You might want to watch or re-watch the first series of The Walking Dead. One character asks to be left to "turn" rather than be killed. Though, usually in zombie fiction strong characters ask to be "killed" should they ever turn. In the original Dawn of the Dead, one main character asks to be dispatched as soon as he turns, but for his colleague to wait until it's sure that he's coming back. Speaking personally, I have no idea what I would do in a real zombie apocalypse. But I think I might ask to be dispatched. The risk of spreading the infection further would be something that would concern me greatly.
What would I do in the zombie apocalypse? Die, probably. I'm too scrawny thin, don't know how to fight. I know how to run, but for the most part, I'd have to find a guy/girl who knows survival skills and hope he/she can pass it onto me while we stick together. If this were a zombie movie, I'd be that shrimp guy in the back, behind the bigger, tougher people who know a thing or two about firing a gun to kill zombies. Sure I'd teach myself (or have someone teach me), but I'd be more like an assassin, creeping around corners, taking zombies out quickly and quietly. I'm not for pure, raw, physical force as I do not have that body type. Of course, with my hearing disabilities and limited vision in one eye...I'd most lilkely be a liability as I'd have to stock up on hearing aid batteries as well as food and medicene.
Dispatched the instant I turn. Spending an eternity doing nothing but search endlessly for human flesh is not my idea of a good time. Plus, there's the risk of shady government organizations conducting experiments on zombies. Hmm, shuffle the Earth looking for human flesh, or be caged and poked at with needles and other sharp implements? Yeah, even more of a reason for my friends to put me out of it.
Killed. I wouldn't know anyway at that point - do zombies even have a conscience? I don't think of zombies as having their own personality - certainly I have yet to hear of a zombie as a real character - so I can only assume it wouldn't really be me anyway if I turned and I'm already dead. So, would I want a horrible existence of being miserable but unable to put myself out of my own misery since I'm not smart enough, whilst spreading infection and possibly become responsible for killing my own family and friends, or would I rather just disappear from the face of the earth? Pretty simple answer to be honest. But how do you turn in the first place? Is it like vampires, where they bite you but don't end up killing you?
I think that there are several ways of becoming a zombie. The one that I think is the most popular theory, is being bitten, scratched or being present at the outbreak (like in the first Resident Evil movie). I'd rather be shot, as long as it was understood that it was to be done after I had turned. A zombie lifestyle is not at all appealing to me.
Alright. So one thing that No one ever seems to think about is this. If Zombies, in the traditional stories, create other Zombies through some sort of DNA transfer, wouldn't that mean we are all screwed? Think about it. Something tells me there is not enough zappers and spray to keep off all the infected mosquitoes.
Amen to that. I fenced foil in high school for two years, and tried foil and saber in college--where I stunk up the place. I didn't like epee. I fell asleep once during a match, suddenly woke up and realized I had scored two points. I didn't get tired so much as raw. I have strong thighs, but those "extend, lunge" drills never seemed to end! Edit: BTW, I was privileged to have Archie Simonson as my coach in college.
I imagine I'd be very much like a ninja and just climb out of the way. Even of the zombies can run near as fast as a human, I'll just have a grappling hook on a chain, along with a short katana-like thing to chop heads in silence, and just find some place with food, all the while writing in a journin order to chronicle my awesomeness. A lone zombie is easy to dispatch, and a group would simply need to be avoided. If I were in an urban city I'd just climb buildings, which Zs would suck at, and if I were in the country, I'd live in a house next to a number of trees to hide out in. Did I mention I'd use archery to dispatch zombies from a distance? Using flaming arrows? And molotovs? And imagine a grappling hook tied to the arrow! (Although the weight will need to be lightened; perhaps a plastic or aluminum version). All in all, I only weight sixty kilograms (130 pounds), and my upper body strength is enough for ten chin-ups and fifty pushups, but my cardio needs a little improvement, as I never played sports; ever. Oh, and if I need some fast transportation, I can always depend on a bicycle. Hey, I like that plan; it seems efficient. List of items: 1) Bicycle or skateboard. I could use the skateboard to haul stuff along easily. 2) A bow and a quiver of arrows. I can always replenish my arrows from dead bodies, or I can make my own. 3) Sword or machete or any long double-edged dagger. Slashing necks from behind, in silence, is pretty much theo only option, else I might get bitten. 4) Rope or chain with grappling hook. The chain might rattle. 5) Black clothing, preferably tight and soundless. I already have these in my closet. 6) Preferably some paper and writing material.
It appears like you've thought this out in detail. Yikes, I hope it's research for a book, LOL. However, this stuff is good, simple to procure and quite effective. It makes me wonder why most zombie stories do not implement this type of thinking more often. Of course, if the living did what you recommend there would be no carnage, and I suppose a peaceful zombie story would be a tad bland. Sort of like a chapter in "Fifty Shades" about a eunuch convention held at a nunnery. Ya' know, you ought to try writing detective stories with diverse, intricate plots followed by twist endings. I think you'd be good at it!
Oh. The horror. I wanted to ask that person about what he meant by the stories I should write, but he was banned. Weeee...
