Prologue

Suddenly, my consciousness came back as if someone hit me with a baseball bat on the head making me remember everything instead of forgetting. I stood as I watch them pass me. I didn't know what they were but, they ignore me as one brushes my shoulder. He was damn ugly. His groan made me smell his breath and it was rancid and rotten. Walking upright dragging their feet bit by bit as they slowly move one after the other. Yet their movement seems off but I didn't know why it was weird. It's confusing what was going on as I stand there motionless.

One got close and he turn his head towards me for a brief second before walking forward again. His face was, half gone. It was terrifying but, for some reason, I wasn't moving or making any facial expression. I feel a bit of electricity travel through my whole body and slowly, I was able to turn my head and move my fingers. I slowly look around and I was in a middle of a decaying street. Cracks were forming and grass creeps out of it. I look up there are these tall structures that looks like it can reach the sky.

Buildings? Sky? These words enter my mind but I didn't know what it was. All I knew is that these are called buildings and the blue cover above with white smoke is called a sky.

What am I doing here? Who am I? So many questions ran through my mind. I was lost. I have no recollection of any memory. I didn't know who I was or my purpose. All I know is that I'm like them. I tried to raise my left arm and did what I was thinking. I look at my skin, pale with dark veins. My nails were dark as night as if I painted them black.

Skin? Nails? I was confused at these words that keep appearing in my mind. I knew that I have skin and the hard shell at the end of my hands are called nails. I feel my body and like a hunch, I knew all my body parts. Chest, shoulder, arms, legs, eyes, I knew what to call each and everything on me.

I feel my stomach and the thought of hunger crept up inside me. It was eating me from the inside making me feel like I want to tear something apart with my bare hands. I needed to eat.

Food, another word that appeared in my head. I knew where to look for food. A place called store. It suppose to have food. All types of food. Canned food, raw food, fake food. I didn't care, all I know is I need to eat food to survive.

I look at everyone or I should say those things that passes me. I thought they were like me but, to me they seem different. Some looks similar but their eyes seem to have lost all sense of reality.

Reality? Consciousness? More words keep appearing non-stop. I study them on how they move and I can see one leg drags while the other is barely lifting. They're making a sound as they move through the streets like a herd. Groan? I knew what sound they were making but like the other words that appeared in my mind, I didn't know why or the purpose of those sounds.

Following their example, I slowly lift one leg and as I try to drag the other one, I lose balance and fall to the ground. It was warm. The yellow light above called sun warmed the street. It felt nice laying there. I suddenly feel a pressure near my foot as one of them stumble on me and falls beside me. This one was more terrifying, his eyes were gone replaced with a dark void. I watch him groan as he uses his arms and legs to push himself off the ground. He kept moving draggin his feet towards the direction of something that has been ringing in my ears.

Sound? Hearing? More words appear. I knew what it was. My hearing was disorienting. I can hear up to the faintest sound and the direction where these things are going have the loudest echoes. The same one with no eyeballs trips on a crack but who can blame him, it can't see. Using his arms and legs, he stood up one more time and kept moving towards the loud sound. I follow his motion and soon enough, I was standing again. I try a couple of times and after a few stumble, I finally understood how to move. using one leg as a support, I drag my whole body forward and my other leg follow the motion. I used my arms swinging back and forth to keep myself from falling as I shift my weight stabilizing my balance.

My stomach grumble a lot and it was making me go crazy internally. It sounds like the groan they're making but internally. I start groaning like them to see why and I finally understood. My groan masks the hunger that comes from within making it more bearable. I moved with them and we walked through the streets as if he have similar goal. As I got closer, the sounds were getting louder and louder.

Soon, I was standing in front of a store and I felt happy looking at it. Just a minute ago, I wanted to find one and now that I did, a strong smell was emitting from the inside. A delicious smell that's making my hunger stronger. I felt weird inside and my mind wants to arch my mouth upwards but my face doesn't respond.

Happiness? Another word appear and I know what arching your mouth upwards means. Smile, an expression to show joy. It was a weird feeling. I followed everyone towards the store and I can see a see through shiny wall almost covering the enitre store. Glass? Another word appear making me understand it was a glass window and that it can easily break. I inspect the store and one by one, word's appear as I look at certain parts. I know there is a door which is used to enter and exit, I know there are walls which are made out of bricks. I look around and it seems like I;m the only one inspecting my surrounding. The others, who was walking with me just kept moving forward. Rather than entering through the door, they just kept walking until their face touches the glass. They kept trying to walk as if they don't see the glass windows or anything infront of them. More of them kept appearing piling up behind one another. I stand behind watching, studying them and I still don't get it. Why don't they just open the door and walk-in?

As I got closer, I can see what was going on inside. That's when I notice them. They looked weird.

Scared? Fear? More words appear and I know the feeling of fear but didn't understand what it's used for. I can hear them making more weird sounds and more words appear in my mind. Talk? Talking? Voices? Words? I can understand them.

"Oh my fucking god, I told you we should have left this place earlier!" A high pitch yet melodic voice was so loud it made my hunger growl louder. Even when I'm far away, I can see her expression pastered with fear.

Girl? Am I a girl? More information appear making me understand the concept of genders. I look down and feel between my legs. No, I'm a guy. Boy? Man? Ah, young adult. Why do I think I'm a young adult? I have no idea.

"Shh, keep your voice down." A voice with a lower tone was crouching near the other door that leads to the side alleyway. It was pointless, I can see him clearly so crouching doesn't hide him very well. I move a bit closer to listen some more placing my ear near the glass. I know I don't need to but my body just moved on its own like a habit.

"Too late now to keep quiet. Mike, check the way we came through. If there are zombies, we'll need to go to the roof and wait it out." Another voice appeared and his tone shows he's a man. I follow who it came from and I see a guy standing with his arms cross. He's no taller than me but his arms look more well built.

Another young adult. Or should I call it man? Boy? maybe I'll call him man-boy. Did I hear him say zombies? Am I a zombie? If that's what they call the ones outside with me, then I probably am. People? Human. More words appear in my mind and I knew the ones inside were humans. Humans and zombies are different? We look the same.

I see a red hair move near the other girl and she started stroking her back to calm the other girl down while whispering, "Jane relax, we'll get out of this."

Another female voice. A bit different than the other annoying one. This is another girl. Looking at her makes my heart beats faster. Heartbeat? Does my heart beat? I place a hand on my left chest and close my eyes. I waited and I felt it. It was faint. But it did beat one time. I waited for some more but it didn't beat again. I open my eyes and more sounds happens inside. The humans started moving. One opened the side door slowly and I can see him peek out. I move closer but I couldn't get past the metal fence that blocks the alleyway.

Fence? It's made of metal. I knew it like it was natural. I stood there studying the fence. I hear the door slowly closing and I kept my gaze at the face as if it was a prize.

"John, the coast is clear so we should leave now." The one called Mike whispers but I can hear it. "There's only one weird-ass zombie by the fence. He's more preoccupied on the fence and didn't even notice me."

Weird-ass? Is that me? Name? I knew what a name is. It's identification. I'm, weird-ass. My name is weird-ass.

"Stop joking around, this is no time to joke. Mike, lead the way. Lisa and Jane follow behind Mike. I'll be behind to watch our backs." The guy named John was domineering and I know what he's doing. Giving orders. As to how I know? I don't know.

"Ok, can we go now?" Jane seems a lot less annoying now since her voice isn't as loud as before. But I couldn't take my eyes off Lisa.

From what I know, the other girl called her Jane. Then the other girl must be Lisa. Lisa makes my heartbeat. I wanted to feel that again so I waited by the fence to see her up close. I place my hand on my left chest waiting for my heart to beat again.

"Ok let's go." Mike slowly opens the door and the minute he sees me, he looked scared. But he also looks confused as he looks at my hand on my chest. "What the-"

"Mike hurry up!" Jane was so loud that the zombies that are back to back up by the glass door was groaning louder. Their groans was vibrating the glass. Some broke away and they started forming around me. One got behind me and kept going forward pushing me against the fence. I push him to the side and he didn't mind as I free myself. I look up and I see them already getting far away. I look at Jane and after that, Lisa. I lost my train of thought the minute I saw her. Crimson red hair and when she briefly turned to look back, I got a glimpse of her blue colored eyes. Skin white as porcelein.

Then I felt it. My heart beat one more time and the feeling was exhilarating. It made me forget my hunger but, it didn't stop the drool from coming out of my mouth.

"Is it me or is that thing drooling?" Mike says as he kept getting further and further away. Even at a great distance, I can hear them like they were beside me. Mike looks back and we made a brief eye contact. I can hear him whispering, "Yo, is it me or that thing is-"

"Mike hurry up and go, stop focusing on that zombie and keep moving!" John orders some more and the four moved faster towards the opposite direction. The girls didn't even look my way and I wished Lisa would look back one more time. I wish she stayed.

I want Lisa to see me. I don't know why, but I want to look into her blue eyes. I watch them move weirdly fast and just like that, they disappear from a distance. As quickly as they disappeared, as quickly as my hunget came back stronger than ever.