The Undead That Saved Christmas Vol. 2 (11 page)

She took her out of the box to admire her beauty.

“We have Molly’s first present. It’s a doll. Over.” Angel whispered over the Walkie-Talkie.

In Molly’s bedroom all the toys cheered, except Barbie One.

“I hope it’s not another Barbie,” she said, frowning.

“Hey, wouldn’t that be great?” Ken grinned.

“Ask Angel if it’s another Barbie,” Barbie One asked Princess Penelope. She glared at Ken.

“Angel, is it another Barbie Doll? Over.” Princess Penelope said.

“No. I have to get back out there now. I think they’re opening more presents. Over.” Angel said, peeking her head out between the tree branches.

“Here, let me take a picture of you two with your presents,” Mom said

Ryan and Molly stood in front of the living room window, beside the tree, and held up their gifts. Ryan put his baseball bat over his shoulder as if he was ready to take a swing. Molly hugged her new doll to her chest and smiled.

“Say ‘Thank you, Santa!’ “

“Thank you, Santa!” The kids chimed in unison.

The camera flashed and Mom looked at it on the digital screen.

“That’s a great pic, you two!” Mom said, happily. “…Wait a minute. What’s the in the background?”

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Molly shrieked as something crashed through the window, spraying the presents and tree with shards of broken glass.

Two arms reached through the window and grabbed Molly, then attempted to pull her through the window.

“HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” Molly wailed. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Whatever—or whoever—had their arms wrapped around her smelled worse than their dead hamster, Cookie, when they found her dead under a couch cushion three weeks after she went missing. And it was strong, too. Molly tried to break free from its grasp, but she couldn’t.

Dad rushed forward and grabbed Molly, tugging her from the scabby arms.

But Molly still wasn’t free because she was holding her new doll…and so was the thing.

“Let go!” She screeched, pulling her doll away from hands that looked as if they had been shoved down a garbage disposal.

“Molly! For the love of God let go!” Mom yelled.

Before Molly could obey and let go, the thing did it for her by popping the doll’s arm into its mouth and biting it off.

Molly stared in horror as it chewed and swallowed her brand new doll’s arm.

Everyone took a step back, except the hideous thing, which took a step forward.

Its skin looked as if it was melting off its bones - in some places you could actually see them. And blood was smeared all over its body, but particularly noticeable around its mouth and chin. It slowly dripped off its chin and made loud
splat
sounds on the hardwood floor.

Ryan knew it was a zombie. Although he was forbidden to watch scary movies (“You’re too young for that stuff,” his parents always said. But if you asked him 9-years-old was old enough. All his friends were allowed to watch them!). He often snuck downstairs after his parents fell asleep to watch “Fright Friday”. A few weeks ago he watched a movie called
Dawn of the Dead
. This creature was just like the zombies in the film. The rotten flesh was a dead giveaway.

He also knew how to kill them. They needed guns - and lots of ‘em. But they didn’t have any…as far as he knew. So he did the first thing that came to mind.

Ryan swung his Louisville Slugger as hard as he could and felt it make contact with the zombie’s skull. He heard the loud snap from the zombie’s skull breaking free from its bony neck and watched it fly across the street. If he had been playing baseball that would’ve been a home run for sure.

As the remainder of the zombie’s body slumped to the ground, disappearing from view behind the window, the rest of the family gaped in horror.

“Angel, what’s going on down there? Are you okay? Over.” Princess Penelope’s squeaky voice crackled through the Walkie-Talkie.

“I’m all right, but something horrible just happened. A monster broke through the window and grabbed Molly!”

“Oh no!”

“She’s fine, but the new doll had her arm ripped off – and eaten!”

“Eaten?!”

“Yes, the monster chewed up her arm and swallowed it. But everything’s okay now. Ryan saved us all.”

“Should we come down and help?”

“No, you can’t risk getting caught.”

“Okay. You try and help the new doll and we’ll think of a plan to help, too. Over.”

Angel stuck her head through the branches of the tree and surveyed the damage.

Molly was slumped to the floor, sobbing, her new doll in a heap on the floor.

Ryan had dropped the bat and stood in front of the window, wide-eyed, staring out.

Mom and Dad were still standing frozen in shock, trying to comprehend what just happened. Eventually they snapped out of it and realized they needed to do something to secure their home.

“We need to cover that window with something,” said Dad. “Here, help me with the bookshelf.”

Dad and Mom each grabbed an end of the bookshelf, knocking most of the books off in the process, while the children watched.

“Well that takes care of one window, but what about the others?” Mom asked.

“Before we do anything we need to find out what’s going on and come up with a plan,” replied Dad.

“My dolly is okay!” Molly interrupted.

“Not now, Molly,” Dad sighed impatiently.

“Daddy, she’s alive! She’s walking and everything!”

“I said not now, Molly!” He snapped.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain on his ankle. He glanced down and saw Molly’s new doll attached to his ankle. Streams of blood flowed onto his foot. He didn’t understand what was happening until the doll lifted its head up and he gazed into its gleaming glass eyes. They were staring right into his eyes – and they were malevolent. Then the doll turned its attention back to his ankle and he felt it tear the flesh from his bone like it was eating a drumstick.

“AHHHHHHHHHHH!” Dad screamed in agony. He tried to kick the doll off his ankle, but she clamped on.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” Mom asked, terrified.

Then she saw a doll chewing on her husband’s ankle like it was the Christmas turkey.

She rushed over and yanked the doll off her husband’s ankle, receiving a bite on her forearm in the process.

“Ow!” She yelled, dropping the doll to the floor. “What’s going on here? We bought the doll from
Child’s Play
?”

Mom glanced at Dad. He didn’t look so hot. His skin was a ghostly white and sweat was pouring down his forehead, as if he had been caught in a downpour.

She ran to the washroom to grab the first aid kit, when suddenly she felt sick. She dropped to her knees and clutched her stomach.

Ryan and Molly stared in horror at their parents, unsure of what to do.

Eventually Mom and Dad stopped sweating and writhing in agony. They had blank looks in their eyes and lurched toward their children.

“Mom?Dad?” Molly said, apprehensive.

“Molly, they’re zombies now. RUN!” Ryan shouted, while grabbing his little sister’s hand and running into the washroom.

“Princess Penelope! Ryan and Molly are in trouble!” Angel screeched over the Walkie-Talkie.

“What’s wrong?” Princess Penelope replied.

“Something’s wrong with Mom and Dad. They’re acting crazy!”

“What?”

“They’re attacking the kids! Get down here! We have to save them!”

“We’re on our way.”

While Mom and Dad pounded on the washroom door, Angel climbed down the Christmas tree. When she reached the bottom, she realized she forgot about one small detail: the new doll.

It pounced on her as soon as her feet hit the floor. She didn’t even have time to scream as it bit into her skull, leaving a gaping hole in the side of her head. It chewed noisily and quickly, eager to get the next bite into its bloated belly.

The doll was too busy feasting on Angel to see what was behind it.

Princess Penelope quietly walked up behind it and drove the pointed end of a jack into the doll’s skull. It collapsed on top of Angel.

Princess Penelope shoved the dead doll aside so she could see Angel.

“Oh Angel, what has she done to you?” She sobbed and walked away, unable to look at her.

Most of her head was missing –her mouth and chin remained – and that was more than enough.

The toys saw that Mom and Dad had broken down the bathroom door, and hurried over to try to help the kids.

They scratched at their feet and ankles with their jacks and toy swords, but that did little more than annoy the zombies. It took one second for Dad to reach down, grab Ken and bite his head off as if he were made of chocolate, tossing the rest of his body to the floor.

The other toys backed away in fear, but Princess Penelope used the diversion to squeeze between Dad’s legs and into the bathroom.

It wasn’t going well in there.

Ryan was slumped on the floor, clutching his arm and sweating profusely. He had been bitten trying to save his little sister, and soon he would turn just as his parents had.

Molly cowered in the bathtub with the shower curtain closed, sobbing, hoping they couldn’t see her, but knowing that they could.

Princess Penelope hopped into the tub with her, not caring about the Toy Code. Her kid needed her!

Molly stared at her, wide-eyed, not believing what she was seeing.

Princess Penelope knew there was no time to waste.

“Yes, all of us toys are just as real as you, and I’m sure you have lots of questions, but we don’t have enough time now. We’re all going to die if you don’t help us. When the next person comes near you, I want you to grab the showerhead and hit that person in the face as hard as you can. Over and over again.”

“…I…I can’t,” Molly sobbed.

“Yes you can. If you don’t we’ll DIE.”

“O…o…okay,” Molly said, chest heaving up and down.

As soon as she had the detachable showerhead clutched in her shaking hands, Mom stumbled over, ripping the red and green striped shower curtain from its plastic hooks.

Molly raised the showerhead over her head and slammed it down as hard as she could, into the middle of her mother’s face.

Mom stumbled backward, releasing a high-pitched moan, but stepped forward again.

Molly hit her again and again, blood spraying her in the face, but not caring. She didn’t stop until her mother’s face looked like it had a bloody crater in the center and she collapsed to the floor.

She repeated the beating with her father and brother.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered afterward, tears falling down her cheeks.

“You did it!” Princess Penelope cheered, hugging her.

Molly held the doll to her chest and left the washroom, still shaking from her ordeal.

“Everyone it’s over! Molly saved us!” Princess Penelope chirped, turning her head away from Molly’s body.

“No – this can’t be happening!” Princess Penelope shrieked as she saw the rest of the toys.

All of them had turned into zombies and were slowly walking – and crawling - toward them. They were all missing body parts, which could be found in Mom’s, Dad’s or Ryan’s stomach.

Molly ran toward the Christmas tree, but tripped over a present and dropped Princess Penelope.

“No!” Molly cried, watching as Princess Penelope fell mere feet away from the zombie toys.

She felt around for a weapon and her hand landed on her brother’s new baseball bat. She grabbed it and started smashing toys. She worked quickly, flattening her beloved toys until they looked like a car drove over them.

When she was done, Molly dropped the bat with a loud clunk and slumped to the floor. She was out of tears. So was Princess Penelope, who jumped onto her lap.

“Now what?” Molly asked her.

“Well it’s Christmas. How about we figure out what to do next over some Christmas cookies and egg nog?”

Molly agreed and they barricaded themselves in the kitchen.

They had both lost friends and family, but at least they still had each other. It was a Christmas miracle that they both survived.

Zombie Don’t Jingle

By Rusty Fischer

We caroled on Elm Street

We caroled on Oak;

Yes, I’d have to say

We were caroling folk!

We sang ‘til our voices

Were scratchy and sore;

Then swallowed a cough drop

And sang 10 songs more!

The snow felt so chilly

On our bright, singing faces;

As we shuffled around

In brightly lit spaces.

The houses were decked out

So merry and gay;

As we caroled and sang

All night and all day.

Our noses were frosty

As we rounded Pine Street;

Struggling to stand

On our achy, sore feet.

“One more then we’re finished,”

Pastor Carol did boast.

“Then it’s back to the rec hall

Where it’s warm as fresh toast!”

We started to sing

That old
Silent Night
;

When the door burst wide open

And gave us a fright!

Three zombies came stumbling

Out the Harrington’s door;

Dripping our neighbor’s blood

All over the floor.

Those zombies they saw us

And gave quite a start;

And the smell that came off them

Was worse than… a
fart
!

It reeked quite of death

Of rot and decay;

Not things one should smell

On a bright Christmas Day!

Their teeth were quite yellow

Their eyes were pure red;

And the gray of their skin

Made it clear they were…
undead
.

I wanted to bolt

I wanted to run;

But the zombies were hungry

For some holiday fun.

I turned to find seven

Shuffling up to my back;

And six more stumbled over

To wage their attack.

Our church group was surrounded

Our future quite grim;

Until I croaked out a suggestion

To good Pastor Jim.

“The end is quite certain,”

I said with a frown;