hadn't dreamed this whole mess up and I wasn't going to wake up curled up under my blanket on the couch in our apartment come morning.
“Do you know why we only eat canned foods?” Drake's question took me by surprise.
“They're the only food left,” I replied.
“Not exactly true,” Drake shook his head. “We can grow food, you know. Fruits, vegetables and grains will all still grow if you try hard enough and manage to get enough water to the plants.”
“Okay, if that's true, why did the Powers That Be destroy our garden?”
“Everything is contaminated by the zombie virus. Every single plant, animal, building, even the air and the water are contaminated.”
“We're contaminated.” I remembered Dr. Zeb's explanation from my first few weeks at the hospital ward. “Even if we don't show any outward signs of the virus we're still contaminated by it. That's why we still change into zombies when we die even though we were never bitten.”
“Right,” Drake nodded. “I don't know if you're old enough to remember it but the Cube used to have livestock as well as a garden.”
I shook my head. “I was just a baby when they killed off all the animals.”
“Did anyone ever tell you why they killed the animals?” He asked.
“I was always told that there was a bad storm and we ran out of food and had to eat them all.”
“The part about the storm is true, but the reason they killed off all the animals was because they had started showing the effects of the zombie virus.”
“The animals turned zombie?” I was confused. “I thought animals couldn't turn into zombies.”
“Animals don't turn into real zombies, but if they consume enough food and water that are contaminated with the virus then they will start to change.”
“Change how?”
“Did you get a good look at Seth?” Drake asked. I shuddered and nodded. He tightened his grip on my hands. “Seth is one of what we call the Changed. He's human, but he's lived off food and drink that contain the virus for so long that he's starting to turn into a zombie without ever actually being bitten by one.”
“Oh God. How awful.” A million of my worst hot, sweaty nightmares came rushing up at me out of the blackness. How many nights had I dreamed of waking up to discover that I had been turned into a zombie but somehow could still think my own thoughts and still had feelings?
Drake must have seen my distress because he instantly hugged me close. His chin came to rest on top of my head. “I know. Can you imagine how panicked people would be back in the Cube if they ever found out?”
I nodded, recalling how terrified some of the people in the hospital had been when they were facing relatively minor injuries. “I can't imagine what would happen if someone told everyone there was a chance they might start to very slowly and gradually become a zombie. There would be mass hysteria.”
“Now do you understand why we keep it a secret?”
“Wait?” My head jerked up abruptly. “Are you trying to tell me that we are all turning into zombies? That we're all, Changed ?” I would have bolted if Drake hadn't been holding me so tightly.
“No. No, I'm not. We aren't.”
“But then, why would other people be changing?”
“Canned foods were sealed before the virus outbreak. If you only eat cans, then you're only eating foods that haven't been contaminated.”
“Oh my God.” I put my hand over my mouth. “The Powers That Be killed all the animals because eating fresh meat was turning us in to zombies?”
“Basically,” Drake released his grip on me slightly. I noticed that my skin was bright red where he had been holding me.
“Then, that guy, Seth – he hasn't been eating cans?”
Drake hesitated. “I'm not sure I need to tell you any more tonight. I'm afraid you might have a hard time handling everything. In the past we've had recruits go crazy when we told them the truth.”
“Trust me when I say anything I can imagine is probably
“Do you know why we only eat canned foods?” Drake's question took me by surprise.
“They're the only food left,” I replied.
“Not exactly true,” Drake shook his head. “We can grow food, you know. Fruits, vegetables and grains will all still grow if you try hard enough and manage to get enough water to the plants.”
“Okay, if that's true, why did the Powers That Be destroy our garden?”
“Everything is contaminated by the zombie virus. Every single plant, animal, building, even the air and the water are contaminated.”
“We're contaminated.” I remembered Dr. Zeb's explanation from my first few weeks at the hospital ward. “Even if we don't show any outward signs of the virus we're still contaminated by it. That's why we still change into zombies when we die even though we were never bitten.”
“Right,” Drake nodded. “I don't know if you're old enough to remember it but the Cube used to have livestock as well as a garden.”
I shook my head. “I was just a baby when they killed off all the animals.”
“Did anyone ever tell you why they killed the animals?” He asked.
“I was always told that there was a bad storm and we ran out of food and had to eat them all.”
“The part about the storm is true, but the reason they killed off all the animals was because they had started showing the effects of the zombie virus.”
“The animals turned zombie?” I was confused. “I thought animals couldn't turn into zombies.”
“Animals don't turn into real zombies, but if they consume enough food and water that are contaminated with the virus then they will start to change.”
“Change how?”
“Did you get a good look at Seth?” Drake asked. I shuddered and nodded. He tightened his grip on my hands. “Seth is one of what we call the Changed. He's human, but he's lived off food and drink that contain the virus for so long that he's starting to turn into a zombie without ever actually being bitten by one.”
“Oh God. How awful.” A million of my worst hot, sweaty nightmares came rushing up at me out of the blackness. How many nights had I dreamed of waking up to discover that I had been turned into a zombie but somehow could still think my own thoughts and still had feelings?
Drake must have seen my distress because he instantly hugged me close. His chin came to rest on top of my head. “I know. Can you imagine how panicked people would be back in the Cube if they ever found out?”
I nodded, recalling how terrified some of the people in the hospital had been when they were facing relatively minor injuries. “I can't imagine what would happen if someone told everyone there was a chance they might start to very slowly and gradually become a zombie. There would be mass hysteria.”
“Now do you understand why we keep it a secret?”
“Wait?” My head jerked up abruptly. “Are you trying to tell me that we are all turning into zombies? That we're all, Changed ?” I would have bolted if Drake hadn't been holding me so tightly.
“No. No, I'm not. We aren't.”
“But then, why would other people be changing?”
“Canned foods were sealed before the virus outbreak. If you only eat cans, then you're only eating foods that haven't been contaminated.”
“Oh my God.” I put my hand over my mouth. “The Powers That Be killed all the animals because eating fresh meat was turning us in to zombies?”
“Basically,” Drake released his grip on me slightly. I noticed that my skin was bright red where he had been holding me.
“Then, that guy, Seth – he hasn't been eating cans?”
Drake hesitated. “I'm not sure I need to tell you any more tonight. I'm afraid you might have a hard time handling everything. In the past we've had recruits go crazy when we told them the truth.”
“Trust me when I say anything I can imagine is probably
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