My Zombie Boyfriend.

Death is a state of mind, at least for zombies. You are only as dead as you feel. For me, for the longest time that was really pretty dead. I chased the living for brains, yes, but I didn’t really feel anything. That was until I saw Johnny. That sweet little zombie slayer with more brain than brawn really got my heart beating, again.

At first when I saw him it was an occasional thump in my long silent chest. But the more I pursued those tasty brains of his the weirder I felt, most importantly because I felt something. The day I came face to face with him finally, I blushed chartreuse. It looked good on me I guess because the first thing he did was smile.

I moaned in confusion.

“I’ve done it!” He yelled.

I didn’t care what he’d done but I wanted something more from him than a simple meal of neurons.

“I can’t believe it! You’re not trying to eat me!” He shouted. “I must’ve done it! Yes, yes, Blondie you were there the day I released the spores!”

I lowered my not-quite-as-stiff arms. I didn’t need to attack him. I needed… water? I coughed dryly realizing at that moment my breath had returned. He gave me back my breath! It had to be love! A little scrambled in the neurons that seemed right, at the time I couldn’t remember that the cliché was that one took your breath away.

“Come on Blondie, tell me your name.”

Name? I was a zombie, did I have a name? Blondie was as good as any. I could remember that a name was what people called you. “BLONDIE?” I croaked through dry leathery lips.

“Ho, Ho, sweet! I have reanimated a zombie brain! She’s breathing. I wonder…” He placed his head against my chest where my heart beat an arrhythmic beat. “I’ll be damned she has a heartbeat, sort of…”

As he pulled his head away, my chest felt chilled where his warmth had been. I wanted that warmth! I reached a hand to his chest. Placing a palm against his heart, I felt his warmth. “How?” I moaned.

He hopped backwards and did something that looked very much like the final convulsions of a zombie in its death throws, after going too long between meals of juicy brains. “I did IT! They laughed at me in the safe zone! They swore I could never find a treatment!” He reached into his pocket and pulled a paper envelope out. He unfolded it revealing a bright pink powder. He held it up in front of my face and blew the powder directly at me. “A booster should rev up your body even faster!”

“Whaaa?” I didn’t even know where I was going with my statement, “Whaaa?”

“What? What’s happening?”

I shook my head from side to side slowly, “Whaaater!”

He smiled broadly, a goofy gap-toothed smile. “Sure!” He dug a canteen out of his survival bag and held it out to me. I took it and held it to my face. Nothing came out. “Sorry.” He took it back and opened it, then he held it to my leathery bottom lip and poured the soothing fluid into my mouth.

I didn’t remember the last time anything tasted that good or tasted like anything really. I drained the canteen. “Moooore!”

“Blondie, we’ll have to return to my shelter for more. Come on.” He took me gently by the arm and led me into the building he had barricaded himself into.

Over the next several days my own body warmed almost to the point of the living. My heart began a regular rhythm and I started to smell my own partially decomposed body. He rehydrated me and my skin softened. I could feel the smoothness of his hands as he examined me. After a few days, he helped me dress in something less revealing and more comfortable than the shredded rags I wore when we met.

Then came the day that he slept outside of his barricaded room. I could have eaten his brains if I wanted. I wanted something very different by then. I wanted his heart, his love. I curled up beside him and dreamed my first dream. When I awoke I felt alive again. I turned to tell him. But he was gone. I searched him out and found him outside, staring into space. He’d been bitten by a wild zombie days ago and concealed it from me.

My heart skipped a beat. He was a zombie now… All I have to do is find the right spores...



770 words

Prompts ▼

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The Writing Dead  (18+) From rot to plot, the Zombie Apocalypse deserves great storytellers. #2330983 by Jeremy

THIS MONTH'S UNDEADLY PROMPT

Love At First Bite!


Love is patient. Love is kind. Love is slightly decayed and missing an eyeball. But we manage, m'kay? It's the season of romance—the fluttering hearts, the stolen glances, the passionate confessions, the making of more Scorpios . . . and now, the occasional detached limb! Love has survived through the ages, from Shakespearean tragedies to Hallmark holiday specials, and now, dear writers, it’s time to prove that it can also survive the zombie apocalypse!

Your challenge this month? Write a romantic comedy featuring zombies. That’s right—undying love meets the undead in this bizarre and beautiful genre mash-up. Will your story feature a charming zombie trying to win back their still-living ex? A doomed wedding where 'til death do us part takes an unexpected twist? A brain-loving beau who just wants to eat their sweetheart up—like, literally? Maybe a star-crossed couple finds love in a hopeless place like a barricaded mall surrounded by zombies.The possibilities are as endless as the undead horde!

So sharpen your pens (but keep a baseball bat handy, just in case), unleash your inner rom-com genius, and get ready to prove that true love never dies . . . it just occasionally groans and loses its arm when it tries to hold the door open for you. Chivalry isn't dead but the damn zombies certainly are!

Now go forth, writers, and make us laugh, swoon, and question all our life choices. The best stories will leave us breathless—whether from laughter or from being chased by the undead.

Happy writing! And remember: romance isn’t dead, it just smells kinda weird. If love can survive bad breakups, bad breath, and bad life choices it can probably survive the zombie apocalypse, too.


#DatingIsMessy

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The Dark & Twisted Romance Contest  (13+) For those who love Dark Romance. #2334816 by Channie

Hello, dear Dark Romance writers! I'm a hopeless romantic, but I also love the dark side - and a touch of spice. That's why I invite you to give me your best short story or poem!

What is Dark Romance? It is a subgenre of romance that explores controversial themes, and the darker side of human nature and relationships. This can be reflected in the setting, the backstory, or in the interactions between the characters themselves. Some Dark Romances have supernatural characters - vampires and werewolves, for example - whilst others work on a more psychological level. I will leave that up to you.

Think you can make me scream? Well, let's try!


** Both stories and poetry are welcome.
** Static items and book entries are welcome.
** Limits: 40 lines for poetry, 2,000 words for stories.
** Please post the w ord count/line count of your item at the bottom of your piece.
** Content rating E - 18+.
** Erotic elements are welcome, but the main focus should be on the romance.
** One item per person.
** New items only.
** Must be your own work - no AI.
** Please post your item using either the {bitem:plus number} or {entry: plus number} links.
** The deadline for entries is March 13th, 11:59 PM WDC time.

and

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The Lodestar Contest  (13+) Looking for a guiding light. This round: Shipwright. Come build a 'ship. (Short story.) #2130938 by Satuawany

2024
-- Instructions and Guidelines ----

** Opens: Feb 1
** Deadline: Feb 28

** Choose one of the relationships, below.

** Write a short story that is built around your chosen relationship. It can be a character-driven story where the evolution of the relationship is the plot, or it can be a plot-driven story where the relationship is a key element and driving force behind the events.

** All genres and content ratings welcome, but make sure you pay attention to this contest's rating when choosing your story's title and what type of link to use when entering.

** No word limits, but know this: you only have a month to write, so you probably want to keep it under 3,500 to 5,000 words, depending on who you are. You probably also want to shoot for over 1,000 words to allow for the proper development of the relationship—again, depending on who you are. I'm not going to pretend I haven't seen incredible novellas written in a month or flash fiction pieces with astonishing depth. The latter tends to be more difficult to pull off, but don't take that as a challenge; your judge enjoys reading longer pieces.

** Proofread, edit, and revise.

** One story per contestant.

* Linking ▼

*StarfishP* Judging notes: 1.) If the characters are engaging, the story has a great chance of being engaging. 2.) No matter how engaging the characters, beautiful the story, or genius the incorporation of the contest's requirements, none of it will come through with poor grammar and mechanics. A few typos aren't going to hurt your chances, but general sloppiness will.

---- Ship Plans ----

Choose one type and build your story. Preferably, there should be no more than two main characters, even if others who fit the 'ship are involved.

Ships
Romance - This relationship should either go from existing to not existing, or vice versa.

Friendship - This needs to be an established relationship that is based on a lie.

Family - There needs to be a clear revelation on one side of this relationship or the other. Close family, please—a parent and child, grandparent and grandchild, or between siblings.