Zoey and the Zombies (A Mondamin Court Adventure)

Chapter Five #2

Des Moines, Iowa

Jessica found a parking spot a couple doors down from her house, in front of the Blackman's place. She glanced back at her home, a sense of frustration welling up inside her. She would have to talk to the boys again. It wasn't just having their shared drive blocked yet again, but now she had a trunk full of groceries to haul half a block. Jacob, in the seat next to her, climbed out the passenger side.

Philip Blackman had just pulled into his driveway behind her, and he was climbing out of his car. He wore a red sweater and blue jeans. He ran his hands over his shaved head and then waved to her.

Philip was a teacher at the high school, and Jessica hoped Jacob would have him when he was of age. Philip seemed like he loved his job, and his connection with his students was apparent.

Using humor was the key to breaking the ice with the kids, he had explained to Jessica and Michael at a street-wide barbecue last year. An African-American man teaching at a predominantly white school and bearing the name "Mr. Blackman" was a goldmine for jokes, he said with an easygoing laugh.

"Good afternoon, Jessica," he greeted her. He glanced down the road. "A problem?"

"The neighbor boys," she replied. "They have a steady stream of visitors. Someone parked on our side of the drive again. It's no biggie, except for these groceries." She opened the trunk then looked up. "Hey!" she shouted at Jacob's retreating back.

He turned and looked at her, brows raised. "What?"

"Get your butt back here and take a couple bags," she said.

Jacob sighed heavily.

"Oh my God!" Philip said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Expecting a kid to do chores? It's child abuse, I tell you."

Jacob shot him a look but came back dutifully and accepted a couple of bags from his mom. He plodded to the house, arms full.

"Allow me," Philip said, taking a handful of bags himself.

"Thanks." As they walked along the sidewalk, she said, "You look sad."

"Yeah," he admitted. "Had one of those painfully teachable moments today."

"Oh?"

"A student. Her uncle is in Miami somewhere. He's missing. There is so much violence there right now."

"I keep seeing stuff in the news about attacks. What's going on?"

"They think it's some new drug, something like bath salts."

"I never understood what bath salts are even. I mean, it's not like the stuff we put in our bath water, is it?"

"It's a scam," he said. "It's synthetic drugs. They give them labels like 'bath salts' or 'incense' to sell them legally for a short while. The authorities figure out they're really being used as drugs and pass some new law banning them. It's a never-ending game of cat and mouse between cops and bathtub chemists."

"Is that what's happening in Miami?"

"Some of those drugs trigger strong violent reactions in some people. It can make you act in ways that you wouldn't normally."

"Biting people?" Jessica wondered aloud. "Some of the attacks almost smack of cannibalism. I heard someone talking about some sort of death cult."

"Naw, some drugs trigger deep instinctual behaviors. Take PCP, for example. Some people exhibit animalistic behavior under the influence of that drug too," Philip explained.

"But why would anyone take something that made you act that way?" They had reached the porch. Jessica set her groceries down and fished for her front door key.

"There can be lots of reasons, but often it comes down to addiction," Philip said. "We discussed that for most of class. Sabrina's uncle is an addict, she said, but the idea that you would willingly take something that made you kill people, it shook her, most of them."

"Well, I am glad the kids have you," Jessica told him as she opened the front door and ushered Jacob inside. "They need guidance."

"It's part of being a teacher," he said. "A hard part, but an important one."

"And thanks so much for your help with the groceries."

"No problem. Thanks for letting me vent."

Thanks for reading!