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An Old Friend
Rose Butler was one of the oldest members of the zone. Her husband died a few years before the outbreak. Her son Lawrence was the only family that she had left. Rose and I were neighbors before the outbreak and again here in the Zone. When the word came to evacuate, I made her come…
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The Halloween Parade
Eight men dressed as hookers. Eleven women dressed as Corpse Corps members. The rendition of the Eighteenth Squad by their lovers had everyone laughing. One person in a Richard Nixon mask. One of Ronald Reagan, and four of Clinton. There were six Dick Cheneys. Amazing how the old monsters never die. The one wearing the…
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S.A.D.
I’ve just got to get through the next week or two and I’ll be okay. Yeah. Right. I know evolutionary biology isn’t really all that interesting in these times. Shut up. I’ve got a point. I remember before the collape seeing an article on the news about back pain. Apparently, the human spine was designed—no,…
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Sweetheart Corner
“God, this is boring,” said Martin as he smashed another Z just above the right eye. “I’d really prefer to expand my horizons a little.” His sledgehammer’s backswing caught another Z in the temple. “You know, tackle some new challenges, like the State Legislature or maybe working at the DMV.” His hammer came down on…
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Double Eagles
“Jesus Christ. What a fucking dump.” Slater and Meaker were sitting on top of an overheated M113. It was dripping something yellow from underneath its shell. The men inside had already found another ride. Like them it would sit there until it rusted. The trip from Albany had been quick but loud. The guys up…
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Speranza
I. Slater Slater cursed silently as he watched the snaking rivulets of blood and saline wind over the concrete toward the rusted drain. The words of the medic were drowning in a haze of screams and weeping from the young man who lay bleeding and thrashing on the stretcher. A woman with a rag mask…
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They Lived, Felt Dawn, Saw Sunset Glow
In the field an old man toils. His back is bent and crooked. His hands are calloused and brown. His face is drawn and leathery. His body is broken but his arms are strong. He works among the grasses and the pale yellow flowers and the neat rows of bleached crosses. He raises a shovel…
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First Blood
The world outside was eerily quiet. Dead silence rang through John’s ears. His wife and two children were lying on his bed before him, the fresh blood still pooling on the surface mixing with the gasoline he had poured under a minute ago. He stood silently smoking his fourth cigar, his stomach heaving from the…
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Final Thoughts
“Mom, no!” That’s when I bashed her head in, monkey wrench to the forehead. The woman had taken care of me for 22 years and it came down to that. I didn’t think I could do it. She’s my mom, for Christ’s sake. Well, was my mom anyways. Have you ever bashed your own mother’s…
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Hitting on the Ladiez
Two weeks ago, my fiancée left me. I didn’t think I’d be back out at the bar scene so soon, but here I was, spending my weekend at The Blarney Stone with my buddy Rick checking out a couple of girls across the room. “You want the blonde or the brunette?” “Rick, I don’t know…
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So it’s the End of the World
US Government Publication – Airborne Informational Leaflet (AIL) – 1A The US Government, through FEMA, has enacted a ten-step plan to combat this new and rapidly spreading threat. Step 1 is this rigorous airborne leaflet campaign designed to combat the spread of Solanum and aid survivors of the plague through public awareness and preparedness. Unfortunately…