And I present this month’s Absolute Write blog chain entry. The prompt was… Zombie Apocalypse, I think. I wrote this kinda for it, kinda not. I decided it fit. I may write a part two, haven’t decided it yet. It’s also part of my own ‘zombieverse’ where most of my experimenting occurs.
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He said the city wasn’t so hollow, and that the night sky revealed worlds beyond our own. Apparently a disc, white like cleaned bones, watched over the wasteland at night, and a ball of flame watched the wasteland during day. You can’t see beyond the blood-thick clouds.
I watched the land, and the city’s stars. I watched them diminish as the sky awakened, revealing swirling red clouds. It was whenever I saw a city star diminish at night, and death rattle the wasteland I would pick up my shotgun and lay it on my lap.
They’re out there. Eating us. We are mere cattle to them.
Those were the last words of my father, before disease killed him.
I remember that night, by our fire, hoping we wouldn’t freeze to death. I prodded the fire with the butt of the shotgun, shooting embers into the air like sparks. He shivered, so I offered him my jacket; he waved his hand.
Sweat clung to his beard, pooled in his wrinkles, his face was white, his hands clammy, and I wondered how he had become so ill. I asked him to sit closer to the fire, and when he moved he clenched his jaw.
That’s when he told me about the first day. It happened before I was born, when my father had a smooth face, when he wouldn’t succumb so easily to a sickness.
The sky was blue. The ground was green, and the city was full of people. It had a purpose beyond a hallmark for the past. Of course, that changed. Yes. It changed so fast. The world couldn’t contain what was happening, they spread to fast. Eating us. We were like mice being hunted. And the only solution was to.
His voice trembled, his eyelids closed, opened, closed, as of he was falling into sleep. He wasn’t, though. I looked away, I did not want to see him like this. This was the one story I never wanted to hear.
I met your mother that day too. In the road leading away from the city. Of course, you can’t see it now. At the time we called it the Death Highway. It was a trap. They ate people who tried to leave. We went on foot from there. A good thing. Because that’s when.
His eyes closed, I thought once and for all. But then his lips moved, his voice was a whisper.
Mountains. No better place. To stay. They are out there. Eating the last of us. We are cattle to them.
His voice turned to a whistle, like wind through the walls.
I sat back. Thought of a long road, extending from the mountains into the guy of the city, like a tongue. Is it still treacherous, I wondered.
I kneeled next to my father, closed his eyes, and then looked to the city and all its stars, wondering what stories I hadn’t heard yet. I wanted to hear them all before the stars burnt out. I looked down at my father’s face. It was somehow peaceful. I couldn’t claim the same for me. You should’ve fought it. For me at least, I said.
I let our fire die by the wind. That’s when I left the mountains.
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Here are the links to other participants blogs:
orion_mk3 -Â http://nonexistentbooks.wordpress.com
randi.lee -Â http://emotionalnovel.blogspot.com/
Ralph Pines -Â http://ralfast/wordpress.com/
kimberlycreates -Â http://kimberlycreates.com/
writingismypassion -Â http://charityfaye.blogspot.com/
dclary -Â http://www.davidwclary.com/
Penelope -Â http://poet-slash-writer.blogspot.com/
SinisterCola -Â http://acgatesblog.wordpress.com/
PragmaticPimp -Â http://www.unfoldingmyth.com/
magicmint -Â http://www.loneswing.com/
Diana_Rajchel -Â http://blog.dianarajchel.com/
SuzanneSeese -Â http://www.viewofsue.blogspot.com/
AFord -Â http://af12.webs.com/apps/blog/
J.W.Alden -Â http://www.authoralden.com/
Nissie -Â http://www.paperheroes.net/
Interesting conceit. It reminds me of “Daybreakers,” where vampires become the majority and use us humans as blood-cattle. Who’s to say that zombies, assuming they keep their intelligence afterwards, wouldn’t do the same? They could even time-share with the vamps.
Haha. Time sharing with vamps, that sounds like an interesting concept.
Thanks for comment.
Zombies do like their burgers rare haha! This is a great set up and I would love to read a part 2!
Thanks. I don’t burgers rare either.
Very good moody – and yes, an intriguing thought. Omega Man with an uncertainty about whether there ARE monsters.
Thanks for the comment. I enjoy the mood of this piece too.
Reminds me of The Road. I also like the fact that he seems bent on fighting rather than surviving.
I’ve never read the road before. Is it any good? Probably, I liked his other novels. Thanks for the comment.
Well done. I liked the idea that the zombies had led them into a trap on The Death Highway.
Yeah, I’m wondering where I can take this idea. Thanks for comment.
This piece put me in my iPhone game, Zombie Highway. It creeps me out when they hang out on those lonely highways, jumping on moving cars, etc. *shiver*
Nice job!
I haven’t played that game yet. I keep passing on it, which is strange cause I am a fan of the undead.
Very nice job, magic mint! Loved the atmosphere. You could feel the desperation, the underlying anger at the situation.
Great stuff!
Thanks for the nice comments. Glad you seemed to like it :)
Encore! A rewarding reading experience where all six senses get a front row seat–nice job–cheers!
Six senses! Maybe I will do an encore. Thanks for the comment!
I absolutely loved the sense of this, and the sense of survival versus continuity – where it’s not zombies, it’s not knowing whether there are zombies that makes the difference.
Love your descriptions, felt like I was right there.
Great job.
Happy to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping b and commenting.
A good read! Nice job.
Thanks for taking the time to read and comment.
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