A woman, alone. Fighting for her life. What happened to cause Lexi to leave her previous life and fend for herself in the wild? And what are those noises she keeps hearing, just outside of her shelter? Find out, on this episode of Smirk.
Welcome to Smirk. A podcast that covers society and culture through a storytelling lens. Part creative writing, part discussion, and always interesting. Each week our hosts brings a story to the show, a story they wrote themselves, which is immediately followed by discussion on the author’s moral or theme. These stories can cover any topic the host wants to discuss, it can be lighthearted or more serious. No one but the author knows if these tales are truth or fiction, and part of the fun is guessing while you’re listening before the reality is made clear. We want to hear from you! If you want to share YOUR story, join the conversation by writing in to mystory@smirkpodcast.com, and include your moral, or you can let us guess at it. This is the podcast that looks at truth, fiction, and reality. With a Smirk. Don’t forget to subscribe to Smirk and share the show with your friends!
Want to read Aaron’s story “March of the Dead” in full? Think you can identify the moral or theme for this episode? Read it below, and then take a listen to the podcast.
March of the Dead
The noises grew louder, as Lexi slowly forced open her eyes.
As her gaze wandered the room, her recollections began gaining clarity. Here she lay, alone, atop an old and dirty gathering of blankets and sheets, in a desolate abandoned parking garage downtown. She owned only a backpack, stuffed with random essentials she has found along the way, and the clothes on her back.
It was strange to reflect on what led her to such desperate times and to sleep in a structure such as this. As she awoke, her mind began to flood. Memories of coming home to find her husband…with her own daughter…doing THAT. To witness his deranged joy firsthand, that numb look of gleeful pleasure smearing his face, while emptiness consumed her daughters. And to know nothing between them will ever be the same. Not for their family. Not for anyone.
Circumstances grew exponentially, quickly her life shifted gears, almost in an instant. Years of schooling and training to showcase her intelligence gave way to an animalistic drive for survival and revenge. Lexi would never forget the moment she drove that axe through her husband’s head, not ever. The kaleidoscope of blood splattered both hers and her daughters face. Though she knew it had to be done, Lexi never once felt she was capable of such savage brutality before. Damn him for destroying our family.
This was the moment that changed her life.
Now, she is here. Alone. Still searching the corners of the garage for signs of life before preparing for yet another day of existence. That’s all it had become for her at this point. Day by day, her zest for life had been snuffed out of the very fibers of her being.
“Why even continue?” she thought to herself, before answering her own question only a second later. “Because I have to fight”.
Lexi surmised she was still alone and finally rose to a standing position. The noises outside were increasing, and she knew she needed to vacate the premises before she was found. She was essentially living the life of an escaped felon at this point, constantly checking every corner, every shadow. Everyone around her now wanted to swallow the soul of her very person. She was an enemy of the state.
Lexi walked over to the edge of the garage, peering onto the street below as she gazed upon the source of these horrendous noises. Loud, bellowing moans, engulfed the area. Lexi had grown used to it, yet it never failed to unnerve her.
She peered over the opening, staring down at this army of undead, sauntering along to their next feeding frenzy. Lexi remained careful to avoid detection by the herd, even as she stood hypnotized by their movements. Every horror has its own semblance of beauty, she thought.
Lexi composed herself, breathed a heavy sigh, and began her preparations for another day of survival.
Perhaps tomorrow’s existence will finally prove worth the fight.