Just Another Zombie

By: Andrew Hawley

That night, Raphael was found eating a sandwich at midnight. There was a noise coming from outside the cabin, he failed to notice. Then it became louder. And louder. And louder. He began to notice. Then it stopped. He continued eating his BLT as if nothing had happened. And nothing did happen. He ate happily and then went back to sleep.

It was the next night. Up as usual at midnight. This time, it was a PB and J. His personal favorite. Then he heard the noise again, but louder than the previous night. And there was moaning. Loud moaning. There was a scratching too. Like nails clawing to… break in. He checked out the first window. Nothing. The second window. Nothing. The third. Nothing. Then a shattering of glass made the hairs on the back of Raphael’s neck stand up. But the windows were fine in his cabin. After all, it was only one room, and he would know if his  windows were broken.

Then the screaming started. He could see others sprinting. He saw the broken window in the cabin next to him. He could see a green figure lurching toward Raphael’s screaming friend. Henry. He jumped into action, sneaking up behind the zombie about to make a feast out of Henry, and stuffing the half eaten PB and J down it’s throat. Raphael loved his Peanut butter sticky. Which was a good thing, because the zombie was now busy trying to brush his yellow teeth with his hand.

They started sprinting side-by-side into the woods, as a group of zombies formed behind them, sprinting like their hunger was unbearable and couldn’t be taken as a joke any longer. Unfortunately for the campers, there was a group up ahead as well. Henry screamed ”Into the woods!!!” which was the best option available. Sprinting up a hill, they were able to catch a break. The zombies lost interest and started chasing other campers. Catching their breath, they trudged on wordlessly. Past bare trees and bushes. They found a good climbing tree and decided to risk it. After all, zombies weren’t good at climbing, right? Occasionally, they saw some groups trudge by, oblivious to the rather enticing meal above them.

Then there was Jack, a good friend of theirs, getting chased by the biggest train of zombies yet. “Jack!!! Climb faster than you ever have before!!!” They screamed at the same time. Scrambling up to the same level of branches that  Raffaele and Henry were on, Jack started wobbling side to side from the sheer effort of climbing a 50 foot tree in less than a minute “Thanks guys.” he huffed. “I was a goner.” “Don’t mention it.” said Raphael.

The one big group of zombies decided that 3 campers were enough to be a good meal and started pooling at the bottom of the tree. The huge group attracted more and more zombies. Then they started to get desperate. One tried for the first branch. His arm fell off. He tried again, giving the others the courage to attempt the climb as well. Eventually they made progress. Scary progress. The more time passed, the farther they got. Until they were 5 feet below them. The campers made a decision. They started prepping themselves for the dangerous leap to another tree branch.

They didn’t make it. To the branch that they intended to land on, anyway. Raphael got a hold on a branch just below the intended one. The others did the same. The zombies now started to try figuring out how to get to the new tree. They jumped as well, with not as much luck. The zombies hung from the bare branches like ornaments, making it look like it was christmas time in the north pole. The campers made their way down the tree in the hopes that they could sprint away fast enough so that the zombies couldn’t catch up.

It worked. The zombies started deliberately falling off the tree to pursue the three. They did not stop to rest. Running deeper into the woods, the campers saw the zombies regrouping. And more adding on to the train, which was terrible luck, considering that they had another zombie in front of them. Except it wasn’t a zombie. It was a scientist. “That guy has to have had better days.” Raphael said under his breath. The scientist beckoned them forward as the train grew. “Come inside!!! Quickly!!!” He said. They followed him into a cave.

Which turned out to be a lot more comfortable and civil than just a regular old cave. It was a laboratory. A small one at that, but nevertheless a laboratory. The equipment looked high-tech to Raphael considering that he was not the best in modern day technology. And then he saw it. The train closing in. Blocking all exit. The scientist started pressing buttons and pulling levers on a control board. Then a mechanical voice came from the speaker on the control board,”Access Granted. Closing Doors.” And the zombies slowly went out of sight, as the door sealed them inside the dark and damp cave.

The scientist offered them no explanation as he busied himself on taking notes on a human in a tank. His skin tone was slightly different. A little bit more… green. ”Ummmm… doctor?” Jack said “ What is happening?” He ignored Jack. So they stood in silence. Until he spoke. “You are all going to die.” Naturally, their jaws all fell open. “Just kidding.” They exchanged nervous glances. “Unless you screw this up. Then you’re all dead.” They got ready for the “Just kidding”. It didn’t come. The scientist proceeded to continue with explanation of what they were undoubtedly going to screw up.

It was a genius plan. One that would make them heroes, and stories of glory and fortune were sure to follow (best case scenario). Or they would all be made into a delicious buffet (worst case scenario). They sprang into action. Looping cords through cords and working together to help build the weapon. Finally, they were ready. They ran out of the cave that meant certain safety and into the open which meant almost certain death.

They sprinted all with earpieces because if something went wrong, they could make up a plan on the fly. They saw a few stragglers, but none gave them any trouble. The scientist spoke the dreadful words,”You’re almost there.” and the group groaned. They didn’t want to be close to their destination. But they needed to. Unless they wanted the human race to go extinct.

The campers snuck through a bush, about to undertake an incredible feat. It was like rush hour in chicago. Wherever you looked, a sea of green was blocking their view of the dirt on the ground. And they weren’t trees. Raphael’s palms started sweating. There was a cold wind, and the temperature didn’t explain why he was sweating. They prepped the weapon, about to unleash the powers of science upon the freaks of nature. The others started shifting uncomfortably, and Raphael wasn’t doing much better to control the fear rising into his throat.

Part of them wanted to go screaming back to the cave. But they had to stay. “I think i’m going to be sick.” Henry whispered. The color of his puke and matched the zombies skin color. His face did, too. As they shook and slowly got out their projectiles, they prepared themselves to hurl the quick “Arts and crafts” project.”Three…Two…One...0.5…” Raphael said, ashamed of himself for dragging it out.”Go.”

Then, Raphael snapped awake from his nightmare. To a faint...moaning and... scratching on his door.