Thomas and Zombies
“Come on, Thomas!”
Three boys rushed towards a ramshackle building. Rusted steel bars around the house made it more horrible. The moon spread pale light all around desolate countryside. On the advertising board standing beside the huge shack leaning at a dangerous angle, written in a disgusting greenness: HALLOWEEN SPECIAL! FRESH ZOMBIES!
“The movie has started for hours! What’s wrong with you?” Ada was very mad at these boys, she had been waiting for a while.
“We were looking for Thomas. This chicken was afraid of zombies,” Jake pointed at a short and skinny boy standing on the back.
“Come on! We are going to miss it. I cannot wait to see zombies chewing brains!” Larry complained.
“But, I am scared,” Thomas murmured, trying not to catch others’ attention, “Can I wait outside? Jake?”
“Thomas! How many times I told you? You are such a coward! Why can’t you? Even Ada is not afraid?”, Jake pulled Thomas by the ear, and dragged him into the shack.
The next ninety minutes were like ninety years for Thomas. He had to covered his face with shaking hands and left two tiny gaps for eyes, especially when the feature of a zombie’s head busted in the screen, he cried like a baby.
That night was tough. Thomas suffered the memory of scenes in the movie. He hid himself in his quilt, trying to escape from the fear.
The October wind blew with rage; the night of the countryside was full of unpleasant smell, like zombies. Although this was a town in Nevada, the bitter coldness spread everywhere. Thomas finally fell asleep and made a dream.
Zombies, because of the movie, appeared and besieged Thomas. They screamed and crept towards him. They ripped his jacket and gnawed his limbs. Finally, Thomas woke up before his body being completely eaten.
The feeling of death was terrible.
The next day was Monday. Thomas set off for school as usual. He lowered his head, trying to forget the nightmare and the movie.
Frowning, Thomas heard a sound.
“Hey! Look! Chicken Thomas!” It was Larry and Jake, “ How was the movie? Coward?”
“I am not a chicken, I won’t be afraid of zombies any more!” Thomas lost
his mind.
“No! Loser! You are the chicken! Thomas! CHICKEN!” Jake replied without looking into his eyes, “Unless...”
“Unless what?”
“Unless you take our challenge,” Larry said with a low voice.
“No matter what! I take it!” Thomas was extremely mad. The only thing he wanted to do was to prove he was not a chicken.
“Well, well... Let’s say... Go to the cinema and kill one zombie. And bring its head to us. So we won’t never call you ‘CHICKEN’, deal?” Larry made a weird smile.
“Deal!” Thomas waited for a seconds, “But there are no actual zombies?”
“I am sure there are zombies in the cinema.”
Thomas was confused. In fact, he regretted to take the challenge.
“It is too late, I have to...” Thomas convinced himself.
Thomas made up his mind finally. That night, he slipped out of his home.
After a lengthy wade, Thomas reached the cinema.
The crows cried aloud, fluttering their wings and flew away from the rotted roof. Gloomy moonlight cast a shadow sketching the contours of the cinema.
Thomas put a step into the ajar door. The room completely sank into blackness. He turned on the flashlight. The brightness lit up the whole empty and messy room.
Creaking, the ajar door was closed by the wind. Thomas staggered and moved into the room. He heard something.
“Ah--” the sound wasn’t people’s. Instead, it was hollow and dull, like zombies’.
Thomas opened the door of the innermost room. The voice became louder. And the sound of moving feet on the wooden floor frightened him, badly. Thomas held his breath, taking a close look into the door.
There were zombies.
Ten in all. All he needed to do was to cut one head off and leave.
Thomas took out his blade with shaking hand, grasping it tightly.
Walking little by little towards the closest zombie, Thomas still felt scared.
He lifted up his blade in his hand, and killed one.
The moment was frozen. The head fell on the ground like a basketball bouncing up.
The stiff corpse still stood on the floor supporting by two strong legs. Seconds later, it fell on the ground, making a loud voice.
“No!”
The rest zombies turned back, staring at Thomas with vacant eyes. Making one step forward, one step closer towards Thomas. These zombies were like being trained.
Suddenly, the atmosphere exploded.
“Ah--”
Nine zombies rushed towards Thomas, screaming.
The feeling of extreme fear covered the excitement of being successful. He turned back and started running in full speed he could. Blade and flashlight were dropped on the wooden floor, being trampled by zombies.
Although Thomas didn’t stop running for an hour, making millions of turnings, the zombies seemed like would never lose him and feeling no weary.
But Thomas was already exhausted.
Stumbled.
Stand up again.
Glimpsing back with fear.
Being bitten pieces by pieces.
Nine zombies finally stopped their movement.
No.
There were ten.
