#zombies fic
Dale returned to the dinner table, his face grim. “I have to go. There was a shooting by the border.” Addison’s heart dropped. Zed stood up.
“I have to go home.”
“I’m going with him.”
Zed and Addison spoke at the same time.
Dale shook his head. “You kids stay here. The community’s been advised to stay indoors until we catch this guy and I don’t want to take a risking in having Zed exposed.”
“Chief, do you have a name? My little sister…” Zed’s voice cracked.
“Even if I did know, I couldn’t tell you. That’ll be classified information.” Zed was understandably worried. At the look on both the teens’ face, Dale sighed. “It wasn’t your family, Zed.”
That still left Eliza and Bonzo, Eliza’s parents… the whole community, really. “Dale, everyone’s family on that side of the wall.”
“I need to go back to work. Zed, be careful.”
There was a knock at the door. Dale looked at Missy, eyebrows furrowed, then went to the entrance. They could hear him speaking in hushed tones, trying to calm an obviously-distraught woman. Dale brought her into the kitchen, where Missy immediately began soothing her. The mayor poured her a glass of water and sat with her as her sobs subsided.
“I need to go,” she hiccupped.
“It’s not safe, Mary. Zombie Patrol is taking care of everything. You have my word that Dale will call you when it’s safe.” Missy said in a hushed tone.
“But the shooting! It was him, I know it was,” she cried between her sobs.
“Kids, go upstairs,” Missy said without taking her attention away from the woman, whose phone started ringing. Missy looked at the Caller ID. “It’s your daughter. She’s probably worried about you, taking off like that. Do you want me to answer?” The woman took a shaky breath and nodded. “Mary Zieliński’s phone, this is the mayor speaking.” A pause. “Yes, she’s here. Yes. Yes. No, that’s fine. See you soon.” Missy hung up the call. “Cecylia is coming to see you, Mary.”
As Missy tried to comfort Mary, her own cell phone rang. “This is the mayor.” Her grip on Mary’s hand tightened. “Are you sure?” Her voice softened. “I’m with her now.”
Upstairs, Zed and Addison could hear everything. Zieliński.
“I knew him,” Zed said softly. “He lived just down the street. We’d stay with him sometimes when we were younger, when Dad was working and Eliza’s family was busy. He had an old ice cream machine in his garage and all the kids used to take turns churning it. Of course, we never had the stuff to make ice cream, but we didn’t know that. Always ended up with cauliflower slush. I never knew he had family on this side.” Addison squeezed his hand. “He was old. Like, really old. He was the oldest person who survived the Accident.”
By zombie standards, Zygmund Zieliński had been ancient. Already in his forties at the time of The Accident, Zygmund was now well into his nineties and had been a founder of zombie society. He had been forcibly separated from his wife and two children after The Accident and had dedicated his life to regaining his humanity enough to see them again. Everyone in Zombietown had known him.
“I’m bringing her now.” Missy hung up the phone. “He’s in Containment. How would you like to go see him?” Mary nodded, already rising. “I’m going to text Cecylia. I’ll grab my keys, and we’ll go.” Addison and Zed heard Missy run upstairs, and quickly busied themselves with the nearest textbooks. “I’m taking Mrs. Zieliński to meet her daughter. Don’t leave the house.” Missy was gone in less than a minute.
Both Zed and Addison were at a loss. For Zed, one of the oldest and most well-liked members of his community had been murdered. And Addison could see herself in Mrs. Zieliński. Two people, in love with each other, kept apart by a town that so desperately wanted to be picture-perfect. Zed and Addison? Or Zygmund and Mary Zieliński?
Dale returned to the dinner table, his face grim. “I have to go. There was a shooting by the border.” Addison’s heart dropped. Zed stood up.
“I have to go home.”
“I’m going with him.”
Zed and Addison spoke at the same time.
Dale shook his head. “You kids stay here. The community’s been advised to stay indoors until we catch this guy and I don’t want to take a risking in having Zed exposed.”
“Chief, do you have a name? My little sister…” Zed’s voice cracked.
“Even if I did know, I couldn’t tell you. That’ll be classified information.” Zed was understandably worried. At the look on both the teens’ face, Dale sighed. “It wasn’t your family, Zed.”
That still left Eliza and Bonzo, Eliza’s parents… the whole community, really. “Dale, everyone’s family on that side of the wall.”
“I need to go back to work. Zed, be careful.”
There was a knock at the door. Dale looked at Missy, eyebrows furrowed, then went to the entrance. They could hear him speaking in hushed tones, trying to calm an obviously-distraught woman. Dale brought her into the kitchen, where Missy immediately began soothing her. The mayor poured her a glass of water and sat with her as her sobs subsided.
“I need to go,” she hiccupped.
“It’s not safe, Mary. Zombie Patrol is taking care of everything. You have my word that Dale will call you when it’s safe.” Missy said in a hushed tone.
“But the shooting! It was him, I know it was,” she cried between her sobs.
“Kids, go upstairs,” Missy said without taking her attention away from the woman, whose phone started ringing. Missy looked at the Caller ID. “It’s your daughter. She’s probably worried about you, taking off like that. Do you want me to answer?” The woman took a shaky breath and nodded. “Mary Zieliński’s phone, this is the mayor speaking.” A pause. “Yes, she’s here. Yes. Yes. No, that’s fine. See you soon.” Missy hung up the call. “Cecylia is coming to see you, Mary.”
As Missy tried to comfort Mary, her own cell phone rang. “This is the mayor.” Her grip on Mary’s hand tightened. “Are you sure?” Her voice softened. “I’m with her now.”
Upstairs, Zed and Addison could hear everything. Zieliński.
“I knew him,” Zed said softly. “He lived just down the street. We’d stay with him sometimes when we were younger, when Dad was working and Eliza’s family was busy. He had an old ice cream machine in his garage and all the kids used to take turns churning it. Of course, we never had the stuff to make ice cream, but we didn’t know that. Always ended up with cauliflower slush. I never knew he had family on this side.” Addison squeezed his hand. “He was old. Like, really old. He was the oldest person who survived the Accident.”
By zombie standards, Zygmund Zieliński had been ancient. Already in his forties at the time of The Accident, Zygmund was now well into his nineties and had been a founder of zombie society. He had been forcibly separated from his wife and two children after The Accident and had dedicated his life to regaining his humanity enough to see them again. Everyone in Zombietown had known him.
“I’m bringing her now.” Missy hung up the phone. “He’s in Containment. How would you like to go see him?” Mary nodded, already rising. “I’m going to text Cecylia. I’ll grab my keys, and we’ll go.” Addison and Zed heard Missy run upstairs, and quickly busied themselves with the nearest textbooks. “I’m taking Mrs. Zieliński to meet her daughter. Don’t leave the house.” Missy was gone in less than a minute.
Both Zed and Addison were at a loss. For Zed, one of the oldest and most well-liked members of his community had been murdered. And Addison could see herself in Mrs. Zieliński. Two people, in love with each other, kept apart by a town that so desperately wanted to be picture-perfect. Zed and Addison? Or Zygmund and Mary Zieliński?
