Experiment Undead

It’s the 16th of June. We have been at the high school for three days now. Five more survivors have made it here since we arrived. Liam and I spent most of our time with the other kids, but I’ve also gotten to know all the soldiers. Nate has been my favourite. He’s eighteen and hasn’t been in the army long.

He has light brown hair starting to grow through his shaven head. His blue eyes are a rich, dark shade, like the velvet depths of the night sky. He stands tall and proud. He’s slim but with a little muscle from his few months of training and discipline since joining the army. His sharp jawline and determined expression show that he is ready for whatever challenges come his way. Despite his youth, he carries himself with confidence and a sense of purpose, radiating strength and resilience.

I want to see him, so I make a coffee in the school kitchen the way he likes it and head up onto the roof. The nutty aroma smells good. I’m tempted to taste it, but Jane would be angry at me for even taking a sip. So, I mentally push the temptation aside as I continue up the stairs. I find Nate laying on his stomach, looking through his scope. His rifle slowly pans from side to side and stops to shoot a group of soulless approaching the school. I wait until he stops shooting, so I don’t distract him.

‘Nate, I made you a coffee,’ I smile.

‘You’re the best, Penny. I thought we ran out of coffee?’

I try and hide my smirk and shrug my shoulders. I used some of Jane’s coffee she had hidden in her bag. I feel a little bad for not asking her, but I know how much Nate loves his coffee. He was devastated this morning when General Maywood announced we were out and running low on milk.

He sits up, takes the coffee, and gives me a high-five with his other hand.

‘How many have you shot today?’ I ask.

‘One hundred and ninety-three. Every day, the numbers increase,’ he sighs.

‘That’s a lot,’ I frown in thought. ‘How long do you think we’ll stay here? Where will we go after here? Will there be helicopters or tanks or something that will take us somewhere far from here? What if there is nowhere safe to go?’ I ask, my hands flailing in the air.

‘Woah, slow down there, Penny. We must stay here as long as possible and take in as many survivors as we can. We are supposed to receive a supply drop of food, ammo, and medical items throughout the week,’ he pauses and sips his coffee. ‘There’ll be armoured buses to collect you all and take you to another location to quarantine. It was said on the radio,’ he says, pointing to it attached to his belt. ‘They’ll take you all the longer route, avoiding the big cities and towns. There will be less soulless to deal with that way. Getting to one of the quarantine points could take a day or even longer. The government is organising “Safe Holds” for everyone to live in until we can return home.’ An angry look flashes across Nate’s face as he mentions returning home.

I tilt my head and look at him with hopeful eyes, ‘Won’t you be coming with us?’

He shakes his head, his shoulders slightly slumped, ‘I’m to stay here with half of the soldiers.’

I furrow my brow, feeling disappointed, ‘Once you leave, we will go through the streets and eradicate all the soulless.’

My eyes widen, ‘But that could take months!’

He nods, his eyes determined, ‘It’s my job, Penny, and there may be more survivors out there we can find as we comb through the streets, maybe even Oscar’s parents.’

I bite my lip, feeling a mix of worry and sadness, ‘That’s true, but I’ll miss you.’

Nate steps closer, his hand reaching out to touch my shoulder reassuringly, ‘I’ll miss you and the awesome coffees you make.’ He winks at me, and I can’t help but smile.

His smile widens, ‘We’ll see each other again one day.’

.

As we sit together on the ledge, I listen to the faint rustling of leaves and the distant cawing of birds. Nate takes a long sip from his coffee cup, his eyes fixed on the breathtaking view before us. I nudge him lightly with my elbow, causing him to break his gaze and look at me.

‘What is it?’ he asks, a faint smile on his lips.

I point towards the horizon, ‘Over there,’ I say, my voice barely above a whisper. ‘Soulless.’

Nate’s eyes flicker towards where I’m pointing, and in an instant, he’s up and on his stomach, his rifle trained on the distant figures. I watch as he aims his weapon. His eyes focus intently on his target.

‘Nate?’ I say tentatively, my voice laced with concern.

He turns his head slightly, acknowledging me but not taking his eyes off the horizon. ‘Yes, Penny?’

I swallow, feeling a lump form in my throat. ‘Do you think we’ll ever be safe again?’ I ask my voice barely above a whisper.

Nate’s expression softens, and he sits up, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. ‘I don’t know,’ he admits, his voice gentle. ‘But we’ll keep fighting, and we’ll keep surviving for as long as we can.’

‘Nate?’ I say again.

‘Yes, Penny,’ he laughs.

‘Could you teach me how to use your rifle?’

Nate’s laughter stops as he stares at me, stunned.

‘Are you sure that is something you want to do?’

‘No, it’s not something I want to do. It’s something I need to do. We don’t know how long the soulless will be around, and even though I’m just a kid, I need to be able to protect myself if I’m ever on my own. The more weapons I know how to use, the easier it will be for me to defend myself.’

Nate thinks momentarily and waves me over to lie next to him.

‘Unfortunately, Penny, you’re right. You need to be able to defend yourself in different circumstances. If anything happens to us soldiers, it’s only vital for civilians to know how to use our weapons. So, the first thing you need to know, Penny, is that a gun is not a toy. It’s a serious weapon that should be handled with care and respect,’ Nate says as he stares at his rifle. ‘Have you ever held one before?’

‘No,’ I reply, looking up at him with curious eyes.

‘Alright, let’s start with the basics. This is an army rifle. It’s a semi-automatic weapon that can shoot multiple rounds. It’s also quite heavy, so you must hold it properly to avoid hurting yourself.’

Nate demonstrates how to hold the rifle, showing me how to grip the stock with my dominant hand and support the rifle with my other hand. He then shows me how to stabilise the rifle’s butt against my shoulder.

‘Remember always to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, away from people or animals. And don’t forget to keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot,’ Nate reminds me.

I nod, eager to try it out. Nate shows me how to load the rifle, explaining the different parts and how they worked together. I watch carefully as Nate loads the magazine, pulls back the charging handle and releases it to chamber a round.

‘Now, it’s your turn,’ Nate says, handing the rifle to me. ‘Take your time and remember what I taught you.’

I take the rifle and hold it as Nate had shown me. I follow the steps, loading the magazine and pulling back the charging handle. It’s heavy, but I’m determined to hold it steady. Nate watches closely, ready to assist if I need it.

‘Okay, Penny, now let’s aim at the target,’ Nate says, pointing to the soulless. ‘Look through the sights and line them up with the target. Remember to breathe slowly and steadily.’

I aim at the target, trying to keep the sights steady. I squeeze the trigger gently, and the rifle fires. I feel a sharp kickback, and the sound echoes through the street. I’m slightly startled, but Nate reassures me it’s normal and shows me how to get back on target for the next shot. I aim at the target’s head; Nate nods, and I pull the trigger. The bullet flies passed the soulless, missing by just a couple of centimetres. ‘Damn,’ I say.

‘You did well. You were close. Try again,’ Nate assures me.

On my next attempt, I hit the shoulder of the soulless. Attempting my third shot, I ease myself a little more and steady my arms. I pull the trigger, shooting the soulless in the head. I aim for the second soulless and pull the trigger. The bullet goes through his cheekbone. I need to focus more and aim a little higher. I pull the trigger, and the bullet penetrates through his brain, and he falls to the ground.

Unready for praise, I continue focusing on the third soulless: this one is a woman. Aiming carefully and taking my time, I pull the trigger and watch as she slumps to the ground.

‘Great job, Penny. You’re a natural,’ Nate says, patting me on the back.

I beam with pride.

He shows me how to reload the gun and unloads it handing it over for me to try. I follow his direction and load the rifle.

‘I never thought in a million years I’d ever be teaching an eleven-year-old girl how to use a rifle,’ he laughs momentarily, then his face changes to a look of concern. ‘Wait, your Mum isn’t going to kill me for teaching you how to use it, is she?’ he asks nervously.

‘Um, yeah, she probably will… but I won’t tell if you don’t?’ I smile.

He reaches his hand out, ‘It’s a deal,’ he smiles as we shake hands.

‘Can I come up and practice a little each day?’

‘Sure,’ Nate smiles.

I take his empty mug and return it to the kitchen.

‘Where have you been?’ Liam asks.

‘Oh, um… nowhere really, just been exploring the school grounds,’ I lie.

‘Oscar and the girls are bored. You should have told us what you were up to. We would’ve come too.’

‘Sorry, I’ll let you all know next time.’

We walk to the front foyer. Oscar is leaning against the wall while Nancy and Emma sit quietly on the floor.

‘Penny!’ Emma squeals and races over to hug me.

I pat her head gently, ‘Let’s go hang out the front with the soldiers?’ I suggest.

Everyone nods and follows my lead out the front door.

‘What are you kids up to?’ General Maywood asks.

‘There’s nothing to do, so we thought we would hang out the front and watch the soldiers for the afternoon,’ Liam says.

‘Can’t you throw hoops in the basketball court?’ she asks.

‘That’s what we’ve done all morning, all day yesterday, and all day before that,’ Liam replies.

‘I see, I guess it’s okay for you to be out here, but you aren’t allowed through the second gate, you hear?’

‘Yes, General Maywood,’ we all say in unison.

‘Good,’ we watch as she walks back to her post.

We play hide and seek to keep Emma happy for a while.

I can see her foot sticking out of a bush.

‘Where oh where could Emma be?’ I say out loud as I creep towards her. ‘Found you!’ I say, grabbing her foot.

‘Took you long enough,’ she says, sticking her tongue out.

We pull faces at each other until a car horn interrupts us and continues to beep. Tyres screech, and we can smell burnt rubber in the air. I take Emma’s hand to keep her close.

A car swerves around the corner, heading towards the school. Oscar, Liam and Nancy now stand by my side. The soldiers ready themselves and aim for the car but don’t shoot. A moment later, a horde of Soulless comes running around the corner. They’re following the car.

‘Shit!’ General Maywood yells. She takes her radio and calls for the backup of any soldiers inside. A moment later, a dozen soldiers run past us, take their positions at the front, and shoot. Hundreds of soulless are heading our way.

‘Kids, you need to go inside, now,’ General Maywood orders and turns back around to shoot.

None of us budges. We’re frozen on the spot, watching on in shock. The car swerves and comes to a stop. A woman with brown hair, and brown eyes, wearing glasses and a long white cloak, falls out from the driver’s side.

‘Help, help me,’ she begs.

General Maywood waves her over. The woman runs with little strength over to General Maywood and slumps to her knees to catch her breath.

‘I can’t let you through the second gate until I see you are clear of bite marks.’

The woman glares at General Maywood, ‘Are you serious?’

‘Yes, I’m very serious. You must remove your clothes if you want to enter through this gate. We have other survivors, including children, here. I will not risk getting them infected because I didn’t check one person for signs of being infected. You need to hurry up so I can help my team eradicate this horde of dead you brought to us before it’s too late,’ General Maywood says, frustrated.

Defeated, the woman removes her white cloak, shirt and pants, leaving her bra and underwear on. She then raises her hands in the air and turns. She has a lanyard around her neck. She takes it off and places it in the pocket of her cloak.

‘Get dressed and get inside,’ General Maywood says.

The woman redresses, looks up at the school, and notices us standing there. She begins to blush, and then I realise why. We had just watched her strip down to her bra and underwear, and it didn’t help that two of us are teenage boys. I look at Liam and notice him grinning. I elbow him to wipe the grin off his face.

‘What was that for Penny?’

You’re making her uncomfortable. Stop smiling at her like that.’

‘Oh,’ he says and frowns instead.

‘That’s better.’

The woman stumbles on her feet. I run towards her and wave for the gang to follow.

‘Are you hurt?’ I ask.

‘Thank you. It’s my ankle. It’s not broken but might be sprained,’ the woman says.

Liam and Oscar drape her arms over their shoulders while I open the doors. Jane, Todd, and all the other adults come rushing towards us.

‘Penny, what’s going on out there?’ Jane asks.

‘This lady arrived. There were hundreds of soulless following her. The army is trying to take them out. This woman might have sprained her ankle. We need to bandage it.’

Everyone gasps. Todd and another man help the woman into the assembly hall. Everyone follows to help her.

I run to the kitchen, grab the first aid kit, and bring it into the assembly hall. Jane takes the medical kit and bandages her ankle.

‘It’s a little swollen. Try to stay off it,’ Jane smiles at her.

‘I’m Jane, by the way, and these are my children, Penny and Liam.’

‘I’m Kelly. Thanks for your help.’

Liam hands her a bottle of water. We watch as she sculls it down.

‘How did you manage to have hundreds of soulless chase you?’ I ask her.

Kelly stiffens. She’s uncomfortable and doesn’t want to answer. I look down at her cloak across her lap and pull her Lanyard out of the pocket. She tries to snatch it from my hands. I hold it up and read ‘Kelly Wilson, Head Scientist, CureTech Laboratory.’