Zombie X

by S. G. Harkness

  “I wonder how a little girl like you survived on your own. You don’t look like a girl that can hold her own. Even I had a hard time on my own. I knew a lot of little girls who couldn’t even cross the street and make it back alive. This place isn’t much, but we do our best to keep things running smoothly. I came here desperate and hungry. They took me in, and now I’m one of the heads of security. People here have their own homes. There are still several empty homes here. We have gardens in the front and the backyards as you can see. There are some families here, and they live in one home. We always make our decisions together, and you can’t go unless we decide. This place isn’t a place where you can come and go as you please. We have a curfew at night, and constant security so that people can sleep with their eyes closed. Everyone does their part around here, so I’m going to assign you as one of the food preps. No offense, but you don’t look like you can handle a security gig. You will have to work your way up. Do you have any questions?”

  “How often are you under attack here?”

  “We haven’t been attacked by other people in a while. The dead ones usually come in large numbers. The last attack was a while ago, but the dead ones can’t seem to breach our barricades. We made wooden spears so that we can use them to pierce the dead ones in the head. You have to destroy the brain. It’s better to conserve ammunition and keep things quiet. How have you stayed alive all this time, Killborn?”

  “I’ve been lucky, but there have been many rough times for me. I’ve been through a lot, and I’m fortunate to have found this place. I’m glad to be around people again.”

  Sheila shows me where I will be staying. Several people are moving my belongings into my new home. Sheila and I watch as things quickly get moved inside. The crate Norman is hiding in is being moved as Sheila watches the crate as it is carried inside the garage. She suspects nothing, and I’m surprised that they haven’t tried to open the crate. They must trust little innocent looking me. Sheila prepares to leave as they finish loading my stuff.

  “Your truck will be parked with all the other vehicles. We hold all the keys, and there is no reason that you should want to depart so soon. It’s deadly outside of Luther. You can go and get settled in your new home. Tomorrow we will have an assembly, so that people know who you are.”

  “Thanks for the tour, Sheila. I look forward to meeting the people of Luther.”

  Sheila walks away as I walk into my new home and close the door. I open the door to the garage, free Norman from the crate, and he groans as he gets up and roams around the garage.

  “We did it Norman! We made it inside! The first thing I will do is feed you, and it won’t be easy, so try to hang in there, Norman. I don’t know how long we will be here, but I will do my best to feed you whatever you want.”

  Norman looks at me and groans. I take him inside the house and hide him in the basement. I walk upstairs to peek out the living room window. There are two people guarding my home, and it is getting dark outside. It looks like people are starting to make their way home. The curfew will probably be starting soon. This place is not so bad, and it seems safe here. They must have worked their asses off since it looks like a lot of work was put into barricading the area. I have to start planning ahead, and Norman needs to eat something fresh. I will sleep on the couch tonight, but I don’t feel that safe in my new home. I feel my eyes getting heavy as I try to get comfortable on the couch.

  Morning is already here, and it is raining outside. I slowly get up, and wash myself. I suddenly hear a knock at my door, and I open the front door. I’m escorted to an assembly that is happening across from me. Masterson and the rest of the people of Luther are present. I stand next to Masterson as the people of Luther gaze in my direction.

  “I would like to introduce a new member of Luther. She is joining us for at least a little while. This is Killborn. Let’s show her that we are a family. She came to us the same way as most of you came to me. When you came knocking on the doors of Luther, and you came asking and begging for help. You came desperate and alone. Let’s welcome Killborn, embrace her, and show her the way. There is only one way to do things around here. Things are done the way we all decide. Making decisions together is how we roll around here. We do things the Luther way. May God bless all of you. Praise the Lord! Remember that Jesus loves you! I want all of you to carry on.”

  People begin to walk away and continue with their day. Masterson focuses his attention on me.

  “You can carry on too, Killborn. I don’t think you have anything to hide. I believe you can be trusted.”

  “You seem very passionate. What else did you do before the world went south?” I ask.

  “You seem really interested about my life. I participated in Sunday sermons, of course, Bible study is one of my passions, and I also love art. I believe in this place. We can survive, grow old, and die of old age. We can only get stronger. I hope you believe in this place, and I hope that you have faith in me.”

  “I believe in you, Masterson. I want to survive and see Luther grow. We can beat the dead. I look forward to seeing this place get stronger. Things can only get better.”

  “Believe me, it will. Luther shall prevail as long as I am alive. The people are strong. They believe in me. They will do anything to keep Luther safe. We have nothing without Luther, so try to keep that in mind. I have a Sunday service for the people of Luther. It’s right across from us, and unless you are blind, you can see a small cross on the door. I turned that house into a small church. It’s a nice place, so I hope to see you there on Sundays.”

  “Does everyone in this town believe in the same thing?”

  “I try to do my best to make them believe. It’s not easy to preach to people that don’t want to listen. We still have one thing in common since we are surviving against the dead, and we all work together to survive. That’s what brings us together, like a family. That’s what matters at the end of the day.”

  “I hope to see more people in your church. I’m more than happy to be here. What should I do now?”

  “You should spend the next several days walking around and getting to know the people of Luther. Watch how things are done. You can learn a lot. When you are ready, you can start your chores that we give you. There is no rush.

  We have more than enough hands at work. So go ahead and be productive.”

  “Thanks for everything, Masterson. I won’t disappoint you.”

  Masterson walks away, and I start to roam around. I have to see how this place works before I start my dirty business with feeding Norman. I don’t feel bad about what I’m doing. Most of these people won’t make it in the new world. I’m doing them a favor, and I don’t want to stay here forever. They probably won’t let me leave. I want to explore the world, and I don’t want to be caged up like an animal. I need to know what caused the world to fail. I want to know if there is a cure, and if someone is working on one. I will continue my journey for an answer. I believe that someone must know something. I have so many unanswered questions, and I must find the truth, even if means killing a lot of people. I will never have peace of mind unless I find out the truth. My journeys will continue until the day I die.

  Episode 13

  People focus their attention on me as I roam around Luther. They must be fascinated with the new girl, yet they will quickly get used to me soon enough. The people here work hard to keep hope alive. They maintain the gardens, stay organized, and clean their front yards as if the world has not changed. I hate that there is a curfew, and I hate that they have their own laws here. There doesn’t seem to be enough freedom around this place. People here seem to act like they are the only ones in the world, and they don’t seem to be concerned about what is happening outside their sanctuary. The place is secure since I see people on top of the barricades as they watch for the zombies or others to attack. I see a guy approaching me, who has a perverted looking smile on his face, yet he is pretty cute, and I wonder what is on his mind.

  “Nice to me
et you, Killborn. I’m Titanic.”

  I can’t believe he would use the name Titanic as his name. He must be a real romantic. Titanic is Caucasian, young, tall, and thin. He has messy brown hair and green eyes. He is not armed with a gun, but he has a hunting knife on his side.

  “Nice to meet you, Titanic. Why do you call yourself Titanic? Are you the king of the new world?”

  “I just thought that it would be cool to be named after a ship. I wanted a memorable name for people to remember me by. I work the food prep around here. I thought I would show you around.”

  “I would love that. Thanks so much, Titanic. I already remember your name.”

  Titanic escorts me to the food prep area that is a few houses down from us. We walk to the backyard. There are several people at work. There is a small farm in the back. They are raising pigs and chickens. I’m impressed.

  “This is an interesting set up you have here. I can’t wait to get started. I’m pretty hungry.”

  “You will start soon. I just wanted to show you around because I really want you to be comfortable around here.”

  We continue to make our way around the area. He shows me around other parts of Luther. It suddenly gets dark out, and it begins to rain. People start to disburse to seek shelter from the heavy rain. Titanic and I sprint to my front door as we watch people run to their homes for shelter.

  “It’s amazing how dark it gets when it starts to storm. I should probably get going, but you could always invite me in. Are you willing to spend some time with me?”

  “You should come inside, Titanic. I need some company, and you know how lonely a girl can get, right?”

  “You’re right. I think I will stay for a bit so that we can get to know each other since I’ve had my eyes on you.”

  I open the front door and lock it. We have a seat on the couch in the living room. Titanic begins to make unwanted advances on me. I let him. He puts his arm around me and advances towards me for a kiss. I stop him.

  “Let’s slow down. We need a drink before we do anything we will probably regret. Don’t you agree?”

  “I could sure go for a cold one. Too bad, there is none. I guess we will just drink the bottled water.”

  “Do you have a family here at Luther?”

  “Yes, I do. I live with my parents. They must be wondering where I am. I will tell them I met the most beautiful girl.”

  “You’re so sweet to me. Why are you such a nice guy? Most guys never said such pleasant things to me.”

  “I have nothing but respect for women. I know I came here trying to make out with you, but I won’t do anything that you don’t want to do. That is a promise.”

  “Titanic, you are the sweetest guy. I have never ever met anyone like you. You are very unique, and I’m sure that people tell you this all the time.”

  “Let me sing for you, Killborn. It would mean the world to me. I’m very good. I used to sing in a choir. I always wanted to be famous.”

  “This is too much. I don’t deserve this. Please sing for me. I would love to hear that beautiful voice of yours. Go ahead.”

  He stands up. Titanic begins to sing for me.

  “You are so beautiful to me, my sweetie! You are my lovely rose! I think everyone knows!” he sings.

  Titanic tries too hard and continues to sing with passion. His voice is passionate; his eyes sparkle, and he finishes after a minute.

  “Your singing really sucks fat hairy balls. I’m just joking, Titanic. That was something. Wow, you certainly have talent, and you're very romantic. You should sing to everyone around this place since you could cheer them up. It might help them forget about the hard times. You can make a difference. I’m sure that they would appreciate it.”

  Titanic smiles as he pulls something out of his pocket.

  “That’s a fabulous idea, Killborn. I will sing to them. I know this is going to feel weird since we just met, but I was wondering if you would like to be my wife. Killborn, will you accept this bracelet? I know it is not a ring. It is all I could find. This is a pretty good bracelet considering the world we live in. You should really think about it because I would make a great husband. You will make a beautiful wife. What do you think?”

  I’m shocked that Titanic just proposed to me. I’m speechless. I should let him know that I’m not interested. I really don’t want to break his heart. I’m sure he will understand. I don’t want this to go on. I need to tell him how I feel about this situation.

  “I appreciate the offer, Titanic. You are very handsome, but I wouldn’t make a good wife. I know I wouldn’t. I’m a very independent girl. I’m sure you can get plenty of the girls around here. You will find someone that is right for you someday. I’m not the girl for you. I know I’m not. It’s not that you aren’t sweet. I’m just not ready for anything serious. Please accept my apology. I feel so bad about this. Are you okay?”

  Titanic doesn’t seem to be sad about my answer. I guess he was expecting this kind of answer from me.

  “I thought I would try, but I totally understand, and I know you will find someone to love you too, Killborn. I hope you will reconsider. Take your time and think about it. I know you could love me. I’m already in love with you, and I love you so much that I would die for you, Killborn.”

  I think Titanic is a little crazy. He must be talking out of his ass. I like Titanic. He is willing to die for me, and I don’t have a problem with that.

  “Please don’t say things you don’t mean, Titanic. You know it is bad luck to say things you don’t mean in this shit world. You couldn’t possibly love me. You barely know me. You wouldn’t die for me. I don’t believe that. How are you going to prove your love for me? You say you would die for me. Prove yourself to me. Come on, Titanic; show me your love for me. If you would die for me, prove it.”

  We suddenly get interrupted by a loud noise coming from the basement.

  “What in the world was that? It sounded like it came from the basement,” Titanic says.

  “I heard something too. Are there raccoons or rats around here? Sometimes they can get into homes and destroy the place,” I say.

  I follow Titanic as he slowly walks towards the basement door. He opens the door.

  “It sure is dark down there, Killborn. Can you please hand me a candlestick?”

  “Prove your love for me, Titanic. I thought you said you would die for me. A real man doesn’t need a candle. Are you afraid?”

  “I was telling you the truth, Killborn. I would die for you.”

  I point down the stairs to distract Titanic.

  “Wait a minute! I can see it! Look! There it is!”

  I shove—Titanic down the stairs and he tumbles down hard, and his body crashes to the basement floor.

  “Titanic! Are you ok, sweetie?”

  Titanic whimpers in agony as I light up a candle.

  “Prove yourself to me, Titanic, my love. Die for me!”

  He has trouble getting up, and Norman comes out of the darkness and grabs Titanic. Titanic screams in terror as I watch Norman take a huge bite out of Titanic’s neck. Blood gushes out of Titanic’s torn neck, and Titanic’s voice immediately silences. Norman bites off the flesh from Titanic’s arms, takes his strong hands, and he tears through Titanic’s body. He rips open the skin, tears out the liver, and he pulls out the intestines. Norman places the organs on the floor, and he grabs the heart. He tears out the stomach, rips out Titanic’s crotch, and Norman munches away at Titanic’s wiener and balls. Norman must be acquiring a taste for the male crotch. Norman looks down at the organs displayed on the floor. It looks like a buffet. Norman growls as he chews up the flesh. He takes his time to devour the organs. He takes one bite out of each organ as I sit and watch Norman as he concentrates on his meal. I enjoy watching him devour his food. Norman is beautiful, and I’m very aroused by all of this. I can watch Norman all day. Titanic proved himself to me. Some guys will do anything for love.

  Suddenly, I hear an alarm go off! I can hear shots bei
ng fired and explosions! I look out the window to see that Luther is under attack! There is smoke everywhere; people are being shot down as an unwelcome group of people with black fatigues throw grenades, and fire their weapons. I see the people of Luther running around like chickens with their heads cut off and trying to gun down the intruders. I see a lot of zombies roaming the streets, and it looks like Luther is severely compromised. I will stay out of this fight since I don’t want to risk Norman’s safety. I can’t live without Norman. Sheila approaches my door, and I open the door to let her inside.

  “What’s happening? I ask.

  “We are under attack! Take this gun! Come with me! Move!”

  “I would rather stay here! It’s safer here!”

  “Don’t argue with me! When I open the door, you move! Shoot the dead in the head! Got it?”

  “Fine! What choice do I have?”

  Sheila opens the door, and we run out. It seems like the intruders have retreated. There are a few dozen zombies roaming the streets. Sheila guns down the zombies as some people of Luther are eaten alive. The smoke quickly clears. Luther manages to gain control. Sheila and I walk to the entrance. The door has been blown to pieces, and Jazz is seriously injured on the ground with a gunshot wound to his neck, and he has several zombie bites around his body. Masterson approaches with several people of Luther. We watch Jazz fight for his life, yet everyone already knows he will soon turn into a zombie.

  “Just get it over with. I know how it is,” Jazz slurs.

  Sheila raises her knife.

  “No! Let him turn,” Masterson says.