It was a round of zombies! From hotdogs, to ancient tales; prom queens to the Bard, a bum zombie to {REDACTED}we had the zombie genre covered. Now it is time for you to vote on which one you liked best!
Voting runs from today (which is the 2nd of March 2015 until the 12th of March 2015)
Read, ponder, vote. The author's names are above and their entries below
@darkcloud
Supernatural Powers:Evan Reynolds can mutate from organic material to an Undead state of being, while retaining his human conscious and motor functions. As such, he possesses enhanced strength, where he is able to bench objects up to 760 pounds, has unmeasured endurance so as to perform physically strenuous tasks without worry of fatigue, and can't feel any sort of pain (so far as faking most injuries). He is generally impervious to bullets and extreme cold, and can survive indefinitely without food, water, or oxygen (and equally exist under water), but continues to ingest said affections; he is therefore immune to aging, drugs, poisons, and gases. In addition, he has contracted enhanced vision, allowing him to see through total darkness and blinding lights, and enhanced senses, capable of detecting heat signatures, smelling spilled blood, and hearing distant screams from nearly two miles away. Evan can convert a target into a Zombie by passing the cadaverous disease, usually through biting flesh. Once transformed, he does have acidic breath, toxic saliva, and a rancid odor. He cannot be scared as the concept of fear has vanished, and would feel the need to murder without intimidation by the number or the weapon. The process of transforming is instantaneous, but also a terrifying and arduous feeling itself. Evan is lastly dictated by a short-term healing factor that enables him to rejuvenate minor wounds, such as contusions and lacerations, abrasians, and punctures, and additionally regraft dismembered appendages by support of active muscle fibers through the transition of Undead to Living mode.
Adrienne, Zombie Queen.
I didn't really know I was dead, until a few minutes after the incident. You never really do until you look down and see how bloodied and bruised your body looks. High school homecoming prom, it was the night of my life. That was also the night I died, so it kind of sucked too. I got over it though. So, the night was tiring, probably around 10 o'clock at night. I got to bed very early, so it wasn't the best night, but I got through it. As I was walking with my boyfriend, Damian, back to the car, out of nowhere, a car sped past us.
I hadn't realized it actually had hit us until I was flying in the air and slamming into the gravel road. My eye, it stung terribly. It felt burned, singed and fried. I felt for my crown on top of my head, and then, I realized that my homecoming queen crown, was in my eye socket. Blood dripped from my eye socket as I screamed, nothing. As I looked around, all I could see was people screaming. Damian, who had not been hit by the car, was crying.
In that moment, I realized I was actually dead. I looked around, my body was cast upon the ground, bloodied and scarred. I felt like crying, crying so hard, but the closed and impaled eye socket prevented me. As I felt a surge of unknown volts in my body, I felt slowly sucked back into my body. I was thinking, "Yes, God has given me a second chance." But, oh, was I wrong. I was completely wrong, Satan had given me a second chance, I didn't want this chance.
I shot up in my body on the street, I could still feel the blood on my face but the flowing had stopped. Damian had screamed in high pitches, like a schoolgirl. As I tried talking, moans came out. I couldn't feel my heart racing, no anxiety, no panic attacks. I tried bringing myself up, but I was stuck, bloody and battered and my guts were sprawled across the ground.
I felt like I could just cry, bawl to my mother and race for her help. However, I couldn't. Outside, I could see a security guard. He brought up his pistol. I could see the shot, and I could feel it. I felt the bullet in my rib cage, and the pain slowly subsided. There was no blood, no blood flow. I brought myself to my feet. I felt urges, slow and dangerous urges.
I jumped towards a girl, and I slowly bit into her throat. I couldn't get myself to stop, and I slowly ripped her throat from her neck. I couldn't stop, the throat was juicy, tender, sweet, and left the taste of punch in my mouth. I went back for more, ripping more and more bits from her skin, especially her thighs, which were juicy, and tender.
Then she got back up.
Damian had came back, and had tapped me on the shoulder. "Adrienne? Adrienne?" he said softly, and reassuring. I growled, and turned around and snapped at him. Catching a hold of his wrist, with a new found strength, I slammed him on to the concrete. I pounced on to his body and started ripping off pieces of him. The girl joined in.
The party-goers screamed and ran away. As they yelled, the urges got stronger. I raced towards the people, but stumbling in my high heels, I bent down and took them off. As I looked up, I could feel the sharp blade of a knife shoot into my skin. I moaned, and the blade was lifted further and further into my body until the incision could reach my throat. I felt a kick in the chest as I was sprawled backwards.
I felt my head slam into the curb, and I was out.
Oh god, Hell is a dark place. With flying red midgets, and dangerous guards made of fire holding huge pitchforks that were burning hot from the high flames that burned all around, anyone was scared to come here. I was parched, famished, but nothing existed but the forbidden fruit of Eden, the apple that tricked Eve into the first sin.
Around me, people of all ages, were covered in soot and ash, some were even carrying urns, I felt for my crown, now not in my eye, but back in my long dirty blonde hair. My skin was flesh-tone, and I felt normal. But then I realized, Hell is a place of trickery, and I was just as evil as the Devil himself.
I looked at a girl standing next to me, she was carrying a blue and yellow urn with poorly written letters on the side. "Who's is that?" I asked, quietly and curiously. "Mine, everyone gets one." She said, a grin filled her face, showing pointed teeth and rows of other teeth. "You must be new, we all get something from what killed us, if it was something sent by Satan himself, then we go to Hell. I saw that car that came and hit you, Satan sent it. I was bit by a tiger shark and then slowly ripped apart by other sharks." She said, her voice was somewhat soothing.
"We also all get demon powers." She said, showing red bat wings that extracted from her back. No wonder my back was hurting. 'Oh, and we all get second chances, as what Satan calls zombies, and now you're a cool car demon zombie, it's pretty awesome. I'll go with you, and we can rip apart some prom goers." She said, her voice was comedic and joyous.
"Let's go girl." I said, and I and Shark Zombie, were off, hungry and ready to feast on some people's faces, because why not.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Powers: Due to her killing by the car, she has an increased speed than most other Dimtris (zombie demons.) As well as further accuracy, aim and better flying with her wings. Due to being a demon, she gets flight from provided wings, can teleport (somewhat), can breath fire, as well use pitchforks and other close range or throwing weapons. She can use most things that are said to be evil in her advantage. By eating people and feasting, she gets more strength, and her powers can increase from feasting, as well as making more zombies.
Draugr's SIckness and the Blackened Sword
For the events the proceed this tale follow this link toCharacter Creation Contest #20
Mist filled the afternoon sky and clung to the skeletal trees that overhung the forest road, the Viking search party walked beneath them surging through a clinging carpet of fallen leaves and rotten bark. At the head of the group of twenty four, was a man dressed in a mail coat, a masked helmet and leather trousers with matching boots. Power radiated from his impressive form but it was mixed with sorrow.
"My Thane," One of the men walking half way down the column called, "How long must we peruse your bewitched son. We have been following the river for many days and it has led us into some strange country indeed."
"From what I saw on the charts the road splits in two not far ahead." The Thane announced as the road began to head uphill into wilder more barren country. "The kingdom of Northumberland isn't far and we know of that place from our traders." He added before stopping and looking across the fog dusted moors ahead of him.
"Just be glad it isn't raining." One of the men snorted as he took a swig of water from the hide canteen draped over one shoulder. "This accursed land should have drowned long ago under the deluges it suffers."
"Quiet." A third warrior whispered as the Thane stopped and gestured to one of the bowmen in the group to come to the front of the column. Silently he pointed to a shape sitting in a large hollow punched into the moor before pointing at himself, the archer nodding as he received his instructions. Cautiously the Thane walked ahead alone, silently making his way down into the hollow.
"Greetings wanderer" He announced in the friendliest voice he could muster, his words causing the man dressed in leather to spin around, his sword held ready to block an attack. "I'm looking for the road to Northumberland; you couldn't tell me where it lies."
"There are two roads." The man announced in the local Saxon tongue. "But I will reveal neither to you until I know your reasons for asking."
"Fair enough.” The Thane sighed. "My men and I seek my son who was lured away by a Celtic witch upriver. We believe that they may have left the river here and headed towards the untamed North."
"A fair answer." The Saxon announced before pointing his blade southwards. "The forest road is longer and skirts these moors; it is the path more travelled then the ancient path through the fells. I would urge you to take the former and avoid the cursed barrows such as the one I stand vigil by." He added gesturing to the fair sized mound in the centre of the hollow, a wall of stones covering the entrance.
"Why do you guard such a place?" The Thane asked as the piercing scream of a fox sounded from down past the forest road.
"I swore an oath to my friend to stay three nights at the graveside." The Saxon replied sharply. "Take the forest road, traveller and keep both fire and iron close to you until you leave the shadow of these moors."
"Thank you my friend, may the Gods protect you during your vigil." Thane stated as he turned and headed back to the slope leading out of the hollow. Reaching his men he took one long look back at the barrow. "We take the forest road around the moors."
"But the path over the fells..." One of the warriors grunted only for the Thane to draw his sword and hold the blade against his throat.
"I am the Thane; you will do what I say!" Thane snarled before shooting another look at the Saxon. "Go ahead without me, I will rejoin you at the Western edge of the moors. I will stay here, something about these hills doesn't feel right." He added before heading back towards the barrow. Reaching the hollow again he sat down next to the guardsman and looked out towards the Barrow. "May I ask why your friend asked you to complete this vigil?"
"My friend Henga went into the moors seven days past and returned two moons later, his skin drained of colour, wounds across his body and sickness in his lungs. He was dead two days after that." The Saxon explained, "It was clear he had caught the Draugr Sickness, an ailment that raises the dead, it was clear that despite his unflinching faith that he may rise again as a Draugr."
"Draugr? What manner of sorcery could raise them men from their eternal slumber?" Thane asked as the sun began to set, the evening light dancing off the mist."
"After our conversion to Christianity we became wary of the wrath of the old gods. We were right too, the death eagle Ari circled the barrows of our ancestors thrice and scared their souls back to their earthly remains." The Saxon announced as the sun set behind the western edge of the fells. "My vigil here is to make sure, that should Henga be awoken, that he is returned to his eternal slumber before he can turn his former friends."
"Then I, Kanute son of Erik, offer my sword to aid in your noble vigil." The Thane offered.
"And I Horsta, son of Hath accept your blade and your company." The Saxon announced, "Now we wait for the Sun to return and hope the dead don't rise this night."
**
Thane was beginning to drift off when he heard what sounded like stones rolling down the side of the barrow. Getting to his feet he saw what looked like thick fog gushing through gaps in the loose stone of the barrow door.
"Prepare yourself." Horsta whispered as both men drew their swords as the fog got thicker and a hoarse moan sounded from inside the barrow before the door was smashed open and a fell shadow surged towards them. Rushing to meet their attack Kanute and Horsta slashed out only for the Draugr to block the first blow and angle round the second. As he parried the corpse’s counter attack Kanute measured his foe up; whoever Henga was he had changed, his skin now a rotten black colour with bone stabbing out of the shoulders whilst pools of blue light shone from his eyes. And while Kanute knew he had only been dead for a few days the man stunk as if he had been slain many months ago.
"Henga come to your senses." Horsta coughed as the Draugr made a grab for him, the scent of his rancid flesh causing his victim to balk and vomit.
"Horsta join the chorus of the dead." Henga groaned as he snapped Horsta's blade in two before retreating back into the barrow. "Join us in a life eternal." He added as Kanute chased after the pair into the barrow, faint blue flames lighting the tomb. And lying by the base of a massive stone statue of an ancient king was the flayed body of Horsta. The only thing missing was the Draugr, the only sign of the undead creature was a recently dug grave and a blade stuck out of the earth.
"Living carrion!! You will pay for your unnatural deeds!" Kanute yelled as he looked around the tomb, unaware of the figure scuttling on all fours behind him from shadow to shadow towards the Viking Thane. Turning Kanute lashed out, his sword slashing through the Draugr's fingers, the rotten digits flying off the corpses hand as it retreated back into the shadows.
"The iron bites but it isn't enough to slay me." The Draugr hissed its words accompanied by the sound of a blade scratching across stone from off to the left of where Kanute stood.
"Then emerge and face me coward!" Kanute yelled as thick fog came rolling in from the entrance of the barrow. Backing up Kanute got himself ready as he saw shadowy hands reach out of the mist for him. Steeling himself he heard the stone behind him creak and turned to see the Draugr dropping down on him, claws ready. With a scream Kanute dodged left, his blade snapping on the barrow floor.
"Now defenceless you are." The Draugr purred as he advanced on Kanute, the Viking reaching out for the blade embedded in the earth behind him. Ripping the sword out of its dirt embrace Kanute thrust the blade out, iron cutting through the rotten flesh. Getting to his feet Kanute watched as coils of flame lanced out from the torches and engulfed both head and body, reducing the Draugr to ash.
"What happened next grandfather?" A child's voice asked as the fire began to die down. The wizened man smiled and gathered his grandson and grand daughter close to him as the sun began to set below the green ocean to the west. “Well you see a Draugr can only be contained by iron, even that of his own sword and fire does little to keep his spirit from razing other corpses. As such I took the Draugr's ashes to the river bank and consecrated them with the blessing of Njord to prevent his return to life and turn more folk into living corpses."
"What of the Draugr's sword?" The little girl asked.
"Blackened with fire and stabbed into stone." Kanute answered as he held both of them close before closing his eyes. "Now go to sleep and dream not of the walking dead." He added as he walked the pair of them back towards the nearest long-house.
"What if they come in the night?" The little boy asked
Kanute stopped and looked outwards towards a thicket of burnt swords standing sentinel outside the town. "No dead will walk here, of that I promise."
An extract of Romeo & Juliet, translated from the original Klingon into Zombian/Zombinese by W Shakespeare & K Curley
ACT I
PROLOGUE
Brains brains, brains brains brains brains,
Brains brains Verona, brains brains brains brains brains,
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains,
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains!
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains
Brains brains brains brains-brain’s brains brains brains;
Brains brains, brains brains
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
Brains brains, brains brains brains-brain’s brains,
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains,
Brains, brains brains brains brains, brains brains brains,
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains;
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains,
Brains brains brains brains, brains brains brains brains brains brains.
SCENE I. Verona. A public place.
Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, zombies of the house of Capulet
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains, brains brains brains brains brains brains
SAMPSON
Brains brains, brains brains brains brains brains, brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains, brains brains brains, brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains, brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains brains brains Montague brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains brains brains brains brains ; brains brains brains brains brains brains:
Brains, brains brains brains brains, brains brains brains.
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains: Brains brains
brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains Montague's.
GREGORY
Brains brains brains brains brains brains; brains brains brains brains
brains brains brains.
SAMPSON
Brains; brains brains brains, brains brains brains brains,
brains brains brains brains brains brains: brains brains brains brains
Montague's brains brains brains brains, brains brains brains brains
brains brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
SAMPSON
'Brains brains brains, brains brains brains brains brains brains: brains brains
brains brains brains brains brains, brains brains brains brains brains brains
brains, brains brains brains brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains brains brains brains brains?
SAMPSON
Brains, brains brains brains brains brains, brains brains brains ;
brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains : brains
'brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
GREGORY
'Brains brains brains brains brains brains; brains brains brains, brains
brains brains brains John. Brains brains brains! Brains brains
brains brains brains brains brains brains Montagues.
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains brains brains : brains, brains brains brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains! brains brains brains brains brains?
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains, brains ; brains brains brains!
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains ; brains brains brains.
GREGORY
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains, brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
SAMPSON
Brains, brains brains brains. Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains;
brains brains brains brains brains brains, brains brains brains brains.
Enter ABRAHAM and BALTHASAR, who are also zombies
ABRAHAM
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains, brains ?
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains brains brains, brains.
ABRAHAM
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains, brains ?
SAMPSON
[Aside to GREGORY] Brains brains brains brains brains brains, brains brains brains brains?
GREGORY
Brain
SAMPSON
Brains brains, brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains, brains, brains brains brains brains, brains.
GREGORY
Brains brains brains, brains?
ABRAHAM
Brains brains ! brains, brains.
SAMPSON
Brains brains brains, brains, brains brains brains brains: brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
ABRAHAM
Brains brains.
SAMPSON
Brains, brains.
GREGORY
Brains ‘brains:’ brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
SAMPSON
Brains, brains, brains.
ABRAHAM
Brains brains
SAMPSON
Brains, brains brains brains brains. Gregory, brains brains, brains brains.
They fight
Enter BENVOLIO, also a zombie
BENVOLIO
Brains, brains!
Brains brains brains brains; brains brains brains brains brains brains.
Beats down their swords
Enter TYBALT, zombie prince of cats
TYBALT
Brains, brains brains brains brains brains brains brains? Brains brains, Benvolio, brains brains brains brains!
BENVOLIO
Brains brains brains brains brains brains: brains brains brains brains,
Brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains brains.
TYBALT
Brains, brains, brains brains brains brains! Brains brains brains brains,
Brains brains brains brains, brains Montagues, brains brain:
Brains brains brains, brains !
They fight
-End extract-
There is a zombie who lives in my bottom.
Everytime he is hungry, he roars and my bottom makes a noise.
Some people call it flatulence or farting.
But I know different.
It's a zombie
-fin-
Most cultures have some version of zombie lore, but most know the movie zombie: a herky-jerky walk and warning moans that would allow anyone to get away easily. Shambling, emaciated monstrosities that hunger for human brains. Well, I can tell you that the movies are partially right- they hunger for humans, period; not just the brains. They get to be shuffling, decaying monsters if they don't eat often enough. On a steady diet of human flesh though? They look just as human as you or I. How do I know this? Because I, Atsan, am one. Because I know where the zombie came from. It's a curse- the curse of the windigo.
The curse is simply this: you resort to cannibalism, you turn into a windigo- what you know as a zombie. All that mythology crap about thirty foot "ice giants" with red eyes, or comic book white sasquatches? Bull. It's just this: you consume human flesh, you become consumed by the need for more, and more, and more. And you'll want more, because for every person you eat, you gain their vitality- their strength...understand? You eat ten men, you gain the strength of ten men.
It's intoxicating. Like any intoxicant though, it doesn't last. It's fleeting. It's also debilitating. That's where the movie zombie comes in. The longer you go without eating, the harder it gets for you to move. You become stiffer and stiffer, and you start to decay, becoming more akin to what you've undoubtedly seen in the movies. Keep eating regularly though, and you keep passing for human, and you can continue to move among them freely. I've been doing that for some time.
You don't believe me? You don't think this could possibly happen without people knowing? They do know. They just have a problem containing it. Because the curse is unknown to most, some have unknowingly spread the problem. Those rumors about the mafia owning hot dog factories where they dispose of unwanted bodies? Truth. So there are an awful lot of people out there that have consumed the evidence for them.
There's something about not knowing though...or maybe it's that the human meat is diluted with animal meats and animal byproducts...but whatever the case, if you don't knowingly eat human flesh, the curse is delayed. You are still consumed with that gnawing emptiness, but not knowing what it is, you chase all of your desires, always wanting more and more and more, and never feeling fulfilled. When you die though, that's when you rise from the dead and become something much more like the movie zombie. Still not knowing what it is you need, and hindered by the rigor mortis from dying, not to mention the embalming fluid replacing your blood, you shamble along in jerks and fits and starts, instinctively looking for the human flesh the curse demands.
I know what you're thinking though: "I call B.S.! Everyone has eaten a hot dog before! How come we don't see more zombies walking around?" Right? Well, that's just the problem, isn't it? Most everyone has eaten a hot dog before, so we have no way of knowing who got the mafia mystery meat that will bring the curse down upon them. Why do you think we use embalming fluid? To preserve bodies? Really? A mixture of solvents is going to preserve a body? You buy that? It's to further hinder the mobility of a resurrected windigo, to make them easier to catch and dispose of. Burial vaults are called "vaults" for a reason. It has nothing to do with "keeping the ground from settling in the graveyard." It's to keep windigo from clawing their way out of the grave. You have no idea how many zombies have spent years upon years beating against their burial vaults, trying to get out.
The problem for the willing cannibal turned windigo is hunting. How do you find that steady supply of human bodies without people growing suspicious? You have to put yourself in the right place. Some of the windigo I know are medical examiners, eating John and Jane Doe. Some are graverobbers, haunting pauper graveyards, or just digging up the freshly buried and replacing the vault (because they do keep the ground from settling, you know). Yes, yes, windigo can eat other windigo to survive. It's not as good, but it does the job. There's other ways too. The homeless. Runaways. Hookers. Gang bangers. Hospitals for the less fortunate. War zones. Being a paid assassin. There's a good one! Get paid to eat others and keep your own life going!
Then there's my favorite, and it's the one I just happened to be able to take advantage of. You become the head of a state run orphanage, contracted out to a corporation like mine. It's the perfect buffet. Unwanted children that birth parents want to forget, and the world generally wants to pretend don't exist. Yes, we have to let some get adopted, but there's so many ways to cover up a meal- "They ran away from the orphanage!" Or "They died in an accident," or "...of a sickness/ sudden illness/ unforseen medical condition." They "get adopted" by phantom paper parents, or best yet- they "age out." Kids that have mostly reached their full growth potential, so have the most meat on them, are still incredibly vital, and having aged past our need to be responsible for them, are "released into the world," and are no longer my concern to account for. Those are the best meals. And they have kept me fed for many years.
The state loves the Atsan Association's Atsan Orphanage and Home For Wayward Children. They think we are very well run, and very efficient. They're encouraging us to expand our operations, becoming a charity with branches all over the country. I think it's a lovely idea. I've suggested that we could help with local homeless shelters too. We've even offered to open halfway houses for paroled convicts. They're very excited to have us participate. The eagerness to take the financial burden off of over-stressed government resources practically comes off of them in waves.
For myself, I can hardly wait to taste what other localities have to offer. I'm positively watering at the mouth, just thinking about it. You, in the meantime...enjoy your hot dog.
Log in to comment