others were standing on the path staring further ahead. When Shawn looked, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a scene from the worst zombie movie he had ever had the misfortune to watch. It wasn't one zombie, but an army of them. They were pretty far away. The only reason he could smell them was because there were so many and the wind was blowing in his direction. He couldn't see them very clearly through the falling snow. But he knew what they were. They stumbled along, bumping into trees and benches and each other. They moved slowly and without purpose. But they filled up the path and filled up the park. Shawn looked at his friends, none of which had ever seen a zombie before. They were dumbstruck. He could tell that they didn't believe what they were seeing. Orlando was smiling.
When Shawn had first seen Larry Koplowitz on the street all of those months before, he hadn't even thought twice about what he was seeing and what he needed to do. He had thought that his instincts had had something to do with his age, the mind of a teenager. But now he could see that he'd been wrong. Whatever had driven him to take action was in him alone.
Leon broke and ran. At least he had the wherewithal to run away from the zombies. The three girls looked uncertain. Poor Juliet was on the verge of cracking. Shawn looked to Nigel, who looked back at Orlando.
"Come on," Shawn said, his voice far more level than he would have thought possible. He started after Leon, waving the girls in that direction. Nigel came after them and then stopped when he noticed Orlando wasn't following. Shawn stopped also. Orlando was just standing there with that stupid grin on his face. He was rubbing his hands together vigorously.
Shawn went up to him and grabbed him by the sleeve. "Come on," he said.
Orlando shook his head. "Look at them, man."
Shawn looked at them. They were getting closer but not too close. Though their numbers were terrifying, they were still the slow, shambling things that he had seen at Angus Construction and in the Bronx at Marcus' fighting arena.
"I could fight a hundred of them," Orlando said.
"What?" Shawn cried. "Are you nuts? As soon as one of them draws blood on you, you're dead."
He grabbed Orlando by the sleeve and pulled. Orlando wouldn't budge. He paused in his hand wringing just long enough to push Shawn away. Shawn stumbled in the snow and went down. He found his feet quickly and moved to grab Orlando again, but Nigel got in between them. He warned Shawn off and then went to stand beside his friend.
"Look at them," Orlando repeated. "This is gonna be off the hook."
"No doubt, Lando," Nigel whispered. "But I think we're gonna need you with us."
Orlando finally turned his head away from the oncoming mob and looked down at Nigel. "Right, man. Sorry."
Then they began to run.
Leon was long gone by that time. Nigel cursed at him for being a coward but Shawn didn't blame him. A single zombie was a horrifying sight. A hundred of them or more could strip someone of every last emotional defense. He had to give credit to Nigel and the girls, though. While Leon had run in fear and Orlando had lost himself in God knows what, Nigel and the girls had kept their heads. As they ran back the way they came, easily putting distance between themselves and the zombies, level heads began to prevail.
"Where to?" Nigel asked, when they had reached the edge of the park.
No one had an answer to that question. Running away from something was easy. When it came time to run toward something, life became a bit more complicated.
"The phone's not working," said Juliet as she played with her cell.
"Do you think they're all over Brooklyn?" Janise asked.
"Do you think they're all over the country?" Dawn asked.
I wonder if they're all over the world, Shawn thought to himself. How were they supposed to behave now that the zombies were on the loose? They
When Shawn had first seen Larry Koplowitz on the street all of those months before, he hadn't even thought twice about what he was seeing and what he needed to do. He had thought that his instincts had had something to do with his age, the mind of a teenager. But now he could see that he'd been wrong. Whatever had driven him to take action was in him alone.
Leon broke and ran. At least he had the wherewithal to run away from the zombies. The three girls looked uncertain. Poor Juliet was on the verge of cracking. Shawn looked to Nigel, who looked back at Orlando.
"Come on," Shawn said, his voice far more level than he would have thought possible. He started after Leon, waving the girls in that direction. Nigel came after them and then stopped when he noticed Orlando wasn't following. Shawn stopped also. Orlando was just standing there with that stupid grin on his face. He was rubbing his hands together vigorously.
Shawn went up to him and grabbed him by the sleeve. "Come on," he said.
Orlando shook his head. "Look at them, man."
Shawn looked at them. They were getting closer but not too close. Though their numbers were terrifying, they were still the slow, shambling things that he had seen at Angus Construction and in the Bronx at Marcus' fighting arena.
"I could fight a hundred of them," Orlando said.
"What?" Shawn cried. "Are you nuts? As soon as one of them draws blood on you, you're dead."
He grabbed Orlando by the sleeve and pulled. Orlando wouldn't budge. He paused in his hand wringing just long enough to push Shawn away. Shawn stumbled in the snow and went down. He found his feet quickly and moved to grab Orlando again, but Nigel got in between them. He warned Shawn off and then went to stand beside his friend.
"Look at them," Orlando repeated. "This is gonna be off the hook."
"No doubt, Lando," Nigel whispered. "But I think we're gonna need you with us."
Orlando finally turned his head away from the oncoming mob and looked down at Nigel. "Right, man. Sorry."
Then they began to run.
Leon was long gone by that time. Nigel cursed at him for being a coward but Shawn didn't blame him. A single zombie was a horrifying sight. A hundred of them or more could strip someone of every last emotional defense. He had to give credit to Nigel and the girls, though. While Leon had run in fear and Orlando had lost himself in God knows what, Nigel and the girls had kept their heads. As they ran back the way they came, easily putting distance between themselves and the zombies, level heads began to prevail.
"Where to?" Nigel asked, when they had reached the edge of the park.
No one had an answer to that question. Running away from something was easy. When it came time to run toward something, life became a bit more complicated.
"The phone's not working," said Juliet as she played with her cell.
"Do you think they're all over Brooklyn?" Janise asked.
"Do you think they're all over the country?" Dawn asked.
I wonder if they're all over the world, Shawn thought to himself. How were they supposed to behave now that the zombies were on the loose? They
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