Better off Undead

Chapter 51: Reanimated

"Can I just say that that was not what I was expecting," Amber said.

Eli wiped vampire blood from his face, and then stared at his hand for a long moment. Dropping his hand he turned and looked emotionlessly at Amber. "What were you expecting?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. I thought vampires were supposed to be... like... cultured? And sexy? And powerful, dangerous enemies? I thought we'd be fighting for our lives against an enemy that could seduce us or destroy us depending on its mood. Instead it was just... sort of... this ugly creature that couldn't wait to die?"

Eli looked down at the remains of the vampire. Its body had shriveled like a grape after he had driven the spike into its heart and now it was little more than a disgusting, dried husk. "I guess everything has its breaking point," he muttered.

"So did it work?" asked Aliyah. "Is the nightmare over?"

Jay looked around the room and then shrugged. "I don't feel any different."

"Why would you feel different?" Eli asked. "It's not like you were a zombie."

"I know. But... I don't know. I guess I feel like... there should have been some big magical 'boom' or something. Something to indicate that we saved the world. A choir of angels trumpeting. Something."

"Well, maybe we should be thankful that there's not. A choir of angels trumpeting is supposed to signal the end of the world." Eli turned and looked at Aliyah. "Upstairs I found a room full of zombies in a cage. If my plan worked..."

"Then they should all be human again," she finished for him, nodding her head thoughtfully. "Do you remember where it is?" Eli shook his head. "Fine. Let's split up and look for it."

It was Aliyah who found it first. "Here," she called out, as loud as she could. The others came running, the slightest glimmer of hope on each of their faces died as they approached the woman.

"No," whispered Amber. She felt like she had to fight against the current just to round the last couple of steps into the room. Somehow she made it, but that just made the weight of the pressure increase.

The room was still full of zombies.

Amber let out a groan and collapsed against a nearby wall, putting her head into her hands. "Why the hell did we listen to Eli?" she muttered, not really caring if anyone heard her.

Eli crossed his arms and allowed the group a long moment of self-pity. Then he cleared his throat and said, "It isn't over. Honestly, I never thought this would be the end of it."

Amber lifted her head and stared at him with disbelief. "Are you shitting me? Then what the hell were we doing here?"

Eli opened his mouth to respond, but hesitated.

Amber growled. "What, Eli? What is it? Out with it!"

Eli made a face like he was straining to get the words out. "I just... not knowing for sure if this would work... Well, hey, look at it this way: now we have two options."

"Two?" echoed Jay.

"Yeah, sure. The blood thing. I didn't know about that, but maybe Paul really can find a cure with those samples."

"But as you said, you didn't know about that," snapped Amber. "So why did we come here?"

Eli swallowed. "Well, because this was the easier of the two options."

Aliyah's jaw dropped. "This was the easier option? What the hell was the other option?"

Eli shrugged in an almost apologetic motion. "The cave from the video."