VITALIZE: A Zombie Novella (PREVIEW)

Ch. 1 - Rebirth Part 2 - Alpha

He whimpered as chaotic nightmares wracked his healing mind. Flashing lights. Rotting teeth. Bloodied hands. Screams. So much screaming. His bloodshot eyes snapped open, as his awakening senses were barraged by a world coming to life around him. Harsh beeping. Stinging light. A vile taste of death clung to the back of his tongue, and the rancid smell of rotting blood filled his nostrils as he took a deep breath. It was all so unfamiliar and confusing. He turned to glower at the screen of the thing responsible for the horrid sound. The green line bounced around in sharp peaks on the dark screen, making loud piercing beeps. Each one felt like a nail being driven into his skull.

He tried to move, but his arms wouldn't obey. His brow pinched as he looked down at the things holding him. He pulled as hard as he could and the things rubbed painfully against his skin. Letting out a low growl, he twisted his hand around, fumbling with the thing. The clasp. Wetness spread over his wrists as he shook and strained against it. Pulling with all his might, he managed to slip his hand free with the wetness. He watched in awe as the red, stinging, liquid spread across his arm. He sat up, pulling at the other clasp. He clawed at it with his free hand until something slipped loose and his hand was released. It didn't make sense, why did it just let him go that time?

He tried to swing his legs off the gurney but they resisted. Groaning in frustration, he pulled at the things holding his legs. Clasps, the clasps. His hands found the loose strap and he pulled it, freeing his leg. The understanding crawled back from some distant place, he couldn't quite picture. The next clasp came off easily in hands that remembered doing this before.

Swinging his feet off the bed, he climbed onto wobbling legs, and held firmly on to the bed rail to steady himself. The beeping seemed to be getting quicker and the machine became more frantic. He pulled away from the angry thing, feeling small rips on his chest, which seemed to calm the shrieking monster. The light was becoming more bearable to his eyes as he scanned his surroundings, looking at the pictures all over the walls. They looked so familiar. They were like him. The ones he had been with before he came here.

A grunt sounded from across the room, tearing his attention away from the pictures, to the big wooden thing with the small square he could see through. He shuffled over to it, looking out into the dark hallway through the clear pane. Stepping back, he concentrated on the thing blocking his path. The... thing? What is it? The frustration was overwhelming as he fought his mind for the answers. He knew the name of this thing. It was there, just on the edge of his thoughts. Reaching out, the metal handle felt pleasingly cool on his clammy skin, he fiddled with it and with a soft click the door eased open.

The hallway was dark. It was better. Soothing to his sensitive eyes. Further away from the loud shrieking machine. And the smell. He took in the sweet musty euphoric scent and it almost sent his mind spinning. His mouth watered as he looked at the sleeping man waiting patiently for him. Then something caught his eye. The man held a long piece of rusty metal, a sharp thing. A powerful, scary, sharp thing. His eyes widened in primal fear. He limped down the hall, as fast as he could get away from the scary man with the big knife that could hurt him. He reached a room with some people inside, all lying down across floor.
He shuffled inside, looking over their peaceful slumbering faces.

He paused before a man and woman sleeping together in an embrace. His mind faltered. Images flickered to life within him, sparking like a broken light, just enough to paint the picture of a woman. Wavy auburn hair, a small nose dashed with freckles and deep green eyes. Her soft alabaster hand reached out to caress the back of his neck and she smiled at him. He'd never seen anyone so beautiful. Yet, the woman made him feel so empty and sad.

One woman laid alone with her little one—her little girl. That made him feel sad too. Shuffling over, he climbed down to the floor and pulled himself closer to the woman. Her scent was so sweet, so different. He could feel warmth emanating from her. Memories assaulted him, of the beautiful lady, all making his thoughts rush. He sunk his teeth deeply into the woman and tasted the sweet nectar that flowed out. The taste was heavenly. The ambrosia of life.

The screams were loud and confusing, as they echoed across the room, but they couldn't tear him from this incredible moment as he savoured her succulent flesh. She scrambled away, clutching at her shoulder. He sensed a change in her. Her scent became something familiar and comforting, instead of the sweet scent of human flesh. He didn't crave her now.

The people were all screaming, jumping up and running. The woman he'd bitten collapsed to the floor, shaking. Her eyes rolled back. He couldn't watch her change, distracted by the tantalizing scents around him. The thought of the metallic taste brought renewed strength to him. He lusted after the running humans, jumping on a man that ran past. He bore his victim to the ground and took two satisfying bites, before he sensed the change in him too. He glanced across the room as the woman he took before, leapt to her feet and bit into the small crying girl beside her.

They were his new family.

His hunger felt insatiable, it drove him to attack another one as his new brother came to life. The sweet taste of all the people he chose fired lights in his brain, making him remember and making him want more. He felt his family growing around him, the changes happening rapidly, as the lights flickered on in his mind. He turned to watch as the humans escaped into the hallways outside, and the members of his family drew close to him. He could feel them waiting for his command, eager to please him.

"Get in there and clear that room! I need to get the Doc to the safe room now," a deep voice echoed above the screams.

He strode toward the door with his family on his heel. A group of men headed them off at the doorway, carrying knives and bats. They paused before the entrance to the room. They breathed heavily as they took him and his new family in. He sensed the anger emanating from them, hanging thickly in the air. They wanted to hurt him. To hurt his brothers and sisters. He had to protect them.

With a roar, his family sprung into action as one. The humans cried out, as they rushed in to attack. The men moved clumsily. One of them swung their bat at him. He dodged aside, stepping out of range. The man's eyes went wide, as fear seeped from his pores. He growled and rushed the human, knocking aside his bat and taking a deep bite into his neck. The blood's metallic scent rose around him, a complement to the human's screams as his family attacked.

He felt a light go out in his mind like a blow to his gut. He dropped the limp man. Turning, he saw the small girl lay lifeless on the ground, surrounded by the humans with bats. His blood boiled. Screaming in rage, he leapt at the men and tore into them before his family joined him in the massacre. His rage overflowed, spilling into his family as they destroyed the humans who dared to hurt what is his. Even the hunger's insistent call was quieted by the primal fury that swept through him.

When there was nothing left, he felt the rage subside and felt more lights gather in his mind, as more brothers and sisters rose from the ground. They were all ravenous, like him. They wanted the flesh, like he did. He turned and headed toward the open doorway, where the other humans had run. They moved through the building, attacking everyone they could find, wiping out the pathetic humans that tried to fight and adding more to his new family.

But it wasn't enough. The lights were coming on in his mind, but there was so much darkness still.

He needed more.