Author M.M. Shelley

          Elodie watched unable to move as Fernie began changing into a Zombie. She desperately tried to make eye contact with Orlando. After a moment of willing him to look in her direction, their eyes locked. Taking a hair pin from the folds of her hair, she used the distraction to unlock the collar around her neck. She did not remove it, leaving it on to create the illusion that she was still under Maxwell’s hold.           Orlando didn’t know what to do about Fernie. He could see that Fernie was fighting the change. There had to be something that he could do to help him. He felt compelled to look in Elodie’s direction. He watched as she undid the lock on the collar. He hoped she had a plan, for he certainly didn’t.           “Maxwell,” she called out to him so that she could be heard over Fernies agonized shouts. “You’ve lost your mind.”  ...

          Ruben silently stared at Orlando who, after revealing what had happened with Elodie, knelt back down to his grandfather’s side to check on him. His grandfather had been injected with Zombie blood. It meant it was only a matter of time before his grandfather died.           “Is he going to be okay? What can we do for him?” Orlando asked Fernie.           Looking directly at Orlando , Fernie said, “There is nothing I can do for him.” Orlando did not like hearing that. He would not take that as the final word. “Maybe if we get a hold on Maxwell, we can make him give us a cure. He must have one!” “Dude, I don’t care about your grandfather. My sister is gone! We should be focusing on getting her back. Who knows what Maxwell will do to her?” Orlando rose back to his feet, “My grandfather is dying.” Fernie’s gaze traveled between Orlando and Ruben....

          The shooting lights were turning people into Zombies. Orlando didn’t think such a thing was possible. It couldn’t be.           Fernie remained quiet as they tracked the two remaining Zombies. Most of the Zombies had fled the scene looking for prey elsewhere. Orlando, Ruben and Fernie had tracked and killed all but two. They were easy to locate. Just listen for the screams of their victims.           Orlando looked back at Ruben who was bringing up the rear. He looked troubled.           “What’s wrong?” Orlando asked coming to a stop.           “Keep quiet,” Fernie answered. He looked irritated. “Keep moving. We have a lot to do tonight.”           Fernie took the lead, Orlando held back waiting for Ruben. “...

            They traveled down the 5 FWY, it was late Orlando wasn’t sure if he was doing the right thing. Nothing seemed to be right any more. The last few days were one surprise after the next. No one was who they claimed to be. Orlando was not even sure if he could trust Ruben. He had just met the guy. He said he got those bruises from a Zombie but he could be lying to him about it. Ruben was working for Maxwell.           Orlando was not going to worry about it. He would see how things played out once they reached Tijuana . But first he had to make a quick stop. He had to meet Fernie in San Diego ; the map that had appeared on the back of Orlando ’s bedroom door had an address in the Gaslamp Quarter.           They rode up to a hotel, the Horton Grand Hotel .           Ruben looked up at the ...

         He didn’t know what to do. Did Orlando share with his grandfather what he had learned about Maxwell? What about Ruben? Did he know what Maxwell had been doing all along? Orlando stood in the center of the camp. His hands rested on his hips. He heard Fernie step out of the tent. He did not look up as Fernie said, “He left things here. His notes and some of the magik fix.”           “I thought he hated Zombies, why would he make them?” Orlando bent down to look into the dying blue flames of the pit. “His own father became a Zombie.”           “Didn’t you wonder how he became a Zombie?”           The ‘how’ didn’t matter to Orlando . “Did he get bit or something?”           “Getting bit doesn’t turn you into a Zombie. It’s this stuff right here.” Fernie held up a...

            Orlando found himself in some sort of park. There were old trains lined up sitting on railroad tracks. Balloons were tied to a post near a caboose. There were several benches and tables scattered about the area in a random pattern. A building had a sign affixed above double doors. ‘ Travel Town U.S.A. ’           “Hey!” Orlando shouted. ‘Where did Fernie go? Why had he even brought him to this place?’           A dark shadow began to form before Orlando . The shadow bubbled, pushed out towards Orlando who carefully backed away not sure what it was. The shadow shot down towards the ground formed a dark pool and slowly rose to form Fernie.           “We can talk here. There is no one around for miles,” Fernie said.           “Why did you bring...