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Chapter Text

Journal of Charles M. Brown

Date: Sunday, October 18

Day 8

            “It has been a week since the zombie outbreak happened in our town.  The whole city is filled with the living dead.  We had to go get supplies in teams so that we wouldn’t be overrun by zombies.  We’ve been lucky, thus far, but how much longer will our luck continue?  On top of that, our reluctant hostess hasn’t been so hospitable, at least to me.”

            “When will you be moving on, Charlie Brown?!”

            Violet was pretty much done with Charlie Brown being in her house, mainly because of her deep-seated hatred of him.  It had been a week since the zombie outbreak that had happened at Wallstone High.  Everyone was hunkered at Violet’s house, and while she was tolerant of most of the people, Charlie Brown, Sally, Snoopy, and Violette were uninvited, as far as she was concerned.

            “Goddammit, Violet, a zombie apocalypse is happening in our town right now, and all you care about is your personal vendetta against me?!” asked an incredulous Charlie Brown.  “Your eternal hatred for me is the least of our concerns right now.  We’re fighting for our survival!”

            “No, YOU are fighting for your survival!” Violet argued.

            “Oh, will you shut the fuck up, you pompous, self-righteous bitch!” growled Jasmine, Franklin’s girlfriend.  “Why DO you hate Charlie so damn much, anyway?!”

            “That’s not important right now,” said Violet, obviously dodging the subject.  “My daddy will be home anytime, and seeing all of you here will make him angry.”

            “Well after he sees a zombie outbreak in Sparkyville, I think he will understand, Violet,” Peppermint Patty retorted.

            “Where is your dad, Violet?” asked Sally.  “It’s been a week since the outbreak and he’s still MIA.”

            “He should be here any moment,” said Violet, trying to save face.

            “Maybe the zombies already got to him,” said Charlie Brown, half-joking.

            “YOU SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!!!” shrieked Violet.  “YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, IS THE LAST PERSON WHO NEEDS TO JOKE ABOUT MY DEAR OLD DADDY!!!”

            “I think you struck a nerve, Chuck,” said Peppermint Patty.

            “I know, Trish,” said Charlie Brown,, smiling.  “That’s the point!”  Turning back to Violet, he said, “But, seriously, Violet, I would like nothing more than to leave this hellhole and be nowhere near you, because, the hatred you have for me is very much mutual on my end, but this is a crisis beyond anyone’s control.  So, for now, get over your pettiness, shut the fuck up, and try to help with reinforcing your palace so those things don’t break in!  At least, until dear old dad shows up.”  And Charlie Brown got up and went to see what some of the others were up to.  Violet just huffed and went back to her bedroom and slammed the door.  Jasmine sighed.

            “How much longer do we have to stay with this bitch anyway?” she asked the others.

            “Hopefully not too long,” said Schroeder.  Turning to Frieda, he asked, “How are you even friends with someone as insufferable as Violet, babe?”

            “I know she has a hard exterior,” said Frieda.  “But, she’s a real softie on the inside.”

            “Frieda’s right,” added Patty.  “I’ve been best friends with her since childhood.  She can be nice; it’s just that she has a harder time getting it out.”

            “Well, her royal highness better get it out, or I’m about to wear her out!” retorted Jasmine.

            “Save some for me!” added Victoria, Heather’s girlfriend.

            “No doubt, girl!” laughed Jasmine, high-fiving Victoria.

            In another room, Charlie Brown sat down next to a sleeping Snoopy.  Violette walked in and joined them.  She kissed her boyfriend, but noticed his annoyed demeaner.

            “Everything okay, Charles?” she asked, concerned.

            “Yeah, just had some words with Violet,” Charlie Brown said.  “I just get so tired of her attitude towards me.  The shit’s getting old!”

            “She seems to have some issues, no?”

            “Oh yeah, that’s been established.  She won’t reveal what they are, though.  That’s what annoys me more than anything.  Why DOES she hate me so much, anyway?”  And Violette laid her head on Charlie Brown’s shoulder as they watched some movies on DVD.

NEXT CHAPTER: A TRIP FOR SUPPLIES TURNS INTO A BLOODBATH

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Sunday, October 18, 2:15 PM

            Franklin, Jasmine, Pig Pen, Schroeder, and Peppermint Patty were out getting more supplies for the house.  These included stuff for weaponry, food, wood to reinforce the Gray property.  The zombies had managed to not breach the fencing around the land, thus far, but all knew it would be only a matter of time before they’d find a hole.  The rest were back at the house keeping watch.

            There were only a few zombies out, so far.  And none of them even attempted to rush Franklin’s SUV as it drove through town.  Many of them were already munching on human flesh after they killed their victims.  Those who managed to survive being bit was turned into one of those things.  They found the first of their destinations, a hardware store.  After parking, Franklin was the first to exit the SUV.  He had his assault rifle ready, just in case.  After he looked around he gave the go-ahead.

            “All clear, guys,” he said.  “You know the drill.  In and out, quickly!”  And Schroeder, Jasmine, Pig Pen, and Peppermint Patty all exited the SUV.  Once inside the hardware store, they grabbed what they needed.  The place was abandoned and they didn’t run into any kind of trouble there.  Once they got all of their stuff, they left and went to the next place, a sporting goods store.  This time, Peppermint Patty got out and scouted the area.

            “We’re good here, guys,” she said to the others.  They all went and got some more armory and weapons.  Peppermint Patty also nabbed some freeze-dried camping meals, for emergency rations, just in case.  After leaving the sporting goods store, the last stop was a supermarket.  Schroeder took the lead on that one and looked around.

            “So far, so good, folks,” he said.  “Let’s go.”  And they all went inside to get some food for everyone.  They loaded up on canned goods and dog food for Snoopy, of course.  Pig Pen was in the freezer aisle grabbing some frozen food when a zombie appeared out of nowhere.

            “Shit!” he gasped.  The zombie managed to grab him, but luckily, Pig Pen had one of Franklin’s pistols on him.  He pulled it out and shot the zombie in the head, killing it, instantly.  The rest went where Pig Pen was.

            “You okay, man?” asked Franklin.

            “I’m good,” assured Pig Pen.  “Only a little scratch on my arm.  I’ll live.”

            “So, no bites then?” asked Peppermint Patty.

            “None,” said Pig Pen.

            “Let’s get the hell out of here before more of those things show up,” said Franklin.

            “I’m with you, baby,” added Jasmine.

            But, before they knew it, they were surrounded by a hoard of zombies, attracted to the gunfire from Pig Pen’s gun.  Everyone readied their weapons.

            “TAKE THEM OUT!!!” hollered Franklin.  And everyone started taking out the zombies one by one.  Schroeder aimed his bow and arrow at one and got him literally between the eyes.  The zombie fell instantly.  Jasmine fired on ten of them as they tried to get to her.  Luckily they moved slowly and she had time to blow them away.  Peppermint Patty beheaded quite a few zombies.  Their bodies fell, but their heads remain alive, until Pig Pen fired on each of the heads.  He also pulled out his nun chucks and knocked down some before shooting them in the head with the pistol.  And Franklin managed to wipe out a large number of them with his assault rifle.  Their heads literally exploded when the bullets hit.  After the carnage was done, the crew looked at each other.

            “How many were there?” asked Peppermint Patty.

            “About twenty or so,” Franklin answered.  “Let’s get back to Violet’s and assess the situation.”  And they headed back for the Gray Manor.

NEXT CHAPTER: FINN’S RESEARCH

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Gray Manor, 3 PM

            Inside a rarely used room, Finn was doing some testing on some blood that he collected from one of the zombies the gang killed during one of their excursions.  He wanted to see if there was some reason for the zombie outbreak and if there was a definitive cause.  He placed a droplet of the blood on a slide and placed the slide under a microscope.  He looked at the cells in the blood.  While he saw the normal blood cells and DNA anyone would encounter, he also discovered something else; something more alien.  It didn’t resemble a virus or even bacteria.  He went to find Charlie Brown to tell him his findings.

            Charlie Brown was with Violette watching TV.  Shermy was on watch at that moment, so Charlie had some time to relax.  Finn walked in the room.

            “Charles, do you have a moment?” he asked.

            “Sure, Finn,” he said.  “What’s up?”

            “I may have found what could be the cause of the zombie outbreak.  Could you come with me to my laboratory?”

            “Sure.  Excuse me for a moment, Violette.”

            “Oui, Charles,” said Violette.  And Charlie Brown went with Finn to the lab.  Once inside, Finn walked up to the microscope.

            “Take a look at this,” he said.  Charlie Brown did as instructed and looked at what Finn was observing.

            “What the hell is that stuff?” he asked.

            “It’s nothing organic, that for sure,” Finn answered.  “You see the normal cells.  The red blood cells, the white T-cells, mitochondria, the usual DNA, but then there’s this stuff that’s in it.  It’s not a virus, and it’s not bacteria.  I still need to analyze the sample blood I got from the zombie I extracted this from.”

            “Of course.”

            “If we’re thinking the same thing, Charles, this might be the thing that’s causing the zombies.  I need to do further research.”

            “Okay, Finn.  Keep me posted.”  And Charlie Brown left.  Once back in the hallway, Bruce approached him.

            “The others are back, Charlie Brown,” he said.  “Frank said they killed some more living dead freaks while gathering the rations at the last place they were at.”  And both teens went to see what had happened.

            “Everyone okay?” asked Charlie Brown.

            “We’re good, man,” said Franklin.  “No one bitten, though it was quite a struggle.”

            “Pig Pen got a little scratch on his arm from one of them, though,” added Peppermint Patty.

            “Let me see, dude,” said Charlie Brown.

            “It’s nothing, Charlie Brown, just a nick,” assured Pig Pen, who showed him the scratch that was less than a centimeter long.  Violet walked in, at that moment.

            “Pig Pen, you better not turn into one of those hideous things outside,” she warned.  “You never know what will happen.”

            “For once, I agree with Violet,” added Charlie Brown.  “You better have Finn check that out, just to be safe.  He’s in the lab right now.”

            “Okay, guys.”  And Pig Pen went to see Finn about his cut.

            “So, what were you guys able to pick up?” Charlie Brown asked.

            “We got some wood to reinforce the barrier between here and out there,” said Franklin.

            “We also got some more ammo and food,” added Schroeder.

            “We also got Snoopy his dogfood for you, Charlie,” said Jasmine.

            “Good,” said Charlie Brown, smiling.  Turning to Bruce, he said, “Go relieve Shermy, it’s your turn at watch, Bruce.”

            “You got it,” said Bruce.  And he left.  Violet stared at him as he walked away.

            “I actually trust you more than that Bruce kid, Charlie Brown,” she said.  “What do we know about him?  I know he was the new kid at school, but he never talked about where he came from or anything.”

            “I don’t know much about him either,” said Charlie Brown, “but he’s been helpful, so far.  If it’ll make you feel better, one of us will keep an eye on him.”

            “It would.”  And Charlie Brown and Violet parted ways.  He looked back at her and sighed.  He often wondered what he did to make her hate him so much.  He resigned to the possibility that he, or anyone else, would never know.  That secret she would take to her grave, as far as everyone was concerned.

NEXT CHAPTER: A CALM EVENING

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7:15 PM

            Lucy had emerged from her bedroom.  She pretty much had kept to herself all day.  She walked around the large house seeing what everyone was up to.  Franklin and Shermy were playing billiards, along with Snoopy and Peppermint Patty, Violet and Patty were having a chat about something.  She heard something about Violet not hearing from Marcel for about a week, but decided not to join in.  Finn was in the lab working, and Pig Pen was asleep in his bed.  Apparently he wasn’t feeling too good from the last trip out.  Her brother Rerun was watching some TV, along with Charlie Brown and Violette, but what saddened her was what she saw next, but had become a familiar scene.  Schroeder and Frieda were in the hot tub enjoying each other’s company.  They were kissing each other and making out hot and heavy.  It was only broken up when Heather and Victoria, also dressed in their bikinis, joined them.  Bruce was still on watch, as it were.  She found Sally on the patio nearby just staring out into space, ignoring the scene outside the fence where the zombies were still just milling about.  Lucy decided to join her.

            “How you doing, Sally?” she asked.

            “Been better,” Sally replied, flatly.

            “I understand.  We both lost our parents a week ago and we’re marooned here at Violet’s house.”

            “At least she likes you.  She hate me and especially Charlie.  Why is that?  What in the hell did we do to her to make her hate us so much?!”

            “Couldn’t tell you.  While we all made fun of your brother when we were kids, eventually Patty and even myself, kind of stopped when he actually started working on himself.  You know, when he finally accepted that he was a failure and that he failed at everything.  That’s when he started getting better, and not letting the insults get to him like they used to.  His baseball playing improved, he got stronger, he wasn’t second guessing himself anymore, he talked to girls he liked without getting flustered, just became a different Charlie Brown altogether.  But, for some reason, Violet continued to tease him, hate him, and just never stopped like Patty and I did.

            “That’s when we knew her hatred for him was more deep-rooted than we originally suspected.  Before we all thought it was because of his constant fuck-ups and everything, but once he started getting better at things, she still would not let up like we did.  It wasn’t just teasing him for fun with her like it was with us.  While she would laugh at a lot of his failures like we did, she truly hated him more than the worst politician who ever lived.  But, the sad thing is, she’s never shared with us why she hates him so much to this day, not even to Patty, and SHE’S her best friend!”

            “Goddamn!” said Sally.  “And I take it that hatred carried over to me ever since.”

            “Well, in the beginning she was a bit more lenient to you because of your age at the time, but when you got older, she lumped you in there with him, though she does admit, she doesn’t hate you more or less than your brother; it is equal.”

            “So, the reason of her hatred of us is still a mystery, eh?”

            “To everyone.  I think only God and she knows the answer.”

            “Anyway, enough about our hostess with an axe to grind.  What’s going on with you, Lucy?”

            “Well, just saw my former crush and best friend in the hot tub making out, and possibly close to bumping uglies until they were joined by your brother’s own former crush and her girlfriend.”

            “Yeah, once Heather said she was a lesbian, it actually made it easier for Charlie to be her friend.  It took the weight off of him knowing that she did like him, but not like that only because she was into girls.”

            “I’ll bet Double P was jumping for joy over that.”

            “She still would try to flirt and do reverse psychology on my brother, to no avail.  Had she been more direct with him, MAYBE she would have had a chance before Violette came over from France.”

            “Yeah, but I never had one with Schroeder.  Once I stopped with the marriage scenarios, he and I had gotten slightly better as friends, though I think I still annoyed him some.”

            “At least your crush is still here.  I don’t have anyone that likes me, or anyone I like.  Your brother was perfect.”

            “Okay, that one is up for debate, but I digress.”

            “I mean it.  He was one of the few people that was kind to Charlie, he often helped me out.  I just wished he would have felt the same for me as I did about him.”

            “Admittedly, I always thought you were perfect for him, but he never saw it that way.  You were his best friend’s sister and even if he had those feelings, I think he felt like he couldn’t jeopardize his friendship with your brother, which may be why he rebuffed you for so many years.”

            “Probably, but I still miss him.”

            “I do too, Sally.  I do too.”  And Lucy put her arm around Sally and continued to watch the sky.

            Elsewhere, Pig Pen was in his bed trying to sleep.  He was tossing and turning, but then got up.  He went to the bathroom and looked in the mirror.  He was shocked at his appearance.  His face looked pale.  He wasn’t as dusty and dirty as he was when he was a kid, but was still a grungy boy.  Not really dirty, just more or less unkempt.  He looked at that scratch he had gotten during the fight with the zombies.  It was the only area on him that wasn’t pale, as it had bruised pretty badly.  He went to see Finn in the lab.

            Finn was looking in his microscope at some of the blood that Pig Pen provided from his cut.  He had a look of concerned on his face.  Pig Pen entered the lab.

            “Finn, there’s something wrong with me!” he cried.

            “I’ll say it is,” agreed Finn.  “Look in here, Matthew.”  And Pig Pen looked in the microscope.

            “What is that?” he asked.  “I see blood cells, but what is this strange stuff with it?!  Is it some sort of virus or something?”

            “No, it’s not a virus or bacteria.  It’s something far worse, I’m afraid.”

            Meanwhile, Charlie Brown and Violette were still watching TV.  He looked at his watch.

            “It’s almost eight,” he said to Violette.  “It’s my turn at watch.  I better relieve Bruce.”  At that moment, he heard Finn on his walkie-talkie.”

            “Charles, could you come over to the lab immediately?” said Finn over the radio.  “We have an emergency!  Bring some of the others with you.  They need to hear this.”

            “Okay, Finn, I’ll gather the others,” said Charlie Brown.

            “What’s wrong, mon amour?” asked a concerned Violette.

            “I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.”  And after gathering everyone, besides Bruce, who would remain on watch until Charlie Brown was done with Finn, they all made their way to the lab.

NEXT CHAPTER: WHAT NOW?

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            “I KNEW this would happen!”  Violet confirmed what happened with Pig Pen getting scratched would result in him turning into a zombie.  “Look at him!  He’s white as a ghost!”  She pointed to Pig pen, who was getting paler by the minute.  His eyes even looked sunken in.

            “What’s happening to me?” wailed a worried Pig Pen.

            “What is happening to him, Finn?” asked Charlie Brown to Finn.

            “I figured I’d do a test on Matthew’s blood where the scratch happened,” Finn explained.  “When I studied it, it confirmed my findings.”

            “What findings?” asked Lucy.

            “Charles, you remember the zombie blood I showed you earlier today?” Finn asked Charlie Brown.

            “Yeah,” said Charlie Brown.

           “Well, what was in that blood is now in Matthew’s, as well.  However, since it was a scratch and not a bite, his transformation is slower than those who got bitten, like your father when the former Mr. and Mrs. Van Pelt bit him.”  Sally shivered thinking about what happened to their father there, as did Lucy and Rerun.  Charlie Brown just shook his head.

            “This means Pig Pen is going to turn into one of those things outside?” asked Charlie Brown.

            “Affirmative, Charles,” said Finn.

            “Holy shit!” shuddered Schroeder.

            “I don’t believe it!” added Jasmine.

            “Well this is just great!” hollered Violet.  “Thanks to you, Charlie Brown, NOW I got a future zombie in my house, and, of all people, it just HAD to be Pig Pen!”

            “Okay, THIS IS NOT MY BROTHER’S FAULT, BITCH!!!” screamed Sally, getting in Violet’s face.  “HE DIDN’T START THIS!!!  ARE YOU REALLY STILL THAT 10 YEAR OLD SPOILED BRAT WHO WOULD NEVER INVITE HIM TO PARTIES?!  NOT EVEN LUCY BLAMES HIM FOR EVERYTHING ANYMORE, OR PEPPERMINT PATTY, WHO BOTH USED TO DO IT TO DEATH!!!  NOW HOW IN THE NAME OF GOD IS THIS HIS FAULT?!”  Charlie Brown pulled Sally back.

            “It’s just what she does, Sally,” said Charlie Brown, calmly.  “That’s all she ever does.  Even if she knows I’m not at fault, she has to use me as a scapegoat.  She will always be a miserable woman who can’t even think of a reason to hate us.”  Turning to Violet, he said, “I know why you dodge the question of why you hate me so much, Violet.  You don’t have an answer.  You probably forgot why you hated me in the first place, and before you say anything, we all know it has nothing to do with how I used to be wishy-washy, or because I was a lousy baseball manager, or how I couldn’t fly a kite, or how I couldn’t do ANYTHING right.  I’ve acknowledge all of that on multiple occasions, you know this.  There’s something else, isn’t there?  Something that nobody knows.  Not Lucy, not Patty, not Frieda, not ONE PERSON in your clique!  But, I know you’re not going to give an answer to that.  It’s a secret you’re taking to your grave.  But your total hatred of me is NOT the issue right now.  It’s what’s happening to Pig Pen.

            “He is sick and turning into one of those things.  Now Finn was nice enough to try to find out about what was happening.  We could have ignored it, but even YOU saw it wasn’t right.  In fact, you, Violet, were the first to acknowledge that he needed to check the cut out.  Now I didn’t lead whatever zombie that scratched him to him.  I didn’t know this would happen.  But, if it makes you feel better to blame me, go right ahead.  All I ask is one favor, though.  It’s not too big, just a tiny favor.”  And he got closer to Violet’s face.  “DO IT WHERE I CAN’T HEAR YOU, YOU FUCKING TWAT!!!!”  Violet was startled by his outburst.  Even when he was exchanging barbs with her, he never really screamed at her like that.  Everyone else was also startled, save for Sally, Jasmine, Violette, Victoria, and Snoopy, who was laughing at the scene.

            “Now that we got that settled,” Charlie Brown finished, regaining composure, “what do we do next, Finn?”

            “We contain Matthew somewhere,” said Finn.  “Since this is slow-acting unlike if he was bitten, I want to study this a bit further.  I’m afraid we’ll have to restrain you, Matthew.  We don’t know when you’ll turn, so we’ll all have to be safe.”

            “I understand,” said a scared Pig Pen.

            “Okay,” said Charlie Brown.  “Schroeder, Shermy, Franklin, help me in strapping Pig Pen to the bed.”

            “Okay, Charlie Brown,” said Franklin.

            “Are they nuts?” asked Violet.  “How is strapping him to a bed going to restrain him?!”

            “Vi, for once in your life, shut the fuck up!” snapped Patty, obviously tired of her best friend’s constant second-guessing and criticism of everyone.  “Whether you want to admit it or not, Charlie Brown knows what he’s doing!”

            “Nice, girl!” said Jasmine, impressed with Patty finally shutting down her best friend’s constant complaining.  At that moment, Bruce got on the radio.

            “Hey, Charlie,” he said.  “We have an issue outside.  Get some of the other guys to come with you.”

            “Okay, Bruce,” said Charlie Brown on the radio.  Turning to the rest of the boys, he said, “Finn, continue your research.  Girls, can you finish up restraining Pig Pen?”

            “Sure, Charlie Brown,” said Lucy.

            “We got this,” added Heather.

            “I’ll join you guys, Chuck,” said Peppermint Patty.

            “Me too,” added Victoria.

            “Okay, let’s see what Bruce is talking about,” said Charlie Brown.  And they went outside to see what the situation was.  Violet just sat in a chair with her arms folded and pouted.  Jasmine glared at her.

            “Your highness, we could use some help here,” she said.

            “You girls are doing a good job without me,” Violet huffed.  “I’ve already taken you in when I could have let all of you be zombie bait.  What else-“

            “Oh, good grief, forget it, Violet!” snapped Lucy.  “We get the point!”

NEXT CHAPTER: A BREACH IN THE BARRIER

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8:39 PM

             Charlie Brown, Franklin, Schroeder, Shermy, Peppermint Patty, and Victoria were on the roof with Bruce looking over Violet’s backyard.  They saw it was a zombie making a hole in part of the fence.  It was a male zombie that had slick-backed hair which was jet black, and what looked like an expensive suit on.  Shermy seemed to recognize the zombie.

            “Guys,” he began, “I think I know who that zombie is.”

            “Whoever he is, he better not come through that fence, or we’re in trouble!” said Victoria.

            “Who do you think he is, Shermy?” asked Charlie Brown.

            “Remember Violet saying she had a hot tub date with this Marcel guy?” Shermy asked the group.  They nodded.  “Well, I have met this Marcel when Patty and I were with Violet and him one day.  This was one week before the zombie outbreak.  He had on that same outfit that zombie is wearing now!”

            “Shermy, get Violet up here,” Charlie Brown said to him.  “If she refuses, drag her scrawny ass up here!”  And Shermy went back down to get Violet.

            “Should we put him out now, Charlie Brown?” asked Schroeder.

            “Not yet, man,” Charlie Brown replied.  “I want to know if this is this Marcel she’s been going on and on about.  I, at least, owe it to her to give her an answer to his whereabouts if that’s, in fact, him.  Despite my disdain for her, I still care, a little.”

            “That’s why you’re a great guy, Chuck,” said Peppermint Patty.  “No wonder Violette loves you.”  Peppermint Patty looked down, knowing she could never have him but accepted it at the same time.

            “Thanks, Double P,” said Charlie Brown, smiling.  At that moment, Violet came up and joined the group, what seemed under duress.

            “Okay, what is it now, Charlie Brown?” she snapped.  “Going to yell at me some more, or something?!”

            “For once, no, Violet,” Charlie Brown replied.  “You know your guy you were looking for?”

            “Marcel?  You’ve found him?!”  Violet perked up a bit.

            “Unfortunately, we may have, Violet,” said Schroeder.  “Do you recognize that zombie trying to get into your yard now?”  He handed her a pair of binoculars and she looked in them.  She gasped when she saw him.

            “That’s Marcel’s favorite outfit!” she cried.  “I always told him it looked good on him!  Oh, my sweet Marcel, now part of the living dead!”  Charlie Brown, Peppermint Patty, and Victoria stifled their laughter at Violet’s spectacle.

            “In all seriousness, we do need to stop him from breaching the perimeter,” said Bruce.

            “You’re right, Bruce,” said Charlie Brown.  “Franklin, do you have one of your guns with you?”

            “Sniper rifle right here, my man,” said Franklin, pulling out the firearm.

            “Put on the silencer and aim at the head,” Charlie Brown said.  Violet jumped in front of Franklin.

            “NO!” she yelled.  “YOU ARE NOT GOING TO KILL MY MARCEL!!!”

            “Your Marcel is now a fucking zombie, dumbass!” sneered Victoria.  “He’s already dead, despite being upright and walking around!  Now, unless you want to join him in the great beyond, get the fuck out of Franklin’s way!”

            “Shermy?” said Charlie Brown.  Shermy nodded and grabbed Violet and took her back down, kicking and hollering.  Turning back to Franklin, Charlie Brown said, “Do it, Frank!”

            Franklin took aim and made a direct shot between the eyes, killing the zombie that used to be Marcel, Violet’s suitor.

            “Nice shot, dude!” said Schroeder.

            “Was taught well by my old man,” Franklin replied.

            “Good thing you used the silencer,” said Charlie Brown.  “Those other things would have heard it and then we’d have a real mess on our hands.”

            “Well, Violet’s gonna be pissed at us, I gather,” said Schroeder.

            “What else is new?” joked Victoria.  And they left Bruce to finish his watch and headed back down to take care of the corpse and patch the hole up before more zombies discover it.  When they got back in the living room, Violet was about to jump on Charlie Brown, only to be held back by Lucy and Patty.

            “YOU SON OF A BITCH, YOU KILLED MY BOYFRIEND!!!” she hollered.  “I LOVED HIM, DON’T YOU SEE THAT?!  YOU SHOULD BECAUSE YOU DATE THAT FRENCH BITCH!!!  WHAT IF I WAS TO KILL HER, THEN WHAT WOULD YOU DO, HUH?!  NOW YOU, YOUR SISTER, YOUR MUTT, AND YOUR WHORE GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE RIGHT NO-“

            At that moment someone punched Violet square in the jaw, knocking her out.  To everyone’s surprise, including Charlie Brown’s, it was Violette that punched her.  She was nursing a sore hand after the punch.  She leaned over Violet, who was now regaining consciousness.

            “Ne me manque plus jamais de respect, sorcière!” Violette sneered at her.

            “What did she say?” asked Peppermint Patty.

            “Never to disrespect her again,” Charlie Brown answered.  “And she called her a witch.”

            “Goddamn!” said an excited Jasmine.  “I thought I was going to be the one to knock her ass out!  Or, at least, Victoria, but not our French import here!  Good job, girl!”

            “Merci, beau coup, Jasmine,” said Violette, calmly.

            Violet managed to get up.  She glared at Violette for a minute, before Charlie Brown walked up to her, placing his hand on her neck and shoving her against the wall.

            “NOW,” he began, “as Victoria had already told you up on the roof, your boyfriend was already dead!  He was a zombie!  If you had saved him, not only would he have killed you, but all of us in here, though I think you wouldn’t have mind if he did me.  Plus, what did I say about you disrespecting my girlfriend?!  Luckily, she beat me to the punch, pun MOST DEFINITELY intended!  That being said, Ms. Gray, we are in for the fight of all of our lives, not just mine, not just my sister, not just Snoopy, and not just Violette, but Lucy’s, Rerun’s, Schroeder’s, Frieda’s, Peppermint Patty’s, Franklin’s, Jasmine’s, Bruce’s, Finn’s, Heather’s, Victoria’s, Shermy’s, your own best friend Patty’s, and yes, YOURS!  Now, this house is our only refuge.  Pig Pen aside, there are seventeen of us, and one of you!  We’re not going to have any more problems from you, ARE WE?!”

            Violet was crapping bricks by this moment.  It was then she realize she went too far with Charlie Brown and his family and girlfriend, and everyone else in the process.  She didn’t say anything, but shook her head “no”.

            “Good,” said Charlie Brown, letting go of her slowly.  “Now, Lucy, can you get Violet some ice for her sore jaw?”

            “Sure thing, Charlie Brown,” said Lucy, smiling.  She was proud that Charlie Brown had finally grown a spine and stood up to Violet.  This was why she, herself, had stopped teasing him to begin with.

            “Guys, as I was saying, we need to grab the corpse and patch the hole in the fence so no more zombies will try to sneak in,” Charlie Brown continued.

            “You got it, man!” said Franklin.  He, Shermy, and Schroeder went to get supplies.

          “Heather, Victoria, can you check on Pig Pen and see how he’s doing?” Charlie Brown said to them.

            “Sure thing, Charlie Brown,” said Heather.

            “We’re on it!” added a smiling Victoria, who enjoyed the punch Violette delivered Violet.

            “Patty, you stay with Violet,” said Charlie Brown to her.  “Maybe you can calm her down.”

            “Actually, Charlie Brown, do you need any help with anything?” Patty asked.

            “Was going to help the guys with patching up the fence,” Charlie Brown replied.

            “I’ll help,” Patty offered.  “I need a break from drama-makers.”  She glared at Violet with anger.  Violet just looked down, until Lucy gave her a bag of ice for her jaw.

            “I’ll help too, Charlie Brown,” offered Lucy.

            “Me too, Chuck, added Peppermint Patty.

            “I’m on board, big bro,” said Sally.  Snoopy gave a salute.

            “I can help Finn in the lab for a bit,” said Frieda.

            “Can I join you, Frieda?” asked Rerun.

            “Sure, honey.”

            “I’ll help with the fence, too,” offered Jasmine.

            “Me too, mon amour,” said Violette.  Charlie Brown smiled.

            “Okay, we got our duties,” he said.  Before heading out, he turned to Violet one last time.  “We’ll be back now.”  And he headed out to fix the fence.  Violet sat down, holding the ice to her jaw.  She sulked the rest of the night, but didn’t raise a fuss.  She figured she caused enough trouble that she eventually went to bed and went to sleep.

            Pig Pen was still strapped to the bed, convulsing.  He was sweating a cold sweat, but still couldn’t sleep.  He felt whatever was coursing through his veins was turning him into one of the zombies, but it was slower than if anyone was bitten, which would have been almost instantaneous.  He didn’t know how much time he had left.

NEXT CHAPTER: REVISITING DR. HAROLD WATTS

Chapter Text

A hidden bunker hundreds of miles from Ground Zero (Sparkyville)

Monday, October 19

1:30 AM

            Inside a hidden bunker not known by anyone, Dr. Harold Watts, the lone survivor of Re-AniCorps, the company that started the outbreak with Patient 10-52 to begin with, was hard at work coming up with an antidote for the serum Dr. Stein created that caused this mess Sparkyville was in.  He knew it would be only a matter of time before this plague would spread throughout the country.  He and his friend figured the military was hot on their trail and managed to lose them in the cover of night, as Harold’s buddy had night-vision goggles that could help in driving at night and leaving his car lights off.  They had made it to this bunker on his friend’s property.

            Before leaving Re-AniCorps, Harold managed to grab one vial of the green liquid that turned the corpses there to the living dead to make his antidote.  He injected the serum into dead rats, who turned into zombie rats, just to test out his antidote on them.  He managed to stay safe so he wouldn’t get bitten by those rats.  His buddy had gotten the rats from a pet store that sold them frozen for people with pet snakes.

            Harold injected one zombie rat with the antidote, and watched what would happen.  The rat would die again, but its features were restored to what they were when it died originally.  Harold smiled.  He called his friend over the intercom to come down.  When they arrived, Harold shared the good news.

            “I think I found the cure to this mistake Dr. Stein made,” said Harold to his friend.  “If we can make more of this, maybe, just maybe, we have a chance of stopping this plague that has hit Sparkyville.  We won’t be able to bring back who’s already dead, but maybe we can heal the living that was bitten.  I have to keep doing more work, but this looks promising, so far.

Later in the day, Sparkyville, USA

Gray Manor

8:00 AM

            Franklin was coming in from his turn from watch, and Schroeder was taking over.  He went to bed and went to sleep.  Charlie Brown and Violette had gotten up and went into the kitchen, smelling something good.  They noticed that Patty was cooking some breakfast for everyone.

            “Morning, you two,” she greeted.

            “Morning,” said Charlie Brown.

            “Patty, that smells magnifique!” said Violette, smelling the aroma.

            “Thank you, Violette,” said Patty.  “We have some turkey bacon, scrambled eggs with cheese, American fries with onions, and English muffins with butter and/or jam.  Plus orange juice, milk, and coffee to drink.”

            “You went all out, Pat!” said Charlie Brown.

            “The least I could do after my best friend was less than hospitable as of lately,” Patty remarked.  If was as if it was coincidence, Violet had also entered the kitchen.  She didn’t say nothing, but noticeably avoided where Charlie Brown and Violette were sitting.  Both were fine with that, as they have had enough of her, anyway.  Some of the others came in to join for breakfast.

            “Damn, Pat, you made all of this?” asked a bewildered Jasmine.

            “You know it!” said Patty, smiling.

            “Great job, babe,” said Shermy, kissing his girlfriend.

            “Thank you, sweetheart,” cooed Patty.

            “Hey, Chuck, pass me an English muffin,” said Peppermint Patty.

            “Coming at you, Double P!” said Charlie Brown, tossing one to her.

            “These eggs are delicious!” said Lucy.

            “Charles, you want some coffee?” asked Violette.

            “Sure, babe,” said Charlie Brown.  And Violette poured the coffee into his mug.

            Everyone was talking to each other about what the plan was for that day, including putting up the new perimeter wall so the zombies couldn’t get in, as well as going for more supplies, if needed.  Violet just sat quiet and didn’t chime in.  Her face was still hurting from the punch Violette gave her the night before, and she saw that she angered everyone, not just the Brown siblings and Violette, but even Patty, her best friend.  While she hadn’t changed what she thought of Charlie Brown, she would abide by the new rules, even if it was her house, and maybe, everyone would eventually move on to the next place.

            At that moment, Finn came over the radio.  “Charles, anyone!”

            “Finn, what’s going on?” asked Charlie Brown.

            “Get down here quick!  Matthew might be changing!”

END OF BOOK 1