Life After Death

Chapter 10

"So why is he still unconscious?" I ask as we trudge through the tunnels. The escape was as easy as Vlad said, it was too early for many people to be patrolling. Anyone who did see we knocked out. Now we walk beneath the forest, Hythe and Vlad dragging the unconscious Adam. With my injured arm and missing cane, I'm unable to help, so instead, I've decided to ask questions while also being on the lookout, sending glances behind me every few seconds.

"Probably drugged him, same with you. He was given more than you, though. They wanted him out cold until he died. I'm guessing he'll be up in an hour or so. I'll have to do a test to see what they gave you later." Vlad answers. I don't feel any effects of drugging, though perhaps all the other pain I'm feeling is drowning it out. Without anything propping me up, every limp is sending pain through my body. My arm has mostly become numb pain, but the same feeling occurs whenever I try to move it.

"Is it true that Adam is from your tests to heal both the brain and the body for the advanced cure?" I ask, moving on to the next question. It's a long walk, I may as well make the most of it.

"...Yes. A failed test. He's got no memories and for some reason, he still looks like a zombie despite the fact I used the exact same formula as the regular cure with a few modifications! I haven't really tested it again, I don't want to leave someone else without their memories."

"Is he really tall naturally? And how tall exactly?" I ask, remembering the same question I asked Adam. I couldn't help but be curious. "And do you think he could ever get his memories back or look more human again?" I add.

"Yes. From my research, it's something known as Gigantism. It's caused by a hormone imbalance and/or a tumor issue, in simple terms. And seven feet, five inches, to be exact. And I'm not sure about those last two. I'm not even sure what he'd remember. He could be one of the first victims of the apocalypse. He might have been one of the first-ever zombies that came from the ground. He could be centuries old. Then he'll have to deal with knowing all those from his memories are long dead. And being more human is something I can fix eventually, though not without more research and testing."

"That really sucks... but I hope it all works out. So, why do you have this tunnel?"

"To go to the tower. It's easier going under." Vlad explains.

"Well, we're under the forest now, right? I saw a bunch of zombies in a tunnel. So why isn't this tunnel connected to anything or have any zombies digging into it?" I ask, looking at the walls. "How'd you even dig this thing?"

"This actually was a zombie tunnel at one point, just conveniently connecting our two areas. We clogged up all the connecting areas with layers of rock and dirt. Because there are really no twists or turns in this place, we'd see a zombie from a distance and can prepare for it before clogging up wherever it came from."

"Wow. I didn't think zombies were such good tunnelers. I think that's the majority of my questions, aside from wondering if Hythe is okay?" I look over at Hythe, who is staring off into the distance. He hasn't said much, which is super unusual. 

"We can probably pick up the pace. He'll be fine if we hurry along. We're cutting it close, but it'll be fine." He says. I don't ask what he means, assuming it has something to do with the screaming. 

"Uh, by the way, I didn't bring it up earlier, but Edwin said something concerning to me. He mentioned that he had someone giving him information, including that stuff about Adam. Unless you've got someone else hiding in your house, I think Clarity might be someone to question about that."

I can see Vlad's face go pale--more than it already was. I didn't expect him to believe it so easily, but he also knows Clarity better than I do and may have evidence that lines up with the theory. Or there really is someone else hiding that he trusts even less. While we were walking briskly before, we're now full-on sprinting through the tunnel. I grit my teeth through the pain, my vision becoming wobbly as it gets worse.