Free Zombies! Episode 1 - Shawn of the Dead by Ivan Turner

Zombies! Episode 1 - Shawn of the Dead
    Smashwords Edition
     
    Copyright 2010 by Ivan Turner
     
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    ***
     
    SHAWN was already packed and ready
when the bell rang. Then he was out the door and heading for the
staircase without looking back. It wasn't as if he didn't like Mr.
Arrick or his class. There was something about classic literature
that actually appealed to him. And learning it from a Scottish guy
seemed to make it more real. But the school day was long and he had
to be home before five o'clock, which gave him very little time to
spend with Marcus.
     
    Shawn thundered down the stairs before most
of the other classrooms had spilled their occupants out into the
hallways. That was the way he thought about it, the time of passing
between classes. After eating so many students, the classrooms
finally got sick and puked up the contents of their stomachs . When meant that everyone in the school, Shawn
included, was just some disgusting vomitous chunk.
     
    He needed to spend less time coming up with
metaphors and more time thinking about Marcus.
     
    At twenty three, Marcus was five years older
than Shawn. That didn't really bother Shawn. He could do as he
pleased. He wasn't sure how it would sit with his parents, though.
Of course, the fact that he was dating a man would probably
overshadow the age difference in their eyes. His mom would be okay
with it, he knew. She was pretty open minded, having been taught
the lessons of hatred as a child. But his dad would blow a gasket. My son?! A queer?!
     
    Yeah, that wouldn't be so good.
     
    On the Brooklyn streets at last, Shawn made a
quick pace for the subway. It wouldn't do for him to be seen by his
friends, some of which may have skipped their last class and
waited. As it was, they would wonder what happened to him. If they
caught up to him, he'd never be able to get away. A simple lie
could go horribly wrong and he definitely couldn't tell them
the truth. He had an image to maintain. One that kept him
healthy.
     
    Once out of sight of the school, he began to
feel better. The train station was about six blocks away but it
only took two blocks to clear the area of delis and pizza and
Chinese places that the rest of the kids frequented. He was a
regular at the pizza place and waved to the guy behind the counter
as he passed. Shawn wondered if the guy owned the place. He
wondered if his hopes fell when Shawn walked by without stopping in
for a slice. Just how important was that two dollars and twenty
five cents?
     
    Three blocks from the school and three blocks
from the train station and Shawn quickened his pace again. It was
hot out, especially for a September day, but he'd be able to cool
off in the air conditioned subway car. He always missed the train
by seconds. Granted, he only had to wait about three or four
minutes for the next one, but that didn't do anything to dull the
frustration he felt when he'd hit stairs only to hear, Stand
clear of the closing doors, please from the platform below.
     
    Four blocks from the school and two blocks
from the train station and he saw the zombie.
     
    The sidewalk wasn't that busy but there was
always traffic moving through the streets. As soon as the zombie
came into view, Shawn was focused on it, though, and everything
else faded. Even thoughts of Marcus slipped away. It came shuffling
around the corner, close to the wall, still almost a full block
away. Shawn couldn't see its face and couldn't smell its odor and
yet he knew, he just knew what he was looking at.
     
    The