Blackstone

A Run in the Park

            Everything's better with Zombies, I thought as I ran for my life. I tore off the gravel path and dashed into the trees that surround the Jackie O' Res, the howls of the Z Gang right on my heels.

            Leaves crunched under my feet. I dodged low lying branches. My heart pounded in my chest and my hot breath steamed into the chill November night. Say what you want about Zombies, but they always give you a good workout.

            I glanced back at my pursuers. The lead zombie, a skuzzy looking dude in a filthy New York Giants football jersey, hooted with glee and stepped up his pace. Behind him, the rest of his friends shouted with blood lust, eager to chase me down and begin the feast.

            I ran into the densely wooded section of the park known as the Ramble. I needed to be under cover where nobody could see me unleash the Wend. I needn't have worried. Nobody came in the park after dark anymore mostly because of the Z Gangs and this one behind me was the worst of the bunch. Even the cops were afraid of them. All right, I'd gotten enough exercise for the night. Time to get down to business.

            I leaped up, grabbed a low lying branch and swung up into a tall oak tree. Gathering my breath, I perched on a sturdy branch and watched the zombies approach.

            They ran up, a mess of crazed energy and rotting flesh. I wrinkled my nose in disgust as a foul stench wafted up to me. It reminded me of rotting eggs and an open sewer.

            Lead Zombie quieted down his gang and gazed up at me. He grinned. I noticed that he had filed his two front teeth into fangs.

            "Hey, hey, little girl. Don't you know it's dangerous to be in the park all by yourself," he said.     

            "I heard something about that on the news. Would you gentlemen be so kind as to walk a lady home," I answered him in my most innocent sounding voice.

            The gang roared with laughter. The leader motioned for order.

            "Sure. Sure, we'll be happy to escort you home. Why don't you just come down."

            I stroked my chin with my hand and made a big show of pretending to puzzle it over.

            "Okay," I said and jumped out of the tree.

            This took them by surprise. I had about two seconds before they attacked. It was all I needed.

            I reached down inside me and summoned the Dark Power. It rose from its slumber, eager to be free, excited to be let loose into the world.

            An Arctic wind blasted through the trees and the temperature instantly dropped twenty degrees. The zombies looked around in alarm. This wasn't part of the game plan.

            I shrieked a banshee cry of rage as the Dark Energy of the Wend filled every cell of my body. I dropped into a fighting crouch.

            "Kill that bitch. Now!" the zombie leader ordered.

            Two zombie goons rushed me.

            I was planning on breaking in a new fighting style tonight but sometimes it's best to go with the classics. I went to work with some basic Kung Fu.

            I dropped to the ground and nailed the lead zombie with a spinning leg sweep. The Dark Power disintegrated every atom in his lower body. His legs vanished and with a shocked grunt, legless zombie flew over me.

            Without breaking momentum, I leaped up and zapped zombie #2 with a full on Dark Matter crane kick that split his body in two. Two halves of very confused zombie ran past me and flopped to the ground.

            The zombie leader looked at me with shock. The rest of his gang backed off and fled into the trees.

            "What the hell are you?"

            I looked at my watch, "Late. My Uncle is going to kill me."

            "You should see what I'm gonna do," he said and rushed me with a roar of fury.  

            It was late and I was tired of messing around. Zombies, when it came down to it, were stupid, unimaginative fighters. Give me a pack of werewolves any day.

            Zombie leader dove at me with a flying tackle. I dodged and watched him tumble onto the ground. I strolled over and picked the zombie up by his filthy Giants jersey and hoisted him into the air. Cold wind blew around us. Leaves swirled in a violent circle. I saw ribbons of Dark Energy dancing among them.

            Looking into the zombie's rotting face, I saw scared brown eyes filled with fear. Lead zombie, for all his tough talk, was only a few years older than me.

            "Please, don't kill me. Please," he begged.

            The Dark Power built in me. There was no going back now. The Wend demanded its sacrifice and I must obey.  

            "I'm sorry, but you're already dead," I said and plunged both hands into his chest.

            He shrieked with pain and fear. I blocked out his cries and placed myself deep within my secret fortress: the place that Mary taught me to go when the Wend came as close to freedom as we would allow it. I locked myself within its high battlements and waited for the feeding to be over.

            My eyes snapped open. I glanced at my watch. Only seconds had passed. In my hands, I clutched the zombie's filthy Giants jersey.

            I tossed the jersey into the bushes. Just then my phone vibrated. I flipped it open to see a quick text from Joey: Done???

            I smiled. Joey always added three question marks whenever he was nervous. I shot back a quick response letting him know I was on my way, slipped my phone back into my pocket and jogged back down the trail that led out of the park.

To Be Continued

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