Zombi

Chapter 1-Responsibility.

Author's very IMPORTANT message that must be READ and NOT just GLANCED over: Did the screaming of important, read, not, and glanced catch your eye? Excellent. I had this idea ricocheting around in my head, and just typed it up. Not really positive where to go from here though. Oh my goodness my dog is so cute sleeping on a towel. Uh, anyway this isn't a zombie, survival, apocalypse, The Walking Dead, kind of story. Those are as boring as the bible. I mean, have you ever finished that book? Me neither. Love to know what you think.

I sat, watching the cars roll slowly by, waiting. My little sister sat in the seat next to me, hugging her purple book bag to her chest while she stared out the window. I took a swig of ice cold water from a plastic cup with a lid, the kind used to hold coffee. But I don't like coffee. Actually, the more I think about it, the more I'm convinced it's just an oversized sippy cup.

There was a sharp rap on the glass. I looked up and saw a girl staring at me through the window. She looked like one of those women in old priceless paintings from the renaissance, with the classical figure and long wavy strands of black hair framing her oval face. Two boys flanked her, one taller than me (I'm over six feet), and the other a couple inches shorter than her. Both of them had floppy blond hair, with long thin faces and bright blue eyes. They were lean and pale too, all sharp angles and crooked smiles.

The boy on the left jerked the back door's handle, his eyebrows screwed together and a scowl on his face. The tall one looked at him and shook his head. His little brother was obviously a lost cause.

I unlocked the doors. The girl, my cousin, smiled cheekily at me and followed the short boy into the car. He climbed into the back, dumping his black backpack on the floor between his legs. The opposite door opened, and a smaller, flatter version of my cousin climbed in, her long braid falling across her shoulder. The tall boy followed her and sat in the seat behind Aimee. My little sister craned her head around and smiled brightly at them. Her book bag slipped onto the floor spilling folders and crayons.

They're all my cousins, to put things in context. I pick them up from school most days, after my shift is over. Dreaux was the tall blond guy, calm and mature for sixteen, but that's expected when his little brother Chandler is a pain in the ass. Venus was the girl with the dark hair and sloe eyes. Paxton is a smaller, quieter version of her older sister, and often babysits Aimee when I'm busy.

"Can you drop us off at Ivy's?" Dreaux asked. "Belle wants Chandler and I to do inventory."

"Sure. It's on the way. Do I need to pick you up?"

"No, but thanks."

I drove down Main Street, past old brick-faced buildings with colorful trim and brass lights. The window displays showed mannequins in tea-length dresses and dusty, vintage guitars. I shook my head as I parked the car in front of my Aunts' antique store, the window piled with baubles and porcelain dolls and fine blue china. I'd been around Venus too long, now I knew what tea-length dresses were.

Aunt Ivy must have been waiting, because she burst out of the door as soon as I killed the engine, her colorful scarf flapping in the breeze. Aunt Belle followed at a more leisurely pace.

Dreaux opened his door and stepped out on long legs. He let his mother take hold of his head, drag it down and plant a kiss on the top. Chandler climbed out after him. He squirmed away when his mother kissed his crown, but Dreaux seemed slightly amused.

Aunt Belle tapped on my window with one fingernail. Her light brown hair was graying at the temples.

I rolled it down and leaned out. She kissed my forehead, the way my family greets each other, and smiled, scrunching up the crinkles around her eyes.