New Realities

The first light of dawn filtered through the boarded-up windows of their makeshift base, casting a soft glow across the cluttered room where William, Samantha, and Dusty stirred from their slumber. As they sat up, rubbing the sleep from their eyes, the events of the previous day came rushing back to them – the unexpected arrival of Sarah, the zombie who had become their unlikely companion.

As the four of them gathered around the small table for breakfast, a sense of unease hung heavy in the air, the weight of their new reality settling over them like a suffocating blanket. Sarah sat silently beside Dusty, her eyes downcast as she picked at her food, the others stealing nervous glances at her as they ate.

"So," William began, his voice hesitant. "What exactly does this mean? Having a zombie living with us, I mean."

Dusty was the first to speak, "Well, first of all, we have one more sword in our battles with the zombies out there. One more person to help keep us safe. Who knows, perhaps this will give us an advantage over the others." Looking at William and Samantha Dusty added, "It also means we can now travel in two teams instead of one person always being left alone."

Samantha looked at William and gave him a warm smile knowing that would mean more time spent together.

Sarah looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. She wanted to address the issue head on. "It means that I'm... different," she said softly. "But I can still eat and drink like you. I just... I need to eat flesh some times." Her words were difficult to say, partly because of the damage that had been done to her throat which had yet to heal and partly because it was such a difficult thing to express.

The words hung in the air, the weight of them sinking in as the others processed what Sarah had just revealed. Samantha's hand trembled slightly as she set down her fork, her appetite suddenly gone.

"You... you eat flesh? For real, human flesh?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sarah nodded, her gaze fixed on the table in front of her. "I hate it," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "But if I don't eat, after no more than three days, the craving gets so strong that I can't control myself. I'll attack other zombies, or even humans, just to satisfy the hunger." She goes on to explain, "The flesh can be from other zombies that I kill, but it can't be more than a couple days old. This means I can't stockpile it as I have no why to keep it from going bad."

A shiver ran down Dusty's spine at the thought of Sarah succumbing to her cravings, her humanity slipping away as she gave into the primal instincts that lurked within her. He reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, offering her a silent gesture of support.

"What... what else do you know about zombies?" William asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

Sarah took a deep breath, her gaze distant as she recalled what little she knew of her own kind. "We... we tend to ignore other zombies, unless we're hungry," she explained. "We hunt by scent, tracking down humans and other living creatures to feed on. "Our sense of smell is much stronger than yours, in fact I was able to smell the three of you in this building look before I ever saw Dusty standing outside yesterday.

She paused, her brow furrowing in concentration as she struggled to find the words to explain her own existence. "We're... stronger and faster than normal humans," she continued. "We can do things that you wouldn't believe. I can continue to run for many miles without becoming tired. In fact I think with most zombies their brain wouldn't even recognize that their body was tired and would continue to run until it could no longer detect its prey."

Dusty nodded, his mind racing with questions. "How... how did you become a zombie?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Sarah's eyes clouded with uncertainty as she shook her head. "I don't remember," she admitted, her voice barely audible. "I don't remember being attacked, and there are no scars on my body to indicate an attack. I just... woke up one day, and this is what I was."

"I was outside the town but I really have no idea how I had arrived at this town, I don't remember walking or traveling to get here. I figured out what I was because of the things I could do. I found this sword and have been fighting other zombies developing my skills."

A heavy silence fell over the room as they processed Sarah's words, the weight of her revelation hanging heavy in the air. Dusty felt a surge of empathy for her, a sense of compassion for the struggles she had faced in this unforgiving world.

"Do... do you have feelings?" Samantha asked, her voice hesitant.

Sarah nodded, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. "I can feel fear, and pain," she said softly. "But I don't know if other zombies feel anything. I've tried to avoid them, except when I've needed to eat." 

Sarah adds, "In my head I think I am still like a person, I know I can feel pride, hate, love; all of the emotions. It is the same as you guys." 

As they sat in silence, the weight of Sarah's words sinking in, Dusty knew that they had a long road ahead of them. But he also knew that they couldn't turn their backs on Sarah, that they had a responsibility to help her find a way to navigate this new reality.

Dusty finally asks, "Is there a cure for being a zombie?' 

Sarah shrugged her shoulders, unsure how to answer the question.

"If there's a cure out there," Dusty said, his voice filled with determination, "I'll help you find it."

Sarah's eyes widened in surprise, a flicker of hope dancing in their depths. "You... you would do that for me?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Dusty nodded, a sense of resolve burning in his chest. "We're in this together," he said, his voice filled with conviction. "And we'll find a way to get through it, no matter what."

As they sat together in the dimly lit room, the flickering light of the lantern casting long shadows across the walls, Dusty couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the unlikely companionship they had found in each other. He understood the magnitude of the promises he was making but he honestly believed that they were going to do everything in their power to find a cure and to save Sarah from the life she had woken into.