Thursday Threads It's Standard Procedure

Thursday Threads time hosted by Siobhan Muir over at The Weird, the Wild and the Wicked. This week's prompt is "It's standard procedure" which must appear somewhere in the story of between 100 and 250 words. After the high of last week's Honorable Mention for my Thursday-threads-not-even-once. tale, I have come back down to earth and written this piece. I hope you enjoy. xxx  

PS I was tempted to call this piece Guns and Roses but that name is already taken.  x

  

Scent of Life

Melissa eyed her weapon, slowly running her hand along its length; her delicate polished fingers at odds with the bulky, powerful semi automatic. Just because her job as a beautician was redundant, it didn't mean she had to stop taking care of herself, after all she was human. 

Her training over, Melissa hugged her weapon close as she ventured out into the darkness of the new world.

 A thick fog dressed the city like a sinister cloak, muffling the groans of the dying and the distinctive moans of the undead as they feasted. Her breathing was deep and quick, her finger firm on the trigger, her step confident as she whipped her head from left to right at the slightest movement; a rustle of paper, the clanking of a rolling bottle.

“Hey Barbie, you have enough perfume on tonight?” whispered Brad walking next to Melissa.“It’s getting right up my nose.” 

“Better the scent of flowers than rotting flesh” Melissa retorted just as one of their unit threw up; either from the putrid flesh or from the brutality of their situation. She handed Brad her precious bottle and he started spraying it liberally much to the consternation of the unit.

“Stop moaning. It’s standard procedure now” Brad quipped rather preferring the subtle fragrance of flowers to that of death that had permeated his nostrils since the apocalypse began six weeks ago. And flowers reminded him of a world where life lived free . . . . . . . . . and there was nothing wrong with that.

249    

Ringing 5 Sentence Fiction

Ruby lay in her bunk, reading a magazine she had found on her latest scavenge; a few months old, the puzzles already completed but something to read none the less even if it was covered in dried blood splatters.

She had taken extra care (as always) not to be seen or followed but it wasn't difficult as she was the  quickest scavenger; sticking to the shadows, nimble and silent, looking for anything that would make her life easier and more bearable.

Living in the tunnels was not ideal but it was all they had and the band of humans was increasing daily bringing with it more technology and weapons, more ideas and more bodies to try and fight and attack; but it also brought sympathisers and slaves of the Undead who would sacrifice their own souls and that of the camp for their Undead masters.

Turning the page she was faced with a picture of David Beckham looking tanned and gorgeous but that was such a long time ago for now he was Undead, lusting after flesh, blood and souls which was ironic as before the Undead came, Ruby would have given David Beckham the lot.

A ringing echoed throughout the camp and Ruby threw her magazine down, grabbing her weapon knowing it meant the perimeter had been breached; she was ready to face her enemy with their unseeing eyes and their unsatisfying hunger but were they ready for her? 

What it’s all about: Five Sentence Fiction is about packing a powerful punch in a tiny fist. Each week http://lilliemcferrin.com/  will post a one word inspiration, then anyone wishing to participate will write a five sentence story based on the prompt word. The word does not have to appear in your five sentences, just use it for direction.