Covid Zombies
The viral undead come into existence when a lifeform gets infested with the tiny horrors known as malfiends. In the modern age, most of these maladies can be cured with salves, lozenges, and suppositories. Every so often, however, a new infection evolves - one which people have no defence against. The covid zombies are a result of such a sickness.
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| Covid zombie by Zuza Gruzlewska |
The name 'covid' stands for 'Completely 'oribble and Very Infectious Disease-Heads'. Unlike regular cases of zombification, the ZINTER-19 plague turns people into living viruses. This sees the head of each victim morphing into something altogether unsettling. Some have likened them to gone-off pumpkins covered in rancid toatstools. Others beheld them and cried simply:
"Oh flepp, run!"
Once a person contracts the plague, they'll find themselves infected for several weeks. Eventually a person naturally overcomes the ailment and reverts back to their mortal form - at least the lucky ones do, anyway. An unfortunate few will find themselves forever trapped in the clutch of undeath. This makes them useless in terms of their ability to contribute towards society (although still less harmful overall than your average politician).
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Creation Notes
I don't think I'd planned on giving them virus heads when I started writing the book, but it seemed like the obvious move. Obviously I wanted it to feel like the virus was the threat rather than the victims, so hopefully that translates!
If you've not seen it before, their heads are based on the actual novel coronavirus. Or an artist's interpretation of one? I don't know how they get these pictures, tbh - I assume the viruses don't pose for them.
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In the book the covid zombies have 'crimson red flesh' whereas on the cover the head is closer to the actual virus image with grey-black colouring. This change is largely because it allows me to use the name 'scarlet shamblers'.
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