Zombiepoca? e
20080817
&? ;? ? 17, 2008
It ? ted, I g? , when I? abo? ? squatting in an ? tment cl? to work.
I had a ke? ? ? ok. Apartment 633. I walked up into the? rtyard of the U-? ed a? ? building and saw on? en door on my left, but something told me to che? ? ? bank. Sure ? gh, 633 was ? e, and I looked acro? he c? yard at the open door--158, the numb? aid.? my problem.? >
I walked into 633 and looked around. Tiny. Two rooms; a living room, and a bedroom? chen, with a small, three-foot-long bed ? to a five-foote? cked away into an alcove? ? e th? ove ? he left ? he door. The? hroom was no? e to be seen. The entire pla? as d? ated in a garish pink, green, and white ? ? cheme, and I? ? ed. &quo? ite ? eal,&quo? ? eal estate a? said. &? ? much can be done about the deco? houg? uot;
? >It was time to hold? ? in the livi? oom.? as in a ? p of people ? include? dad, an uncle, and a pa? friend of md's Bruce. We we? alki? hen my fathe? dden? inke? me and said? uot;Reme? ? ? used to? mad? n of a l? hen you were a kid?&? ; He pointed at ? ncle? uot;Especially from his kid."
"Whoa,&? ; I said? uot;Tad made fun of me?&? ; The uncle had the grace to look em? ? ? hrugged it off and looke? my dad and found hi? arin? me,? appointe? my underwhelming response.
? >A few m? es l? , he went wall-eyed, started sta? ing ? nd as if? nk, and we all laughed. My fathe? ? ot. ? asn't until he collapsed that we all realized there was somethin? ong, and? at down in my recliner a? ode it back to my real a? ? , re? ing along the way that my fa? might have ? died, it was the way th? went. It was the second floor of a town? e unit, and the recl? came to a full ? at the ? of the sidewalk leading up ? he f? door. I sig knowing I'd? e to? ndle the chair back ? ? ? s and in? he living room, and its ? ? ? s all covered in mud? ill,? ersevered, and g? he c? back into i? roper place before collapsing into bed, tire? hell. Suddenly, a coupl? ened the? een ? on ? ? , walked? ough my ? oom, and walked into? ge i? trial kitchen on my ? . There was a bank of wi? screens set into that wall, through which I could see the cooks busi? orking, and the dream told me that it was a communal? chen? the? idents of th? artment ? lex.? >
What kind of comple? this? I asked, and the ? witched on, ? ing ? oup of edgy, urban kiddi? laying basketball among graffiti-stained buildings. It looked very economically ? esse? the voi? er detailed the communal? chens an? her amenities, a? he commercial ended with a f? on a wall on which "WESTLAKE APARTMENT? ot; spray-painted. S? hing in the back of my mind took? ? lar note of ? ? though I knew, somehow, that I was dreaming and? the? seeing my f? e and needed to reme? this.
Anoth? air ? eople walked? ough my ? oom.? strated, I g? p and decided to lock the screen door, but it locked by a very curious mechanism; a chain on the door led to? mall white metal sti? hat melded into an o? ? olled end, and next to it was a larg? ass scrolled? e on a long, bla? kinn? and. This lo? orked ve? imply: just inse? ? mall whi? croll in? he large bra? croll, a? ? ? ? ou feel both pieces interlock.
Once ? ? done, I decided to look around my a? ? ? had the feel of? lace where I'd lived? some time, but I somehow had failed to noti? he closet do? et in the wall behin? bed (this is a comm? heme in dreams; often large ? ? of my livin? ace ? ? lored), so I sli? open and walked? o another room. ? one? long and na? , and in the wall in front of me? a large bank of still more folding ? et d? . I had the feeling ? the? ere infinite clo? contain? ithin the one in my ? oom--ano? common theme.
I picked the one on the right, and e? ed a? ? alk-in close? his one with? hite door on the left-ha? all. The? ere shelves and cabi? on the right-ha? all, full of? ? ? ? and clothin? hings th? evio? enant had left behind. I opened the new ? , and entere? ill ? her ? et, ? one? h a shelf and pole on the right-handl, and b? everywhere,? ped ? arious k? of shoes. There? ? mall, gloss-painted black wood door ? ? all opposite and a dark ? n wood one on the left. ? ened the? tle black one first, and a black kid's face ? ed at me? >
I ? ed i? rprise and l? bac? the kid? ricated ? elf from eno? s am? of junk in his ? et, and I looked in ? e. The closet was tiny, maybe three ? wid? eight feet long, and the floor was ? pied by a five-foot tall pile of old bla? s and mattre? , while the walls we? hickly-c? ed in shelve? ll of tiny f? ? . One shelf was ? pied by a ve? sma? orking TV. This kid was living in my ? et!
? ? ondered ? d how he came and we? ithout my noticing, and he grinned, reached into? home, a? ulle? t a ? ? ? emi-automati? n. H? oudl? andished it at me and showed me a little switch on i? ide,? ped by a sma? ed LED, and me ? it ? ? henever I le? he a? ? ? ? at ? moment ? I noticed a wall plaque that seemed to deta? ario? rinciples of life in a h? ous manner, and one ? hem ended in the? ? uot;shid": a nickname for a? mer roommate. Odd. Then I noticed th? he closet th? erve? the? rance to the kid'? iny home? suddenly covered in? e figurines ? ? ype found in the? t room, ? ? mall plastic sol? s with an in? retive mien.? anted to ask the kid abo? hem,? he was ? talking? o a small plastic gas mask, ? hich? eared to be built a walk? alkie of some sort.
? >It was then that I noticed,? h a ? ? e am? of ? or, ? the ceiling? ? ered in ? ling? ? of various types. Centipedes, large spi? , what appeared to b? ? -yellow ? s a ? le of in? long, a? itable army of ants. Spooked, I pulled open the ? n wood door, and--
Nothing. The shoc? ? hat I saw in that ro? oke ? p. Can&#? remember what it was. Tsk.
I had a ke? ? ? ok. Apartment 633. I walked up into the? rtyard of the U-? ed a? ? building and saw on? en door on my left, but something told me to che? ? ? bank. Sure ? gh, 633 was ? e, and I looked acro? he c? yard at the open door--158, the numb? aid.? my problem.? >
I walked into 633 and looked around. Tiny. Two rooms; a living room, and a bedroom? chen, with a small, three-foot-long bed ? to a five-foote? cked away into an alcove? ? e th? ove ? he left ? he door. The? hroom was no? e to be seen. The entire pla? as d? ated in a garish pink, green, and white ? ? cheme, and I? ? ed. &quo? ite ? eal,&quo? ? eal estate a? said. &? ? much can be done about the deco? houg? uot;
? >It was time to hold? ? in the livi? oom.? as in a ? p of people ? include? dad, an uncle, and a pa? friend of md's Bruce. We we? alki? hen my fathe? dden? inke? me and said? uot;Reme? ? ? used to? mad? n of a l? hen you were a kid?&? ; He pointed at ? ncle? uot;Especially from his kid."
"Whoa,&? ; I said? uot;Tad made fun of me?&? ; The uncle had the grace to look em? ? ? hrugged it off and looke? my dad and found hi? arin? me,? appointe? my underwhelming response.
? >A few m? es l? , he went wall-eyed, started sta? ing ? nd as if? nk, and we all laughed. My fathe? ? ot. ? asn't until he collapsed that we all realized there was somethin? ong, and? at down in my recliner a? ode it back to my real a? ? , re? ing along the way that my fa? might have ? died, it was the way th? went. It was the second floor of a town? e unit, and the recl? came to a full ? at the ? of the sidewalk leading up ? he f? door. I sig knowing I'd? e to? ndle the chair back ? ? ? s and in? he living room, and its ? ? ? s all covered in mud? ill,? ersevered, and g? he c? back into i? roper place before collapsing into bed, tire? hell. Suddenly, a coupl? ened the? een ? on ? ? , walked? ough my ? oom, and walked into? ge i? trial kitchen on my ? . There was a bank of wi? screens set into that wall, through which I could see the cooks busi? orking, and the dream told me that it was a communal? chen? the? idents of th? artment ? lex.? >
What kind of comple? this? I asked, and the ? witched on, ? ing ? oup of edgy, urban kiddi? laying basketball among graffiti-stained buildings. It looked very economically ? esse? the voi? er detailed the communal? chens an? her amenities, a? he commercial ended with a f? on a wall on which "WESTLAKE APARTMENT? ot; spray-painted. S? hing in the back of my mind took? ? lar note of ? ? though I knew, somehow, that I was dreaming and? the? seeing my f? e and needed to reme? this.
Anoth? air ? eople walked? ough my ? oom.? strated, I g? p and decided to lock the screen door, but it locked by a very curious mechanism; a chain on the door led to? mall white metal sti? hat melded into an o? ? olled end, and next to it was a larg? ass scrolled? e on a long, bla? kinn? and. This lo? orked ve? imply: just inse? ? mall whi? croll in? he large bra? croll, a? ? ? ? ou feel both pieces interlock.
Once ? ? done, I decided to look around my a? ? ? had the feel of? lace where I'd lived? some time, but I somehow had failed to noti? he closet do? et in the wall behin? bed (this is a comm? heme in dreams; often large ? ? of my livin? ace ? ? lored), so I sli? open and walked? o another room. ? one? long and na? , and in the wall in front of me? a large bank of still more folding ? et d? . I had the feeling ? the? ere infinite clo? contain? ithin the one in my ? oom--ano? common theme.
I picked the one on the right, and e? ed a? ? alk-in close? his one with? hite door on the left-ha? all. The? ere shelves and cabi? on the right-ha? all, full of? ? ? ? and clothin? hings th? evio? enant had left behind. I opened the new ? , and entere? ill ? her ? et, ? one? h a shelf and pole on the right-handl, and b? everywhere,? ped ? arious k? of shoes. There? ? mall, gloss-painted black wood door ? ? all opposite and a dark ? n wood one on the left. ? ened the? tle black one first, and a black kid's face ? ed at me? >
I ? ed i? rprise and l? bac? the kid? ricated ? elf from eno? s am? of junk in his ? et, and I looked in ? e. The closet was tiny, maybe three ? wid? eight feet long, and the floor was ? pied by a five-foot tall pile of old bla? s and mattre? , while the walls we? hickly-c? ed in shelve? ll of tiny f? ? . One shelf was ? pied by a ve? sma? orking TV. This kid was living in my ? et!
? ? ondered ? d how he came and we? ithout my noticing, and he grinned, reached into? home, a? ulle? t a ? ? ? emi-automati? n. H? oudl? andished it at me and showed me a little switch on i? ide,? ped by a sma? ed LED, and me ? it ? ? henever I le? he a? ? ? ? at ? moment ? I noticed a wall plaque that seemed to deta? ario? rinciples of life in a h? ous manner, and one ? hem ended in the? ? uot;shid": a nickname for a? mer roommate. Odd. Then I noticed th? he closet th? erve? the? rance to the kid'? iny home? suddenly covered in? e figurines ? ? ype found in the? t room, ? ? mall plastic sol? s with an in? retive mien.? anted to ask the kid abo? hem,? he was ? talking? o a small plastic gas mask, ? hich? eared to be built a walk? alkie of some sort.
? >It was then that I noticed,? h a ? ? e am? of ? or, ? the ceiling? ? ered in ? ling? ? of various types. Centipedes, large spi? , what appeared to b? ? -yellow ? s a ? le of in? long, a? itable army of ants. Spooked, I pulled open the ? n wood door, and--
Nothing. The shoc? ? hat I saw in that ro? oke ? p. Can&#? remember what it was. Tsk.
? class="byline">? ed b? gh VanDerGoetz ? p;# 5:53 AM
0802
&? ;? ? 2, 2008
? ? ed off in a laundry room the? e of? arehouse? ll o? rgling, clunking machines. Someone had left their la? ? ? ? lace, with a ? ? sive-agg? ive note that first noted what a shame it was th? his indi? al h? o oc? all the machines in ord? ? oid havi? omeone from the neig? hood wander in and m? ? ? r ab? y to do laundry, unlike ? e of us who had ? robl? akin? the? ire ? lex with the noise of la? ? 5:00 a.m. This ? ? a dig at me, be? e that&#? what I do o? esday mornings, so I scoffed and? ugge? off? >
Then I? ted Toronto Kim and suggested th? e could prob? do one more? ? ith each other b? e her big one in? tember. She ? ed back and said? re! Sudd? , I was in an el? or l? ? vera? her deaf people, some of whom I reme? ed and o? s of whom sl? ? esembled? -foot-tall hydrocephalic children. We piled into an ? ? , which ? up several floors and disgorged us into a large, lo? ? tic cabi? here Kim? ? ing. All the others had vanished, and I examined the vie? all, lumpy conical m? ain, and told her we had time to go to S? le if she wished? uot;Really?&? ; Oh, ab? ? --I've a? s wanted to see the mountains there.? >
Wh? ith one thing and anothe? e joined a g? of ? ? ? ere visiting someone? e, and one of th? as C? ? ? . We? e chatting for a while a? ound up on a loo? ? er on top of someone? e's cabi? he l? ? ntani ba? ? ible in the twil? , and I asked what had happened to Kim. "Oh, she went o? ith the Duke? ot; ? teney said. "Who's the Duke? ot; "Oh? ? his guy,? know..."
Typical. ? ? ked the ? d time I'? ? ed and been abandoned in? or of some o? ? . Fine. I went back downstairs and bumped into an old childhood friend from Brooksville and picked h? p shamelessly. She mentioned the Duke's name! Wh? he hell?? old her ? the deal with K? as, and she got ? ing ? he? >That was ne? o me. Th? giving? She grabbed ? ruck and me and took off, roaring down narrow co? y roads ? een larg? ? fields,? n-offs and doglegs and f? whizzing on by,? ? e reached a steep Y-Junction and she? e th? ? nd a? ent down the oth? ay. I feared? my life? lly expecting th? uck ? ? rolling? ? ? ? uite? pened. T? oad opened out into a farm--the home of the Duke, she said. I began to have seco? houghts-? ldn'? be ? d to join a family Thank? ing? She? ely took? e of my ? tion, an? we rolled into the yard, I noticed row after row after row of cars and school b? ? ked ? he field in front of the? se, and saw children milling abo? he b? , fo? ing teac? around in a? r. I realized th? uot;family Thank? ing&? ; wasn&#? qui? ? ringent here, and relaxed.
S? friend parked a? e go? t and she walked over to? ery nice? tle ? s an? abbed a ? ? t of the fro? eat.? ot;Y? ? ot; ? ked. She nodded.? ot;Nice!" Suddenly, the? started up and pulled away and I could see her mother m? ializing in the ? er&#? seat, barely ac? ledging us, looking some? ? ? ented.
? urned and began ? alk along a sandy shore leading ? o the farmhouse, the fin? gar ? ? ing my feet until I found a sidewalk? ied ? ? and, and? aid,? ot;So I ? s your mom&#? sti? rying to? ? r dad to leave her, huh?" She nodded and rolled? eyes. &? ? doesn&#? she? t cheat on h? hen?" &? ? 're kidding me, righ? uot;? ot;Ah...so if she we? he o? ho c? ed, she'd get nothing in the? orce? ot; &quo? ? uot;
? ? le="clear:both; padding-? om:0.25em">
Then I? ted Toronto Kim and suggested th? e could prob? do one more? ? ith each other b? e her big one in? tember. She ? ed back and said? re! Sudd? , I was in an el? or l? ? vera? her deaf people, some of whom I reme? ed and o? s of whom sl? ? esembled? -foot-tall hydrocephalic children. We piled into an ? ? , which ? up several floors and disgorged us into a large, lo? ? tic cabi? here Kim? ? ing. All the others had vanished, and I examined the vie? all, lumpy conical m? ain, and told her we had time to go to S? le if she wished? uot;Really?&? ; Oh, ab? ? --I've a? s wanted to see the mountains there.? >
Wh? ith one thing and anothe? e joined a g? of ? ? ? ere visiting someone? e, and one of th? as C? ? ? . We? e chatting for a while a? ound up on a loo? ? er on top of someone? e's cabi? he l? ? ntani ba? ? ible in the twil? , and I asked what had happened to Kim. "Oh, she went o? ith the Duke? ot; ? teney said. "Who's the Duke? ot; "Oh? ? his guy,? know..."
Typical. ? ? ked the ? d time I'? ? ed and been abandoned in? or of some o? ? . Fine. I went back downstairs and bumped into an old childhood friend from Brooksville and picked h? p shamelessly. She mentioned the Duke's name! Wh? he hell?? old her ? the deal with K? as, and she got ? ing ? he? >That was ne? o me. Th? giving? She grabbed ? ruck and me and took off, roaring down narrow co? y roads ? een larg? ? fields,? n-offs and doglegs and f? whizzing on by,? ? e reached a steep Y-Junction and she? e th? ? nd a? ent down the oth? ay. I feared? my life? lly expecting th? uck ? ? rolling? ? ? ? uite? pened. T? oad opened out into a farm--the home of the Duke, she said. I began to have seco? houghts-? ldn'? be ? d to join a family Thank? ing? She? ely took? e of my ? tion, an? we rolled into the yard, I noticed row after row after row of cars and school b? ? ked ? he field in front of the? se, and saw children milling abo? he b? , fo? ing teac? around in a? r. I realized th? uot;family Thank? ing&? ; wasn&#? qui? ? ringent here, and relaxed.
S? friend parked a? e go? t and she walked over to? ery nice? tle ? s an? abbed a ? ? t of the fro? eat.? ot;Y? ? ot; ? ked. She nodded.? ot;Nice!" Suddenly, the? started up and pulled away and I could see her mother m? ializing in the ? er&#? seat, barely ac? ledging us, looking some? ? ? ented.
? urned and began ? alk along a sandy shore leading ? o the farmhouse, the fin? gar ? ? ing my feet until I found a sidewalk? ied ? ? and, and? aid,? ot;So I ? s your mom&#? sti? rying to? ? r dad to leave her, huh?" She nodded and rolled? eyes. &? ? doesn&#? she? t cheat on h? hen?" &? ? 're kidding me, righ? uot;? ot;Ah...so if she we? he o? ho c? ed, she'd get nothing in the? orce? ot; &quo? ? uot;
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