Zombie Luv Flash Fic Contest: All-consuming Passion

After the outbreak, the high wall and iron gate around our house kept them out well enough. But we both knew we couldn’t stay there forever, and once we’d eaten all the food, and felt real hunger, we had to venture forth into the world. I took my dad’s old shotgun, grabbed a torch, shoved all the spare cartridges and some batteries in my knapsack, and we waited for a quiet moment to leave unseen.

It was the middle of a moonless night. Both of us were terrified, but we thought we’d be able to hide ourselves better in the darkness. In the soft starlight the street appeared deserted, so I slowly opened the gate, not letting the hinges creak, and slipped out. Up and down the road all was still.

“OK darling,” I whispered, “the coast is clear.”

We crept along to the corner, avoiding the debris, and set off down the lane to Bob’s farm. There’d be something to eat there - even unattended, potatoes and tomatoes grow well round here.

Now the overhanging trees cast impenetrable shadows and the distant stellar twinkling showed nothing more than a faintly lighter trail where the bare earth track stretched off between the bushes.

Almost tiptoeing, we made slow progress, but stealth was more important than speed. We both grew up round here and knew the way perfectly. It wasn’t the first time we had sneaked off towards old Bob’s barn under the veil of night. The days of our clumsy teenage courtship flooded back to my mind and, despite the circumstances, I couldn’t help but smile.

After an eternity the solid blackness of the bushes fell away on either side and we stood at the low gate before a dull grey clearing with a square shadow on either side - one the ancient stone farmhouse, opposite it the big wooden barn.

I felt along the top of the gate, released the catch, and gently eased it forwards. A sharp squeak pierced the cold night air, and the blood froze in our veins, fixing us as statues for an instant. Now we had to move quickly, so we passed through, and I shut the gate behind us, quietly this time.

I pulled Jenny to the right with me, and we squatted in the shadows close against the bushes to our backs. I silently wielded the shotgun in front of me, scanning for movement.

We listened intently. I could hear nothing, but my heart was pounding in my ears like a funeral drum, and I felt like a juggernaut could have passed without me hearing it.

After a few minutes, I raised myself up, and helped my sweetheart to do the same. We moved carefully round to the back door, lifted the latch and I shone the torch into the passageway. It was empty. Jenny closed the door behind us, and I quickly checked the rooms. All clear. We locked ourselves in the bedroom, and together lifted the wardrobe, placing it carefully against the window, before collapsing on the bed.

When I awoke a soft light was seeping out from behind the cupboard. I kissed Jenny’s forehead, “Wake up gorgeous, let’s look for some food.”

We slipped out the back, and seeing no signs of movement I started exploring the vegetable plot. There were plump courgettes and ripe tomatoes, and after a little digging I had a small pile of potatoes, a few carrots and an onion. I looked up, pleased with my work.

“Jenny!” I yelled. It was just a few steps behind her, tottering closer.

She turned, screamed, and ran towards me.

“Quick, get in the barn,” it was the closet shelter, and we ran for it together. I bundled her in, and turned to defend the doorway, firing off a quick blast. Half the zombie’s head disappeared, and it slumped to the ground with an agonising groan.

The others were already arriving, and I took the first one down immediately, reloading as quickly as I could. I fired off both chambers again, and got lucky - two more monsters fell.

There were three left, ambling across the yard. I had just enough time to reload before they reached me.

I raised the twelve bore and let fly. More rotting brains sprayed into the air, leaving just one, who was nearly upon me. Looking round frantically, I grabbed a shovel and swung it at neck level. The grotesque head flew in an arc and thudded onto the dirt path.

I dropped the spade and reloaded quickly - I wasn’t taking any chances.

Then, “John!!!”

I whirled round and saw the thing emerging from under a pile of straw next to my angel.

BANG! BANG! And it was in pieces on the floor.

“John!” she sobbed as I held her comfortingly, “My leg, it grabbed my leg!”

We had a look, and there on the calf were the teeth marks. Jenny dissolved into a torrent of tears.

“Don’t worry darling, I’ll take care of you,” I soothed. “We don’t even know that it’s spread by biting,” I lied.

“There, there,” I hugged her tight, “It’s OK, everything’s OK.”

I sat there, cradling her in my arms. No more zombies disturbed us, most were in the towns, so I comforted her until she began to twitch and tremble and dribble. And when eventually she sank her teeth into my shoulder, I didn’t resist.

That was a long time ago now, and I’m hungry again. There has been no more fresh flesh for many moons, and most of the zombies are wasting away. My poor Jenny looked so forlorn when the food ran out, what was I to do? First I let her gnaw at my shins and arms. Then she ate my thighs and buttocks. Now she’s started on my ribs.

Soon I shall be just a skeleton, but I don’t care. With her plump grey flesh and flowing locks, my sweetheart’s the finest looking zombie in all the world!

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Zombie Luv Flash Fic Contest





Guidelines:

Word count: maximum 1.000

The story must be a romance between two zombies. Make it as horrific as you like. ;

Stories containing animal cruelty, torture, graphic sex or violence, any form of exaltation of violence, racism or other forms of prejudice will be immediately disqualified.

Post your entry on your own blog, with a title resembling this:
Zombie Luv Flash Fic Contest: Story Title

Leave your story title and a link to the story entry post as a comment at mari's randomities: http://marisrandomities.blogspot.com

Copy and paste the contest logo and the guidelines at the end of your entry post.

An Unexpected Visitor

by Ddraig Ddu

It was almost dawn when William arrived home. He went straight upstairs to his room, and didn't even undress before lying down to sleep. As he lay there, he remembered the old days, when he was younger, and he'd have happily carried on well into mid-morning, maybe even into the afternoon. All that was behind him now, had been for a long time.

Nothing had been the same, of course, after he met Cassandra. Enchanting, fascinating Cassandra, who'd stirred such irresistible desire within him. He'd been powerless not to go with her, back to her place, where he'd thrown himself into the frenzy of that unforgettable night which had changed his world forever. He still remembered her long dark curls, her soft tanned skin, those clear green eyes, whose gaze drilled into his very soul, her caresses, her kisses so intense and full of hungry passion - his hand rose involuntarily to his shoulder, just below the neck, at the memory.

Tonight he'd had a successful evening out with his friends, drinking late with the girls they'd picked up. He wouldn't say he'd got lucky though, it wasn't hard when you'd been playing the seduction game as long as he had - longer than most, yet you wouldn't guess it to look at him. His hair was still as black as a hearse, his skin still smooth, his piercing blue eyes almost hypnotically captivating.

He lay down, closed his eyes, and drifted off. In his sleep he dreamed, a distorted version of the night's events. After the concert they had gone to a bar, where they had met the girls, fresh young beauties, like bluebells newly opened in the first spring of their lives. There they had gained their confidence, and taken them on with them.

He dreamed of how it would have been in the old days. In his dream he didn't flirt so easily, he still felt something of the awkwardness of adolescence, and at the same time its intense expectation, the adventure of the uncertain, unknown future, before life becomes too predictable. And in his dream there was too that lost innocence, the innocence of the young suitor whose intentions, whilst not necessarily sanctioned by the church, were still pure and natural, not like now.

The tinkling noise woke him suddenly, though coming out of his sleep he couldn't be sure what kind of noise he had heard. The room was still dark as night. It would be, even in the middle of the brightest day, the heavy drapes formed an impermeable barrier against the light, which let not even the slightest glimmer penetrate the chamber.

Through the window he'd just smashed, the man outside tugged sharply downwards on the drape, and as the rail came away from the wall, the whole lot crashed to the ground with a loud clatter. As if someone had shattered the side of a water-tank full of sunshine, the golden glow gushed into the room, pouring into every corner.

The glare seared William's bleary eyes, suddenly blinding him, and he tried to jump to his feet. But the unforeseen heat that now tormented his skin kept him down just that fraction of a second that the man at the window needed to leap across the room to his side and position the sharpened piece of willow stick, striking a heavy blow on top of it with the hammer.

When the stake pierced his heart, William's anguish, as he felt his life finally slip away, was mixed with an unexpected feeling of relief, that at last he would be able to rest, after 300 years of this hellish addiction that had tortured his undead body every time the blood began to run thin in his veins, and needed topping up again with a fresh victim.

Copyright 2010