I have seen some crazy things as a zone operative.

Zombies, walking plants and dog-like things that spit fire.

You know not normal things. But what I was seeing was the damn craziest.

There was a zombie outside wandering about like normal. Staggering around being hampered by the snow. Nothing new.

What was new was when it turned its back to me there was another face and set of arms coming out of its back!

The zombie was a man with no shirt. Trousers I hoped! The wall and my crouching position were blocking my view. Its upper body was rotting the ribcage was clear to be seen in some areas. The face was located between its shoulder blades and the arms came out a bit further down. The face is bulging out like a tumour. The arms are waving with a limited range of motion.

I am freaked out by this.

It takes a few minutes to compose myself to work out how I am going to kill this thing. If that face on the back can see I will not be able to sneak up and hit it from behind.

I watch for the moment. The zombie is not intelligent like the others I have seen when not presented with a target. I know that this can quickly change.

I cannot ignore it as it is on the road that the sealing team will use. I have to take action. The zombie is now moving away from the wall on the road heading to the other side. I will have to move now!

I put the gladius back into its sheath and get my axe out.

I get up and move down the pathway. I don’t bother to try to mask my approach as the snow is making it impossible. As I feared the face on the back sees me and lets out a loud moan causing the zombie to spin and face me. It then charges me. I make it to the gate and brace myself.

Grave Chill

The ice-cold effect sweeps through my body. Dulling the already dull world.

The zombie collides with me and I am pushed back. My boots leave a gouge in the snow. My shield was up and the impact shocked my body. The zombie is pounding on my shield.

I grit my teeth and bear the assault. I get to view the zombie’s legs and decide my attack method. I swing my axe at the leg. The axe digs into the upper thigh and stops at the bone. Black blood oozes out of the wound.

“Damn it!” I scream. I was aiming at the knee.

I rip the axe back widening the wound. I strike again. Missing the knee again as the zombie is moving. I cut another shallow wound on the leg. The zombie’s attacks continue without pause. My arm is aching now.

A blow hits my head. Just a glancing blow but it still hurt. I am getting angry now. The heat of my anger pushed back against the chill seeping through my body, I have to stay focused here.

I hit the leg again with a solid hit. Again, I am halted by the bone. A combination of pain and numbness is spreading up my arm to my shoulder. My anger is getting hotter.

I strike out fuelled more by the anger. The blow hits the leg in the thigh again between the earlier wounds. The axe head rips into the flesh and breaks the bone. This causes the zombie to collapse forward onto my shield. It keeps attacking. Blows impact my head and shoulders. My armour protects me from the worst of it. The open faceplate knocked slightly down limiting my vision a bit.

I push forward with my shield and my body. This knocks the zombie back and it collapses to the floor as its leg snaps with an audible snap. This quickly presents a new problem. The zombie is attacking my legs now.

I quickly dodged back almost slipping on the snow. I get my footing back as the zombie is crawling toward me. My boot impacts the head of the zombie as I kick it back a little.

I readjust my stance and swing down with my axe. The axe strikes true into the centre of the skull. I rip it out and proceed to smash the skull. To my dismay, the zombie keeps attacking clawing at my legs as it is trying to pull itself up my body. It is trying to use all four arms.

I realise the face on the zombie’s back is looking at me. Slamming down my shield I force it back down exposing the face. I continue to smash down with the shield angling it better with each blow to get between the shoulder blades. The arms on the back try to block the assault but have a limited range of motion. I keep going until the face is obliterated and the zombie stops moving.

I stand back breathing hard. I push the faceplate back up. The cold air is somehow not as satisfying to me as it should be. Damn zones. I take stock. The lower half of the shield and my armour are splattered with black blood and ichor. My axe is as well with some on my arm. My armour and shield are intact.

Now I inspect the kill.

I am concerned. My tried and tested tactic of dealing with lower-tier undead might be worthless soon. The face on the zombie’s back had warned it faster I believe of my approach.

I now fear what else I might encounter in this zone. The grave chill is now in full effect on my body and mind. The nagging voice in the back of my mind is telling me to turn back. I walk to the gateway looking down the road towards the breach. Then turn to look at the way back.

How easy would it be just to leave and report mission scrub due to a new variant of the undead?

I feel the pull to go. To just go back to the light and clean air. To go home and say no more.

But what then?

The question comes as it always does.

What then? What would happen?

I already know the answer because I am the one, they normally call. Some other operative will be sent into this zone. It will have more time to regain its defenders and spawn even more of these warped zombies or even worse.

No. No, I was here it has to be me.

The temptation is there and will always be. One day I might not be able to ignore its siren call.

I turn and walk towards the breach. Knowing a little more of what is now ahead of me.

“Always forward John. Always forward.” I say to myself trying to improve my motivation. It does not work.

My shield is up and axe ready. The chill and snow slow me but I get going.

I walk along the road and another building appears to my left out of the fog. It becomes clearer as I approach. It has a gateway in an outer wall that leads to a deserted house through a snow-covered garden.

Like the first the signs of a quick abandonment are clear. One of the ground floor windows smashed the front door open. The building is dark. I check it and find nothing of concern. I get moving.

Steadily more builds appear as I move along the road. All homes at first but then a few small businesses as I enter the village that is near the heart of the zone. I check the builds as I go.

All quiet. All dark. All were abandoned quickly.

The weight in the air of the zone seems heavier to me. The depression of this place is getting to me and I know it. Once a living community now silent. But there is not much I can do so I keep moving.

I suddenly stop. Movement ahead.

In the fog at the limits of my sight, I can just make out the tell-tale signs of something moving.

I roll my shoulders and get ready for action. I am not just going to charge in blind counting on surprise and rage to push me through. I need more intel. Looking to the left and right I seek a means to cover my advance.

The building just to my right looks best. I could move around it and get closer hopefully without being seen. I have not checked this house yet so that’s a risk.

I take the risk.

Moving as quietly as I can in the snow I move around the building. It takes longer than I liked due to the snow but I make it.

I can just make out a zombie staggering around. Like the first this one too is warped. A second torso is protruding from the right side of the main torso from just above the hip area.

I could see the extra head and set of arms and shoulders. They were angled coming out of the main body facing up. This was causing the zombie to stagger far worse as it sought to stay upright.

The zombie was at the T junction that was just before the local church and graveyard, the snow here was disturbed showing where it had fallen several times.

I could use that to my advantage, I thought to myself. If I could get it closer to me, I could charge it and knock it down. Then smash both heads in. Simple right?

But how?

The zombie was a good distance away. I could run to it but the snow will slow me down. Also, the noise would alert it. So, what to do?

I wait. The staggering seems to take it in a circle that is heading my way.

My patience is rewarded as it comes as close as I need. I cannot wait any longer as it will be close enough soon to see me in the shadows I am squatted down in hiding then I charge.

It reacts as fast as I feared and spins to face me. But today lady luck is on my side and it overbalances and falls over. I reach it as it tries to get up. I don’t give it the chance.

My assault is fast, targeted and brutal. Both skulls are smashed as black ichor flies with each blow. Soon the corpse moves no more when both skulls have caved in, I am not taking any chances. I stand back breathing hard once again, that was easier than I feared.

The grave chill I am feeling stays the same. So, yea me?

I look around for other threats as my breathing returns to normal. I am covered in more gore but that’s part of the job.

With no more threats presenting themselves I continue along the road ignoring the road leading into the main village.

Only a few minutes pass until I reach the church. Like everything else, it is empty and dark. I walk through the gate and up to the main doors. I know the breach is just behind the church but the build needs to be checked.

I lit a glow stick and threw it in. The green light fills a small area casting dancing shadows as it rolls. Displaying the devastation within I was expecting. As always, the only place damaged outside of fighting is the zones religious buildings. No one could say for certain why.

Nothing happened so I went around the building to the breach. I could feel it even then.

I found the bubble with no problems.

I took a moment to brace myself and walked into it. The bubble was a ten-meter sphere of no fog with the hairline crack in reality. The feeling of wrongness swept over me like always. I quickly stepped out of it.

Being back in the zone was better than being in there that was for sure. I began looking around as every remaining threat would be heading in my direction right now fast!

I waited. And waited. Nothing.

I gave it a bit longer. Still nothing.

Only the crunching of the snow beneath my boots and breathing was all I could hear. Nothing disturbed the fog around me.

I waited a bit longer. Still nothing.

“Okay then.” I said to myself.

I hung my axe on my shield using the crook of the blade. I pulled the flare gun from its holster and pointed it into the sky. Exhaling I pull the trigger.

CLICK.

“Fucking typical!” I exclaim as the flare gun miss fires.