Photo © 2007 Rachel Cobcroft CC 2.0 BY NC SA
“We’re both dead,” he says, “long dead. But that doesn’t mean we can’t grow alive again!”
She can hardly believe what she’s hearing, of course. A fellow zombie, wanting to be human? Aspiring to be like them? If she didn’t know any better, she would think he was still one of them. But his pallor, his fetor, his unkempt appearance, his bulging eyes, his expressionless countenance, even the moan in his voice, all point to the sophistication that characterize their kind.
How? she wonders, Again human? One cannot undo death, cannot un-lose one’s innocence.
“No,” she says. “They want. We good.”
He shakes his head at her. “You have it all wrong. They don’t strive to be like us, and we don’t fulfill their wishes. They just want to be accepted, to be included.”
“We give them!” she shoots back.
“We give them neither acceptance nor inclusion. Don’t you see? We are the ones who have lost our souls.”
He presses on, and she hears his voice quickening, and wonders how he can talk so fast. “We tell ourselves that we’re better than them, but we only believe it because we hear it all the time. We don’t hold their answers; they hold ours.”
She stares at him a moment, processing his words, almost too much for her. He’s wrong. He’s sacrificing everything she’s worked for, everything she is. She considers destroying him, like the humans sometimes do. Has a zombie ever destroyed one of his own kind?
“You used to be human,” he says. “Have you forgotten already? Don’t you remember what it was like to think, to feel, what it was like to live? What it was like to love?”
She wonders: is that why he’s doing this, betraying their kind, out of some misguided love? Indeed, love was a powerful emotion.
He reaches his hand out and caresses her face. “I remember how you used to be filled with life, how you used to smile at me. How long has it been since we smiled?” And the corner of his lip inches up, stiffly, just a little.
Clearly he is not a full zombie. He is still somehow part human. “You, human,” she says, and she moves to grab him, to attack him as she would a human.
But he does not try to escape. Instead he says, “You can no longer hurt me, my sweet. You can no longer destroy me. I have journeyed to death, and I am on my way back. I’ve met those who have returned to life, and they’ve shown me the way. It all starts up here,”—he points at his head—”in the mind, and here,”—he puts his hand to his chest—”in the heart. None of us has really lost the ability to live; we’ve just forgotten how. All you need to do is to accept it.”
He gazes longingly into her eyes, a stare she just barely remembers. She used to be human, an existence she shed a lifetime ago, an existence that embarrasses her, that she wishes she could forget. His gaze bores into her long-forgotten soul, and she wants to lash out at him, to destroy him. But she also longs for it, for his affection.
She takes his hand in hers and brings it to her lips. She has forgotten how to kiss, but the feeling of his skin against hers reminds of all she has forgotten. She looks to him for a reaction.
“It’s okay,” he says. “You’re allowed to feel. You’re allowed to live. Don’t ever let them tell you otherwise, never again. Join us, and I’ll show you how.”
https://thetowelring.com/mostbet-allies-igaming-tikish-va-espor-bo-yicha-12/
urbanhunterhub – Pleasant experience, pages loaded quickly and navigation was simple.
urbanpickscentral – Very easy to navigate, ordering was smooth and fast.
urbanfindshub – Excellent selection of items, ordering process was effortless.
Howdy this is kinda of off topic but I was wanting to know if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding know-how so I wanted to get guidance from someone with experience. Any help would be greatly appreciated!
SoftStone Hub Store – Smooth site, great selection, and delivery arrived promptly.
в этом разделе https://kra43-cc.at
SoftStone Picks Online – Browsing felt effortless, beautiful collection, and delivery was fast.
modernseasonstore – Found trendy items quickly, website navigation was very smooth.
trendspotseason – Stylish collections arrived quickly, browsing was easy.
ссылка на сайт https://kra42-cc.at/
trendhub – Enjoyed exploring trendy items, navigating the site was quick and easy.
fashionspot – Found trendy pieces easily, the site felt fast and user-friendly.
trendcentral – Great selection of products, browsing felt fast and easy.
Daily Dream Builder – Practical strategies to help you visualize, plan, and achieve your goals.
Inspire & Achieve Daily – Motivational content to guide your goal-setting and daily progress.
Dream Achievers Hub – Resources to help you stay consistent and inspired while pursuing goals.
Dream & Achieve Daily – Daily inspiration for setting targets and taking consistent action.
pragmatic slot
узнать kra43 cc
мелбет онлайн ставки на спорт http://www.v-bux.ru .
buyingcornerhub – Found many useful items, navigation was smooth and effortless.
Источник kra43 at
findshubcorner – Excellent selection, ordering process was effortless.
findscenterhub – Smooth site layout, fast loading pages, and enjoyable shopping experience.
http bsme
fashiontrendstore – Great fashion pieces, browsing through the site was seamless.
trendpulsehub – Loved the fashion variety, pages load quickly and smoothly.
styleemporiumhub – Trendy items displayed beautifully, website is quick and responsive.
1xBet бонус при регистрации Воспользуйтесь бонусом при регистрации на http://attr-volga.ru/lightbox/pgs/1xbet_promokod_pri_registracii_na_segodnya_besplatno.html и получите 32 500? + бонус 100%, чтобы начать игру.
fashionflare – Great selection of outfits, checkout process was seamless.
chicstylehub – Found many stylish items, browsing felt very smooth and fast.
chiccollection – Loved the selections, the site loaded fast and navigation was easy.
выберите ресурсы маркетплейс kraken
Wild Sand Market – Lovely selection, smooth website, and my order arrived on time.
WildSand Hub – Loved the assortment, smooth checkout, and the package arrived safely.
Wild Sand Online – Trendy products, easy-to-navigate site, and very fast order processing.
WildSand Essentials – Clean layout, intuitive browsing, and very fast delivery.
Motivational Daily Hub – Encouragement and ideas to fuel personal growth and goal achievement.
EverMountain Finds Hub – Loved how easy it was to explore and discover chic items.
EverMountain Essentials – Fast-loading pages and stylish items made shopping simple.
Daily Ambition Hub – Ideas and encouragement to grow, plan, and achieve your dreams effectively.
EverMountain Treasures – Loved the smooth experience and found beautiful items easily.
Soft Cloud Selection – Interface is intuitive and browsing is very smooth.
Lunar Harvest Essentials – Smooth browsing experience and a neat, inviting design.
Soft Cloud Essentials – Smooth browsing today and everything is organized neatly.
Lunar Harvest Finds – Browsing is smooth and all products are easy to locate.
Top Soft Cloud Items – Layout feels clear and navigating products is simple.
Lunar Harvest Corner – Finding products is easy and the shop feels welcoming.
Discover Soft Cloud Boutique – Interface is clean and finding products is very easy.