Awakening: Parables From The Apocalypse - Dystopian Fiction by Norman Christof

crazy.  Do you know what I’m thinking now?”
    “No.  Thank goodness.”
    Andreas frowned. “What do you mean by that?  I wasn’t thinking anything dirty about you or anything.”
    Christa rolled her eyes.  “That’s not what I meant.  When you’re under the control of the Pacize drug, your mind eventually starts to go nuts.  You have no control over your body and you have all these urges you want to act on but can’t.  Your mind is constantly screaming in pain.  I can hear that.  From all of you.  Every time I come near one of you I hear all that pain.  It gets excruciating for me.  At first it almost drove me mad, but I learned to partially block it out.  I can’t do it for long though; it’s tiring.”
    “Why don’t you just leave then?  Get out of here and go somewhere where there aren’t any of us. Just get the hell out.  That’s what I’d do.”
    Christa shook her head.  “I thought about it, but I felt like I was deserting my family or something.  I’m responsible for most of this.  I’m the one they used to make the drug and to spread the mutation.  They used me against all of you.  They had to stop the war, of course. I understand that, but what they’ve done to all the rest of you is barbaric.  I’m not even sure they realize what they’re doing to your heads.  Not that they would have cared; they were desperate.  They would have done anything to end it.”
    Andreas shifted in his seat.  “So, what about her? Leekasha.  Can you hear her?  Is she screaming in her head?”
    “Yes she is, and yes I can hear it.  But there’s only one of her, and I can block most of it.  I’m used to being around a lot more than just her.  She’s not as bad as some, and she’s managing it pretty well.”
    “So, what did you do to me?  I felt so much hatred for the captain when I came out.  I could see he was about to attack you, and I couldn’t let that happen.  I felt this strong urge to protect you.  I don’t even know why.”
    “I have that effect on other zombies.  At least some of them I do.  Some still want to rip my head off, but you’re one of the advanced ones.  I could sense something in you.  The pain from you was louder than most, which is what drew me to you.  I’ve tracked you for a while.  I’ve been searching a long time to find someone I could break free from the drug.  You’re the first.  I didn’t want there to be bloodshed though.  I thought I could control you when you came back.  I didn’t expect you to be that strong.”
    “I do feel pretty good.  Strong.  Like I could do whatever I wanted.  Like I have no limits.”
     
    They could see lights on shore and Christa cut back on the throttle to come in quietly along the beach.  The rain was coming down more heavily and they could see lightning in the distance.  Once the boat was beached, Christa rummaged through the small engine tool kit from the bow of the boat.  Using the steel pick she found, she managed to make two pinprick-sized holes in the inflatables pontoons.  Pointing the boat back out into the bay, she locked the steering, opened the throttle, and flipped it into gear.  The outboard jerked but was quickly heading out into open water.
     
    “That should get it far enough out before it sinks.” 
    “So, what do we do now?”
    “We need to get as far away from here as possible and hope no one finds that boat.”
    “Why run?  I feel strong enough to take on a hundred men.”
    “I’m plenty strong too, but I’m also smart.  I’ve stayed hidden for almost six years.  I know how to deal with people, and you need to learn.”
    “Learning can wait.  I say let’s find the first tiki hut on the beach and have a few drinks.  You and I can celebrate my freedom.”
    “Don’t be an idiot.  Things have changed a lot since you were under the drug.  Don’t assume that just because you don’t look like a zombie now you won’t be noticed.  They have ways of