Zombie Maria

The game

 The next day was dull as usual. I get off my bed shirtless, and went to the bathroom, staring at my miserable face. A face of someone who had lost all hope and purpose of life, dead on the outside as well as the inside. I washed my pale face with the tap water and stared at the reflection again as droplets of water dripped from my long messy black hair, almost past my shoulder if I let it grow for another few months. The area under my eyes was darkened and lifeless. No one will miss features like this. Not even myself.

School was hell. Wherever I go, people avoid me. Even Leo, Milo and Josh who used to be my childhood friend. We were close when we were young, then suddenly, out of a sudden, they avoided me. I had no idea why but they did. My life changed since then. I no longer desire the need to have friend, finding dreams or even happiness. That zombie girl knows nothing.

Night came and I'm back again in the forest, tying up a loop on another tree not far from where I was last night. I looked around, hoping that girl is not here anymore. I don't even care whether she's a zombie or a vampire, or wolf or whatever. All I want is just a place to die. Alone.

I didn't saw her tonight. Maybe her soul decided to leave her body here to rot. At least she had faced her death. Now it's my turn. I held the empty loop and slowly pull it towards my head.

"It's gonna end" I said to myself.

"Not! A! Chance!!" shouted the zombie girl and pushed me from behind, causing us to stumble against each other and hit a tree. Her skeleton hand dropped on my shoulder and her head rolled to my shoes. I screamed and girlishly slap away her boney hands from me, hitting her handless, headless body a few meters from me.

"Ouch. It hurts you know" said the head. She was upside down, her severed neck facing upward and I can see a few maggots crawling inside her flesh.

"You're one hell of a zombie you know that?" I asked. I'm not scared of her this time.

"Could you... help me put back my head on my body? It's awkward seeing you hanging upside down like that" she said. As if I would help her.

"Help yourself. I didn't ask you to come here" I said, but my hands pushed her head gently towards her body that is reattaching the arm joints.

"Woo~ that was a new feeling. Is that what the living felt when they ride a roller coaster?" she said as her body picked up her head and reattached it to her body until a 'pop' sound was heard. "I've always wanted to ride a roller coaster when I was alive. But I never got the chance to" and she faced me, her face brightly lighted despite the missing eyes and dirty bloodied face with those messy long black hair. Smiling.

"I never thought I would encounter a zombie two nights in a row" I murmured under my breath dispiritedly while sulking on the tree behind me.

"Suicide. Is. Bad!" she sang, mimicking the Sailor moon's In the name of the moon, I will judge you pose and sat down on a long log lying on the forest ground.

"I'll name this strategy the- I don't want you to die in a scary forest like this- battle plan!" she said ecstatically, spreading her arm (flesh and bones) wide open in front of her. To be honest, I was slightly touched by what she said. But I shook my head as I stood up and sat on the same log as her. I let out a deep sigh with my heads down and both arm resting on my knees.

"Why do you care so about me anyway" I asked

"I don't know either"

"You can't be serious"

"I don't have any memories when I was alive" she said "So I don't know who I used to be, or how I died, or anything like that. I've only got one memory that is being alive is happier than being dead" she cheerfully explained. She looked at me and held my hands with her bone hands. The bones felt cold, and empty.

"And maybe that's why I just can't ignore you, who wants to die" she said. I pulled back my hands and crossed my arms on my chest.

"Heh, but I will die. Trust me" I said convincingly.

"Then, shall we play a game?" she asked "If you are able to commit suicide, you win. But if I stop your suicide attempts, then I win"

"Huh? You don't get to decide things like that on your-"

"Alright, I won't lose! Oh yeah!!" she beamed.

"Listen to me- Dammit!"