Z: In The Heart of the Queen City

Chapter 24 - The New Breed

I felt numb. Someone hit the zombie's jaw and knocked it. I swallowed hard as I watched it fall down still staring at my wound. The helicopter lowered down, it was a small bite but it was just enough to make me feel the changes of becoming a zombie.

Game over Emma, your one of them now.

I looked at my friends, they were all huddled in the corner staring at me with the blood drained from their face. Then Elise screamed, “EMMA!” she began to wail until a soldier grabbed her by the waist and dragged her away. Karen and Jaycee followed not knowing what to think. My skin started to twitch and my senses started to awaken. Wait, no, something else. My surroundings no longer seemed relevant, I felt my brain go very tired but something else was overwhelming me... hunger yes that's what it was. I was hungry and I could smell everyone. Warm and fuzzy brains. Those were the good stuff now. There was a vibrating sound everywhere, was someone saying my name? I fell to the ground and began to shake violently. I forced myself to look up and reached for the gun in my pocket. Just a few steps away was Martin, oh thank God. I wouldn't have some random soldier shoot me. It was Martin, the last person I had a chance to experience an apocalyptic romance with. I threw the gun at him, not minding the people around us. He promised me, yes he promised he would kill me if I became a zombie. Shoot you idiot before I turn completely! I tried to speak but I only felt bile rise up as I did. Before I knew it, I was vomiting on the ground. With every ounce of strength I got on my knees. Please! Please! It hurts! KILL ME NOW KILL ME NOW! I pleaded in my mind. Martin was shaking his head and cursing at the wind. This isn't the right time to go Days of Our Lives Martin! Just shoot me already!

My vision was blurry but I could still make him out. He was holding the gun now, steadily pointing it at me. I could smell him, he smelled even better than before. Oh wait, he smelled like pizza now. I love pizza! I looked at my hands, they were as pale as ever. They felt clammy too like no moisturizer could ever fix this one. Martin paced back and forth, wiping his eyes. We don't have forever, we've got daylight wasting. I sang in my head.

“Martin...” I said. He didn't look at me.

“Martin..” I said again but still he wasn't looking.

“MARTIN DE WOLFF!” I tried to say but all that came out was an animal-like wail.

Then I got to my feet and charged at him. Martin was quick he grabbed me by the arms and pulled my face away so I wouldn't bite him. Somehow, he had gotten chains, he tied me up and threw me back to the chopper.

“Take her to the city.” He told a soldier. “Please just take her back and don't shoot her.”

Was it Lauron? Sure sounded like him when he replied. “We're going to blow it up. You do know that do you?”

“Better them than me.” Martin choked and I saw him walk away. My life flashed before me, everything that transpired, my friends, getting a promotion all to the point of leaving the house this morning. I felt the chopper move as I was strapped to a post by a young soldier. I momentarily lost my consciousness when I began to attempt to bite him. I'm sorry, I don't want to do this, I was so embarassed. We were midair now, I looked outside to see Martin walk away.

Get back here De Wolff, you promised. I thought to myself.

I was never going to be able to see him play. I was never going to see my parents again. After everything that's happened, here I was feeling sorry for myself for dying. I felt a tear fall down from my eyes as the harsh reality sunk in. I was dead now, I was part of the undead. At least I got everyone to safety. At least Elise was reunited with mom and dad. I felt my heartbeat thump slowly then the world began to feel numb. I closed my eyes ready to wake up just hungry and thoughtless. I bid goodbye to my life and felt a tear fall down my cheek as I did. Maybe this was just a bad dream, I was human I would never ever allow myself to become a zombie.

I counted one to ten, waiting for that Ta-Da I'm a zombie moment. But it never came.

Surprisingly I was still in the chopper we were flying miles above sea level. I stared at my arms that were chained. Nope still bluish gray, still zombie. So this is what it felt like being a zombie, I thought that you don't lose all your sense of humanity but the smell of your surroundings is like mom cooking bacon on a Sunday morning oh and not to mention you look like a blue alien in a Daft Punk video. Strange this was, I felt so human, so alive just a little hungry. I could smell the three soldiers in the chopper with me. I expected my body to twist and turn in hunger but I didn't. Something inside me was fighting the virus, something inside told me that they weren't spicy boneless Lechon with coke sakto.

What was happening? My insides were still human, was this normal? Maybe it was. I didn't know, it's not everyday you get bitten by a rabid zombie.

The helicopter began to lower to the ground. I saw Officer Lauron approach me. He glanced at his watch as if making sure they had enough time before the whole place went boom. I was horrified, they were going to leave me to become a charred barbecue. I mean it would have been okay if I was zombie and irrational but I swore to God that I wasn't. “Kendall, give me a rag or something.” Officer Lauron told the young soldier with him. Kendall gave him a nasty looking oiled out rag and he tied it on my mouth. I tried to tell them not to leave, I tried to tell them what I was feeling but the words wouldn't come out. Just a couple of growls escaped my mouth as soon as they unchained me I felt the force they had on my arms thinking I was going to struggle.

Hell, maybe this was normal. I thought giving up.

Before they threw me out, Officer Lauron's grip loosened then he spun me around. “Emma?” He said sounding surprised. “Emma?” He put me down. “Holy smokes Kendall, look at her eyes.” The young soldier named Kendall knelt down to look at me. “Sir, she looks...alive.” He commented his eyes widening. “She, she must be fighting the virus. She can be a subject, you know like those blokes in EXIT.” Lauron said, I was confused at his words, what was he saying and what the fuck was EXIT? “Emma..Emma can you hear me? Nod if you do.” He asked me and without hesitation I nodded. They all gasped in disbelief. “The first female host that can produce the Z antibody.” Kendall said slowly. “What do we do now Sir? She might not get cured on her own.”

Lauron approached the pilot, “Let's get going, we're taking her to EXIT.” The pilot nodded and before I knew it, we were flying again. I heard a huge explosion, we made it just in time. The Queen City was gone, exterminated to contain the infected. Exterminated by orders of a terror group I had no idea about. What was left of me? What were they going to do with me now? My heart raced when Officer Lauron and Kendall sat down next to me. I was still chained, maybe in case I was going to relapse. I still felt hungry but I knew I was human and I didn't want to eat anyone. I could control it.

“Sir, are you sure we're going to take her to EXIT? You saw what happened to Carlson and his crew. It messes with your brain. Better die a zombie than that.” Kendall shuddered. “I saw what happened Ken,” Lauron leaned next to me. “But Carlson was as blood thirsty as all of them. Emma's different, she's a survivor and if we can try it with her than maybe humanity has a shot at this. We're going to use her against them. She's going to help us all.” He placed a soothing hand on my leg.

“Don't worry kiddo, we're getting you the cure.”

END.