The Rising
Gustav
I crouched down beside the girl’s body, checking for a pulse. “Zere isn’t a pulse.” I announced, with a frown. Behind me, I heard Alfreda curse. Biting my lower lip, I began to check her over for zombie bites. After a good long while of silence from my friends, I came across what I was looking for and scowled.
“What’s wrong, Gustav?” Alfreda asked, nervously switching the baseball bat she held to her other hand. “What did you find? Is it bad?”
“Vell, no, not exactly.” I shook my head and stood up, turning around to face Justin. “He did us and zee girl a fafor.” I watched as their expressions twisted in confusion.
“What do you mean?” Colette asked, looking down at the body of the girl. Alfreda nodded, echoing Colette’s words.
“She vas bitten,” I replied, moving to stand beside her body again. To prove my point, I rolled up the sleeves of her purple sweater. There were very clear bite marks all over her arms. “I vould say zat if Justin hadn’t killed her ven he did, she vould hafe had about an hour or so left of humanity. Zee schtupit girl didn’t efen hafe any veapons to defend herself.”
“I didn’t do anyone a favor. That gunshot probably attracted all the zombies within a five mile radius.” Justin replied, shaking his head. “Now we’ll probably all die, and it’s all my fault.”
“Nein, don’t be schtupit!” I snapped, wheeling around to face Justin. “It isn’t! If I hadn’t asked if zat girl vas a valker you probably vouldn’t hafe shot her until ve vere sure.” I shook my head, rubbing at my temples. “Besides, it’s better zat she is dead anyvays, vezer or not she had been bitten. Vat could ve hafe done to help? Nosink at all. She vould hafe turned anyvays.”
“Gustav…” Alfreda said softly.
“Und on top all of zat, it vould be better if ve vere all dead. Zere isn’t anysink left to keep lifink for.” I added. “I mean, look around! Zee undead outnumber us! One of zese days ve’re all going to slip into insanity because ve’re doink sinks ve really schould’t hafe to do! Ve’re killink sinks zat used to be human! Ve’re lifink in a vay no lifink sink schould hafe to.”
“Gustav!” Alfreda yelled, grabbing my shoulders. “Gust, please, calm down.” The look of concern on her face caused me to pause and look at her. “We all are aware that the entire world is failing apart. This gives the term ‘a living hell’ a whole new meaning. But under no circumstances does there cease to be a reason to live. What about us, Gustav? What about the fact your family could possibly be alive?”
I sighed, my gaze dropping down to my feet. “I…” I couldn’t find my voice. “Vat does it matter, Alfreda? Do you really sink ve can get out of zis? Zere vill alvays be more zombies to replace zee ones ve kill. Zere vill nefer be and end to zis, unless ve all die…” I muttered, fighting back tears.
“…It’s all right to cry, Gustav…” Colette said, appearing beside Alfreda. For quite awhile things were silent between all of us. Then the familiar sounds of zombies reached my ears, and I flinched slightly the irony of the joke I had made not too long ago settling in.
I looked up, exchanging glances with all of my friends. We all knew there was only one thing left to do.
And that was to run like hell.
“What’s wrong, Gustav?” Alfreda asked, nervously switching the baseball bat she held to her other hand. “What did you find? Is it bad?”
“Vell, no, not exactly.” I shook my head and stood up, turning around to face Justin. “He did us and zee girl a fafor.” I watched as their expressions twisted in confusion.
“What do you mean?” Colette asked, looking down at the body of the girl. Alfreda nodded, echoing Colette’s words.
“She vas bitten,” I replied, moving to stand beside her body again. To prove my point, I rolled up the sleeves of her purple sweater. There were very clear bite marks all over her arms. “I vould say zat if Justin hadn’t killed her ven he did, she vould hafe had about an hour or so left of humanity. Zee schtupit girl didn’t efen hafe any veapons to defend herself.”
“I didn’t do anyone a favor. That gunshot probably attracted all the zombies within a five mile radius.” Justin replied, shaking his head. “Now we’ll probably all die, and it’s all my fault.”
“Nein, don’t be schtupit!” I snapped, wheeling around to face Justin. “It isn’t! If I hadn’t asked if zat girl vas a valker you probably vouldn’t hafe shot her until ve vere sure.” I shook my head, rubbing at my temples. “Besides, it’s better zat she is dead anyvays, vezer or not she had been bitten. Vat could ve hafe done to help? Nosink at all. She vould hafe turned anyvays.”
“Gustav…” Alfreda said softly.
“Und on top all of zat, it vould be better if ve vere all dead. Zere isn’t anysink left to keep lifink for.” I added. “I mean, look around! Zee undead outnumber us! One of zese days ve’re all going to slip into insanity because ve’re doink sinks ve really schould’t hafe to do! Ve’re killink sinks zat used to be human! Ve’re lifink in a vay no lifink sink schould hafe to.”
“Gustav!” Alfreda yelled, grabbing my shoulders. “Gust, please, calm down.” The look of concern on her face caused me to pause and look at her. “We all are aware that the entire world is failing apart. This gives the term ‘a living hell’ a whole new meaning. But under no circumstances does there cease to be a reason to live. What about us, Gustav? What about the fact your family could possibly be alive?”
I sighed, my gaze dropping down to my feet. “I…” I couldn’t find my voice. “Vat does it matter, Alfreda? Do you really sink ve can get out of zis? Zere vill alvays be more zombies to replace zee ones ve kill. Zere vill nefer be and end to zis, unless ve all die…” I muttered, fighting back tears.
“…It’s all right to cry, Gustav…” Colette said, appearing beside Alfreda. For quite awhile things were silent between all of us. Then the familiar sounds of zombies reached my ears, and I flinched slightly the irony of the joke I had made not too long ago settling in.
I looked up, exchanging glances with all of my friends. We all knew there was only one thing left to do.
And that was to run like hell.