Zombiepo?��pse: 04.09

I just took a nap, whic?arted off bo???' house and in a?y somewhere.??taying in a room?h a ??l black woman and her mo??ghter. They were?h wearing ye?. There wasn't an in?ement there,?t platonic, although?ould?e wished otherwise a?houg?he felt the same? too?>
It was morning and one of my ?er&#? roo???reparing a big, fancy di?? my family and a bunch o?her ?le. We had a grandmo? of some kind wa?ing ???he girl encouraged me to? some of???ti, which co?ted of a?y light-?ing green olive ?ed in sesame seeds, fried, a?hen soaked in olive oil. It was real?ather deous, and?old her so, and she look??ed. I noticed a stain on the?pet, which looked li?ome kind of orange-c?ed o?prinkled?h seeds and ? of various types, as well a?etzels. The gran?her looked at me apologetically.

I ? to ?oom/?tment and found out the black woman ?ellow was leaving with her daughter for ?nspecified amount of time. I accompanied them to the?ner and said goo?e, a?hen ?ed as th??ed down the street b?e fo?ing them? a little while until th?each?he b?top. I knew ?'d find ?ather odd that I followed them, ?urned baust befo?hey reached the ??ill,?aused when I? the?ner and looked back down the hill. They had seen me, and the woman in ye? raised her hand and so did I.

I had a larg?hick boo? Stephen King in my hand from the li?y where I work, and I re?ed I should be getting along to work -- I'd ? taken a?ple ?s off and th?ere expecting me??>The?ttle stopped right i?ont of m?artment, whi?as on the first floor and part of a bank of open sto???ered by brig?-colored awn?. Th?? in front was very narrow, only one lane, and ran along the of a sharp-edged cliff, with a decli? that plunged to the foothills b??otected ? by a concrete bank. It was a beautiful spring day a??un dappl?he awnings in sh? of brig?ello?ed, ?le, green, and blue.

I got onto the?ttle?? book and found a seat facing the back a?at down, prepared to read until I noticed that I??ually facing ?ard -- b???oad was so narro???le could only back down ?hile?racing i?oute. People?eezed back, ???ing the fronts of their bodies on the shuttle and I ?ght, How ?hey do it?

The stre?? from mine and continued slightly downward o?he cliff, made of concrete a?uspended in space. It was on?hen ??ealized ? the cli?as actually a very, ? tal?ilding, and ? the?ere a few, all connected by ??tremely high and?row streets. People were?hing off the con?e si?atching the ?ds g? underneath while basking in the sun, which was spli? by the shadows ?hese thi?ildings which vanished into blue??h above and below. We reached anothe?ilding, and the stre?ent ? ano?? station?h several benches along the street, all ?hich?e filled??ent elementa?chool classes of deaf ch?en. ?e was al? no clearance between them a???le, and each bench looked terrified en masse. As the bus ?ed each benc??eacher f?hat ?s would stand on the??e side of th??, ag?t the concre?ailing, scraping? front again???le, off from? children, and e?rage them to ignore it in di?ent ?. One told h?tudents ??e th?elve-tim?able. Another told h?tudents ?ing, and?tened for their voices above the roar of the?ttle?>
T??le continued to back?n the na??? in the sky,??e reached th?ound, and we? campus. The driver could finall?t the shuttle in Drive and move through the ?h rollin?een hills that Galla? had become with rel?e impunity. At o??, I noticed ? we had reached the lip of a?t basin, she?haped, a gentle,?cular decline leading to an ????e along one sided th?ide look?eculiar, many-colored in thin horizontal bands. Then my stomach ?led, and I decided I'd go to lunch f? -- ??visor couldn't f? me for ?.

?ayed on the ?tle. It took me to a gleaming hotel ??? which looked like it was made of many c?, cantil?ed out into the ?hine, the tall, thin buildings mere outl? in the blue?e that h?ettled all around the horizon. I debarked the shuttle and looked? the? in. The?ere dozens o?cala?, all leading to differe?laces, and I knew the cafeteria I was going ????nd. However, then fo???ually an eno?s ba? that to?p the entire?st-f? bank of esc?ors and gave no indicati??oeve? to whic?calator was the right one. H?er, I have a policy ?hese?es: Foll?he kids. I noticed a?tle ? of children heading? one??calator ?articular, followed them, and found myse?here I h?anted to be -- b?ealized I'd forgotten the book on th?s.

I gnashe? teeth, but told?elf I'd ? stay long enough for th?ame ?tle to come ?nd again so I could get the book back. I??n't ?e, at least it had our barcode o?, an?? a c?s shuttl?o an who?nd it would prob??urn ?o the li?y. In the meantime, I found myself a Coke and only had enough ti??ink it b?e I saw the ?tle coming around again.?>
I ran? it, and?ely made it. Searching f???le, I found ? abandon?hings, most identifiable as books of one kin? ano??t none of th?ere mine. Then I? it ?he f??ween two seats, and grabbed it, ? to noti?hat we h??ned ?he basin I'd seen before, so?hed ?he f? of the ?tle and dise?ked ?e. A? rumbled away, I stood among the??een hills and looked at the bowl?etching ? before ?o th?tran???began to walk ac? the?in, noticing that a jogging path ran all alo??im, splitting in?wo levels when it hit th?? end -- and then realized I didn't have my book with me.?sing, I turned around and looked at the ?sroads, hoping I'd d?ed it there.???hing that cohave been the book, but ?ead turned o?o be a c??air ?alm fronds. I threw my h? up ?he air, and noticed ?udent jogging down a gravel path along a?? hill, a?hought, I could ?hat.?? to investigate the basin, a?hy Galla? might have buil? there, ?arted off jogging until I reached the far end.

I looked up. The incline??gh, made of round, h?onta??? of ?ing sizes, c?s and materials, running in ?oken cylinders from one end ?he o?. I noticed a small sign, and found out ?as actually a mountain-climbing practice area. It warned that onlimbers of at least +2.7?oficiency should? this, but I tho? it was so neat, I just began to pul?self up.

However, as ?lled?elf up highe?he final?aw my clothing a???ulling my hands off altogether, attempti?o make me fall.

"What a?ou doing?uot; I asked???ot;S??ot; she said?uot;But I only help ?e wh?e wi?s. You&#?e not weg the un??uot;

Bullshit! I tho? to myself, and ? tri?o scrabble my wa? even ha?. I ? kicking the uniform?eople waiting in line below me a?? left, a??oman only kept kicking my hands off,?il I?? temper, grabbed? ankle, and pulled her over my head. Shebled?ough the?, screaming all the way down?t the lo??iati?as extre??ge and made ?ome kind of foam?ffed??eria?o I ? she?ld be all right,?ring a few bone-?ing bounces.

I finally made it all the way ?o the top, and notic??niformed people rapidly climbing??ryin? awa?om m?he attempted?derer. I?ld hear her voice screeching thinly far below, but i?ed it, casting m????cene. Someho?he h? had?ned into a large roo???ed, and I failed to noti?his, running?n th?eep rim and exulting in ? a cool
Through it, I could see faint glimmerings of an ?? sil? con?ction, nearly wh??tical, c??ed of thousands ??s. It shimmered through ?eflection, making me?ear ?hough I were wearing a crown, and re?y began ?hiver inside my head. Something odd had changed, and I opened the wi?. A scene li??ide it -- a mechanical diora?howing a train moving through a ?, chased by ?le barbarian?er c?ts c?ered togethe?eir spea?tuck up, thousands of tall, skinny, ?ical sticks, and?each?p to my head and realized I ?as ?>Then I reme???oman I h??n off the odd cliff and how she had screamed at rom the ?om of th?ast room and realized she had bespelled me in revenge for what I had done. I looked at my watch and ?as four o'clock,? too?e to mak? back to?k on time an?ill explain it away as lunch, and di?? abo??art -- but I?ldn't go, be?e I had ?acles.

I leaned back ag?t a thick layer ?ome padded blue and decided I would prob? be ?his room??ery long time.

8:35 AM 0 Comm??an> ?an c??em-c?ol blog-admin pid-241070731">

I Love Lucy was ?ing. We had a clear ? of the skyline,?hough we?e right ?he h? of downtown; this explains why I was ab?o notice the odd building sidlin?s way in?>
It was sl??ellowish, rectangular, and c?ed from ??o top in?izontal ? of three enormous, blac??e-headed spikes on all four sides of the building. It was moving in with alarmin?eed, sliding behind some buildings a?aking a definite place in the skyline. N?hat I notice?, I realized that several more i?ical buildin?ere moving into other po? in the ?, and I ? my friends'?enti?o them. The buildings were hostile and alien-looking. The sh?as at a streetco?, so I moved closer ?he c??eet and looked at the rest of the city, and saw even?e of those build? sliding?o place.

Then I?icedt the sky wa?rnin?ay, and funn?hapes were forming i??o of them to be precise, and they roared?o the city, ?roying only the alien ones, which tore a? in a very o?ay, ?hough they had been ?tructed of large, loosely-linked?ticles. ?eemed to be safe whe?e were, and I watched the tornadoes' pro??ntil?ealized two things.
??st, the tornadoes had defini?ermini at their ?, ra? than di?earing into the ?ds. ?e termini were h?, the heads of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, ?-black and flickering, grinning maniacally as th?hredded the alie?ngs.

Second, the alien buildings were made ?eople. T?? and thousands of people som??illi??ced into rig?y and linked togethe? their arms and ?. Th?ere being torn a?, to a one, ??orna?? didn't take long for th??s to be fill?ith broken bodies, and I realizeat Earth? under attack.
?>Whe?? all over and the sky ha?rned?e once again, th??ors ?ered? of the ? and?n a gard???o a Wal-?. The mercha?e had been emptied out a?iled??rami?urroundi??tore?otecting it from?ect attack. ?he m?ime, the?loyees had opened the Wal-Mart as a ter for the ??s. We fi?ed in among a gi?ic crowd and?e di??o va?s ta? to get our ??ignment ?ent ? had bee?tablished in the Home & Gard?ection), food ration?pare clo?, and to??.

I go??ignment and ? to the ??y to??elf set up. I wa?nking do?ith a fe?her ?le, but noticed ? a little living area had be??p near o?ent, as ? of a communal living room, ?lete?h a ?le of sofas, plenty ?atio chairs, and a f?mall tables.?ofa was open, so?lid into it, lying down and ??ing ?ull thin??her and ?re o?hat was going on. I ? someone?ch on the baf the sofa and looke? to reco?e an old friend from high school. She looked??set and ?ioned that a? goo?iends of?s had been killed in the?ack ?he city.

Th??ery upsetting, but not a?ch as what happened an hour ?o after ?. I got drafted for ?ry duty,? alo??tock?s, and at one point,?tood on the ? of one ?hose?amids and I turned around to look back at th?ore, only to see it exhaling what looked like a thick black ?id -- people?nning for their live?ouring o?he d?. Behind them, I??ee over the roof and? eno?s machines at the baf th?ore,?shing their way ?he f?, leading a giant rolling cloud ??ended all the way ac? the?ld from horizon to h?on. ?rned and ran?n th?ramid and joined the?shin?owd.

I looked back ?ime ?atch the giant machines rip their way through th?ont ?he Wal-Mart, the??s painte? the blood of people?sting underneath them like o?ipe ?es, and come slowly to a halt. O?s noticed, a?lowly th?owd began to slow and look back,?aid ?hat was coming next. Suddenly, each machine disgorged a giant beagle???ize of a?y large ?e. When each?py landed, i?ushe?en more ?le, and then it woul?and up a?? running ind?iminately through th?owd, scooping people up into??th and biting down once ?wice before disgorgi?he groun? rem? and scoopin? ano???l. One of th???? I'd ever seen, and ?rned and ran and??nning until I reached a line of ?rban?ses and ?ered?o the neighborhood.
?>I found?arti?-con?cted?se and h?here, joined by a couple of other people. We?ld hear the rumbling of ?ppy's passage and kn?hey could sniff us out if we allowed the wind to?ch o??, so huddled in a co??h the wi?s shut. We heard human f??, and a guy appeared, sliding between the ba?? of ?amed-in wall -- ? as ?ppy walk?ast a wi? and we ?? sniff, a noise like?ind tunnel, and reality ?tered -- and we ??man ??s and th?y slid betwe?he bare studs of a framed-in wall, just as a??alkest a window and we heard it -- human footsteps a?he g?lid ?een the bare?ds of a framed-in wall, ? as ?ppy walk?ast a wi? -- and we heard human f?? and the? slid between the ba?? of ?amed-in wall -- and we heard human f?? ...

And I woke up.

20090401

I dreamed I was in a large?y with a group of people and?rofe??udyi?rban?ign and planning?? an odd ?, in twilight, a?he g?? up ?urples and b? and brilliant oranges and c??sed by massiables on whi?ere ??hat appeared to be Metro train cars.

After a while,?ealized ? a good friend from college,?'s call her Emma, was in the cro?ith me, and we hadn't seen each other for years, so ?? off from the class and made? own?.

We fld down a??s, got on, and headed to the??ant in back, whe?????alking and catching up. The candles were?y nice, flickering as the sc?y we?ast ?ide the windows, and we'd been eating and talking a while wh?he mentioned that she didn&#? really have?lace to ? in town and? wondering if she could ?? my place. &???uot;?aid.?ot;How long will? be ?ing for?" &?;I'll be?e until ?day," a?t a week away.

"So? good. What ?ens on Tuesday, ?gh?&????ot;Oh, I?e to go home on ?day -- m?other's going to die, so I need to g the funeral?ot;

&?;Wai?hat?"

She nodded and?lain?hat her ?? bro? had a condition whi?equired a we??ply ?itamins and other undisclosed mi?rations,? the????sual?esponsible f?his was ??ion. He need??itamins by Tuesday a?ould? be ?ing them?>
&??, wa? bro?'s going to die ? because this woman decided to go on vacation and yo?ys aren't doing ?hing about i?uot;

She spread her h??uot;We can&#?. We?e no choice."

??uck me as being ?icul? awful a??lead?ith me n???he couldn't take it,? the?as nothing I could do about it.

Finally, we a?ed at an eno????ore, and made a beeline for the deli section, which was ?n locally for having a bunch of deaf people working ?e. When we a?ed, I had to?gh -- the de?orke?ere ?e people I had known in college had been?t of a joke among the ca? deaf people because of their incredible sno?y. And n?hey were making sandwiches, which was actual???n to?ch.

Em?uddenly said she needed to go to the?hroom, a?he'd find me?er. "Okay,&?; I said, and went back ?atchthe snob?semble a??larly complicate?b. S?al m?es l?, I realized the?as no sign of Emma anywhere, so I began ?ching through th?ore.?hing? this point, I f?ed I'?robably set her off by my reaction on th?s and she wa?obably busy sniffling in a b?oom stall somewhere,I went outside for a cig?te.

Someone walked up to me who looked?y vaguely familiar but h?he kind of face ?e you ca??ell ? some we???? some point along the way. H?inned a big gap-?hed smile and said, "Ya remember me?ot;
??coffed. "Ye?uot;

?ut me in a headlock and then? up,?ot;B?hit. What would ??her say ?he heard?? such th??ot;

&?;She'??ou need to lay o?he d?, Matt.&?; He?ghed?>
&?;So," he said. &quo?'s a??ril 12.&?; Belatedly,?uddenly reme??hat we h??ame ??. I ?ped without warning ??itched him forward, grabbed him ??houl?, and gave him a big, long kiss ? end?ith ?olling on th?ound and?ghin? the people who ?ed a?, their shoc?it large. His li?ere ??.

?tood up and ?hed ?elves off, and he mentioned he needed to grab a sandwich, wished me a happy ?? -- and I did the sa?o him -- and left. I?ned ?nd only ?ee another g? of ?le I had?ked with once coming alo?he a? on the side of the ?e. I?nd a wall and hid behind it and -- no more of these ?id e??s! -- wo?p.
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posted by Hugh VanDerG??p; # 2:03 AM

0 Comm??an> ?an c??em-c?ol blog-admin pid-241070731">

Zombiepoca?e

20090418

?ril 18, 2009

20090415

?ril 15, 2009

20090401

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