Warning: If you are easily disgusted by zombies do not read this article. But if you want to know more about these wonderful characters and how to use them in a story, then keep on reading. I promise not to get too graphic in my discussion.
Of all the monsters are in literary and movie history, none are as frightening as the zombie. Think about it. You have the perfect killing machine; all it does is follow its food - you - and try to eat it. That is pretty scary in my book. The following is my take on zombies, based on what I have read in books and seen in movies. This is not reality, but fiction. Unless you think you hear the distinct moaning of a hungry zombie through your closed door one night.
You may be asking yourself, what is a zombie? The dictionary defines them as: a reanimated corpse that hungers for, well, us. They are not indestructible beings, but usually they are in large enough numbers that fighting back is difficult. Zombies come in many shapes, sizes and degrees of decomposition. But they all have one thing in common.
They are hungry.
There are many different literary ideas on how a zombie is created. The most common storyline is they are created by a virus. Since viruses require circulation to move through the body, it is assumed only people who were infected prior to death will actually become a zombie. This theory makes sense, but there is no scientific proof to back it up.
Usually, there is no cure for the infection, so when a person is bitten by a zombie it is pretty much over. There are several stages people go through if infected by a zombie. Remember, every character is different, so the amount of time it would take to "turn" can vary.
The person will first start to feel like they have a cold or the flu. Fever, chills, nausea, and pain in joints are symptoms of infection. As time progresses, numbness of the arms and legs, dementia, and poor muscle coordination can also occur. Eventually, paralysis, slowed heart rate, coma and death will happen. Depending on the person, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours for the final stage to take place - total reanimation of dead flesh. At this point, the person is no longer human and should be dispatched quickly.
Once a person has been changed, their higher brain activities shut down. No longer do they recognize family or friends. All they think about now is feeding their insatiable hungry. They think of nothing but finding food. And yes, as I said earlier, that is you. In the beginning, they have all the abilities they had before they died. They can run, jump, and are as strong as before. Zombies do not have super human strengths or talents other than living after their death.
After they have been around for a while, zombies should start to slow down. Rigor mortis, along with decomposition will go to work on their bodies. There is a belief among the zombie writers that the virus which created them will slow this process down. Which is the reason, in most movies, older zombies tend to walk slower and have a harder time keeping up with a running human. In all honesty, your character's best bet is to keep a lot of distance between the character and approaching zombies whatever the stage they are in. Your character's very life could depend on it.
Research these horror monsters before you begin writing about them. Watch the zombie master's movies, read books on the subject so you can write about them effectively. You want your work to be believable and realistic. You want your reader to say he could not put your story down even though he was terrified to keep reading.
