Zombie Invasion

  * * *

  Collin and company knew nothing of this. Before them stood toy soldiers with scattered civilians nearby. He picked out a not-so-gruesome dead soldier and knelt between it and a civilian, to have his picture taken. He believed the civilian to be a terrorist, killed by a mighty military. It would make a great story, perhaps a movie. Collin never once stopped to wonder why the soldiers were green and immobile. He thought only of his reward.

  “Hey! Get away from that soldier!”

  Collin turned to the voice. A group of soldiers were rushing their way. He hadn’t heard their chopper land. “What?”

  Their leader stood before Collin. “This is a secured site under Homeland Security. Turn over all cameras, phones, and recording devices and electronics to these men.” He motioned to his left.

  Collin rose. “What authority do you have to take our instruments? This area is not under the Office of Homeland Security. This is a National Park.”

  The Captain tilted his head. At that, every soldier under his command aimed their weapons at Collin and his party. Collin raised his hands in surrender. He nodded to his team and they put their instruments down and raised their hands as well. Soldiers filtered among them, confiscating all electronics. When done, they began searching each man.

  Suddenly, an eerie sound was heard. They turned a collective head to their right. Zombie Janey was on the move. She leaped from a great distance to stand before the men. They were immobile, unsure of what to do. Her face was that of the classic zombie of horror movies. Zombie Janey had yellow crooked teeth, drool from her mouth, and large red eyes with gashes around her face and neck. She howled.

  The men turned to flee. As they did, the soldiers who had been statues moments before, sprang to life with the same eerie howl Zombie Janey gave. The first man, in his effort to get away from Zombie Janey, fell into the clutches of a waiting zombie soldier. The zombie bit into his neck and pulled. The man’s arms fell to his sides and his feet went stiff, then dangled as the zombie soldier lifted him high in the air to take bite after bite of his delicious meal.

  The remaining group tried going back the other way. Zombie Janey got the first, a soldier. Her strength was unbelievable. She lifted the man who was at least a foot taller than her in the air with little difficulty. As he flailed against her arms, she gave what may have been a laugh, then brought him in to her and clamped her mouth at his throat. Blood gushed as he kept up his resistance, but it was to no avail. Moments later, she gently laid him to the ground to make a meal of him.

  Zombies leaped around the others. A few brave soldiers got off shots. The zombie squad moved in for the kill, leaping on a close group of men who faced an unimaginable horror. Only zombie groans could be heard as they feasted. When done, the zombie who moments earlier had been the captain of an elite fighting force, somehow remained in charge. He howled and pointed. “There,” he said in a metallic, strained voice. He ran forward and they moved as a zombie unit, toward the distant buildings.