Chapter 4

  Naomi

  I’ve been floating for hours. Who does this Junior guy think he is? He’s been whistling the same tune forever. I swim through the air, trying to get away. I can’t. I’m weightless.

  “Let me go, tubby!” I say, swinging my hands aimlessly in the air.

  He thinks it’s adorable and laughs. Out of the corner of my eye, it’s…no… I’d know that afro anywhere. I look again. No one’s there.

  It must be my guilt. There’s no way Ray would be in a place like this, whatever “this” is. It looks like Earth, except I see two suns instead of one. There’s a man with his back facing us. Another regular person?

  “Please, help me! Please!” I shout.

  He quickly turns around. He’s a zombie, too!

  “What are you doing with the kid?” he asks Junior.

  Junior ignores him and keeps walking. Oh no, this guy is going to eat me. He takes me from Junior.

  I hit him in his head, over and over again. “Get off me! You’re not gonna have my brain!” I scream.

  The zombie shakes me a bit. “What?” he says. “I’m trying to save you, or I would be if you’d stop beating my skull.”

  I don’t believe him; I keep punching.

  He takes me to a nearby building where a priest lies on the door. Father O’Riley? Why is the local priest here? I notice they both have a mountain symbol on their clothes. Other people with the same mark come out, surrounding Junior.

  “Take her inside,” says the zombie to Father O’Riley.

  Father O’Riley takes me inside. I ask him a million questions about what’s going on.

  “Just follow me,” he says, dragging me inside.

  The people outside are telling Junior to stand down. He takes off his shades, revealing his piercing yellow eyes. “It’s been a while since I had some fun,” he says.

  Humans and zombies carrying huge tanks on their backs pepper Junior with salt. He moves like a gymnast ninja, flipping and sliding around. He’s so agile they can’t touch him. He dances around them, touching everyone in his path. One by one, they float into the sky, going higher and higher until they disappear. We look back and he’s gone. Me and O’Riley look at the window, wondering where he went. I feel the ground shaking. The building is getting further from the ground.

  “We’re floating!” I exclaim.

  I peer at the window. Suddenly, I jump into O’Riley’s arms, screaming. Junior’s dried, rotting face is pressed against the window, sporting a wicked smile.

  Father O’Riley leaps through the window, taking me with him. But we’re not floating; the buildings are slowly descending. This is Junior’s fault. I should’ve listened to grandma. I should’ve stayed home.

  Father O’Riley’s foot lands on the side of the building, but he loses his balance and slips. He quickly recovers, running up the building as it falls. He makes it to the top, leaping from building to building before they drop from the sky. More buildings ascend upward, blocking our path. Father O’Riley continues skipping across the structures. The structures falling under our feet crush the remaining uniformed men below. Those poor people.

  Before I can cry, Father O’Riley dives into a smaller building that’s still floating. He surrounds the perimeter in blue fire.

  I shake him by his black robes. “What’s going on? Why are there zombies? And what do they want with me?”

  I’m talking so fast, he can’t keep up. He signals for me to zip it.

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  “First, you’re in Zombie World,” he says.

  “What? You mean zombies are gonna eat our brains? I love my brain!” I exclaim.

  “No, zombies don’t eat brains,” O’Riley says, pinching the bridge of his nose, slightly annoyed by my statement. “They eat regular food like you and me. Well, most do anyway. Second, I think you’re being targeted by a human trafficking ring.”

  On impulse, O’Riley takes me and leaps to the other side of the room. Junior is standing where we once were.

  “I’m disappointed, priest,” Junior chuckles. “You guys aren’t at your best like you were ten years ago.”

  The priest looks at Junior in horror. “Then that means…”

  Junior smiles. “But I don’t work for Crom Dubh no more. Now, give me the girl and I’ll be on my way.”

  He appears in front of O’Riley in a flash. Junior swings his heavy hands, while O’Riley swings his scarf like a whip, parrying Junior’s blows like a martial arts master. They’re evenly matched. Junior slides under his legs and then grabs me by my shirt. Father O’Riley ignites his hand on fire, ready to deliver a death blow. Junior puts me in the way of the attack. Father O’Riley stops, looking into my fearful eyes.

  “Smart priest,” Junior says, walking off with me.

  Purple energy envelops my hand. I grab Junior’s arm. Irritated, Junior palms my face, lifting me from the floor. “That’s getting annoying, kid.”

  Before he makes it to the door, a cold breeze passes through the room. Junior and I look in shock as the arm he was holding me with is missing. I’m back on the floor. I look up and…it can’t be.

  “Ray,” I say in awe.

  “Impressive reflexes, kid,” Junior says to Ray, who’s holding his arm. “But can I have my arm back?”

  Ray steps on it, pouring salt on it. The arm ignites in yellowish-greenish flames before turning to ash.

  I’m glad he saved me, but why is he ashy with a grayish tone? Oh no. He’s a zombie, too?

  “Stand back,” Ray says. He looks at Junior, almost possessed and with a stare of death. A violent mist engulfs him, like a raging sea, spreading to Junior. The round corpse howls in agony as a mixture of steam and green aura leave his body. Junior falls to his knees.

  Ray turns to me, slightly irritated. “Why are you here, meanie?”

  “I was kidnapped,” I say. “But a better question is why are you grey and smell like rotting fish?” I ask.

  Ray folds his arms. “Still that same bully. I should’ve let em’ take you.”

  I can’t blame him. He has every right to feel that way. I wasn’t nice to him. I notice a watch on his arm. It’s the same one I dropped at his gravestone. At least he took my presents.

  Father O’Riley groans in pain, holding his right arm, then his knee.

  “Are you okay, O’Riley?” Ray asks, approaching him.

  “My arthritis in my hand and leg is acting up,” he says. “Not as young as I used to be.”

  Father O’Riley and I are in shock as Junior is still standing. His skin is slightly singed like he’s been branded with an iron.

  “Cleansing Mist? How can a zombie do that?” Junior asks with a puzzled expression. “You can’t use life energy. You’re dead.”

  “Take her and run,” O’Riley commands Ray.

  But Ray stands there, giving Junior the same menacing look as before. “Where did you hear that name?” he asks.

  “What name?” Junior says. He remembers, saying, “Oh, I haven’t seen the Dullahan in years. What’s he to you?”

  Junior brushes past Ray, tapping him on the shoulder.

  Ray floats in the air, still demanding Junior tell him about Crom Dubh. “Who is Crom Dubh? Who is he?”

  Junior ignores him, returning to me. I throw the grains of salt Ray had in Junior’s face. The grains combust into yellow and green fire as he screams in pain, trying to put it out. Ray falls to the ground. Junior’s powers are wearing off.

  Father O’Riley, who’s groaning in agony, takes his scarf and wraps it around Ray’s leg, pulling him to us. “There’s a cellar upstairs full of concentrated salt! Go now!”

  The couch and steel tables start floating and so do we.

  I float further away from the group and closer to Junior, who’s fuming mad.

  “I’ve had enough games,” he growls. “You’re coming with me to Festive Moon, and…”

  A sword pierces his body. He crushes it with his bare hands. The fragments of metal are covered in salt.

  He looks up smiling. “Well, such is life.”

  The building slowly descends back to the ground. As Junior slumps against the wall, Ray’s uncle is behind him, holding the hilt of the sword. He took down Junior.

  Junior, wheezing heavily, gives a sickly grin, revealing his yellow teeth. He stares at Ray. “A zombie possessing life energy? How ironic.”

  Ray runs to his uncle, hugging him, while Father O’Riley gets to his feet. O’Riley gives a faint smile at the pair. The smile disappears as he walks over to Junior and kicks him in his face.

  Junior just smiles. He looks at Ray again. “I know that look, kid. The look of longing, wanting to fill the emptiness.”

  Ray approaches him. Elijah follows behind.

  “Yeah, I want to change that,” Ray says.

  Junior gives Ray his shades. “Well, you’re not all that dead. And if you’re looking for what I think you’re looking for…the Black Casket…it’s here in Zombie World.”

  Ray’s eyes are filled with wonder and hope. “Really, where is it? You have to tell me!”

  Elijah pulls him away. He puts silver cuffs over Junior’s arms that emit a bright green light. “I used a lower dose of salt, so you’ll live. The authorities and ZAS have questions about the recent increase in kidnappings,” Elijah tells Junior.

  Junior laughs, as he breaks from the restraints. “Good luck to ya.” He grabs the broken blade sticking out his body.

  “There’s still more to life,” Elijah pleads.

  Junior pushes the blade in further. He smiles, almost relieved as he fades into dust. “That’s a lie. I’ve never been happy dead,” Junior says. “I wasn’t able to see my son’s blue eyes after my execution. I wish I could see him one last time.” Then he’s gone.