"Come on," I hiss the words over my shoulder, "we can hide in there."

Joe nods. He takes a moment to shove a few things into his backpack and free up his hands. As he slides his arms back into the shoulder straps, he nods once more. Both of us crouching in the tall weeds, we move out.

We've nearly made it to the door of the diner when something growls behind us. Neither of us wastes time turning to look. The pounding of feet behind us and the growing smell of death are enough information.

Together, we leap up and bolt forward. My heart hammers against my ribs. We're sprinting as hard as we can, but it feels like we're not getting any closer. The monster is gaining ground. Barely slowing my stride, I reach down and grab a rock. I spin around and swing the stone hard. It connects with the zombie's shoulder and throws my attacker off balance, sending it stumbling off to the side. By the time I spin back toward the building, Joe has the door held open wide. He ushers me through, yanks the door closed again, and twists the deadbolt into place.

I slump back against the wall with my eyes closed, fighting for my breath. Joe leans over, one hand against the stitch in his side, the other bracing himself against his knee. The zombie roars and pounds its fists against the tempered glass. We know it won't hold forever, but for now at least, it's enough.

"Hey there."

My eyes fly open and Joe darts upright at the unexpected voice.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle y'all."

I gape at the woman as my mind slowly finds its way out of fight-or-flight mode. She's wearing a blue shirt with a smudged, illegible nametag. Her brown hair sits atop her head in a messy rat's nest of curls. I can't quite pull my eyes away from her to look over at Joe, but I'm sure his brain is going through the same.

"Y'all two go on and sit just anywhere." Squeezing past the pair of us, she twists open the deadbolt and slides a dagger from the sheath on her hip. "I'll be there in a minute."

Joe and I scoot away, slowly backing towards a table while still staring at the woman. She shoves open the glass door, deftly shoves the blade through the creature's temple, wipes the dagger off on the leg of her jeans, returns the weapon to its sheath, then strides over to our table.

The woman smiles. "Hi, I'm Marge. So, what'll y'all have? I'm runnin' a bit low on supplies at the moment, so selection's not the best. But I've still got some bread and cheese. Pretty sure there's a couple of eggs left. Oh, there's still a couple of burger patties and fries."

"Uh..."

Joe and I stare at each other for a beat before turning back to her.

"Tell you what. I'll just run to the back and see what I can whip up."

Before we can gather our wits, the woman disappears to the back.

"What the..."

"I don't know." Joe leans across the table and whispers to me, "What does she expect in return for this? It's not like money is still worth anything these days. Not that we have any anyway. But I'm sure she's goi–"

Joe clamps his mouth shut and leans back in his seat as Marge reappears. His movements are obviously conspicuous, but Marge just smiles.

"I made you a bacon cheeseburger." She sets down one of the plates and slides it in front of Joe. "No onions or tomatoes left. And sorry that there ain't any more ketchup, so it might be a touch dry. You look like you could use the protein, honey."

"And for you," she sets the second plate in front of me, "I've made a couple of overeasy eggs, some toast, and a few canned peas. Oh! And I almost forgot, I still got a blueberry pie left. I'll slice you both off a bit of that when you're ready."

"Uh... Thank y–"

Before I can get my word out, Joe interrupts. "What's in this for you? Money isn't any good these days."

"Oh," Marge waves, nonchalantly. "Whatever y'all can offer. Bandages, meds, You know, just whatever you can spare."

The woman prepares to turn away, but then stops and looks back at us. "And, I'm a decent enough cook with no reason to harm ya. So, there's a meal for ya. Take it or leave it."

As she disappears to the back, I stare at the warm food. I'd been a bit hesitant at first, but after days of nothing but dandelions, wild onions, and a few roasted crickets, well I just can't resist. By the time I look up again, Joe has polished off his food as well and Marge is heading back toward us.

"Thank you, Marge." I reach over and start rifling through my pouch. "I've got a few over-the-counter medications you can have. Some toothpicks. A manicure kit with a nail file and some clippers. Um..."

The woman's smile manages to grow even bigger as she looks into my bag. She points inside at something. "You wanna part with those?"

I stare at her and then back into the bag, certain I've misunderstood. "It's the apocalypse and you want some vinyl records?"

"Yeah, honey. I got enough food and drink for a good, long while yet. I got some meds. Even got a nice hammock and a decent weapon supply. Goodness, I've even got myself a record player, but ain't got nothin' to play on it."

"Sure!" I pull the records from the bag and thrust them toward her.

A noise from the doorway draws everyone's attention. Three zombies start to pound on the glass pane. Joe and I stand up, gather our things, and get ready to bolt to the rear exit, fully expecting Marge to join. Instead, she shoos us away.

"Door's back around that corner. I can handle these three, easy."

Unsure, we move to the back of the building as Marge makes her way toward the front. We stop and gesture for her to join. She shakes her head and grins. "I got this. Come on back real soon though!"

The woman places her hand against the door handle and lifts the blade, ready to attack. "Don't forget your pie there on the counter! Go on and take the whole thing now, those records just saved my sanity!"

As we make our escape – warm blueberry pie in hand – we hear the last of the zombie's growls fade into silence. The front door chimes behind us one last time and we know that Marge is going to make it through this apocalypse just fine.

--------------

r/WannaWriteSometimes

Ooh, I like the dark ending!

Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it! :-)

Thanks so much! :-D

lol, I honestly considered going that route of having Reddit karma being the currency there. It could've been a funny alternative to have someone go to that afterlife and find out they're just surrounded by karma farming bots!

Thanks! :-)

My lungs gasp for breath. Even with the ambu bag forcing air into my mouth, it's not enough. The pain in my chest builds, and I know it won't be long now. Sirens wail overhead. Darkness begins closing in, bringing my vision to a tiny pinprick of light, until even that disappears. Sensations and sounds follow soon after, leaving me in a dark, barren, silent void.

Surprisingly, all the negative emotions I'd been holding at the end – fear, doubt, regret, pain – vanish. Nothing remains now except an overpowering sense of peace. I wait there for a few moments in the pitch black nothingness before I realize something especially odd: I still am. I no longer have a physical body, but I'm somehow still me. Weird.

I wonder what this place–

The demo has ended. Subscription required for entry into the afterlife.

The words pop up in bold, white text against the black backdrop. I would have jumped at their sudden appearance if I'd still had a body to do so.

What the... They need some kind of–

FAQ

The original text is abruptly replaced with the simple string of letters.

Okay then. Cool. Um... What is the–

What is the afterlife like?

The afterlife is a place of peace and contentment for those who choose it. This place goes by many names, such as paradise, heaven, or nirvana.

Oh. Are any of my fam–

Are my deceased family and friends in the afterlife?

Yes and no. Some have paid for the afterlife subscription. Others have not. As mentioned in our privacy policy, we cannot give specific names of those in the afterlife.

There's a privacy po–

Privacy Policy

Our privacy policy was last updated at the time of the beginning of the universe.

1. Afterlife Services...

Yeah, okay. That was rhetorical. So, what's the cost of–

What does the afterlife subscription cost?

An afterlife subscription is paid with a currency called 'Karma'. Karma is...

Wait, Karma? Like the–

Afterlife Karma is not in any way affiliated with the digital point system of 'karma' on certain websites within the physical realm.

Right, sorry. Makes sense. Anyway, what were you saying about the cost–

What does the afterlife subscription cost?

An afterlife subscription is paid with a currency called 'Karma'. Karma is earned via positive choices while one is experiencing physical life on one's planet. Similarly, Karma is lost via negative choices. Upon completion of a physical life, the sum total of one's Karma is calculated. Those who have a positive balance are given a choice of spending that balance toward an afterlife subscription.

Remembering the feeling of gulping, I form my next question. What if you don't–

What are the alternatives to an afterlife subscription?

A place of eternal punishment does not exist. Anyone with a negative balance is given an additional helping of empathy. Then, the user must reincarnate and try again. The user will continue this process until their total positive Karma is at least 50% greater than the user's cumulative negative Karma for all past lives. This process ensures that each user must eventually make his or her physical realm a better place for everyone.

Anyone who has a positive Karma balance is allowed a choice:

1 – Reincarnate and experience physical life again. The Karma balance is retained and any gain or loss from subsequent physical lives will be included in later totals.

2 – Return the user's essence to the universe.

3 – Subscribe to the afterlife for whatever duration the user can afford. At the end of the subscription period, the user must choose from options 1 or 2.

Wow. Um... So what is my–

What's my score? How long would it grant me in the afterlife? And how does it compare to others?

The average score in the afterlife is 9,247 Karma. This would equate to 9.247 millennia.

Your score is 803 Karma.

Oh. That's all?

Correct.

If I still had shoulders, they would slump with disappointment. Okay, one last question before I choose. Can I request–

Requesting additional empathy.

Reincarnaters are allowed to request additional doses of empathy before reincarnation. There is no cost for this service.

That's what I want. I can do better this time. I know it.

--------------

r/WannaWriteSometimes

Ooh, that went a much different direction than I ever would have thought of. Good job! :-)

Is there a specific painting you had in mind when writing this? I'm not too familiar with Manet's work.

Thanks :-) Couldn't have done it without your awesome setup! :-D

<3/3>

Amelia's palms slickened as she stared. Instead of a nose, it had a gaping hole in the center of its face. Its eyes glowed yellow.

Swallowing hard, she searched for the call button. She pressed it over and over as the creature moved closer, but the cursed device stayed sealed. Then, the not-Todd opened its cavernous mouth with its rows of fangs. Amelia screamed.

The woman bolted toward the nearest door. Miraculously, it opened. She flung herself through. Amelia slammed the door, squeezed her eyes shut, and fought for breath.

Silence broken by a growl, Amelia's eyes shot open as she spun around. She was back in the hallway, on the opposite end. Now, the creature stood between her and the elevator. The contraption mocked her with its now-open doors.

The monster sprang. Amelia yanked on the door she'd come through, but it didn't budge. Heart in her throat, she hurled herself through a different door. Again, she was in the same passageway with the creature blocking the elevator.

It charged. Amelia clenched her fists, set her jaw, and flew headlong toward her attacker. Slamming into its shoulder, she went tumbling. The creature's claws snagged her shirt. Amelia leapt up and swung her fist in a wide arc. A pair of claws grazed Amelia's forearm, but as her fist connected with flesh, the thing lurched backwards. Sprinting away, she dove into the elevator and its doors sealed behind her.

Moments later, the front of the elevator opened and the woman stepped into the lobby. As the events faded like she'd awoken from a nightmare, Amelia squinted curiously at the two bloody streaks that marked her forearm. She shivered. Despite the sudden amnesia, she knew she'd never step foot in that elevator again.

<2/3>

Amelia reached toward the button panel but paused with her arm half-extended. The red dot in the center of the "16" button was already lit. She tilted her head to the side and squinted at the red light but soon decided she was too worn out to put any more thought into it. Slumping back against the wall and closing her eyes, Amelia waited.

And waited.

... and waited...

The woman looked up toward the digital display. The numbers kept changing but not in any logical order: 4-12-8-23-7-14. As her heartbeat thumped faster, she scoured the buttons, hoping for a "call for help" or "stop elevator." There were no such options though, only more numbers. Amelia jammed her hand into her purse. Just as she grabbed hold of her cellphone, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open.

Amelia rushed into the hallway and spun around as the doors closed again. Relief – and a bit of embarrassment – swept over her and she began to laugh. The mirth quickly died away as she realized the hall was filled with the sounds of cheap elevator music. Then, right in front of her eyes, the elevator doors disappeared.

Stumbling backwards, the frightened woman turned her head to the left. For the first time, she realized that things weren't where they should be. The elevator – which should sit at the end of a short, straight hallway – had actually let her out in the center of a long, twisting corridor. She turns back toward the now-blank wall where she had arrived. Much like the elevator itself, all memory of her journey up here vanished.

A footstep sounded somewhere off to her right. Shivering, Amelia pivoted toward the noise.