Cold Body, Warm Heart

CHAPTER TWO

IRINA

me, harvey, and trina showed our identification to the guard to get to the group meeting where my father would make a speech. 

i stood in between harvey and trina when we all formed a line in front of the TV where my dad would soon show up.

"hello, and thank you for your service today. it's been eight years since this plague destroyed our world.."

then i zoned out and turned to harvey, "you think we're getting the stuff for the cure?"

"no one believes in a cure anymore, rina."

i tuned back into my father when harvey coldly turned away, ".. to gather resources from beyond the wall. but first, a word of caution. corpses look human; they are not. they do not think, they do not bleed. they are beyond your help. they are uncaring, unfeeling. incapable of remorse."

"sound like anyone we know, dad?" i jokingly said quietly, for only trina and harvey to hear.

"see them as this." and he played a video of a boney running at the camera.

he continued, "as sons and daughters of possibly the sole remaining humans on earth, you are a critical part of what stands between us and extinction. therefore you have an obligation to return to us safely," i reached to grab harvey's hand, in which he rudely declined. "if you remember your training, you will. good luck. and god bless america."

"usa, usa." trina jokingly chanted.

"let's go." harvey said, leading us all.

we all had our guns up and we finally got passed the wall.

"sweet." trina said, as we began walking down the trashed up neighborhood.

LUCRECIA

we all were slowly, but surely making our way to our food.

we found an alleyway where the bonies clearly found the food before we could.

the boney screamed at us and carla put her hand on my shoulder as we all stared at it, and we quickly walked away.

we heard commotion making us all turn to our left and sniff the air, smelling food.

me and carla smiled at each other before we all walked up steps into a building.

IRINA

burt was playing shooting games on his phone and has been since we found shelter in an abandoned building.

"hey burt, you gonna help us out?" harvey asked as he walked past burt.

"nope, almost at level five."

"did you hear that?" trina said, staring at the door.

"i did." i spoke, also staring at the door. "we should bail."

"hey, we can't just bail. we have orders. do you have any idea how much medicine the city goes through a month? we need medication to survive-" harvey spoke, before i interrupted him.

"god, you sound just like my dad."

"thank you."

"yeahhhhh, wasn't a compliment."

"oh here guys, take some prozac. maybe that'll cheer you up." trina said, throwing the prozac at us.

trina never liked the idea of me and harvey dating.

something made trina snap out of her 'joke' and she abruptly turned to us, "i told you i heard something."

in panic, i lifted my gun and pointed it at the door. "harv, let's bail."

harvey ignored me and cautiously held his gun up as he walked closer to the door.

"harvey."

"rules are rules, rina. besides, it was nothing anyway. you're being paranoid, okay?"

right as he finished, zombies threw the door open making me let out a loud, "HARVEY!"

it was a whole lot of chaos; grunting and gunshots.

i stood and fired my gun at any zombie i saw.

harvey stood on a table and began shooting, "go for the heads!"

i saw three zombies take a guy out.

trina was shooting.

there was a brunette zombie with what looks like a school uniform and a pearl headband and necklace. i will admit, she was beautiful.. for a corpse. and she was.. staring at me?

breaking my thoughts was a corpse in front of me, resulting in me shooting her in the head, but out of the corner of my eye, i saw the brunette zombie still staring at me.

i saw a bunch of zombies coming at me, making me stop firing and slide into an aisle, leaning against a cabinet.

LUCRECIA

my eyes landed on a blonde, who i stared at for a bit, but i realized that the beauty in front of me was most likely going to get eaten.

i definitely didn't want to see such a beautiful thing go to waste.

so i began making my way to her. i mean, she'll probably shoot me. but i have to try?

as i was walking, a brunette guy standing on a table shot me in the chest, making me turn and look at him angrily.

i ran to the table, grabbed the guy by his feet, and pulled him to the floor as he screamed.

as i was about to bite into his wrist, i noticed his watch. nice watch. but i still bit him.

now, i'm not proud of this. in fact, i'd appreciate it if you might look away for a moment here. i don't like hurting people. but, this is the world now. who knew hunger was a very powerful thing?

if i don't eat all of him, if i spare his brain, he'll rise up, and become a corpse, like me. but if i do, i get his memories. his thoughts. his feelings.

i'm sorry, i just can't help it. the brain's the best part.

the part that makes me feel human again.