Tevun-Krus #100

57 - Soul-less - @ceilingfanenvy - Zombie Apocalypse

Soul-Less

By ceilingfanenvy

The flowers in the garden grew out of the ground already dead. It was a subtle omen; nothing alive could survive anymore.

Another night. Moaning and groaning echoed around the empty streets, burning holes in my ears. I stumble around, eyes half closed. Slightly turning my head, I glance at Haley, my heart skipping a beat. I shouldn't still feel this way. She's the one who had this terrible idea anyways, and I was her stupid ex who'd follow her anywhere.

It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Pretending to be a part of the undead, while still very much alive. Certainly easier than holing up in some safehouse, starving and contracting various diseases from lack of outdoor exposure. Now, all the livers we encounter look at us like we are the undead. I mean, we practically are.

So far we've avoided having to do anything too terrible.

Though, that's not true. That's the lie I tell myself every waking moment of the day. Haley and I have sunk lower than low. Lower than any liver should ever have to.

I know you're probably already speculating. I don't want to talk about it. We have to keep our energy up to keep up and fit in with the undead. It's terrible the first time, but to be honest, after a few times, you get used to it.

Always on the hunt, just looking for the next meal. Just like the livers thousands of years ago. It's funny. If you had ever told me three years ago that I'd willingly be a part of the undead, doing unthinkable things, I'd have sent myself to a mental asylum right then and there.

Haley's hand brushes against mine, and I let out a convincing groan. She's honestly the only thing that keeps me from becoming a full on undead. Haley's humanity shines through even the darkest places on the streets, illuminating everything around her.

We used to date. Before... before all this. Years ago, I guess. It's hard, never being able to talk to her all day, explore our deepest thoughts, regrets, imaginations. We're already close enough to the undead; having another liver to communicate with would be nice.

I'm sure there's others in the horde like us. Livers barely hanging on to their life, struggling or thriving. I've never seen or heard of others, but I'm most positive there has to be some. But it's not like we can walk up to one of the horde and ask them "hey, are you by any chance a liver?" We'd be mauled immediately if wrong, and if right, at what cost? It's not worth it. There was another. Another liver infiltrating the undead horde, just trying to survive. Yuli. My little brother. He... he was just...

Horrible.

I hated him. I still do. But it hurt, even through the hate, to lose him. It doesn't matter now though. He's gone, undead. Just like the rest of them.

Haley and I continue on, dragging our feet and groaning our dark souls out. I never told anyone, but I think I'm slowly losing myself. I mean, how could I tell anyone? It's not hard anymore, to walk all day and prey upon the livers. I can do it with ease, just like how I used to go to school every day. I don't even miss that. I used to love the thrill of learning new things, new languages or math concepts. Now, I mean, I still learn new things. New types of growls, new body parts that taste good. How to be more like an undead. But now it's not optional, not fun. This is survival.

And I don't hate it.

Trying to shake the undead-ness off me, I think of Haley. I glance over at where she should be. I don't see her, but I spot the familiar blood-caked dark hair a few yards up in the horde.

Haley. She used to bring light to everything. Even when she was depressed, on the edge of ending her life, she still tried and tried to make my life better. Everyone's life better. No one even caught on to her real feelings until it was almost too late.

She had turned her life around. Dated me for a bit, before moving on to kinder, prettier girls. Even though she broke my heart, we were still friends. She consoled me through hard times, bringing life back into my dead eyes. Of course, that was before the Rising. Now, she's my final hold onto being a liver.

The ground shakes, and undead tripping over their fallen comrades. I am instantly alert, recognizing the telltale siblings of a Reft attack.

My eyes meet Haley's, and we nod in agreement, her eyes flitting to a house over my shoulder. She slowly trips over to me, and I stumble in the direction of the cover. Glancing back at the Reft, I knit my bow in confusion. Instead of gassing the horde like usual, trying to eliminate as many as possible, it shoots out nets over the undead, capturing them. I pull at Haley's sleeve, urging her to look back. We stop, ogling the strange change. As we stand in awe, we don't notice the Reft changing its view towards the two of us, standing straight away from the group. I notice the change before she does. Forgetting for once the chunk of my soul that is undead, I yell "RUN", springing out of the path of the Reft. But my muscles are tight, inactive for too long of a time of slumping around. The net shoots out of one of the Reft's many arms, engulfing me and Haley in electricity-ridden strands of high-quality rope. Gas emerges from the knots, and the world fades to black as Haley squeezes my hand.