The Living VS The Dead: Chapter 2
By: Sandy Riedel

“Stephanie…” Lisa said, almost weak-sounding. “You don’t need to save me. Save yourself. We may both die if we try going inside.”

I shook my head. “You’re not going to convince me to not try to save you, Lisa. We will figure out a way to get in there. You just have to trust me.”

Zombies began crowding around the car without me even realizing it, so when I heard a bang on my window, I jumped out of my seat. I slammed on the gas and drove around the hospital, looking for a way in. I noticed there was an open window with no zombies around. I decided there was no time to think about it, or else zombies would soon be near, so I jumped out of the car, grabbing the bag, and went to help Lisa out of the passenger seat.

“I got it, Steph.” She insisted. I ran to the window and waited for her. She was walking at such a slow pace, and zombies began making their way towards us. I realized I was tapping my foot and biting my lip, worried she wouldn’t make it.

“Can I help you?” I shouted to her.

“Stephanie.” She stopped walking. “I am completely capable of walking on my own.” She sounded angry so I took a deep breath and waited impatiently.

She finally made it and I jumped in the window, holding out a hand.

She looked at me with such a furious expression and began climbing in the window on her own. The zombies were arm reach away from her and she barely made it inside when the zombies made it to the window, but I closed it shut, cutting off one of the zombie’s hands.

It seemed to have no effect on it whatsoever, and this almost disgusted me. How could a creature, which was once so alive, be so dead with no soul or feeling?

I heard moans come from behind me and noticed the door was open and there were a few zombies in the hallway. I pulled a knife out from the bag and held it in front of me. I had never killed anything before. But if I was going to save myself, as well as Lisa, I had to be brave; I had to kill this...thing.

I stepped forward a few steps and when I was close enough, I swung my arm, digging the knife into the zombie’s neck, decapitating it. The head fell first, with a loud thump, and rolled to the wall. The body finally fell backwards, in the doorway. I hear more moans approaching and jumped at the sound of it. I kicked the zombie body inside the room and slammed the door right in time. The zombies banged on the door and I cringed at the thought of them breaking the door down.

I looked over at Lisa, who was leaning against the wall. She looked as if she was asleep. I had two hours left; why was she already showing signs of change? Her pale, almost green, skin. Her dark, gloomy eyes. She seemed exhausted and angry. Was I running out of time?

“Lisa!” I shouted at her, pulling at her arm. She opened her eyes and stood up, almost straight. I saw a swinging door in the room and I decided to see what was inside. I pushed it open, slowly and cautiously. The light was on and I heard the talking of a man come from the back of the room. I looked at where it was coming from and two intelligent-looking men, wearing white clothing, were talking- or one was talking to the other.

I stepped inside, and the talking came to a halt, and both men looked at me, with mysterious eyes. One of the two pulled a knife from out of his pocket.
“I’m not infected.” I stated, simply.

I walked to the back of the room, pulling Lisa with me. I tried to hide her behind me so that the men did not get angry. I stood in front of them, and they stayed silent.
“Do you guys happen to have the cure for the infection?”

The one with the knife held out relaxed his arm and his eyes narrowed. “How do you know of the cure?”

“So you do have it?”

“I’m Dr. Johnson. This is Dr. Fields. We do have the cure, but we are not allowed to distribute it. Were you bitten?”

“No, my friend was. Why aren’t you allowed to distribute it? Now is the perfect time to use it.”

“Well, you see…There are many side effects that may even include killing a person. We do not want to be held responsible.”

I felt my face turn red and my jaw clench. “She either becomes a zombie, I kill her or we take that risk.”

Dr. Johnson sighed. “Come with me.” He turned around and walked into another room through a swinging door. Dr. Fields just stood there, not taking his eyes off of Lisa and I. Inside this room was a ton of beakers, filled with all different colored liquids. He examined a collection of red liquids and picked one that had the date “04-13-2018” written on it.

“They are supposed to age for at least three years. This one has only aged for two and a half, but it will have to do. We’ve used the ready ones on the bitten doctors. All she has to do is drink this whole beaker full and then she needs to stay standing for thirty minutes. The medicine should then kill the infection throughout her whole body and she will hopefully be cured.”

I turned around to find that Lisa was no longer in the room with us. I hear a man scream from the other room and I ran to it to find Lisa ripping apart and chewing on Dr. Fields. She seemed unpleased.

Dr. Johnson pulled out a knife and decapitated Lisa. I felt my knees get weak and my eyes filled with tears.

“I’m sorry. It had to be done. She found out that he did not have real human blood and was getting ready to attack one of us.”