by K E O'Connor
It was seven days until the opening of the dreaded Zee Town theme park, and as the new park manager, I was responsible for everything from making sure the candyfloss stand opened on time to ensuring staff arrived for their shifts. If something went wrong, the buck stopped with me.
My white blouse stuck to my back as I stood. I yanked it from my sweaty skin. Time for an ice cream. Actually, make that several. I needed to cool down.
Zara Warrick ambled in from the plush new reception area that had been constructed as part of the new theme park. Zombies didn’t feel the heat, and Zara wore a fetching green dress that skimmed the floor and buttoned to the neck.
Seeing her in that outfit made my top lip sweat again. The green did set off her red hair nicely, though. Unfortunately, it also made the veins under her pale flesh stand out.
“I need a break from this paperwork,” I said to Zara as she sat behind her new desk. Of course, I’d insisted Zara come with me when I changed jobs and moved from the tourism office to a site three miles away on the edge of town.
She’d been happy to come along, and the Council hadn’t objected when I’d made it one of my conditions in taking this job.
Zara nodded. “Beef ice cream.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Is that a new flavor?”
“Tried it yesterday,” Zara said. “Tasty.”
We catered to everybody in Zee Town, the living and the undead. If beef ice cream sold well, then that’s what we’d serve in the theme park. After all, this place was about making the greedy Zee Town Council as much money as possible.
“I’ll stick to my usual chocolate. Or maybe a sorbet.” Yes, sorbet sounded ideal. Cool and refreshing and not loaded with calories, so I could still squeeze into my bathing suit the next time I fancied a dip in the sea.
I grabbed the security information Nick Morton had emailed me yesterday and left the office, slipping my sunglasses off my head and over my eyes as the dazzling sun speared its hot rays into my flesh.
I had a meeting coming up with Nick, Zee Town’s police sergeant, to check the security for the park opening. We’d only argued twice about security details for the park, which was a miracle, considering how often we butted heads.
Although, we’d been butting heads a lot less recently. Ever since Nick had saved me from certain death at the hands of a zombie, things had changed between us. He was being nice. A nice Nick confused me. It made me think I might like him, too. And that was almost as scary as meeting a hungry zombie down a dark alley.
“Cassie, wait up.” My best friend, Jen Sharp, hurried toward me in bright pink flip-flops, a matching tank top, and white shorts, her blonde curls piled on her head. “I was worried about you. You didn’t reply to my text this morning. I wanted to make sure you hadn’t collapsed from the heat or gotten lost in one of your creepy rides.”
“Nothing so exciting. I’ve been busy with paperwork.” I fanned the papers in my hand in front of my face. “Your timing’s perfect. I was about to get something to take the edge off this heat.”
“Good idea,” Jen said. “I’ve been dying to try the new banana ice cream. They make it with frozen bananas, non-dairy cream, sugar, and dark chocolate chips.”
“That sounds like heaven.” Maybe I should try that instead of sorbet. So much ice cream, so little time.
“How are things going with the plans for the opening event?” Jen fell into step beside me.
“It’s coming together. And we’re getting quite a buzz in the media.” I headed toward the ice cream stand in the center of the park. “As much as we resisted the idea, people love the idea of a zombie themed theme park.”
“It helps that you’re offering all those prizes on the opening day,” Jen said.
“People love gifts,” I said. “I’ve got champagne, chocolates, free passes to the park, even some top of the range TVs to give away to the first people through the gates. The Council spared no expense to make this a huge success.”
“I need a new TV. Maybe I should try to get in first.”
“I’m sorry to say you can’t take part. Non-residents only.” I grinned at Jen. “But you’ll get a gift of your own. Councilman Tapping will put in a rare appearance in Zee Town to open the park.” The Zee Town Council liked to oversee our activities from a distance. They behaved as if they were almost scared of entering the place they supported and made. A place whose population had an equal number of humans to placid zombies.
I shouldn’t be surprised. After all these years, some people still had misgivings about living in a community of zombies. That was what made us unique. I lived in Britain’s largest and most successful placid zombie refuge.
We’d been going for over five years, and apart from one or two mishaps, humans and zombies lived happily side-by-side. And we were growing, with new arrivals of placid zombies every month, and people making inquiries to move to Zee Town. Fear of zombies was fading. I saw that only as a positive thing.
“That’s a gift I’d like to return if you’ve got the receipt,” Jen said. “Councilman Tapping is dull. His speeches last for hours, and he always ends up talking about himself.”
“He insisted on coming. He also insisted on making a speech, so stock up on sweets to give yourself something to do when he bores the crowds on opening day.”
“I’ll bring a book to read,” Jen said.
We stopped beside the ice cream parlor. It was a large, open store front that served an array of sweet treats. It was painted in red-and-white candy stripes with large doors that folded in, allowing customers to browse the sweets and candies at their leisure before deciding on their purchases. There was even a free sample shelf that was sure to be popular. Behind the display of sweets was a vast ice cream freezer. There was also a smoothie stand, candyfloss machine, and a vat all ready to fill with warm toffee in readiness for fresh toffee apples to be dispensed to sticky-fingered tourists.
“I can’t believe you’ve already got this open.” Jen she studied the menu of ice cream on offer.
“I thought it would be a treat for the staff already here,” I said. “So far, it’s proving popular.” I was also making daily stops at the ice cream parlor, all in the name of research.
Beth Colby appeared from the back of the ice cream parlor, her arms full of boxes. She was a new recruit to the theme park and was ideal for the role; young, friendly, and enthusiastic. Beth would keep up with the demands of the hungry, overheated tourists who visited the theme park.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” Beth said with a bright smile. “What can I get you?” She placed the boxes on the counter and wiped her hands on a clean white cloth.
“I want to try the banana ice cream, please,” Jen said.
“I’ll go for a mango sorbet,” I said. “Is everything going okay here?”
Beth gave me another dazzling smile. Her teeth were so white they almost glowed. “No problems, so far. I’m just sorting through the latest delivery. It’s from the company who supplies the zombie ice cream flavors.”
“Zara was saying how delicious it is,” I said. Although, the thought of meat flavored ice cream unsettled my stomach.
Beth wrinkled her nose. “It’s not one I’ll be taste testing, but so long as it sells well I’ll keep it on the menu.” She got to work scooping out Jen’s banana ice cream.
“How’s Avery getting on?” I asked her.
“He’s fine. A little slow on the uptake, but I get the impression he hasn’t been used to doing much work. It might take a while before the old gray matter kicks in and he works out what he’s supposed to do,” Beth said. “He’ll get there. He’s a reliable zombie.”
I was determined we’d have as many zombie employees in the park as possible. For one, it fulfilled the Council’s insistence to have real zombies in the theme park and not rely too much on models or animatronic zombies. People loved to see the real thing. And two, it gave me a great opportunity to showcase what our placid zombies could do and how well they integrated into the communit
y. It was a long held ambition of mine to have placid zombies integrated across the country, living alongside humans in every village, town, and city. After all, it wasn’t their fault they’d been turned into a zombie.
I took the sorbet from Beth and sampled it. My tongue danced with delight as I savored the subtly sweet tang of icy mango.
“This is amazing.” Jen scooped up a large dollop of banana ice cream and popped it into her mouth. “And it must be healthy for you, too.”
“If we discount the non-dairy cream, sugar, and the chocolate chips,” I said.
“I bet it has barely any calories,” Jen said. “Banana and dark chocolate are super foods.”
Beth grinned at her. “Hardly any calories at all. That’s why I gave you a double scoop.”
“Thanks, Beth,” I said.
“Any time,” Beth said. “You know where to find me when you need your next hit of ice cream.”
“Do you fancy a quick tour?” I asked Jen as we turned from the ice cream parlor.
“If you’ve got time,” Jen said. “I’d love a look around.”
“Why not,” I said. “I’m meeting with Nick soon, but we can have a look at some rides before he arrives.”
“How’s Nick behaving himself?” Jen shot me a sideways glance. “Any arguments recently?”
“No, we’re getting on surprisingly well,” I said. “He even helped out with recruiting the new security guards for the park. We only disagreed on a couple of the applicants. I now have a full security team in time for the opening.”
“So, the two of you are friendly?” Jen grinned at me.
“As much as we can,” I said.
“Would you go as far to say you’re now good friends?”
“I wouldn’t say that.” Jen was convinced there was something between me and Nick. I wasn’t so sure. He had his moments, and I couldn’t deny he was a good-looking guy; with his dark hair and pale blue eyes. All I knew for sure was that things were complicated between us, and that my heart sometimes raced when he got close.
“I never used to be that keen about Nick,” Jen said. “But Alex only says good things about him.” Alex Strong was Jen’s boyfriend. They’d moved in with each other a few months ago. He worked with Nick at the police station as one of his officers.
“Maybe Alex isn’t a great judge of character.” I nudged her.
“What do you mean?” Jen gave me a wide-eyed stare. “He’s an excellent judge of character. He’s dating me, after all.”
I couldn’t argue with that. “Here’s our Zombie House of Terror.” I tried hard not to roll my eyes in despair at the tacky name as I pointed to a double-fronted, three-story building. It had been designed to look like a mock Gothic house, with dark stone effect walls and narrow lead-lined windows. The roof and floors were deliberately crooked to make anybody inside get disoriented. I’d been in there several times and each time had gotten hopelessly lost. Add in the spooky sound effects, dark corridors leading to nowhere, creepy monsters that fell from the ceiling or launched themselves out of dimly lit alcoves, and you had the perfect recipe for a terrifying experience.
Jen hopped up and peered in a window. “It doesn’t look scary from here.” She let out a shriek and fell backwards as a zombie’s head appeared at the window.
I laughed and helped her to her feet. “That’s Derek. He’s not even a part of the house experience. He’s cleaning the place.”
“Oh, right.” Jen brushed down her shorts. “I wasn’t scared. I just slipped.”
“Come on, let’s check out the Rabid Rapids log flume.” I led Jen to the water park section. She marveled at the log flume and the Brutal Boat Battle experience that had people descend along a fast flowing artificial river, whilst having to fend off all sorts of terrifying creatures jumping at them as they sped along in their boats.
“And here are the Terrifying Teacups.” I stopped at a sedate looking ride with a dozen large teacups painted in black and green.
“Why are they terrifying?” Jen asked. “I used to love the teacups ride when I was a kid.”
“These are a little different. The Council insists the park is zombie themed and full of terrifying ghouls and ghosts to make our visitors tremble in their flip-flops. These teacups go up and spin around as normal. Then riders get blasted with freezing cold air and cobwebs as they’re spun around and the teacups bounce up and down. Most of them will come out looking either green or gray, depending on how well they can stomach the spinning.”
“That sounds unpleasant.” Jen took my empty sorbet pot and placed it in the nearest recycling container.
“That’s what the Council wants. A terrifying, but safe, experience people will keep coming back to,” I said. “We’ve also got the Ghoul Train, Zombie Attack maze, the Screams of Terror rollercoaster, and a host of smaller rides, stalls, and adventures for tourists to enjoy. We’re doing the final ride test runs this afternoon.”
“Test runs?” Jen asked.
“Yes. I’ve got a dozen people coming in to try them out. We need to see if there are any kinks. We’ve done it before, so there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. But you know me; I like to triple check things.”
Jen grinned. “Is there any chance I can be in on the rides?”
“You’re welcome to join us, so long as you can get away from the salon. There’ll be plenty of room,” I said. “You’ll need a strong stomach if you’re going to handle them all, though.”
“I’ve only got a couple of clients in this afternoon. No one wants their hair dried and styled when it’s so hot, so it should be fine.” Jen patted her stomach. “Although maybe banana ice cream wasn’t such a good idea. Are you going on the rides?”
“Not all of them,” I said. “There’s only so much terrifying zombie action a woman can stand in one day.”
Jen nodded. “Once the park is open, it’ll be less hectic. More like your old job.”
“I hope so.” I’d loved my old job at the tourism office, but I’d put all involvement with that to one side. Town events had been postponed or canceled, and the vacancy for the new tourism manager hadn’t been filled yet. I’d argued with the Council that I could keep both roles for a short time, but they’d insisted that wasn’t possible and I had to focus my attention on the theme park. I’d reluctantly agreed, but I felt a slice of guilt pass through me every time I spotted the empty tourism office. That had been where I’d grown my career. I felt sad to see the place empty.
“Your date’s arrived,” Jen said.
I looked over to where she pointed and spotted Nick and his three-legged dog, Stool, walking toward us. Nick was in his usual police uniform, dark navy pants, black boots, and a white shirt. The top button was undone, which was the only sign he felt the heat.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Jen said. “What time does the ride testing start?”
“Come back at three this afternoon,” I said. “It shouldn’t take more than a few hours, and I’ll give you all the free banana ice cream you can manage.”
“It’s a deal.” Jen gave me a brief hug before walking away, waving at Nick as she left the park.
I pushed back my shoulders, put on my best smile, and hoped Nick wasn’t going to reprimand me for something I most likely hadn’t done.
Chapter 2
Stool limped toward me swiftly, past the ice cream parlor and the log flume, his mottled tan and black tail wagging as he stopped and waited for his usual head scratch.
“Hello, boy.” I bent to stroke him. “I hope your owner is keeping you cool.”
“He went swimming in the sea this morning,” Nick said as he stopped beside Stool.
“That would work,” I said. I was partial to swimming when the water was warm enough.
“For an hour,” Nick said. “He lost the ability to hear and paddled around for ages, ignoring me as I yelled at him. In the end, I had to go in and get him out. If I’d left him, I bet he’d still be there now.”
I bit my bottom lip to stop f
rom smiling as a vivid image of Nick wading into the sea to get Stool out flashed through my mind. It made me love Stool even more than I already did. He had an independent spirit, and a bit of a naughty side.
“Are those the security details?” Nick gestured to the papers in my hand.
“Yes, I’ve been through them. Everything looks fine to me, but you’re the expert when it comes to these matters.”
Nick raised his eyebrows as I handed him the paperwork. He looked through the pages for a moment. “You might like to keep an eye on the new guy, Phil. He passed the basic training with no issues, but he likes to talk back and questions every order he’s given.”
“That must be annoying.” I peered at Nick over the top of my sunglasses.
“Yes, having someone question everything you do can be trying.” He looked at me as a smile crossed his face.
I tested Nick’s patience by getting involved in his investigations. I only did it because I wanted to keep Zee Town as safe as possible. It did mean that I occasionally got myself into trouble. Like the time I was almost strangled, and the time I was pushed into a deep salt water pool when trying to save some zombies. Oh, and the time I was almost bitten by a rabid zombie someone had hidden in their garden shed.
“I’ll make sure Phil doesn’t step out of line,” I said. “But you’re in charge of training and discipline of the new security. I simply sign off their pay and do joint appraisals of their work with you.”
“I’ll watch him,” Nick said. “Other than Phil, everybody else seems sound. I’ve doubled the number of usual security patrols for the first week of the opening. That’ll cover the higher than average numbers coming through the gates. After that, we can assess the situation and see how the visitor numbers have leveled out. A team of ten security guards during the week and fifteen at weekends should be sufficient.”
Security wasn’t something I was that experienced in. In the past, I’d had a few extra bodies at big events. On the whole, Zee Town was a well behaved town and rarely needed a strong security presence. This theme park was new for us all, and I still wasn’t sure if I liked it.
