Experiment Undead

I startle awake as more fire alarms, car alarms, and other sirens blare, interrupting my lack of sleep. I rub my tired eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the darkness. Peering at the alarm clock, I see it’s almost 4 am. I open my window and look out. Everything has only become worse.

As I take in the scene outside, my body tenses up, and I feel a knot form in my stomach. There are flames everywhere in the distance and up the road. The soulless are walking around everywhere, even in my front yard. Cars are scattered everywhere; most are damaged with broken windows and dints. A neighbour catches my eye, silently moving boxes of food to her car. She disappears inside her house, likely grabbing more supplies. She must be leaving. I can’t help but wonder if we should be leaving too. But then again, our car is parked at the supermarket, and where would we even go? I watch as the neighbour returns to her car and drives away, as soulless chase her. A pang of worry hits me. Where is she heading, and will she be safe?

I leave my room to check on Liam. I wasn’t expecting also to find him awake staring out his window.

‘It’s gotten worse,’ I say as I approach behind him.

‘We won’t be able to stay here much longer,’ he frowns.

‘Have you checked on Jane?’ I ask.

‘No, I only woke up a few minutes ago. We should check on her together,’ Liam says, and I follow him down the stairs.

Jane is sitting on the couch by the front door, holding Liam’s baseball bat and a picture of Doug. The bags under her eyes tell us that she hasn’t slept yet.

‘You can’t say that, Doug. That’s not true. I’m telling you now. The police are on their way. You must be starving. I’ll cook dinner. Stay where you are,’ she murmurs to the picture.

Liam and I exchange a concerned look. ‘I think Mum has lost the plot... we need to snap her out of it,’ Liam whispers.

We enter the kitchen, where Jane struggles to turn on the stove despite the lack of power.

‘Jane... the stove isn’t working. We have no power, remember?’ I say gently.

‘But your father is hungry. He needs to have his dinner,’ she insists.

Liam steps forward, placing his hands on her shoulders. ‘Mum, you need to snap out of it. Dad is... Dad is dead. You saw him turn.’

’Don’t be so absurd, Liam. Your father is relaxing on the couch as we speak,” she huffs.

Liam takes a deep breath and pulls her towards the front door, grabbing the framed picture of Doug. “This is not Dad! Dad is dead, and we need to get out of here. We aren’t safe here for much longer, Mum. Look out the window. There are soulless everywhere. We have to get out of here.′

Jane bursts into tears and drops to the floor. Liam and I both wrap our arms around her.

‘We need to figure out where we can go, Mum, somewhere safe,’ Liam says.

‘The phone lines are down, and we have no power to check the news on the TV, and we have no car,’ she sobs.

‘Wait, don’t we have a radio somewhere with batteries?’ I remember.

Liam nods, ‘I think it’s in the garage.’

I sprint towards the garage with a sense of urgency, my heart pounding in my chest. With a determined look, I hastily open the creaky wooden crates, my hands frantically searching through the contents. I find what I need - more torches, a box of matches, and a trusty pocket knife. A flicker of relief crosses my face as I realise these items will be useful for what’s to come.

I reach for the dusty black duffel bag that’s been lying beside a wooden bench, my fingers gripping it tightly. As I carefully place the items inside, my eyebrows furrow in concentration, my eyes scanning the crates for any other useful supplies.

Finally, I spot the radio and pull it out with a triumphant grin. I quickly pull up the antenna, turn the power knob on, and hoist the duffel bag over my shoulder, ready to face whatever danger lies ahead.

I return to the living room with quick, determined steps. Liam and Jane are sitting on the couch, their faces etched with worry. I sit down next to Liam, my body tense with anticipation. With a solemn expression, I hand him the radio, my eyes meeting his in a meaningful glance.

We wait and listen, Liam’s fingers frantically fiddling with the dials, his face contorted with concern. Suddenly, a shrill voice crackles through the static, and Liam’s eyes widen in alarm. My heart rate skyrockets as I hear: “...Emergency Alert, this is an Emergency Alert. You must stay in your home and barricade your doors and windows. Do not, I repeat, do not go near the infected.”

My jaw clenches in fear as the message continues to replay its words sending shivers down my spine. The air in the room feels heavy and oppressive, and I can sense the fear emanating from Jane as Liam appears lost in thought.

Liam then gazes at Jane and me with a serious demeanour, ‘The sun will rise soon. The warning says to stay inside, but the soulless have entered the neighbours’ houses. I think we are more at risk if we stay. We should pack a bag of essentials each and sneak out before sunrise,’ Liam suggests.

Nodding in agreement, we all go to our respective rooms to pack. I grab the dusty duffel bag and fill it with one fresh set of clothes, my toothbrush and toothpaste from the bathroom. I run to the kitchen and open the pantry, scanning for useful items.

The first thing I grab that I could never live without are my potato chips, and then I fill the remainder of my bag with handfuls of muesli bars, instant soup packets, and two-minute noodles, my hands moving quickly and efficiently. I pack the torches on top for easy access before zipping my bag closed. Liam has finished packing what he needs from his room and fills the rest of his bags with tinned food from the pantry.

But I notice his bag is too heavy, ‘Wait, the tins will make your bag too heavy. Just take packet food like the biscuits and noodles.’

Liam nods, returning the cans and filling his bag with lighter foods. I notice a small pot with a handle on the kitchen counter and grab it, using the ribbon I pulled from the top of one of my two plaits from my hair. I thread it through the hole at the top of the handle and tye it to the strap of my duffel bag.

‘What’s the pot for?’ Liam asks, looking at me with confusion.

‘To cook the packet soups and noodles, you dummy. All we have to do is add water and place it over a fire or stove,’ I explain.

He ruffles my hair with his hand, a fond smile on his lips. ‘Of course, you would think of that,’ he says.

I grab our drink bottles, fill them with water, and hand Liam his.

Jane returns downstairs, meeting us in the kitchen. Jane grabs her jar of coffee and teabags, shoving them into her bag along with a mug.

We suddenly hear the sirens of a police car flicking on and then off, driving down our street. The blaring voice of the officer speaks through the loudspeaker. The message is clear: stay inside, lock your doors, and barricade your windows. I rush upstairs to my room and peer out the window. The blue and red lights of the car flash, casting an eerie glow on the houses and the sidewalks with roaming infected, seeking out humans and hovering around doors and windows.

As the car makes its way down the street, the moans of the dead fill the air. At first, it’s faint, barely audible over the hum of the police car’s engine, but it grows louder and louder with each passing moment. Another swarm of infected emerge from the darkness, stumbling towards the police car.

The officer in the passenger window quickly grabs his weapon and fires at the approaching horde. His aim is true, and he manages to take down several of the soulless before they get too close. But there are too many of them, and the officer is overwhelmed.

Panic sets in as the soulless reach through the window for him, their clawed hands scraping against the metal of the car. The officer’s chest rises rapidly as his adrenaline kicks in, and he fires wildly, trying to keep them at bay. But it’s no use, and eventually, he gives up, managing to put the window up just in time to keep soulless from grabbing him.

As the police car speeds away, the moans of the soulless grow fainter, and the streets become silent, but only for a few minutes as some return. The image of the officer hysterically shooting at the approaching horde before finally succumbing to fear and shutting the window plays over my mind. I quickly close the curtains and step away.

‘Gum drops, lollipops and care bears everywhere,’ I repeat, singing over and over, gripping my hair and pacing the floor, trying to stop today’s graphic and violent events from flashing through my mind.

The police are no match for the soulless. I think of officer Kip and his brains flying out from the back of his head. The flashbacks won’t stop. I’m struggling to breathe.

‘Gum drops, lollipops and care bears everywhere,’ I repeat.

Liam enters my room and grabs my upper arms firmly, ‘What colour are the gumdrops?’ he asks.

‘Red, blue, and green,’ I say, envisioning them.

‘What flavour are the lollipops?’ he asks.

‘Strawberry cream and watermelon,’ I reply, thinking of the sweet taste.

‘Who’s your favourite care bear?’ he asks.

‘Grumpy Bear,’ I answer.

My breathing steadies and my shoulders relax.

I stare into Liam’s concerned, dark brown eyes, ‘Thank you,’ I say with relief.

‘Let’s just get somewhere safe. Mum is waiting for us,’ he says, taking my hands and leading me downstairs to Jane.

‘Okay, let’s get out of here,’ Jane says, placing a family photo of us with Doug into her pocket.

‘Where’s the gun?’ I ask.

‘It’s in my bag,’ Jane says.

I’m glad she has come back to her senses.

We quietly leave through the back door. Jane locks it, hoping we can return and find the house intact. We can see the sun is about to rise. Liam lifts me so I can climb over the fence. We continue through all the backyards, unsure of where we are going, but almost everyone we see is dead or infected. We hide behind a brick wall to catch our breaths.

‘Maybe we should try my Highschool? It has high fencing around it and a cafeteria,’ Liam suggests.

We nod and hide behind every car, rubbish bin, and tree. The rises higher, casting a pinkish glow across the sky. There are just as many cars left abandoned and smashed everywhere as yesterday. We finally come across survivors, but they are on their rooftops huddled together in blankets, waiting, hoping and some even praying to be rescued. There are more people, also trapped in stores, and houses, peering out the window at us, and the few other people taking their chances to escape out of this town.

There are bodies of the soulless scattered along the roads, footpaths and in the yards of people’s homes, but plenty are still alive, roaming about, moaning or eating the remains of the dead humans.

The other families and us dare not speak for fear of the infected hearing us. Everyone remains silent with each step. Although people further away are screaming, the soulless move toward them. The other families quietly turn down a different street to us. It’s the last time we see them.

We dart from one hiding spot to the next, constantly scanning our surroundings for signs of danger. Every rustling leaf or creaking branch makes us jump with fear, our hearts pounding.

A dog comes barking down the street. We hide behind a large tree and watch the nearby soulless circle around the dog and close in before biting into him: the dog yelps and whimpers in pain.

‘No, no, no,’ I say in a low, hard whisper.

I hold my tears in, even though I want to scream and burst into tears. I know doing so will mean our death.

It feels like we’ve been walking for hours, but we’re finally in luck. From a distance, we can see a chain-link fence surrounding Liam’s school, and we breathe a small sigh of relief, knowing that it’s at least partially fortified. As we approach, we notice several soldiers patrolling the perimeter, armed with rifles and wearing body armour.

‘The soldiers won’t mistake us as soulless and shoot us, will they?’ Liam asks, his voice shaky.

I glance at the soldiers, assessing their body language and facial expressions. They seem tense but not trigger-happy, and I’m certain they’ll be able to tell the difference between the soulless and us.

‘You and Jane wait here; I’ll see if I can grab the attention of the soldier on the roof,’ I tell them, taking a deep breath and stepping out into the open.

‘But…’ Jane tries to protest; I quickly step out before she can argue.

I wave my arms in the air, and a few moments later, I have the soldier’s attention. I see him nod and hold his hand up. I assume it’s his way of saying he can see me and to hold tight for a moment. He holds his radio near his mouth and speaks. I notice the soldiers at the different posts are now looking in my direction and waving me over.

‘Okay, they know we’re good, come on,’ I say, running towards the school. They open a large gate and have us stand a few meters apart.

A female soldier with long blonde hair who looks to be in her forties approaches. ‘I’m glad to see more survivors, we haven’t had many arrive, but before we can let you through the next set of gates, we need to make sure none of you are infected,’ she says.

We nod, lifting our shirts and pulling our pant legs up.

Satisfied, she smiles and nods.

‘My name is Jane, and these are my children, Liam and Penny.’

‘I’m General Maywood. I’m in charge here,’ she smiles, then shakes hands with Liam and me. ‘Follow me, and we will get you all settled.’

We follow her through the next set of gates entering the school grounds. General Maywood leads us straight to the school cafeteria. I count seventeen survivors eating breakfast at the tables. Only three of them are children.

General Maywood clears her throat. ‘Please, have something to eat. We have makeshift beds in the assembly hall where everyone sleeps. There are plenty of empty beds. Just place your bags on the bed you choose, so any new survivors that arrive know it’s taken.’

We nod, take a bowl, fill it with cereal and milk, and scoff it down.

‘Penny,’ Jane says in a low voice. Her eyes are fighting back the tears.

‘Yeah?’ I reply.

‘I-I need to ask you what happened in the supermarket with the officer. He-he wasn’t one of them. Why? How could you?’ she says as her voice breaks.

Liam looks between us, confused.

I stare at my hands as they tremble, ‘I don’t know how to explain it,’ I tell her. I want to explain it to her, but I freeze up and envision that look on Officer Kip’s face, his eyes boring into mine, his fear of turning, but his fear of also dying.

‘I didn’t want to shoot him. I didn’t want to kill him. I had to. I-I’m not a murderer,’ I tell her. A tear rolls down my cheek as I purse my lips together. I am trying my best not to burst into tears.

‘You shot the officer?’ Liam asks, mortified.

Jane places her warm hand over mine. My hand stops trembling at her touch.

‘I know you’re not a murderer, Penny. You will always be my daughter, no matter what you do, but you must never tell anyone what you did,’ I nod, and she turns to Liam, ‘Penny is your sister, no matter what you think of each other. You mustn’t tell anyone what she did. We have to protect each other,’ she tells him.

‘I won’t tell anyone, Mum,’ he promises.

I look at them in disbelief. They think I killed Officer Kip in cold blood. As I try to explain he had been bitten, my words fumble and I’m interrupted by a soldier who hands us a ration pack containing some water and food, ‘These are your rations for the rest of the day. Try to spread it out between you till the morning,’ he says.

Jane nods and takes the pack. The soldier sits next to my mother to talk to her. She notices the other kids finish breakfast and head outside to play on the basketball court.

‘You two should go and join the other kids. It would be good for you to have some friends while we are here,’ Jane says to Liam and me.

We leave the table. Entering the hall, we choose beds next to each other and make our way to the basketball court.

As Liam and I approach, the children unenthusiastically nudge the ball slowly to each other.

‘Hi, I’m Penny. I’m eleven years old, and this is my older brother Liam. He’s fifteen. What are your names?’

The brunette girl with brown eyes twirls her fingers in her long hair. ‘I’m Nancy, I’m twelve years old, and this is my sister Emma, she is six years old, and this is our friend Oscar.’

Nancy’s eyes are a striking brown that has a sparkle to them. She’s very pretty, and her gaze is warm and inviting. Her eyebrows are full and well-defined, arching slightly above her eyes to accentuate their natural beauty. Her nose is straight, small and delicate, and her lips are full and pink, with a hint of a smile. Her hair is long, flowing in loose waves cascading down her back. It is a rich, warm shade of chestnut brown. Her skin is a glowing beige, with a warm, healthy complexion. She has a slender build and is taller than me.

Emma, who looks just like her sister, hides behind Nancy and peeks her head out to watch us. I smile and wave at her, and she gives me a small wave back.

‘I’m thirteen years old,’ Oscar says.

He leans against the goalpost and crosses his arms in boredom. He has a thick strap over the back of his neck that links to a digital camera across the front of his chest. Oscar pushes his dark semi-long hair out of his face, only for it to fling back over. His eyes are a vibrant, electric blue, like a bolt of lightning frozen in time, that seem to gleam with an inner intelligence and depth. His skin is fair, and his lean and toned physique suggests he probably plays sports regularly.

His most distinctive feature other than his eyes is his semi-long dark hair that falls around his face, covering his forehead and framing his features to create a slightly mysterious and intriguing aura. His hair is a deep, rich hue that adds depth and texture to his overall appearance. His facial features are sharp and well-defined, with a straight nose and high cheekbones that lend his face a chiselled and angular quality. His lips are full and expressive and curve into a subtle smile giving me the impression that suggests he is deep in thought. He is wearing dark colours that complement his hair and eyes and add to his cool and collected vibe.

He stares at Liam and me as if assessing us, ‘You wouldn’t think you would be siblings. You look nothing alike. You even have blonde hair and blue eyes with light skin, and your brother has brown hair, brown eyes and brown skin,’ he points out.

‘Well, in some families, it comes down to genetics, but in our case, we aren’t biological siblings. I’m Liam’s foster sister.’

‘Oh?’ he says with interest.

‘Anyway, are you all here with your parents?’ I ask.

‘My uncle and I went out to the river to go fishing. We were gone for hours as usual. We were about to finish for the day when two bodies floated by us in the river. My uncle Todd wanted to pull the bodies onto the boat so the families could have closure. As he pulled one up, we realised he was still alive even though he looked dead, and his eyes…’ Oscar takes a moment to breathe. ‘His eyes were dark, and you could see all his veins. Then he grabbed my uncle’s arm and snapped his teeth like a vicious animal. My uncle used his foot and nudged him back into the water. The other person was gnarling and making really weird creepy sounds. We went back to shore straight away to get help, only to find the car park was full of people screaming and running away in fear. Those things that were in the water were everywhere on land too. We left the boat, got in my uncle’s Ute, and drove back to his house. My uncle didn’t have a television, so he turned his radio on, and it was announced that army personnel had arrived at this school and was a safe zone for civilians, so we came straight here. We have been trying to contact my parents since but haven’t had any luck. My uncle can’t get any service on his phone, and the school’s phone line won’t connect either. I think they may be…’ he struggles to say the words.

‘It’s fine, Oscar, you don’t have to say it. I’m sure they are fine. We were trapped in the supermarket when it all happened. We lost our dad. He became soulless like the others. We escaped and managed to get to our house and hide there until we came here. They could be at their house too and not know there’s a safe zone here yet,’ I assure him.

Oscar nods, ‘Sorry about your dad,’ he frowns.

‘We are, too,’ I say.

‘What about you, Nancy and Emma? Where were you when this began?’

‘We were at home having lunch. We were luckier than others because we had the news on the TV in the background. They said to evacuate immediately or stay inside our homes due to a deadly virus outbreak that had broken out at that big CureTech building. Mum and Dad packed the car straight away, and we left. We were going to head North and stay with my grandparents. They live about two hours away, but the dead or the soulless, as you call them, were everywhere. Dad noticed army trucks in the distance and said our best bet was to follow and stick with them. They set up a safe zone here at this school where they took us in.’

Emma pokes her head out, ‘I’m scared,’ she sobs.

I kneel in front of her and place my hand on her shoulder. ‘It’s okay to be scared, Emma. We all are,’ I say, looking away to hide my tears.