Killing Corpses (zombie novel)

Chapter Ten

When I woke up, I was back in the room I had started in. I felt groggy, and sat up really slowly, not making any sudden moves.
When i first arrived, I hadn't really taken in where I was. I was too busy trying not to be shot down.
It was a cold, office kind of room, with a desk and a smashed computer. It seemed like we were in some kind of ticket booth, with shutters pulled down over the glass windows, only letting small streams of light in through the holes. I lay on a dirty carpet, and stared at walls with horrible wallpaper. Whoever had designed this office obviously didn't have a knack for interior design.

Abbie and Calum sat around me. Abbie was holding water, Calum had his gun again. That didn't make me feel any better.

I sat up fully and rubbed my head, incedetally, with my bad arm. I flinched and gritted my teeth, completly aware of Calum and Abbie watching my every move. I sighed and sat, my back against the wall, cradling my arm, waiting for one of them to say something.

Abbie was the first to speak up. "How are you?" She said tentivally. I sniffed, and decided I could be nice to her, since she was the only one in the room to make an effort.

"Better..." I said. "My arm isn't as bad as I remember." I looked down at the newly bandaged wound. "It still hurts like a bitch though..."

Abbie smiled at my joke. "Well, good. Do you want a drink?" She asked politley, holding out the bottled water. I nodded shyly, but took it gladly. I took a large gulp, and gave it back.

"Thanks."

She smiled again. Calum still hadn't said anything. I shifted in my spot, and gulped. "What... what happened, exactly?"

"We... aren't sure. We came to check on you last night and you were out cold. We wondered if you were turning, but Calum said you should have turned by now. So we brought you through here-"

"Wait," I said, holding up a hand to tell them to stop. "Turned?"

Calum glared at me. "Don't be coi." He spat.

I glared back, and turned to Abbie. "What does that mean?"

She looked at me really weird. "You know... How everyone does, once they're infected?"

I just looked at her, even more confused than I had been.

"What... Infected like... A Plauge?"

"It's THE plauge." Calum said. "You seriously... Don't know what's going on?" He pondered.

I shook my head.

"Jesus Christ..." Abbie said. Even Calum was stunned.

"Well, I suppose you better know then." He said. He looked terrified. "Where the fuck have you been? Wait, no... never mind, we'll hear your story later. For now, you can hear ours..."
There was a short silence, as I looked expectantly at the pair, wondering what was happening. They shifted uncomfortably, not making eye contact. This was obviously pretty big...

"Copsyn..." Said Calum softly. "Do you remember... Anything? From before you passed out?"
I thought hard. Before I passed out, there was the man in the cabin, the dog bite, the other dead people in the city, and then the-
"Zombie." I whispered to myself. Abbie's head shot up.

"What did you say?"

"Zombies." I repeated. "There were... People out on the street... Being... Ripped apart by other people. I seen one of them, eating another human... Like some crazed, infected cannibal... Zombie was the only thing fit to describe it!" My voice grew louder and shakier as I spoke, and they hushed me straight away. Abbie comforted me.
"It's okay," she assured. "We've all seen pretty horrifying things lately."
I didn't say anything to that. I didn't know how to.
Calum spoke up again. "Okay so... Technically, they are zombies. Scientifically. But we call them Reapers. Takes the edge off a bit, you-know?"

Again I didn't know what to say. "I... Guess so...."

"Anyway," Said Calum. "Now that we have that cleared up, are you ready to know what happened here?"

I nodded, slightly afraid.