Colourful Brains: A Zombie Short

Colourful Brains

((Photo by Hailey Oldfield on Unsplash))

What happens in a country where guns are illegal when a major virus creates cannibal zombies who munch on their former best friends and family? Easy; you get a melee weapon such as a crowbar. I, however was in work when the outbreak started. My boss locked us all into the central office in the middle of the open green fields. The place looked like a war zone - because it was. Sandbags were strewn in strategic places and shelled out vehicles added to the effect of no man's land, complete with fake barbed wire for was reenactments with a twist. I worked in a paintball alley in a recreation center. We spent a week and a half in blistering heat holed up in a twenty square foot room and we desperately needed more food and water. The employees' lunches in the central office (which acted as our break room also) didn't last long even when rationed. You'd think a break room would have useful weapons such as knives but apparently not this one. My boss, Steve, and I had a heated discussion every hour or so being cooped up in here together. Our fellow colleagues - or former ones, as the case may be - could definitely smell us in here. There was only us, an empty kitchen, some chairs covering the windows and door and the weapon rack. Some weapons; they were just paintball guns that could hold onto a thousand paintballs at a time.

"Steve," my voice was a harsh whisper, showing my agitation, "I've seen some injuries from these things and they could definitely smoosh one of those things in the head and kill it. We have to try! Or would you rather lay here and die of dehydration, hm?"

"Their skulls would be too hard," my boss was adamant.

"They've been in the sun rotting for more than a week! I'm fully sure they'd have gone soft by now."

"We can't risk it, Mike."

"I'm not saying we go out there in the middle of this shit unprepared! What I'm saying is let me open the window and see if I can get one in the head, see what happens. If nothing happens, fine, we sweat it out and hope we can last a little longer until someone comes by and helps us. I promise, I won't let any of them see me!"

Steve gives a defeated sigh and nods towards the gun rack. That's my confirmation. As I walk up to the large window I try to lighten the mood. "Guess we should be thankful for the idiot who installed this window upside-down, huh?" Steve doesn't even crack a smile as I walk toward the window which is covered by a large table. I slide the barricade over slightly and open the smaller rectangular window which should be at the top of the glass; the angle is perfect for necro hunting. Next I grab a fully loaded paintball gun and lay on my stomach like a sniper, positioning the barrel so that it points upwards. Now we just need a dead person to walk past.

After waiting for what felt like way too long, I shoved my arm out of the window and grabbed a rock. I threw it to land on a sheet of metal ten metres away from where I was lying. It made a series of tinny thumps as it traveled across the sheet. Even though I anticipated the noise, I jumped when I heard the sound of what seemed to be like thunder; living in fear does that to you. Almost immediately - the things are slow - groans began making their way towards the noise. I lined up my shot for my five new best friends and got one in the eye. A beautiful spray of orange, brown and red burst from the thing's skull like a sublime Hawaiian sunset; I was cheering not just for the victory but the great colour. Shot after shot created light and dark sprays, successfully brightening my mood significantly. Who cares if the world has gone to shit; these colours were singing to me like a choir of angels who were probably devils in disguise.

"Steve," I address the man, turning with a wide smile. "Get some gear on, it's about to get messy."

We throw on helmets, armored fatigues and boots, slinging two spare guns over our shoulders and holding one in our hands. We move the table aside, unlock the door and step back. One of the monsters has been trying the handle for days and it's about to come in. We fire at the pack of zombies and make a colourful spray. It takes only minutes of delight and my smirk is spread across my cheeks. It's time to paint the town rainbow with colourful brains.