Flash Fiction by Edie Arks

See You Later

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Prompt #8: Imagine the heart-wrenching dilemma as the one you cherished most becomes an unrecognizable, monstrous zombie. Will you find the courage to make the agonizing choice that both love and morality demand?

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DAY 1

The disease broke out. It spread throughout the town and infected half of us in a matter of hours. Ms. Jasmine has asked everyone to stay inside and pack an emergency bag in case we need to move elsewhere quickly.

DAY 7

One of the younger kids attacked Ms. Jasmine during breakfast. I remember the news saying that these "Infected" are violent and are able to transfer the disease through body fluids, which means the orphanage is no longer safe. I'm taking Allie and getting out of here as soon as possible.

DAY 9

We found shelter in an abandoned gas station at the edge of town. There's enough food to last us for a month or beyond. I just hope it's obscure enough to not attract the Infected or other hungry travelers. There's also a fire station nearby so I'll see if I can find help there tomorrow.

DAY 10

The gas station wasn't abandoned. The Infected owner caught us by surprise when he jumped out of the men's washroom and tried to grab Allie. I hit him with the fire extinguisher and something wriggled out of the wound in his head. It looked like a black worm.

I took as much food as I can fit into my bag and ran to the fire station. The firefighters brought us inside and I told them about the wound worm.

DAY 13

The worm turned out to be the root of the problem. They found its eggs in tap water and said that only natural water is safe to consume now. There's still no way to properly extract the parasites from the body once ingested. I hid the bottled mineral water we took from the gas station in the bushes. I'm sorry for being selfish but it might just save our lives.

DAY 18

The firefighters are training Allie on how to detect danger and defend against them. They said she's a natural learner and will be a big help around the station. I want to help too so I said I could scout resources around the area since I'm quick on my feet. We'll be joining them on their patrols starting tomorrow.

DAY 25

We're on a 3-day scouting mission with a rescue company to find more water and rescue any homeless survivors along the way. A lot of houses have been turned into strongholds with barricades and traps set around them.

Allie led us to a family who had been traveling on foot for a week. Their baby needs to feed but they've run out of breast milk. Now they're giving him the goat milk they brought with them from their farm.

DAY 32

The father of the family told us that goat milk keeps the parasite at bay. Some people have traded their water for his goat milk. I don't think he's telling the truth but I don't have proof yet.

I tried talking to the mother but she seems to be a mute. She looks so frail, I'm sure it tires her out to carry the baby all day and night. Maybe we can spare some more food for her. In the meantime, Allie is staying with her to provide some comfort.

DAY 36

Dozens of small animals are turning up dead around the station. Chief said the overnight hordes of Infected might've left them behind when they were passing through. Whatever it is, I'm taking Allie off duty and keeping her in the safe room. Then I'll help them bury the carcasses.

DAY 40

The baby's been crying nonstop and it's keeping me awake. So I went and peeked into their corner. The mother was pale and unmoving on the floor, and the father was pouring dark liquid into the baby's bottle! It was too dim to see but it looked an awful lot like blood...

DAY 44

Allie is missing!! I don't know where she went but... God, please let her be safe...

DAY 48

Three days ago, Allie came back to me bleeding out from her paw. I traced her blood and it led me to the family's corner. I saw the baby licking the red liquid off the floor! I can't believe they've been raising an Infected in the compound!

I informed the chief straight away and he cast the father and his baby out of the station immediately. He also asked me to let Allie go if I wanted to stay with them. So I thanked them, said my goodbyes, recovered the water from the bush, and set out with Allie.

Now we're camping by a small lake towards the south. Allie is getting weaker by the day.

DAY 50

I know she's turning soon. She hasn't been eating the canned dog food and instead has developed a taste for fresh blood. I moved her into a makeshift cage but I don't know how long that'll hold her.

I don't want us to end up like the mother and baby.... God, I know what I have to do... Just please, please give me the strength to do it.

DAY 55

Allie is no longer Allie. Whatever's in that cage is now trying to break out.

I tied rocks to the cage and loaded it onto a flimsy raft I made out of the last of the dry wood we have. Then I pushed it towards the middle of the lake.

As I write this down, the raft is slowly unravelling and the cage is sinking with the monster inside it. A monster who's invaded the body of my best friend, Allie. She was the best dog I could hope for, and it pains me to admit that this is all her cowardly human could do for her.

I'm leaving this journal here. To anyone who reads this, I hope you are doing so in a safer world where the Infected is not a threat anymore.

To my sweet beagle Allie(gator), I'll see you later.