Survival of the Fittest

“Well-” I stood at the divide between the rusted metal fence overlooking the rocky ravine. “-this is it.” I felt my 18 year old little sister, Artemis grab my right arm. Trying to pull me back through the fence.

“But, Dawn-” Artemis pleaded, tightening her grip. Her nails dug into my wrist. “This isn't the way.”

“It is the only way!” I argued, staggering back toward the ledge, trying to release her firm grip. “This is the best option for survival.”

I was right. I was the oldest. I was always right.

“No it's not.” Artemis’ eyes blackened. “This is.” She held up a syringe filled with murky liquid. An unrecognizable foreign force echoed through her. “There's just enough for you in here.”

I glanced down the side of the ravine. The wails bellowed louder from below.

My only way out.

Humans had lost.

“Let go of me Artemis!”

“No! Union is Eternal. Unity is Internal-” Artemis tried to inject the syringe into my arm, but I quickly shoved her to the ground.

“My decision is final,” I whispered softly before taking the leap of faith.

The apocalypse had finally struck. Only, it was not anything like directors or writers had depicted in the movies or the novels. Where one form of incursion happens instead of the other.

Humanity assumed that we as humans possessed the ability to pick one apocalyptic attack for ourselves.

But in reality, it was both.

A zombie plague and an alien invasion.

The plague was not just any virus. It was the virus that contaminated the nervous, the cardiovascular, and the endocrine systems. The symptoms reported on the Ceptive News Station included:

*Cold Sweats

*Pallid Complexion

*Overpowering Odious Odor

*Carnivorous Cravings

*Discolored Irises/ Pupils

*Varicose Veins

*Rigor Mortis Onset

The source of its original transpiration had always been unknown and still to be determined.

From what I have gathered from my own personal encounters, the whole horde can operate independent of one another. Most often, they travel in groups of ten or twenty, and it was rare to see one of them hunting alone.

They are in a sense like pack animals; predators seeking out their prey.

At exactly the same time as the permeation of the zombie plague, people around town started to disappear. Our 45 year old neighbor, Tosin, vanished when walking home alone from his workshop late one night. Another 25 year old woman, Ms. Townshend was gone without a trace when she left to wait at the bus stop for work in the afternoon. And even more people of varying age ranges on the news were reported missing all over the country.

After about a day or two, they would return home to their families. Only something seemed different. Nothing about their appearance had changed, but their actions seemed less human:

*They no longer ate.

*They no longer slept.

*They developed a rare attitude of quietude.

*They were no longer expressive. Their countenance was completely void of all sadness, joy or fear. Instead they were always stoic. Impassive.

There was; however, one dark conspicuous mark on all of their bodies. A swollen needle prick located either on their arms or neck. At least, that's what I have noticed from Tosin and Ms. Townshend as well as a few other people in my town.

They would often keep to themselves and never interact with one another like they used to. Almost like they already were communicating together: telepathically.

Even their blood vessels were altered. While the arteries, the capillaries, and the veins all seemed to be in their normal anterior and posterior positions throughout the body, something seemed off. Underneath the sunlight or any source of heat and light, their blood vessels big and small writhed around. Almost like worms.

When we got the chance, Artemis and I immediately left our townhouse in search of a safe place to settle. We had no other choice. Both the undead and the alien abductors in our town refused to attack each other.

It was us they wanted.

Little did we know that we would be followed so quickly. The horde of about thirty undead zombies raced after us on land while a dozen of alien abductors’ ships swiftly zoomed through the air with ray beams. Trying to isolate us on the rocky trail.

In the abandoned hut that we found in the woods away from town, Artemis and I both dreamt that one day mankind would be restored: killing off the horde of the undead that had overrun the land and obliterating the hivemind of aliens that decided to take over our planet.

Unfortunately for us, that day never came.

Weeks passed.

So did months.

The horde only grew and the hive continued to spread.

“Dawn!” Artemis’ shout howled at the top of the ravine.

Artemis had given in.

My sister had already chosen.

Very early one morning at exactly 3:03 am, she left the haven of our hut to get abducted. To be hosted, and ultimately became one with the parasitic alien hive.

Apparently, she thought that there was no hope for humanity.

That the only way to make it out of this ni was to join the colony of other human hosts.

One way to survive.

That was the moment I knew.

There was no way our extinction would be extricated.

There was no saving me.

Sure enough, two days later she returned; the bruised needle-sized puncture wound was noticeable in her left arm. Not alone. They were with her. The hive was always with her. Moving through her body as the vein-like worms squirmed under her skin. Their mantra: Union is Eternal. Unity is Internal.

The indecipherable wails below me somehow became more elated the further down I descended.

The horde was waiting for me.

Gnashing and gritting their rotted teeth that managed to chew through my fresh flesh.

The very first bite I felt was on the side of my neck. Then another. And another. Until the pain surged throughout my entire face and body as the next undead invalid bit my left wrist. The throbbing from my bleeding neck and wrist gradually became more bearable as my vision temporarily blurred.

My neck, wrist and other bitten areas had suddenly clotted and stopped bleeding.

This was the better choice for survival. Nothing inserted or ingested.

Just infected.