Has the game just changed?

Hi Guys and Gals...

I know that in my short time here I’ve posted some transcriptions of phone calls etc... that have come to my attention and I’ve tried to entertain with a couple of short stories.

The following comes under neither of these banners... the following account is mine and its true... every single word. I’ve written it down in the style of fiction as it makes it easier to put over what I saw, enables me to put it into words.

I think I’ve mentioned somewhere that I’ve set up home in a small village in the North of England. Its secluded and, once the undead locals had been disposed of, its quiet. The hardest part was lugging all the corpses into the village green for burning. God, the stench of burned flesh hung around for weeks, a rancid bacon aroma that after a while actually started making me feeling hungry which, in turn, then made me feel sick to my stomach.

Hey, its amazing what you’ll get used to over time.

I’ve blocked the roads – well actually it’s a road, only the one... in and out – into the village with cars and, would you believe it, a bus.

I still get the odd zombie lumbering in through the fields but they’re not a big problem... at least I didn’t think so until this morning.

I’ve always been a light sleeper and that has only been made worse with the current situation. The sun was up before 5.00 am and I was up with it. I followed my usual routine: Cold shower, brush my teeth, take a shit and then into the garden to heat some water... can’t start the day without coffee.

Something’s never change.

So, I’m sat drinking coffee and enjoying a rare break in the cloud cover as I mulled over the thought of going out and shooting myself a rabbit – we all gotta eat. I’ve got several rifles that I’ve pilfered from the houses in the village. I prefer the air rifles as they make next to no noise and I see no point in directing unwanted attention my way... you’ll understand.

I was almost decided on rabbit when I saw the deer. It passed across the field with an elegant grace that held my attention and changed my mind about dinner.

I returned to the house, threw on a coat and picked up one of the high powered rifles I’d acquired from a local farm. Its a beautiful weapon, feels sturdy and kicks like a bastard. No point in taking the air rifle now that rabbit was off the menu.

I shut the back door on my way out but didn’t lock it - I stopped doing that over a year ago – and made my way to the end of the garden, climbing over the back fence and heading out across the field in the direction I last saw the deer.

Since the outbreak food hasn’t been a problem for me out here. I grow vegetables (a food source I would never touch in my old life) and fruit trees are in nearly back garden. I have my choice.
I’ve already mentioned rabbit, but my meat options have been pretty good. With no animal slaughter, old livestock has begun to breed freely and I have access to chicken, cows, sheep and pigs. I even kept one of the pigs as pet – called him Vince. He’s dead now. He went great with roast potatoes and gravy.

It is only recently that I’ve started seeing the deer. I think they know that man is no longer a threat and tend to venture closer to what was a once populated area. I’ve never had deer and, seeing as its the weekend, I’d got it into my head that I was going to treat myself to a big Sunday dinner.

Anyway, my prey had almost left the open fields when I found it, standing on the edge of the forest. It was looking pretty relaxed, feeding off the tall grass marking the area between field and woodland.

I crouched down and raised the rifle to my shoulder, lining up the deer’s head in the sights. The poor animal showed no sign that it knew its life was about to end. I took a deep breath and slowly applied pressure on the trigger.

That’s when it happened.

There was movement behind the deer and then the animal was gone, dragged to the floor. I heard it scream, a scream worse than anything human I’ve heard. It sent my blood cold.

I stood up, rifle still raised, but no longer looking through the sights. The deer was kicking as the zombie tore into its throat. The scream quickly died, replaced with sound of tearing flesh and rending muscle as the zombie pulled away mouthfuls at a time.

I closed one eye and lined up the zombie in the crosshairs...

Now this is the kicker... this is the punchline... this is what has me scared.

The fucking thing stopped feeding and looked up, staring straight at me down the magnified sights.
I froze... I couldn’t pull the trigger.

The zombie then – and I swear this is the truth – sneered at me, spitting out the current mouthful of food.

And then it moved. At first I thought it was coming for me, having sensed more food. I was wrong. It returned to the forest, moving with more speed than I’ve seen in the past. The gait was still awkward, the limbs stiff, but it was almost running.

I followed its progress through the sights and (I still can’t believe this) it hid. The fucking undead fucker actually hid behind a tree.

I must have waited over half an hour, rooted to the spot, the rifle heavy in my hands. I never took the sights away from that tree. Eventually the zombie came back into view.

I need you to believe this... I need to know that I’m not going crazy. It peered out. It didn’t step out... oh, no... it peered. Just its fucking head.

I didn’t hesitate a second time and pulled the trigger. My aim was good and the Zombie was thrown back into the shadows, its head an explosion of almost blackened, treacle thick, fluid.

Now, I know you won’t want to believe this... shit, I don’t want to believe this.

I ran over and checked; wanting to be wrong, wanting to find that I’d just shot a hungry survivor. I didn’t want to face the truth of what I’d just witnessed.

Not the fucking case... that zombie was as rotten as they come and missing more flesh than it had probably eaten.

I’m sat here now trying to figure this out and, no matter how I look at it; I keep coming to the same conclusion... These things are getting smarter.

Do with this info what you will... try not to panic... it may have been an isolated case... but if these things are learning then the game just changed.

Keep breathing!