Happily Ever Afterlife

Prologue

A/N: So, some of my friends asked me what my inspiration was for this this story, and I decided to put my answer in my books, so everyone can see it. My inspiration for this book was my amazingly wonderful girlfriend-You know who you are <3

Journal Entry #1- Date: July 17, 2034.

Went out one a hunt with Duke. Found very little supplies. Duke got bit by one of those... walkers.

Journal Entry #2- September 12, 2034

Can't even tell time anymore. Getting harder to remember. Duke still hasn't changed. Much. His eyes don't look like he's even alive, but he still acts like he is.

Journal Entry- #3- August 24, 2035

I went out on a hunt with Duke. One of the walkers bit me. Don't know how much longer I can go on.

Alex shuffled down the street, wondering why her clothes were torn to shreds. Wondering where everyone else was.

Why can't I talk?

Why can't I sleep?

Why am I so hungry?

These questions rang in her mind. Her hazy green eyes shifted to Duke, her forever-loyal-but-not-quite-alive-Doberman. As her eyes raked over the torn flesh and exposed bone, even as he trotted happily by her side, the realization of the situation hit Alex like a ton of bricks.

Oh, right.. I'm a zombie.  

As this thought soaked into her mind, her eyes absorbed to scenery. Other walkers shuffled past, not bothering to stay with the herd. Abandoned cars and scattered papers littered the desolate ghost town, along with random body parts that had been strewn about once the walkers had finished their meal. Duke sniffed the air before sharply turning to the left and bounding away. Alex watched him go, not bothering to follow him. He did this often, and would always return with a small rodent of some kind. The two of them had a system. He hunted for her, she hunted for him. It was quite helpful, really. The rest of the herd had gone at least three months without a single bite of warm flesh, and most of them were already starting to show it. Whole patches of flesh peeling off, revealing blood-stained bone beneath. Some dropping dead while the herd stumbled over their bodies. One walker had even gone as far as attacking a fellow member of the herd.

Ren, the walker at the front of the herd, suddenly stopped. Tilting his head back, he sniffed the air like a man who had just emerged from beneath water. As he inhaled, his head swiveled, making him look quite animalistic, as he searched for the source of the scent. The rest of the herd followed suite, and soon, they came upon a small group of scavengers. If the walkers had been anything like the ones in the movies, Alex was sure they'd be dead, as the leader of the humans began firing shots. Instead, these walkers were a tad more sturdy. They could run, climb, jump, and even open door. Their senses were tripled by that of a human. To top it all off, they were inhumanly strong.Though, Alex wasn't sure if they all had the same sense of right and wrong as she did. Ren lunged for the smallest member of the small group. She looked to be about Alex's age. Sadly, she wasn't fast enough to dodge the old walker. Alex, who had been pulled out of her thoughts when a bullet pierced her shoulder, ran straight for the leader. Tackling him to the ground, she sunk her teeth into his throat, moaning as the warm blood rushed over her tongue. As other walkers stumbled towards her, hoping to snatch her kill, she bared her teeth and snarled at them. Before she could do anything to stop it, her head was wrenched back by her long, blood-coated hair, and she came face-to-face with another human male. As he raised his fist, which was closed tightly around a blade, his attempt to kill her was soon thrown out the window as Ashnik, another member of the herd, closed his pitbull-like jaws around the young man's wrist. The others, which had previously admired Alex's catch, now moved on to share Ashnik's, as he was the only one willing to share. Alex had always hated eating the humans. She knew that if it weren't for Duke's odd craving for the human males, she wouldn't harm them. Instead, she feasted on animals, which is why Duke was the one to hunt for her. It was a sort of symbiosis. Soon, after the last walker peeled away from the feeding frenzy, Alex slung her kill over her shoulder, and continued stumbling and scuffling down the street with the rest of the herd. Kai, the closest thing Alex ad to a friend, glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She knew the silent question in his eye.

Why don't you ever eat your prey?

And, as always, her knew the answer.

"S'not... Fer...me...." She rasped. Oh, yeah, some of them can talk. Sort of. Being a zombie, the brain is the only part of the body that functions. Therefore, they are able to learn. Some were more educated than others, and could form short sentences. Kai was not one of the smarter ones. He was still only able to make grunting sounds, along with the usual-not to mention stereotypical- moans and groans. Alex was able to form just a couple words. Though she couldn't speak as fluidly as the others, the was the only walker that could speak more than one language. Even those who were bilingual as humans had resorted to their native tongue.  

Kai bobbed his head in a sort of nod. His gaze returned to the path ahead. Caleb, one of the more.. Persistent members of the herd, shuffled over next to Alex. He knew he wouldn't get away with it, but he craned his neck and attempted to take a quick nip at her kill. Kai whirled around, as well as the other members, and snarled. Caleb ducked his head, quickly shuffling away as the rest of the herd snapped at him and lashed out with sharp, claw-like fingernails. Alex huffed in satisfaction, and turned to nod at Kai. His mutilated cheek turned up into a literal half smile. He, along with Ren and Alex, had been one of the first members of the herd. His human corpse had been found, beaten and broken, by Ren. Ren knew he would become one of them, so he and Alex had both sat next to his body for three days before they got any signs of movement. Alex had once admired Kai, despite the fact that his left cheek had been completely torn away, and his right eye was nothing but a cavern in his dead skull. He was very charming for a zombie.

Nobody knew how Ren came to be, but Alex still had memories of her life/death.She had been on a hunt with Duke, scavenging in an old office building. This, of course, was after Duke had been infected. His loyal disposition had stayed with him even in this life. Alex had been searching for him when she stumbled upon a thought-to-be-dead walker. But, he wasn't dead. Not really, anyway. As she'd stepped over his limp body, he lunged, seizing her ankle between his jagged, shark-like teeth. Luckily, Duke had taken the walker down before any more damage could be done.

The infection had taken Alex just a few short hours later, and she'd ventured out of the office building, where she found Ren. it was no later than three days that they'd found Kai. All was well until Caleb had found them and joined the herd. The many fights between he and Alex was the cause of most of the scars Alex sported. Before Caleb, Alex's only imperfection was her ankle. But now, she was a mess. Her left wrist was showing bone, like some sort of bracelet, her upper body was shredded, exposing her ribcage and unbeating heart. The worst injury, though, was her back. Caleb had managed to peel away the skin that covered her back, and had sunk his teeth into her exposed shoulder blade. Now, her spine was exposed. It didn't bother her, but it was a permanent reminder of their strength.  

  Alex was jolted from her thoughts when she felt a wet nose pressed against her snow-white skin. Glancing down, she saw Duke, a raccoon in his mouth, looking longingly at the man slung over her shoulder. She dropped the body easily, and snatched the raccoon from Duke. The other walkers gave her a few odd looks as they passed, but Kai stayed by her side, loyally snarling at anyone who dared to make an advance towards her. After finishing her meal, Alex bumped Kai's shoulder in a friendly manner, signaling him to move. He obliged, giving her another half smile. Alex returned the smile, lacing her ice-cold fingers with his. She looked down, feeling exceptionally human, and admired the glow of her and Kai's skin. Where zombie were often pictured a decaying, bloated beasts, they were really stuck in their state of death. Much like vampires, but much more destructible. Their skin was milky-white, and had a certain glint in the light. They also had a helpful defence. Where most would assume that the walkers would reek of death and rotting flesh, these zombie had no smell whatsoever.   

Kai glanced at their entwined finger, puzzled, then at Alex. his onyx orbs held silent questions.

What is this?

Why do I feel so human?

Is this normal?

"Best... Friends..." She half whispered, half groaned. Kai nodded in understanding, and lifted their entangled limbs, and ave Alex's hand a firm squeeze.

"Bet... Frins.." He slurred. Alex had to smile at his first attempt at speaking.

Ashkin had fallen behind the herd to shuffle near Kai and Alex, and was gazing curiously at their hands. Duke nudges Ashkin's hand, wanting attention, and Ashkin obliged by strokin Duke's short, blood-coated fur.  

(Sorry for my shitty beginning, but I promise there will be more!!)