It’s not just about having cases of water or tins of beans; it’s a mindset, a mindset that could save your bacon, said the man who could have been a preacher in a previous life. The blue vein in his temple pulsed as he talked, I couldn’t look away from it, as if it was its own kind of beast.
You tapped me on my shoulder, knocking me out of my thoughts of blue-blooded vampires. Want one, you asked, hovering your plate of doughnut holes over my lap. You’d eaten the chocolate ones. I could see the crumbs around your mouth. I took a plain one, popped it in and chewed.
I haven’t seen you before, you said. I’m new, I said, then kept chewing. It didn’t seem to be that kind of place where manners were king. You should come on Saturday. We’re doing a workshop on weapons, you know, the right ones for stopping zombies and defunct politicians––you smiled when you said it, but somehow, I didn’t think it was a joke.
I ended up going that weekend. Turned out it wasn’t a joke. We’d be using the training before the end of the year when the grid went down, and everyone was running around half-cocked and loaded. And the politicians, they were the first to disappear––just vanished, never did have to take one of them out. Zombies on the other hand…
8 Replies to “Politicians and Zombies”
You leave no subject unexplored! What a mind…
It is a little scary sometimes…my husband has stopped asking what I’m thinking about:)
Your stories are amazing. Not all writers can accomplish an entire story in a few paragraphs and scare the s–t out of you at the same time.
You crack me up, Mary! But really, look at the image (and subject matter) I had to work with…it is scary––and cool. I’d like to meet the person who painted it…
Great pic and read, Carmen. I look forward to these flash bits as they pop up in my feed. Alwaya get transported right out of my seat.
Thanks, Sue! Hope I can keep doing that for you:)
Your imagination is wild. How do you think of this stuff? Love reading it!
Thanks, Auntie! You might get this more than most but I was exercising my imagination since I was a young kid. What else does a pastor’s kid do while sitting through seemingly endless sermons and choir practices and bible studies? You make up stories to pass the time. Just don’t tell dad…
Word of the Year-2025
For my 2025 word of the year, I chose COURAGE. I know, it’s not the most original pick—but hear me out. Something about courage stuck with me this time, especially after watching a documentary on The Tragically Hip. For those unfamiliar, they’re kind of a Canadian thing. A band that
Hinterland is Real
They say seeing is believing. I didn’t know what that meant until that night. I was coming home late, later than I should, and I knew I was going to catch heck. Momma didn’t even pretend to be patient when me or my sister wasn’t home in time for dinner.
Deadly Mist
The mist crept closer, slithering across the boot prints she left behind on the soft, moist ground. She urged her legs to go faster over the uneven path. A leafless tree grabbed at the flying strands of her long silver hair as she ran past. They hung like shiny tinsel