Zombies Come In All Shapes and Sizes by Julie Johnson

Author:Julie Johnson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Zombies, short story, collection, suspense, humour, young adult
Publisher: Julie Johnson
Published: 2020-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

RETRACING OUR STEPS proved that we actually hadn’t run very far. We were closer to the backyard than I’d thought. In mere moments, we were there, standing at the edge of the woods, an unkempt yard in front of us, the long grass silver in the moonlight.

We kept to the edge, alert, with weapons at the ready.

My eyes scanned the scene, looking for any twitch or hint of movement. Nothing. Even the breeze had stilled.

Silence.

Not even the crickets were chirping. No animal rustlings. No owls hooting. Not a sound.

Total silence.

The house was creepier looking that I remembered, but when I’d first seen it, it had merely been a prop to an event. We had come on this tour intending to be scared, intending to ‘fight’ off ‘the zombie hoards’ with paint balls, laughing while we were screaming.

Driving up the front drive in the Zombie Tour van at twilight, I’d thought immediately of the iconic house in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. This house was the same grey and loomed over its environment with the same hunch, like a vulture leaning over its prey.

I didn’t see Jay anywhere.

I was about to suggest leaving and getting the heck out of there, when we heard a low moan off in the distance.

“Around front,” Jeanette whispered. “Maybe he went out the front door.”

Yeah. Maybe.

And maybe they were gathered in the front yard, mouths gummy in anticipation, just waiting for their food to show up.

But Jeanette was determined to be thorough. She motioned for me to go forward, so I did, slowly, inching forward bit by bit, as soundlessly as possible. Every slight scuffing sound my shoes made in the grass caused me to cringe—.

We came around the side, necks craned to see into the front.

Finally, it all became clear in the white moonlight: the long dirt drive that went for miles and miles, the white Zombie Tour Van parked in the circular drive, the creaky porch steps leading up to a front door I never, never wanted to enter again—.

Wait a minute! I thought. The van.

The van!

I hadn’t considered the van. I recalled how the driver had pulled up, wished us a thrilling time. Then he’d parked.

And there it was.

I wondered if the keys were in it.

Could we drive it away?

The moan came again, louder this time.

It came from the van.

I shared a look with Jeanette. Could it be Jay? Or maybe it was the driver? Were we going to chance a look?

She started forward. I couldn’t let her go alone (nor did I want to be left alone) so I went with her, trying again to be-oh-so-quiet. My shoes crunched on dirt and gravel.

We got close enough to see that there was no one in the front seat. But what about the back seat? It was too much in shadow to see it through the front windshield. We circled around the van, keen to take one, last, closer look.

The sliding side door was open. Someone’s legs hung out over the edge. We saw dark jeans; sneakers.

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