mystery man of sweet apple acres

the only chapter

"Applejack, help! There's a zombie!" Apple Bloom yelled, running up to her sister.

"Apple Bloom, ya know I don't have time for stories, not in this heat. It's almost 100°F out and I still have zap apples to pick," Applejack replied.

"Applejack, please. I ain't lying. Please, just trust me."

Applejack sighed. "Alright, Bloom, I'll come see your 'zombie'. But if this is a trick you and your friends decided to pull, you'll be going to bed without supper and you won't be going swimming at the lake with your friends later."

Apple Bloom nodded and walked into the orchard.

"Wait. I'll be right back. Just wait here." She walked back to the house and grabbed the 45-snub nose revolver she kept in her room for emergencies - after all, there were a few times Timberwolves ended up wandering the orchard, making trouble. At one point in the past there was a break-in. So she always kept it nearby. She made sure it was loaded and walked back outside.

"Alright, Bloom. Where did you see this zombie?" Applejack holstered her gun.

Apple Bloom motioned Applejack to follow her.

             ----------

About 15 minutes of walking, Apple Bloom said, "It was around here when I saw it."

So Applejack looked around after a few minutes. She got tired of looking and was about to lecture her younger sister when she heard a groan. It sounded like it was a few wards away. She followed the sound, Apple Bloom following closely behind.

After about 10 more minutes of walking, Applejack turned a corner and her eyes went wide. Her sister wasn't lying. "Bloom, stay back here and hide while I'll go check it out."

Apple Bloom hid behind a nearby tree. Her sister walked forward, drawing her gun.

Applejack felt sick just by looking at it. Its skin was black and its clothes were tattered and falling apart. It looked like a walking skeleton. It didn't seem to notice that anyone was there and was busy pushing against one of the trees, 'saying' something and seemingly trying to knock some zap apples down.

"Hey!" Applejack shouted. It looked at her for a few seconds then went back to pushing against the tree. An apple fell off it. Once it hit the ground, the zombie staggered towards the fallen fruit, fumbled to pick it up and tried to eat it with no success.

Applejack's eyes went wide as she realized this might not be a zombie, but a living person. She backed off to where Apple Bloom was. "Bloom, I want you to do me a favor and go get a jar of applesauce from the pantry. A big bowl. And some of Granny's sleeping medicine. Then come back here. I know this sounds strange, but I need you to do this for me."

Apple Bloom nodded and ran off towards the house.

               ---------

Within half an hour, she was back with the supplies. "Good job, Bloom. And thanks for being quick as well. Now ,to mix this all up," Applejack then crushed several of the sleeping pills into the applesauce and poured the mixture into the bowl.

"What are you going to do with all of this?"

"I don't think this is a zombie. I got its attention and it didn't seem to be interested in me. It was more interested in the apples. So I'm going to feed it. If it falls asleep, then we know it's not a zombie." Applejack walked forward, bowl in hamd and she set it nearby. She then backed off and got its attention again once.

The creature saw the bowl and staggered towards it, repeatedly 'saying' something different this time. What it was, Applejack didn't know. It scooped the food out with its blackened hands, eating sloppily. When it was done, it staggered away. Less than a minute later, it collapsed and stopped moving.