Unbounded

The Awakening

She woke up with immense pressure in her head. Everywhere she looked had a gray filter, and her body felt like lead. Around her, she heard gurgling, moans, groans, and screams. The insistent pressure in her head was overwhelming. Gathering herself, she saw she was indoors—a bedroom—and there was blood where she had been lying. Blood covered her shirt and matted her hair. Touching her head, she found her hands stained with blood. What happened..?

Very confused, she shuffled to a window, drawn toward the disturbing sounds. Peering out, she saw chaos. People were running, chased by others who looked different—bloody and decomposing. There was a scream. She looked around and saw a group of these creepy people tackle someone and proceed to eat them. The blood-curdling screams tapered off into silence, replaced by the sounds of tearing flesh, gurgling, and feral noises, like animals feasting on a kill.

Zombies.

She fell back from the window, looking around frantically. She found the door and rushed through it, only to be halted in the hallway. There were several zombies just walking about. The house must be full of them. A few turned her way, and she froze. Oh god, she thought. They really were zombies. They looked lifeless, their lips a cold blue. One had an eye hanging from its socket. Another was missing an arm, and its leg was barely hanging by a tendon. She was paralyzed with fear, waiting for them to end her as they hobbled toward her. But to her dismay, they went right by her. As if she wasn't there.

She couldn't understand. Could they really not see her? She didn't want to stick around to find out, so she made her way through the rest of the house. As before, the other zombies ignored her. What was going on? Before she reached the front door, she passed a mirror and did a double take. She tried to gasp but realized she couldn't.

The sight before her—there was a zombie looking back at her. Her skin was pale and sallow. Chunks of her arm and neck were gone, shaped like bite marks. Oh my god, she thought. No... She was covered in blood, her eyes milky and dim. She realized she wasn't breathing. Not from holding her breath. She placed her hand on her chest and felt nothing. Oh my god. Her head—she went to touch her right temple—there was a hole. That's where the blood had come from. And then she suddenly remembered.

---

"You're gonna be okay... you're gonna be okay..." Antonio kept repeating, tears in his eyes.

"No," she said, also crying, holding a cloth to her neck to stop the bleeding. "No, Antonio, I'm gonna turn... I don't want to be a zombie!" They had barricaded themselves in the bedroom. The door shook and banged from the horde that had followed them, trying to get in. Antonio reached into his bag, pulling out several medical supplies, and began treating the vicious bite marks on Jessica's arms.

"You're gonna be okay, I promise!" He fumbled to open a pack of gauze when she placed her free hand on his to stop him.

"No... I'm not..." she choked. He fell silent, looking into her eyes. She saw the anguish and fear that had taken over him. "Antonio... you have to—"

"No!" He interrupted. "You're not gonna die!"

"Please... I don't want to hurt you...!"

"I can't kill you, Jessica!" He gripped her hand for dear life.

"I'm gonna die anyway... Please..." She took her hand from her neck and placed it on his cheek. He began to sob, as blood continued to trickle from her artery. She could feel herself getting weaker. She could feel herself changing. "Please... I don't want this..."

"Then I'll die too... I can't go on—" She cut him short with a tender kiss and placed her forehead to his.

"I need you to live... for me..." Jessica let go of Antonio's hand and reached into the bag, pulling out a gun. She placed it in his hand. His breath shuddered, and he bore his pleading eyes into hers.

"Jessica, please," he sobbed. "Please, no..."

She smiled at him. "It's okay... It'll be okay..." With the gun in his hand, she turned off the safety and set it properly in his shaky hands, his tears splashing against the cold metal. "I love you, Antonio," she said firmly, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll always love you..."

He seemed to finally accept the inevitable. After a few breathes, he spoke. "I love you, Jessica," his words trembling. "I'll ALWAYS love you..." He embraced her, rocking her in his arms, and she gripped him with a fierceness unmatched. "I love you..." he kept repeating through tears as he raised the gun to her temple. "I—" He pulled the trigger.