I had watched enough television shows during my time to make a guess at what was going on, but yet my mind refused to believe it.
A Zombie outbreak.
This was a fictional concept. The rising of the dead was not possible...
But then I took another glance outside and watched as the creatures roamed lifelessly through the street. They had no aim or destination, but their very existence itself was enough to strike fear into my heart.
Suddenly feeling lightheaded, I stumbled backwards and sat down on a chair.
"Is this really happening? Just how much time has passed since my coma?"
...
"Aughh."
...
"Where's my big brother?"
BANG BANG BANG
For as long as I could remember, I had lived under the care of my older brother, Burner. That wasn't his real name, but that's what all his friends knew him by. It was why he had named me Frost. A stark contrast to himself in many ways.
A pit sunk into my stomach.
I had few friends at school, but they didn't matter at that moment.
I needed my older brother to be safe!
That left me only one option. I would have to leave the hospital and try to find him.
My head slowly glanced towards the door, where my bed stopped it from being opened by whatever beast lay outside.
That means that I have to face one of them.
My heart rate quickened.
It's not like combat was unfamiliar to me. After all, I had been in numerous boxing matches over my seven years of training. Despite being slightly below average height and weight, there weren't many people my age who could beat me in a fair fight.
But to face a zombie... that was a different thing entirely. Who knew just how strong they were.
Even then, with shaky legs, I pushed myself to my feet. I was reminded then that my body had also experienced changes itself.
Despite my abdomen injury and headache, since waking up, I had felt stronger and faster than ever. I tested this by crouching and jumping as high as I could.
It felt like I was floating for a few moments. I had never been that springy before.
And when I moved the bed earlier, it was strangely easy for someone who had just left a coma.
I was right. Something had changed about me, and yet I didn't know why. Thankfully, the changes seemed to work in my favour.
With this, surely I could take down one zombie? I didn't even need to kill it, as long as I could create an opening to escape. Once out of the hospital, I could head to my brother's apartment, which was only ten minutes away.
With a rough plan in mind, I took in a deep breath and began to remove the bed from blocking the door. I wondered if I should bring some sort of weapon with me, but there was nothing in close vicinity that would work better than my fists.
I had to rely on them for the time being.
"Augghh, Augh?"
The zombie groaned from outside, startled by the noise I was making. It continued to bang against the door, begging to get in.
Don't worry... you won't need to wait much longer.
My hand reached for the lock, and slowly, I twisted it. Afterwards, I slowly counted myself down in my head with sweat drenching my hospital gown.
3... 2... 1!
I pulled open the door with all of my might and instantly hopped backwards. From what I saw outside, the zombies were slow. I could distance myself with ease.
I looked straight ahead of me and met eyes with the beast.
"AUGHHH!"
Up close, I was certain that it was the most gruesome sight I had ever seen.
The zombie was a man. A tall man too, with black hair that fell over it's face in a greasy mess. It wore no shirt, only a bandage wrapped around its chest, meaning that it was a patient. The beast's skin was a sickly, pale white, allowing me to see his blue blood flowing through its swollen veins.
Its hands were held out in front of it as it stumbled forward, almost falling onto its face. Its grey eyes instantly fell on me, giving it an even nastier look.
But most noticeable was the blood that drenched its body from a sickening wound at the neck. It was like an animal had bitten into it and torn its flesh free. I could see the white bones of his neck from the outside.
I stepped backwards. Once, twice, three times, as the zombie approached me. Its groans were even more frightening up close.
Thud
My back hit the wall. I had no more space to retreat, and the beast was only two meters away from me. I had to swallow my fear and attack!
Naturally, I entered my boxing stance. Being an Orthodox fighter, I stood with my left leg out in front of me and my fists raised just beneath my cheekbones in a loose guard.
Patiently, I waited for the zombie to approach, watching as the blood continued to squirt from its gashed neck.
And once it did, I threw a jab.
Thud
My fist met flesh rapidly, knocking the creature's head back and sending the zombie tumbling a few steps backwards.
That was my chance.
I stepped in closer, throwing a right hook that clobbered the beast on the top of its head. I put a lot of weight behind the strike, which made the beast stumble further, crashing onto the hospital bed and flailing onto its back.
Its groans became louder, as though it was crying for help, but I wasn't finished.
In an instant, I leapt onto it, fighting off its arms as it tried to grab at me. Its jaws were open wide, putrid saliva falling from its lips as it tried to bite at anything that it could.
But I wouldn't let it.
My body was strong. Much too strong for a single beast.
With ferocity, I reached my arm forward and stuck it into the beast's neck until my hand met bone. Then, with a tight grip around its neck, I pulled with all of my might.
A sickening crunch followed as I pulled free the part of the beast's neck that kept its head on its shoulders. Blood sprayed everywhere, soaking me in it's goriness.
Instantly, the moans of the beast stopped, as its head rolled free from the rest of its body, falling onto the floor with a thud.
I chucked the neck bone to the side and rose off of its corpse. I was completely out of breath as the adrenaline slowly waned away and was replaced by fear.
But I took in deep breaths and controlled my nerves. I did not know much about zombies, but in some movies, I had seen them with strength that far succeeded humans.
Luckily for me, these zombies were not that strong. And with this newfound strength, it seemed that I could overpower them with my bare hands.
Just like that, I had killed my first zombie, and for a strange reason, it felt good.