by Rachel Aukes
I saw Clutch, wearing one of his rare smiles, reaching out to me for a dance. Standing not far from us were my parents, holding each other’s hands and watching us with warm love in their eyes. Jase and Mutt were playing fetch. He looked up and laughed.
It was a good dream.
A soothing peace came over me, even while the zeds moaned and shuffled below.
I’d survived hell. Maybe there was such a thing as hope after all.
Taking a deep breath of fresh air, I smiled up at the night sky full of stars.
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Afterword
100 Days in Deadland is quite literally Cash's journey through hell, with Clutch as her guide. It follows the pair of survivors, caught up in the sudden rush of the zombie plague, which begins on Thursday, the day before Good Friday. Once thrown into Dante’s “Inferno,” Cash and Clutch come across the three types of sinful beasts: the self-indulgent (zombies), the violent (survivors), and the malicious (Doyle, who represents Satan).
As Cash progresses through each circle of hell, she is changed by her environment, her experiences similar to Dante’s. Like Dante, Cash survives each circle by holding onto hope, having faith in her guide (Clutch, who represents the poet Virgil), and demonstrating unrelenting perseverance. At its heart, 100 Days in Deadland is a study of the human condition, showing how our experiences change us.
Dante’s “Inferno” lays out four key components of every apocalyptical (and even every zombie) story: the end of the world as we know it, cause and effect of the human condition, perseverance, and—as shown in the poem’s last line—enduring hope:
“It was from there that we emerged, to see—once more—the stars.”
Symbolism to the “Inferno” is lush on nearly every page of 100 Days in Deadland, from the obvious call-out, “Abandon all hope all ye who enter here” in chapter three to the subtlest hints, such as Cash shooting awake to the sound of a “thunderous” blast at the beginning of chapter four. The weather, such as the violent winds and storms starting in Lust (when Cash and Clutch come across the victim with pale lips at the corn bin, i.e. the “carnal tower”), echoes both the atmosphere of the “Inferno.”
In chapter six, Cash ends up in a cafeteria full of hungry zeds, not much different from the sixth canto, which held tortured souls cursed with “insatiable hunger.” In chapter seven, when Cash and Clutch arrive at the Pierson farm, they find money left on the table, a modest reminder of the Dante’s message that money can’t buy peace.
Doyle’s camp represents Dis, the evil city in the Inferno that holds the darkest secrets and the most violent and treacherous sinners. Its true name is implied in chapter eight by the sign reading Doyle’s Iowa Surplus, where only the capital letters are easily recognizable in the faded paint, foreshadowing that the camp will play a pivotal role in the final circle of Hell, where Cash must defeat Doyle.
In addition to Cash taking a journey parallel to that which Dante took, hundreds more echoes of Dante’s “Inferno” can be found in 100 Days in Deadland. But, the story you just read is not and never was meant to be a replacement for Dante’s “Inferno.” It is not designed to help you get an “A” in English if you read this novel instead of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem. This story was meant to be an enjoyable read, which I hope is exactly how you found it.
CDC Case Definition: Zombiism
Zombiism (Marburgvirus Zonbistis)
2013 Case Definition
CSTE Position Statement
19-ID-52
Clinical Description
Zonbistis is transmitted to humans by direct exposure to infected tissues. The disease is characterized by clinical death, congealed blood, jaundice, stiff gait, insatiable hunger, and severe violent propensities. Infected hosts display minimal brain functioning. To promote transmission, Zonbistis enhances activity in the hypothalamus, thus increasing the host’s appetite and likelihood of biting, although the infected have shown less interest in eating, and the underlying reason has yet to be determined. The virus has proven extremely resilient and virulent, continually replenishing itself within its host. Only severe trauma to the host’s brain stem or destruction of the virus through fire is believed to eradicate the virus in the host.
If exposed to the virus, infection rate is 99.998%. There is no known cure. Upon initial infection, Zonbistis will take over its host anywhere from seven minutes to three hours, depending on severity of initial infection, level of injuries, and the host’s physical condition. At the point of the host’s clinical death, the virus is considered to have taken over.
When first contracted, initial symptoms include acute or insidious onset of fever and one or more of the following: headache, sweating, diplopia, blurred vision, bulbar weakness, hypoxia and/or dyspnea, nausea, vomiting, and shock.
Laboratory Criteria for Diagnosis
Detection of Zonbistis spp. in clinical specimen or isolation of Zonbistis spp. from wound or ingestion.
Case Classification
Suspected: Symptoms suggestive of Zonbistis.
Probable: A clinically compatible case with presumptive laboratory results.
Confirmed: A clinically compatible case with confirmatory laboratory results.
Comments
The virus is believed to have originated in a genetically modified pesticide undergoing testing in Brazil. When the pesticide was combined with an organic cleaning agent, the silica-coated cells of the pesticide were shown to have mutated into Zonbistis.
About the Author
Award-winning author Rachel Aukes was raised on a farm where she boasted the nearby small town’s largest (and only) comic book collection, and she’s still hooked on stories starring characters with kickassitude. When not writing, Rachel can be found flying old airplanes and watching Sci-Fi movies. She lives in Des Moines, Iowa, with her husband and an incredibly spoiled sixty-pound lap dog.
Connect with Rachel at www.RachelAukes.com
Rachel Aukes also writes science fiction romance and dark fantasy romance under the pen name Berinn Rae. If you enjoyed 100 Days in Deadland and want to read something with a happily ever after, you may like: STEALING FATE, a USA Today recommended read and RWA Silken Sands award-winning novella
Acknowledgements
With many thanks:
To my editor, Stephanie Riva, for making this story so much better.
To the Bards of Badassery—Elle J Rossi, Cynthia Valero, and Beth Ciotta—for the cheers.
To my husband for the hugs.
To Captain Dave for teaching me about things that shoot.
To Rampdog for coming to my aid in the 11th hour.
To Ashley of Support Indie Author for the support.
And especially to all those making sacrifices to keep our world safe.
Credits
Edited by Stephanie Riva – RivaReading.com
Cover image © shockfactor – Fotolia.com
Cover font © Chepi Devosi – ChepiDev.com