“(No, no, no! I just turned 20! I can’t! I don’t want to die like this!! I still want to skip class, go shopping with my friends and talk about cute boys!!)” [Survivor]
The blonde-haired woman thought right before a zombie bit her shoulder. The pain was followed by more pain as several infected clung to her, restraining her movements, and sunk their teeth into her.
“AAAHH!! AAAAAHHH!!! IT HURTS!!! SARAAAH!!!” [Survivor]
“AMY!!!” [Sarah]
The brown-haired woman, Sarah, tried to rush to Amy’s rescue, but the undead wouldn’t leave her alone. Still, she persevered and kept shooting them in the head with her shotgun and semi-automatic pistol.
“I’LL COVER! GO!!” [Survivor]
Thanks to the help of her sledgehammer-wielding companion, she finally had some breathing room, but it was too late. Only Amy’s head was visible.
“IT HURTS!! IT HURTS, SARAH!! IT HUUURTS!!!” [Amy]
Seeing her crying friend swarmed by the zombies that feasted on her flesh while she screamed in pain, Sarah knew she couldn’t save her in time. There were still several Walkers blocking her way and Amy wouldn’t hold out long enough until she reached her. Moreover, she had neither the time nor the bullets to attempt a rescue under such circumstances.
“IT HUURTS!! SARAAAH!!! H-HELP!! MAMAAA!!!” [Amy]
So, after hesitating for a second, Sarah clenched her chattering teeth. She focused her mind, doing her best to wipe the horrified expression off her face, and took aim. Though her hands were shaking, she managed to pull the trigger of her shotgun and fired at the blonde-haired woman.
“MAMAA-!!!” [Amy]
BANG
The shot silenced her friend’s screams permanently, even if they still resonated in her ears. Sarah breathed heavily, appearing shocked by her own action, but she didn’t have time to stop in place.
“GODDAMNIT JUST GO DOWN ALREADY!!” [Survivor]
The brown-haired man was fighting off the screeching Reaper by himself along with several Walkers. He was putting up a good fight and skillfully swinging his sledgehammer, but it was still too much for him. Despite taking several blows to the head, the mutated zombie showed no sign of being affected by his attacks. It simply tried to catch the human using one of its huge arms until, finally, it succeeded.
“AGH! NO!! AGHH!! SARAH!!” [Survivor]
One hand caught him by the waist and the other latched onto the right arm holding the sledgehammer.
“SHOOT IT!! SARAH!!” [Survivor]
“I-I GOT YOU, DAVI!! I GOT YOU!!” [Sarah]
Sarah aimed at the Reaper Zombie with her shotgun.
“(The mouth, the mouth, the mouth! The mouth is the weakness! The mouth is the weakness!)” [Sarah]
When the blind mutation roared, exposing the inside of its dark maw, she pulled the trigger.
CLICK
“… Ah.” [Sarah]
However, her weapon was out of bullet.
“SARAAAAH!! GODDAMNIT SHOO-GYAAAAAAHHH!!!” [Davi]
Davi’s right arm was ripped off. Blood spurted from the wound violently. Then, as he screamed in pain, the eyeless creature brought him close to his mouth and bit down on his skull. Its undead jaws lined with fangs crushed through the bones and to the brain. Like Amy, the young man stopped screaming forever. His body was feasted on by the Reaper while Walkers nearby mindlessly crowded around, trying to get some leftovers for themselves.
“… Davi… Amy…” [Sarah]
Sarah muttered, her face pale, appearing completely stunned and distressed. It was only thanks to the two remaining members of what was left of the team that she had somehow survived. Against all odds, the three escaped from the terrible ordeal.
On that day, Sarah had killed one friend and failed to save the other.
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“The strangers are escapiiing~. Escaping. Escapiiing~.” [???]
“It’s fine. That was a hell of a carnage!” [???]
“Yeah! Blood and killing! It was great!” [???]
“It was worth all the effort and death to lure those zombies in!” [???]
“One of the strangers is injured. Let them catch their breath. We’ll prepare the next stage.” [???]
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
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“I heard some things from Omari back at the Caravans, but I wanted to check with you because Terry said you’re the expert on zombies here. So I wanted to ask if you’ve got a clue on how this all started, what the different zombie types’ weaknesses are and…” [Ryner]
Ryner glanced at the picture of a Scab Zombie on the laptop before continuing.
“Can we find a cure?” [Ryner]
To his inquiry, Harper scoffed.
“For the last one, hell if I know. At this point, I can’t even imagine what the cause is. Same with the first question. There’s no real, irrefutable facts on where the zombies came from, just speculations. No early warning signs. No Patient Zero. As for their weaknesses, only thing we’re SURE of is to go for the head, but they don’t stay dead for long.” [Harper]
“You showed me a video of that yesterday. Can I see it again?” [Ryner]
“Fine. Knock yourself out.” [Harper]
Harper opened a file on the screen of the computer. On it was a video of a male zombie. It suddenly got shot through the head, possibly right outside of the university campus judging from the background. Time was fast-forwarded while the camera was fixed on its corpse lying on the ground. The shadows stretched and the light became darker and brighter, indicating that a full day had passed. Then, once night fell again, the zombie suddenly disappeared.
“Damn.” [Ryner]
Ryner muttered as he watched on. When morning came, the infected was abruptly back on the screen as if some frames were skipped. There was no bullet hole in its head and it was simply standing in the same position that it was at the start of the video. Moreover, there was no blood on the ground. It was like it had never been shot in the first place.
“The Walkers’ Deadrise. Omari wasn’t kidding when he said that zombies in this world can respawn.” [Ryner]
“I’m surprised you and that girl survived this long without knowing. The bodies of Walker-types stay inert for 24 hours. Then, when night comes, they disappear and pop back into existence good as new at sunrise. Or at least whatever state they were in before you killed it.” [Harper]
Harper picked up the bloody heart on the tray.
“These beauties are going to vanish tonight. Yet, no matter where I look or how I cut, they’re just like regular human tidbits.” [Harper]
She then put it back down and washed her hands at the sink, making sure to thoroughly disinfect them.
“Our one saving grace is that mutated zombies don’t seem to share this mechanism that the Walkers have. Still, the ridiculous existence of the Deadrise means that if we want to eradicate every zombie, then we need to burn their corpses after killing them. That means using a LOT of flammables, considering there are most likely tens of millions in the city. But, it’s the only way they stay dead. We think.” [Harper]
“Think?” [Ryner]
“Well, the ashes didn’t revert back to being an undead. But, there’s no guarantee that it didn’t just pop into existence somewhere else. I mean, we’re in a goddamn zombie apocalypse, newbie. This is in the realm of the occult. Science’s out of its depths. My doctorates don’t mean much in the face of zombies.” [Harper]
“… But you’ll still try to study the hell out of it, right?” [Ryner]
“Obviously. I hate the occult.” [Harper]
After drying her hands, she opened another file on the laptop.
“This laptop has all we know about the zombies and the mutations we’ve encountered so far.” [Harper]
On the screen was a report on the infected population. It contained pictures of the described types of zombies, notes from observing them and the recommended way to kill them.
“Look as much as you want. But, in exchan-.” [Harper]
“Is Ryner here?!” [Terry]
Suddenly, Terry barged into the laboratory.
“What? Did Jessica do something and am I in trouble?” [Ryner]
“If he is, then I’m not involved.” [Harper]
“Doc, if you stand up for me now, I’ll bring back a shiny zombie head as a gift.” [Ryner]
“Not good enough. And zombie heads are banned because they’re still alive. Or undead or whatever the proper term is for their state of being.” [Harper]
“I’ll poke a hole in the brain before passing it over.” [Ryner]
“People, please, this is important!” [Terry]
Terry interrupted the conversation and addressed Ryner.
“You said last time that you traveled by yourself and killed hundreds of infected alone, including a Reaper using a sledgehammer.” [Terry]
“Yeah?” [Ryner]
“And you also fought and killed people that had firearms?” [Terry]
“You make it sound bad, but yeah.” [Ryner]
“Then I need you to do a job for us.” [Terry]
“… Now THAT sounds bad, so I’d like to say no.” [Ryner]
“Wait, just, just listen for a sec!” [Terry]
The former wrestler raised both hands with his palms facing Ryner and began explaining.
“Alpha Third University is well-equipped and well-stocked for tens of thousands of students, and there are only 500 of us living here, so we’re not lacking. But, that’s only for certain resources and that’s only for now.” [Terry]
“Well, sure, that makes sense.” [Ryner]
“We NEED to send people on supply runs. It’s dangerous, but we have to do it.” [Terry]
“So, you want me to go get some supplies you need?” [Ryner]
“No. I need you to go and rescue some people that were sent on a supply run far from here.” [Terry]
“A rescue mission?” [Ryner]
“Yes.” [Terry]
Terry sighed.
“Just because we’re sending teams of volunteers to zombie-infested zones doesn’t mean we’ll hang them out to dry. We support them the best we can, and one of those teams just called for help. There are, were, five people… Two are already gone.” [Terry]
He said the last part with difficulty while Harper raised an eyebrow.
“They’re quite far from ATU, but if it’s you, you can get to them the fastest, protect them and escort them back here.” [Terry]
“Don’t you have another team that can do this instead of me?” [Ryner]
“There’s no one better than you here. One look and I could tell right away, like before a match when I faced someone real tough. You’re strong, probably the strongest. So much so that I got goosebumps. Now I know I’m asking for a lot, but you’re the only one here I can think of that can pull it off. Please. Times are tough and we have to help each other. It’s the only way humanity stands a chance. Together.” [Terry]
Terry earnestly pleaded, though Ryner didn’t seem particularly moved or accepting of his request. So, Harper stepped in.
“That was a cute little speech, Terry, but let me take over. Newbie, do you have a smartphone?” [Harper]
“No.” [Ryner]
“Do you want an unlocked, fully charged, fully functioning smartphone in pristine condition that’s got several useful apps?” [Harper]
“Yes.” [Ryner]
“It’ll also come with a free gun and lots of bullets.” [Harper]
“I’ll do it!” [Ryner]
“What about humanity standing together?” was what Terry couldn’t help but dejectedly think.
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Observation Notes on the Infected Population
Walker (THEY CAN DEADRISE):
Rotten corpses of the victims. Most common. All five senses still work fine (No idea how). Able to walk (No idea how) if they still have legs. Possesses strength greater than ordinary humans. Slow and rather dumb (brain dead). Poison and drowning don’t work (cuz it’s dead). Knows no fatigue, pain or fear (CUZ IT’S F&$*%ING DEAD). If killed, will come back to life(?) unless corpse is burned. In large numbers, swarms preys, grabs and bites. Body shots have minimal effect. Weakness is the head, specifically, the brain. Bites will pass on infection. Easy to deal with in few numbers, but avoid hordes.
How to kill: Shoot head. Smash head. Stab head. Crush. BURN. Electrocute. Etc.