© 2011, anthony. All rights reserved.

I'm 17, from Boston, MA and I'm a Zombie Hunter.

Trust me, it's not as glamorous as it sounds.  In fact it's kind of messy, but I do get to travel to remote and exotic places and met exciting people.  Not.

I've learned a few things about Zombies over the years.

1.They maintain full function of anything not destroyed when they die.  That includes the brain.  For example, if your brain is damaged but your arms are fine you could hit a baseball.  Assuming you know what a baseball is. Or what a bat is even for.

1. They can speak.  Sorry to say it but George Romero got it wrong.  Maybe he knew and left that part out in his movies because it's too terrifying.  It may not seem like much, but trust me, when a horribly disfigured creature shambling about is calling your name, it's not pleasant.  Especially when said person is your mother.  Of course you're probably use to her shambling about calling your name or maybe that's just me.

2. They have an hierarchy of sorts.  There is a master zombie all the way down to slaves and drones.  Drones are usually the ones that have had a significant portion of their head (and subsequently their brain) damaged and are basically stupid.  Masters are strong physically, very strong.  They have to be to make it up the food chain.

3. They aren't all that common.  There is probably 1 zombie for every 100,000 people on the planet, give or take.  They tend to gather in groups (clans, covens, flocks, gaggles???) and hold up somewhere away from people.

4. They don't actually 'hunt' people.  True, they love the taste of human flesh (eww!) but they are actually attracted to movement. Stands to reason when your eyes are glazed over that you can't see very well.  So if you were to stand stock still they'd walk right by you.  Not that many people will stand still while a pack of flesh eating monsters are strolling by.

5. There are actually 2 types of zombies: Dead and Infected.  The names are misleading, but then again they didn't ask me my opinion when they named them.  Dead zombies are people that died and then contracted the virus and were reanimated.  These are usually the ones you see bumbling around.  Infected contracted the virus and died as a result (meaning they are un-injured) or were bitten.  Kind of like Werewolves.

6. There is a cure.  If you can get to it within the first 12 hours after infection it can stop the virus. And yes, I realize how much that sounds like vampirism.

I've also learned that none of these rules mean a damn thing when your stuck on the roof of a parking garage in the middle of the night, your only weapon being a sand pail of not-quite-ripe peaches that you just (illegally) picked and your best friend, Sixx,  is standing next to you in a fuzzy pink hospital gown with rabbits on it, all the while surrounded by a band of reasonably intelligent zombies who were actually out looking for you specifically.

Trust me, pink is not his color.

Oh, and Sixx is a zombie as well.

"Explain to me again how you ended up wearing a ping hospital gown."

"Really?  You think now is the best time to bring that up again?"

"Well yea.  It gets funnier every time you tell it."

"Oh hardy-de-har-har.  What are we going to do Z?"

"I called Stephanie, she and Mike are on their way over now. They only live a few blocks from her."

Stephanie and Mike are the other half of our team.  Steph is actually my ex but we've remained friends.  She's 5' 7", very much a tomboy and can kick the ass of just about anyone I know, including me.  I've seen her take on 3 strong Infected at once and not even break a sweat.

Mike, her partner, puts Steph to shame.  She is very feminine but is a better fighter than any of us.  The belts in Judo, Aikido and Capoeira help. Don't let the blond hair fool you though, she doesn't take crap from anyone and doesn't suffer fools period.  Imagine Charlize Theron with a ninja sword and an attitude.  And the fact that Mike and I get along better than Steph and I has nothing at all to do with my praise.  Honestly.

"Getting into trouble again I see?" Steph says through a giant grin on her face.

"You know me," I reply as Mike tosses me my sword.

We wade through the first wave of grunts, slicing and hacking and the occasional thwack when I heave a peach at a zombie.  I take the heads of a couple of twins, Mike takes out three local business men.  Severing the head is the only sure way to guarantee that a zombie is dead.  Romero got that much right.  Then again it works for just about every other creature on the planet as well.  There are a couple exceptions but that's another story.

I glance over and see Sixx beating another zombie into submission with their own arms, hooping and hollering the entire time.  At least he enjoys his work.

He takes a break from the beating to look up at me just as I cut off the left arm of a zombie still holding a broom.

"Any one else notice they aren't really putting up a fight?" he asks.

It's then that I notice the leader standing off in the distance.  He realizes I've seen him and steps forward.

"I come with a message."

"And what might that be?"

"The Matriarch would like to speak with you."

With that the remaining zombies turn and leave.  Something I've never seen happen before.  Not exactly a good sign to be honest.

We all stand and stare at each other for a few minutes, Steph is the one to finally break the silence.

"What do we do Zed?"

I pause for dramatic effect, "Let's go find out what my mother wants."

© 2010, anthony. All rights reserved.

_TarryAna stood staring through the window. The most adorable little puppy stared back at her.  He had jumped up and placed his front paws on the glass and gazed at her with his floppy pink tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

She grabbed the strap of her shoulder bag, yanked it farther up her shoulder and marched into the store.  She asked a few simple questions about the dog, basic things like what does he eat, how old he was, when his last airplane checkup had been performed.

Once satisfied, she handed over the 2 sacks of gold and Spear of Asagoul as payment, grabbed the bag of squeaky toys, took the leash from the cashier and strolled happily out the door with a shaggy, bouncy brown and white dog in tow.

_TarryAna stared through the car windshield at the dark ominous clouds that were forming ahead. She had known it was going to rain and yet had stubbornly left her umbrella at home, determined not to be a slave to the weather.

"How's that working for you?", she muttered to herself.

She glanced quickly into the back seat at the paper grocery bags, hoping she could make it home before it started to pour.

Maybe she would call John and have him meet her at a restaurant where they could pass away the time while the storm passed.

_TarryAna stood and stared out the window, refusing to look at the mound of groceries piled on the table. As of yet she hadn't decided what exactly she was going to do about the fact that her roommate John has just spent their entire budget on milk, eggs and bread.

She could see the bags reflected in the glass. They hadn't managed to disappear despite her fevered attempts to wish them away.

"Seriously? You bought 5 gallons of milk and 3 loaves of bread and how many dozen eggs?"

"6."

"6! What were you thinking?"

"Well," replied John as he whimpered, "It's what you do when there is a snow storm"

"It makes no sense. What are we going to do with all that food."

"But," John whimpered again (why did she find that cute?), "It's what people do!"

Despite her best efforts to stay mad she smiled and walked over to the distraught John, wrapping him with her arms and planing a giant kiss on his cheek.

"We'll just eat lots of french toast," she said smiling as she leaned back and looked into his eyes.

"Forgive me?"

"Of course! Help me crack the eggs?"

Wally returned to his chair, feeling much relieved from his trip to the bathroom, wondering if he would ever get used to not leaving the computer for hours at a time.

As he glanced at his screen he noticed that the tavern was empty save his avatar _TarryAna who was sitting partly slumped in a chair as if sleeping.

"Bastards left without me!"

Quickly grabbing his mouse he tapped the spacebar to unpause the game, causing _TarryAna to quickly jump up and draw her sword on the screen. The fact that she had been sitting when he arrived but standing when he had paused the game registered for a split second before he issued a quick flurry of commands on the keyboard, causing the elfin avatar to charge out the tavern door uttering a gutteral battle cry.

He suddenly had an odd craving for french toast.

© 2010 - 2011, anthony. All rights reserved.

Yea, right.

This is also an experiment.  I'm decent at description but wanted to try doing something in pure dialog to see if I could carry a story that way.

Anyway here is my September 18th #fridayflash. Please comment below!

"If you'll step this way please I'd like to show you our latest product innovations.

This is the latest in the Gilboa line of housing units.  It features a separate sleeping hut and designated toilet areas.  It also has an insert for when you have to add or remove items from the unit.  You can isolate even the most aggressive pet without harming them. It's made of 20 gauge Stelanium and comes in a variety of sizes, ranging from the standard 2 metes tall by 3 metes wide  and 2 metes deep to the luxury size of 2 by 6 by 4 and the brand new family size of 2 by 10 by 10.  And best of all it has a new external access feeding facility so that you never have to open the cage!

Over here we have the newest Gath unit that comes completely covered in a TransparaStelanium dome.  It also comes in the Standard, Luxury and Family sizes with diameters of  3, 8 and 12 metes respectively.  The Luxury and Family sizes also come with a second access port that can be connected, via tubing, to additional units providing unlimited mix and match possibilities!

On those occasions when you have to dispose of a body because it has died or you accidentally allowed them to breed and now have too many, we now carry an extensive line of trap and removal devices designed specifically for that purpose."

"What about instead of treating them like animals we treat them like living beings and let them alone?  Let them live in the wild rather than capture and cage the for our amusement?"

"Is that you Eliana?  Must you bring this up yet again?  We've gone over this a hundred times, they aren't like us, they ARE animals.  Keeping them like this is probably better for them than if they were in the wild."

"They are living creatures capable of intelligence and love and compassion.  They have a soul and we have no right to treat them like this!"

"Come now Eliana. There is no evidence of that.  There is no proof what-so-ever that they have a soul of any kind.  They don't even feel pain!

After all, they are only Human."

© 2009, anthony. All rights reserved.

It wasn't on but that hardly mattered since he wouldn't really be able to pay attention to it anyway.

The pills were starting to take effect.

It wasn't much, just enough to make him feel just a little drowsy and woozy.

The world had taken on a bit of a glowing haze.

He had just began to realize he wasn't able to really focus on anything.

The realization that he had passed the point of no return hit him slowly.

He was past the point where, if he called the police right now they would never arrive in time.

The thought was pleasing, but he didn't smile.

He had read somewhere that people who left notes were simply crying out for help, but he had left one anyway, not wanting his family and friends to live in doubt and wonder.

He wanted them to know why.

Wanted them to know he had simply reached the point where he couldn't deal with anything anymore.

Wanted them to know he had simply given up.

He wasn't sure how they would take or deal with it, but it wasn't something he would have to worry about.

So he had the note.

He had purchased and taken 2 bottles of the pills. It hadn't been easy, especially the last half of the second bottle, it had hurt badly, his throat being raw from all the swallowing.

The room was rented through the end of the month, but he was sure someone would look for him in a day or two.

If nothing else, to find out why he hadn't been to work.

The feel of the room changed again.

It had gotten darker but the light hadn't changed, almost like the sun had passed behind a cloud.

Slowly he realized there were only minutes left before he wouldn't be able to keep his eyes open any longer.

Not much longer after that and all his worries and problems would cease.

He leaned his head back in the chair, partially surprised he still had that ability and closed his eyes.

The world swan for just a second and settled in around him.

He took a deep breath.

And let go.

He walked steadily down the sidewalk.

He patted his coat pocket to make sure he hadn't left anything behind. The timing had to be precise but it helped that he knew exactly where he was going and exactly what to do, after all he had been here and done it before.

Well, HE hadn't actually done it, but it had been done and he had done it.

The circumstances ran circles in his mind, threatening to confuse him again even though he had a firm grasp on what will and had happened. As he approached the door he reached into his back pocket and removed the room key.

He slipped the plastic card into the slot and waited for the door to click.

Carefully he turned the knob and stopped, glanced at his watch and he waited.

He counted to himself and when he reached a number that satisfied him, he pushed into the room.

The room wasn't dark, but it wasn't exactly light either.

It reminded him of a sunny day when the sun was behind a cloud.

He again smiled.

Glancing around the room he saw the other sitting in the chair by the window just as he remembered, the empty pill bottles on the nightstand next to him.

Again he patted his coat pocket then, satisfied that everything was in place, he reached in and pulled out a syringe.

He removed the cap and held the needle straight up in the air and pushed the plunger, removing all the excess air, just as he had seen in the movies.

Again the smile.

Slowly he walked over to the figure in the chair, pulled up his right sleeve and plunged the needle into his arm.

When it was empty he replaced the cap and stuffed the syringe back into his pocket and waited.

He wasn't impatient or nervous, he knew what would happen.

It had happened already so there really was very little mystery.

Slowly the other's eyelids fluttered and he woke slowly.

"Wha… where am I?

"Still in the hotel room."

He smiled as the other started at him and squinted trying to focus.

"Don't worry," he told the other "everything will be fine. "

"I don't want to live!"

"Yes, you do.

You just don't know it yet."

"What happened?"

He laughed to himself, "I saved you. "

"Who… who are you?"

"No one."

"I'm confused."

"Yes, you would be. You won't remember this conversation for a while, but you will live. Things will change and they will get better. " he said watching the other struggle to grasp hold of reality and as the medication began to take effect.

"You can't know that. No one can."

"I do. I know it for a fact."

"How?"

"I can't tell you that." he said as he turned his back to the figure in the chair and smiled again.

"I can tell you that Ray will be here in about 10 minutes and that the drug I gave you will never show up on any toxicology reports.

It will appear to others as though he arrived in time to save you.

"Ray left this morning for New York."

"No, I cancelled his flight and set it up so that he can't leave until tomorrow. The details are unimportant right now."

He walked over to the door, opened it and started out.

"I don't understand!" cried the chair bound figure.

Pausing he looked back at him still in the grip of the medication he had given him.

"You'll receive a letter in about 15 years explaining everything. It will take you another 5 years to accomplish your goal."

"How do you know that!"

He reached into his other back pocket and pulled out a worn looking envelop, "Because you did."

© 2009 - 2011, anthony. All rights reserved.

He continued to sit, and continued to wait but now added 'glare' to his action list.

He had considered simply staring but glare had more menace and considering that as a Silky Terrier he was taller sitting than standing it made more sense to glare and sit.

It hadn't moved for several minutes, teasing him. He remained perfectly still, only his hair moved now and again blowing in the occasional breeze.

Suddenly it twitched!

A slight wind was starting up again so it made sense that it would move, but he had to be on his guard in case it decided that was the perfect chance to escape.

Carefully, he raised his back haunches and shifted, with extreme care, into a position more suitable for stalking.

Slowly he lifted his left forepaw.

No movement.

He slowly extended it out in front of him and shifted his weight slightly.

Still no movement.

Carefully, oh so very carefully, and slowly, he lowered it again and shifted his weight forward more.

A twitch.

Harley froze.

Had he been seen?

Did it know he was there?

Should he pounce now?

It was too far away to get to in a single jump, but it might be possible in two.

The breeze came again.

A double twitch!

He crept forward a tad faster now.

Suddenly the wind gusted faster, lifting it into the air.

It was escaping!

Harley gave chase.

It drifted upward slowly, just out of leaping range.

He was about to give up when the wind died a little and it sank back to earth, skittering across the ground.

He sped up and just as it began to lift into the air again when the wind picked up he pounced.

He grabbed it securely between in his teeth, lifted his foot to free it, turned and trotted back to the porch with his head held high and a grin on his face as he carried the yellow candy wrapper.

© 2009 - 2011, anthony. All rights reserved.