Zombies, the undead, monsters, rotting corpses, etc. They are some of the most popular creatures in horror and science fiction films. I had always believed that a successful zombie invasion was impossible. There are several factors that would prevent a zombie pandemic.
Number 1: Zombies are very slow. Seriously, who wouldn't be able to escape from them?
Number 2: Over time, their bodies would suffer from decomposition, bloating, stiffness, etc. A massive zombie invasion would only last less than a year.
Number 3: Current technology and weapons could easily kill a zombie. Plus, if the government acts quickly, they could eliminate the first zombies with ease. And if an entire city is already infected, they could destroy it with bombs. It sounds drastic, but it's preferable to destroy a city, even at the risk of killing survivors, than to do nothing and risk the lives of the rest of the world's population.
If the infection spreads through the air, we'd be doomed, but if it spreads through classic bites, we'd have a chance.
Or so I thought.
"Zei is still transformed!"
"Zei, come back!"
"Damn it, we're surrounded! Zei, wake up already!"
I slowly opened my eyes.
Damn, I still wanted to sleep a bit more... Huh?! What a view! There's nothing better than waking up surrounded by naked women!
"Zei woke up!"
"Just in time. Go kill those zombies. We're out of bullets."
... Ah... Ahhhhh! Now I'm uncomfortable! I love looking at them, but them staring directly at me while I'm looking at them makes me really uncomfortable!
"W-why... W-why are you naked?!"
That's my only question right now. Yeah, I have to admit I like what I see, but this situation makes no sense!
"Don't exaggerate, we're in our underwear."
"T-the zombies attacked us while we were bathing."
Being surrounded by more than 10 beautiful girls in their underwear is a situation I never imagined living through, but here I am! Men of the world who are still alive, envy me...! Though I envy you, because you can still have sex and kiss women. I can't! Ahhhhh! So many delicious cakes around me, within my reach, and I can't taste them! I hate my situation! Though I admit it's benefited me quite a bit.
"Oh, I see. I like this view."
"Zei, you idiot, don't waste time!"
Uwaaaah! Damn flat-chested Elf!
Celes hit me on the head, as always! Why don't I ever meet blonde Elves with huge breasts?! They're always kind!
"Kill those stupid zombies, you son of a bitch! I want to take a bath!"
"Damn useless Elf, I told you not to hit me, flat-chest!"
"Who're you calling flat, you shitty freak?!"
"The only flat Elf here, flat, flat, flat, flat Elf!"
"You're dead!"
"I'm literally dead, you idiot flat Elf!"
"P-please, don't fight."
Rina, the dark Elf in our group, is a shy and adorable girl. It's impossible to say no to her. She's so different from this crazy flat Elf! Ahhhhh! Everything I knew about fantasy creatures turned out to be faker than the love my ex-girlfriend swore she felt for me, who, by the way, cheated on me.
I'll stop arguing with this flat Elf because I don't want Rina to feel bad.
"Shut up, don't get involved, inferior Elf!"
Only she would dare say no to someone as adorable as Rina. Ahhhhh! She's so unbearable!
If I were the group leader, I'd kick her out without hesitation! Unfortunately, I'm not the leader; I'm basically the group's slave.
"You two, stop fighting! Zei, we don't have time! The walls won't hold much longer!"
I sighed... I can't refuse the leader's orders, the giantess... Though she's only 3 meters tall, not that giant... But her breasts sure are gigantic.
Yes, indeed, the walls of our temporary house won't hold much longer. The strength of these zombies never ceases to amaze me, though they're trash compared to me.
A Fairy named "Nashai."
A Dark Elf named "Rina."
An idiot flat Elf named "Celes."
Two humans named "Mary" and "Sakura."
A cat demi-human named "Diana."
A dog demi-human named "Rose."
Two Titan women named "Rem" and "Number 8."
A ghost woman named "Roxy."
My best friend and companion, who shares my curse: "Kiasan."
And three small Cyclops girls named "Mei," "Rim," and "Sylvia," who, by the way, hate me and slit my throat whenever they get the chance. Damn brats! They're lucky they're cute.
Am I in a fantasy world? Was I summoned or reincarnated into a fantasy world? Am I living an isekai adventure?
I'd love to say yes, but no... I'm in my original world... They're the ones who changed worlds.
Why am I with them? Why is there a zombie pandemic? Well... It's a long story.
My name is Zei, and this is the story of how my life was ruined forever.
I'm a special zombie.
CHAPTER 1 - Am I a Monster?
Oh... Ah... I feel weird. I guess Sara's betrayal did affect me. I feel sick.
I woke up a bit dizzy. Everything's spinning. Ah, I need a glass of water. And some delicious food, I'm starving! A tasty breakfast will give me the energy to feel better! Come on, Zei, don't get discouraged, you're just dizzy! Move your ass and go eat breakfast!
I get out of bed. Ugh. The floor's cold... Oh, everything's cold. It's obviously winter. You know what that means, Zei?
Yes... Christmas is a month away! Fat red old man, I hope you've got my gaming PC ready! I want to stream and make a living doing nothing but playing video games!
Heh. Though I already found out my mom bought it for me. Thank you so much, Mom! I promise to keep being an exemplary son for you...! Oh... The nausea isn't going away.
I feel like vomiting... Did last night's dinner mess me up? Those burgers were so delicious... Huh?
Wait... The floor's cold, but it feels... different. What's this texture?
I looked down to check if everything was okay... Huh? What's this?
"Huh?"
I noticed there was blood on the floor... Dried blood...? No... It's somewhat fresh blood... Did someone have an accident?
I've had plenty of accidents in my life because of my stupidity, so I know blood perfectly. This is blood. Did my mom have an accident, and I didn't notice? I feel fine... Well, yeah, I'm dizzy, but I don't think it's my blood.
"What happened?"
... I'm worrying too much. This is definitely not normal... Plus, the atmosphere is very... quiet. Not even a car can be heard. This is weird. Usually, the streets are noisy at this hour. Is no one going to work today? That only happens on Sundays, but it's Friday. This is getting weirder.
I leave my room. I need to make sure my mom is okay. If she's fine, I probably vomited blood last night and didn't notice.
We don't have pets, so I highly doubt that... Huh? What happened here?
This is getting even weirder. Several pieces of furniture are on the floor... Was there a fight or an earthquake? That's strange, I didn't feel or hear anything. Do I sleep that heavily?
Now I'm really worried.
"What happened here?"
... Did my mom have an accident because of that earthquake? No... I don't think so. If the blood in my room is hers, why didn't she wake me up to help her? She's not an idiot; she knows perfectly well she should've woken me up so I could get medical help... W-wait... What if she tried to wake me, and I never woke up?!
"Ahhhhh! I'm an idiot! Mom, Mom, please tell me you're okay!"
Why do I sleep so heavily...?! Huh? What's that sound?
"Wa... Rrrrr... Grrrr..."
Growling? Did a rabid dog get into the house?!
I heard a growl coming from the kitchen... It sounds very aggressive, but... It doesn't sound like a dog's growl... No... It's... talking.
"La... Ba... Na... Ze... Grrrr..."
It's saying some words... That voice... Could it be...?
"Mom?"
Yes... It's her voice... Hahahahaha! Mom, you're not scaring me this time! On Halloween, your rapist-thief costume really freaked me out, but this time you won't scare me!
But... Yeah, my mom loves scaring me on Halloween, but... Why would she scare me today? She never does, only on Halloween.
... I don't think she's trying to scare me.
I head to the kitchen... I'm starting to get a little scared... What if it's a thief?
"Who's there? Answer!"
... I get no response, the growling continues. S-shit.
"Mom, if this is another one of your pranks, you're not getting a Christmas present."
... Still no response.
I'm going in. It could be a thief, and I might end up dead, or worse, raped, but the voice I hear is my mom's. I'm sure it's just a prank.
I enter the kitchen and see my mom standing in front of the fridge.
What a relief, it's not a thief.
"Mom? Why are you making those weird noises? If you're trying to scare me, I'm warning you, you're not getting a Christmas present! This tense atmosphere almost gave me a heart attack!"
"Wa..."
My mom turns around... Huh?
"W-what?"
This is... What? Her eyes are white, and there's blood on her face... Huh?! White eyes?! Blood?! What does that mean?! What happened to her?!
... Contact lenses? Fake blood? My mom dresses up every Halloween, but it makes no sense for her to do it today, November 29th.
"What happened to you?!"
I'm scared. I'm terrified. I know my mom is probably pranking me, but fear is still flooding my being.
The blood doesn't look fake. The furniture is broken; I don't think she broke it just to scare me. The silence in the atmosphere, the furniture, the blood, my mom... This situation isn't normal. What's going on?
"Mom, please tell me you're just trying to scare me. You've already succeeded, stop it!"
"Uwaaaa..."
S-she's coming closer. She's scaring me more. Why won't she admit she's joking?
This Halloween, my mom dressed up as a thief, took my money, my phone, tied my legs and hands, and then pretended to take off her pants to make me think she was going to rape me. When she saw me crying, she started laughing and took off her costume. My mom is an expert at designing her costumes; I really thought she was a man, even her voice sounded like a man's, but this is different.
My mom loves playing heavy pranks on me, but this is over the top, even for her.
"Mom? Please, I'm begging you, stop."
She starts sniffing me... Huh?
She's like an animal sniffing its food.
"Mom?"
She stops sniffing me and moves away... She still hasn't said anything... Ahhhhh! I'm fed up! I want her to stop!
"Wait!"
I grab my mom's arm. Why is she acting so weird?! This makes no sense!
"What's wrong with you?! Why are you taking this prank so far?! Answer me, damn it!"
She ignores me... Why isn't she responding? This makes no sense. No, no, no, no... No damn sense!!
"Mom, react!"
I gave her a hard slap. I know I shouldn't hit my mom, but she asked for it! She's scaring me too much!
... She's growling again, like a rabid animal.
Why is she making weird noises?
Why is she acting like this?
What the hell is going on?
"What's wrong with you?"
This situation... isn't normal.
"Ah... I don't understand anything."
The best thing is to ignore her. She probably found out I had sex with Sara on her bed and wants to get revenge.
"If you're mad about what happened with Sara, you have to understand that your son is a teenager; I couldn't help it."
I opened the fridge and grabbed some eggs.
"Want breakfast?"
... She keeps growling.
"Ah... Stop with the pranks. I have to go to school; I don't have time to play along. Though I must admit, your costume is amazing! With simple contact lenses and fake blood, you managed to scare the life out of me! But if you do it again, I'm moving out."
"Grrrr..."
Huh? My mom is growling, but another growl was heard, a male one... Huh? Did my mom convince someone else to go along with her? Why go this far?
I hear growls outside my house... More growls? More people.
"..."
I looked at my mom, acting like I'm not here... This... makes no logical sense.
"What's going on? Are you trying to go viral on the internet and recording me? Hey, those watching the video, help! My mom's pimping me out to fat old men and elderly women!!
... She still doesn't react... Ahhhhh! I thought she'd react, even a little, but she's still in character... I don't understand anything anymore... Huh?
"Grrr..."
She's reacting, but...
"Seriously... I don't understand anything."
My mom reacts to the growls and tries to leave the house.
"Why don't you react when I talk to you?"
She pushes and hits the door... Is she trying to get out like that...? Why is she acting like she's stupid? Did she forget how to open it?
Are you seriously going to keep up with your stupid act?! Ah... Ah... Ah... Fine, I'll play along.
"Can't open it? I'll help you."
I open the door for her.
What stupidity is she going to pull now...? Huh...? Huh?!
T-this scene is genuinely terrifying. There's no way my mom is behind all this!!
"What the hell?!"
T-there are supposed dead bodies on the ground, wrecked cars, and people like my mom walking the streets.
Is it the end of the world?! N-no, it must be a prank or the filming of a movie... But if it were a movie, why didn't they warn me? And if it's a prank, why go this far? I could sue those responsible! And I highly doubt my mom would pull such a cruel prank on me.
"What happened?!"
I definitely don't understand anything that's going on.
"No, stay away from me, you monster!"
A man's voice? A normal man!
I see a man, who seems normal, running. Finally, I can get some answers!
"Hey, what's going on?! Are they filming a movie?!"
The man stops and turns to look at me. I don't know him. I doubt he's a famous actor.
... Huh? That surprised expression... Is he scared of me?
"Sorry, Mr. Actor, my bad for ruining the take, but I think my mom got too into her role and won't talk to me!"
"Y-y-y-you're a zombie that can talk?!"
"Huh?"
... Did I hear that right?
"Zombie?"
Oh, is it a zombie movie? I see. By the way, that actor really knows how to improvise. My compliments, sir... Huh?
Something's running...? Ahhhhh! That something is my mom!
My mom ran out and headed toward that man.
"Shit!" the man said, terrified, or well, pretending to be scared. Wow, what a great actor you are. I almost believed you were scared.
Oh, my mom's joining the take. Cool. How much are they paying her for being in the movie?
The man tries to run but trips and falls to the ground.
Man... I was expecting something more epic. Is he a filler character?
"Help!!"
My mom approaches the man and starts... e-eating him... Is she really eating him?! Is she eating him?!
"... Ah... What?"
... This is... real?
My mom... is eating his neck? She's devouring him like a starving wild animal.
... Is all this real?
She's eating him. I'd say it's acting, but those screams of pain, those huge bites ripping off chunks of flesh, all that blood... This... is real.
... Real...
"... Is this happening?"
... Yes... It's... happening.
"Is my mom... a zombie...? A real zombie...? Am I in a zombie apocalypse?! Ahhhhh! This can't be happening!"
I'd say it's a dream, but it's too real to be a dream.
... Wait... Did that man say I was a zombie?
... Am I a zombie?
My mom didn't try to attack me... The zombies around me aren't trying to attack me... No... This can't be real... Ahhhhh! I refuse to believe it's real!
"B-but I have to confirm it."
I go to the bathroom in my house and look in the mirror... Ah... Ahhhhh! What happened to my beautiful face?!
"What happened to me?!"
I-I have white eyes and dried blood on my mouth... Blood... Did I eat someone?!
"... Am I a zombie...? Ahhhhh! I'm a zombie! I didn't even last a day in a zombie apocalypse?! I'm useless...! But how did I get infected? I feel pretty... normal."
I take off my clothes and check my body... Nothing. I have no wounds... Is the infection airborne?
"I don't have any wounds... How was I infected...? Is my mom dead?!"
Ahhhhh!! We're both dead!!
I leave the house and see that the man my mom was eating had turned into a zombie. A classic zombie. The infection can spread through bites.
Rest in peace, bro, though I don't care about your death because I don't know you.
"Shit, the world's gone to hell."
I see my mom walking away from the house. Ahhhhh! Don't go! If a normal human sees you, they might kill you...! Though I guess we're already dead, Mom.
"Mom!!"
I run toward my mom.
I don't know exactly what's happening in this place.
I don't know why my mom turned into that.
But I don't care that she's a zombie; she's still my mom. I'll protect her, I won't let them kill her again.
If I can control myself, my mom can too!
I grab her arm.
"Mom!! Listen to me, Mom!!"
I lift her face and look into her eyes.
"React!!"
She shows no reaction... Why isn't she talking? Why isn't she smiling?! Why isn't she doing anything?!
"Mom!!"
I couldn't hold it anymore and let out the tears I was trying to hold back. I lost my mom...! I lost my mom... My mom is dead... And so am I. I'm dead. It's probably only a matter of time before I lose control of my body and die for good. I couldn't protect my mom, but it's not my fault the zombie apocalypse started while I was sleeping.
Mom, I'm so sorry.
"What's happening? Why can't you talk? Why can I talk...? I don't understand anything... Mom, nod if you understand me."
My mom still doesn't react... She doesn't understand me... She doesn't reason... She stopped being human.
"Mom... Uwaaaah!"
Gunshots?! Shit, gunshots!
Here come the classic zombie hunters! I have to get my mom away from them!
I know she's a zombie, but I won't let them hurt her. I'll first investigate if it's possible for her to regain control of her body.
"Shit!"
I grab her arm.
"We have to go inside."
She resists... Damn it! Do you want to die again?! Listen to me!
"We have to go inside!"
The gunshots sound closer. Ahhhhh! I don't want to die again!
"Mom...! Huh?!"
They shot my mom in the chest, and she doesn't seem to feel pain. But that doesn't change the fact that they shot her!
"Uwaaaah! Mom!"
I raise my hands. Please, see my hands! We surrender!
"Don't shoot! We're not fully zombies! If you kill us, you'll be committing murder, and they'll rape you in prison without lube!"
"Are you infected?"
"I don't have weapons! I'll turn around slowly, but don't freak out! I'm more scared than you are!"
I turn slowly and see a dark-skinned older man with a gun. Wow, he looks pretty badass. He looks like the classic protagonists in zombie stories!
"Are you a zombie?!"
"I don't know...! I think so, but I don't know why! I can control myself, I swear I won't try to eat you!"
"You can talk?!"
"Help me, I don't know what's happening to me...! Uwaaaah! Mom, no!"
My mom looked at the man, growling, and tried to run toward him.
"Wait!"
I hug her tightly to stop her from running.
"Idiot, do you want to die?! Please, forgive my mom, she can't control herself!"
I have to stop him from killing my mom! It's not necessary to kill her; I'll hide her in the house and lock the door! She can't open doors!
"Don't hurt her, I'm begging you!"
"Hey, I have to kill her, she's a zombie!"
"No, please, I just need to get her inside the house!"
"... Fine."
"Thank you!"
The man has terrible aim, but at least he killed the zombies on the street. I need to be careful with him.
I try to get to my house with my mom, but she keeps resisting. I have to pull her harder. I'm scared of hurting her, but she's leaving me no choice. If she escapes, that man will kill her.
"Mom, stop resisting!"
Just a bit more... A bit more... Yes!
I reach my house and force her inside. Done!
"Don't come out!"
I lock the door and close it. Mission accomplished! Ahhhhh! I hate this situation!
"Shit!"
I sit on the ground, and my mom starts pushing the door, trying to get out.
I'm so sorry, Mom, but it's for your own safety.
"What's happening, sir?! Ahhhhh! I don't understand anything!"
The man approaches me and points his gun at me. I don't blame him; even I know this situation is weird. I'm supposed to be a zombie, I'm supposed to be dead, but I'm still talking like I'm alive.
"Why can you talk?"
"I don't know, yesterday I was normal, and now I'm a zombie, but I don't know why I can talk. Maybe it's a mutation of the virus, or my immune system is on another level... Ah, I don't know."
"This is weird. When you're infected, you turn into a zombie immediately, but you can't talk... Do you feel like eating me?"
You wish, sir. My body belongs to women... And traps. Just a curiosity, don't judge me. I've always been curious about doing it with a trans girl.
Joking aside, no, I don't feel like eating human flesh. I'm hungry, but I prefer normal food.
"No, I feel normal, I don't want to eat people."
"... Stand up."
I stand up, and he looks me over from head to toe, analyzing my body.
Admire the masterpiece that I am, I give you permission. Heh... Ah... Zei, telling jokes won't change the situation.
I know, but at least it calms me down. My mom is dead, sorry for trying to stay calm!
"You have white eyes and blood on your mouth."
"That's how I woke up, I don't know why I have blood on my mouth."
"This is weird."
This is my chance to learn more about the situation.
"Are there zombies everywhere? What's going on?"
"Last night, the zombies appeared, I don't know why, but in a few hours, the entire city was overrun by zombies."
That's insanely fast. Is it airborne? That would explain why I was infected without being bitten.
"In a few hours? Could you tell me everything you know about the zombies? You know, so I can avoid acting like one and getting killed! Ahhhhh! I don't understand anything about my damn situation!"
"All I know is that when you're infected, you turn into a zombie immediately. Zombies are attracted to sound and are very fast at running."
"By sound?"
"Yes."
... Are you mentally challenged?! Do you have a mental disability, you idiot?!
"Don't you think it's pretty stupid to use a gun? That makes a lot of noise."
... Oh... Look, my new family. Running toward us... Ahhhhh! Idiot, you never use guns in the city! Don't you know millions of people live here?! Which means there are millions of zombies!
The zombies were attracted by the sound.
They're running toward us... I figured.
Uwaaaah! There are so many!
"Shit, run if you don't want to die!"
"Where?!"
"Through my bedroom window, I always leave it open! Get in the house!"
It's easy to open because I sometimes snuck my girlfriend in to... Ahhhhh! No time to explain to the readers!
We head to the window, and the man enters my room.
He climbs onto my shoulders to reach the second floor more easily. I must admit, I didn't feel him as heavy, and this guy is tall and muscular. Are these the perks of being a zombie?
"Climb up!"
The zombies are heading toward me. I don't have time to climb!
Goodbye, world. I'm going to die... Again. And it'll be a painful death... I'll be devoured. I wanted a cooler, more epic death! It's not fair!
"Shit! Goodbye, world! I'll miss your food, your women, and video games! Goodbye, Mom, I'll see you in the next world! Goodbye, friends, it was a pleasure to meet you! Sebastián, I hope your death is excruciatingly painful! Go to hell, you son of a bitch! With love, Zei... Oh, my last words are dragging on... Hmm... Oh! Sebastián, the only good thing about you is your sister...! Ah... This... Hey, shitty zombies, are you going to kill me or not? Ah... How embarrassing! I made a fool of myself!
The zombies surround me and ignore me. Am I not tasty?! That offends me! Though it also saved me from dying.
"Ah... The same thing happened with my mom; she didn't attack me."
"You'll be fine, I'm closing the window!"
"Yes! By the way, don't check the drawers, or I'll bite you!"
My private stuff needs to stay private.
The man throws me a knife and closes the window.
"Help me kill them!"
You want me to commit murder?! What else?! Ahhhhh!
"Kill them?!"
"Do it!"
D-damn it.
I take the knife... It's the only option in a zombie apocalypse... I have to do it.
... If I don't kill them, they'll kill that man... They're zombies, Zei, not people... Ahhhhh! Do it!
"Shit, I have to do it!"
There were 10 zombies around me. 10 zombies I have to kill.
They're not people... They're not people... They're not.
My mom ate a person. Zombies are monsters... Though my mom is an exception. I'm a hypocrite, but I'll try to save my mom. If I can control myself, she can too! But I won't try to save any other zombies! I have enough with my mom.
All zombies must die...! Except my mom... And me, of course.
"So gross!"
I stab one in the head, and it falls to the ground... Yes, the weakness is still the head. But it's so disgusting!
"So gross!"
Ah... It's kill or be killed... I have to adapt... They're monsters, not humans... Monsters. If they stay alive, they'll kill more innocent people. I have to kill them to prevent more innocent people from dying!
I repeat the process with all of them. Die, die, die!
... Ah... It's not as epic as in the movies, but at least I took care of them.
Heh. Being immune has its perks.
"You can come out!"
"That was amazing! Well done!"
"You're welcome. You owe me your sister."
"What?"
"You owe me a salad."
The man comes out through the window.
"Thank you so much, you saved my life!"
"Hey, what's wrong with me? Why do they ignore me? Am I not tasty?"
"You're a zombie, they don't eat each other."
"Why don't I want to eat you? Why can I talk? Ahhhhh! So many mysteries and no clues!"
"I don't know, but you could be useful. Want to join me and form a team?"
"Team?"
"You know, to kill zombies and save people."
Oh... That sounds... so cool! A zombie-killing team with a special zombie as a member! Is there a movie like that? Hmm... I don't know, but I'll accept!
I wanted to stay and take care of my mom, but I won't get the answers I want if I stay here. It's what my mom would want. She'd be disappointed if I stayed doing nothing for people.
But I won't let them experiment on me. They're not experimenting with my body!
I know my body might hold the cure for the virus, you know, being a zombie who can stay in control and all that, but I'd rather stay alive, thanks!
"I guess it's better than staying here and watching my mom eat people."
"I appreciate it."
He extends his hand.
"My name's Erick."
Oh, looks like he's not scared of me anymore.
Erick, huh? I was expecting a cooler name.
I shake his hand.
"My name's Zei."
"Wow, you're not cold... That's weird."
"Am I supposed to be cold?"
"Yes, zombies are undead, and their bodies are cold."
Oh... Well, I don't know, so I won't say anything about it.
"I see... What do we do now?"
"Get food."
"There's food in the fridge. How do we carry it?"
"I have a truck. Grab the food, I'll go get the truck."
"Yes."
Erick leaves, and I enter my house through the window. Wow, I really feel stronger than before. It used to take me longer to climb up.
"I must be dreaming... Why can I talk if I'm a zombie?"
I look for my mom and approach her.
"Mom, I'm leaving for a while, I have to find out what happened to us... I can't let you out; they might kill you. I'll lock all the doors and windows so you don't get out."
I kiss her on the forehead... Her cold forehead... Cold...
"I'll be back. I'll try to find the answers to my questions, and I swear I'll do the impossible to make you control yourself too."
I grab all the food from the fridge and take it out through the window.
"... Goodbye, Mom..."
I smile at her.
"Thank you for everything... I love you."
I swear I'll try... I swear.
•
•
(10 minutes later.)
Erick arrives with the truck. Wow... It's huge. And it's stained with blood. He ran over several zombies with that thing. Perfect. It'll help us escape when needed.
"Pretty, isn't she?!"
"You have great taste."
"I stole it. Heh."
Well, stealing is normal in a zombie apocalypse. To hell with the law, now the rule of the strongest prevails! Anything goes for survival...! Though, now that I think about it, with a zombie apocalypse and no way to enforce laws on everyone, many people will take advantage of the situation to kill innocents... And even rape... Ah... This world will turn savage.
Well, better not think about that.
We load the food into the truck. It'll last us a couple of weeks.
"Done."
Goodbye, Mom... I'll miss you.
I get in the truck.
"So... Where are we going? Got a plan?"
"We need to find a shelter."
"Of course, that's the priority. Though, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a zombie! They'll kill me without hesitation if we approach a shelter!"
"I mean a shelter of our own, not one from the government or other people."
"Oh... That makes more sense."
"Besides, we need to investigate on our own if your situation is unique or if it's happened to others. I'd say taking you to the government to study your body would be best, but..."
"Want me to bite you?"
"Exactly. I knew you wouldn't want to."
"Well, sorry for wanting to stay alive... Well, alive in my own way."
"You could help find a cure."
"I know, but that's my last resort. First, I want to investigate on my own, and after a while, I'll give up and go to the government. I don't want to die yet."
"Ah... Well, it's your body, your decision."
I know my decision is selfish, but I don't want to die. Besides, I know refusing to go to the government is my mind's indirect way of telling me it's impossible to save my mom.
Her body will rot... There's no salvation for zombies. If I sacrifice myself, only living people will become immune to the virus, but my mom will stay dead.
My mom is the only person who matters to me; I won't sacrifice myself for anyone else.
I'll live for her, but I won't stop looking for a way to bring her back. It'll probably be too late, but at least I'll have achieved my goal of finding the cure on my own.
... Ah, who am I kidding? I don't even know what to do with my life.
Erick starts the truck, and we leave.
"So... You don't know why you can talk?"
"I don't know, I just found out I'm a zombie."
"Maybe you're immune to the virus."
"Look at my eyes, if I were immune, I wouldn't have these eyes."
"Yeah, you're right... By the way..."
He hands me a handkerchief.
"You should wipe the blood off your mouth."
"Sure."
... Is it my mom's blood...? Please, don't let it be my mom's.
I take the handkerchief and wipe off the dried blood.
... Did I infect my mom...? I don't have any wounds, but... Ah, better not think about depressing stuff.
"Maybe you're a special zombie, an evolution of the virus."
"I don't think the virus evolved in one night. That kind of thing takes a lot of time to adapt."
"You're right."
I look out the window at so many zombies... So many zombies out there... I highly doubt I'm the only one in this situation.
"Am I really the only zombie who can talk?"
"I've seen a lot of zombies since last night, but you're the first one who talks."
"Then there could be more."
"Maybe... But why?"
"We have to find out. Gathering more like me will let us..."
"Kya!!"
A woman's scream? A woman!
Let's see... The scream came from... there.
I see two girls on top of a house, surrounded by zombies.
Yeah, they'll definitely die if I don't do something.
"Stop!"
Erick stops.
"You want to save them? There are like 30 zombies."
"I thought we'd be a team to save people."
"Yeah, but..."
"Don't worry, I'll kill them, you go take a drive so they don't climb on the truck."
"Wait, behind the seats, there's a machete, take it."
I grab the machete... Nice.
"It'll be a bit easier to kill them with this."
"Thanks."
I get out of the truck, and Erick drives off.
Too many zombies for a normal human, but... Heh. I'm not human.
"Well... I'm not at risk. Hey, come at me!!"
The zombies turn to look at me.
"Run away!!"
"There are too many!!"
Oh, such kind girls, they're worried about me. I like girls like that! I'll try to flirt with the older one... Oh... Right, I'm a zombie, I can't... Ahhhhh! I have to say goodbye to kisses and sex!
"Don't worry!!"
I run toward the zombies.
"They can't do anything to me!!"
I start killing them... Perfect. Having an ability that lets me be ignored is amazing. I'm the perfect zombie slayer! ZombieSlayer!
"The zombies are ignoring him? Why?"
"Look at his eyes, he's a zombie!"
"A zombie?!"
Ah, they figured me out. Well, I don't care! Keep killing!
•
•
I finish killing the zombies... New record.
Phew. Now that was cool. Saving two girls feels way better than saving a man.
"You can come down now, they're dead!!"
Well, dead again.
"We're not coming down!!"
"You're a zombie, you're not fooling us!!"
Huh? That's how they thank me? Fine, whatever. I'm not doing this to be popular with women. Besides, I can't even be with a woman again. Shitty life.
"Fine, stay up there!!"
Erick arrives with the truck.
"You finished that fast?!"
"Yeah, let's go!"
Zombies stink... I need a bath, I don't want to stink too.
"... Hey, sister, that zombie's good, we could trust him."
Huh? One of them changed her mind? I can hear her, not sure if my hearing got better or something.
"But..."
"He helped us."
"... Fine."
Heh. I get in the truck. I'll give them a little scare.
"Let's go."
"Wait!!"
I knew it, they'll need our help.
The girls climb down from the roof and head toward us.
"Can we come with you?"
"Please."
Erick gets out of the truck.
"My partner's a zombie. You sure you want to come with us?"
"But he can talk."
"He's a good zombie."
"What do you think, Zei?"
"I really don't care."
I'm telling the truth, I don't care. As long as they don't bother me, I'm fine. Why do I say that? Because I don't want to fall in love! Ahhhhh! I can't be with a woman anymore! I'm a zombie! Can I even get erections? Ahhhhh! I hate my life!
"Well, get in the back."
"Thanks!"
"We appreciate it!"
They climb into the back of the truck. Erick gets in and puts on his seatbelt.
"I forgot."
I put on my seatbelt.
"Hey, you hungry?"
"I haven't had breakfast, I guess I'm a bit hungry... Wait..."
I pull out a pack of sausages.
"Want one?"
"No, thanks."
I take out a sausage and eat it.
"Not a great breakfast, but it's something."
Erick starts the truck, and we leave. Ah... Well, our team has grown.
"By the way, you really don't feel different?"
"Nope, I feel normal."
"That's weird."
I hold the sausage pack out the window.
"Hey, want one?!"
"No, thanks!"
"Alright!"
I put the sausages away... Hmm... Ah... How boring.
"What time is it?"
"I don't know, I don't have a phone."
"I see... Where are we going?"
"The city's full of zombies... I guess we'll have to leave the city."
I'm so sleepy... So sleepy... Too sleepy.
"Alright... Mind if I sleep a bit?"
"No problem."
I get comfortable and try to sleep... I'm so... sleepy.
•
•
Zei fell asleep immediately, and while Zei slept, Erick thought about his family. A family that no longer existed.
When this whole zombie thing started, he was at his daughter's house, visiting her because she had just had her first child.
Everything was happiness for him, holding his first grandson, until some knocks at the door ruined his life.
His daughter opened the door, and a zombie bit her right in the neck, causing her to scream and attract a group of zombies that entered the house.
After watching his daughter turn into a zombie, he tried to escape through the back door with the baby, but the zombies were faster than him. When he opened the door, a zombie snatched the baby from his hands, as the baby's crying drew the zombies' attention the most.
Filled with helplessness and pain, he had to endure watching his grandson be eaten by those zombies.
But instead of standing still and doing nothing, he grabbed the shovel his daughter had in the garden and killed the zombies mercilessly, and then had to kill his daughter's zombie, telling himself that thing was no longer his daughter.
And then, he ran and ran, without looking back, determined to take revenge on those things.
"I don't want more people to lose their families."
He was scared of the zombies trying to eat those girls, but only because there were too many for a normal human like him. But Zei gave him hope that it's possible to save anyone in any situation, and that lifted his spirits.
He looked at Zei and smiled.
"With your help, we can save so many families. I was lucky to meet you, Zei."
He patted Zei's head.
"Thank you so much."
•
•
(Pov- Zei.)
(One hour later.)
"Ah, what a great nap... Huh...? Huh?!"
I just woke up, and the first thing I see is a crash! When did we crash?! Do I sleep that heavily?! Ahhhhh! Damn heavy sleep!
"What happened?!"
The truck was flipped over, and zombies were surrounding it. Ahhhhh! How did this happen?!
"What the hell happened?!"
"Grrrr..."
I hear a growl close to me... No... Please, no.
I turn and realize Erick turned into a zombie. Uwaaaah!!
"Erick?!"
H-his neck had a huge bite mark. He was bitten!
"Shit...! Huh? N-no... I-impossible."
I feel a weird taste in my mouth... No... Not again... Impossible!
"No... Did I do it?!"
Uwaaaah!
I get out of the truck as fast as I can.
Please, let it not be me! I refuse to believe it!
"Why did this happen...?! Uwaaaah! Girls?!"
I see the girls turned into zombies. Ahhhhh! Why?!
"What happened?!"
I see the rearview mirror on the ground. I-I have to settle this doubt.
"Please, please..."
I pick up the rearview mirror and look at my face.
"No!"
M-my mouth is covered in blood. Human blood! Erick's blood!
"I ate Erick! It's my fault he's a zombie!"
After all, I'm still a damn zombie... Damn it!
(Author's note: What did you think of the first chapter? New chapter every Sunday.)