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.”
от лучшего сайта спорта и букмекеров bkradar.com
https://modafinil.pro/# Modafinil for ADHD and narcolepsy
apuestas tenis Casas de apuestas Paypal mesa pronosticos
https://dafium.es/
Si te interesa expertos en gestión estudiantil, te presentamos Dafium. Es un sitio pensada para ofrecerte las mejores soluciones. Descubre todo lo que ofrecemos y comprueba por qué somos la elección ideal.
https://dafium.es/
¿Estás buscando soluciones de gestión estudiantil, tienes que visitar Dafium. Somos una plataforma creada para brindarte una experiencia excepcional. Conoce más detalles y sorpréndete con nuestro servicio.
mejores promociones apuestas [Warner] al mundial
https://modafinil.pro/# smart drugs online US pharmacy
caesars casino accra (Julius)
uk pay by phone bill, slot machine australia and all new zealandn casino no deposit bonus, or usa online
casino lists
consejos apuestas baloncesto (Michell)
online movil
https://pregabalin.life/# buy lyrica
buy Modafinil online USA wakefulness medication online no Rx Modafinil for ADHD and narcolepsy
на этом сайте https://slon4-at.com/
no deposit mobile the casino 2022 zee5 review (Phyllis) bonus uk, 888 poker download united states and free spins bonus usa, or live online roulette united states
https://pregabalin.life/# lyrica medication
ставки на спорт от лучшего сайта спорта и букмекеров bkradar.com
cenforce: cenforce – buy cenforce
https://detectives7.es/
Si necesitas todo lo relacionado con sistemas de alarma, te invitamos a conocer Detectives7. Es un sitio desarrollada para brindarte una experiencia excepcional. Entra ahora hoy mismo.
https://cymbalta.top/# cymbalta medication
£20 free no deposit casino uk, united states
casino online and dollar 1 deposit how much profit does a casino make – Francis –
new zealand, or list of casinos in canada
gambling online in usa, poker australia tournaments and
free spins no deposit online pokies canada, or new online
when did riverstar casino open (Jurgen) australia
2021
buy Modafinil online USA Modafinil for ADHD and narcolepsy wakefulness medication online no Rx
free bingo no deposit win real money united states,
online usa real using counterfeit money at casino casino and
real money poker united states app, or craps guide uk
Узнать больше https://slon4-at.com
slots no deposit bonus uk, uk no deposit application casino 777 (Genevieve) and poker tour
australia, or new zealandn roulette guide
подробнее https://slon4-at.com/
ставки на спорт от лучшего сайта спорта и букмекеров bkradar.com
https://pregabalin.life/# buy lyrica
free online roulette uk, legitimate online casino in canada
and united kingdom friendly online poker sites, or what is considered gambling winnings online gambling taxable in australia
Unlock your potential by claiming the exclusive https://www.couragejpn.com/profile/mariaju6weiss4516661/profile. Whether you love football, cricket, or live casinos, this offer makes every bet count.
https://cymbalta.top/# cymbalta medication
https://cymbalta.top/# duloxetine easy buy
bet wetten online
Look at my page sportwetten österreich Rechtslage
888starz скачать на андроид бесплатно 888starz скачать на андроид бесплатно.
sol casino solana https://sol-onlinecasino.de/
duloxetine duloxetine duloxetine easy buy
duloxetine easy buy: buy cymbalta online – generic cymbalta
Главная https://slon4-at.com/
https://cenforce.cheap/# cenforce price
https://cenforce.cheap/# cenforce
are the top kahnawake online casino (Niamh) pokies and casinos in new zealand right now, free 50 pokies no deposit sign up bonus
united kingdom and free bonus no deposit roulette usa, or
new zealands best onlinecasinos gambling com
solana casino vergleich https://sol-kryptocasino.de/
online casinos licensed in usa, golden tiger casino uk and casino
in milwaukee wisconsin, gambling odd or even – Nida, casino uk free spins
all slots casino united kingdom reviews, free poker chips no deposit uk and how
much money is spent on gambling each year in the world (Lin) issues in australia, or usa based
online casino
Maximize your winnings today using the official https://www.thetalentequation.co.uk/profile/annaju6flores2548226/profile. Turn your first wager into a risk-free opportunity and enjoy fast payouts.
https://goldpawn.es/
¿Estás buscando soluciones de casas de empeños en marbella, tienes que visitar GoldPawn. Se trata de un portal pensada para proporcionarte una experiencia excepcional. Visítanos y comprueba por qué somos la elección ideal.
888starzuz 888starzuz.
lyrica generic pregabalin life buy lyrica
https://modafinil.pro/# prescription-free Modafinil alternatives
https://modafinil.pro/# wakefulness medication online no Rx
can you play online casino in united states, online casino no deposit bonus free spins usa coins and spins pet master
play slots for real money usa, or free play online casino canada