Zombie

• Kimberly Pagniello, Grade 8
• Short Story
• 2015

"What the heck?"

Three words clawed their way out of Carmen's throat. She sounded pathetic. The words barley sounded like words, it was more like a hoarse grumble erupting from her dry mouth as she was drawn into consciousness.

Carmen felt her insides crumble with every breath she took. She tried to swallow every bit of saliva she could collect in her mouth but it wasn't enough. "Hello?" She croaked weakly. It was completely silent, aside from her deep breaths. Nice one C. What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into this time?

Carmen felt dis-coordinated as she lifted her arms and kicked her legs. Everything was heavy, and she desperately wanted to go back to sleep. Damn, it was like waking up on a Monday. She felt the walls around her, they were soft and made with some kind of felt—apart from the wooden roof—and she felt quite cosy in the few inches of space around her as she rested on her back. Apart from the fact that she felt like she was about to have a panic attack for being trapped in a box in who-knows-where, but the last thing she needed right now was to waste all of the oxygen which was the only thing keeping her alive—or so she thought.

Carmen feared looking into the sun after so long in darkness would burn her eyes out (because you know, that's exactly how physics works). She sight and wrapped her hands around herself, feeling the thin material under her shaking fingers.

She was wearing a dress. Carmen groaned and rolled her eyes, picking at the fabric. She hated dresses and desperately wanted to rip it to shreds, but then she would have to face the fact that she may freeze to death, which was the exact opposite of what she wanted.

Carmen decided it was now or never—she kicked her foot on the roof with as much force as she could muster up. After a few good hits, dirt fell from the cracks she formed in the roof. She took one last deep breath and practically body-slammed the wood, which she realise may not have been her best idea as dirt collapsed into the limited amount of space there was, filling every gap.

Dirt entered her eyes, and it stung like flames, but she couldn't scream. Instead, she clawed her way to the surface, almost loosing a shoe in the process. Carmen would have screamed in joy when her hand broke through to the surface. Soon, she found herself pushing the lower half of her body out of the ground and into the cold, night air.

Carmen shook her dress and hair, then cleared her eyes and looked around. Once the blurriness cleared up there was one thing she was sure of. Carmen hadn't just woken up in her grave six feet under. This was a zombie apocalypse.

And she was right in the damn middle of it.