She smiled at him like a freshman invited to the senior…

“I thought if I loved you enough I could change you. I was so stupid.”

— Steven Ramirez

“I wanted to see the bullet coming, wanted to know the exact moment of my death.”

— Steven Ramirez

“I felt a lunatic’s laugh welling up inside me.”

— Steven Ramirez

“Did you ever think it won’t be the undead who kill us, but ordinary people?”

— Steven Ramirez

“I knew then I was going to die in the street without ever seeing Holly again. All because I tried to help an old…

— Steven Ramirez

“‘Can’t you see what they are?’ I said. ‘They’re all dead.’”

— Steven Ramirez

“Even now I can’t describe the fear that contaminated my blood like black ink.”

— Steven Ramirez

“When I lifted up the skin, a fat kidney worm dripping with gore raised its bald, blind head and glared at me.”

— Steven Ramirez

“The people inside the gym didn’t stand a dead drunk’s chance.”

— Steven Ramirez

“The sound of him drinking was indescribable—like dirty runoff down a storm drain.”

— Steven Ramirez

“‘There’s no time for right or wrong,’ I said.”

— Steven Ramirez

“Drive. He’s already dead.”

— Steven Ramirez

“Remember. Observe, assess and act. No hesitation. No remorse.”

— Steven Ramirez

“I don’t know how these things died without benefit of a bullet to the brain pan. They seemed to exist in an eternal twilight…

— Steven Ramirez

“There’s nothing worse than delivering bad news to women. I hoped I wouldn’t get good at it.”

— Steven Ramirez