How He Created a Marionette

Strange.

That's my first thought. When I woke up, everything around me was strange. Even the fact that I woke up here is strange.

I only remember going out with my friends. I remember I was happy as we finally got together after a long time. I saw the cars passing by as we walked down the street. I remember almost tripping, one of my friends helping me up, and us laughing. And how clear the sky was. I remember saying: "I wish time would stop at this moment."

The next second, I'm already here. As I try to take in my surroundings, I realized how barren this land is. And I also realized... just how silent it is. It's so silent that I couldn't even hear any insect or bird chirping. I could see cars... parked chaotically on the road. There were bags randomly thrown, its contents a mess on the floor, as if the owner was in a hurry to... escape? And... there are traces of red paint everywhere. I look down at myself and sure enough, similar red paint was also on me, making my clothes sticky. It looks like I'm in a set of an apocalyptic movie – except the actors and staff are missing.

Okay. This must be a prank. I'm pretty sure there are cameras everywhere. I just have to find them. And then it'll all be over.

God, I hope I find them soon, these clothes are uncomfortable.

I decided to just go wherever my feet would take me. It's not that I don't want to use those scattered cars, I just doubt I'd even be able to use them. Besides, I'd be able to observe everything easier this way.

I hope it doesn't get dark soon, or it would be harder to navigate this place.

As if aware of my thoughts, the sky started to slowly darken. I don't know if it's just me but it gave me an ominous feeling.

A thought occured to me, but stubborn as I am, I chose to ignore it. It was too ridiculous. Though even if I don't want to admit it, that thought evokes fear deep inside me. It's a terrifying idea that the mere thought of it caused my heart to beat faster than it ever did before.

But, it looks like I'd have to face the reality sooner than I thought.

One, two, three. Three humanoid fugures are currently walking in my direction. One was limping. One was as if he walking at his own yard, happily taking in the surroundings. And the third... I can't explain with my limited vocabulary. I can feel the hair all over my body standing when I caught a glimpse of him

For a prank, the instigator seems to have too much of a budget. These zombies are just so realiztic. Or maybe... Nah, that only happens in fantasy. I'm sure it's not true.

My conjecture was proven when the three came closer and proceeded to walk past me. See? They're not really zombies. If they were, they'd have started feasting on me the moment they approached me.

"Dude, this is a prank, isn't it? Where's your camera?" I clarified before holding one of them on the shoulder. The one who's been limping since earlier.

As if I was in a movie, the guy slowly turned his head around to look at me. Only, his eyes can't seem to focus on me. As if he's looking at me, but also looking past me. Am I a ghost or something?

He smelled me and then once again turned his back from me, ignoring my questions. Okay, I'm really starting to get pissed. I let out a hard breath and decided to get this over with.

"That's enough! Hand me your props, stop pranking me already."

I held the leg of the one pretending to limp and pulled it. But it was to my great surprise when the part I pulled was cut. It's like pulling a piece from a rotten meat, its stench immediately attacking my nose as it loosened and... dropped on the floor.

Looks like I pulled too hard. But how come... his limb was severed just like that? It all downed on me as I slowly stood up and looked closely at him.

He's real; A real zombie. It wasn't a prank; There are no cameras around. Something snapped in my head, and I feel my limbs weaken. The thought that I've ignored earlier resurfaced in my mind: Zombie apocalypse.

This is a zombie apocalypse, and... I'm not a survivor, but also a zombie.

"Ha, haha, HAHAHA. No, no. It can't be, I can't be."

I fell on the floor with what I realized. No wonder. No wonder there was blood–that I tried to deny–on my body, but I could feel no pain. No wonder it was like this place was abandoned by everyone. No wonder they just walked past me. That explains everything.

"Mikaila, what do you think of my creation?" My back froze as I hear his voice, and I feel a shiver down my spine as I understood the content of what he said.

It's him. He did this.

I looked behind me and sure enough, he was standing there. And he seemed to be enjoying my predicament. Just one look was enough to make me feel the emotions that I haven't felt in a long while.

I could still see it-Heck, I can still even hear it; as if I'm still stuck on that time: that time when I was still ignorant of a lot of things.

The voice of the past echoed in my ears as I recall that period of time. When he was still standing in front of me inside a cold conference room.

"Heh, just wait. One day, everyone will be dancing in the palm of my hands. Your so-called friends, they'll stab you with a knife that you, yourself, sharpened. And you'll be crumbling down in front of me, your eyes will be filled with fear. But I would enjoy it. I would enjoy every second of it."

At that time, the gentleness that I'd always been familiar with was gone. Instead, his eyes, cold and cynical, had a smile in them. Back then, I wondered: Had he always been like this?

I've known him for years, but he was always so gentle. He was a quiet and introverted person, but every once in a while, I would have a strange feeling whenever he talked about his love for zombies. How he found it fascinating that a single virus 'can uncover a person's heart and its desires'. I didn't understand what he meant back then. Like a riddle that only he knows the answer to.

This is also the reason I stopped being familiar with him back then. I slowly started distancing myself from him, and ended our friendship in that cold conference room. Why? Because he showed me something that made my blood turn cold. And thinking about it now, I was so dumb. I shouldn't have stopped being friends with him, but ruined the "potion" instead.

I slowly stood up and took a deep breath before facing him. "What do you mean?" I cursed in my mind when I heard my own voice quiver.

"Didn't I already tell you? Even if you join me or not, my plan would continue. It's really a shame that you chose to abandon your dear friend. I have wanted to make you their leader, just like me. I was really disappointed. But that's all in the past now."

His voice was still gentle, but all it did was cause me to shake. I once again questioned myself: Was he really my friend? Was he really the Noir that I knew?

"Your plan was evil!" I couldn't stop myself from screaming.

"Evil? I just want them to stop hiding their desires deep inside them. I want them to act based on their instincts; to do whatever their mind wants them to do. Those hypocrites, I want them to show everyone just how dirty their hearts are. And I didn't fail. As soon as the apocalypse started, they betrayed the people who trusted them the most; they showed their selfishness; they r*ped, k*lled, stole and did all crimes possible in the absence of law."

He paused, and manically laughed before continuing. There's a mocking smile on his lips while stating the cold, hard, and painful truth.

"And your 'best friends', they took advantage of you. While you were busy protecting them and making sure you got enough food for all of you, they robbed you and left you alone. To be eaten by the zombies... They didn't even spare you a glance."

It was like a bucket of cold water was poured on me. I remembered everything. How I was laughing with my friends when everyone around us suddenly started panicking.

He was right: The moment it started, those people immediately showed who they really were. I can still recall how I was almost shoved by someone I treated as a friend, just to shield the attack of one zombie.

In just a flash, the system changed. The weak were no longer protected, but instead were taken advantaged of. Trust? What is that? The word became foreign and was thrown out the window as survival instincts took over. Humanity? There's no such thing, only human nature.

I tried my best to resist. I saved whoever I can save; I helped whoever I can help; I killed whichever zombie I can kill. But everything was of no value. What I did was just like a drop in the ocean, it didn't even create a wave. It didn't have an effect on the situation at all. People still did whatever they can do to prioritize their selves and jeopardize anyone else.

And the mastermind of it all, is once my friend. I felt weak as my world seemed to crumble at my feet. But he seemed to be enjoying all that has happened to me. It's hard to believe that just three months ago, I was still hanging out with this person. And now, he already had the blood of countless people in his hands, albeit indirectly.

He's still a human, just an inhumane one. And I'm a zombie, but still with humanity. Our situations seem to be reversed.

"It's a pity, but I can only control you now. Well, for you, it's a pity. But I'd be having the best time of my life controlling you. You still have your consciousness now due to the temporary antidote I gave you before. That's because I want to witness how you slowly lose yourself. I want you to hate what you would become, but have no way of stopping it." He smiled and the next second, he was back to his usual gentle self. As if we're back to the time when we were still friends, and as if I haven't discovered the dark side of him yet.

I felt my eyes become hot and tears blurred my vision as hopelessness covered my heart. But even the blurriness was not enough to conceal his action of raising a hand. Gun. He was holding a gun.

Bang!

For a moment, I thought I was about to die. But instead, my whole body slowly became numb. I could feel my head start to become heavy as I struggle to hold on to my consciousness.

I don't know whatever was in that bullet, but I could only feel like my body was floating. I couldn't hear anything; I couldn't think. There's nothing. Only a strong desire. A strong desire to obey him. As if he was the only one that is important.

Before my vision darkened, I saw the last bit of light disappear from the horizon as the sun set.

"Now, follow me. And kill."

...

What was my name again? What am I doing here? Where am I? Who was with me?

I don't know. I don't know anything.

...

Oh, right. Kill. I have to kill. Kill them.

Kill them all.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill.