay.

  I'm not sure where we are going to go once he is better. He kept talking about some chick he was supposed to marry. I think her name was Dercie or Darcy or something like that. He wants to get back to her. I personally think she is probably one of them now, and going after her would be a mistake. Whatever we do, I think we should at least find a car. I hope we can find a sweet Honda or some kind of awesome turbo car. I am just tired of walking. I think I may go out and find a car, so when he wakes up, it is already sitting there waiting on us. Yeah, I am going to go ahead and do that. I think he will be really happy when he finally wakes up to find a car already packed and ready. I'll show him I'm not a stupid kid.