So this is it, I’m signing off after this entry. Life has just got too busy, and I don’t think I really need to write everything down anymore. I’ve accepted and embraced my fate as a zombie. It’s actually better than my life pre-zombie apocalypse. We outnumber the living two to one now, we still have to watch our backs, but the majority avoid us at all costs, which is nice—until I get hungry, that is.

But before I go, I want to tell you how my grand idea went. I spread the word to all to meet at the high school that evening and to stop by the costume shop on the way. Someone had decorated the hall for a party, so a party it shall have!

While Judy sorted Meg’s hair and makeup, I went in search of the perfect outfit for both me and Meg. The costume shop at the mall had tonnes to choose from and as you can imagine had remained mostly untouched. Obviously not an apocalypse essential item.

As I searched the racks, more and more zombies walked through the front doors, keen to join in on the action. Then I saw it—the one.

Perfect!

But to my frustration, just as I reached for it, so did another hand.

“Hey, this is mine,” I said.

“Pretty sure I got it first.” Wait a minute, I recognised that voice.

I looked from the thumbless hand, up the bloodied arm, right into their scratched up face—sheesh, what had he been up to?

“Mr Flynn? You look like shit!”

“Gee, thanks Toby, nice to see you too.”

It was Mr Flynn, my guidance counsellor. I always thought he was pretty awesome for a teacher, and he was one of the few people on this planet who got me. He was even a fellow fortnight player, and we used to chat about gaming all the time. The costume forgotten, we stood there catching up on the last few crazy weeks.

“So I heard through the grapevine you’ve had quite the adventure lately?” he said.

“Have I what! And you want to know the best part?” I asked.

“What?”

“I have a girlfriend and she’s awesome and beautiful and smart and funny. This party is actually for her. She was homeschooled and has never been to a school dance.” I beamed with pride!"

“I’m happy for you, Toby. You’re a good kid. Here you have the costume, you deserve it.”

“Aww, thanks Mr—”

Shit, it was gone. Some punk must have grabbed it while we were talking.

“Don’t sweat it, Tobmiester, I saw an even better one over there,” he said, pointing to the beast in the corner.

Perfect-er!

“Thanks, man. So what have you been up to?” I asked as I stealthily made my way to the beast and its matching getup, with Mr Flynn in tow.

“Oh, this and that. It can really be hard work chasing your dinner down the street.”

“You’re preaching to the choir here, Sir,” I said.

“You want to know what’s funny though? I’m no Arnold so I tend to lie in wait for a more petite victim, then they always turn around and kick my arse. That’s why I look like shit.”

Poor Mr Flynn, sounds like he could benefit from joining our cult commune. 

“I may have a solution to that problem.” A sly smile twitching at the corners of my mouth. 

We thrust our costumes over our shoulders, and I took him back to the lab. He could probably use a dose of feel good juice as well. 

A few hours later and I was standing in front of the school waiting for Meg to arrive with Judy and Mr—I mean, Dr Judd. Then a car filled to the brim with suppliers skidded to a stop right in front of my toes. Son of a—

“Hey, Toby, you look cool.” I look into the passenger window and Tiff is sitting there next to Freddy, not in costume.

“What are you two up to?”

“We’ve decided its best if we leave town for a bit.”

Ahe? 

“But why? We’ve got a good thing going here. Where are you going to go?”

“I know, and I’m forever grateful for what you and the others have done for us, but Freddy isn’t ready to become a zombie just yet, and I respect his decision. There’s talk of a colony up the coast for couples like us, of mixed... um, living status. So that’s where we’re heading. “

“You sure we can’t persuade you, Freddy? Being a zombie is pretty fun.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him and he just laughs.

“Not just yet, buddy, I’m not quite ready for a lifetime of eating raw human flesh. But we’ll see.”

“Fair enough, I can respect that too. You sure you don’t want to come in for one last hurrah?”

“Take him into a zombie dance where the supper table is covered in warm body parts? I don’t think so. We’ve already said our goodbyes to the others. Take care Toby and be good to Meg, she’s a keeper.” Tiff smiled at me and squeezed my hand through the open window. 

“She definitely is, thanks Tiff.”

Then with one last wave they sped off. Only to be replaced a few seconds later by a big blacked out van with ‘Bay Labs’ written on the side. First out came Judy dressed as... sponge Bob?

“Don’t ask, that’s all they had left.”

I had to bite my lips together—hard, so as not to burst into fits of laughter. But then out came Meg—wow!

“Pull yourself together Toby, I can literally see drool pooling at your feet,” Judy joked, lightly tapping me on the shoulder. 

“I can’t help it. Meg, you look gorgeous, absolutely drop dead gorgeous!”

As she smiled at me, I felt my legs go weak. I’m one lucky SOB! The beauty to my beast—literally. And her boobs, OMG, they looked amazing in that tight yellow dress. I was definitely getting under that top before the night’s end. A pack of hungry zombie wolves couldn’t stop me. She caught me ogling her goodies and gave me a flirty wink. I was going to need a cold shower first.

“Shall we?” 

I took her by the arm and led her into the hall, all the decorations still perfectly in place. Someone found Harry Styles hiding in a hotel room yesterday—still very much alive. So he was singing up the front, flanked by Thor and Loki. Not too sure how he’s going to get on later, but I’d prefer we zombify him rather than eat him. We could have weekly concerts at the lab, it’d be great!

And like Tiff said, the supper table was full of yummy goodies, kindly donated to us by the guards. There was even a section dedicated to intestines—yummo!

“Would you like to dance?” I asked.

“Lead the way.”

It’s funny, before the end of life, as we knew it, I wouldn’t have been seen dead at something like this. Let alone dance. But now look at us, shy Meg radiating beauty as she floated around the dance floor in my arms. Me; dancing, a girlfriend, a leader in a group of the very first zombies, guarding the biggest secret the world has ever not known.

With her head resting on my shoulder I looked around the room, everyone a zombie and everyone having a wonderful time. Apart from Harry, of course, he looked scared shitless. 

Dr Judd—Martin, dressed as a mad scientist (how original) was laughing with Charlie, Archie and Jack (the three little pigs) by the tongue section of the buffet. Michelle (Joe Exotic) was trying to distract Thor and Loki with a couple of juicy thighs, trying to get to poor Harry.

And Judy? Well, she looked a little sad, actually. I was about to go over and talk to her when Mr Flynn walked into the room, instantly catching Judy’s eye and her entire face lit up. What are the freaking odds? Mr Flynn was dressed as Patrick star. He noticed her not long after and the next thing I knew; they were dancing together. All seemed right with the world in that moment 

Who knows if it’ll stay this way? But for now we’re good—I’m good, and that’s all I can really ask for.  

~~~

“I knew you’d be back, eventually.”

“Where’s the cure?”

“Get me out of here and I’ll show you.”

“Fine, but no playing games. I want four doses of that cure and your word, you won’t harm my family.”

“My freedom for your family’s freedom? Sounds fair. But I want the boy, we have some unfinished business.”

“He’s of no use to me, I just want my family safe.”

“Your daughter may not be so easily persuaded.”

“She’ll see reason once she’s cured. Don’t you worry about her, she always listens to her mother.”

“Okay then, Mrs Judd. Let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”

“Lead the way, Doc.”

THE END

Word count: 1520
Total word count: 21,231