Zombie Park

by Mark Cusco Ailes

  He looked at the list of zombie animals he planned to have at the park. He had plans for elephants, bears, lions, tigers, hyenas, alligators, and camels. He knew he couldn’t have any that flew. They would be hard to handle. Nobody would be allowed to walk through this part of the park. He would use a tram system to slowly drive the visitors through it. This way he knew nobody would get too close to any of the animals.

  He then looked at the amusement park and restaurant areas of the park. He didn’t see how any of those areas could pose any danger to anybody. The only danger he could see was somebody getting sick on one of the six large rollercoasters he had planned. He was hoping to build one to get in the record books for being the fastest one in the world.

  He looked at the area in the rear of the park where visitors could feed the zombies. That area could pose a major threat to the visitors. In that area, several raw meat dispensers would be placed. Visitors could toss the meat over a plexiglass fence. The fence would have barbwire along the entire upper part of it. Nothing would be able to climb over the top of it. He wondered about the birds flying around inside the park. Seagulls could be a major problem. If they flew too close to the zombies, they could get bit. A zombiefied bird could then bite a guest and cause a zombie epidemic. That part of the park would have to be built indoors to keep the birds out. He would also have to keep a couple of guards at that location.

  He knew he would have to hire a good lawyer and have papers drawn up to protect the park. Visitors would have to sign a waiver before entering the park. He thought he had every angle covered in his plans. He would have to hire someone to handle the media and any complaints that could arise. He knew there would be protestors. It was something people loved to do. They loved to protest the things they didn’t understand. He turned off his computer and went back to bed. His mind was now at ease. He decided he would never watch the movie with his wife again. What could possibly go wrong with the park? We are going to deal with zombies, not dinosaurs. All I need to do is hire the right people to work for me and have plenty of security cameras. With all the cameras, nothing will go wrong. He fell fast asleep.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning he was awoken by the smell of frying bacon. He turned to look over at his wife’s place in bed, but as he already knew, she was in the kitchen cooking breakfast. He climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom. He studied his reflection in the mirror. He looked rough. He debated if he showed shave. Thanks to the bacon smell causing his stomach to growl, he decided food was more important than maintaining his appearance for the moment. He met Billy in the hallway as he made his way to the kitchen.

  “Mom is going to make me a toasted cheese sandwich for lunch today,” he said, sounding much better than the previous day.

  “You sound much better. It must have been the soup mother made you yesterday. After breakfast, I think you should get into your regular clothes and get some fresh air. You’ve been cooped up in the house too long.”

  “I want to stay inside and play with my dinosaurs today.”

  He laughed. His house was being infected by dinosaurs in one way or another. “Just make sure your dinosaurs are good dinosaurs.”

  “They help my army men fight the bad guys.”

  “Good for them. Those are the kind of dinosaurs I like.”

  They both made their way into the kitchen and took their places at the table. There they found scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, buttered toast, and milk waiting for them.

  “Here are my boys,” said Mrs. Forenstein, taking a sip of her coffee. “I hope you’re both hungry this morning.”

  “I have to eat quickly. I have a few appointments this morning,” said Mr. Forenstein. “I sign the documents for the land this morning.”

  “Will you be home for lunch today? I promised Billy I would make toasted cheese sandwiches.”

  “Probably not. I have to meet with General Poe this afternoon. As a matter of fact, I might be late getting home tonight. I’ll grab something for dinner while I’m out.”

  “I have a feeling this is going to be a constant thing for a while.”

  “I’m sorry. I’m going to be busy with the construction of the park and making sure everything is moving forward. Once the park is completed and we’re open, things will go back to normal.”

  “Promise me you won’t forget about your son. He needs to see his father on a regular basis.”

  He looked at Billy who was filling his mouth with bacon. “I won’t forget about my son. I will make sure I get Sundays off to spend with him.”

  “Make sure you do. He won’t be as understanding as I am. I don’t want to have to explain to him why his father is never around.”

  “It won’t get like that, I promise.”

  “Promise him that. I’m used to you working all the time. Well, since Billy feels better today, and you’re obviously not coming home for lunch, I’m going to go grocery shopping today. I just used the last of the bacon and eggs.”

  “Can you get me cottage cheese while you’re out? I ran out a couple of days ago.”

  She picked up a pencil from the counter and scribbled cottage cheese on a note pad. “Do you need anything else?”

  “Whole grain muffins.”

  “Whole grain muffins,” she repeated. “I’ll get regular ones for Billy. He doesn’t care for the whole grain ones.”

  Mr. Forenstein excused himself from the table and went to take a shower. Once he was ready to leave, he gave Billy and his wife a kiss goodbye and went out to his car. He had a long day ahead of him and was eager to get it started.

  Once he was at his office, he sat at his desk looking through paperwork and waited for Ben to arrive. He knew once he saw the land he was purchasing with General Poe, he would be excited about proceeding with the park. Ten minutes later his receptionist came into the room to inform him Mr. Cutler had arrived. He followed her to the waiting area and motioned for Mr. Cutler to follow him to the parking lot.

  “We have an appointment to see the land your park is being built on,” he said leaving the building.

  “That was fast.”

  “I don’t waste time, Mr. Cutler. We had to purchase the land before someone else put a bid in for it.” He led him over to his black Mercedes and got inside. He started the car and switched off the classical music station. “You don’t strike me as the type of guy who listens to Bach.”

  “I prefer Van Halen or Iron Maiden.”

  “I figured as much. I’m sorry; I don’t have any heavy metal CDs in my car. We’ll leave the radio off. Besides, the land we acquired is only fifteen minutes away. Now mind you, you’re going to have to use your imagination. The land needs to be cleared before construction of the park begins.”

  Fifteen minutes later, Mr. Forenstein parked his car behind a red Lexus. He got out of the car and walked over to a middle-aged woman dressed in a blue business suit. He shook hands with her and introduced Ben. They shook hands and then before leaving she said something to Mr. Forenstein.

  Mr. Forenstein looked at the acres of trees standing tall in front of them. “Here’s your future park, Mr. Cutler.”

  “Isn’t it a bit off the beaten path?”

  “You want it off the beaten path. Government Officials wouldn’t want zombies near city limits. Way out here won’t be a problem. You don’t have to worry about the government bureaucracy. Leave it to me to deal with. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy your new home. I’m told within eight months the park will be operational.”

  “Only eight months. Isn’t it a little fast to build a whole park?”

  “We have the military at our disposal. They don’t waste time. They will have the park ready in time. Just imagine it, by April of next year, you’ll be running the first zombie park ever built. Your name is going to be written in the history books.”

  “What do I do until the park opens?”

  “Enjoy lif
e. Take a vacation. Go see Walt Disney World or the Grand Canyon. You have the time right now. I’ll inform you once you’re needed.”

  “I have wanted to go on a vacation.”

  “Then go. Don’t let me stop you. I’ll contact you next year. I’ll take care of everything while you’re gone.”

  “Consider me gone. I’ll see you next year.”

  “Good. Now let me get you back to your truck so you can get your vacation started.”

  After watching Mr. Cutler leave the parking lot, he went back inside his office. General Poe was sitting behind his desk waiting for him.

  “Is everything moving forward?” he asked.

  “He’s going on vacation. He won’t be a problem for us.”

  “Good. The land will start to be cleared tomorrow morning. We’re being supplied with extra men. We need to get the science building built and operational before winter hits. We have a lot of work to carry out before we can move the scientists to the new location.”

  “Has there been any success?”

  “They’re getting close. I’m confident they will succeed before the park opens.”

  “Will we have enough zombies for the park? Our mission will only succeed if there are enough zombies for the public to enjoy.”

  General Poe took a seat across from the desk. “We will give the public what it wants. They will see every kind of zombie to keep their attentions focused on what we want them focused on. We are making the announcement later today about what the land was purchased for. I want the public to support the park.”

  “What if the public doesn’t like our zombie park idea? What happens if they protest the idea?”

  “I hope they do protest. Don’t people realize by now the more they protest something, the more popular it becomes. In my eyes, nothing ever gets accomplished by protesting. Let them waste their breaths; it will only make our park more profitable.”

  “I never thought about it like that. I’m sure you’re right, General Poe. It does seem the more people hate something, the more profitable it becomes.”

  “I have to leave now. I have another meeting with Mayor Johnson about how the city will profit from the park. He’s on board with the idea, but I suspect he’s more concerned about how it will line his pockets with cash.”

  Mr. Forenstein laughed. “It certainly sounds like a politician. While you’re gone, I have to contact all the venders about the park. Also, I have looked into setting up a job market to find the right employees for the park.”

  “Let them know they’re going to go through a vigorous background check. We cannot hire any convicts in the park. It’s not my law; it’s the government’s law.”

  “I understand who we need to hire.”

  “And don’t hire anybody under the age of twenty-one.”

  Mr. Forenstein watched as the general left his office before making his first call. He was confident the whole process would work according to plan.

  Chapter Eight

  General Poe was not accustomed to waiting for anybody as he sat in the office at the local news station in Merrillville, Indiana. He was about to pick up a magazine next to his chair when a young man, roughly early twenties, walked into the room. He wore black jeans and a blue button-up shirt with a dark blue tie.

  “I’m sorry for my tardiness, General Poe, but I had an important matter to attend to. My name is Luke Anderson.” He sat down and picked up a short stack of papers from his desk. “Let me see. You’re here to tell us about a zombie park coming to Valparaiso.” He shook his head and looked up at the general. “Is this some kind of military joke? Really? You’re planning to bring a zombie park to Valpo? How is it even possible? Zombies don’t exist!”

  “If you would let me talk for a moment, I will tell you. I have a team of scientists who have been working on a serum for a long time to make zombies. We have made several already that will be on display at the park once it opens next year.”

  “Wait a minute! Do you mean to tell me you have already successfully created zombies? I mean we’re talking about flesh eating zombies.”

  “I wouldn’t refer to them as flesh eating zombies. I call them the future in entertainment. How many times can one person watch the same animals lying around in the sun doing nothing? I call that boring. Now we can give them something unusual to spend their money on.”

  Luke glared at the general, wondering if he was hearing him right. “Have you ever watched ‘Night of the Living Dead’, General Poe? We’re not talking about a new species of animal. We’re talking about flesh eating monsters. How could you possibly think it’s a good thing? All it takes is for one person to get bit, and we have a major problem on our hands. I can’t support something like this. The public isn’t going to want to see zombies. They’re going to want them all destroyed. I want them destroyed!”

  “They will be perfectly safe. Nobody is going to get bit or eaten. I wouldn’t allow the park to be built if I didn’t think it was going to be safe for the public.”

  “That’s what John Hammond said in Jurassic Park. Look where it got him. He couldn’t control the dinosaurs and his team got eaten by them. If Michael Crichton was alive today, I’m sure he would try to keep this park from ever being built.”

  “What I’m hearing from you, Mr. Anderson, is you’re not going to televise my story about the park.”

  “Oh! I’m going to tell your story! The public needs to know what the government is up to now. If you’re allowed to play God, General Poe, we need to prepare ourselves for the inevitable.”

  “Don’t be surprised if the public is on our side. I’m sure we’ll get all the support we need.”

  “I’ll be surprised if they do.”

  Mr. Forenstein sat back in his chair after making all the necessary calls. Everything was falling into place. Now everything would be left to the engineers General Poe was supplying. He looked at his watch and decided it was time to go home for the day. There wasn’t anything else he could accomplish. He wanted to spend the rest of the day with his son.

  Chapter Nine

  The next morning Mr. Forenstein was awoken by his cell phone. He answered it and heard General Poe’s voice.

  “Robert, turn on the morning news.”

  “Give me a minute. I just woke up.” He reached for the remote and turned on the TV in the bedroom. The morning anchor woman was talking about the zombie park coming to the area. He watched an interview with General Poe, and then the reaction from the public. The response from them was mixed. Many of them thought it would bring jobs and money to the community, and others were afraid of a potential zombie outbreak. Then the interview switched to a young man wearing a PETA shirt. He stated his name was Donnie Jorsen and he was bringing a group together called ‘PETZ’. He stated it meant ‘People for the Ethical Treatment of Zombies’.

  “Robert, this is the kind of publicity the park needs. Donnie Jorsen is going to make our ticket sales soar. We should invite him to attend the opening day.”

  “Wait a minute, Wilbur. This guy could also become a thorn in our side. I’m not sure I want him anywhere near the park.”

  “Relax, Robert. I will make sure security watches him closely. He won’t be able to gain access to any of our exhibits. Trust me; he’s harmless to our park.”

  “He could hamper the construction of the park.”

  “Leave all that to me. I’ll have MPs standing guard at the site. They won’t let him become a problem.”

  “I hope you’re right. People like him will stop at nothing to prove their point. We’re going to have to hire extra security for the park.”

  “We’ll have plenty of security. Plus, we already know who he is and what he looks like. He won’t have a fighting chance ruining our park.”

  He heard Billy in the hallway. “Listen, Wilbur, Billy is up, so I have to go. I promised him we would have pancakes this morning, and then I’m taking him to the zoo
. Do you need anything from me today? There is nothing more I can do until construction begins next week.”

  “Are you going to the zoo to do some research?”

  “That’s exactly what I’m going to do besides spending quality time with my son.”

  “Have a good time. Tell Billy I said hello.”

  “I will. I’ll talk to you later.” He knew his son was eager to get the day started. As he walked into the hallway, he could smell pancakes and bacon being cooked.

  “Good morning, Daddy,” said Billy as he saw his father walk into the kitchen.

  “Good morning.”

  “Would you care for a cup of coffee?” asked his wife, bringing him a plate with pancakes and bacon.

  “Bring me two cups. We have a big day ahead of us. Actually, I’ll take three cups to make sure I’m fully awake.”

  “That’s a lot of coffee, Daddy. Can I have a cup of coffee?”

  “Don’t be in a big hurry to grow up, Billy. Life gets more complicated when you’re older.”

  “I’m not in a hurry. I like being my age. You get to go to the zoo a lot.”

  He laughed at his son’s remark. He knew his son was a big fan of the zoo. “Finish your breakfast so you can brush your teeth and get ready.”

  The zoo was busy. The parking lot was full with only a few spaces left near the back. He saw a line of buses parked near the front entrance. Mr. Forenstein parked his car and looked around the lot.

  “It looks like everybody decided to come to the zoo today.” He felt confident seeing how busy it was. He was sure he would have the same results at the zombie park.

  “I want to see the lions first, Daddy,” said Billy, grabbing his father’s hand.

  “All right, we’ll go see the lions first.”

  They stopped at the ticket booth where Mr. Forenstein stopped to see how everything was priced. For the park to be successful, it still had to be affordable for those with families on a tight budget. After getting their tickets, he led his family inside the zoo and headed to the left where the lions were located. He planned on watching how Billy responded to all the exhibits as they made their way through the zoo. He knew most children would react the same way he did.