up and said, “All right. Now gimme yer hands.”
“Not yet,” she said, extracting a compact mirror from her bag. “I have to say good-bye to someone first.”
She clicked open the compact and stared at her reflection. Zack and Rice exchanged uncertain looks.
“Well, face, we’ve had some pretty awesome times. I can’t believe it’s over so soon.”
Rice leaned over and whispered to Zack as Madison said farewell to each one of her facial features individually.
“Is this normal?” Rice asked.
“I don’t really know,” Zack said. “She is pretty conceited.”
“Yeah, but Greg started acting kind of demented just before he went zombie.”
“That’s a good point.”
“Goodbye, chin…” Madison finished her vale-diction to her face and frowned, pouting her lips and raising her eyebrows.
CHAPTER 18
“W e’re not taking any chances.” Rice said. “Time to tape up those hands, Madison.”
“Not too tight, Rice.” Madison held out her wrists.
Zack walked away, kicking the dirt. “What are we going to do now?” he asked. “We’re stranded, and probably doomed to become zombies, too.”
“We’re not stranded,” Rice said, pointing to the truck.
“Oh yeah, I forgot we have a truck that we don’t have the keys to. And even if we did, we couldn’t drive it ’cuz we’re too freakin’ short. Face it, Rice. We’re toast.”
“Oh, quit your whining, you big baby,” Rice said, puffing out his chest. “First we go take care of zombie Greg and then we gotta find those keys.” He snatched the duct tape and snagged the line of rope attached to his pack.
They jogged over to where zombie Greg lay on the ground in a contorted slump. “He looks like the same old Greg, doesn’t he?” Zack asked. Except for a few open sores around his forehead and under his eye, Greg looked relatively normal.
“I guess so,” Rice said. “But give him a chance to really zombify.” They bent down and sorted out the sideways corpse till Greg’s body was flat on its back. “This would be so much easier if you had just brained him.”
“I couldn’t do that,” Zack said.
“I know, the vegan would have freaked,” Rice said. “And besides, Greg will make a great specimen.”
“All right, Rice,” said Zack, picking up Greg’s legs. “Wrap him up.”
Rice cranked the duct tape around and around. Next they taped Greg’s knees, then finished with the wrists.
“Nice work,” Zack said. Now they turned around toface the mausoleum, and Rice scoped out the massive fallen creature for the first time.
“That is one magnificent zombie, dude,” Rice proclaimed.
“Those keys have to be on him somewhere.” Zack stepped up and poked the zombie with the baseball bat, rocking it slightly. He heard the metallic jangle of a key chain. Underneath the hip of the sleeping monster, the key ring was fastened to a belt loop. “There,” Zack cried. “Reach under and get them!”
“No way,” Rice said. “I’m not touching that thing bare-handed. I could have microscopic cuts on my hand, and then the slime could infect me—”
“Hurry!” Zack said. “Before he wakes up!” He shoved the baseball bat underneath the zombie and lifted the handle upward so that Rice could reach the belt loop.
Rice wormed his hands under the swampy, diseased flesh and unhooked the keys, grimacing the whole time.
“Okay, got ’em.” Rice gagged, diving away with a jangly clink. He stood up and whipped the key chain at his friend. “You happy now?” The Louisville Sluggerwas now gloppy with zombie pus, and Zack whipped a glob in Rice’s direction.
“I hope you’re satisfied,” Rice said, and wiped his hand on Zack’s shirt.
“Whatever, man, let’s just take care of Greg and get out of here.”
They stooped over zombie Greg, and Zack wiped the Slugger clean on Greg’s soccer jersey.
“Shoot, how are we gonna carry him?” Zack asked.
“Here,” Rice said, and uncoiled the rope. He threaded it between
“Not yet,” she said, extracting a compact mirror from her bag. “I have to say good-bye to someone first.”
She clicked open the compact and stared at her reflection. Zack and Rice exchanged uncertain looks.
“Well, face, we’ve had some pretty awesome times. I can’t believe it’s over so soon.”
Rice leaned over and whispered to Zack as Madison said farewell to each one of her facial features individually.
“Is this normal?” Rice asked.
“I don’t really know,” Zack said. “She is pretty conceited.”
“Yeah, but Greg started acting kind of demented just before he went zombie.”
“That’s a good point.”
“Goodbye, chin…” Madison finished her vale-diction to her face and frowned, pouting her lips and raising her eyebrows.
CHAPTER 18
“W e’re not taking any chances.” Rice said. “Time to tape up those hands, Madison.”
“Not too tight, Rice.” Madison held out her wrists.
Zack walked away, kicking the dirt. “What are we going to do now?” he asked. “We’re stranded, and probably doomed to become zombies, too.”
“We’re not stranded,” Rice said, pointing to the truck.
“Oh yeah, I forgot we have a truck that we don’t have the keys to. And even if we did, we couldn’t drive it ’cuz we’re too freakin’ short. Face it, Rice. We’re toast.”
“Oh, quit your whining, you big baby,” Rice said, puffing out his chest. “First we go take care of zombie Greg and then we gotta find those keys.” He snatched the duct tape and snagged the line of rope attached to his pack.
They jogged over to where zombie Greg lay on the ground in a contorted slump. “He looks like the same old Greg, doesn’t he?” Zack asked. Except for a few open sores around his forehead and under his eye, Greg looked relatively normal.
“I guess so,” Rice said. “But give him a chance to really zombify.” They bent down and sorted out the sideways corpse till Greg’s body was flat on its back. “This would be so much easier if you had just brained him.”
“I couldn’t do that,” Zack said.
“I know, the vegan would have freaked,” Rice said. “And besides, Greg will make a great specimen.”
“All right, Rice,” said Zack, picking up Greg’s legs. “Wrap him up.”
Rice cranked the duct tape around and around. Next they taped Greg’s knees, then finished with the wrists.
“Nice work,” Zack said. Now they turned around toface the mausoleum, and Rice scoped out the massive fallen creature for the first time.
“That is one magnificent zombie, dude,” Rice proclaimed.
“Those keys have to be on him somewhere.” Zack stepped up and poked the zombie with the baseball bat, rocking it slightly. He heard the metallic jangle of a key chain. Underneath the hip of the sleeping monster, the key ring was fastened to a belt loop. “There,” Zack cried. “Reach under and get them!”
“No way,” Rice said. “I’m not touching that thing bare-handed. I could have microscopic cuts on my hand, and then the slime could infect me—”
“Hurry!” Zack said. “Before he wakes up!” He shoved the baseball bat underneath the zombie and lifted the handle upward so that Rice could reach the belt loop.
Rice wormed his hands under the swampy, diseased flesh and unhooked the keys, grimacing the whole time.
“Okay, got ’em.” Rice gagged, diving away with a jangly clink. He stood up and whipped the key chain at his friend. “You happy now?” The Louisville Sluggerwas now gloppy with zombie pus, and Zack whipped a glob in Rice’s direction.
“I hope you’re satisfied,” Rice said, and wiped his hand on Zack’s shirt.
“Whatever, man, let’s just take care of Greg and get out of here.”
They stooped over zombie Greg, and Zack wiped the Slugger clean on Greg’s soccer jersey.
“Shoot, how are we gonna carry him?” Zack asked.
“Here,” Rice said, and uncoiled the rope. He threaded it between
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