Billy's Zombie

No time to read this now?

I probably shouldn't have left the zombie at the Kretchers' last night. I was tired, and the creature was hungry.

Look at him now. Crouched over the remains of Mrs Kretcher, tearing a piece of already decomposing flesh off the corpse's thigh. But where is Mr Kretcher?

Ah yes, now I see. My creation works fast! There is nothing left of the poor man but bones. He’s already removed every bit of flesh.

What's that noise?

It sounds like Mrs Kretcher. It cannot be!

Stand up, zombie, and to the window! You know I can only see you and what you can see. That's right, shamble over there. Let's have a look.

But it is. Am I dreaming? The recently deceased Kretchers, walking hand in hand, up the path to their front door. But there they are: on the floor in the house where my creature left them. Can they be ghosts?

No matter. It killed them once, it can kill them again.

They're getting closer, zombie. Quick, hide behind the door.

There! I can hear them jabbering away to each other. I hear keys being shaken as Mrs Kretcher searches for the right one. It's in the door now. Steady, zombie. Steady.

The key turns in the lock, and the door opens. The creature lunges for Mrs Kretcher. What's this? He goes right through her! And Mr Kretcher, following closely behind; he walks straight through the creature, as though it isn't even there. They cannot see him nor feel him, as they continue to talk to each other while walking through the entrance hall. They cannot see their own corpses either, lying motionless on the floor as they walk straight through them.

Try again, creature (I really must think of a name for you)! While he turns his back, attack.

The creature lifts its arm and brings it down hard over the top of Mr Kretcher's head, attempting to send him crashing to the floor. Its arm moves through his head, as if it were nothing but air.

A blinding light fills the room, and for an instant I cannot see anything except an overwhelming yellow glare.

“Make it stop!” I cry, as it burns my eyes.

As the worst of the light dissipates, I turn the zombie's head, and it sees a form beginning to take shape. Yes, it's definitely a human form, but I cannot tell whether male or female, nor any distinguishing features. It seems to be a creature of pure light. Gazing upon it is uncomfortable, but not as unbearable as the blinding yellow hue was when it first arrived.

A voice comes into my head. It's vaguely familiar but I cannot place it.

What? A dream...? They're dreaming? What is this rubbish that you speak?

She—yes, I can tell that the voice is female, now—is saying that she rewound time for them. She says that they didn't die last night, and that they're dreaming now. They are feeling uneasy, she says, but they do not know why, because they cannot see my creature, nor can they see their own corpses on the ground, nor can they see this being of light that she now speaks to me through.

I must fight this... this... abomination that offends me so. Creature, attack!

The creature turns, and lunges for the vaguely humanoid shaped light, but steps through it. My zombie appears on the other side with little flames burning on the tips of its fingers.

The voice speaks in my head again. “You cannot win, Billy.”

How does this woman, girl, whatever she is, know who I am? Surely this being that she controls cannot see me?

The light-creature turns towards my zombie, casually and deliberately placing its hand on the animated corpse's back.

Noooo, I scream. The creature is all at once engulfed in flame, and then just as quickly, it disappears.

My creature finished. And what's this? My crystal ball, my beautiful crystal ball, shattered into pieces before my very eyes!