2014 Prompt Responses - 22. Prompt 329: Zombie Apocalypse

Two years ago, a bunch of meteorites crashed in the Nevada desert, ironically not far from Area 51. The media dubbed the event the ‘Zombie Apocalypse’ due to the after-effects of the meteorites' impact. All the jokes, bumper stickers, and zombie ‘fun runs’ weren’t so funny anymore. Scientists were baffled by the symptoms exhibited by individuals within a 500 mile radius of ground zero.

Hundreds of thousands of people were initially declared dead. The morgues couldn’t handle the influx of bodies; so schools, stadiums, and anywhere that was handy were adapted to accommodate the dead. What followed next is the stuff of horror films. After a period of about a week, the morgues and temporary morgues experienced a mass exodus of animated bodies. It appeared that the dead had arisen.

Upon examination, it was discovered that these ‘people’ had no discernable heartbeat and brain scans showed no activity, even though they acted and appeared no different from the rest of the population. Their memories remained intact for the most part; although they were a cold re-telling of events, void of emotion. In fact, they appeared incapable of feeling both emotions and physical pain.

Their condition was dubbed ‘zombieism’ and it wasn’t until weeks later that horrified scientists discovered that the condition was contagious. First responders and anyone else who had initial contact with the original zombies started exhibiting the same symptoms; in fact, the symptoms escalated. Those affected would develop a greenish hue and a horrific odor – like the smell of rotting flesh – when in the presence of someone not affected. It was only a matter of time before anyone who had the misfortune to experience these personally developed symptoms. They were apparently unstoppable and any method of extermination had yet to be effective.

Scientists and doctors were doing their best to research the condition and determine its cause, method of transmission, and find a cure; even though it meant certain death. There was a window of about three weeks before the research was passed on to the next poor soul. Biohazard suits and the strongest quarantine procedures did nothing to protect the unaffected. The epidemic was spreading exponentially as those infected prior to the warnings had already fled the area. There was no way to stop them and no one was safe. Martial law prevailed as governments collapsed. Civilized society had pretty much ground to a halt.

Prior to the Apocalypse, I was a huge zombie fan. Shaun of the Dead was one of my favorite movies and I wanted to bear Daryl Dixon’s children; well… if men could bear children. Tony never understood the appeal of either zombies or Daryl Dixon. We were lucky and managed to stockpile enough canned and dry goods to last us for several months. It allowed us to stay in our house in relative safety. We had two shotguns and a hunting rifle, along with a bunch of boxes of ammunition to help keep would-be thieves and looters at bay. So far, thankfully, we hadn’t had to use them. It had been a couple weeks since either of us ventured out for supplies. Even though we had the canned and dry goods, we did still need staples like bottled beverages. We also needed firewood so we could have an occasional hot meal. Cold canned soup left much to be desired. Having fresh meat was always a nice treat, and since Tony was the better hunter, he was elected to go on our latest supply run. I was really hoping he’d bag a rabbit or squirrel. My mouth watered just thinking about it.

Tony was gone about five hours and came back with a case of Pepsi, a package of toilet paper, firewood, and two rabbits. It was quite the haul. I helped him unload the wagon after grabbing a bottle of Pepsi and was so lost in my thoughts of what to do with those rabbits that I wasn’t really paying attention to Tony. I took a deep breath and sighed; this was the happiest I’d been since the news of the Apocalypse. I took a sip of my Pepsi and almost vomited. It smelled like something died.

My eyes widened in shock as I took in Tony’s greenish hue and chillingly empty smile and I spewed my Pepsi all over him. He screamed and fell to the ground, writhing in pain. The parts of his skin that the Pepsi hit were returning to his normal color. I shook the bottle and sprayed the rest of the beverage all over him, cringing from his blood-curdling screams. His color was returning to normal and he didn’t reek anymore.

After he was done screaming, I wasn’t able to detect any trace of zombie symptoms. After explaining to Tony what had happened, we thought it would be a good idea to see if spraying other zombies with Pepsi had the same effect. It did. It took us about a month to get to the nearest research facility. It took the better part of a year for enough Pepsi to be manufactured to eradicate the zombie scourge. I’ve been hailed as a national hero and savior of mankind, even though I detest both titles. The exact nature of the zombie phenomenon has never been discovered and probably never will. A thousand square mile zone has been erected around the meteorite site, and entering the zone is punishable by death. One zombie apocalypse is enough.

Prompt 329:
Having watched movies and television shows based on zombies you figured you would be prepared if they ever dared to shamble in your direction. The problem is no one was ready for the meteorites that slammed into the earth this year. For hundreds of miles surrounding the crash sites a brand new type of zombie was created, from the new born baby to the oldest citizen, all were converted and now they are after all the rest of the world. What are these new zombies like and what do they want?
Please let me know what you think of my version of the Zombie Apocalypse.  Thanks for reading!