Random Zombie Fight
Sera woke up alone to a room filled with sunshine sparkling off of glass. Marcus had cleaned up the broken vase and moved the largest bowl directly under the skylight. The dull sun hit the swirling colors and shot blue and green veins of light throughout the loft. She was surprised and disappointed that he wasn’t still sleeping next to her.
However, she saw a steaming cup of tea on the bedside table and a note.
“I’m down in the studio. There’s crumpets warming in the oven, honey on the kitchen table, and a small gift. Please come down before you leave. –Marcus”
Sera was glad for the scent of hot earl gray but who still ate crumpets? Hunger overrode her and she padded barefoot into the kitchen. The wooden floor was smooth and dry under her feet, even where the burnt living room carpet had been. She opened the oven with a nearby kitchen towel and found a small plate of odd hole riddled biscuits. Sera had never actually eaten a crumpet before, but she figured they looked like mini-pancakes, so they must be okay. The first bite was tentative, but with a little bit of honey, soon the plate was empty and her spirits had lifted.
After breakfast, she found her dress hanging in the bathroom. She was very overdressed, but added Marcus’s sweatshirt over the top for extra warmth. Seattle was not the place where you could take staying dry for granted.
The stairs where filled with colored light from the stained glass windows as she walked down to the bottom floor landing. Happily, the small gargoyles seemed friendlier in the late morning sun.
Sera heard a deep sound like air rushing through a cavern, but she didn’t feel a breeze. She knocked on the door, but nobody answered. Marcus said to come down, so she opened the door. “Hello?”
A wave of intense heat hit her face. Her lips and eyes felt instantly dry and she raised her hand to block some of the burning white light of the furnace.
Three men were standing around a long thin strand of rotating glass. One rolled the glass along a wooden platform in a never ending back and forth rhythm. The other blew into the end opposite a glass bubble, slowly increasing in size. Marcus applied a strand of red along the edges of the bubble. They were all sweating and speaking short bursts of words.
“Ready to roll? Thin Exhale this time. Get ready to pull.” Their intensity held Sera silent for a few minutes as she waited. Breaking their concentration while standing so close to a huge fire seemed wrong.
“Sera,” Marcus had looked for the source of cool air, “Can you close the door? We need another 15 minutes to find a good place to stop.”
Sera wandered around the space, staying clear of the furnace and the 3 intense men. The room was filled with bits of blobby glass in all different colors. The only sunlight came from three short windows near the top of the wall and a bank of fluorescent lights that only covered half the room. She wanted to explore but if she didn’t hit the bar by 1pm to start prep for that evening, her brother would threaten to have an aneurysm and leave the whole thing to her.
Just then, Zombies rushed in from every corner of the room! The heat made their decaying flesh jiggle and swing with each broken step. One of Marcus’s helpers screamed as they pulled him down. He kicked violently and a woman with only one arm and missing half her face was thrown into the furnace. Her chest exploded from heat and her flesh consumed like napalm.
“Just a minute” said Marcus. He grabbed the nearby shotgun and started popping shots off into every corner. A black guy with a gaping eye socket went down. A business man with a blackberry half shoved up his nose was next. The Zombies fell one by one. Their hands reaching but never quite touching Marcus. Click, click. He backed up into a side table filled with rounds and reloaded smoothly.
Sera decided she hated whimpering in the corner, found a bucket of tall glass shards and started shoving them into every chest that didn’t have a heartbeat. Her hair was covered in gore instantly, but she didn’t mind. She was happy to be doing something besides eating crumpets and sleeping. She started laughing with joy hoping Marcus didn’t notice the manic tone.
Marcus, out of ammo, swung the shotgun and connected with the last Zombie skull in a satisfyng crunch. “So,” his breath came in gasps “how were the crumpets?”
Sera stopped laughing to give him the evil eye and looked down at the ruin that used to be her dress. “I think I need a vacation.” She smiled “I heard Figi is Zombie free this time of year.”
He picked a piece of rotting zombie flesh off of his blood and sweat soaked t-shirt. “I’m pretty sure it’s not, but if you can find somebody that can fly a plane, I’m game to give it a try.”
“Don’t tempt me” Sera said.
“Oh, I almost forgot” Marcus shoved a headless torso off the side desk and opened one of the drawers. “I made you something this morning.” He held a yellow glass rose. Each delicate petal unfolding from the center and outlined by a strand of bright gold. A white silk ribbon spilling from the corner of his hand. The whole thing nestled into the curve of his palm.
“Do you hate it?” she teased him.
“Of course I hate it. That’s why I’m giving it to you.” He lifted it and gently placed it into her outstretched hand. She caressed the petals, surprised at how thin each sliver was and yet how solid it felt in her hands. Sera lifted the ribbon and let the rose hang from her neck.
“It’s beautiful.” She kissed him gently on the cheek. “Thank you.”
“I’ve got to get home and check on the bar.” Sera said, “I’m hoping it hasn’t burn down yet.”
Marcus looked around his blood spattered studio. “I’d better clean up this mess if I’m going to get any more work done.”
“Come by the bar later?” Sera asked.
“Absolutely, I need a reason to get drunk since I didn’t sell a thing at last night’s exhibition.” Marcus nodded.
“And bring your gun.”” Sera laughed. “The zombies get rowdy after 1am”
Marcus watched her walk up the stairs, leaving bloody hand prints on the railing.