Is This The End Of Us? Or Just The Means To Start Again?

“How? How do we use this ‘emotion trigger’ to bring them back?” I ask, desperately.
“So far, it’s worked with loved one. The memories they had as people are still there and if you can access them, you have a change of getting them back, but it really is a chance. So far it’s only very strong connections that have worked”
“I’ve got to find Jack” rushing past the old scientist I get to the door and peer down from the stairs, trying to spot Jack in the mist of zombies.
“Alex wait” Rian calls from behind me.
“Sorry I’ve got to go”
“No Alex, you can’t seriously believe him?” he questions, staring at me in somewhat disbelief.
“Course I do, why don’t you?”
“Because it’s crazy! He thinks he can cure them... Alex he’s just a crazy old man”
“But Rian the hunger think about it, they’re not trying to kill us. That must mean something’s changed”
“I don’t know Alex! I just don’t believe that some crazy old man in a warehouse can succeed when so many others have failed”
“Please I just need to find him”
“Why are so despite for this?” he questions, holding onto my arm.
“Because I love him Rian!” I say, tears pricking in my eyes as I pull my arm away.
“Alex wait” he calls after me but I’m gone, down the stairs and into the mix of zombies that fill the warehouse floor.
“Jack, Jack” I call out, I don’t even know if he knows his name anymore. I don’t know, do the dead even think? Do they remember? The thought makes me shiver. I push through the other zombies, keeping my eyes open for his skunk coloured hair. It doesn’t take me long to find him, his hair now falling limp on his forehead I want to move it away to see his chocolate coloured eyes expect they’re not chocolate anymore.
“Jack...” the word cracked as I try to speak, I put my hand on his chest and feel the shivers run through me as I touch his cold skin and his silent not beating heart.
“I’m so sorry I let this happen to you, it’s all my fault I’m sorry” I start sobbing into his chest, despite how cold he is, how dead he is it’s still comforting knowing it’s Jack. It’s the first time I’ve been this close to a zombie... It doesn’t even feel right calling them that anymore.
“I’m going to fix you okay?” I sniff, grabbing his freezing hand in mine. I drag him away from the others, taking him into the corner of the warehouse floor.
“I’m going to bring you back Jacky” I say, putting my hands on his face. It’s the first time I’ve been so up close and personal with the ‘living dead’ the grey eyes, skin so white it seems to almost be see through, the blue veins I can now see running up Jack arm. I run my fingers over them half hoping to feel his pulse beating but just like the rest of him it’s silent.
“Jack Bassam Barakat that’s you, that’s your name. Do you remember?” I stare into his eyes, trying to get some kind of reaction out of and slowly he nods his head.
“You know your name is Jack?” I ask, taken aback he remembers and slowly he nods again.
“We were friends in high school; you had fucking blue hair and had more energy than a puppy. We were close and even talked of starting a band, until well the world ended....” I take a deep breath and look at him for any sign of understanding but there’s nothing, just his blank stare.
“You told me how you had to say goodbye to your family and run. You weren’t on your own long before you ran into this girl Tay, you and Tay stayed in this old Wal-Mart living off the canned foods. I don’t know how long you were together but you told me one night it was too much for you, the end of the world and you wanted it to end” I move his now matted and greasy hair away from his face, the words catching in my throat as I try to say them out loud.
“That’s where I came in, charging through the empty store with an army of zombies following me. I bet you thought I was a right idiot, but you saved me that night and I guess I kind of saved you too” I put my head on his chest, kind of like I was half cuddling him as he just sits there limp and unfeeling. All of a sudden I’m being ripped away from Jack, something is pulling me away and I try to grab hold of Jack but he just sits there as I get pulled away.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I get slammed into a wall facing the person who grabbed me; I pull back the hood they’re wearing to reveal bright orange hair.
“Hayley! What the hell?” I exclaim, looking at over at Jack he hasn’t moved from his spot in the corner probably not even aware as what happening around him.
“What do you think you’re doing here Alex? You’re in a room full of bloody zombies! We need to get out of here before we become them ourselves” she snaps.
“What am I doing here? I’m trying to save Jack! No we’re fucking not, these zombies have no hunger, they don’t bite people” I try to push her out the way but she pins be back against the wall.
“He’s dead Alex! They’re all dead, you have to get over that”
“I can’t, I won’t and I don’t have to. Why do you think these zombies aren’t attacking us huh? They’re not after us! They’re curing them Hayley, there’s a way out of this that doesn’t end in us all being blown up”
“Alex that’s bullshit! There’s no cure, there’s no way out of this. We have to leave right now, there are 48 hours left before we all get to blown to king come and I’d rather not if it’s all the same!”
“It’s not though!”
“Alex you have to give this up, you have to give him up. If you don’t leave now, you’re going to die here” she says softly, as if talking to a small child.
“Maybe I’d rather die than carry on without Jack”
“No Alex...”
“No Hayley listen, I love him okay? And either we’re both walking out of here alive or neither of us are. Because I am not leaving him, I’m not leaving him behind” There’s a moan beside us and we both snap around to look at Jack who’s moaning quietly.
“Jack...” I try to get to him but Hayley grabs my arm.
“Alex no, this is the last chance to get out of here, please!” she pleads.
“I’m sorry” I say, she lets go of my arm and I go to Jack.
I don’t hear Hayley leave but when I turn around again she’s gone.

Notes