Foul smells waft from Captain Skippy’s Seafood Grotto – but no more foul than usual. The zombie plague is a thing of the past, a bad memory.
A car sits on blocks at the corner of Elm street. The night is quiet.
Hazardous waste sits in unmarked barrels out behind Vynnie’s Chemicals. He’ll probably leave it there until he dies, or sells the place. Or until Jethro steals them all for moonshine stills. Hope he cleans them out good.
What? - a strange plop-squishing sound. Probably nothing. Maybe George left the burrito machine on again.
The metallic rasp of a manhole cover draws the attention of law enforcement.
Barney: “Andy … Andy! Them fellers just don’t look right!”
Andy: “Well I’ll be. Put yer bullet in, Barney, put yer bullet in.”
Music covers many sins, but what’s going on in the disco? Was that the breaking crash of a mirrored glass sphere?
“[in the] dance hall … death had come in mid-Hustle,
[with] shrieks as the disco dead boogied to life.” – Larry Niven / Steven
Barnes, Dream Park
The Alligator Poacher: “Krikey! They came through the sewers this time, and you can tell, ‘cause they smell really really bad! But one thing you can always count on with zombies is that they’re extremely dangerous. Let’s get closer to them, shall we?”
Monique: “Ewwww, they’re like totally all grody and stuff!”
Col. Beauregard: “Stay back, unmannered curs! Stay back, I say!”
Monique: “Like, don’t let them touch me!”
Barney: “Andy, I used my bullet, what do I do now? Andy? Where’d you go, Andy? Darn it, this ain’t funny!”
A thousand gallons of pressurized chicken grease shake the ground with a pyrotechnic rumble.
Col. Beauregard: “Take that, insolent dogs!”
Monique: “Omigawd! Like, what if the restaurant gets like all burned down and stuff, and like I’m still on the schedule for Monday, do I have to still come in and, like, work?”
Bill Johnson, Zombie Abatement Technician IV, Specialist: “On a Friday night, no less! Why can’t these things eat people at nine in the morning? Dammit, I’m claiming overtime for this.”
Mr. Singh, proprietor of the Loaf and Jug: “I come to America” – puff – “land of opportunity” – wheeze – “work many years to own mini-mart and slurpee machine” – gasp – “at least in Delhi, dead people they stay dead!”
Bill: “Alright, nobody panic, just remove yourselves to an area free of zombies and secure the entrances.”
Back at the old Loaf & Jug, the zombies rule the streets. But what’s this? Looks like the legendary Logan Gang – but didn’t they die in a gunfight over a hundred years ago? Buried with their weapons. Lot of rust on them now … they wouldn’t still work, would they?
The side lot of Vynnie’s Chemicals explodes into flame. This could be bad … who knows what the heck he has stockpiled in there!?
Zombie grabs Bill Johnson by the tie – but it’s a clip-on! Bill brains the creature with a quick backhand while it’s off balance.
Bill: “Zombies always go for the tie. Predictable bastards.”
That’s Mr. & Mrs. Singh! Or what’s left of them, anyway … .
Was that white phosphorous cooking off? Flames crawl up the side of Vynnie’s main building; the Meadows Apartments are probably history.
