Zombie Playlist: A Rock Zombie Romance

by Kirsty Dallas

  EPILOGUE, in the end

  From my spot on the rickety old fence, I watched the field before me. It had been recently ploughed, the grass pulled from its roots and tossed soil left behind. A low breeze rustled the surrounding trees, the sound of a dog barking in the distance breaking the otherwise quiet. Justin spooked for a heartbeat, balancing on the timber fence beside me. Realizing it was a familiar bark coming from the farmhouse, he ignored the rough wail and continued walking along the narrow ledge. We’d had good rain recently, so the world around us was beginning to fill with green and flourish with life. Sitting here, embraced by the beauty that was Nan and Pop’s farm, you could fool yourself into believing nothing had changed. It was a lie though. Everything had fucking changed.

  The world beyond this place was still in chaos. The infected were slowly dying off, but the virus still existed which meant the healthy were always at risk of turning into shithead zombies. People were still crazy fuckers and anarchy still prevailed. Cigarettes and makeup were pretty much non-existent, fancy lingerie was a thing of the past, and alcohol was now an eye watering moonshine Pop whipped up in the back shed. But here, on this land with the sun beginning to dip towards the horizon, it was peaceful … and I was happy.

  Childish laughter caught my attention, and my gaze moved to the boy kneeling in the paddock beside his great grandfather. They were talking in hushed whispers, up to no good of course. Abruptly the little boy jumped up and moved quickly away from the pile of cow shit they’d been kneeled around. Pop waited until he was far enough away, then leaned forward with a lighter, before scurrying away as quickly as his rusty ol’ legs would carry him. A loud bang sent birds squawking with outrage into the air, and cow shit rained down on the paddock before us. Fucking cow paddy bombs. I couldn’t exactly say anything, because at one time that had been me out there with Pop, and it was nestled among some of the best memories of my childhood, not to mention I’d set one off a week ago. Sparkling blue eyes found mine, swimming with life, and the little menace ran my way. Jumping from the fence, I caught the boy’s body as he leaped into my arms. Pulling the strawberry flavored Dum-Dum lollipop from my mouth, I laughed.

  “Elias Noah Bishop, did you just blow up cow shit?”

  “Mama, you cursed.”

  “Huh, well I’ll be damned, I did too.”

  “You did it again, you can’t say damned,” he spluttered out, trying to sound scandalized when really he thought it was fucking hilarious when I cursed.

  “Sure I can, damned, see, I just said it again.”

  “Nan said she’ll wash your mouth out with soap.”

  Rolling my eyes, I squinted when I found a small splatter of manure on the helmet he was wearing. Elias loved this khaki helmet almost as much as I did. Getting him to take it off for a shower took some creative negotiating. At least the poop wasn’t tangled in his mop of dark curls, so for that I was grateful.

  “You’re gonna need the soap more than me, little dude. You’re covered in crap.”

  Elias snatched the Dum-Dum from my hand and slipped it between his own lips.

  “You just got a truck load of girl germs.”

  The grunt he gave me told me he didn’t care. Since candy had rapidly become a hot commodity in this world I could understand his indifference.

  Pop finally joined us. He’d slowed down over the last five years and although he tried to convince us it was just old age, the rattling cough and weight loss suggested it might be something more sinister. Without hospitals to run tests, we had no way of knowing.

  “I miss Daddy,” Elias admitted, nestling his head into the crook of my neck. Ignoring the cow shit, I hugged him tight.

  “Me too, little dude, me too.”

  “Why don’t we go visit Noah?” My Pop suggested, obviously having picked up on Elias’ weird mood today. He loved vising Noah, whereas for me it was both a curse and a privilege. Not a day went by where I didn’t mourn her loss. Sometimes it was just too hard to visit the grave, but today I felt like I needed to be close to her, perhaps just like Elias did. Sorrow was resting heavy on my shoulders, and I needed desperately to shake it off.

  “Samuel Joseph, you’re gonna lose a finger one of these days.”

  Nan’s gravelly voice came from behind us. She was wearing a new sundress she’d made by hand, yellow with bright daisies embroidered on it. Noah would have loved it. In her hand, she carried Maybelle, and I gently placed Elias on the ground as I reached for my guitar.

  “Thanks Nan.”

  “And you, you’re just sitting back and letting them go at it.”

  She still wasn’t done bitching us out for the small explosion.

  “Winnie, it’s just a little cow shit,” Pop said with a toothy grin.

  “Language Samuel. I swear, you and your granddaughter were cast from the same mold. Come on Elias, the people with manners will lead the way.”

  Nan reached out, and Elias grabbed her hand as they ambled off toward the rise that Noah’s grave sat on. Justin bounced through the thick grass, chasing down butterflies and darting around our legs.

  “How you doing, Shy?”

  Pop wrapped one arm over my shoulder, and I leaned into his frail body. At one time I’d thought my Pops some sort of invincible superhero, with long legs and wide shoulders. Now it felt like a stiff wind would blow him away.

  “Just feeling the weight today,” I admitted.

  “Well, why don’t you let me take some of the burden from you?”

  Smiling, I murmured, “sure, why don’t you milk Lady Gaga tomorrow morning?”

  Yes, we had a cow named Lady Gaga, the woman had too much talent to simply die with the rest of the world. Pop chuckled.

  “Deal, but you can wash Lenny, he stinks worse than the cow shit I’m wearing.”

  And yes, Lenny the farm dog was still alive, but he was somewhere in the vicinity of a hundred years old, and hell did he stink. But washing Lenny was way faster than milking Lady Gaga, and it also meant I didn’t have to get up at the bum crack of dawn. This rock queen was not born to be a farm girl.

  “Deal.”

  Climbing the small rise at the back of Nan and Pop’s farm, we crested the flat top where Noah was buried. Elias was already fussing over her grave, pulling weeds, and getting rid of the dead flowers, while Nan laid a fresh bouquet.

  “Hey Boo,” I whispered as I collapsed into a crossed legged position right beside her. “I fucking miss you.”

  “Mama,” snapped Elias as he sat beside me.

  “Sorry lil’ dude, you know me.”

  “Yeah mama, I know you.”

  A smile rose from my heart and settled on my lips. The familiar words always brought a comfort to me. Sitting on the grass beside Noah, I bowed my head and recited the Lord’s Prayer. I’d never forgotten it since that first time I sat at Noah’s side and really listened to the words, and even though I never grasped the blind faith that Noah held, there was something inside of me that believed. Or maybe I just wanted to believe. Either way, I whispered the words and Elias, Nan and Pop followed along with me. Their faith would make up for any I lacked. We all ended on amen, then I began to strum my guitar.

  “Something nice,” Nan ordered, pointing a finger my way.

  “I always sing nice songs.”

  “That garbage you were singing last night wasn’t nice.”

  “Nan,” I said as I paused strumming and gave her a serious expression. “That was The Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson, it don’t get more nice than that.”

  She rolled her eyes, and Pop winked my way.

  “Do the sun song, mama.”

  “And what is the sun song?” I asked. My skill set was music, and I’d be damned if it would die with me. So, I spent all my time filling Elias’ head with everything that was music, past, present and … well, who knows what the future held.

  “Here Comes The Sun, by the Beatles,” Elias said after a short silence.

&n
bsp; “And?” I prompted. His face scrunched up as he thought hard. “Ringo Starr’s real name is Richard Starkey.”

  Holding out my fist with a super-proud mama grin, I said “give me a bump, baby.” Elias curled his little fingers under and gave me a fist bump. “You are so freaking smart,” I gushed. “The sun song it is.”

  Plucking the strings on my guitar, I played. I sang for Noah, I sang for Elias, I sang for me and all that I’d lost, but I also sang for something precious I had gained. Looking toward Elias he sang with me, a huge smile on his stinkin’ cute face. Once we’d finished, Lenny’s lazy bark caught our attention, he was really going off. Elias looked over my shoulder, back toward the homestead and his face lit up, emphasizing the little dimples in his cheeks, just like his daddy’s. Speaking of which…

  “Daddy,” he screamed, scrambling from his position beside me and running down the gentle rise.

  Turning, my eyes greeted that of Lawson strolling lazily across the wide paddock, his rifle hanging over one shoulder, and a smile on his handsome face. Louis wasn’t far behind him, his tall, imposing dark frame a welcome sight. I worried about them both every time they left the property. Louis had visited twice over the years, and on his last visit eighteen months ago hinted at returning and perhaps staying on permanently. Two months ago he’d shown up on our doorstep with a tall, tanned beauty on his arm. Louis and Samantha had fit right in, and we were currently helping them build a small cottage on the other side of the east paddock. Somewhere with privacy, yet close enough to help with the chores and keep each other safe. Sam was tucked firmly under Louis’ arm. She’d struggled with him gone the last four days, much like I had with Lawson. The men had done a trek further north in search of supplies. We’d run out of gas a few years ago, the local cars all but drained. It meant now days they either went on foot, or horseback in search of supplies. The fact we’d raided everything we could find close by meant our search for supplies was getting further afield. This supply run was a quick trip to get our hands on more ammunition, pain medicine for Pop and anything else of use that could be found. The boys had been gone four days. Four long-ass fucking days.

  Climbing to my feet, I watched Elias hug his father fiercely as my own arms ached to be around the man. I’d already lost too much, I couldn’t lose him as well. Every time he left the farm, I worried. I tried not to show it, but from the knowing look on Pop’s face, he knew it.

  “Give her here,” he softly spoke, and I passed him Maybelle.

  Then I ran. The grass under my feet was soft, the sun on my skin warm. From under my top Lawson’s I.D tags clinked together and thumped against my sternum. I almost never took them off and Lawson said he never wanted me to. He claimed the moment he saw them hanging around my neck it just felt right. That’s where they belonged. As I approached my man he gently put Elias down and scooped me up into his arms.

  “You took too fucking long, soldier,” I whispered into the crook of his neck.

  His arms pulled me that little bit closer as I took a moment to just feel his body wrapped around mine. I took in the warmth of his skin, the hard-packed muscle beneath his clothes, the familiar scent of sweat and grime which came with four days on the road. Drawing in a deep breath, I relished the feeling of energy emanating from him. I didn’t care that he stunk, because for me, he was life. Finally, I loosened my hold, and he let my feet fall back to the ground. Elias was busy getting gifts from Louis and being fussed over by Sam, while Pop and Nan strolled hand in hand back toward the homestead, Justin following.

  I got you something, Lawson signed.

  “So you should have, when you say you’ll be gone three days and don’t come back for four, you better have something really fucking good to make up for it.” My voice was gruff with emotion and I swallowed down the stupid tears that threatened to spill.

  From a pocket in his shirt, Lawson pulled out a medal hanging from a red velvet ribbon.

  “Oh hell yes,” I murmured, taking it from his hands. It was shiny, and gold, in the shape of a star with a picture of a horse in the center. Equestrian Gold, Austin Texas was engraved on the back. “You stole for me,” I breathed in awe. Over the years Lawson had collected several medals that sat on a rickety ol’ bookshelf in the living room. In the middle, sitting proudly for all to see was Lawson’s medal. No longer hidden away in a drawer.

  With a nod, Lawson signed I also found condoms. Lots of them.

  “No fucking way.” The medal was all but forgotten. Working our sex life around a calendar and ovulation cycles sucked. While we both weren’t appalled by the idea of having another child, we were also hesitant. Elias had been a difficult pregnancy with me sick most of the nine months. The birth was also pretty traumatic without the help of drugs, and it was just plain weird to have my man spending all that time hovering around a region of my body that he would normally handle a hell of a lot differently. But the result had been completely worth it. Ready to jump into his arms and have him here and now, Lawson chuckled and held up a hand to say wait. Reaching into his pocket, he ever so slowly withdrew something else, his teasing gaze never leaving mine. Finally, he held another gift out before me.

  “Oh my fucking god, is that real?”

  Lawson nodded.

  “You are so getting laid tonight, repeatedly.”

  From his palm, I carefully lifted the rolled joint. It had been many years since I enjoyed the sweet tangy taste of cannabis, and even longer since I’d last smoked a cigarette. Both I could live without, but when Lawson offered me a gift as special as this, who was I to say no. Suddenly I was being tossed over his shoulder, my head hanging around his lower back, his perfect ass right in front of my face. Raising myself so I could see Elias, I found Louis and Sam already heading back to the homestead, our son sitting proudly on Louis’ shoulders with candy shoved in his mouth.

  “We’ll be back later,” I called out.

  Sam waved us off with a giggle, and Louis just gave me a knowing wink. Then I was being hauled off to the river with my man where we would smoke, laugh, love and play. Moments like this were rare, which is what probably made them all the more special. Life was precious, love even more so, and there wasn’t a chance in hell anyone was taking it away from me. Our world had crumbled, we’d lost friends and family, but we’d never lost our humanity. Noah’s death left a shadow on my heart, but Lawson, Elias, Nan and Pop, even Louis and Sam, they helped remind me that to create a shadow, there must be light. They were my light, my reason for breathing.

  “You better have one of those condoms on you soldier,” I panted, as Lawson eventually dropped me to my feet.

  From that damn bottomless pocket he produced two foil packets, and I sighed. Raising my hand and using my pinky, pointer finger and thumb, I signed I love you. Lawson’s smile was magnificent as he mouthed the sentiment back. Stripping out of our clothes and standing under the hot Texas sun in nothing but the flesh that God gave us, I slapped Lawson’s taut ass.

  “Last one in has to wash Lenny tomorrow.”

  And with that, I ran, launching myself from the river’s edge into the warm cleansing water below. Call me crazy, but as I hit the water and sank into the cool liquid, I swear I could hear the beautiful and familiar tinkle of a girl’s laughter.

  Track Thirty-Three: David Bowie, Heroes

  THE END

  Read on for Shy’s full Playlist and a link to hear it played on Spotify!

  If you loved Zombie Playlist please leave a review at your place of purchase, and/or Goodreads. Every single review is appreciated more than you know.

  If Shiloh’s catalogue of flaws didn’t put you off, or the blood splatter, and tears...perhaps you might enjoy some of my other reads?

  www.kirstydallasauthor.com

  PLAYLIST

  Track One: The Animals, We Gotta Get Out Of This Place

  Track Two: Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bad Moon Rising

  Track Three: Rihanna, Shut Up And Drive
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br />   Track Four: Cake, I Will Survive

  Track Five: Halsey, Gasoline

  Track Six: Limp Bizkit, Break Stuff

  Track Seven: Aerosmith, Walk This Way

  Track Eight: Green Day, Having A Blast

  Track Nine: Tupac, Baby Don’t Cry

  Track Ten: Demi Lovato, Heart Attack

  Track Eleven: Obie Trice featuring Dr. Dre and Eminem, Shit Hits The Fan

  Track Twelve: Dave Matthews, Sister

  Track Thirteen: Kacey Musgraves, Rainbow

  Track Fourteen: Marvin Gaye, Let’s Get It On

  Track Fifteen: Tears For Fears, Everybody Wants To Rule The World

  Track Sixteen: B-52’s, Rock Lobster

  Track Seventeen: The Doors, People Are Strange

  Track Eighteen: Pink, Get The Party Started

  Track Nineteen: Rolling Stones, Dance Little Sister

  Track Twenty: Eve featuring Gwen Stefani, Blow Your Mind

  Track Twenty-One: Pearl Jam, Black

  Track Twenty-Two: Lily Allen, Fuck You

  Track Twenty-Three: Simple Plan, Welcome To My Life

  Track Twenty-Four: For King and Country, It’s Not Over Yet

  Track Twenty-Five: Madonna, Papa Don’t Preach

  Track Twenty-Six: Blue Oyster Cult, Don’t Fear The Reaper

  Track Twenty-Seven: Guns N’ Roses, Paradise City

  Track Twenty-Eight: Lady Gaga, Born This Way

  Track Twenty-Nine: White Stripes, Seven Nation Army

  Track Thirty: Gary Jules, Mad World

  Track Thirty-One: Linkin Park, In The End

  Track Thirty-Two: Eric Clapton, Tears In Heaven

  Track Thirty-Three: David Bowie, Heroes

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