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I opened my eyes and found myself staring at the ceiling, with a splitting headache. I looked around and found myself lying on the floor in my house, with my usual books in all. But something doesn't feel right, my instincts are telling me something that I should head outside. That's when I smelled the rotten egg smell, I looked towards my bathroom and noticed the sewage has backed up again.
The sewage was creeping across the floor as I got to my feet, with my head hurting it was difficult for me to think. I walked towards the bathroom and avoid stepping on the sewage, I turned the knob on the sink and no water came out.
Usually a Green Smurf named Chernov Reznov provides Water for the Smurf Village, he stood 4 apples tall and is quite skinny when compared to the other Smurfs. He also wore camouflaged clothing instead of the usual white clothing we smurfs wear, which seemed to match his grass colored skin.
It was quite dark to be honest, it was night. I looked outside and saw fire out in the distance, it looks like a Mushroom House was on fire. Instinctively it's my solemn duty to help out the Smurf Village, so I ran to my front door. When I open I was horrified to what I saw, it looked like an apocalypse.
There were several Mushroom Houses either on fire or destroyed altogether, trees were also on fire which seemed to indicate the potential for the forest fire. Not only do I see fire, I also see dead Smurfs everywhere. A few bodies were lying around, they all look rotted and bloating. To make it even more horrifying they look like they have been eaten by some creature, there was so much blood that I couldn't see the sky blue skin color on them anymore.
It was horrible, the Smurf Village is destroyed.
I looked at Chernov's Mushroom House, we can literally see it no matter where we are in the Village due to the big Industrial Smokestack chimney Chernov built for smelting. The Smokestack was spewing out large amount of Smoke, next to it sits a metal tower that Chernov dubbed his "Tesla Coil". At some nights, that metal tower sparks electricity and it looks like one of those nights.
His house isn't far from mine, if anything bloody and gory that is happening Chernov is the one who understands what's going on. At this point, I haven't saw any living Smurf walking around at this time.
Whatever mutilated the bodies, it's best for me to go out with a weapon. I went back inside and try to locate some blunt object, I managed to find a Baseball Bat next to my bed. I grabbed it and head outside to face the threat, Chernov must know on what's going on.
I shut my front door and head out into the shadow's trying my best to avoid being seen as possible, whoever is out there might be threatening. And then I saw it.
I saw a smurf, I was just about to call out to him but I stopped myself when I got an even better look at the smurf. The smurf skin was gray instead of sky blue, the smurf's mouth was covered in blood. His eyes were bright red and his hands looked like he's ready to scratch someone, they were also covered in blood. Then I saw a bite mark on the smurf's arm, it looked like it came from a Humanoid. It looked like it came from a smurf, I watch as the smurf shambles and limb to where ever he's heading.
After he passed, I stepped out and rushed passed him. I beginning to see more and more Gray Smurfs as I head deeper into the village, I approached Chernov's house and noticed it looks relatively intact just like my house. The house had it's windows sealed up with sheets of aluminum, they cover the entire windows, but the front door was wide open.
I looked inside the home and saw no one there, "Chernov?" I called his name, "Chernov, are you here?"
No answer, but it appears he left in a hurry. I shut the door as I began to examine the place, there were only three rooms in the house. Both doors leading to those rooms were wide open and they revealed no one inside, it was dark since there was no light. I managed to find a lantern and turned it on, it was a Thorium Lantern and it brought light into the room enabling me to see.
Knowing there's a basement full of supplies, I managed to locate the trap door leading to it. I opened it up and stuck my head down in it, "Chernov?" I called out, "Hello?"
No answer, just silents. I can tell by just looking inside the basement that all the food and water caches were stripped clean, I was hoping for some food since I was getting hungry. I went down to see what Chernov missed, but the more I search the more I found nothing. It was empty, I walked back up the small steps and back into the main room to see what remains.
Chernov's house was also his lab, he's a Scientist – a Chemist as he calls himself. His house is filled with all this equipment that appears to be highly advanced, like from another Civilization. On the table, I saw all these compact cassette things strewn out on the table labeled from one to three in red ink.
I also noticed a Cassette Recorder, a device to play the cassette tapes. I often seen Chernov talk into the Cassette Recorder, since I spend a lot of time with him I understood his high tech gizmos well.
Picking up the Cassette Recorder, it was the size of a book. He must have some card size ones somewhere, but this would do. I picked up the first tape and stuck it into the Cassette and push play, if Chernov knows what's going on he would have them on these Cassettes.
"Testing, one two three, testing." I heard Chernov's voice say, "Good this thing works... So... It's been a couple of days and I've been hearing something about this Green Flu going around, it said it drives you insane so I went out to check it out. It was coming from the Human Settlements, or that's what Reporter Smurf said. So I went to go check it out, despite the Old Timer's orders."
Chernov often refers to either Papa Smurf or Grandpa Smurf as Old Timers for some reason, Papa Smurf doesn't seem that old but Grandpa Smurf is actually 1000 years old. 500 years older than Papa Smurf.
"All I could tell you is that it like the Gates of Hell had opened up, there were dead humans lying all over the cobblestone roads. There was panic in the streets, houses were on fire, pitchforks and swords were drawn. The shots of recently introduced Flintlock Muskets were also heard, this doesn't look like Influenza."
"Then I saw these humans chasing other humans, trying to eat them awhile they're still alive. These monsters in human form seemed horrifying, they were devouring bodies off the street. Ripping out the innards of their victims, it's pure cannibalism as gruesome as it gets."
"I heard one human yelled out the dead has risen and the term Zombies come into mind. There were a few zombie outbreaks here and there on occasion but the zombies were slow and easily dealt with, but these zombies can move. They know how to climb walls, they sound like monsters instead of moaning. Gruesome, yet difficult to watch by some."
"I saw one of those things got struck in the head with a Nailboard by one of the humans, the zombie's head fractured and it collapsed to the ground. The corpse was left where it died as other zombies come by to dine off of their assassins, as they feast I managed to sneak by and grab a sample of the corpse's blood directly from the brain. I had it sealed in a jar with an air tight lid, I got my sample and I simply ran off before the humans start bringing in explosives."
Continued on Tape 2...
There was silent on the tape afterwords, I popped the cassette out of the recorder and sat it aside before inserting the second tape to continue listening to Chernov's story. It was so good to listen to his voice, so good in fact that it boost my confidence on survival.
"Tape 2:" began Chernov, "I took the sample back home to have it analyzed on a microscope, I managed to find the bug causing the Zombie Outbreak. It looked like a mutated form of Rabies, it was kind of Green looking as well. The Human Cells that the virus is floating around with appears to be failing or dead altogether, I took notes awhile I stare at the sample."
"After hours of analysis, there was a knock on the door. I asked them to come in and this Smurf came walking in saying that there's something wrong with Papa Smurf, I asked him what kind of problem and the Smurf said that he's been attacked by Azrael awhile he's out running an errand. The cat bit him, the smurf simply said, We need your help."
"I told the smurf that I'll be with him in a moment, explaining that I need to get my things. The smurf left and I grabbed my tape recorder and several cassette tapes, I just had the thought on recording this since something tells me that we'll face a similar situation. I could smell it, that's what my instincts are telling me."
"I wonder what's on Tape 3?" I asked myself as I picked it up, what I heard on that tape scared the smurf out of me. Literally.
"He's right here Chernov," said Hefty's voice. "He doesn't look to good."
"What happened to him Hefty?" asked Chernov's voice.
"Azrael bit him really bad, he's bleeding everywhere."
"Okay, everyone get out of here I got some work to do. OUT!"
The sound of smurf footsteps scattered out of the room, followed by a door slamming shut.
"Okay, what's wrong Old Tim... Oh my Smurf!" screamed Chernov, "What happened Papa Smurf?"
"Gargamel's cat tried to get me," said Papa Smurf's voice, sounding like he's trying his best to breath, "Bit me pretty bad"
"I see, this isn't going to be pretty Papa Smurf." warned Chernov, "What I'm about to do is gruesome, so I want you to try not to scream."
Once he said that, there was silents afterwords. I listened to Papa Smurf scream as Chernov did something to him, "When was this?" I asked myself, "Days ago?"
My questions are going to be answered anyway, on these tapes.
TO BE CONTINUED...