If you… Go to…
Start the truck and drive away Section 90
Wear the protective suit and walk away Section 91
Section 59
Explore the deposit
While dark and silent, it seems odd that this place is so empty. Venturing into the dark corridors, soon you hear the sound of dragging feet. Many.
“Zombies”
A few steps ahead, a column of light reveals a crossing corridor. There, you see painted arrows on the floor, with text leading to several directions.
You can hear them coming, getting closer. They moan and grudge, but something seems different. Their steps sound almost coordinated, as if they were marching.
If you… Go to…
Climb up the storage tower next to you and hide Section 92
Follow the arrow pointing to the lab Section 93
Follow the arrow pointing to the exit Section 94
Section 60
Look for another exit
Carl
You are under attack and must fight this monster. If you win, keep reading. If not, find the You are dead page at the end of the book.
With only moments to spare, you find a door leading into the back of a pet store. Most of the animals are either dead, undead, or eaten away. The place looks like a zoo of the bizarre.
You walk slowly. Caged zombie creatures charge at you behind bars. The fish in the aquariums float belly up. After the rat in the tower incident, you thought that every creature may be infected. It seems it doesn’t work with the fish.
Suddenly, a cage down the isle brakes. Something has escaped.
If you… Go to…
Charge ahead, ready to attack whatever it is Section 95
Approach silently Section 96
Section 61
Fight the mole
*“What could be wrong?”* is the sentence one day will show up in your obituary. Cursed be the fine print.
They guide you inside of a huge iron dome. People outside climb the dome all the way to the top. From each wall, spikes pointing inwards hold a myriad of hand weapons to wield. Apparently, you need to climb to get one of those. The crowd around roars, blood thirsty.
Through large speakers, a presenter cheers up the crowd announcing you as the new contender for “the mole”. No sooner he finished speaking, a gate in the opposite side opens up. A Hulk-size mass of muscles and bad temper walks into the arena. He wears small leader pants, boots, and a bulldog necklace around the neck. It looks like the guy who broke Bat-Man’s back. You thank heavens that at least the guy is alive. If that thing turns into a zombie, there is no army to stop it.
Before you can put your thoughts in line, the mountain of muscles charges at you and slaps you furiously, hand wide open, straight on your right side. Teeth, saliva and blood burst out of your mouth as you fall back against the fence. Your brain fights to stay awake. The lights in your brain stay on because of the fear of what that thing would do to you if you faint.
At the center of the arena, the mole open his arms and spins around welcoming the cheering of the crowd. Behind you, helping hands hold you against the wall, standing. Arms extended, you get hold of an ax with your right hand. The crowd lifts you up, still pinned against the fence, almost all the way to the top. They are not helping. They plan to release you on top of the mole, so he can swing at you with a huge mallet. Apparently, that would be fun.
Double vision doesn’t begin to describe the poor state of your eye sight. Through blurry, shaking images, you see the mole walking towards a side of the dome. He grabs a mallet, Harley-Quinn size. He asks the crowd to let you go, as he prepares to go all “Babe Ruth” on you. The crowd begins the count down.
Your brain wakes up. The mole just hits number “2” when you struggle yourself free from the hands holding you. You fall straight on top of the mole, striking with the ax as hard as your strength allows. Your weight and the surprise work on your favor. The mole has no time to block the attack. The blade of the ax sinks straight in the middle of his head. It sinks deep all the way down to his chest splitting him in half. The mole falls flat on his back, throwing a cloud of dust were he stands.
The crowd goes mute.
You rest, hands on your knees, with heavy breathing. A skinny announcer walks in, grabs your hand and raises it up in the air.
“The winner!”
The crowd goes nuts. The bets were ten thousand to one against you. You just became the riches man in the mall. The first thing you do with your money, is getting that darn hamburger.
YOU SURVIVED (like a boss)
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 62
Fight the bunnies
The crowd outside the thunder dome goes nuts. Somebody handles you a huge mallet and pushes you inside the cage. There are puddles of blood and piss all over the place. It stinks.
Weighting the mallet on your hand, you look straight across the arena at a box with breathing wholes on each side. Something rattles inside. The bunnies, you assume.
And you assume right.
At the voice of go, someone pulls a string and opens the cage. Timidly at first, a furry nose comes out of the shadows. You balance yourself, and get ready to smash any fur ball that comes out. Approaching the box, you hold up your mallet and then… A zombie bunny jumps straight into your neck, going all Monty-Python on you.
You drop the mallet, and desperately try to get the bunny out of you. Somehow, you succeed but the disgusting creature comes out with a chunk of your collar bone. For a split second, you see the box, with a dozen other bunnies jumping over you. You are covered with them. From outside, it looks as if you are wearing an expensive coat head to toe. The crowd laughs at your misfortune. These bunnies are not vegetarian… at all.
YOU DIED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 63
Give the doctor a blood sample
The doctor stands back while you think this through. You walk in circles, heavy thinking. Your eyes rest in a nearby capsule. Inside, a small child grows through artificial means.
“How long will it take them to grow?”
The doctor approaches the capsule and takes a look at the display.
“Ah, this one is also a Harry. He will be ready in maybe five or six years. Some mature slower than others. We space them so we have different age versions of each one of us. Usually, we have three or four at a time. Each one, a distinct individual, with their own minds and will. Only the bodies look the same. If you pay attention, you’ll notice the familiar faces out there.”
You nod, thinking that it will be nice to contribute to the future of the human race. This secret lab may be a way. The doctor takes a sample of your blood. You watch as he places a some vials in cold storage. Next, he places the rest in several of the machines. You watch in amazement as the capsule drinks your blood in. A countdown starts on the display. It will take a decade before the clone will be ready. The doctor pads you in the back and you both walk out of the huge lab. There may be hope for the human race.
YOU SURVIVED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 64
Refuse to be part of this mess
The doctor looks down and shakes his head.
“I’m so sorry to hear this. This work is maybe the only way to perpetuate our species”
“I own my own body, and I don’t want any clone running around with my face.” You half explain, half complain. The doctor takes no action and steps back, showing you the door.
You head out. You stumble. Something is wrong with your leg. You try to talk, but fail to produce any intelligent sound. Saliva drips from your mouth, and you fall to the floor. The world around you spins. The doctor kneels down next to you, pampering your head.
“I’m sorry that it has to be this way. I gave you a small sedative. The discomfort will
pass soon. Regrettably, your refusal leads me only one option. If is of any comfort, your genes will do much good through out the years to come.”
The doctor places you in one of the chambers. In suspended state, needles pierce your body and retrieve samples of your DNA. The good doctor farms your genes and plays with them, making all sorts of clones. In a few decades, he may cut you loose. Maybe.
YOU SURVIVED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 65
Stay awake through out the night
Hour after hour you stare down at the deadly force of nature. They stare back at you. There is no hate in their eyes, no other emotion whatsoever. You don’t dare to sleep, but your energies are completely depleted. Soon, you shuts down moments at a time. You fight tiredness but is useless. Just for a second you slip into dreamland. Wake up shaking, and loose balance and your grip. You fall banging on each branch, head and back first. Your spine snaps. You scream in pain, unable to move at feet of the tree. You cough blood. You are drowning.
YOU DIED
If you… Go to…
Start from the beginning Section 1
Section 66
Sleep in the tree
You balance yourself as best as you can. You tie yourself to the trunk of the tree using what’s left of your shredded jacket. With some luck, you’ll sleep without falling, and if you do, the feeble “safety belt” may hold you long enough to keep you on the tree.
Sleep comes strong over you. Even under the vigilant stare of sleepless corpses, your brain shuts down in tiredness. The sweet vanilla scent of the tree reminds you of better times, childhood days, filled with cookies and friends. For the first time in ages, you fall deep asleep feeling safe.
Morning comes and you wake up. The tree has grown vines around you, holding you between branches like a hammock. Where these vines here last night?, you ask yourself. Maybe they were, just didn’t see them in the dark.
Careful not to fall, you bend up trying to sit up. Vines move in place with surprising agility and help you position. After the initial shock of the discovery, the tree springs a flower right in front of your face. It releases spores that calm you instantly. Somehow, foreign thoughts enter your mind, speaking with the voice of the tree. The idea and the language are clear:
The tree is your friend.
If you… Go to…
Trust the tree Section 97
Explore another exit Section 98
Section 67
Refuse to comply
The doctor’s attitude changes immediately. His face distorted, almost scared.
“In my experience, those who refuse are infected”, he said as he calls in for help. The two large guards enter the room and try to get you. This time, you won’t let them. As soon as one crosses the door, you charge at him pushing the old doctor in the process. The quick reaction takes them by surprise, giving you a small advantage. You run away.
People in the corridor stand aside as the voice of alarm travels through the complex. Scared looks follow you pass by. You make it to a rest area, with a playground for children. Fearful mothers take their kids away. In their minds, you are as good as those zombies out there.
Bang. A flower pot ahead of you blows into pieces. Another bang and a wooden bench splinters, this time closer to you.
“Those are warning shots. The next one is in your head”, a voice yells above you.
Armed men and women surround you, guns loaded and pointed at your head. You raise your hand and kneel down accepting defeat. A large guy comes in front of you. You recognize him. It’s the same guy you shoved out of your way moments ago.
“Let’s try this again, okay?”.
He knocks you unconscious by a single blow with the back of his rifle.
You wake up in a soft bed, in a mattress’ store. Next to you, the doctor takes a blood sample from your arm. The needle woke you up. The good doctor smiles.
“I’m glad to confirm that you have no bite marks, hence why you are here. This blood is for my studies.”
He leaves before you can ask anything else. A short woman steps in, also smiling. She wears a clear robe with flower decorations.
“I’m happy to welcome you to our community. You are the first survivor we see in months. Some thought we were the last ones”
You try to sit up, but you are tied to the bed by the waist. The woman chits in negation.
“Your actions were quite provocative for a newcomer. We need to take some precautions. But here, let me help you.” She unties you, always smiling.
After a quick thanks, you walk out of the shop together. She shows you around. Half of the mall has been turned into apartments. It looks like a small city. For a moment, you envision yourself living again as a productive member of a society. The woman, Karen, takes you around explaining even the smallest details. You don’t mind the talk. It’s been so long since you walked among humans, that you welcome the company.
The tour ends in the main plaza, one of three in this huge shopping mall. There, an assembly takes place. You don’t know these people, but is clear the conversation is quickly escalating. Emotions run high. As far as you understand, some people want to leave while others want to expand to the rest of the mall and live here permanently.
If you… Go to…
Join those who want to stay Section 99
Join those who want to leave Section 100
Section 68
Collaborate
You understand the reasons why a full checkout is necessary. The doctor behaves in a professional way, when he examines you. He pays attention to every bruise, scar and cut in your arms and legs. After a while, he tells you that all is fine.
Outside the door, the guards left their posts. After a while, a woman dressed like a 70’s flashback comes to see you. She introduces herself as the “welcome committee”, and shows you around. Her monotonous voice shows an utmost lack of interest in you. At some point, she makes you wait while she talks with her supervisor. An old woman passes by, and grabbing you by the arm she whispers to your ear:
“You need to get out of here. This is not what it seems.”
Karen comes out and throws a hate look at the old woman as she walks away very fast.
“Did she tell you something?” Karen asks.
If you… Go to…
Tell Karen Section 101
Make up an excuse Section 102
Section 69
Talk to another prisoner
The prisoners on either side show no interest in talking with you. They have lost the will to live. You can’t imagine how long they have been in those cells, or how long you will be in yours. The guards don’t talk much. You spend your time dozing in and out of consciousness. In your wake times, you study the surroundings but there is not much to see.
After many days, a guard comes and takes you out. He ties your hands and takes you across the plaza. You pass by a large wheel, where more than a dozen zombies in shackles walk around making it spin. It is a carousel of the macabre.
“You like the wheel? It is our power source.” An approaching woman explains. She’s wearing a white large coat, black glasses and tight pony tale.
A guard cuts you loose. You rub your wrist, massaging the bruised skin. The woman looks at your hands, and smiles.
“We apologize for the treatment, but we needed to make sure you were not bitten. My name is Karen, and I’m part of the welcome committee.”
Karen shakes your hand and asks you to follow her. You smile at the idea that there is a committee of anything anywhere. You walk behind her as she shows you around. They call themselves the “mall colony”, but confess that have only reclaimed half of the mall this far. They have more than one thousand people living in this place, with room for more. Previous shopping stores are now improvised housing facilities. It is not much to look at. The entire thing looks like a refugee camp. Eventually, the tour comes to a conclusion. Karen concludes in front
of a billboard:
“Everybody here helps in what they can. At some point we hope to use money again, but for now our small economy is based in barter for what you need… and what you cannot take from the shops. Here is a list of what the community needs. Take a look, and see if there is anything where you fit in.”
You step forward and examine the board. There are many requests. There may be one that works for you.
If you… Go to…
Help the engineering group Section 103
Become a farmer Section 104
Section 70
Talk to a guard
A tall, skinny lady with a rifle in his back guards the cages. From where you are, you get to see the plaza, where kids play around the fountain, and busy people walk here and there. For a moment you catch the smell of freshly baked bread, and your stomach turns on itself full of excitement. You are hungry.
The guard brings you a plate with a loaf of bread, water and a few slices of cheese. Manners be damned, you devour the food before the plate hits the floor. The guard takes out her hands as if fearing that you would nibble her fingers. She might be right.
Crossing words with her gives nothing in return. She ignores you, as well as the others.
“It’s pointless”, another prisoner tells you, “they don’t talk with you until the quarantine is over. It is better that way. If you turn, then they can put you down without regret. It’s not fun putting to sleep a friend.”
“How long does this quarantine lasts?”
“As much as it needs to be. I’ve been here for at least a week. I arrived through the east entrance when … “
Zombie Mall Page 5