“Don’t worry about it. Mayor Johnson and the entire police force are on our side. If anything was to happen to him, everybody is going to turn a blind eye.”
“Speaking of Mayor Johnson. Is it set with him for tomorrow’s grand opening?”
“He’ll be here first thing in the morning. He’s giving a speech and cutting the ribbon. This will give him the sense he’s doing something great for Valparaiso.”
Mr. Forenstein laughed. “Anything that can help him in a reelection year.”
They found his family watching two zombiefied elephants smacking their trunks against a tree. Billy was the first to see his father approaching engaged in conversation with the general.
“Daddy!”
“How do you like the elephants, son? You’ve never seen any like these before.”
Billy laughed and ran up to his father, grinning ear to ear. “They don’t sound like the elephants from the other zoo. These ones sound really mean.”
“You definitely don’t want to mess with them,” said General Poe. “They don’t eat peanuts.”
Mr. Forenstein rolled his eyes. “What the general is trying to say, Billy, is you have to be extra careful with the animals around here.”
“I know,” said Billy sarcastically. “It’s because all of them are zombies. I can’t pet any of them.”
Mr. Forenstein smiled and looked at his wife. “Come on; there is a banquet waiting for us at the main restaurant. We’re having roasted duck and filet mignon. And I have also been told we’re having some sort of chocolate lava cake. How does that sound, Billy?”
“It sounds yummy!”
“I was hoping you would say that. Come on; let’s get there before everything gets cold.”
Donnie Jorsen tore up the restraining order and tossed it in the garbage once he got back to his house. He had to take a cab once he had been freed from jail, and he was happy to be there. All he had thought about was getting revenge on the people who put him in there and finding a way to stop the park from opening. He knew it was too late to keep it from opening, but he did have time to find a way to keep it from making any profits. If he could accomplish that, maybe he could force the park to close due to poor profits. He had thought long and hard about it. He had a couple ideas that could accomplish his goals, plus he had one backup idea that could ruin the park altogether. It was risky, and people could be hurt, but in the end, it could have the desired results he was shooting for. The first thing he needed to do was find a way to get in the park without being recognized. Everybody would be on the lookout for him. He remembered something about the park he read in the paper while in jail about a costume party the park was going to host. It was going to be held on a Saturday in two weeks and the community was invited. He had the perfect idea. He could dress as a zombie. If he used a bunch of makeup and prosthetics, he could slip by without anybody recognizing him. He was positive it was the perfect plan. Now he had to search for a costume shop online to find the perfect costume. He went to his room to find his credit card he kept hidden in a dresser drawer and then sat down in front of his computer.
He found several costumes online he liked and sat there thinking which one would be the perfect choice. Ten minutes later he found the perfect costume. He placed the order and paid for overnight delivery. He didn’t want to take the chance of it arriving too late for the event. He had two short weeks to figure out what he was going to do. He knew security would be tight, so whatever he planned on doing, he knew he would have to be careful. He sat back in his chair and let his mind wander into the dream world. He was exhausted by all the prepping and now all he wanted to do was relax.
He found himself walking alone inside the zombie park with the wind blowing the stench of rotting meat around him. The air was alive with hunger and nothing else. The shuffling of dead feet breaking the silence alerted him he wasn’t alone. He looked around, and he could see he was surrounded by shambling hordes of hungry horrors staggering toward him, as if they were alerted to their living dinner. He saw an alley to the right of him that was free of gore-guzzling ghouls and made haste to find a safe place to hide. He saw a building in front of him with a sign proclaiming it was a house of mirrors. He knew this was the perfect place to elude the hungry hordes until he could find a way out of the predicament he was in. He entered the building and heard the slow, soft shuffle of dragging feet on broken glass. He looked straight ahead and the image of a zombie engulfed the glass barrier. Its clothes were badly torn like a pack of wild dogs had been at him. He knew proceeding forward wasn’t an option. He was at a loss for what course of action to take next. There were hordes of zombies behind him and at least one in front of him. He didn’t like the chance of finding the zombie hidden within the maze of glass. He decided his only course of action would be to leave the building and find another safe place to hide that didn’t involve mirrors. He turned and came face to face with a ghoul with blood drooling from its mangled lips. It moaned and moved toward him. Donnie turned to run, but it grabbed his arm and forcibly turned him around in one quick motion. His flesh tore with a wet, sucking sound. Donnie awoke with sweat dripping down his face. He now knew what he was going to do.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The airwaves were filled with commercials alerting the viewing areas of the opening of the new park. They depicted happy families enjoying good food, riding rides, watching a zombie shark show, and most of all, spending quality time together.
Mr. Forenstein sat with his family at the breakfast table discussing the costume party which was now only one week away. Billy wanted to attend and wear his favorite white pajamas and take his favorite teddy bear with him. His father looked at him and then his wife. She shrugged her shoulders.
Mr. Forenstein thought for a moment before replying. “Billy, you do realize the costume party is for grownups. I’m sure there won’t be any other children there. There will be nothing for you to do.”
“I can stay in the zoo and watch the animals. Nothing will happen to me in there.”
“Billy, you can’t be in the zoo unsupervised. It’s too dangerous.”
Billy stole a glance toward his mother. “Mommy, couldn’t you come to the zoo with me? You like going to the zoo.”
She smiled slightly and looked at her husband. “I suppose I could watch him. It’s not fair to leave him home with all the excitement happening at the park. It will be all right. We can check in with you from time to time. After all, you know you’re going to be busy and have little time to spend with us.”
He knew she was right. General Poe already had an agenda planned for the both of them. It was mostly hobnobbing with Mayor Johnson and his office staff. “I suppose it won’t be a problem.” He looked at Billy who had dropped some of his eggs onto the floor. “Are you sure you’ll be able to stay up late? We will be out at the park most of the night. You know how tired you can get.”
“Daddy, I can stay up late. If I get tired, the animals can keep me company, and mommy will be there. She can help me if I get tired.”
Mr. Forenstein laughed. “Of course she can. All right, Billy, I will let you come only because it’s a special occasion. Just promise me you won’t eat too much popcorn and cotton candy.”
“I promise! I’ll only eat one cotton candy and one bag of popcorn. And can I also have some ice cream?”
Mr. Forenstein shook his head. “It doesn’t sound like he’s going to get tired. He’ll be wired from sugar.” He looked at his wife. “He can also wear his pajamas and take his teddy bear. At least he’ll look like he’s ready for bed.”
Their conversation was broken by the sound of the jingle being broadcast over the radio about the park. Billy sang along with it. Mr. Forenstein was growing tired of the jingle, but he knew every time it aired, it was going to make him money. His cell phone rang, and he answered. He heard General Poe’s voice.
“Robert, I need you to come down to the park. Professor Holl
man has made a major breakthrough. I can’t tell you what over the phone, but it’s something you need to see.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m just finishing breakfast. Give me an hour to get ready and get there.”
“No longer, I’ve never have seen the professor so excited about anything.”
He hung up and looked at his family. “Duty calls.”
He arrived at the park within the hour and met up with General Poe and the professor. They were standing near a group of zombies who were busy working on a jigsaw puzzle. He made his way over to them and stopped to watch.
“What the hell…” he started. “How are they able to do that?”
The general put his hand on his shoulder. “You can thank the professor for this progress. He has perfected the serum. He has made the perfect soldier–obedient and smart. Not only are they smart enough to do puzzles, but they can paint pictures and cook food. We now have what Uncle Sam has been waiting for us to develop for them.”
“How many have we made so far? Your boss wants at least an entire battalion.”
General Poe took him into another room where several smart zombies were playing first-person shooters on various video systems. All of them were making their way through the different levels faster than the average person. They stood behind one of the zombies and watched for several minutes. It was playing a war game, and it had just shot a soldier in the neck. Liquid rubies rained from the wound like ghastly treasure. He fell to the ground. Hot, gushing horror swam across the ground, red and relentless. Mr. Forenstein turned his back to the deathly display. Never in his wildest imagination had he ever thought he would witness a zombie playing a video game. Everything he knew about them from movies and books contradicted it. He sighed and turned toward the general. “Are we positive we can control these zombies? I mean, how can we guarantee they won’t turn on us?”
“Relax, the professor promises it won’t happen as long as he’s the first one to make contact with the zombies, they will respond to his commands and eventually mine. I know it’s a lot to take in, but it’s not your worry. You’ve already done your job. Let me do mine now. Besides, I have more news for you. The professor has developed a second serum. This one reverses the effects of the other serum.”
“You mean it’s a cure for a zombie outbreak.”
“If you want to look at it that way,” said Professor Hollman, walking into the room. “I highly doubt we’re going to have a zombie outbreak.”
Carlton walked into the room. He had just arrived there after running several errands for the professor. He didn’t have any knowledge of a cure being developed. “What’s this I hear about a cure? If this is really true, I know how it can be tested.”
The professor shot a sinister look in his direction as if he knew where this was headed. “I’m not going to do it.”
“You owe it to her. She’s your wife and deserves better than being kept alive as your personal pet. What kind of man are you? I’m sure if the roles were reversed, she would…”
“She would do exactly what I’m doing. She is just as greedy as the rest of us. All she would care about is her work and would leave me in a cage to let my skin decay and my mind turn to mush. No, I’m not testing it on her.”
General Poe approached the professor and put his arm around his shoulder and led him out of the room. “It’s the right thing to do. We need to know if it works. For all we know, it could kill her in the process. You won’t get the proper credit for developing it if it doesn’t work.”
The general heard a low, frustrated moan come from him. “All right, we’ll test it on her. But mark my words, if it works, she isn’t getting any credit for it. As a matter of fact, I want her banned from the park.”
General Poe thought about his demand. After some consideration, he agreed to the terms. “Get the serum; I don’t want to waste any more valuable time.”
Carlton stood in front of the cage Kathy was being held in at the moment. She stood there keeping her eyes on her husband and General Poe. Her eyes were now milky-white and clouded over. Her mouth gaped wide, eager to devour. Carlton looked at the professor in disgust.
“What the hell is happening to her? She’s turning into one of the meat-eaters,” he said alarmed. “We might be too late to save her.”
“We’re not too late,” said the professor, “but I’m not going in with it. She or it, it doesn’t matter, is no longer my wife. Someone else is going to have to inject her with the serum.”
“Give me the syringe,” said Carlton. “I’ll go save her. I might be the only one who could right now. She finds you and the general a threat.”
He unlocked the cage door and entered, closing the door behind him. He held the syringe firmly in his hands; it was going to be his only saving grace. He stood in front of her, watching her every move as if he was expecting her to lunge toward him and rip his flesh from his bones. He was hesitant to move toward her. She stood there standing her ground in defiance, biting at air. He turned to look at the others who were signaling him to get the deed done before it was too late. He turned back around and she was standing closer to him with her unholy fingers curled into claws poised to scratch his eyeballs out of their sockets. He stood frozen in fear until he heard General Poe scream for him to grow a pair. He lifted the syringe toward her face and injected the serum into her flesh as she threatened to shred skin from his bone. He managed to inject the serum into her and push her head away at the same time. She staggered several feet backward as he made his way out of the cage, slamming the door shut behind him.
The syringe was still sticking in her face. She moved toward the cage on unsteady legs until she collapsed on the ground.
Carlton turned and snatched the professor by his collar. “You murdered her! This was your plan all along! I will make you pay for this!”
They were interrupted by Kathy’s voice. They turned and saw her standing up and pulling the syringe out of her face. She tossed it on the ground and glared at her husband. “Thanks for nothing! You should have killed me while you had the chance!”
“It worked! My serum worked!” screamed the professor.
She took a step forward in response to his excitement, but went down to her knees. Her legs weren’t responding in a favorable way. Carlton helped her to her feet.
“It might take some time for your muscles to catch up with the rest of you. Let me help you. Are you hungry? I can get you something to eat.”
She did feel hunger. She looked at Carlton. “Anything but meat. I’m craving meat, but the thought of it repulses me. How about some fruit? I could eat an apple if you have one.”
Carlton helped her move out of the cage. As she moved by her husband, she grabbed his arm and dug her nails into him like a ferocious cat. “Don’t think for one moment I’m going to let you take credit for my work.”
He grabbed her arm and freed himself from her painful grip. “You should be thanking me for developing the cure.”
Her eyes pierced through him like daggers. “We’ll see about that. I remember how you treated me when I was a zombie.”
He waited until Carlton helped her inside the building before turning to face the general. “You better keep your word. I want her banned from the park as soon as she’s well enough to leave. I don’t need any distractions from her or her mouth.” He stormed inside the building leaving the general with Mr. Forenstein.
“We can’t let her leave,” said the general. “We don’t know if the serum will have any side effects. We’re going to have to find a way to keep them separated for the time being.”
Mr. Forenstein stole a quick glance toward the building. “How do you propose to do that? They’re both stubborn. She’s not going to play nicely.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” He went inside the cage and picked up the syringe. There was a little of the serum still inside it. He held it up to stare at it. “I can’t
believe he developed a serum that could bring people back to life. How is this possible? I would assume the brain would be dead. She’s acting as though she was never a zombie.”
Mr. Forenstein stared at the syringe the general was holding. “We’re not scientists. I don’t understand anything they do. It’s not like the movies out here. Those scientists are real people. They’re the only ones in the world who could accomplish turning a zombie back into a human. Come on; I want to check out our shark while I’m here.”
General Poe stared at the cage Kathy was locked inside and shook his head. “How is she not brain dead? Something tells me we need to keep a watchful eye on her.” He shrugged it off and followed his friend inside the building. He knew he needed to contact his boss about the new advancements, but he was hesitant. He didn’t want to report any information before he had all the facts. He decided he would watch Kathy and make mental notes of anything out of the ordinary. For now, it was all he could do.
Ben was standing in front of the viewing area watching the shark swim back and forth, occasionally trying to bite him through the glass. He saw Chloe’s image reflected on the glass and turned to greet her.
“I just got word that General Poe and Mr. Forenstein are on their way here. They’re keeping a watchful eye on their main attraction.” She gave him a secure hug and then released it. “I don’t want to get caught fraternizing with you.”
“Again must I remind you I’m one of the owners? They’re not going to care if we’re dating. They have more important things on their minds. I think they’re more worried about the shark’s first show tomorrow. Getting a zombie shark to perform for the public isn’t going to be an easy task.”
“I hope you’re wrong about that, Ben,” said Mr. Forenstein from behind them. “I’m counting on the shark to fill the park with visitors.”
Ben was startled by their sudden presence. “How long have you been standing there?”
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