Zombie Food

by Lisa Doesburg

  "Come on, it's right up here," she said, "There's an old service door and I think it's unlocked!"

  The stairs were unsafe, swaying precariously as we made our way up. At one point, I thought we were goners when the stairs made a loud creaking, popping noise. I had a little fear of heights, so my heart was pounding, adrenaline pumping double time. Finally reaching the top, there was a tin roof that we had to walk across. In some spots, the roof had some give that made me think we might fall through at any moment. Legs shaking, I just put one foot in front of the other until we safely made it to the other side and up to the door. Skye turned the handle, holding her breath. If it was locked, all this was for nothing. When it opened, we shared a smile of triumph. Girl power, Hooah! This little zombie girl and I made a pretty good team.

  Reaching in my bag for my flashlight, I switched it on, sweeping the bright orb back and forth ahead of us. I couldn't believe how terrifying it looked inside this place! Paint peeling in sheets from the walls, debris littering the floors, it was an urban ghost hunter’s dream come true. I picked up an old sign on the floor that read: 'Rules and regulations at Blue Moon Sanitarium'. I've heard stories about this place back when I was riding bikes with my friends and having sleepovers at Rae's house. Stories of screams that echoed through the night, residual emotions from patients long dead. Unwanted children abandoned from families who couldn't handle their child's disabilities or were embarrassed by them. I remember my mother telling me how when she was a kid, parents would threaten them with Blue Moon if they misbehaved. I could see why. This place was a nightmare.

  "Elli?" Skye broke my reverie, taking my hand. "Elli, I'm afraid of this place. It feels bad."

  I agreed, squeezing her hand. It was good to be holding on to someone as we walked carefully, listening for signs of unwanted occupants. We peeked inside the many rooms, some in better shape than others. In one room, there were cribs stacked so tight, there was only room to walk sideways. In my mind I could hear the echoes of crying, hopeless children crying for a mother they never knew.

  "Elli, we need to leave this place." Skye whispered. "The sadness is just too much! I can't handle it!"

  Alarmed, I looked her seeing tears tracking down her dirty, bloody face.

  "They're still here, Elli! I can feel them!" she sobbed. "They're all around us, begging for help. Can't you hear them?"

  I had to admit, that no, I couldn't hear them, but I did feel an overwhelming sadness that I couldn't shake. Just looking at the rows of rusty, metal cribs, knowing that children suffered and died in them was enough to make anyone cry.

  "Please, Elli! I want to leave here!" Skye cried out, yanking her hand out of mine. She spun away from me and ran down the hallway in a panic to get out of there.

  "Skye! No!" I yelled to her, shining the light down the corridor so she didn't fall. "Come back!"

  I ran to catch up, but she disappeared around a corner out of my sight.

  "Skye! Where are you?" I whispered loudly after reaching the end of the corridor. I know she went to the right, but there were so many doors, I felt frozen. A crackling sound came from a room further down the dark hall, so I headed towards the sound, fear making my stomach clench. It was impossible to be quiet as debris crunched and crackled under my feet. The noise I'd heard grew a little louder as I approached a room where the door was slightly ajar.

  "Skye?"

  I pushed the door open slowly, knife in my hand as I shined the flashlight in before me. My heart almost stopped as the light caught a small, pale figure crouching in the corner, it's back to me.

  "Skye, is that you?"

  Sitting in the corner was a child with long, dark hair. Arms wrapped around her knees, she rocked in silence naked as the day she was born. It wasn't Skye. My arms broke out in gooseflesh, my mind trying desperately to comprehend what I was seeing.

  "Hello? Little girl?" I said softly, "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you."

  Walking a bit closer, I was just going to touch the child's shoulder when a voice outside of the door made me almost jump out of my own skin.

  "Elli, is that you?"

  It was Skye!

  Standing up, I turned to shush her and turned back to the girl. Only to find the corner vacant. Gasping in shock and confusion, I swept the flashlight around the room to see where the girl had gone, but impossibly, she was gone.

  "Skye, there was a child here, right there in the corner! I swear it!" I told her, visibly shaken. "She was just sitting there! I saw her!"

  "We're not alone in here, Elli, I knew we weren't! Didn't I tell you?" she cried, grabbing my hand tight. "This place is full of spirits who want out, who want us to get out. So please, can we leave now?"

  I had to agree with Skye on this one. At least with zombies you could see them, smell them, and kill them!

  "Let's go, then," I agreed, "This place is way too creepy.”

  Going back the way we came, I could have sworn the way out was on this floor. But where was the door we came in? We walked and walked, my flashlight dimming intermittently, but could not find the old service door. A banging sound downstairs made us freeze in our tracks. We looked at each other, both of us thinking the same thing. More ghosts. Until we heard real voices. I ran to the nearest stairwell, hoping they were just more people looking for shelter from the night.

  "You look upstairs, one floor at a time. This is the closest place around, so I betcha they're in here!"

  I grabbed Skye by the hand, covering her mouth. "Shhh...They're looking for us, I think. My gut tells me so and I always listen to my gut," I told her. "Come on, we have to hide, and we have to hide good.”

  I looked up and almost screamed out our location to whoever was downstairs. Skye gasped when she saw what I was looking at. The little ghost girl I saw was waving at us to follow her. Skye and I looked at each other in shock. I had to decide here. Go with a little girl who was dead, take my chances with the living, or go outside and take my chances with the living dead. I chose the little ghost girl. We ran as softly as we could, following the ghost girl around the corner, where she disappeared. In plain sight was the service door. She showed us where it was! I was creeped out and happy all at once. We could hide out on the roof until whoever these people were, left. Who the hell were they?

  We walked over the tin roof just before the fire escape stairs. It wasn't the top of the main building, but sort of nestled in between. We hunkered down and made ourselves invisible, safe from the dead, the living, and everything else in between. Skye spooned up tight next to me, her head tucked into the back of my neck, arm around my waist. I didn't mind. Just the closeness of another human, or half human, was better than being alone. Closing my eyes, I slipped into sleep.

  I thought I was dreaming when I heard the voices and almost gave our position away. Skye stirred sleepily, until I reached back and grabbed her arm tightly, warning her into silence.

  "Are you sure they're in here, Simon?"

  "Oh, yeah, they're in here alright, there's no other shelter for miles around."

  I heard another voice answer, and I didn't like his tone one bit. He was hunting us. Turning, I put my finger to my lips, warning Skye. Eyes wide with worry, she nodded. Creeping to the edge of the roof, I took a chance and peeked over. The one called Simon was a tall, ugly looking kid about between eighteen and twenty. His black hair was long and greasy looking, his face pocked with acne scars, and on one side a horrible scar. I immediately felt repulsed, for he was ugly inside and out. I feared and hated people like him more than I did the dead. A smaller boy of about fourteen or fifteen stood next to Simon waiting for orders. He looked as scared as we felt.

  "Can't we wait till morning, Simon? It's really dark in there." I heard the smaller boy say.

  "Aww, you a little baby? You scared, little baby?"

  I was starting to hate this asshole.

  "No! I'm not scared, I'm just saying!" Ant retorted. "But I'm not going in there alone!"

/>   "Just move your scrawny ass, Ant, or I'll beat it! We need them! We haven’t eaten in days!” the ugly one said. “This bitch is the first human we’ve seen in weeks.”

  “Simon, why can’t we just shoot a deer or something? There’s no way I’m eating human flesh!”

  I think the smaller boy missed the dangerous look on the ugly one’s face and was shocked when he viciously slammed him in the face with the butt of his gun.

  The last thing I heard was the smaller boy’s sobs until I did something stupid. Leaning too far over, I must have leaned on a weak part of the roof and leaned out too far, plunging me downward, then; darkness. I don't even remember slamming into the ground. Just two little words that popped into my head as I fell; you idiot.

  The darkness felt thick as oil as I slipped in out of consciousness, my head throbbing with a painful, nauseating beat. I closed my eyes after opening them, the room spinning dizzyingly fast. Once awareness caught up with consciousness, the vertigo settled enough for me to keep them open as I tried to take in my surroundings. The ceiling was high, lined with pipes and peeled paint, the walls full of windows. I was in some sort of factory setting. My hands bound behind my back, I winced in pain from the tightness. I can't believe how stupid I was!

  I just couldn't accept that this was the end and what made it ten times worse than being eaten by a zombie, I going to be devoured by a living, thinking human being aware of his actions. That was horrifying to me. That they would willingly and knowingly eat another human.

  I heard voices and my heart lurched in my chest. They were coming. This was it. I felt tears run warmly down my cheeks and into my ears. I didn't want to die. Not yet. There were about four of them, including the two that I saw before I fell. The other two, a scrawny girl and a sullen looking boy in their teens, gathered round the table I was laying on.

  "Well, well, look who decided to join us for dinner, family," Simon said, "a little on the skinny side, wouldn't you say?"

  "Let me kill her, Simon," I heard the scrawny girl sneer, "You got to kill the last one, it's my turn!"

  "Shut up, Ruby!" Simon warned. Turning to Ant, he said," You sure this is the one?"

  "Yeah, that's her alright. But she was running with another, smaller girl, too."

  Simon bent over me, his face a cold, impenetrable mask. "Where the other one, bitch?"

  "I don't know what your talking about," I said, my voice guarded, "I was by myself. That other girl he saw ran off and we lost each other."

  "Is that so," he said quietly, "Just ran off, huh? Well, guess what? I don't believe you."

  "Cut her, Simon!" Ruby yelled. "Show her who's in charge!"

  "Shut up, Ruby!"

  I couldn't stand that chick and knew that if I ever got out of this, I was going kill her.

  "I think we're going to fatten you up a little before we kill you." Simon leaned right into my face, his fetid breath making me want to gag.

  "Maybe you should brush your teeth first, Romeo," I sneered, "I smelled you before I heard you back there at the asylum."

  I almost fell back into unconsciousness when his hand cracked across my face, rocking my head to one side. Oh, he was so dead.

  "Simon! There's trouble by the doors! Rotters!"

  I heard a boy's voice yell out and was immediately alert. It would draw their attention from me.

  "Ant! Grab Kendra and Kyle and cover the front doors!" Simon yelled, "Ruby, you and Nico take the back door!"

  He turned to me with and pointed, "I'll be back for you later."

  I was alone. I could hear shouts and gunshots as the lot of them fended off a herd of the dead. Screams, shouting and the scrambling of many feet made me frantic to get loose. My heart almost stopped when I heard that soft shuffle I was so familiar with. The dead was here.

  "Hey!" I yelled loudly, "Help! Somebody..."

  A small hand went over my mouth, muffling my shriek of terror.

  "Elli, shhh!"

  “Skye! You came for me!” I threw my arms around her tiny frame, never so happy in all my life to see someone.

  "Come on, Elli," she urged, "We have don't have time for hugs! I lured the dead inside of the building. We must hurry! I found a way out, come on!"

  Rubbing my sore wrists and wincing as pain shot through my head, I sat up and swung my legs off table quickly. Skye waved me on, running for the exit opposite of where Simon and his band of renegades went. Catching up, I took her hand and we ran down the stairs quietly. At the bottom near the next exit door, she pressed her ear against door.

  "I hear them out there," Skye said, "But if you follow my lead, they'll leave us alone."

  "Ok, I trust you," I told her, meaning it. "I want my backpack, though, it's right over there." I told her, pointing to the corner by the window. She ran over, grabbed it, and took my hand.

  "Ready?"

  "Ready."

  Opening the door with me standing directly behind her, we pushed gently through the rotten, stinking flesh of them, listening to their moans as they sought living meat. My skin broke out in gooseflesh, for I just couldn't get used to being so close to them. As we quietly walked among the dead, we heard the yells of the others as they discovered that not only were their captives missing, but the place they called home was about to be invaded. I hoped they all died horrible deaths. I know that sounds brutal, but so what. That's who we were now. There was no time for kindness or heroes or feeling sorry for one another. If you didn't play by the rules, you were dead. So fuck’em, they wanted to hurt Skye and I, and now look at 'em. I didn't look back as we traveled with zombies. That was my motto. Never look back or shed a tear.

  After we traveled a few miles away from them under the cover of moon shadow, Skye pointed out an old police station.

  "Look, Elli, we could stay there for a couple of days. We just lock ourselves in a cell for the night and we can sleep. What'cha think?" she asked me. I noticed she was getting sick again by the pale look to her face and the dark circles under her eyes.

  "Skye, you need to feed again or you're going to get sick. What can I do?"

  "I don't know, it's too late to set up a trap, too dark." she told me. "Maybe I should try to eat real food, ya got anything?"

  "I have a couple of granola bars, want to try?" I told her, digging into my backpack, I handed it to her, watching as she gobbled the bar up in three bites.

  No sooner than I warned her to slow down, she was on her knees vomiting the partially chewed bar onto the ground.

  "Ewww, Skye!" I said aloud, not meaning to hurt the kid's feelings.

  "I know, I know," she moaned, "bad idea."

  I helped her up, alarmed at the heat radiating off her skin. I had to find us shelter and quick. If we were out in the open and any of the scumbag cannibals escaped the factory, they'd want our blood for sure. I had to go alone.

  "Skye, I have to find us somewhere safe, but I have to do it fast, " I told her, "I'm going to cover you with some branches and you sit extremely still. If I'm not back in one hour, wait a little longer and then I guess you’re on your own."

  She nodded grimly, understanding. Sitting against a tree, she helped me to arrange the branches in a makeshift shelter, blending her right in like a Chameleon.

  "Ok, start counting now, Skye and cross your fingers and toes. Ready?" I asked, not sure if I was.

  "I'm ready. Hurry, Skye. Please hurry." she begged through the branches.

  I ran in the direction we were originally heading, careful to stay just within the treeline, off the main road. Under the cover of darkness, I could make good time. I thought about poor Skye and how she couldn't eat anything but raw meat. Is this what humanity was destined for? To be these half mutant, half human monsters hunting what few survivors were left? But she was different. She didn't want to hurt anyone. That meant there was still hope. Maybe something in her blood could help find a cure and save the whole world!

  As I jogged, I heard the tell tal
e sounds of the dead to the right of me. I closed my eyes in frustration. I was exhausted. Scooting behind a tree, three of them ambled towards me, my warm-blooded body drawing them like flies. They looked freshly turned, so that meant they were faster, stronger then the ones who barely 'living'. I had to be extremely careful. Reaching for my blade, I waited for them to come closer, scared out of my mind. This is exactly why being by yourself is a death wish. Anything could happen. One slip, one bad call and it was all over. Quickly looking behind, me to see if I would trip over anything, I took up a defensive stance, knife held high, knees bent and ready for action. The first one to reach me was horrid looking. Missing one side of its face, jawbone and rotten teeth exposed, it oozed bodily fluids as its skin sluiced off at contact. I let him approach from behind the tree, so I didn't have to touch him, then reached around the other side, stabbing him through the temple. As the second approached, I kicked the bastard down and grabbed the hand axe at my belt, raising it over my head. With all my strength I brought that ax down, nearly splitting its skull in two.

  Breathing heavily, I leaned against a tree to catch my breath. That was intense, but it also set me back. I had to find shelter. Instead of continuing North, I cut south, taking cover just within the treeline. I saw something glitter through the trees and was overjoyed to see a building with a nice tall fence. Alert, I picked up my weapons, grabbed the backpack, and headed for it. The sun was setting fast, and Skye was hungry and all alone.

  Using the tree line as cover, I surveyed the property surrounding the building, which happened to be the local water treatment plant. Perfect. Surrounded by a chain link fence, it just might provide us with some shelter for the time being. Using my field glasses to search for signs of activity, I decided it was at least safe enough to sneak down the embankment to check it out. Running down, I walked around the perimeter, trying to find a way in. I'd find one, I always did. There! By the front gate, it looked as if someone had already checked this place out by the damage done to the fence. A hole just big enough for me to enter. Ducking through, I got my knife ready, one hand on the gun at my waist. Along the side of the building was a red service door, partially cracked open. Most likely scavengers looking for food, batteries, and whatever else they could find. Peeking my head in, I shone my flashlight all around, seeing nothing but debris and a very large area with two large pits filled with stagnant water. Yuck. I listened intently for other noise, but I heard nothing. This was going to have to do for tonight. Shutting the door quietly, so as not to draw any of the dead, I ran back up the embankment to fetch Skye.