They Who Have Been Ruined

Walker

Walker quietly sat on a bench outside the funeral home, feeling incredibly thankful for the fact that pretty much everyone else had left. He wanted to be alone. He couldn't believe that his best friend, Maria, was dead. If he could, Walker would go out and hunt the son of a bitch that killed his friend, and make them suffer.

"You okay bro?" A quiet voice asked.

"I'm fine, Angela," Walker said, not bothering to look up at his sister.

"You and I both know that's not true," Angela replied, sitting down next to Walker.

"I just..," he sighed.

"You just what?"

"I just wish I could have said goodbye."

Angela placed a hand on Walker's shoulder.

"Me too," she whispered.

"Do you... Do you think she's in a better place?" Walker asked, looking at Angela hopefully.

Angela shrugged.

"Who knows," she said.

Walker stood up, sighing.

"What?" Angela asked.

"I think I'm gonna say goodbye to her. Even if she can't hear me," Walker said.

Angela stood up.

"I'll come with you," she said.

"No. I want to be alone," Walker said, "go home, I'll meet you there."

"Oh, okay," Angela said.

Without another word, Walker walked into the funeral home, where the casket that held his dead friend laid. He stared sadly at her, remembering all of the good times he had spent with her.

"Goodbye, Maria. I'm gonna miss you," Walker said, turning to leave.

He froze when he felt a cold and clammy hand grab his wrist.

"Touching, but how can you miss me if I'm not dead and I'm right here?" A familiar voice said.

Walker slowly turned around, terrified.

"H-How!?" he exclaimed, staring at Maria.

"Simple. I died and came back as something else," Maria said.

"Something else!?" Walker exclaimed, "holy shit are you a fucking zombie!?"

Maria pursed her lips.

"Of course not! I'm not a mindless beast! How could you even think that!?" she shouted.

"Then what are you!?" Walker asked, wrenching his wrist away from her and backing away.

"Part of a new era," Maria declared triumphantly.

Walker stared at her fearfully as she began to rapidly twitch.

"What the hell is wrong with you!?" Walker asked as he frantically tried to search the area around him for a weapon without alarming Maria.