Psych Ward Zombies (15 page)

A minivan barreled down the country road, spewing dust into the air in its wake. Loud pop music blared from the open windows as the occupants sang along off key. A heavy-set man in his early 30’s was driving. His wife, a blond woman wearing oversized sunglasses, sat in the passenger seat. Most of the singing arose from the rear seats of the family hauler, where two pre-teen girls and their younger brother were riding. The little brother sat with a sullen expression, annoyed by the “girlie music”
.

The family was on their way to their favorite remote campground. They had planned a relaxing weekend, complete with nature hikes, toasted marshmallows, and ghost stories by the fire. The weather was currently pleasant, and the forecast for the weekend promised sunny skies. Some of the camping gear had been stowed behind the third row seat, but most of it was tied to a roof rack on top of the van. The two girls were nestled in the third row seats, while the boy was sitting in the middle row by himself. Their mother had her bare feet propped on the dashboard. She drummed her toes to the beat of the music.

“Look over there, honey,” she announced to her husband. “There’s something beside the road.”

She pointed to the roadside ahead, where a small figure stood motionless. At first it looked like an oddly-shaped stump. However, as they drove past, the form became identifiable as a young child. He was a thin, red-haired boy dressed in dirty clothing. The child was just standing by the roadside, as if waiting for someone. It seemed strange that a little kid would be awaiting a ride in the middle of nowhere
.

“Wait, stop,” the woman directed. “He might need help.”

Her husband jabbed the brakes stiffly, causing the tires to squeal softly in protest. The rear of the van lifted up with force of deceleration and then settled back down as the vehicle came to a halt. The van idled in the middle of the road. Each family member craned their neck to look back at the child. The lone youngster did not react to the commotion. He stood still, seemingly frozen in place.

The husband shifted the van into reverse and began backing up. As the vehicle picked up speed, the coarse whine of the gears matched its pitch to the van’s velocity. The minivan stopped directly in front of the child, and all the occupants turned to gawk at him. He stared ahead.

“Sweetie, do you need something?” the woman inquired. The child’s head swiveled slowly toward her and his bloodshot eyes met hers. He did not speak, but his fingers moved in concert with the woman’s words. He appeared to be counting.

“Um, sweetie, are you okay?” she asked again.

One of the girls from the back seat spoke up. “Mom, I think there’s something wrong with him. He looks sick.”

The child’s eyes rolled over, settling on the girl who had spoken. Fingers twitched, calculating syllables
.

Growing impatient, the father placed the vehicle in park and opened his door. He walked around the front of the vehicle and stood over the frail-looking boy
.

“You don’t look so good, kid. Is your momma around?
”

The question was met with silence and counting fingers.

“Okay, kid, let’s get you to some help. I think there’s a town with a hospital about 20 miles up the road. Hop in.”

He slid the minivan door open and pointed to the bench seat where his son sat. The son scooted against the opposite side of the bench seat and re-buckled his seatbelt. The sickly child eyeballed the boy, as a slight grin appeared on his wan face. Slowly, he crept forward and climbed onto the seat. The man buckled in his newly acquired passenger.

Climbing back into the driver’s seat, the man shifted the vehicle into drive and accelerated gently. He peered into the rear-view mirror and assured the child, “Don’t worry, kiddo. We’ll get you some help.”

The van rumbled down the road just as before, although now the interior was silent. The music had been turned off. A nervous tension filled the air
.

“Mom?” the son whispered squeamishly. “What’s that awful smell?”

Thank you for reading
Psych Ward Zombies
. I sincerely hope you enjoyed the story. If you would like to know what happens next, there will be an upcoming sequel.

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Sincere thanks to Tim D, for all the help he cheerfully provided in the making of this book.