A Rational Zombie

Chapter 2

I ate until I was full. And then I ate some more. Who knew when another chance to eat another prey would arrive? I was lucky the others were consumed by hunger, unable to even figure out a simple mechanism. To enter the metal hunks, one had to pull on the handles. But why didnt the first handle work? Maybe theres another mechanism that keeps it shut. Or perhaps it was broken. Yes, the simplest reason is usually the correct one. That was a famous saying from before I lost my memories. I dont know why I remember it. Maybe God said it. He seems pretty famous.

Now that the hunger is gone, I can think clearly. I dont know when it will be back, but Im certain it will. Why am I certain? I dont know, but I am. Perhaps its knowledge retained by my body. While Im still lucid, I have to secure a steady food supply. I cant let hunger consume my thoughts. Ill turn dumb like the others whore still clawing away at the metal hunk. If I leave this here, someone might eat it. But I cant take it away. Its too large, too heavy for me to move. Even if I could move it, I wouldnt get very far before the others smelled it and stole it from me. Then I have to leave it here. If Im hungry, then I can come back and, maybe, itll still be here when I need to eat it. I dont like taking chances, but its the only thing I can do. Perhaps I can take away a piece of it to save for later. But I have nothing to hold it with.

A bag. I can hold a piece with a bag. The prey had one over here. How do I open this? Zipper. Compared to entering a metal hunk, this is a lot easier. I pull upit opens. I pull downit closes. But theres already things inside. Food? No. At least, not food for me. What is this card? Theres numbers on it. I like numbers, or I think I like numbers? Before I lost my memories, was I very intimate with numbers? I feel like I was. Should I keep it? No. For now, the only thing that matters is preserving food. If I lose my mind from hunger, then there wont be any more numbers ever. Nothing in the bag is eatable, but that doesnt matter. I can store food now. But how do I transfer the prey from there to here? My finger nails still havent healed. I cant rip the prey; its too tough. Mouth? Yes, that seems to be the only way.

Even when Im not hungry, the prey is tasty. The liquids ooze deep inside of me, reaching my stomach, stirring the hunger, but its still asleep. Good. I mustve eaten enough for now. I should quickly fill this bag and leave. But do I have to leave? Why dont I stay here and wait? I can wait until the hunger arrives again. Then I can eat. No one can take my food if Im here to stop them. Yes. Ill do that. Ill wait here for the hunger to come. How long does it take for the hunger to awaken after falling asleep? Ill count the seconds. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Fourteen thousand four hundred thirty-two. Fourteen thousand four hundred thirty-three. Fourteen thousand four hundred thirty-four. Fourteen. Its back. Those painful tendrils are extending out of my stomach again. How long can I last before I devolve into one of them? One of the others who are still clawing away at the metal hunk. I cant see them anymore. Their dried blood covers the glass, but I can hear them, scratching and scratching. One. Two. Three. Four. Five.

Seven thousand forty-seven. Seven thousand forty-eight. Ate. Have I ate? I have to eat. The prey is cold. But that doesnt matter. The hunger doesnt reject it. But ... I can tell its losing its freshness. Soon, I wont be able to eat it anymore. Its not obvious. But I can taste it. Hints of rotting after every swallow. Like the meat I found in the streets. Rancid. Disgusting. The foul odor is getting thicker with every bite. The prey is completely cold now. Its looking at me. Looking at me? Disgusting. It tastes disgusting. The prey groaned, but it didnt move. Is it still alive? Its like the others. Like me. When a prey is killed but not completely eaten, it becomes like me. Then I, was I killed and eaten too? Is that why I lost my memories? The prey begged God, and God brought it back to life. Maybe God brought me back too. For what? I dont know, but God must exist. I will find him and ask. Who was I? Why did he bring me back?

Im lucky I ate enough to stave off the hunger before the prey turned into someone like me. I can still think clearly. Can I still eat the food in my bag? No. Its rotten. How disappointing. Before I lose my mind to hunger, I have to find prey. I should keep the bag. It might be useful later. Its easy to hold too. To exit the metal hunk, I have to pull the handle. But the handle is outside. Theres one inside too. Does it work? Yes. The others groans and moans flooded the inside of the metal hunk. I climbed out. Not even seconds later, the others pushed me out of the way and swarmed inside. The groans stopped. Thats right. Theres no more food. I ate it all, but they were too dumb to realize how much time they wasted. If I end up like them, I wont be able to find God. If I dont eat, Ill end up like them. If I dont have food, I cant eat. To find God, I have to have food. And I already know where to get food. Over there, in that building with the glowing sign. The convenience store.