Free Swamp of the Hideous Zombies by Geoffrey Hayes

Otto raced inside the general store, slammed the door, and pulled the shade down.
    He didn’t stop to say hello to Uncle Tooth or to his cousin, Olivia, who were standing at the counter. He went right to the magazine rack and grabbed the latest copy of
Monsters and Ghouls
.
    Quickly, Otto looked through the pages.
    “What’s
his
problem?” Olivia asked Uncle Tooth.
    “Here it is! I knew it!” cried Otto.
    He pointed to a drawing of a huge, bug-eyed figure with matted hair. At the bottom, in bold type, was the word ZOMBIE .
    “I just saw one of these by the movie theater.”
    “You saw a zombie?” Uncle Tooth cried.
    “Are you sure it wasn’t just your reflection in a window?” said Olivia.
    “Be serious!” said Otto. “I was looking at the poster for
Invasion of the Crawlee Things
. Then this huge, bug-eyed creep came marching along.”
    “It was probably late for the movie,” said Olivia.
    Otto closed the magazine. “If you don’t want to hear my story … fine! But you’ll be sorry.”
    “I want to hear it,” said Uncle Tooth.
    Otto continued. “I saw the monster headdown an alley and stop in front of an old lady. I thought it was going to eat her! Then I saw she was
talking
to it. She pointed toward the beach. The monster nodded and marched off.”
    “Well, I’m terrified!” Olivia said.
    Uncle Tooth handed Olivia a roll of film. “I can help you load your camera, if you like.”
    “Thanks, but I know how to do it,” she said.

    “That’s okay! Just ignore me!” cried Otto.
    Uncle Tooth lit his pipe. “What made you think it was a monster?” he asked.
    “It looked like one,” said Otto.
    “Then why wasn’t the old lady afraid?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe she’s controlling it.”
    “Maybe your imagination is running away with you,” said Uncle Tooth. He opened the door. “You were probably spooked by the movie poster and thought you saw—”
    “No! It
was
a zombie!” cried Otto. He quickly replaced the magazine and followed Uncle Tooth and Olivia out of the store.
    Outside, they saw Auntie Hick coming toward them, looking worried.
    “Have any of you seen Ducky Doodle?” she asked.
    “I saw him about twenty minutes ago. He was digging on the beach,” said Uncle Tooth.
    “Well, he’s not there now,” Auntie Hick went on. “I found his pail and shovel … but no Doodle! I wouldn’t let him go treasure hunting until he cleaned up his room. He was angry and stomped around. Then he got awfully quiet. When I went to check on him, the window was open and Doodle was gone.”
    “Maybe the zombie got him!” said Otto.
    “Zombie?”
cried Auntie Hick.
    “Pay no attention, Auntie Hick,” said Olivia. “Otto’s trying to annoy me because I wouldn’t be in his stupid Monster Club.”
    “Excuse me?” said Otto. “I wouldn’t
let
you join.… Remember?”
    Otto had come up with the idea of a club for studying and learning about monsters. He had decided he wouldn’t allow any girls to join. But he was miffed when Olivia wasn’t at all interested.

    Uncle Tooth told Otto and Olivia to stop bickering. Then he promised Auntie Hick that if he found Ducky Doodle, he’d be sure to send him home. She hurried off.
    “I’ll bet the old lady and the zombie have something to do with this,” said Otto.
    “It’s not the first time Doodle has disappeared,” said Uncle Tooth. “He’ll turn up.”
    “Well, I have more important things to do than to chase dumb monsters,” Olivia told them.
    “Like what?” Otto said.
    “My dad sent me this camera with a built-in flash. I’m going to take some really good photos and sell them to the
Boogle Bay Bugle.
”
    “Now,
that’s
dumb! Who’d pay money for your old pictures?” Otto laughed. “What are you going to photograph … little kitties?”
    “I’m not talking to you anymore,” said Olivia. She walked away.
    Otto scowled at her. “I can’t wait until she leaves Boogle Bay!” he muttered.

Olivia was spoiling