Living With The Dead

Baby Helena

"She looks like a Helena." Lee said, speaking softly to Emily as he pulled her close to him.

Emily's head filled with thoughts of how she could ever be a mother. She knew she couldn't abandon this child, especially now in the new world they've got to learn how to survive in.

Lee slept on the couch near the crib, while Emily slept in the bedroom. Through the night, outside the apartment you could hear the moans and groans of zombies as they walked past through the town. Emily woke up and walked over to the window, pulling a tiny bit on the curtains to peep outside.

There were three zombies that stood out to her. They were kids, legs torn apart and dragging themselves across the street. She gulped, frowning and turned away. 'The poor children..' she thought to herself, rubbing her arms to get rid of the goosebumps. Emily walked into the living room and went to the kitchen. She noticed in the corner was a man, dead. He wasn't a corps, his body didn't give off a smell but it was starting too.

"Lee, can you come in here?" she called out. Lee slowly came into the kitchen rubbing his left eye. "Ye-.." he got cut off when he saw the body.

"It's not decaying or anything, looks like he died of a gun wound to the head." Lee spoke softly, examining the body as he tried to pick it up and push it out the window.

Emily helped him and they succeeded. You could hear a soft thud as the body hit the ground outside, a few zombies turned to the body and ignored it.

'They only like the live ones..' Emily sighed to herself, grabbing a box of cereal and munched on it. Lee grabbed a bowl and took some for himself. Helena was still fast asleep. Emily was still in shock that the baby hadn't turned yet. When Emily finished off the box of cereal she heard foot steps running back and forth in the hallways, and quiet giggles.

She opened the door and stuck her head out, holding her fire poker in her hand. Vina came running toward Emily smiling and giggling, then ran past her into the apartment room. Emily smile and looked back down the hall and saw another small childlike figure standing still. Emily gulped, she knew there was only one child in the apartment of survivors, which is Vina.

"Lee grab Vina and stay in here." Emily demanded as she shut the door slowly and readied herself to defend them. The zombie slowly started making its way to Emily. As it got closer, the light started shining on it from the window behind Emily. It's hair had been pulled out in a few places, and it's lower jaw was gone. She wore a pink nightgown, and carried a piggy toy in her hand. Emily frowned for the second time today. She put down her arms and the zombie girl stopped in front of her. Emily knew she couldn't bite her with no jaw. Emily got down on her knees and hugged the zombie girl, who groaned into her ear as she smelt her hair.

"I'm so sorry.. I don't know who you are, or were, but what happened to you.. what you've become.. you deserve better, I'll take you back to your home." Emily choked on tears holding onto the girl in one arm and lifted up her fire poker in the other. She slowly softened the grip of the girl and looked at her face to face. Emily could smell the rot off the active corps, she slowly pushed the poker through the back of its head, trying to not let it see her do it.

Bradley opened his apparent door and saw the zombie in front of Emily and her on her knees. He quickly grabbed his shotgun and held it up, but saw Emily stab it in the back of its head without it noticing. He nodded and put his hand on his chest to salute the corps. Bradley walked to Emily and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You did her a favor." he whispered softly. He dragged the corps into his room, and threw it out the window. Since he didn't slide it out, there was a loud thud and crack from its skull smashing against the pavement. A few zombies around noticed and limped towards her, but smelled nothing lively and carried on.