When Two Worlds Collide

Chapter One

~Lorelei's P.O.V.~

It all started with a stupid infection of some kind. I don’t know any details. It’s kind of fuzzy sometimes, when I think back to the beginning of all of this. I remember having my suspicions that something was happening. It was all in the signs. The news had a story about a new cannibal act every week. I had a bad feeling things were going to turn into a problem, and look, it did. I’m just glad I’m alive. Well, sometimes, depending on the situation.

I hold the gun close to me, twisting my neck to see behind me. For a while now, I’m been on my own. I had a friend before, but he was eaten. It was horrifying. We were just walking silently, our guns out to protect us, and suddenly, I heard his scream and turned to see the zombie biting into his neck. I freaked. I feel bad now for leaving him, but he was already infected, already falling into the process of dying and being reborn as a flesh eating monster.

I shiver as I think about it, and turn back to face in front of me. I want nothing more than to find a really tall building and just hide out on the very top floor. What can I say? I’m fucking scared. Zombies are my biggest fear. I’m even afraid of guns, which is why I haven’t actually used mine yet. To be honest, I don’t even know how to use it, but holding it gives me some reassurance.

I’ve survived for this long, who says I can’t survive longer? I just have to wonder how long this will go on. When will all of the zombies die? Or do they ever die? I’ve been lucky enough to not find that out yet. That’s my goal, to stay as far away from the undead as I possibly can.

I sigh softly as I relax a little. I’ve been walking for maybe three miles and I haven’t heard or seen a single thing yet, which is either really good or really bad. I’m afraid to find out. I shuffle my feet towards the building up ahead. It’s still completely intact, as if it hasn’t been touched since the infection spread. Maybe I’m getting lucky? I clutch the gun to my chest as I get closer. Who knows what’s inside?

I kick the door open with my boot covered foot, then instantly step inside listening inventively. No noise so far. I head farther into the building, heading down a long, echoing hallway. It’s a pale blue with yellow spots. The floor is cuffed up, most likely from people running. I wouldn’t be surprised. To my left is a staircase and to my right, a small doorway leading into another room. I head into the room first. I’d rather be safe than sorry, despite the fact that I’ve got absolutely no idea what I’m going to do if there is a zombie.

I let out a breath of relief when I see nothing. It’s just an empty room. Overthrown chairs, and broken glass scattered on the floor. Not a whole lot to see. I backtrack into the hallway and glance over at the stairs. A terrible feeling creeps up my back and across my shoulders, rolling down my chest to settle by my stomach. I gulp and start up the steps.

At the top of the stairs it opens up to a narrow hallway. Left and right there are doors, leading to where, I’m not sure. I walk down the hall slowly, listening and checking out rooms. Some are empty with nothing but a bed and overthrown objects and other rooms hold items like scattered clothing or documents and paintings. This must have been an apartment of some kind. I get to the very last door, and swallow. Behind it is a dull noise. I shudder.

I raise my gun a little higher, then slowly turn the doorknob. On the other side, the noise ceases. My breath gets caught in my throat, my heart hammering a mile a minute. My palms get hot and I feel  a giant rush of heat come over me. I push the door open. Standing across the room, a glob of flesh and organs hanging from its mouth, is my ex best friend. The one I told you got eaten. Yeah, that’s him. I blink twice, then scream. He stares at me, his now black eyes sunken in. He was once so handsome.

Before he became a part of the undead, he had crystal blue eyes and dark brown hair and was very muscular. He was tall and clean and nice. Now, his eyes are black and sunken into his skull which is crushed at the top. His neck is nothing but rotten flesh from where the zombie bit him. He’s covered in blood, and his fingers are peeling. His teeth are yellow and black, and for a second, I almost gag.

I scream again, and this time, this monster grins at me. It’s so disgusting and it literally breaks my heart. I cock the gun and hold it up. He tilts his head for a second. Then he lets out a really gross yell, flesh spitting from his mouth as he leaps at me. I pull the trigger and watch as it hits him, sending him backwards. He gets up, unnerved by the shot. I shoot him again, watching as he falls down.

I lower the gun with a sigh of relief. I can’t believe I just did that. I close my eyes for a second, when suddenly, something rough and scaly grabs my leg. I open them as I fall to see that he crawled towards me. He opens his mouth to take a bite out of my foot when I hit him in the head of the butt of the gun.

I jerk my leg away, hurrying to right the gun. Just as he raises his hand, I shoot him, right in the middle of the head. This time he falls forward, right in front of me, and doesn’t move again. I watch him for twenty minutes before I’m completely sure that he’s dead. I guess I really did know how to shoot a gun.

After that, I find some gloves in a dresser drawer and proceed to carry him to the window. I open it and throw him out. Maybe his friends will come by and pick the rest of him off. For now, I’m going to make a barrier out of this place.

I disappear downstairs to find a kitchen I completely walked past without noticing. At least this one has some decent food. I find a roll of bread and stuff it into my mouth, enjoying the little bit of taste that it gives me. I sigh and fall back into one of the chairs, surrounding a dining table.

As I finish the bread, I glance around and close my eyes. I imagine my house, a pretty pale yellow with light pink shutters. A garden in the front with a beautiful white gate and a concrete path to follow up to the front door. Roses and lilacs and all sorts of different flowers could be seen, and the smell was so peaceful.

I miss my home. I miss the way my mom would stand by the screen door as I walked up the pathway. She would always have some sort of present for me. Sometimes it would be as simple as a new book or sometimes a tea, or a new notebook or journal. She was a stay at home mom, while dad was away doing business meetings. He made so much money it was ridiculous. Mom and I had trouble finding ways to use it. I mean, I know that sounds wrong. We did use it on charities. For cancer victims or breast cancer or hospitals and hunger kids. We helped all we could, but we still had so much.

Dad would be away for days at a time, sometimes even months, but when he came home, he spent every moment with mom and I. We played board games and watched movies together. Mom and I would sit and paint sometimes and dad would sit in the same room and just watch us. It was heaven. It was love. It’s something I miss so desperately.

I just want to go home.