When Eliza was 5, she didn't understand what hatred humans had for her and her kind. She didn't get why they weren't allowed to be outside the border.
She didn't understand.
Every day, she'd go outside, and run as fast as she could on her little legs, over to a few houses down. Where she would spend the day with another little boy.
His name was Zed.
She'd like to think of Zed as her best Zombie. She was thrilled at the thought of having one.
She'd scan every book she could find, reading about main characters with best friends they could tell anything too. Who always had her back.
She wanted that so badly, and she felt a source of pride at achieving it.
Zed was the best. He never asked or made fun of why she still sucked on a pacifier each day, unlike some of the older meaner Zombies. He would just take it in stride. And began to accustom the said object as apart of her.
She was grateful of that.
And every night she'd go to bed, and dream of places that they would explore. Places where they were the only two Zombies, but their was other people to interact with. Some with white hair, some with fangs! But they all loved them the same and lived in harmony.
They would spend all day creating stories! ; Stories of riches untold! And love beyond measures.
Zed was always a prince who wanted to find his princess. Eliza tried being the princess exactly once.
She hated it.
She hated it with such a passion. And dwelled on that hatred all night long.
That night she didn't dream of a wonderful world. But of a Castle.
; She was the princess. Stuck in the tower.
And some douchy prince was climbing the tower proclaming he was gonna marry her because he supposedly saved her?
Aw heck no!
Once he got to the top, she took one glance at his smug smile and punched him squarely in the face.
He fell all the way down to the bottom. And she calmly took the elevator that was in the back, and promptly stole his clothes and put them on instead of the dreadful dress.
The next day. She stomped into Zeds house. And jumped on his bed until he woke up.
Then removing her beloved pacifier (a rare occasion indeed) she stood in all her five year old glory, and screamed.
"I WANT TO BE THE PRINCE!"
Zed just blinked his bleary eyes, gave a lopsided smile. Spoke the words.
"You can be my best Zombie prince! We can be Princes together!" And then lifted up his covers and offered Eliza a warm place to sleep for a bit longer.
That was why Zed was her best friend.
He never tried to change her.
He liked her for her.
One day,
Zed had some chores to do before he could come outside.
And Eliza was getting bored of sitting outside his house.
So being ever so curious, her attention was drawn to the gate that bordered them. And a little tiny hole no one but her had spotted.
Adrenaline coursing through her veins, she made sure no one was looking before ducking underneath it.
What was on the other side amazed her.
Gone was the layer of dirt that she was so accustomed too.
And in its place was so many colors! So many colors she's never seen before.
People were laughing and talking, sipping tiny drink with even tinier umbrellas in them. That excited her to no measure! And she desperately wanted to hold a tiny umbrella in her hand. And sip that wonderful looking drink.
Sucking on her pacifier thoughtfully, she toddled closer to the people, trying to memorize everything she could.
And that's when the people started to notice her.
Eliza waved and smiled behind the dummy, but to her confusion, they looked back in horror.
Some people screamed.
Some people ran.
Insecurity flashed in her mind, and she felt so confused and discombobulated.
Why were they running?
She just wanted a drink?
She got near a boy, with such vibrant skin she couldn't believe it was possible. And hair that wasn't green? But a dark black!
The mom hadn't noticed her yet.
So she carefully tapped the boys shoulder. Pulling out the rubber piece in her mouth.
"I'm sorry, could I maybe have a bit of that drink?" She asked as nicely as she could.
The boy turned and once he saw who she was, his mouth dropped in slow motion.
Then his muscles tended, and in the louder voice Eliza had ever heard, he shrieked at the top of his lungs
"ZOMBIEEEEEEEE!"
The mother turned and screamed on sight of Eliza.
Grabbing her son, she picked him up while screaming
"ROUGUE ZOMBIE!" And pulling some switch that caused loud alarms to ring.
Eliza wince and blocked her ears with her hands.
She looked around in panic, everyone was running, everyone was screaming.
She quickly crawled underneath the chair the mom was sitting on. Curling into a tiny ball. Sucking rapidly on the pacifier. Waiting for it to be over.
Finally she saw dark shoes stop at the bottom of her chair.
And then the chair was gone!
Some mean looking person covered in grey peered down at her with a look of nothing but pure disgust and hatred.
Eliza whimpered instantly, and felt hot tears prick at the back of her eyes.
"YOU! How the hell did you get out here!" The man yelled.
Eliza just shook her head in confusion.
The person next to the man, a woman. Seemed a bit nicer.
"Mr. Buchanan, she seems to be only 5 or 4? I don't think she even remembers!" She stated.
The man sneered down at her.
"Well then, we better removed the trash from our lands!"
Eliza felt flashes of hurt.
Trash? She wasn't trash?
Then out of nowhere, the man grabbed her arm harshly and hoisted her onto her feet, then not waiting for her to ready herself, he took off at a pace seemingly unimaginable. Basically dragging Eliza behind him.
Right as they got to the gate. He stopped.
Bending down so he was face to face with Eliza, he said in a deep growl
"You see that Metal band on your arm?"
Eliza glanced down. When did that get their? Huh. She must have never paid to much attention to it.
"Y-ya?" She mumbled.
"Good. You never take that off you hear me?" He stated. Eliza nodded her head frantically.
"Did you get a nice look at us humans world?" He smiled evilly.
Eliza shook her head yes.
"Good, cause your never getting another look at it ever again! You Zombies stay on your side of the border so we normal people never have to look at you disgusting freaks ever again!" He yelled. Before picking her up, and throwing her into Zombie town.
Eliza felt a flash of pain through her wrist when she landed. But seeing the evil mans glare, she ignored it and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her.
All the way to Zeds house.
She opened the door, not caring if he still had chores, and tumbled up the steps. Not realizing she was full on Sobbing by now.
And ran until she found herself buried into his embrace. Crying into his shoulder.
Zed didn't even ask what was wrong.
Just managed to pick her up and burrow under the covers with her.
He hugged her until she cried herself to sleep.
That night Eliza didn't dream of worlds of new creatures. Or douchy princes.
That night she dreamed of people screaming and running.
Chanting "ZOMBIE! ZOMBIE!" Everywhere they went.
And that evil mans glare, the one so powerful it burned into her memory.
That night, Eliza was no longer in the dark.
She finally understood.
She was a Zombie.
And people hated Zombies.