Undead Genesis: Zombie by Colten Steele Page A

reached the battlefield.
Marik found he was able to track the other tribe easily from their
side of the field. They had many men and had made no attempt to
hide their route.
    It was late in the day and Marik struggled to
stay on his feet ahead of the creature. All day the relentless
pursuit continued without any opportunity to rest and his ankle was
a ball of flame. Looking down he could see it had swollen to twice
its normal size. He was unable to move without a limp and leaned
heavily on a thick stick he had picked up on the way.
    He had no idea how much further the tribe’s
camp was, but he did know he had passed his physical limit and was
now moving on adrenalin and desperation alone. Once he had stumbled
and the seemingly inexhaustible creature behind him managed to
scratch his arm and roared in triumph before the frightened boy
quickly moved out of reach.
    He continued to run. The scratch burned.
    He needed a drink badly, but they had not
crossed any streams in hours. Even if he had been able to summon a
burst of speed to pull away, he did not know where to find water in
this unfamiliar part of the forest.
    Marik debated climbing a tree but was not
sure he had the energy to do so or if the ankle would let him
physically climb at all. He asked his ancestors for help, but he
could not feel their comforting presence.
    Ahead he noticed a clearing where the light
poured through the canopy. Heading towards it he was relieved to
see multiple huts around the perimeter. He had finally reached the
camp he had been searching for.
    It was not until he burst into the clearing
that he realized there were no people. The small camp was
uninhabited. It must have been a temporary stop for the others on
the way to each battle. There was no telling how much further until
he found the people of the other tribe.
    Heading toward what looked like the largest
hut Marik managed to climb the few stairs and closed the swinging
door behind him. He heard a collision and felt the floor under him
tremble as the creature slammed into the stairs and collapsed.
    Marik’s body was rebelling. His lungs heaved
with great gasps and his now useless ankle pulsed brutally.
    The temporary shelter’s door was made of
bamboo poles. Marik could see through the gaps and watched as the
monster crawled up towards him. It moaned louder as it got closer.
He limped over to the door and wedged his body up against it while
holding the edge tightly with both hands. The journey was done.
Marik sobbed with fear.
    When the creature reached the door, the
pumping heart just inches away called to it. Hunger was a desire of
the past. It was not searching for a meal for sustenance. All that
was left now was the undeniable craving to consume the living
creature’s spirit that no longer existed in its ruined body. The
longing was as great as a drowning man’s need for air.
    The creature attacked the door trying to tear
the barrier away and snapped at the bamboo relentlessly with its
jaws before noticing a single thumb pulsing thickly with blood
wrapped around one of the poles. The creature attacked savagely
tearing off a chunk of flesh and relishing the lifeblood as it ran
sweetly into its mouth.
    Inside, Marik screamed with pain and quickly
pulled both hands in to his chest. The agony was more than a
physical wound; it was an intense sting. He felt it flow quickly up
his arm and explode into his chest. He suddenly struggled to pull
breath into savaged lungs and the stinging pain travelled up his
neck. It locked his jaws shut and moved into up his spine into his
brain. Mercifully, the pain ended quickly after that as Marik’s
spirit left his quickly perishing body.
    Without Marik’s active resistance, the
creature outside was able to push open the door causing the now
limp body on the other side to fall on its back. The creature
pushed its way into the hut where it found the boy’s feet wedged
near the door. Sweet blood still flooded through the body’s veins.
Moaning, the