21 May 2012

Zompocalypse Now - Black Hawk Down

This month's Absolute Write prompt: 
Zompocalypse Now! Give us your take on the zombie apocalypse, be it a zompocalypse story, a zom-com, or a reflection on the genre and the films that inspired it. Write wherever the prompt inspires you, fiction or non-fiction, prose or poetry. Do try and keep things at a PG-13 level, though.

Here's mine!

Skyhawk1122 and I are the only ones logged in at 2:00 a.m. Sometimes we’d see duddette69 online, but she always dies and logs off before either of us can get over to revive her.

I’m almost out of ammo and I’m pissed. Hawk ascends the staircase and I protest. “Dude, you need to rebuild the barriers." I adjust my earpiece, but I know he’s not listening. It’s too late anyway. A zombie hits me from behind and I can’t get away.

“Shut the hell up,” he says. “Come upstairs to the lobby.” Hawk’s voice echoes in my right ear and there's static in the line.

“I’m dead, moron.” It’s the only thing I can stomach as a response. I yank off my blue-tooth device and throw it at the television. Three more zombies munch on my brains while the screen goes black and white. Game over. All goes blank.

***

I am awakened by a nudge to my shoulder and when I push myself up on one knee, everything around me is orange and gray. 

A man standing next to me taps my arm and says, “Let’s take the east wing first.”

“What’s going on?” I manage to sound confident despite my temporary delirium. 

“We’re surrounded and the only way out is up those stairs and through the laboratory.”

I read the guy’s name tag above his right pocket, Skyhawk1122.

The room spins and I try to speak, but my speech is slowed and I feel like I can’t say it fast enough. “Dude, this is not happening.” I wait and hope for confirmation. Nothing comes but the realization we've been physically submerged into the wastelands.

Distant moans close in on us and I recognize the source at the top of the stairs. They come at us, slow at first, eyes gray with no thought.  The one leading the pack breaks into a jog straight for me and everything quickens to a normal speed.

With no time to think, I lift my weapon and fire. The blast sprays decayed flesh everywhere and the headless body topples onto the floor. A second shot takes off the arm of a crawler two paces behind.

“Quick, I need more ammo.” Hawk makes his way up the stairs. I follow, taking two steps at a time. My heart pounds in my chest and I wonder if he’s scared too.

He grabs four boxes of ammo and hands me two, then tosses me an AR-15 from the trunk. “Load up. It’s going to get ugly.”

I quickly load and insert my magazine, but before we make an entry into the room, two zombies and a ghoul spring forward and grab Hawk, pulling him toward the stairs. The echoes of his abandoned screams pierce my ears. I hear the quiver in his voice when he begs for me to fire. I can’t get a decent shot because they are all over him and the only thing I can see is the fear in his eyes. I decide it’s too late to save him. 

He screams while they drag him away, feasting on his brain matter. Then there is silence, with a trail of blood and pieces of flesh left behind. I can still save myself before the next feeding. I head toward the laboratory.

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35 comments:

  1. Great job! The MC in my YA novel, Touch of Death, is a necromancer. She could help you with those zombies. ;)

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    Replies
    1. Necros can do some serious damage to your energy! lol

      Nice!

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  2. Too much gaming or not enough? I love the feel of merging the real and surreal in this.

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  3. Wow! I love this piece you put together! It's so real and intense!

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    Replies
    1. Playing Call of Duty can get pretty intense for the reasons these guys experience. :D

      I just imagined it in reality and poof, someone has to get eaten. lol

      Delete
  4. Thanks for not picking me. I have relatives that are zombies and they might talk to each other or read my posts. Do zombies read?

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    Replies
    1. I don't think zombies read, but they smell and crave reader brains. MWAHAHAHAHAH.

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  5. Looks like someone stayed up a tad to late gaming, eh? :D

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    Replies
    1. I always wanted to be transported to some of my favorite games just to see how I'd make it through. :)

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  6. Well, that made my skin crawl! In other words, good job. :-)

    One of my favorite memes is "That awkward moment when a zombie crashes into the room screaming 'brains!' and walks right past you..."

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    Replies
    1. LOL!! Now that's freaking hilarious!!!!

      :D

      I have to facebook status that one.

      Delete
  7. Reminds me of my FFXI days...I was so addicted at one point I was convinced I was going to wake up in the Yutunga Jungle one day XD!

    I love this-- it's such a unique, original and fun take on the zombie genre. I didn't expect it...and I loved every minute of it.

    Great job!!!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks randi! I love me some RPGs and never really got much into first person shooters until I started playing with my son. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

      I loved the graphics in the FF series, but I never started playing it. I liked watching music videos that people compiled over the years.

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  8. OOOH I like it! I'm a zombo-phile and it left me wanting more! Develop this one and I'll buy it! :-)

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  9. Cool post! I don't get into the video games for zombies, but I do like the films. I really like the Resident Evil series. The girl can really kick butt!

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    Replies
    1. It seems like the super villains are coming back these days. Probably spiked by Twilight? All I see anymore is vampires, zombies and werewolves! :)

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  10. Of all games to wake up in...eek! Good story. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, Charity! I wonder how he'd have done if I put them in Super Mario Brothers? Teehee!!

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  11. WOW! What a ride! Whew, now that my adrenaline rush has subsided, suffice it to say another worthy read, Diane, Thanks!

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    Replies
    1. *Bows*

      Glad you liked it! I thought about including hell hounds, but maybe next time.

      Delete
  12. I love video games and a good zombie story, great job at combining them!

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  13. I do a lot of gaming, and a side effect is that I often have video game dreams. And they are pretty much just like this! I find myself in the game world, mowing down zombies or some other threat.

    Great job on the prompt! Action-packed and full of tension. :)

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  14. This reminds me of that Steam game Left 4 Dead. Always bantering with friends on what to do. Fun read.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks magic! The most fun times are the ones where we're gaming with friends...until someone dies. lol

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  15. Bantering is right! I was once online with my son and I can hear a father talking crap and his son (who couldn't have been more than 5 or 6) goes, "eat sh*t". I couldn't believe it. Here's this little kid's voice coming through my blue tooth cursing up a storm. lol

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  16. I loved it, and your site! I've awarded you a Kreativ Blogger Award, swing by here; http://chessnysilth.blogspot.com/2012/05/kreativ-blogger-award.html to pick it up!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Chessny! That's so sweet of you. :D

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  17. Great job with the prompt! Very creepy, loved it.

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  18. Could have sworn I left a comment already! Hmm.

    Anywho, I love the idea of being sucked into a zombie slaying COD session. This story reminds me of dreams that I have sometimes, where I'm semi-lucid and it feels like I'm in a video game.

    Well done!

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  19. If those are survival-type zombie games, in which you get points for staying alive but can never "win" that's a grim future indeed for the hero! And with only an AR-15 to boot (discerning zombie hunters always use a SPAS-12).

    ReplyDelete

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