Hungry Heart

The Search

"I'm Diana" the little girl whispered to me in the dark. I couldn't look at her. I couldn't look at either of them. A few hours ago I was ready to eat them and now I'm covered in Zombie blood because I saved them.
I saved them.
It's been so long since I was bitten and turned into this thing, I don't even remember how to be human. How do I respond to this little girl? Do I even remember how to talk?
"Al-" I struggled. It's like my mouth just wouldn't move. "Ali..." I tried again. I closed my eyes and lowered my head in defeat.
I could feel Diana's broad smile in the dark. "How about we just call you Ali?"
I couldn't respond. A deadly silence fell over the dark room and I silently thanked it. I needed to think.
I'm human. How is this even possible? Maybe I'm just dead. Maybe this is my Heaven. To be normal again.
Diana had said that it's been three years since the outbreak. That means I've been infected for almost a year now.
Kyle. Kyle has had to live with this for a whole year. Knowing him, he's probably blaming himself for what happened.
Wait. What if he's dead? No. No, don't go there, Alice. He's alive. Of course he's alive. He can't die, remember? That's what he told you that day. He can't die.
"Ali, where are we going tomorrow?" Diana whispered, softer this time. I could hear something very familiar in her voice: fear.
Honestly? I had no idea. I mean I know where we're supposed to go, but I have no idea where we are right now. Zombies wonder aimlessly all day and all night and I've had a whole year to wander. Once we can figure out where we are, we can get to my camp.
A sharp pain in my thigh broke my concentration and I grabbed it, doubling over in pain. That's the thing about being un-undead. Your heart starts to pump and your blood starts to flow and wounds start to ache and bleed. I had several cuts and gun wounds all over my body, but the worse ones were on my Thighs and right in my guts. I needed to get to camp and I needed to get there fast. I didn't know how long I could survive like this.
"Ali, " Diana paused, "How come you're human again?" I looked at her. That was all I could do, because truth is, I have no friggin idea. Scientists and doctors all around the world had said that there isn't a cure. Once you're bitten, your reptile brain takes over and totally destroys the part of the brain that makes you you. How is it possible that a whole year of watching and calling out to Kyle suddenly ends with me becoming human again?
But that's not the part that had me most worried. After I changed and Diana got behind me, the zombies stopped scurrying. They just stood still, staring at me. I didn't even feel threatened by them. I held the kids close to me and walked right out. They didn't touch us, they didn't even look at the kids. They were focused on me, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Are they still alive in there? Maybe I wasn't the only one trapped in my body. I always wondered if I was the only one that had to watch. We would scuffle in groups and I would look at those in front of me, trying to imagine what their voices would sound like in their heads. Who were they calling out to? What were they thinking?
"Diana, we're going home." Lily broke the silence. Lily hasn't said much so far. She doesn't really trust me and I don't blame her, to be honest.
Apparently lily and Diana come from a small haven not far from here. They snuck out to look for medicine for their mother.
"Sleep." I murmured.
"Hell no." Lily said. "What if you decide to go back into zombie mode? I'd rather stay awake and watch you."
Fair enough. But I was going to sleep. I had a whole year's sleep to catch up on.

I woke up to birds chirping. I woke up. Wow, does it feel good. I sat up and all I could feel was pain. I was getting worse and worse.
"Morning sleepy head" lily stood by the doorway. "Get up. We're going home soon."
My arms ached and my legs screamed in protest as I pushed myself off of the floor. My stomach grumbled and for a second I panicked. What if this is the hunger returning? I held my stomach and as if Lily sensed what I was thinking, she handed me an apple.
"Here. Eat this, before you eat us." And with that she walked off.
I looked at the small apple in my hand. It wasn't perfect, but it looked so good. I don't even remember what food tastes like. I lifted the apple to my mouth and bit into it. My mouth exploded with flavor and sensation. I wanted more and more and before I knew it my apple was gone. I still felt hungry though. I ran downstairs and raided the cupboards.
We found this house after a few miles of walking away from the zombie scene. It was the only one that was unlocked in the whole neighborhood.
To my relief, there were a couple of cans of baked beans left over from the girls' raid. I hungrily cracked the can open and ate with my hands. I couldn't stand this hunger.
Lily frowned at me "You need a spoon or something?", but I just kept eating.
"Alright. We'll wait for you to finish."
Ten minutes later, with my belly full, we were on our way. Lily insisted they cable tie my hands together, just in case. And I let her because I had the same fears as her. What if the hunger comes back?
We walked in silence for a good fifteen minutes. No one dared say a word. What was there to say? No one had a clue what was going on with me. Well that and I don't know how to talk.
"Maybe they're starting to cure themselves." Diana smashed the silence. Both Lily and I stopped. My heart was slamming in my chest.
Maybe she's right. Maybe this is the cure. But I was the only one that changed back. The only one that walked out of there as me. Diana's eyes were hopeful. I couldn't let her down, even though I had no hope nor any ideas. I just shrugged and kept walking.
Thirty minutes later, Lily halted to a sudden stop and breathed deeply. "We're here." she nodded to a large brick wall that stretched farther than I could see.
"Daddy is going to kill us." Diana whimpered.
Something about the barbed wire on that fence looked familiar. I couldn't place it, though. Lily took another deep breath and walked toward the wall. Diana followed. I hesitated.
Adults would never believe me. Especially if I had to walk towards the wall covered in blood and with my hands cable tied.
Before I could retreat, though I heard the familiar click of a gun.
"We've got a biter here, Sir." I heard a man say next to me.
This is it.
This is my end.
I felt the barrel of his gun pressed against my head and closed my eyes.
I'm sorry, Kyle.
"No!" I heard Diana run towards me.
"Stay back Diana! This thing isn't safe!" the man with the gun warned her. "I'm serious Diana!"
Diana halted before me and looked at the man. "She's human." she said and quickly grabbed my hand.
"Diana!" Gunman yelled and I looked over at him as a tear slipped from my eye. The next thing I knew, the stock of his gun hit me against the head and my vision blackened.

"Well, I'll be damned." I heard a familiar voice as I drifted in and out of consciousness.

Black.

"We saw it, Daddy." Diana. I tried to hold on to her words, but I slipped once more.

A beard. A Grey beard. Brown eyes. I know that face. "Alice." He knows my name!

Black.