Zombie Maria

The change

So from the next night on...

"Hahahhaha! Wait up! Hey, slow down" she happily chased me throughout the forest with her right skeletal hands gripping my shoulders and her body a few meters behind me as I tried to run away from her.

"Quit following me! Let me die! I just want to die somewhere quietly on my own!"

On rainy nights...

"Leave me alone!!"

"Dying is bad!"

Windy nights...

"You have to live!"

It went on and on for a month and a half. But as time goes by, I'm actually expecting her to stop me. I lay the rope onto the tree bark and pretending to tie a loop from it. I'll always await her presence. And I will run away, acting like I still wanted to commit suicide. It was fun. Is this what she meant by happiness?

I went home one late summer night. Mom was asleep as usual. I think she knew that I've been out every night, but she didn't care. I didn't care either. Tiptoeing into my room, I shut the door as gentle as possible. But then, it came.

Hey Alan, how long are you gonna keep on living? Just die. Kill that zombie girl who has been constantly hindering your suicide. Then kill yourself as well. A sinner like you don't deserve to live. No one liked you. Only death awaits you. Like that zombie girl. Die and go to-

"Would you shut up!!?" I shouted furiously. "I'm not dying okay? I'm gonna live! I'm gonna find happiness! I'm gonna find love! I won't die so get the hell out of my mind!"

I huffed and puffed, noticing something has changed inside me. I felt lighter, better and most importantly, I felt like I was finally living. All the black and white world I'm trapped in had now filled with colors. Bright and beautiful colors.

"Aah..." I whispered to myself "She was right" and I smiled.

The next evening as I was on my way to the forest, I saw Leo, Milo and Josh playing basketball in a small court. They stopped playing when they saw me, but I ignored them. Do I really look that different? I shrugged. Is it because of the smile I wear today? Probably. But I'd rather not make a fuss out of it. I came here for only one reason. I came here for her. As I arrived at the front gate of the forbidden forest, I breathe in, exhale, and enter the 'NO ENTRY' gate into the deep dark woods. I hear footsteps coming at me. Fast. So I started to sprint.

"Caught ya!" she tapped my back with her lengthen arm where her right arm holding the joints of her left arm and make it longer after I've ran a few miles in the deep forest. Cheater. But I like it. I just pretended that I don't. I'm afraid that she will leave me. Then I'll be alone. Again.

"Hey, how bout I be the it once in a while? I wanna be chased too" she said while shaking her bony left arm playfully.

"We're not playing tag you idiot!" I panted as I clutched my knees. "Damn it. Being a zombie is nice, you don't have to worry about running out of stamina. It's not fair at all" I said and wiped the overflowing sweat on my chin.

"Thank you" she said. I turn around slightly while I was still bending down.

"What do you mean?" I asked and she looked away.

"Thank you for coming here every night. It's been... fun." she said "When I woke up, I found out that I couldn't leave the forest. So I was prepared to remain here alone, forever."

She looked up, to the bright full moon amidst the dark starry night. Even with those messy long hair, tattered pale pink blouse, one eye and the rotten corpse figure, she looked pretty. She looked...beautiful.

"But ever since you came, each and every day had been so much fun" she said and anchored her pale grey left eye that is filled with bright colors to me. She smiled.

"So I just want to thank you"

The only light source that we get is from the brightly lit full moon and I don't know what I looked like at the moment, but my face was undoubtedly felt very warm. I stood up and scratched my cheek, finding words to say to her. A moment of silence engulfs us.

"I...think I should thank you as well" I replied.

Suddenly, the forest was pitch black. The source of light coming from the moon was covered by a big dark cloud. I can't even see where she is.

"It's pretty dark tonight" she said

"Yeah, I can't see a thing. Hold on a moment" I said and search my pocket for anything to light the darkness. Then I took out a lighter.

"Ah! Here it is" I said, flicking the spark wheel and a fire flashed from the lighter and called out the girl while turning my body around. I stopped when her face appeared in front of me. She's too near. I've never been this near to anybody. I noticed that her big pale grey left eye have long lashes, small semi bone nose, her lips are dried up and wrinkled. She looked shock too. Then the fire begins to light brighter, and she screamed.

I accidently burned her hair.

Shoot. I should have known that zombies are vulnerable towards fire! What the heck am I thinking? I quickly took off my shirt and covered her burning hair which also burned a part of her face. There was a little struggle before the fire went off. It was dark again. And I can hear her whining as I pulled back my shirt, leaving my chest bare in the cold night.

"Are you okay? You hurt? I'm sorry I'm truly sorry I didn't mean to" I panicked.

"Yes yes. I'm okay. It's fine. I'm not hurt." she said and we both sit down after 'wrestling' on the ground to put off the fire. She pulled her burned hair close and inspect it.

"Woo that was scary. My body was quick to burn eh" she said and draped my shirt behind her back like a cape.

"Well obviously cause you're a corpse"

"I'll end up turning into a ball of flame if you're not careful"

"Sorry" I said and dropped my gaze to the ground.

"It's okay. You saved me after all" she said and the light from the moon came back. I can vaguely see her face in the dark now. The right part of her face that has that empty eye socket is all messed up already. But she still looked beautiful. If she were alive, we'd probably be the same age already.

"You know..." I said "It's not that bad... to live. Sure it has lots of painful things but still, it's not that bad after all" I heard her gasped.

"Then I win! Whoopie~" she shrieked happily. I was about to ask her name, but then, a flash of bright light flashed upon us. We turn our head to the source and saw three silhouettes behind the light. I quickly pushed her away and tell her to run. If anyone else found out that there's a talking zombie in the forest, who knows what will happen to her. I don't even want to imagine the life she will be going through if they found out about her. I don't want to lose her.