Character Interview: Julie from Days with the Undead: Book One

What do you want from life?

I just want to survive. It’s simple really. Right now we’re on the move, trying to stay ahead of the Undead. It would be nice for things to return to some sort of normalcy, but we all know that what we’re dreaming is a pipe dream. Instead we’re faced with days upon days of struggle and that’s only if we don’t succumb to the hordes that surround us daily.

If you were granted three wishes, what would you ask for?

A world without the Undead, a hot shower, and a soft, warm bed.

What three things would you take to a Desert Island?

Unfortunately, not even the islands are safe… I’d want my hand gun, an endless supply of ammo and a crowbar for when close quarters negate the use of a gun.

How do you fall in love? At first sight? Over a long period?

I feel in love with my husband at first sight. He’s dead now, however. At some point I may think about love again, but for the moment, my energy is directed at helping my group to survive.

How do you decide if you can trust someone? Experience with others? With this person? First impressions? Intuition? Do you test the person somehow? Or are you just generally disposed to trust or not to trust?

By their actions. If they act in good faith in the situation where you first meet them, you can pretty much rest assured that they are someone to that can be trusted. It does take only a single moment of stupidity or shiftiness to initiate a sliver of doubt in my mind. We don’t live in a world where you can make mistakes or carry dead weight.

When you walk into a room, what do you notice first? Second?

The first thing I look for is the presence of any of the Undead. Once I’ve ascertained there are none of them inside, I look for all points of egress and ingress. It’s best to know where they may come at you from and where there’s an exit should you need to escape.

When you walk into a room, what do you expect people to notice about you?

That I’m a no bullshit kind of woman with a plan and the means to get it done. It’s fairly simple; I have a scientific background and I’ll use that when I can to get me from one day to the next.

Describe yourself to me.

Even though I’m a strong woman, I still see myself as an unlikely role model for others. I have been thrust into a position of authority through necessity and at times, it can certainly seem like it gets to me. I’m human just like everyone else and I have my weak moments. My scientific background helps me to survive, but even that can only get my so far. I need to rely on all of my strengths and work on counteracting my weaknesses – it’s the only way.

What's the worst thing you've ever done? Why?

I killed what was left of my husband’s body. Enough said.

What are you most afraid of?

Becoming one of them…

How do you feel about your life right now? What, if anything, would you like to change?

Right now, life sucks and it’s glorious. I’m still alive and that cannot be taken for granted, but I exist in a world that is hard to live in. If I could change anything, it would be to go back to the moment when it all started and end it shortly after it began. It would have been simple to end it all back then…

What makes you laugh out loud?

At the moment, it’s the pure joy that Lily and Liam exude. Even in a world full of the Undead, these two still find ways to be children and they never let a moment pass where being a kid again is a possibility. It’s as beautiful as it is heartbreaking.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Honestly, at this point it’s the fact that I’m still alive…

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Perfect happiness doesn’t exist. As a realist, I would only hope that the world can stop existing and start living again. That and a world without the Undead.

What is your current state of mind?

I won’t lie to you – I’m frazzled, confused, diligent, resolved, and tired.

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is that we’ll never rid the world of the dangers of the Undead. We have no idea what has caused the situation, so we really cannot even fight our foe intelligently. All we can do is continue to fight the symptom and hope that we can eradicate the cause in the long-run.

What do you most value in your friends?

The ability to use a firearm. The ability to assess situations and act accordingly. The fact that they always have my back. Their mere presence is something that I value as I have no desire to navigate this world on my own.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Probably the word Undead, but I just cannot bring myself to call them the ‘Z’ word…

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

My physical strength. While I am strong, I would love to be stronger. As it stands, each and every time I have to take down one of the Undead with pure brute strength, I find myself tired after each blow. That tiredness scares me. It worries me that at some point, in a situation not stacked in my favour that I will lose the strength in my arms and be unable to continue. That’s a scary, sobering thought.

How would you like to die?

In my sleep. Just to fade away into the darkness of nothing. To not know my death was coming and that it wouldn’t be painful. To have my last thought be a dream (hopefully not a nightmare) and not the panicked thought of becoming one of them.

If you were to die and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be?

It certainly wouldn’t be one of the Undead. Altruistically, I’d like to say that I would love to come back as the cure for what has allowed the dead to rise again, but it’s not likely that will ever happen. If time were not a factor, I would love to come back in a time before the Undead, to have lived my life free from their threat.