Working Zombie Title

Chapter 1

They shambled aimlessly around the ally-way. They sniffed the air, waiting for the fresh smell of blood. They had followed the whimpering's of a child into this dead-end ally with the hopes of finding a fresh meal. They couldn't see. They could only smell and hear. I wished they could have been a little smarter. All I was told to do is observe and watch their hunger for flesh and blood consume them. They were deteriorating, mindless animals, and yet they were connected to me. All of them were connected to me.

"Serenity," it was weird hearing my own name from a disembodied voice. "Don't let them consume you. You are stronger."

The voice knew I was feeling fear. It wasn't the first time I had touched these diseased minds, but it is the first time I had reached out into the world outside of the lab. They were looking for something, someone. It felt like this was a dead end. The whimpering stopped. There was only sounds of grunting, moaning, and the dead foot fall of the dead filling the ally-way.

Then a loud sound filled these dead ears. Then another, and another. It was getting louder, closer. My own fear made the dead flesh turn around, and through dead eye's I saw a figure taking them out one-by-one. The rest of the shambling bodies turned and started moving toward the sound. Except for the body I was in. I waited, frozen in fear. The owner wanted to move. The promise of food was almost overwhelming.

I have control, I told myself.

I shambled backwards, my first instinct was to get away. Deeper into the ally-way I went, slowly pushing past the other shambling bodies. The body and mind was resisting me. Hunger and anger touched my mind and I almost lost control. The body hit a chain-linked fence before I realized where I was. Nowhere to run.

The dead body was slow to turn. I saw the figure a few feet away, these dead eyes could only see shapes. I could smell the sweat and stench of coagulated blood, with a sweet smell of iron of fresh blood. A fresh meal stood in front of me and the body wanted to lunge at it.

"Interesting," the vague figure lifted his, what I thought was, his arm.

There it was, the smell of gun-smoke and polished metal. I steeled myself. The mind I occupied wasn't afraid. It wanted food. It wanted to taste the flesh of the tasty morsel in front of us. Not again, I told myself.

"Why don't you attack? Who else is occupying your mind?"

Fear, I felt fear. Not because this body was going to die but because he knew.

"Serenity," the disembodied voice said, "Just a little longer. We almost have their location."

"Serenity," the blurred shape never lowered their gun, "I will find you. I will save you."

It was him. Fear turned to hope. And before I knew it, I let go of the dead mind. We lunged at the gun holder. There was a loud bang, a flash of light, and then darkness.

. . .

The shot was loud before I broke the link that my ears were ringing. Dim lights greeted me. The beeping of machines and the clicking of keyboards slowly filled my mind as my hearing returned. My vision cleared as I looked around. Two men in black uniform guarded the door. Other lab coats went around looking at monitors while one stood in front of me. Her forehead wrinkled, telling me she was upset. She looked at me with sorrowful, green eyes. She was an older woman, in her late 50's, but still attractive. Her light auburn hair was cut short to frame her face. She always said her hair got in the way and that's why she had to cut it short.

"Serenity," she said distastefully. "Why did you lash out? We had them."

"I was scared, he knew." I said, looking down trying to hide a faint smile.

"No matter. They are closer than I thought." She walked around behind my chair. "Major Daniel, take your best men and sweep the city."

"Yes ma'am," said a new voice behind me.

Who the voice belonged to, I didn't know. But it made me feel fear. I heard his boots hit hard on the ground as he turned and exited the room taking the guards with him.

"It's time we should relocate," the woman in the lab coat runs her fingers through my hair. "I don't want the mean man to hurt my asset."

"Yes momma," I said robotically.

My heart sank. I knew what this meant. A dreamless sleep and waking up in a new place. New surroundings to learn, and new dead to walk with. A pin-prick pain is felt on my neck as the needle enters my skin. My hidden smile turns into a frown as I drift off into darkness. My last thought was of the shapeless figure in the ally way.

Please find me.