What You Don’t Prepare For
While many of us out there spend days trying to prepare the best we can to survive the zombie apocalypse there are some things that slip the mind. We gather weapons and munitions, food and water, and mentally prepare to pull the trigger on a zombie as they move towards us. But what about the little zombies out there?
Zombies are depicted in a variety of ways in media nowadays. In both movies and videogames you get zombies that range from the mindless shamblers to fast moving zombies that have stamina that meets and exceeds that of the average person. Occasionally you might even get a zombie that has basic reasoning skills. What you do not often see in these various forms of zombie media are little zombies, zombie children, zombie babies, whatever you wish to call them.
Most pop culture zombies are cookie-cutter zombie cast from the same mold, same height, movements, same anatomy, and weaknesses. In reality you will come across a venerable plethora of the types of zombies from old to the very young, ones that walk(shamble) tall and other who are bent and some of which don’t have the use of their legs, if they even have legs. However, the most disturbing zombies that you will come across will be the very young children zombies and zombie infants. These zombies are possibly the most dangerous since while clearing building and ever just a crowd parking lot these small zombies might slip your sight since you may be look higher up, they may even cause you to hesitate to act since they are in the shells of little children, the very meaning of innocence. You must remember that these zombies that you meet, any zombie that you meet for that matter, are no longer the people that they once were, they are killing machines that hunger for your flesh.
Comments (32)
McLuvin on 09 Mar 2010 at 6:41 pm #
Good topic. So many people are hesitant to put down a sick animal.
Kids would be even worse.
Killing things that you have trained yourself to protect could be hard for many people.
I have been told that I am a cold hearted bastard so I shouldn’t have any problems.
I’m not unfamiliar with killing things that most would not wish to.
In my mind once anyone has turned they are no longer a person.
It will be important to keep an eye out for small zombies whether they are
children, crawlers, or zombie animals.
DirtyJohnny on 09 Mar 2010 at 8:46 pm #
Not A Problem. BANG! I’d be more worried about ZOMBIE Dogs, and Puppies….
Ronin666 on 09 Mar 2010 at 8:59 pm #
I think it’s one that will lead to a lot of people being bit. Even more so if it’s your own child. It’s a case of switch off the emotions untill you are in a safe(ish) place and deal with it then.
Zombie animals….. hmmm, disturbing. Not so much the big ones because you can see them easily, but zombie mice? A little nibble in the night and you wake up wanting brains. Shit, if we take it to zombie insects we are truly screwed.
Marty426 on 09 Mar 2010 at 9:47 pm #
I think that it will not take that long for survivors to desensitize themselves to the fact that what they are killing are no longer fellow human beings. Once you view them as hostile entities that are trying to kill you, then you would be able to kill a zombie child with little, or no, remorse. Unfortunately, history has shown us in past wars that soldiers have killed women and children whom they viewed as threats. For me, when the $#*t hits the fan, I will do what I have to do survive.
Semper Cogitant on 09 Mar 2010 at 11:13 pm #
I think the important thing to realize here is that they are NOT children. A zombie is not human, and what sort of human the body started as has nothing to do with what the zombie is now.
Of course it still looks like a kid, which will present a psychological problem. Clearly in a zombie apocalypse there will be a lot of psychological problems and this will be one of the big ones.
Kids, friends, loved ones, all could become zombies. Most of us would be hard pressed to deal with that, but either we deal with that or we don’t survive.
Other things we’ll have to deal with is injured, bitten kids, that we know will turn. Also, you see a kid alone in the distance, walking slowly and aimlessly, with no apparent injuries, possibly viewed through a rifle scope. Is it a zombie, or a freaked out, almost catatonic kid? What do we do?
Of course none of us know how we will really act in such an extreme situation. Some of those that have been to war have a pretty good idea of how they adapt to horror, but this would be far beyond even the worst war experiences.
Thinking about these things, determining how we should act, thinking about how we might deal with the aftermath, can only help us survive.
ThatScoutKid on 10 Mar 2010 at 12:36 am #
i think the thing that would fuck me up the most would be if there was a vaccine for it and i couldnt get any so i had to kill a child knowing it could be saved.
but yea ive had to do some prety heartless shit but this would top it…
zman on 10 Mar 2010 at 2:49 am #
Zombie Kids freak me out and having to kill one especially if its your own is going to be tough to do.
KillerB on 10 Mar 2010 at 8:34 pm #
I was going to write about killing a baby zed but changed my mind. This discussion is where I draw the line. Fun to talk about eleminating the “text book” Zeds but I do not want to place a kids face in there at all. It takes all the fun out of this for me. When the time come to make the decision most of us will probably get bitten before we act.
Zombie mice and bugs? WTF. Get a can of raid and some sticky mouse traps. Even then we are FUCKED! There is absolutly no place in a post apocaliptic world where mice and bugs can’t get to. Fire would probaly be useful on the mice and bugs. Bullets for the dogs and larger animals. Shottys for the birds. Honestly how scary would a 300-500lbs Zombear be? or a pack of Zomwolfs? Anyone thinking that their AR or AK is up to the task? All I am trying to point out is that if the virus, nanobots, alien disease or failed government experiment can infect things besides humans then we are screwed. Or here is an alternate view point. What if the zombie virus only infects nonprimate mammals? There goes our spot at the top of the food chain. I bet that this would cause just as much chaos and devistation as a human based virus.
Well back to the topic at hand! Historicly humans have done anything they could imagine and possibly a few things no one could imagine to stay alive. That has not changed. Hesitation gets people killed every day. That will not change. False Bravado has gotten many more people killed. That will never change. Just because the last 500 years of human evolution has seen advances in everything we are still hunter gatherers. If everything turned off right now human kind would not drift into the fossil record. In short it would take something like a zombie invasion followed by a series of massive asteroid strikes and then every volcano erupting at the same time to kill off the entire human race. Somewhere there are places that are stocked for the end of the world and those people are not sharing their secrets with the rest of the world for good reason.
KillerB on 10 Mar 2010 at 8:45 pm #
P.S.
Here is another point. I know a lot of mothers and fathers that would rather be a zombie with their child as a human that killed their child.
Just one more thing to think about.
CHEERS.
mitch on 11 Mar 2010 at 11:45 am #
yea I’m scared of zombie animals when you think of it they wouldn’t even need to be Z’s they could be like a small mozzie with infected blood or a pack animal that has come accustomed to eating the millions of piles of flesh with low survival instinct just walking around personally I’m hoping a little bit of z fluid wont turn you, like the amount you will find on a small bug, but like a bite or worse
LJAKAL on 11 Mar 2010 at 4:48 pm #
As a father of three my mind says yea I could do it. The heart is where the hesitation would come in. I have had to pull out on a juvenile before luckily it did not escalate further. I don’t think I would have been able to follow through.
The mind set is there for survival but the heart is not. In the several deployments that I have had the issue of shooting a kid has never came up. I have had to knock down and even restrain a juvenile subject but I have never had to use deadly force.
Key word deadly the fact is the zed kid is dead but if it were my own I do not think that I could ever be mentaly prepared for that.
Rambler, shambler, ect… the anwser is bang, bang, bang reload scan for further threats. Kids I don’t know?
jay on 12 Mar 2010 at 2:40 pm #
if its not your kid it shouldnt be a problem…. but just remember it still a zed and needs to be delt with as quick as poss just like any other zombie
Simo on 12 Mar 2010 at 7:22 pm #
I think it would have to vary on the zombie – I mean look at the freaky baby from Dawn of the Dead in the picture. Killing those zeds; they don’t look human any more; they LOOK like hate-ful, bloody shells. Think of what zeds look like in Zombie Land, or the infected in I Am Legend and you would have any qualms killing them, but fear.
But if it is a human-looking one, maybe with some blood but still with a very human expression on its face, I know I would have issues. Loved one or not, if I looks like a human, it would be… hard.
Simo on 12 Mar 2010 at 7:26 pm #
PS: There are some funny zombie animals that came to mind when the idea of zombie animals was suggested:
Zombie Bunny Rabbits: Monty Python and the Holy Grail anyone?
Zombie Fish: they wouldn’t ‘air-drown’ on land so they could come for you in their own pathetic way.
and I am in australia soo…
Zombie Echidnas, Zombie Kangaroos, Zombie Wombats, Zombie Koalas would be all amazing! Totally worth seeing what would happen in a zombie invasion for that.
iowaberserker on 12 Mar 2010 at 10:38 pm #
i cannot imagine having to shoot my baby girl, but then, she wouldn’t be my baby girl anymore, would she? the coming of the zed apolocalypse would herald the end of humanity in general, really. if you think about it, whether you turn or not, having to do something like that would be the end of our humanity. i still find it fascinating that some would actually welcome the ZA, just so they could kill some zombies. while i wouldn’t mind the end of modern society and the fact that everyone would have to fend for themselves, thus wiping out half of the thoughtless retards i’m surrounded by, i’m not looking forward to the filthy duty of potentially having to wipe out my family if they were ever to be so unfortunate to get caught and turn into a zed. just saying.
Ronin666 on 13 Mar 2010 at 9:03 pm #
That makes the “Drop Bears ” a whole lot more real eh Simo?
FreddeX on 14 Mar 2010 at 4:33 pm #
Yeah it would take a huge toll on morale to kill, let’s say, an entire daycare full of zombiefied children. But in the end i think we would all be capable of doing it.
The survival instinct kicks in and makes us do what we otherwise would not be capable of, but the question remains:
Will we be able to cope with it once it is over?
kastraynator on 19 Mar 2010 at 12:15 am #
i think i could probably do it. but when im safe and i have time to start thinking. it would probably get to me pretty badly
if it was my kid i don’t think i could do it though.
Ghostling (: on 19 Mar 2010 at 3:45 am #
First time poster, long time site-follower. (:
From a /female/ point of view, I honestly don’t know whether or not I could pull the trigger on an infant or child. A couple points rise to mind concerning the scenario and such; desperation, fear, hysteria, all of those emotions can cause one to really do some unexpected things, even things unimaginable in a normal mindset. And I’m sure if I was staring at the face of a flesh-hungry zombie, crawling slowly toward me with exposed fangs and uttering a low moan, with the extinction of the possible world lingering in the back of my mind, then yes, my mentality might be just a tad different from how it is now, sitting safely in front of my computer screen.
But as of this moment? I’m thinking, no way; I couldn’t do it.
Call me weak, but it’s women’s natural instinct (biological programming, if you will) to protect and provide for our children, especially infants. And if I had to kill one, point blank? The only thing that would be running through my mind is: “This little thing can’t fend for itself. It can’t protect itself. It doesn’t know what its doing, or what it should do. It’s not to blame. You have to help it, be there for it, shield it from hurting itself or getting hurt by others.” It wouldn’t matter if its a zombie, it’s still helpless and young and alone. Ignorant. Innocent. Feeble. So dependent. And I think there’s a part of me that would be too strong to ignore, one that would defy my even considering hurting something as defenseless as a baby.
And granted, I’m just a teen, so if I had any maternal experience when the age of the undead hit, I’m pretty sure the mentality I just pictured above would only have increased ten times over or so. (And I could probably explain it a bit better.)
But, yeah. Hands down, even if I could do it, I wouldn’t walk away unscathed. I’d probably be haunted about it for a /long/ time afterwards. :/
@KillerB/Simo; You think a Zombear would be bad– what about a Zomgorilla? :o
bringitzombies on 08 Apr 2010 at 11:31 am #
i would do what ever it takes even kill my family and friends. its all about you and you being a survivor of the zombies
tambay on 13 Apr 2010 at 11:15 pm #
Saw something like this on “Highschool of the dead” (manga). Let’s just say that it was quite an unsettling experience.
Scav Dingo on 24 Apr 2010 at 4:24 pm #
..honestly that compassion and empathy you’ve had in the modern world will weed you out as a survivor in the new world of a zombi apocalypse..
..in part, the survivors will have to be a “zombi” psychologically being numb to emotions while retaining sanity during this event..
..disconcern and indifference will have to be practical thought and logical insensitivity will have to be contributed swiftly to decisions..
..what is the sole purpose of life in that new world? ..self-preservation and survival. ..what is the only occupation in that new world? ..warrior.
Shannondc on 28 Apr 2010 at 6:27 pm #
What I think about is how to survive with a child during the zombie apocalypse. I have a three year old son, how hard will it be to be on the run with small children when z-day comes?
Angryvikingman on 06 May 2010 at 12:09 pm #
If you have children large enough to impede your mobility, but too small to learn to shoot, then you need to have a base and operate from there, never going farther than you can get in about an hour. Yes, it will somewhat limit you, but unless you live in the farthest backwoods, then you can get somewhere with what you need in an hour, unless you’re just on foot. Also, if you have small children, then you need to think about staying put somewhere you can subsist on very little, and grow what you need to survive. I suggest buying a lot of seeds, and a growing guide to tell you the best times to plant, harvest, and insects to watch out for. Seeds are dehydrated and you can carry a large bundle without even adding a pound to your pack. Just something to think about. In a city, a large warehouse roof would make a great garden as long as you can get the proper soil depth. Which is easier than you think.
Angryvikingman on 06 May 2010 at 12:15 pm #
In addendum:
Best seeds to plant:
Beans for protein and folic acid
Corn because it needs little care and you can make booze! (if you have a surplus)
tomatoes because theyre tasty and have small amounts of lots of nutrients.
Some kind of green veggie for potassium
Peppers of some kind. Most peppers have 2x+ more vitamin C than an orange, especially hot peppers.
hencat on 09 May 2010 at 9:02 pm #
on the whole mouse and bug thing i dont think it would really be a huge problem after all what would infect them it’s not like a zombie is gonna just nibble a mouse or bug and if they get it from eating then you have an even bigger problem. seeing as everything you eat could kill you, at that point i’d lock my self in a room with drugs and a chick and just die. haha
Michael on 03 Jun 2010 at 9:29 pm #
there are no such things as zombie animals the virus only truly affects humans, though the undead do also eat animals a bitten animal will not become a zombie for unknown reasons the virus just kills them with no chance of reanimation. maybe due to a certain g-nome only in human traits that responds to virus properly to induce reanimation………………………………children zombies are a possibility but sometimes they are to weak to survive the virus before they are reanimated but it is still most likely they will join the ranks of the living dead
pothead4life on 22 Jun 2010 at 10:54 pm #
i would not hesitate i know a zombie like virus is coming and im getting ready as soon as i see one im getting guns food ammo and a shit load of weed and for emotional wise im also training for killing any infected so i say bring it on
spartnrnger P77 on 01 Aug 2010 at 10:02 pm #
Very good article. But a warning to those who are freaked out by killing zombie kids: it’s not them you have to truly worry about with the right precautions. It’s the parents of these kids that go nuts you really need to worry about. You “save” someone from apparent danger and when you go to make sure it’s dead you take a fatal wound in the back. Make sure the people you’re saving are actually in trouble!! Or you’ll inadvertantly get a thinking enemy!!
Coyoteseyes on 01 Mar 2011 at 11:37 am #
I have children , im a guy , and they would be the number one priority , i know the place that supplies all the grocery stores in my area to raid for initial supplies , not effin walmart where everyone is gunna go . with children i’d deffinetly do anything to survive , meaning get in my way and ill blow your effin brains away just like any Zed .parents will probably be the most strong willed determined and dangerous ppl . now that i think about it . if you see some one with a child or children . you should probably stay away . i would assume you are trying to steal my supplies and shoot you before you get close and move on with great haste . the fact that i live in a small city surrounded by the boondocks is helpful and that i know the surrounding 40 miles of dirt roads will be helpful im rambling i know . basically what im saying is my child will become a zomb over my dead body .
amy on 04 Apr 2011 at 5:18 pm #
wouldnt really think twice about shooting it… dont mean to sound heartless but in my eyes it died the second that morsel of flesh bit it:)