The Revenant

[Otis McNutt 395]

I don't remember much about my Death. I'd like to think I went out with dignity, but I most likely shit myself.

How fortunate I was to bite it just as the world went to shit. My body was barely cold before I found myself crawling up from the ground, reanimated as a mindless walking corpse. I don't remember much about that time, just flashes mostly. Seeing others like me shambling about looking for helpless victims to feast on. If it wasn't for a crasshed Semi I wouldn't be here right now. To my primative brain the sparkling light seemed pretty almost magical, something that needed to be touched. As I grabbed the downed powerline my body was wracked by the 50,000 volts. As I writhed on the ground in agony I suddenly felt my mind clear, I could think again and needless to say I was kinda freaked out.

I was still dead, my heart didn't beat but I wasn't mindless. I was something new, or old...not a Zombie but a Revenant.

There were some benefits to being a Revenant, I was fasterand stronger than I was when I was human. No pain of course the rotting was an issue as well as the hunger. As advanced as I was I still needed to feed like my less advanced brethren. While the others felt the need to feed on people I found solace in vermin, rats, stray dogs, raccoons and once I stumbled upon a horse that lasted a week.

About three months after I "woke up" I was out foraging for food and suplies when I caught a scent I hadn't smelled for a while, living humans. There was a group of them, scavengers like me. People looking for some way to extend their lives. I was content to let them pass until I saw her. Her name was Anna and she was beautiful. How could such beauty exist in this Hellish landscape?

She split off from her group and kicked in the back door of a small pharmacy, most likely looking to pilfer some prescription drugs. As she ducked in I noticed she was being shadowed, a walker had gotten a wiff of her fresh meaty scent as well and was making a bee line for her. Something was telling me to just leave but Instead I found myself walking in her direction. I picked up a discarded length of piping and charged into the building. Without Hesitation I brought the metal baton down on the walkers head cracking it open. I found Anna on the ground, she was knocked out but alive. As she stirred to life I quickly composed myself, a pair of gloves for my hands, some face cream and sunglasses and I was human again.

"Slowly." I said helping her to her feet. "You got your rung kinda hard."

"It was so fast, I thought I was dead!" She said loking at her attacker.

"If I hadn't been scavenging in the area you would have."

"You're not with our group, who are you?" She asked.

"My name is Cyrus...I guess you could say I'm freelance."

"I'm Anna, I'm Surprised to see anyone unaffiliated is still alive."

"I'm not really a joiner, more of a lone wolf."

"I guess you've never heard of safety in numbers."

"Yeah that's really safe." I said motioning to the Walker.

Anna smiled and shook her head. I was about to leave when she stopped me. "Come meet the others". She said. "We could always use another soldier."

I should've left, said no thanks and hit the road but she was just so damn beautiful.

Anna belonged to a group of hunter gatherers, seven in all part of a raiding party for a much larger group of 150. They had fortified an old Auto plant and were using it as a Berrics. After much prodding by Anna, her leader Simon allowed me to join the group provisionally.

The base was a day away and the group had taken refuge in a gymnasium waiting for morning. As the group sat around eating a meal of potted meat and lima beans I found myself craving living flesh. I ducked away from the group and found myself rooting through dumpsters looking for a fat juicy rat. As luck would have it I found a cat, a stray calico by the look of it.

I pounced on the beast and in one fell swoop snapped it's neck. As I began to devour it's still warm flesh I felt a presence behind me. I turned and there was Anna staring at me.

"This looks bad, I admit but I can explain." I said slurping a bit of cat entrails into my mouth.

I found myself tied to a chair, I let out a breath of relief thankful my head wasn't bashed open somewhere.

"What are you?" Simon asked.

"I think I'm a Virgo, but I've never been sure."

"Are you a Walker or not?" He asked pointing a gun at my head.

"I don't know...maybe." I answered.

I told them my story, about waking up a mindless brute then suddenly becoming sentient again. My confusion then total clarity.

The group left to deliberate about my fate. They were gone a long time and I was worried it would come back any minute and blow my brains out. Ask about an hour Simon it came out and said " I think there is somebody that you need to meet" he cut my ropes and allowed me to rejoin the group.

Needless to say I was very scared Most of the through kept their distance Except for Anna Who sat down next to me. " I thought you'd want these back" she said handed me a box. Inside with my sunglasses And my gloves As well as a makeup compact. " She grabbed the compact Dept less fun into the powder And smiled " how about a makeover" she said with delight.

Anna began to dab the flesh tone makeup onto my greyish skin, transforming me into the man I used to be.

"Did it hurt, dying I mean?" She asked.

"I don't really remember to be honest".

"How'd it happen?" She asked

" It was an aortic rupture, the heart attack on steroids brought on by stress."

" Did you have a family?" She asked.

"No, only child. Mom and Dad passed years ago."

"I'm sorry." She said.

"Yeah me too, I was a teenager when they died. Car crash."

We sat in silence for a while before I spoke up again.

"What are they gonna do with me?" I asked.

"Simon wants to take you to Eli our defacto leader, you're unique and we need to know why.

"I suddenly feel so much better." I said.