Dishin' It Out: Spooky Stories for the Season By Connie Vines #Halloween Stories, #Round Robin, #Here Today Zombie Tomorrow

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Thank you, Skye, for this month's topic.

As I've stated before, I'm a bit of a sissy when it comes to frightening stories, movies, etc.

My contribution is a portion of a current release, Here Today, Zombie Tomorrow.

I realize I'm not adhering to the rules, but I did try...and failed miserably in writing a SCARY story.

Opening Scene

“You and Elvis have done a great job on this house," Meredith said as her older sister led the way downstairs toward the kitchen, where the tour began. “Sorry I couldn't get over, until now, but I've been sort of… well, busy." Slipping her Juicy Couture tortoise-shell framed sunglasses into a bright pink case, Meredith crammed them into her black Coach handbag. She hoped her sister didn’t ask her to define busy. Becoming a zombie and dealing with the entire raised from the dead issue over the past six months was not a topic easily plunked into casual conversation.

Pippa waved the comment aside. “I'm glad you like it. We had such fun decorating. Of course, we couldn’t do it all at once, but it's more satisfying putting it together treasure by treasure."

Meredith glanced from Pippa’s impish features and short spiky black hair to the perimeter of the room. Taking in every detail and nuance of Pippa’s decorating talent, she let her gaze rest on a collection of figurines by fantasy artist Jasmine Beckett-Griffith crouching at the top of the ebony-stained cabinets. A black arch-top fireplace mounted against the wall, flames flowing from a bed of clear river stones, and HOME SWEET HOME embroidered on a sampler with a tiny vine of blood-red roses tangling through the letters completed the focal point of the room.

Even though Meredith was on the best of terms with her sister, she couldn't help but feel a sharp nip of jealousy. It hadn’t been so long ago that she’d had her own happy home. Unfortunately, she’d filed for divorce from Viktor, and then there’d been that bizarre little accident where she’d ended up dead, and then undead.

While Pippa’s two kids, Ethan and Emma, played in the living room, to the accompaniment of a 1960s rock-and-roll musical on cable TV, Meredith sat in the kitchen with her sister, fiddling with the end of the tea bag that dangled from the rim of her China cup.

Since her sister was contemplating the contents of a tin filled with Danish cookies, Meredith found herself cataloging the events that led up to her ‘accident’.

A charter member of the SoCal Arts Association, she’d been participating in the annual Zombie Walk Festival in Long Beach when it ‘happened’. Crowds always made her uncomfortable, but this particular event was to raise money, so she was obligated to attend. And it only made sense; this year’s participation broke all past records.

Twelve thousand gleeful ghouls stormed Long Beach’s renovated Promenade. The crowd became so large that it spilled out over Pine Avenue for an all-out downtown invasion. Meredith didn’t recall much about the accident, nor who or what reanimated her. She remembered overhearing a security officer informing a pungent-smelling zombie that he couldn’t purchase an alcoholic beverage (apparently, he didn’t match the photo ID). Within moments, a shoving match between the two men ensued, quickly escalating into zombie chaos: shouting, running, and chomping.

Chomping?

At the time, Meredith thought it was all part of the festivities, perhaps a little odd and definitely crazy. Just like the cornstarch-based zombie vomit and fake blood, everyone had globbed and smeared on themselves, but hey, it was an Arts event. Even after finding herself wedged in the center of the zombie mob, lunging and bumping along until they were in sight of the pier, Meredith wasn’t overly concerned.

In hindsight, she may have been highly concerned. Because the next thing Meredith knew, she was in a zipped body bag, feeling entirely not like herself.

No. She wasn’t going to dwell on the past. Again. She’d just keep muddling on with her life and try to focus on the bright spots.

Pippa and her family were a definite bright spot in her life.

“I wish you would let me help with dinner,” Meredith said, pulling herself back into the present. “I feel guilty just sitting here doing nothing while you do all the work.” Being a vegan, Meredith found her transition to zombie-hood particularly exigent. Brains, human or otherwise, had never been on her menu—now, protein, in fowl or bovine form, was a requirement of her reanimated state. Difficult though it was, she had to come to terms with the change. After discovering an underground support group that met monthly in a banquet room of a coffee shop near the I-10, she was thankful she didn’t require human protein like most of the other Zombies. However, she discovered that consuming tofu with herbal tea (her lunch before reanimation) had unfortunate and unexpected side effects.

Pippa, turning from the stove with the pecan pie captured between two oven mitts, shook her head. “Meri don’t even think about helping me with the meal. When Elvis’s mom and dad decided to take a paddleboat cruise up the Mississippi, I thought I wouldn't have anybody but my own offspring to fuss over on Thanksgiving Day. You just sit there and relax."

"I really appreciate the invitation," Meredith said, glancing out the window to catch a Monarch butterfly pick its way along a lipstick red hibiscus blossom. "Cooking turkey for one just isn't my style."

Pippa did a double-take at Meredith’s statement, but didn’t comment. Instead, she said, “You’re welcome to come for Christmas dinner too, you know."

"Thanks, Pippa, but Christmas is out. I have to finish the new book by February, so I'm driving up to Forest Falls tomorrow. I'll be staying there for a month or so."

"Christmas at the cabin," Pippa mused. "That sounds nice. Are you sure you want to be up there all by yourself?"

"I’m not hiding,” Meredith replied.

"I know. You’re healing. . .” She left the words: and licking your wounds, unspoken. “I just don't want you to be lonely."

"I won't be,” Meredith reassured her. “I'm taking Gertie with me."

Pippa laughed indulgently and shook her head. "A hamster doesn't count."

"Don't say that when Gertie’s within earshot. She follows me all around the house in her exercise ball. We’re BFs."

“Well, I'm glad you could join us for Thanksgiving," Pippa said.

***

As Meredith surveyed the beautifully decorated dinner table, irony struck right between her eyes. A lot had happened in the six months or so (being reanimated unexpectedly), and then there were all the hidden expenses. Body moisturizers, specialty make-up loaded with anti-decay properties, hydrating beverages, bimonthly injections—to keep the virus semi-dormant so that she didn’t partake in some zombie flash-mob; or worst, (morph into a Hannibal Lector type wearing red stilettos, roaming the suburbs). While she still had a lot to be thankful for, it was difficult adjusting to the significant changes in her life.

Her career, however, was something Meredith gave her stamp of approval. After seven years as a struggling advertising/blog writer, she’d finally gotten her big break! Not only was The Isis Factor published, but it was also a huge success!

There were book signings, press parties, interviews, and even an e-book launching cruise. Not bad, for a girl who worked her way through college waiting tables and writing nonfiction articles on spec.

The Luxor Papers, published a few months later, had been an even greater success. Who would have ever thought that Meredith Misso, author of quirky short stories and nonfiction articles, would've found her niche in the Steampunk market (Steampunk: Victorian science fiction/fantasy—circa 1850 to pre-World War I, often set in London, England)?

“I really wish you'd reconsider and spend Christmas with us,” Pippa said later. As she and Meredith took turns rinsing the dishes and loading the dishwasher, they worked efficiently. “I like the thought of you all alone in that cabin during the holidays.”

Meredith smiled, touched by her sister’s concern. Same-old Pippa. It was reassuring that one part of her life hadn’t changed. “Don't worry about me,” Meredith told her, readjusting her thick plastic gloves. “I'll be just fine. Being alone is what every writer hopes for—a writer’s mantra, in fact. Without interruptions, I can finish the book and maybe even start the next one.”

“Glad to see you’ve lost none of your ambition,” Pippa remarked, fitting a casserole dish on the top rack of the dishwasher. I can't even imagine wanting to work right up until Christmas.”

Meredith shrugged, feigning indifference. "It's just a day like any other," she said.

"Have you thought about calling Viktor?"

"No way, Pippa,” she snapped, yanking off her plastic gloves and placing them on the edge of the sink.

“Touched a raw nerve, did I?”

Meredith looked down at her manicured fingertips, a small, sad sigh escaping her pale lips. “It's over. The divorce will be final soon, and that will be that. Hopefully, I'll never have to deal with Doctor Viktor again."

"I always thought Viktor was kind of sweet. You know, reserved, serious—“

“Arrogant,” Meredith added.

“Not to mention smart,” Pippa countered, with a wink.

"That's because you didn't have to live with him, Pippa. Trust me, there's nothing more irritating than a guy who knows everything from who flew the first paper airplane to what Genghis Khan had for breakfast the day he invaded Transylvania!" (Yes, Genghis Khan really did invade Transylvania. Meredith triple checked.)

"He couldn’t—“

“Pip—“

“I guess he could be,” she backpeddled. “But he sure is good-looking."

Meredith gave a nod of agreement. There was no arguing there. Viktor was the most attractive and, unquestionably, the sexiest man she’d ever known.

Pippa watched her sister’s expression soften as she gave Meredith a questioning look. "So, who's vying to replace your professor?"

"Nobody," Meredith answered emphatically. "For the time being," she grinned, "and you can quote me on this. I'm done with men."

Pippa, with her natural talent for meddling, shook her head. "Meri, I don't know what to do about you! At only 32 years old, you don't look a day over 25. You should be out having fun!”

Meredith resisted the urge to finger-comb her caramel-highlighted ‘surfer-girl’ hair. Viktor had said she was his angel. That was why she’d been blessed with her shining halo of golden hair, his reminder to keep on a heavenly, albeit somewhat boring, path. She’d laughed, but she melted into his embrace, his deep, slightly accented baritone a loving rumble against her ear. The beginning of their relationship was magical. Then everything seemed to change...

“You’ve got this marvelous career and money and everything that you could possibly want,” Pippa continued, jarring Meredith out of her thoughts, “and there's nobody in your life to share with."

"You mean I should have a couple of kids by now?" Meredith responded. That was so not going to happen.

"You need a man to have kids, little sister."

She almost said, "Zombies can’t reproduce," but stopped herself just in time. Instead, she managed a convincing comeback. "Well, right now I'm not in the marriage market. Believe it or not, I'm perfectly happy just the way I am."

Pippa’s expression shouted she seriously doubted that, but she allowed the topic to rest. "If you say so,” she replied, good-naturally. "How about a second cup of coffee to go with a slice of pecan pie?"

“It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it," Meredith agreed.

I hope you enjoyed my "Halloween" teaser. The novel is available in an ebook via your favorite online book seller (Kindle, Apple, Smashwords, Amazon, etc.)

Currently, I'm in the rough-draft stage of "Bell, Book & Gargoyle," Book 2, in my Fun and Sassy Fantasy Series.

Happy Reading, my Halloween goblins :)

Please hurry on over to the next blog post for more spooky stories!