1 Juniper’s Tale

The year 2121

The Waste formerly Nevada. Not your typical exciting destination town what was once a thriving metropolis in the desert, its now a stark dust bowl. Since the "Zombie apocalypse" if that's what you want to call it, I prefer massive human pandemic it sounds more politically correct at least that's what Jeff use to say before I ate him. He was a civil rights lawyer in his former life; I learned a lot from Jeff. Now it's just me, oh right, who am I? I am Juniper, Elvis calls me Juni at least he would if he had vocal cords... He's a cockroach. I'll let you meet him later. So... where was I yes, the massive human pandemic MHP for short.

Before the MHP, I was your average cocktail waitress/singer wannabe. I worked at this club called the Nightingale, and I'd wait tables and would sing for open mic nights. I guess you could say it was a good deal. Those were the days staying up until 3 am singing old Loretta Lynn, and Johnny Cash covers it didn't get any better. Until I met John, now I'm not proud of my dating record... frankly, it's not great. Just one bad news bear after another. But, I thought John was the one; in the beginning, he would take me out, treated me like a queen until I started booking more gigs and meeting more people. He then became bitter and angry, you know like that Jackyl and Mr. Hyde character. So while I was in the midst of this horrible break up, the world was going to shit! Some fella down in Georgia was bitten by a squirrel who had a mutated strand of e-coli well; the disease spread so fast that a week later, half the U.S. was "Zombified."

It was the night I had come back to John's to grab the last of my things. The apartment was empty and dark when I entered. I flipped on the switch because this isn't some horror movie scene where the heroine is an idiot and thinks she can see in the dark, as soon as I did I saw John except it didn't look like John his hair had turned stark white. His skin looked as if it had lost its pigment, but the most significant change was his eyes; they changed from a dark brown to an ice blue, it was unsettling. One thing you should know when you first turn you are in what I like to call the fever haze, this is your typical crazy brain-eating zombie moment, John was in this phase. You can guess what happened; next, he attacks me. Thank god for those self-defense classes I took because I was able to fight him off to where he tripped over the extension cord to his fan. I told him time and again to move that chord anyways he tripped and landed on the coffee table. It ended up severing his brain stem. Now here I am having a victory lap when I notice the bite on my wrist; you can still see the thin white scars. Well, I fell sick, and I don't remember much of those early days, but when the fever haze subsided, I started to notice my enhancements. Like the ability to see in the dark, heighten earring abilities, I could now run fast. But, the most significant change came to my voice, which Sir you have experienced. Juni paused her story to look at the man tired to the chair, and she was looking for a reaction. It had been weeks since she had a new catch or someone other than Elvis to talk to, but the man just sat there terrified, he wet his pants earlier, embarrassing it made her laugh to think of it.

" well," she continued. " my voice change it became this otherworldly sound, and soon I found out it could entrance people, that's how I have survived so long." She said. The man just stares. " Well now I'm bored, and hungry" Juni spoke as she stood from her seat to walk towards the man and rip off his head. "Oh, did I mention I was exceptionally strong too," she giggled and then began to feed.

The hunger for human flesh was the part Juni struggled with; she had always been a survivor, growing up with nothing you learn a thing or two. But, taking lives has never been her favorite thing about her new normal. Juni packed up the other half of the man and stored him in an old freezer she picked up at this restaurant on Main Street. She walked into the bathroom of the presidential suite of some swanky well known Vegas hotel to clean up, ripping off heads was messy. Rinsing her hands and face, she pauses before looking in the mirror still after all these years, and she waits to see if her reflection had changed. It was a game of sorts, tricking herself to get used to this new version. She let breath and looked, nothing an otherworldly being look back at her with ice blue eyes and pale porcelain skin, now her hair was I light lavender this week, she hated the stark white locks, so she took to dying her hair. It had been over 100 years since the MHP she ran out of dye about 60 years back, but she figured out how to make her own. Juni touched her face, inspecting her skin for any signs of aging or change. But alas nothing, after all, she was the undead. She sighed and shuffled into the next room, heading to her second most prized possession, her record player. Opening the lid Juni slid on an old Nancy Sinatra album music filled the space, she hummed to the familiar tune heading over to a small container. Inside was some ripped up married by Elvis pamphlets some sticks and a tiny statue of Elvis that was once a key chain.

"Elvis?" Juni tapped the glass getting Elvis to come out of his hiding spot. The small creature was annoyed with interruption. " I'm sorry to mess with your beauty sleep, just letting you know the man earlier was such a bore! Absolutely no personality." Of course, she new Elvis understood very little of what she said is a cockroach, but it kept her sane or sort of sane. She found the little creature in one of her shoes. It was the first living thing she has seen in 40 years. The MHP wiped out everything, including the majority of the animal kingdom, Elvis survived, and he has been with her for years. "Elvis, I think we are going to need to move again, our hunting ground is getting thin maybe we could do that all 50 states road trip again, you know like we did a few years back." She paused. "I know you are comfortable, but you know what happens when you don't eat." Juni thought back to two years ago she went six months in between meals she started to lose her reasoning and went a bit mindless.

Juni shook herself; she didn't like to think about that or what the future will hold when food was completely gone. Juni took it day by day; it was more comfortable that way. Just then the track ended on the record player she walked over to shut the machine off and walked into the bedroom, changing into a long night grown she swiped for Rodeo drive she swiped a few years back it was her favorite a deep plum made with 100% silk Juni laid in the bed even though she was undead she needs to sleep. Shutting the lights off Juni relinquished herself for sleep.

Juni awoke to Elvis and his blue suede shoes on her battery-powered clock radio. Bringing her hand down to silence the instrument, Juni felt the crunch and heard the song slowly distort. She cracked an eye, only to see the crumbled clock radio lying under her palm.

"Damn it! That's the fifth one this month," Juni grumbled as she rolled out of bed.

"That's a bummer. I loved that song!" Said the man in the corner of the room. Juni froze. Turn to face the mystery man in her room. Juni spoke, "Who the hell are you?"

He was clearly another zombie, pale skin, crystal blue eyes, hair the color of snow. He sort of had this Spike from Buffy vibe about him.

" Oh, I apologize, the names Os short for Oscar." Os casually said while still leaning on the door frame.

"Well, Os, is it? You have half a second to tell me what you are doing here before I rid the waste of one more zombie!" Juni reached for the blade she kept under her pillow. She didn't survive this long without being prepared. Zombies were fiercely territorial, and with hunting grounds getting smaller well, let's just say this was why Juni traveled alone. Os slowly looked Juni from head to toe before speaking.

" I was passing through the place when I heard the King, and I decided to investigate. By the way, how do you still have batteries?"Os looked genuinely curious.

Juni took a moment to respond, struck by the cavalier this zombie was presenting. "Uh.. Well" Juni cleared her throat " it's none of your business, now if you could, please leave."

" Nope. I think I'll stay for a bit; I fancy a chat. It has been a while since I've company and I like the look of you." Os said as walked into the space and sat on the chair in the corner of the room. Juni was wordless.