Welcome to the Apocalypse

by Cathy Gaitan

  Julia Caesar knocks on Hildie’s door and doesn’t wait for an answer before she opens it. “Are you ready to go. We need to get to the airport. Now,” she demands. “We’ve already loaded the recruitment team.”

  I slide the two bags carrying the potions and masks over my shoulder then turn to hug Hildie. “One day soon I am going to jam so many volts into this Zombie her queen head is going to blow off,” I whisper to Boom Hildie.

  “I can hear you, you know,” Julia sighs.

  I walk past her with my head lifted in dignity and promptly trip over Hildie’s giant shoes. Damn that witch for ruining my exit!

  No worries. Cool exits are my specialty. “I meant for you to hear. Consider it a warning,” I tell Queen Z. “You’re welcome.” Bam! That’s how you exit a room.

  *********************************************************

  Mercy Mayhem

  I am so happy to finally be going home. It was fun hanging out with the witches but the Zombies have a war to prepare for. What those Humans did to Wendell and the rest of our recruitment team can’t be overlooked. The message they sent was received. And payback was going to be brutal. Titus promised. Julia Caesar may rule with an iron fist but the fist itself is Titus.

  We had a group meeting last night while Boom Hildie and Bibidee Bea were working on the potions. Julia was adamant that we send needed to send a message and soon. Not only did the Humans brutalize our family members but they also waged an attack on our home.

  I’m worried about Pinkerton. He is so angry. He wants us to do forcible conversions. He says the Humans won’t have much of an army if all their soldiers are Zombiefied.

  Julia, of course, was vehemently opposed to Pinkerton’s suggestion. The only problem Titus had with it was possibly converting animals like the ones who attacked our guys. He says they need to die painfully. A death that doesn’t include a return trip.

  I’m not sure where I stand on the issue. I mean we all agree minors are off limits. That hasn’t changed for any of us. I’d prefer that the people we convert voluntarily agree to it but I also understand Pink’s stance. A leader needs followers. If we can’t eliminate their leader we need to somehow disband his army.

  Bibidee Bea slides into the backseat of the SUV. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but I’m with Pinkerton. Steal their army,” the witch says as though we’d been conversing.

  “Quit hijacking my mind,” I growl. I like the witch but that kind of stuff just burns me up. Your mind should be a safe zone. Sure mine trips me up so time. So what? As messy as it is it’s mine. And that’s something I don’t share.

  Pinkerton slips into the driver’s seat as witchy Bea says, “Who needs to hijack? Your mind is like an open book with a lot of torn pages. You really should learn to block.”

  “That’s what I say,” agrees Pink. “She’s too open.”

  “What the hell? So today you two are simpatico?” The last few days all they did was argue. He has to have burn marks from all the times she zapped him. But today it’s all good apparently.

  “Sure. Why not,” asks Bea in confusion. “Do you not want us to? I’m not interested in Pinkerton if that’s what you’re worried about. Titus is the only one I have my eye on.”

  “Pink and I aren’t together,” I deny. “Why do people always think that?”

  “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the ‘I love Pinkerton tattoo’,” she says. Then she waves her hand towards my face. “Or the Pink accents on your face and in your hair. Geez, he even has a tattoo of you. Just embrace it and get on with it.”

  I look at Pink and he just smirks at me and shrugs. I reach into the glove compartment and pull out a jumbo box of Nerds. This witch is really getting on my nerves today.

  “Or you could just munch on candy,” she suggests sarcastically.

  “You don’t know me,” I grumble through a mouthful of candy. “Just because you dip into my mind sometimes doesn’t mean you know my heart.”

  Bibidee Bea nearly chokes on laughter. She leans between our seats and says knowingly, “Oh, I’ve seen your heart.” She leans closer to me and loudly whispers, “And it’s Pink.”

  I’m shaking my head furiously, ignoring Pink’s gaze. “No it’s not!”

  This time Bibidee Bea leans towards Pinkerton and doesn’t bother whispering at all. “Yes, it is!”

  I am mortified and Pinkerton is laughing his ass off. That is until the witch says, “Don’t worry, Mercy. His heart is Pink too. With the name Mercy Mayhem carved into it in sapphire blue.”

  Pinkerton slams on the break and shouts, “Get out, witch!”

  Bea leans back into her seat and crosses her arms. The car shoots forward again despite Pinkerton’s foot on the break. “Get over yourself Pinkerton. Remember, I’m in control. Anything else is an illusion.”

  Pinks grinding his teeth so hard I can hear it across the car.

  “Oh, just calm down. Let’s discuss your plan to convert the world to Zombieism.”

  Pink’s glaring at me like I betrayed him. “Don’t look at me. I didn’t tell her anything.”

  “You could say I mined her mind,” laughs witchy Bea. Ha-ha. Hilarious. NOT!

  Pinkerton is looking at her suspiciously. He’s not even bothering to look at the road. It’s kind of funny. He doesn’t trust Bea but he trusts her powers.

  “I haven’t been in yours yet. Unlike this one,” she jerks her head in my direction. “You have walls around your walls.”

  Pinkerton relaxed a little until Bea said, “But if I wanted to I could smash those walls to dust.”

  “Don’t try it, witch,” he warned.

  “Then don’t test me Zombie,” Bea replied.

  Pinkerton tries to give the witch the silent treatment but she’s not having it. She cranks the radio up and sings poorly all the way to the airport. And there is nothing Pink can do about it much to his consternation.

  Julia and Titus are waiting for us on the tarmac. The witch follows us to the plane. We manage to get all our guys secured. Then Julia turns to Bibidee Bea and says, “Thank you for all your help. We really appreciate it. I don’t know if the rescue would have been as successful without you.”

  “It wouldn’t have,” Bea says, cheerfully as Julia turns and boards the plane.

  Titus takes the bags of potions and rejuvenation masks from her and tells her. “The guys are healing so well thanks to you and Boom Hilda.”

  “I know,” she agrees. He smiles and joins Julia.

  “So long witch,” Pinkerton mutters. “If I never see you again it will be too soon.”

  She grins and says, “Oh, it will be sooner than that.” Pink shakes his head and climbs on the plane.

  I’m the last one to say good-bye. I give Bibidee Bea a hug. “Thank you for helping us. I’m going to miss you. Well, not the mind mining but other stuff.”

  “You’re not going to miss me,” the witch insists with a smile.

  “Yes, I will,” I argue. “You and Boom Hildie are so awesome. I hope that you’ll stay in touch.”

  “Definitely,” she says with a laugh. “I will stay in very close contact with you,” she says with a gleam in her eyes. “You could say I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

  I smile at her. That’s sweet. “It’s too bad you didn’t get to meet our other Zombie members. I think they would have enjoyed meeting you.”

  “I’m sure I’ll meet them all very soon,” Bibidee Bea assures me.

  “Mercy, we need to go,” Julia Caesar is waiting for me at the plane’s door.

  I hug Bea again and then head to the plane. The witch walks along beside me. “You don’t have to walk me.”

  “I know,” she answers as she continues to walk beside me.

  “Bea, we need to leave,” Julia tells her as Bea follows me up the steps.

  “Oh, did I forget to mention? I’m coming with you,” she steps past Julia and takes a seat next to a gaping Pinkerton.

  “Better buckle up,” she says with
a wink. “I have a crazy feeling there’s going be lot of turbulence.”

  The next thing I know Julia and I are being shoved into seats and seat belts are strapping around us automatically.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Julia hisses.

  “Duh, I’m hijacking your revolution,” the witch replies. Bea turns to me and says, “What can I say? I was born a rebel.”

  I can relate. Of course I’m more of an accidental disaster than an outright rebel.

  “I gave this apocalypse a lot of thought and realized it was missing something.”

  “Like what,” I ask.

  She smiles at me and her eyes start doing that swirly thing again. “Magic. But don’t worry. That’s where I come in. This apocalypse is about to get good!”

  The Apocalypse. It’s not just for Zombies anymore! k12