Gravel crunched under Ford’s boots as he walked along the road’s sunken shoulder. Marshall idly kicked a pebble off the asphalt as he kept pace with his younger brother. It took two of Marshall’s strides to keep pace with Ford. The brothers had the same brown hair and brown eyes but over a foot in height separated them.

Marshall squinted in the sunshine as he scratched his chin in thought. He had to keep the game going or Ford would win again. (more…)

Mommy says I have to always be quiet like a mouse so they won’t find me.

David remained quiet and still as he surveyed the dark aisles of the long abandoned grocery store. Sunlight filtered through the still intact wire clad glass at the front of the store allowing David to confirm that nothing moved. He silently climbed down from the hole in the ceiling and glided down the aisles pausing every so often to listen. The only bodies in the store were the dry long decayed jumbles of bone and clothing that posed no threat. (more…)

In the Everglades, deep in the swamps of Mississippi, you can find a structure that’s something between a junkyard and an homage to the Great Wall of China made out of rusted Volkswagen Beetles and other small sedans. This is where I encountered former pastor Thomas Lawerence, who preached at the Wade Baptist Church in Wade, MS. I found him with a handrolled cigarette in his mouth, something scribbled on it burning down slowly, leaving a small wisps hanging in the air, drawing out like his sentences accented by his southern drawl.

You have to understand, first of all, that this is only what happened with our congregation. I can’t speak for religious leaders or churches worldwide, or hell, even nation-wide, but if they were anything like us, there were reasons they were overcome by the dead. Just try not to make assumptions, and don’t let my opinion speak for what’s left of organized religion, or those who fell from it. (more…)

Zenith had planned this day for weeks, ever since he heard about the Blood Rains: the Second Step coming out on Christmas eve. He told his family not to plan anything until after 3 p.m. that required his showing up because he was dead set on seeing it opening day. They complied, as parents often do with a favorite firstborn. In their eyes, Zenith was worth the inconvenient delay of a few hours, so they placated his sisters with a morning full of carols and brunch and planned a festive family dinner together: no problem. (more…)

I thought of death often.

At times I yearned to drown myself in the mountain streams, or wander off into the forsaken lands beyond the forest, to be torn and tortured by the walking dead.

I suppose the entire town considered giving up at some stage. We had all lost someone we loved to those who walk the earth and feed off the living. After losing my wife to flesh eaters… God knows what I’d do if I had to lose my father and my little boy as well. (more…)

Wayne carefully opened the curtains and peeked out.

“It’s quiet outside” he said. “I’m going to the shops, get some supplies.”

Simone turned her head in the direction of his voice, glad for a noise other than the baby’s unending cries. “Have you got the gun?” she asked.

“Yes” (more…)

I’ve never been good with directions. Jeanette always planned out our trips, routes, where we would stay, what we would do.

Turn left at the light. Hit the interstate. Just keep driving. Don’t worry, I know where we’re going.

Always in control, the true pilot of our vacations. I just navigated us where she said to go. (more…)

We let the second-generation creatures get away with it. They stole the wings off all our butterflies so they could fly, so they could claim their share of what was left of the irradiated skies. We held our breath as they drank from the undulating pitcher plants, wishing we had long ago learned to adapt to the predatory movements of those plants. (more…)

Qiaohua knelt in front of her ancestors, to all the generations that once stood before, her hands holding the smoky, burning incense, as she looked at each of the names of her forefathers sincerely.

“Dear Grandpa, and all my honored forefathers, please bless your humble and unworthy granddaughter-in-law the strength to overcome these series of unfortunate events that have besieged the peace of our village. I seek your guidance in all my actions, so that in turn, I can help protect the villagers, just as how all of you, my fathers have been—honoring the family and shouldering the responsibilities. I’ll do whatever I can to stop the evil at bay until Zhenjing return. My fathers, please ensure his return! I will be forever thankful.” (more…)

The man was big; they called him ‘Bear’ or ‘Papa Bear’. Stan thought about male bears and hoped that he was a papa wolf, instead… in the Zombie Apocalypse, such a big guy had done better than most, bashing in undead skulls and keeping beyond their cold hands with the reach of the tree limb pruning-hook that he was carrying. It looked like serious hurt. (more…)

My name was John Folger, and no, no relation to the coffee. That’s always the first thing people ask when I meet them, and my response is automatic. It’s possible that by now there isn’t even an empty can of Folgers left, so maybe that reference doesn’t make any sense to you, but all I know about is the past and the right now. I guess my writing this down shows that I still believe in a future, but I have no more illusions that I’ll be in it. I hope my story can help you, even if it’s just to fill in the blanks of a moment in history. I warn you, I have no answers, only observations and a few confessions. (more…)