When we found that the undead could still read, suddenly our survival efforts got a lot more creative. Our barricades were covered in signs that appealed to what little remained of their minds and over time we found exactly what could trigger them into a rapid retreat, what would make them talk amongst themselves and cower at our feet even though every inch of them ached to sink their teeth into us.
Ironically, they're afraid of monsters.
Not in the way that we're afraid of them (as in, they tear us limb from limb and we join their ranks), but in the way that a child will insist you check under their bed just one more time because there's a monster hiding there and it wants to eat all their toes one by one.
Naturally when word spread our fortresses and barricades were covered in large stories - simple ones that any child could follow - telling the undead that all manner of ridiculous creatures lived inside and they liked to eat people who were falling apart. At first we stood in amazement as the undead read the stories aloud as best as the could before they turned away in their herds, glancing back every now and then as if they would be followed.
We didn't expect them to try and disguise themselves as humans to trick the "monsters that lived with us" but with time they got very good at it. I mean to the point where we would have gone out to help a seemingly injured person until our resident sniper saw their cloudy-yellowish eyes and told the rescue team to bail.
Now we're trying something new.
Again.
We're becoming the monsters we've told them about.
They will fear us and, with any luck, we'll be safe again.
Ironically, they're afraid of monsters.
Not in the way that we're afraid of them (as in, they tear us limb from limb and we join their ranks), but in the way that a child will insist you check under their bed just one more time because there's a monster hiding there and it wants to eat all their toes one by one.
Naturally when word spread our fortresses and barricades were covered in large stories - simple ones that any child could follow - telling the undead that all manner of ridiculous creatures lived inside and they liked to eat people who were falling apart. At first we stood in amazement as the undead read the stories aloud as best as the could before they turned away in their herds, glancing back every now and then as if they would be followed.
We didn't expect them to try and disguise themselves as humans to trick the "monsters that lived with us" but with time they got very good at it. I mean to the point where we would have gone out to help a seemingly injured person until our resident sniper saw their cloudy-yellowish eyes and told the rescue team to bail.
Now we're trying something new.
Again.
We're becoming the monsters we've told them about.
They will fear us and, with any luck, we'll be safe again.
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