Zombie X

by S. G. Harkness

  I walk to the back of the house, break through the window, make my way inside the house, and I’m in the kitchen of the home. There is food everywhere, but I don’t see anything fresh since it’s mostly canned goods.

  There are boxes of assorted canned goods stacked around the kitchen. This is good news to me. There are several large barrels of water as well. I’m very impressed. There might be someone hiding in the house, so I hold my rifle ready by my side. I’m curious to know who was living here, and I wonder if the person or family will return. I’m hoping that they will never return, for my sake. It’s really selfish of me to think that way, but I’m in survival mode. I hope that they are living in a better place. I can’t imagine a better place.

  I just want the whole house to myself. The new world proves how greedy a person can get. I slowly make my way around the house, and I walk down the hallway towards the living room. This house is fancy. I’m going to do everything I can to keep it. I’m not sure if I can let the person that was living here back into their own home. I don’t want to share this place, and I don’t think that they will want to share it either. The new world can work for me.

  As I make my way around the house, I notice some pictures that are on the walls. The house might belong to an art lover judging by the photos that I see. The inside of the house is dark, and it would be nice if the power came back. I find a lot of big candles even though I brought my own for my journey. I light up a candle, and I make my way to the living room. I approach the window and have a look outside to see how creepy the outside looks. I need to get my shit together and get organized since there is a lot to be done around here.

  Episode 4

  It’s been a long night. I wish the electricity still worked. Communicating used to be so easy, and I can only communicate as far as someone can hear my voice. The moon, the stars, and the candlelight help illuminate the inside of the house. The moon is full tonight; the stars are out, and it feels peaceful. The stars give me hope for a little moment. That’s enough of this fairy tale. I realize that I have to keep moving, and I have to keep searching the house.

  There should be a lot to search for. I will start at the top of the house and make my way to the basement. I’m faced with a creepy upstairs. I take my first step up the large staircase, and I can feel the tension as I take each step towards the mysterious upstairs floor. I reach the upstairs floor, and it’s dark and silent. I see five bedrooms. There is a row of beautiful paintings on the wall. I take my time to observe and admire the rare art. I never had the opportunity to observe such fine art at an art gallery. This is a rare finding for me, and the paintings look priceless.

  I’m not an art expert, but I assume what I’m looking at is something special. The paintings seem to have meaning. There is one painting that looks like it represents the Second World War. The painting comes to life in my imagination. I have a moment admiring the painting, and I want to savor the moment. It’s a small break from reality. I see soldiers in trenches. It looks as if they are having a peaceful moment together.

  Some soldiers enjoy a cigarette, while others eat a meal knowing that it could be their last. I take the candlelight and approach the next painting. I want to explore the details of each painting. Another painting is of a man fishing in a lake surrounded by a beautiful forest. The message in the fisherman painting seems to be that one should never take a peaceful moment for granted. I make my way to the last painting. I take my candlelight towards the painting, and I notice the painting is a little depressing.

  It’s a painting that shows a city in chaos. People in the painting are running for their lives, and there are dead bodies on the streets. There are a lot of images of blood in this painting. There are homes and buildings on fire. It looks like total destruction. I don’t know what kind of terror this painting represents. It could be a terrorist attack, and I wonder if this was painted recently. This reminds me of the chaos that I witnessed outside my apartment. I should move on since there is a lot left to explore.

  I walk slowly from bedroom to bedroom. Each bedroom has been transformed into a small library. There are all kinds of books displayed on the shelves. I walk to the master bedroom, and I slowly enter it. There are no books in the master bedroom. It looks like a man was living here. I see men’s clothing all over the floor. It’s obvious that there was only one occupant who lived in this house. It looks like the occupant was a single man. I wonder where he is, and I wonder if he’s alive.

  It doesn’t look like he took any of his personal belongings with him. I have to assume he’s dead, and the rest of the world must be dead too. If I’m wrong and he does return, I’m going to have to negotiate with him. I really like this house. There’s no doubt that he would kick me out of his house. He might even try to kill me for all I know. The upstairs part of the house is full of empty rooms. The paintings are the only thing worth going upstairs for. I’m not sure if I’m going to sleep upstairs.

  It’s probably safer to sleep on the couch in the living room since I have to be ready for intruders. I start to make my way down the stairs to the main floor. There’s not much on the main floor other than extra food. I should search the garage. I open the door that leads to the garage. I’m lucky that there is a car in the garage.

  All I need to find are the keys. I’m starting to find everything that I need. Once I get settled in this house, I plan on going from house to house to load up on more supplies. I walk around and observe the spacious garage. I notice a wall of handy tools. There’s a very sharp machete, several hammers, a few shovels, and all kinds of handy items. There is a large ax on the floor, and I suddenly feel a lot safer. I hope I never have to use the tools for defending myself. I take the time to handle each one.

  I love how the machete feels in my hand, and I feel powerful. I feel a moment of security as I imagine who I would shove the machete into. I would love to shove the machete into my landlord and my boss. I’m sure that eventually I will have to bury the machete in someone’s face. People must be desperate right now. Survival is not a game. The new world might be a lot more hostile than I think. I will use any weapon if I have to. I walk out of the garage and make my way to the living room.

  I blow out the candle, and I check outside again. I observe the outside, and I see no movement. I don’t even see a mouse. I can still see the moonlight and the sparkling stars. I can just stare up at the sky all night, but I still have to finish searching the house. I need to search the basement. Basements can be so mysterious, and I hate basements. They always seem like the creepiest part of any house. I feel a shiver just thinking about the basement.

  I light up the candle, slowly approach the basement door, turn the doorknob, and the door makes a crackling sound as I open it. I cautiously walk down the creepy wooden stairs. I feel chills, and I take a deep breath as I make my way down to the bottom. The basement is a lot bigger than I expected.

  There is a musty smell. The basement doesn’t seem like it is a fun place to hang out because it’s unfinished. The small windows are covered so that daylight can’t get inside. There’s another room in the basement across from me. I approach the door to see what’s in the other room.

  The candlelight illuminates the room, and the room is huge. My eyes bulge out; my mouth drops, I freeze in disbelief, and I’m aroused—by what I see. I hit the jackpot! This discovery is priceless. I rush upstairs to get more candles, return to the room with more candlelight, and the contents of the room are a lot more visible. This is a dream come true, and it’s pure eye candy.

  The room has a supply of canned goods, firewood, weapons, alcohol, and huge water containers. The man who lived in this house must have been expecting a war or natural disaster. There is enough ammunition to take out a small army. Several hours have passed. I keep an inventory of the food and weapons. This is all for me, and there is a lot to choose from. There are dozens of bottles of whiskey and wine. This room has a total of three gas masks, seven pistols, a couple of flame throwers, twelve hunting k
nives, three swords, five machetes, five axes, two baseball bats, a crossbow, a flame thrower, a meat cleaver, twenty-one shotguns, eight assault rifles, a chainsaw and fifty-four grenades. There is also a rocket launcher! I estimate that there are about fifty thousand rounds of ammunition. There are several bulletproof vests and combat gear. I see riot equipment and helmets. There’s too much equipment for me to handle. I find some medical supplies. I’m unstoppable!

  These items are all mine now, and I can’t wait to use the rocket launcher. That’s just insane. I must be an insane girl. The man who lived here must have been expecting an alien invasion for sure. Several hours have passed, and I take my time to learn how to use the weapons. I prepare the rocket launcher, and I make sure that I’m comfortable with it. It’s not as difficult to handle as it looks. I hope I don’t have to fire it, even though it would be fun. It’s still nice to have for an emergency.

  I make my way upstairs to the living room. I will have to prepare and secure the house before sleeping. I spend my time wisely. I use a couple of hours and gather stuff that I need to fortify the house. I spend a while, teaching myself how to throw a hunting knife. I also practice my aiming skills with an assault rifle. I don’t fire the weapon since I don’t want to attract attention. I practice my skills on the tree in the backyard, and the tree is taking a beating from my sharp skills. I’m a natural at throwing the hunting knife, and I seem to possess a great deal of accuracy and power. I feel invincible, and I’m not afraid to push myself.

  The poor tree looks like it’s ready to collapse. I wish my father could see that I’m able to throw the hunting knife very far. I can hit my target with impressive accuracy. I never knew that I could develop such a skill with throwing a hunting knife. I have such great reflexes. My practice time is over, so I head inside and prepare for the night. I secure all the entrances of the house. I put chairs on the door handles, use broken glass on the floor to make sure that I can hear intruders, and I keep weapons beside me. I’ve spent a lot of time working around the house.

  It’s late, and I’m exhausted, so I make sure to clean myself before going to sleep. There’s no running water, so I use the water supply. I make my way to the living room. I try to get comfortable on the couch, but I can’t sleep well with all my clothes on, so I take my shirt off, and I let my breasts hang out and breathe. I remove my pants and let my thighs exhale. It feels good to relax on a warm couch. It’s going to be a long night, and I wonder about the days ahead.

  I have a blanket and pillow from the master bedroom. It feels so good to relax on the couch after a long day. The first night in my new house seems like a dream. I just hope it doesn’t turn out to be a nightmare. I seem to have the worst luck with things. I keep a couple of candles burning. It’s hard to close my eyes, and I don’t trust my new house since I feel like I’m being watched. I wish I had someone to cuddle with me. I need someone to hold, and I want someone to kiss passionately while keeping me safe. It’s very lonely in the new house. I will have to get used to the creepy silence. My eyes feel heavy, so I begin to shut my eyes slowly. I suddenly wake up, and I must have knocked out and fell asleep for about a couple of hours. I had a nightmare while I was knocked out. I remember my nightmare as if it was real. I should go back to sleep since I have a long day ahead of me. I will just stare at the ceiling until I fall asleep, and I hope that I will have a beautiful dream this time.

  Episode 5

  I wake up late morning, and it’s sunny outside. The first night in the house felt like an eternity. I wash up, and I get something to eat and drink. I can’t just sit at home and hope. It’s time to explore the rest of the new world. I pack up, and I’m ready to roll. I take an assault rifle, a sword, and a grenade with me. I can’t find the key to the car so I will have to walk. I step out of the house, and I’m on my way out.

  It’s a long walk, and the scenery is unpleasant. The destruction is everywhere. I make it to the city. As I explore the city, I see dead bodies everywhere, and it’s absolutely disgusting. I wonder if all this destruction was caused by a rebellion against the government. I don’t need many supplies, but the more, the better. I should take anything I can find. The new world is a lonely one, and I want to find survivors. I want to know what is happening in the world. I’m looking for good people, but I doubt I will find anyone.

  Walking helps me think. I seem to get places faster as my mind wanders. I reach a hospital, but it looks run down. It’s definitely a must since I could use more medicine just in case I get sick. I plan to load up on all sorts of medication, syringes, and anything that can help heal wounds and diseases. I’m no doctor, and I’m no nurse. I’m still going to take everything I can. I approach the front door. I might get lucky, and the automatic slide door might open for me. The automatic slide door doesn’t open, which is no surprise.

  I use the front door to enter the hospital. The hospital has a very offensive odor. It’s so dark and musty inside. I have to use my flashlight, and there are a lot of corpses on the floor. A lot of them look like they were shot up, and some of them look chewed up. The reception desk has two dead women sitting face up on their chairs. Both of them look like they were shot in the head, but I don’t see any other wounds on their bodies. I ring the desk bell several times to wake up the hospital, but something tells me that I shouldn’t have done that.

  I slowly open the door to one of the examining rooms, open the drawers and manage to score some basic medical supplies. They are not exactly what I’m looking for, but it’s better than nothing. I continue to walk around the hospital. I walk into another room, and I find drugs that I can’t pronounce. This must be a good thing. I wonder why the names of all these products have to be so difficult to pronounce. I load up my backpack with as much as I can. I take syringes, swabs, and almost everything that I see. I leave the room and search more rooms. I walk in a room with two dead patients who are hooked up to medical devices, and the smell is unbearable.

  They are as dead as they can be, and they are both missing their eyeballs. That’s fucked up. There must have been a lot of crazies in this hospital. I make my way to other rooms in the hospital, and I enter another room. It looks like a surgery was performed on someone. There is a scalpel buried in their head. The body is cut open and has a bad smell. This patient must have had their surgery during the chaos. That was a horrible way to die. I search through the drawers, but I don’t see anything worth taking.

  I continue to search another room. It looks like a doctor’s office. I search the desk, open the drawers to find dirty magazines, and I wonder what kind of doctor worked here. This is creepy, and I hope he is dead. I walk into another office. I find a dead body. It looks like a nurse tried to kill herself. It looks like she overdosed on something. There is a needle stuck in her arm, and it looks like she was hit hard in the head. I search the room, and I find medication. I take all of it. It’s time for me to leave since I have enough to carry.

  I make my way out of the hospital. It’s really dark outside, and it looks like a storm is coming. The rain comes down hard as I journey back home. The journey back home seems peaceful. There is something about this moment that is relaxing. I usually hate walking in the rain. If there is anyone out there, I can spot them instantly. That’s how lifeless the world is now. I’m used to seeing movement all around me. I will enjoy this peaceful moment while it lasts. I can’t wait to get home and dry off. I hope I don’t get sick from walking in the rain. I continue to make my way home, and it seems like I’ve been walking for a long time. I think I see movement ahead of me. I can’t believe what I’m seeing.

  It looks like I’m not alone in the new world. I’m not hallucinating. I stop walking and stand still. The rain continues to come down hard and makes visibility difficult. I still notice movement ahead of me, even though the bad visibility makes it a little difficult to see ahead. I notice a strange man sitting on a park bench. I continue to walk closer to get a better look. I slowly approach him as the rain hits down hard, and it doesn
’t seem to disturb him. I can only see the back of him. He wears a baseball cap. I don’t think he can hear me approaching. I don’t want to startle him, so I take my time to come around him.

  I can see the side of his face as I slowly approach him. I’m across from him. He wears sunglasses, jeans, and a leather jacket. He’s a built man, has a beard, and he looks like a wrestler. He slowly turns his head towards me, as I get closer to him. I should try to start a conversation with him.

  “You’re the first person I’ve seen since the chaos. What’s your name?"

  The man slowly stands up and slowly comes near me. He doesn’t want to answer me. I stand still as he approaches me. I should keep talking to him, and maybe he will listen.

  “Are you feeling ok? Do you live around here? Do you speak English?”

  The man is getting closer, and I’m nervous. He raises one of his arms at me as he slowly approaches, and he starts making loud choking sounds from his mouth. I start to back away from him. He sounds very sick, and I don’t want him to touch me.

  “Hey, I don’t want you too close to me. I don’t know you. What’s wrong with you?”

  The man gets closer to me, and I slowly back up. He tries to grab me, but I swing my right arm at him. He manages to grab my shoulders with his hands. He grips me really tight. He won’t back off me. He bends closer with his mouth open, and he looks like he’s going in for a kiss. I swing a hard punch and hit his face. He steps back, and he manages to have one hand grabbing onto me. I hit him again, his sunglasses fly off, and he lets go of me. His face is turned away from me.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to hit you so hard! What is wrong with you?”