I never thought I'd be one of those people. You know, the ones who get all choked up over a pet. But here I am, trudging through the desolate streets of New Chicago, with my zombie, Fred, limping along beside me. The sun’s setting, casting long shadows over the ruins, and I’m on my way to see the necromancer. It’s time to put Fred down.

Fred wasn’t always a zombie. When I picked him up, he had a little placard in his pants pocket that said he was from a small suburb and was something...