Mun Note: This ficlet is inspired by H.P. Lovecraft’s stories.

We have not forgotten anything. With the nature of our work, any mistake or carelessness is unacceptable. Considering that the behavior of re-animated specimens is quite unpredictable, we must be ready for all emergencies.

We don’t need any audience either. The house in which we live and run our tests is situated in the old, thinly populated area of the city, with an old burying-ground in the neighborhood.
It wasn’t a random choice. Such a location provides complete confidentiality of our studies.

Thus we have overlooked none. The lab has been prepared thoroughly, with the specimen in place. It is perfectly dead, showing no sign of life.
That’s my inspiration.
Every time I look at a specimen on the dissection-table I feel like an artist in front of a blank canvas, in anticipation of the birth of a masterpiece. In truth, there is somewhat of an artistic improvisation in our work. Each reanimation is not simply a scientific experiment, but an act of creation in all senses.
Though not every experiment is a success, we shall carry on our studies. Some day, my assistant and I will create a masterpiece which will live eternally.

Words: 194
Fandom: Re-Animator
Muse: Herbert West

I wavered between Dr. Zombie and The Manic Nurse and eventually chose the latter. Daniel must appreciate it!

( maybe NSFW )

Yes, I keep stuffed toys on my bedside table. I always did.
Once I had a pink Easter bunny. The present from my ex. Our relationships didn’t last more than a few dates only. She dropped me after seeing the iguana in my bathroom, for reptiles and Cephalopoda were her worst fear. She was prone to phobias in general. Alas.

Then there was a plush Voodoo doll. It was my inspiration and mascot of sorts when I carried out my early studies in Zurich. I got rid of it after my mentor Dr. Gruber’s death. The doll reminded me of him for some reason and made me feel a little bit uneasy.

Now, I have a white teddy bear that I keep beside my bed - along with a revolver and a bone saw. I need firearms in case a specimen escapes from the lab, or Dr. Hill’s zombies break into the house. The latter is in case Dr. Hill himself comes to see me. I strongly dislike uninvited guests.
With the nature of my work, I have to be on the alert, always. However, I still have a weakness for stuffed animals. They give me the feeling of peace and coziness that I miss sometimes.

Words: 206
Fandom: Re-Animator
Muse: Herbert West

I love black ties and white shirts. Unfortunately, I have some difficulty keeping them white…

( cut for horror themes and all that )

Herbert West/Re-Animator

“This is…disgusting! You know I hate it when you do it!”
Megan recoiled from the refrigerator, shuddering with loathing. Her widened eyes were glued to a large piece of reptile tissue that rested in the fridge, right between a cheesecake and a bottle of sweet champagne.
“What’s wrong, sweetie?”
Herbert approached her from behind and glanced over her shoulder.
“Oh let me guess. You don’t like fizz, do you? Mmm, what a shame! If I were Dan I’d have chosen something more exquisite for you darling. Chartreuse. Vintage wine. Or…”
Megan uttered a nervous little laugh, cutting him off. She walked around Herbert cautiously avoiding touching him, grabbed her coat from the chair and rushed away from the kitchen.
Herbert smirked as he heard Meg slam the house door behind her.
She left.
He snapped his fingers, almost feeling tempted to dance around the kitchen. Yes, Megan left.
Unhurriedly, he removed the specimen from the fridge. Then he put it carefully into a metal box and carried it to the lab. Dan didn’t need to see it.
Returning to the kitchen Herbert began to busy himself with the cheesecake and champagne. He couldn’t help smiling as he opened the bottle and sliced the cake with a kitchen-knife.
He wouldn’t have to tell a lie to Daniel. Megan left, not wanting to wait for him. It was the simple truth. Dan would most likely be upset about the failed date, but Herbert would find a way to cheer him up.

Words: 249
Muse: Herbert West
Fandom: Re-Animator

Cool and sunny weather reminds me of Switzerland. Though I’m not prone to nostalgia and all that, I feel at times that I miss Zurich. I left – or was forced to leave it under very unpleasant circumstances, and I don’t think I’ll ever come back to this place again. Now I’m unwanted in Europe so Switzerland is most likely lost to me, forever.

So be it.

Rain and thunder bewilder me a little. I do hate those dark stormy nights when the wind blows fiercely and tree branches scratch against windowpanes. It sounds like a bony hand claws the window trying to force it open. The sound makes me wake up in a cold sweat. The sarcastic part of me says my fear is irrational. The other part of me is scared…Sometimes, I spend hours standing by the window and gazing at the darkness. I can’t help thinking about the Unspeakable, the Dead that lurks and crawls in the shadow.

When the thunderstorm is over and the first beam of dawn drives away the dark I feel recovered from my fear. However, insomnia always leaves its marks on me. When Daniel, worried about my ghastly complexion, asks what happened I simply tell him that I’ve been working all night long.

Nobody, especially Dan, should see my weakness.


Words: 217
Fandom: Re-Animator
Muse: Herbert West

( cut for horror themes )

Words: 191
Fandom: Re-Animator
Muse: Herbert West

You pass a complete stranger on the street and notice they are crying. What do you do?

I swear, nobody will ever see me weeping on the street, although I’m sometimes tempted to cry for rescue.
Many speak of me with a shudder considering me as an unfeeling cynic -- but how astonished they would be if they learned about the everlasting dread that darkens my life.

Sometimes the faintest rustle or sound of footsteps makes me flinch and look over my shoulder. It may sound like persecution mania but in fact, I’m awed by something that is beyond human comprehension. I mean Dr. Hill’s morbid creatures and my own specimens, the products of defective reanimation that I failed to send back into the dark from which nothing could return. Now, they are alive and beyond my control.

Thankfully, I’m still able to stay calm. The great mission I’m involved in is everything to me, so I won’t succumb to the wretched emotions. No fear can hinder me from my work, and no one will ever hear me plead for help.

However, if I saw someone crying I’d most likely not pass by indifferently. I guess I would offer to help them. I’m not so very philanthropic, but I’m a doctor, after all, and my soul is not as seared as people believe it is. Under certain conditions I can be comforting and helpful to others.

I still remember the Hippocratic Oath.

Words: 225
Fandom: Re-Animator
Muse: Herbert West

Our secret lab is anything but a cozy place. This dingy basement converted into an improvised laboratory looks like a dissecting-room or serial killers’ lair but I don’t care. Coziness is the last thing I care about.

I lean over to the subject lying on an autopsy table and, carefully, apply my stethoscope to the exanimate body. Don’t ask me where I have procured the subject for my test. The way I get human specimens is absolute illegal.
I’m no criminal though.
The subject shows no sign of life. I step back and turn to Dan.
“Not yet,” I utter toying with an empty syringe as if it is a pencil.
Dan Cain sits in a chair holding his hand to his forehead. He looks crushed and utterly exhausted.
“Dan?” I say.
Sometimes, I feel a little anxious about him. I have no doubt about Dan’s loyalty but it seems that our work freaks him out. He is too…impressible.
I realize fully that both Dan and I break the law, but this is inevitable - we have no choice.

I can’t perform my experiments openly thanks to the stubborn narrow-mindedness of those so-called professors I have to deal with. I wouldn’t act this way if they listened to me. I pleaded for the use of my personal lab and of human subjects for my tests but they rejected my pleas making a mock of my ideas. Now I run my experiments secretly.
I have to.
Either way the true scientist is the one who breaks the rules. I want Dan to understand it – and I hope he won’t give up before we achieve our aim.

I can’t help but flinch as I hear the body stir. I drop the syringe and fumble for the bone saw keeping my eyes glued to the subject. Dan jumps out of the chair, gun in hand.

Our subjects are so unpredictable, but we know what to do in the event of defective reanimation.

Words: 329
Fandom: Re-Animator
Muse: Herbert West

Through my artificial life theory, I was unpopular around the university I attended in Zurich. No one trusted me. I had to confront the narrow-mindedness of those so-called scientists and professors – oh, they just laughed in my face regarding me as a madman. Only my mentor Dr. Hans Gruber, though skeptical, found my ideas quite interesting.

Thankfully, I had faith in myself and carried on my research in spite of the hostility I faced. I won. I eventually elaborated the formula and got the reagent. Now, I had the key to life and death – just at the tips of my fingers. All I needed was a human subject to test the serum. I found one.

I swear, it wasn’t me who caused Dr. Gruber’s untimely death - he was already dead when I got him. To me, there was a great opportunity to test the formula and rescue the person I appreciated in a way.
So I injected him with the serum in hopes of bringing him back to life. Well… It was my first try. The experiment failed – he got a zombie. It wasn’t Dr. Gruber any more but a soulless body in a life-like state. I didn’t manage to restore his brain, alas. After that incident I was expelled from the university. Both students and faculty were terrified to death by what I had done.
However, I didn’t quit my work.
I left Switzerland for the United States to further my studies at Miskatonic University. It was the right choice. There I got a chance to continue my personal research. Moreover, at Miskatonic University I met Dan Cain, a medical student who became my follower and assistant.

Now we work together. I’m certain, some day we will attain our ambition. We shall defeat death.

Words: 296
Fandom: Re-Animator
Muse: Herbert West

In the event of a zombie apocalypse, what would you do?

First of all, I want everybody to know – I’m not a deranged zombie maker. I never intended to create monsters. In fact, I’ve been struggling to defeat death itself since I discovered the serum formula. My methods work – oh yes, they do – although some people find them pretty gruesome. The only problem is that the formula is still imperfect so my subjects return to life in a zombie-like state. That’s but a morbid side effect, and I’m searching for a way to remove it.
I’m a scientist, not a necromancer.

So, if a zombie apocalypse takes place, it won’t be my fault. Blame Dr. Hill if it happens. He is the first subject to keep a clear mind after re-animation. As a scientist, I’m proud as this experiment is a pure success. As a human, I can’t help feeling nervous as the Doc has stolen my serum and escaped from the laboratory. I wish I knew what he has on his mind right now. He possesses the secret of life and death and knows how to create zombies and how to make them obey his will. I guess he will stop at nothing to get even with me. Either way, I hope I’ll manage to find Dr. Hill and take the serum from him before the army of living dead starts invading our cities.


Muse: Herbert West
Fandom: Re-Animator
Words: 224