Permanent Ink: Deadwalkers (Zombie Outbreak)

by RWK Clark

  Next, the trio tooled in the van to the shoe store, where they purchased two pairs of the latest and greatest sneakers, and two more pairs of dressier shoes. Only one time was there any grief, and it came from Melanie, who had decided that she was more than ready for lunch. Michelle decided that the next stop would be the Burger Blast restaurant, which was half-way between the shoe store and Thornton Community Rexall, which was where they would get the supplies. The drugstore happened to have much, much more than prescription and non-prescription medication. It was a go to merchant as far as stationery and office supplies as well.

  Lunch was a relaxing indulgence of burgers, fries, and pop, followed by Melanie playing on the indoor toys which the restaurant provided. Michelle watched her daughter through a glass wall, and then glanced at Megan. The girl was watching her sister as well, but she had a look of longing on her face. She had refused to play at first, claiming she was too ‘old’ for baby games.

  “You know,” Michelle began slowly. “You are never too old, especially if your body is still the right size to enjoy the toys, Meg.”

  The girl turned to her mother, then began to look almost frantically around the dining area. Michelle smiled as she observed this, and her smile grew when Megan appeared satisfied that no one she knew was there. She jumped up and ran through the door to have a little fun.

  So, their tightly planned outing ended up running just a little late. Michelle simply couldn’t cut off the girls when they were actually playing together, so happy and carefree. She watched as they ran from toy to toy together, Megan’s arm protectively flung over her little sister’s shoulders. It was the best they had gotten along in quite some time, and their mother wouldn’t ruin it. She finally made a short video to post later on, mentally shaking her head at her own behavior.

  Thirty minutes later they pulled into Community Rexall and parked as close to the door as they could. Michelle took note that the girls were starting to poop out, and she certainly craved a second wind herself. She thought she would stop at CoffeeUp for a cappuccino when they were finished shopping, and she would get a smoothie for the girls as well.

  “Okay,” she began as the girls unbuckled for the fourth time. “We’re almost done. How are my troops feeling?”

  Megan glanced at her. “Good mom. Let’s get this done now, alright?”

  She smiled at her daughter. “Got it. Now, only one of these…” she paused to glance at the ad, which was open on the seat next to her. “…Lumiosa pens for each of you. They are pretty pricey, so only one.”

  Both girls sluggishly nodded, and they all hopped out of the minivan and headed for the store. Inside, they quickly found the school supply aisle, and Michelle looked at it with shock. It was pretty torn up, with notebooks and folders scattered about, and gaping holes where things had been hanging but had been purchased.

  “Wow, I’m glad we got here when we did,” she said with a shake of her head. She fished two folded sheets of paper from her oversized bag: school supply lists.

  “Megan first,” she began. “A binder, seven folders, and some loose leaf paper.” Megan found the items and put them in the cart after choosing what she wanted. “Also, both of you should choose your backpacks now.” The girls obeyed.

  Michelle nodded, pleased. “Okay, your dad got your laptop last week, so we can skip that. Pencils, sharpener, erasers, and pens are next. Listen, get a pack of regular pens, besides the Lumiosa, okay? You can’t do assignments with that thing.”

  Megan quickly gathered the first items, as well as a package of black gel pens. She dumped them quickly into the cart, then went to the end of the aisle and stood before the Aspen Lumiosa display. The pens consisted of a variety of colored casings, with black cursive lettering on the front.

  “Get whatever color you want, but they all write with the same ink, remember?” Michelle asked.

  The girl took only seconds to choose a pen with a purple casing. She turned to her mother, her face glowing. “I just can’t wait to get home and use this!” She skipped to the cart and put it in.

  “I’m going to get mine now, Mom,” Melanie said, and Michelle nodded at her. She ran up and snatched a pink version, stopping only to read the cardboard packaging. “Broad point. That’s what I want!”

  Melanie’s list was more basic: glue, tissues, scissors, pencils, and the like. She also needed construction paper, so they had to visit the arts and crafts aisle, as there was none with the school supplies. Soon, the three of them were checking out and packing the van with their purchases to head home.

  Michelle made a stop for coffee and smoothies, and before they knew it they were pulling into the driveway at home. As they took their purchases inside Michelle smiled to herself; it had not only gone fast, it had been fun, and the girls had behaved wonderfully. She would let them play with their pens after supper if they wanted. May as well enjoy them at five bucks a pop.

  She was secure in the thought that her family would have a wonderful Friday evening.

  Chapter 2

  Brian Olson sat in his room, his laptop open and alight, his concentration focused on a rap video he had been dying to see which had come out that very day. It was Friday afternoon, and his mother, Kathy, would be home from work at any moment. She told him that morning that she would pick up a few things from his school supply list on her way home, so he expected her to be a bit late. When she was home she forbade him to hang on the computer, so he wanted to get it in while he had a chance.

  Brian was going to be in the ninth grade, and he was pretty excited about it; Monte Vista high school, at last! Sure, he was nervous about actually attending the high school itself because he would be going from being a big fish in a small pond to the complete opposite, but he also knew all of the kids in his class, and he was pretty confident in himself to boot. There would be no problems there. After all, he had been born in Monte Vista, and he had lived there his entire life; he knew most all the other kids.

  He found himself quickly growing bored of the game he was playing on the computer, so he checked his Faceplace newsfeed; as usual, nothing had changed there, so he put his old desktop computer to sleep and sat back in his chair. Glancing at the clock told him that a snack would be a good idea, so finally he rose and went to the kitchen, where he put some pizza rolls in the microwave.

  While they were cooking the telephone rang. Brian jumped, startled, then picked up the cordless receiver from its base. It was likely his mother, calling to make sure he had cleaned his room so she wouldn’t have to look at his mess when she got home; he had.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Brian, it’s Caleb,” the voice replied. “What’s up?”

  Brian smiled a bit. Caleb had been his best friend since second grade; his calls were always welcome. He was a bit surprised, though. His friend was supposed to have had plans that evening.

  “Not much, man,” Brian replied. “I thought your grandparents were having your family over for dinner.”

  Caleb clucked. “Yeah, they did, and then my grandmother took me for shoes, so the night wasn’t as bad as I thought.”

  “What kind did you get?” Brian asked.

  Caleb answered, “Those badass black and red Jdens. Can you believe it?”

  “Lucky,” Brian said in a sad voice. “My mom could never afford those things. I ended up getting a crappy pair of Fills ‘cause they were on sale.”

  Caleb clucked his tongue yet again. “It’s no biggie, man. Fills aren’t so bad, ya know? Heck, they used to be the stuff!”

  “Yeah, but not now.”

  Caleb continued. “Anyway, I was calling because we ended up stopping off at OfficePeak so my granny could get some photo paper for her printer, ya know? While we were there I showed her those Lumiosa pens. Since mom wouldn’t get one for me I turned on the charm, and my granny got me not one, but two! Can you believe it?”

  Brian shook his head; fun stuff always happened to Caleb. He, too, had wanted one of those crazy pens, but they were pret
ty expensive. There was no way his mother could afford to get him even one, so he had asked once, got a ‘no’, and dropped the subject. After all, they just came out for sale today, so he could always save up. These facts didn’t stop him from feigning excitement for his best pal, though.

  “Hey, that’s cool man,” he replied. “You’re a lucky dog.”

  Caleb was still for a moment. “Well, you know the only reason I asked for two was so you could have one too, dontcha?”

  “Really, bro?”

  His friend chuckled. “Really. Anyway, I’m home, so if it’s okay with your mom I thought I would run it over really quick.”

  Caleb Reardon only lived down the block, and the sun was just going down, so Brian excitedly agreed. He had wanted one of those Lumiosas ever since the commercials came out a few weeks before. He did a lot of art, and it would be one of the coolest colors in his collection of pens and pencils. He hung up and turned the pizza rolls, put it back on, and went to the front window to wait for his pal.

  Within a minute he saw him coming up the sidewalk; he must have jogged! Brian grabbed the key to the double deadbolt his mom had put on the front and used it to open the door and let him into the living room, where they immediately knocked knuckles. Caleb was wearing a new Colorado Rockies cap that Brian loved.

  “Awesome hat, man,” he said. “You want some pizza rolls?”

  Caleb grinned. “You know it! I gotta be home in a half-hour. Are they cooking?”

  Just then the microwave alarm rang. “They’re done,” Brian said. “Got some soda, too, if you want one.”

  Out in the kitchen Brian fished two cans of soda out of the fridge and then got the plate of snacks from the microwave. When he turned to set the items on the counter Caleb was holding out a flat package made of cardboard and plastic. A neon green pen was nestled inside; green was his favorite color.

  “Here ya go, bro,” he said. “I’d never forget about you; I’ve got your back!”

  Brian smiled and put down the plate and two pops. He took the package and looked at it, his eyes lighting up. It sure looked kind of plain for what it could do, at least on the commercial.

  “Have you tried it out yet? Yours, I mean,” he asked Caleb.

  Caleb nodded. “Yeah, and it’s super freakin’ cool. I’m tellin’ ya.” He grabbed a hot pizza roll and began to toss it back and forth in his hands like a solo game of hot potato.

  Just then the side door to the house opened and Kathy Olson walked in, her purse over her shoulder and her hands full of plastic shopping bags. Dark circles of exhaustion were under her eyes, but as soon as she saw the boys her eyes lit up.

  “Hey, kiddos!” she exclaimed. “What’s happening?”

  Caleb stopped tossing his snack. “Hi, Mrs. Olson. Just hanging out for a bit. I gotta be home in a little bit, though.”

  Brian put his pen down on the countertop. “Hey, Mom. Just having something to eat. Is there more stuff in the car?”

  Kathy set the sacks down on the kitchen table and followed them with her purse. “No,” she replied as she plopped down in a chair to remove her sensible heels from her aching feet. “I managed to get it all. These are the rest of the supplies on your list, Bri, so you should be good.”

  Shoes off, she stood and walked up to the boys. Caleb was chewing on a pizza roll, another in hand, and Brian was taking a drink from his soda. Kathy hugged him from behind and kissed him on the neck before tousling his hair.

  “You are getting so big; you’re taller than me!” she said. “Soon you’ll tower above Uncle Jim.”

  Noticing the pen on the counter, Kathy picked it up and looked it over. “Is this that fancy ink pen you wanted?”

  Brian nodded. “Yeah,” he replied slowly. “Um, Caleb’s grandma picked them up, and he brought one for me.”

  Kathy’s eyes shifted to the other boy. “These things are five dollars apiece, Caleb,” she said. “Does your grandmother know you brought one to Brian?”

  The young man swallowed his mouthful of food nearly whole. “Yes, ma’am. I told her the second one was for Brian.”

  Kathy looked down at the pen again. “How embarrassing.”

  “Mrs. Olson,” Caleb quickly said, “it’s no big deal. You know my mom loves you. My granny doesn’t mind at all. They love Brian too; he’s like my brother or something.”

  Kathy’s shot a glare at her son. “Did you ask them to do this?”

  “No mom!” he replied. “Caleb just surprised me with it! I promise.”

  “I surprised him with it, Mrs. Olson, I swear!” Caleb had another pizza roll, but it was frozen in mid-air, about eight inches from his mouth, as he waited to see how the uncomfortable situation played out.

  Kathy turned the cardboard package over, reading the back silently. After a moment she read aloud, “Warning: Do not touch ink when wet. Highly smearable. For best results allow to dry completely before coming into contact with skin or clothing.” She paused, then said, “Why is that written as a ‘warning’, do you think?”

  Caleb shrugged, and Brian replied, “Probably just because it smears really bad; that would ruin someone’s art. I’m glad you read that, Mom. I would have been mad if I ruined my stuff by smearing it.”

  “Don’t you read the instructions, Bri?” she asked.

  Her son looked at her as if she were plumb crazy. “On an ink pen, Mother?”

  Kathy chuckled. “I guess not. That does sound crazy.”

  The three of them laughed, and then Caleb polished off his pop and said, “I better go. My mom will have my head if I’m even ten seconds late.” He gave Brian a firm clasp on the shoulder. “See ya tomorrow, eh, mano?”

  “Yep,” Brian replied. “See ya. Have a good night.”

  With Caleb gone, Kathy turned to her son. “I believe Caleb surprised you, Brian, so I’m not going to gripe too much. But next time, simply say thanks and refuse. It’s terribly embarrassing for me as a single parent to not be able to afford things for you, and we are not a charity case. Not for the Reardons or anyone else.”

  Brian nodded. “Got it, Mom. Do you want me to do anything for you before I go to my room? I’m gonna play with my pen a bit.”

  “No,” she replied. “Just take your supplies and load your backpack up for Monday, okay?”

  He gave her a firm hug. “Okay. I love ya, you know?”

  “I know, and I love you too.”

  Back in his room Brian did as he was told and loaded up his old backpack. When he was finished he pulled a couple of sheets of blank paper out of his ancient printer.

  “Ouch damn it!” Brian cried.

  The fresh papercut began to bleed as he inserted his finger to his mouth. Brian sat down and opened the packaging of his pen, to see what it was capable of. He was excited to see if the ink really looked like it did on television.

  He uncapped it and began writing, first and last name, scrawled in large letters on the paper. Brian then stopped and looked at his work. Sure enough, the ink was bright and filled with strong, reflective color which was so three-dimensional one would think they could fall into it. He smiled, thrilled. Next, in order to test the ‘smear-ability’, he ran his fingers over it. The ink smeared so badly it seemed to follow his fingers across the page.

  Brian held up his hand and looked at his fingers. The ink was bold on his skin, and the coverage was so good, even second-hand, that it completely covered the papercut he had on his forefinger. He raised his eyebrows with surprise.

  “Okay, pen people, I guess you meant it when you said it would smear,” he mumbled quietly. He crumpled the paper with his name and tossed it into the wastebasket next to his desk.

  Brian decided he would do his name in graffiti letters and tape it down on the cover of his binder. It would be really cool, and more than likely Caleb would want him to make one for him. He put the pen to the clean sheet and got to work.

  This had to be the coolest pen Brian ever had.

  Chapter 3

  Randy Carste
ns sat stationary on a spinning stool in his lab. His eyes were fixed on his rats, and his stomach was lurching with nausea and disgust.

  Before him, up and down the length of the laboratory countertop, were seven large cages, each with three rats in them. Each represented the last seven days of testing, and not one of the subjects looked good. To put it mildly, Randy was completely mortified.

  He had continued to reduce the amount of ink he was exposing the rats to, and not only that, he was exposing less and less of their flesh to the ink as well. At first, he had thought that the ink only had negative effects if it got through broken skin, due to the first one having a small cut on one of its feet. Unfortunately, in the last week, he had learned that the ink itself would cause a severe rash, which resulted in broken skin as well. In other words, the ink was ‘helping itself’.

  The animals in the cages were horrendous. They continually attacked each other, not only killing each other, but eating and gnawing at each other as well.

  There was no stopping this, no reversing of it. He had tried everything he could think of to kill them, even going so far as to put on his metal chain gloves and stab at a pair of the rodents over and over. His only solution was to pour acid on them to dispose of them.

  Randy Carstens was at a loss, and he had no idea what to do or how to proceed.

  He was due in yet another meeting in fifteen minutes, this time to update the board on the ‘progress’ he had made in rectifying the issue. There was no progress, nor did he believe there ever would be. Next to him, on the counter opposite the rats, sat his folder. In it was all the information, including photos, regarding his findings. He was going to demand that they take the pens off the shelves immediately.

  If they refused, he would go directly to the authorities and turn the folder over to them.

  A knock came on the door behind him. Randy spun around, and through the window on the door he could see Roger McGinley, his fake smile almost glowing through the glass. Randy smirked at the man and rose to let him in. He reached the door quickly and opened it.