Free Epidemic of the Undead: A Zombie Novel by P. A. Douglas

get it. The traveling music couch-surfers thing? I have… well, I had a few college friends kind of doing the same thing. Although, maybe, not as intense as you guys. You definitely don’t seem like you’re from around here and the creeper van kind of gives it away. I can spot a band a mile away. With that new venue across from where I work, I see a lot of music types come in from out of town. You guys tour a whole lot or something?”
    “Yep. Crashed in our share of living rooms over the years, but seriously, I really like what you’ve done with the place.”
    “Thanks. I painted and decorated it myself. I want to be an interior designer. Going to college for it.” She shifted in her seat again trying to get comfortable. “Really haven’t done anything with the rest of the house though. School and work have kept me pretty busy.” 
    “Nice. I went to college for a hot minute,” Chris said, setting the computer aside. “I didn’t really care for it. Mostly my mom’s idea.”
    “Chris is a mama’s boy for sure,” Steve cut in, while flipping through the pages of the yearbook.
    Ignoring him, Chris continued. “I was going for business management and marketing. Lasted like two semesters I think.”
    “Really? Why’d you drop out?”
    “Just didn’t feel the need. Everything they were teaching was already way outdated. By the time I got the degree, the information would have been a total bust. Not like college is worth a damn now, though.” Chris glanced at the window. “A lot has probably lost its value already.”
    “Yeah,” she agreed with an emphatic sigh. “It totally sucks, because I was literally like three credits away from finishing.”
    “Dang.” Chris lifted an eyebrow, impressed.  “A four year or the two year?” he asked.
    Before she could answer, Steve interrupted. “I’m getting in the shower. You two are boring the hell out of me.” He stood up from the couch, set the yearbook down, and quietly left the room.
    Chris left his seat and walked over to the window. “You’ll have to excuse Steve. He doesn’t understand what it feels like to work for something.”
    The window overlooked the front yard. He pulled the curtain away enough to look out with one eye. The streetlights lit the dead-end road dimly. Way off in the distance, the fire hydrant continued gushing water into the air. He could see a few of the undead wandering aimlessly in the distance. Had his plan not worked, the dead would have surely made their way back to the house by now. He felt relieved. As long as they stayed hidden, they might have a chance.
    He thought of his parents, hoping like hell that they had found a way to survive too. He imagined them safely locked away at home in Tennessee, and hoped they were thinking of him and his safety. He wanted to talk to them so badly; he wanted to go home.
    Over the last several years, home had been mostly just a memory. He missed out on many family events. His mom and dad’s thirtieth anniversary, both of their retirement parties, and even last Thanksgiving’s family reunion, which only happened once every four years. He wished he could relive it all over and spend more time with them rather than being on tour so much. He loved music and the road, but now felt like he had missed out on what really mattered.
    “Four.”
    “What?”
    “It was the four year degree, not the two year program,” Stephanie said.
    “Man, that does suck.” Chris stepped away from the window and made his way around the room looking at the family photos and various art pieces that hung among them. “Is this one you?” Chris pointed to a young lady and an older man dressed up from the Civil War era. The man wore a confederate soldier uniform and carried a sword. The young lady stood wearing a long puffed out dress with lots of frill and lace. Chris had seen pictures like those before. It was a gimmick used to sell photos at carnivals and theme parks. Chris had never taken one himself, but