Gianfranco Mancini’s Reviews > Ravaged World Saga > Status Update

Damien smiled at her. “My advice, go for the balls!”
“Please! I’ve been kicking men in the balls for as long as I can remember. My advice to you is not to get in my way.”
Damien sniggered. “Nice meeting you, Anna.”
“You too, Damien.”
They turned to face the approaching mob, unarmed yet ready – ready to die fighting.
Then something struck the ship and all hell broke loose.

Anna felt a fire burning. At first she thought it was coming from her gut, but then she started to feel it against her skin. The delicate flesh of her cheek started to tingle and burn, but she did not care. She breathed in the pain like it was power. The more it hurt her, the more conviction that filled her heart, until she could stand it no more and stumbled away.

Hugo had heard many tales about the man named Roman. The other sailors said he had received the nickname because of the spear and sword he carried; while others said that he was an Italian known for his cruelty and arrogance. Some people even said he’d survived a zombie bite by cutting off his infected hand. One thing that Hugo knew for sure was that the man spoke directly with the captain.

Losing so many people had made her hard and cold – even more than she had already been. Before the infection, the death of her unborn child haunted her daily. Now the death of her unborn child was just one of a hundred deaths she mourned. It had left her heart unable to beat with anything other than mistrust and scorn. The infected and the dead had removed her capacity for anything approaching joy.

The electricity went first. Then her food disappeared and the water flowed weaker and weaker from the taps. Poppy wondered if that meant she would die soon. Once, in desperation, she shouted out to her parents and begged them help her, but all she’d been met with was a scary growling that sounded more like two wild animals than her mummy and daddy.

“There is nothing to be achieved by guns,” he said, “except fear and suffering to those still living. Guns are ineffective against the dead. Guns are loud and bring attention. Their very nature is to threaten and kill other men and women. Of all the things lost to us , guns are not something for which I mourn.”

There were no hospitals in the area and those further afield were hot zones of infection. The dead were everywhere inside hospitals and getting medicine would cost more lives than it saved. She and Rene had once entered a local Doctor’s clinic, hoping to find bandages and antibiotics. What they found was a waiting room full of dead people. That was the last time they ever searched for medicine.

“Was he bitten?”
Garfield shook his head. “No, but he may as well have been. The poor sod’s been shot. Slim hope he’ll even make it back to the pier with us.”
Kirk seemed surprised. “But…who has guns? Do you think there’s another group out here someplace?”
“I don’t know,”said Garfield, “but I would much rather avoid them if there is. They have guns and we don’t.”