Bumbly's Book

"Zombie Line"

𝔸𝕌𝕋ℍ𝕆ℝ: @chimchimicorn

ℙℝ𝕆𝕄ℙ𝕋: start the story with "In this town, the dead didn't stay dead."

𝔸𝕌𝕋ℍ𝕆ℝ'𝕊 ℕ𝕆𝕋𝔼: I thought I'd join in too. This is just a chapter, I don't know whether to continue it or not, let me know!

ℤ𝕆𝕄𝔹𝕀𝔼 𝕃𝕀ℕ𝔼

In this town, the dead didn't stay dead. And it was my job to get them processed and matched to their mentors.

"Braiiinnnssss" the newly risen zombie in front of me groaned, reaching through the bars that went over the front of my booth.

I sighed, flipping through my paperwork.

"You must be Jeon Jungkook," I said, double checking the name tag that was put on him when he died, "You're not due to rise yet, why so early?"

"Braaiinnssss" He hissed at me again, still reaching through the bars.

I sighed, spinning on my chair to find his file in the cabinet.

"Your mentor might not even be ready," I said, finding the file and pulling it out, "You're up three days early,"

I turned back to him and looked out of the barred hatch. He was already boxed in with tall wooden fences on each side and a locked iron gate behind him. Each side of the fence had a hatch that opened into a barred window, a bit like my one. Once a person rose from their place of temporary rest, they were carefully herded to the processing box - where I was.

Zombie bites were not contagious, but they hurt a lot and could leave you missing bits of flesh. You could also get an infection because the human mouth was absolutely disgusting.

"Okay," I sighed, placing the file on my desk. I knew that the zombie in front of me couldn't understand me yet, but I liked to talk to them to help keep me sane. Besides, in an hour or so he would start to act human again, as long as his mentor brought him a brain to feast on.

"So," I muttered as I ran my finger down the page, "Who is your- ah, Mr Kim Seokjin," I looked up at the zombie as I reached for the phone, "One of the best mentors in town, you're lucky,"

I dialed the zombie line as we called it and it was answered by a smooth male voice.

"Zombie Mentors, Mentors who are the risen, for the risen,"

"Hi Namjoon," I greeted. He was a zombie that had risen a year or so ago. I remembered processing him vividly. He bit me.

"Oh, Bee, hello," He always sounded unsure of himself when he spoke to me. I know he hated to see me as he was reminded of what he had done by the huge scar on my wrist, "Do you have a freshly risen?"

"I do," I said, "A Mr Jeon Jungkook. His mentor is listed as Seokjin,"

"Mr Kim is still with his client," Came the reply, "He failed the domesticity test and has to spend another week with Mr Kim. I can send another?"

"Please," I answered, "I'm nearly done with processing, so they need to come urgently,"

"They will be with you in ten. Have a nice day,"

Namjoon hung up before I could say goodbye, and I put the phone down and returned my attention to Jeon Jungkook.

"Okay, so you will be staying in room four of rehabilitation block two. As you have no history of violence or criminal activity, including drug use, you get a yellow card immediately. Once you have a green card, you will not need your mentor to be with you when you leave your block. When you pass the second test, you will receive a blue identification card and will not need a mentor any more, okay?"

"Braiinnnssssss!!"

"Great," I said, putting some leaflets and information in his welcome back to life pack. There was also a little vial with brain paste in it as a taster for some brain brand. This one was apparently cow, but it didn't look appealing to me so I didn't care.

I also got a new yellow card and lanyard out of the drawer and attached his identification - picture, name, room and block number and identity number - behind the card.

The only thing left to do was for the mentor to feed him, put his own details on the card and sign the zombie out.

A moment after I had finished, there was a knock on the closed hatch of my second window.

I opened it up to reveal a young man, maybe not much older than the zombie at the bars. He had thick, dyed red hair with a set of thin rimmed round glassed perched on his nose. His eyes were dark, his skin was pale and his lips were plump. He had his ears pierced in multiple places and he was wearing a nice suit.

"Can I help?" I asked, trying to stop myself from oggling the man.

"I'm Park Jimin," He said with a smile, lifting the gold card that was on a blue lanyard around his neck, "I'm here to pick up my ward,"

My eyes widened. A gold card?! I had never even seen one in real life. This guy was one of the original zombies. But he looked completely human.... completely beautiful.

"Um," He shifted uncomfortably, "I was sent to cover for Kim Seokjin,"

"There's no way that you're a zombie!" I blurted, hating myself for saying it out loud, "You're too... You're not a zombie!"

He smiled a little at me, "Actually, I think the politically correct word for when talking to one of us is risen, not zombie. I don't mind, either way, though,"

I gaped at him and he lifted a plastic bag in his hand, "Can I give the newly risen something to help him begin his journey back to sanity?"

I cleared my throat, embarrassed, "You can pass it through the hatch in the fence, and then you need to fill out some paperwork for me,"

He smiled at me, "Of course," Turning to the fence, he spoke again, "I hope he likes sheep brain,"