!All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic,

electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information stor-age retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the authors imagination or are used fictitiously. !

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this e-book with another person, please purchase another copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thanks for respecting the hard work of these authors. !

Copyright 2013 by Ami Blackwelder Artwork 2013 by Eloquent Enraptures Edited by Ashely Egan and Katherine Pine !! !

Zombie Housewives: It Started in the Kitchen ! New Jersey, in the not so distant future... !Crystal and Alex A silent scream erupted from somewhere deep inside Crystal. She could feel the anger

building, like something inside of her broke. Slowly counting to 10, she gently placed the camera on the sofa and spun back around to glare at her husband Alex, her thin summer dress swirling around her. Fine, I wont pick up my camera again! Ill spend all day in the kitchen. Trapped, she felt so trapped, unconsciously her upper lip curled like an angry dog.

Her husband Alex threw his hands up before finishing his point, just like he always did, and then his hands landed on his suits slacks. I didnt mean it like that, Crystal. I just need you to be more focused on the housework. Dishes are piling up and the floors are dirty. Im at work all day and then come home to this...this filth. His carefully trimmed eyebrows sat at angles over his dark slanted eyes. His tall and slender shape hung over her like a drill sergeant, his growing anger would become one more thing his mother would blame on Crystal, somehow. Sometimes she imagined him floating out the window like a kite, his words dragging behind him like a tail. It may not soften the stabbing complaints seeping from his mouth, but the image of him flying away made the words a little less painful. Wow, when did she start wishing she could blow him out of her life?

She wished that she could feel chastised by this charade of a fight that they seemed to have every payday, but these days she couldnt summon enough emotion to care. She dusted her hands on her dress before she marched into the kitchen and jerked on the faucet, her wavy blond locks

bouncing behind her. Water splashed over the dishes and she squeezed a few more drops of the SunShine dish soap into the filling sink. Rinse, Soap, Rinse, repeat. She settled into the never-ending ballet that was the dishes, the sudsy plates dancing across the counter. Her fingers started tingling.

Alex followed her into the kitchen and continued. Cant you spend less time on your hob-by and more time on the house?

He went there. Hobby! Hobby? The anger rising in her throat was palpable. I studied photography at

college. I have wanted to be a photographer since I got my first camera at four years old. How long did you study for your job? Eight Weeks? Whatever, Alex! If we hadnt gotten married right out of college maybe I would have had time to pursue my dreams... I am your wife, not your slave. I have replaced working on my career with working on your dinner and five years later where has that gotten me? Another bowl careened into the soapy water.

What does that mean? It means you were supposed to have duties too, remember? Or did you already forget all

the promises you made? She spun from the sink, her back at the counter edge, and her hands covered in suds. At least he had the decency to blush, the red creeping up his cheeks staining his Asian complexion.

"I didnt care about your promises of a two story home with a picket fence and two cars. I never cared about keeping up with the Joneses, or the Changs, or the Griffins. I never wanted to get married." Damn it, why was she crying? "I wanted to travel the world, just me and my cam-era. Then you came along and I loved you so much that my heart hurt every time I thought of leaving...My bag is packed, Alex, has been for two months now.

It has been five years, Alex. Five years! What do we have to show for it? She flung her hands at him and the suds scattered. She scanned the dingy kitchen of their one bedroom home, as if just noticing the peeling wall paper, mismatched chairs and chipping paint.

Ive told you real estate is tight right now. No one is buying. The economy is bad. I work all day to make ends meet and come home to more mess. How do you think that makes me feel?

Fine, Alex. You win. Her emerald eyes grew defiant, though her pale complexion turned hot red. She folded her arms tightly over her chest, opening and closing her suddenly stiff fin-gers. Wasnt 27 too young to get arthritis?

Dont be like that. Im... he fished for a reason to cool the argument, just hungry darling. Alex inched closer and stroked her cheek with his pinky. She sighed, just about ready to believe his apology. Could you get me something to eat?

Jerk! Sure! She wiped her hands off on the dish towel and shoved a frozen dinner into the mi-

crowave. The tiny door slammed.Be ready in five. She turned on her heel to walk out of the kitchenbeing that close to the knives was far too tempting.

Silent at last, Alex stood motionless in the hallway of the kitchen. Crystal brushed past him and headed to the sofa to find her camera. Lifting the viewfinder into her eyes, she aimed the lens at Alexs disappointed expression as the microwave timer buzzed. !!

Jennifer and Brad Be back soon, my ass! Fighting back tears and memories of better days, Jennifer fidgeted

with the picture of her husband Brad. She finally placed the frame down on the banister with a thud and picked up the duster. She glared at his image. But, just as in real life, the blond-haired, blue-eyed doting father of two smiled by his military jeepunaware of her struggles. In his fa-tigues, he was just another large, square man with his left hand on his cap and a duty to his coun-try. Too bad he could never bring with him the people who needed him most.

Jennifer wiped down the banister and then hit the picture frame with the duster before moving to the window in the living room. She had a clear view of the house across the street from the window. White lace curtains curled in her right hand as she leaned against the glass.

She could just make out the shadowed silhouette of Crystal behind her curtains in the liv-ing room, lifting a camera. Flash, Flash.

At least Alex comes home every night, she mumbled under her breath. Been married seven years, she reflected on her husbands absence, and hes been home maybe four of them. I could tell the kids that the mailman was their daddy, they see him far more often then they see their own. She shook her head, then she lowered it in shame. She knew she shouldnt judge him for his duties to the country. After all, that was why she fell in love with him and married him on her twenty-third birthday.

As the sun dropped to the horizon line and cast an orange tint over the window, Jennifer saw her reflection. Her critical eye straying to her sagging boobs and the pouch of a stomach that had taken up residence during her pregnancy settling in after her kids were born. She was plain, there was nothing spectacular about her facial features. Still me She raked her tousled brown bob with her fingers before she headed to the kitchen. What a mess.

She dropped her hand from her hair and stared at all the dishes piled up in the sink. A cake-crusted pan, a bowl with a few drops of cake batter, and a dirty spatula that she used to transfer the batter to the pan. Ten kid's plates and a few adult-sized ones as well, cups, bowls with spaghetti sauce, and chocolate frosting spread over the counter.

At least the twins had a nice birthday party. She flipped the faucet on and reached for the SunShine dish soap. The silky suds sloshed over the dishes in seconds as the water level rose. She turned on the radio sitting on the kitchen window sill and washed to the music of Madonna.

Waves of melancholy crashed over her as she soaped yet another plate, and, as Madonna sang Express Yourself, she could see herself burning down the place in her mind. She kept thinking about the look on her twins faces as she told them their father was going to miss yet another birthday. Her fingers tingled as she wiped away her tears with a soapy finger.

Pulling herself together, she headed down the hall to say goodnight to her children. She stopped at the first door. Pink, with a simple wooden carving attached to the center that read Melissa. Gently opening the door, Jennifer walked in and sat quietly at the feet of the sleeping five year old girl. She remembered her birthit was such a defining moment in her life. One sec-ond she was a pregnant woman full of promise and the next she was a Mom. She had ripped off her old identity, much like she would a band aid. She had not known how much motherhood would change her. It touched everything in her life. She kissed her daughters cheek and then whispered, Sweet dreams.

Walking to the next door painted blue, she straightened the name of Mark carved in wood before entering. How is my little boy? She whispered to herself as she stopped at the foot of his bed. His blanket twisted between one of his legs and the rest of it hung off the corner. Jen-nifer pulled the Spiderman blanket up over him and fluffed it once before kissing his cheek and heading to her own bedroom.

Pulling the pajama drawer open, she lifted an over-sized t-shirt and then plopped onto her bed of pillows. After changing, Brads face stared at her from the picture frame on the nightstand and she sighed. What, no Skype? I cant believe you missed their birthday again! I hope that the mission was worth it! She shook her head and then grabbed a few pictures she had printed out from the party and a letter which she had placed on the nightstand earlier. She slipped them into a vanilla envelope. Guess youll only have these to remember the big day. Well, these and the lovely therapy bills you will get to pay when the kids are teenagers...

She kissed the picture of Brad and huffed. Her fingers felt stiff as she fiddled with the phone next to the lamp. She then clicked off the light and closed her eyes. !

Chris and Carrie When Chris finally stopped playing his guitar, Carrie rushed up to him. Red, long hair

draped over each of her shoulders and hazel eyes beamed as she gushed, That was the best song youve ever written!

Chris grinned and reacted with fake humility, Nah, you say that about all my songs. No, it really was. The chords, the melody, Everything, just perfect. Carrie squeezed be-

tween Chris and his guitar on the sofa. Her thin frame barely indenting the cushion. She basked in his presence, still amazed that he had chosen her. Black liner marked his inner eyelids and jet black hair curled from scalp to chest. Chris let his pinky finger course over a few freckles that scattered over her nose before he brushed his fingers through his hair.

Yeah it was, wasnt it? He said less as a question and more as a padded compliment. Standing swiftly, he swung his arm over Carrie to snatch his guitar. Cant go anywhere without my baby.

You used to say I was your babybefore we were married. That was nine years ago Care Bear. Only nine? It feels like a lifetime... Carrie felt her heart sink as he stumbled away from

her and towards the bedroom. She stood infuriated, And you still spend more time with that damn guitar then me. He

barely heard her. What honey? He stood in the hallway stroking his crimson-colored electric guitar. His

black leather pants and vest drew crowds when he performed, but they didnt have the same ap-peal to Carrie as they did nine years ago. Something about the ego that seemed to come with them, well, it just killed the magic.

She twisted her hands nervously, as if building up the strength to yell with her timid voice. Youre always off somewhere playing with the band, doing a gig, and even when youre home...youre not home. Youre always with your guitar. Youre not married to me Chrisyoure married to your music.

Dont say that. Chris held the neck of the guitar as he strolled up to Carrie. She huffed and her lids half closed as the tears swelled in her eyes.

I wanted a family. You said you wanted to have kids before we were thirty. Well, Im turn-ing thirty in a week. Im not even pregnant.

Sweetie pie, I told you my music comes first. As soon as me and the band make it then we can start having children. He played with her strawberry-colored locks. She wiped the tears with her sleeves. Besides how are we going to pay for a kid? We barely make enough for ourselves.

Make it? That could take a lifetime Chris. Besides, I can take a job. All I do all day is stay at home anyway.

I dont want you to have to work. Youre my sweetie pie. Besides, you have to take care of the house. With me gone, who is going to take care of things? Laundry, dishes, vacuuming, meals. You know a house doesnt take care of itself.

So Im your sweetie pie now, not your baby. She sniffled and took a deep breath as she stomped into the kitchen. Reaching for the SunShine dish soap, she flipped on the faucet and filled the sink with the days dishes.

Come on, dont be like that. He leaned his guitar against the wall and rubbed her shoul-ders. She rubbed her hands in the sudsy water and fumed. Her fingers started to tingle, but she grabbed another dish. Sometimes she wished real life was like the dishes. What she wouldnt give to scrub off the pathetic eyeliner and see the face of the boy who had made her feel so spe-cial. Who had kissed each and every one of her freckles because he thought they made her look young and carefree. The man who had held her hair when she had drank too much in college or held her close when his mom had focused more on the dust over the mantle piece than the au-thentic Italian meal that she had researched for a week and took nearly as long to cook. That man she had pledged to have and to hold, in sickness and in health !

The next morning Carrie awoke to find a note on the nightstand: Ill be back tomorrow night. The band

buzzed me. Weve got a gig. Later, Chris. She rolled her eyes, she felt so cold. Did they forget to pay the gas bill again? She stumbled to the shower and turned the water on as hot as it would go. At least that was still working Shivers shot up her spine and left her shuddering as she stood under the steaming water.

When she past the broken vanity mirror hanging on the wall next to the bed she froze in her tracks. Her normally pale skin had started to turn a moldy color. It etched across her skin where her veins would be. What the frick? She laid her forefinger over the protrusion under her neck and felt from beginning to end point. Gushy.

Staring at herself, she cringed. I look like a glow skeleton on Halloween. She reached for her cell beside the bed and dialed the top number. Come on Chris, pick up. She tapped her toes on the floor as she swayed in a wet towel. She started to speak, but her voice seemed stuck in her throat. She coughed a few times, then she left a message on his voice mail. Hi, this is Carrie. I am not feeling well, there is something wrong. Im going into the clinic today. Call me when you get this.

After dressing in a pair of jeans and a flowery pink blouse, she hunted through her closet for a wool sweater. Carrie dialed the second number. Hey Crystal, its Carrie. Im not feeling well and wanted to go to the clinic. Chris isnt home and I didnt want to go alone. Do you think you could come with? Her face shriveled in confusion as she listened. No, the sun is still shin-ing. You cant get warm either?

When the doorbell rang Carrie opened the door to a Crystal she had never seen. Mascara stained her eyelids and red lipstick smeared over the corners of her lips. Pea colored markings flowed up and down her neck and arms and even a few lines shot from her chin to her ears.

Crystal? What happened to you? Carrie yanked her inside with a tug of her hand. I cried all night. I know, stupid. Alex fell asleep on the couch. He didnt even hear me.

Hes at work now. And now I am green! It does not go with my complexion. Oh, honey. I am so sorry to hear that. She bit back the millions of responses about how

far up his arse Alexs rod actually went. They had been down the this road before and the manip-ulative narcissist was just not worth it. Crystal and Alex were always having these tiffs, it would blow over. They seemed to have bigger problems at the moment.

What the hell is going on? She outlined the discolored vessel throbbing on Carries neck. Youve got another moldy mark here too. Crystal touched Carries cheek.

Something we ate? I dont know, but Im cold, Crystal retorted and squeezed her arms around herself. Me too. Some kind of flu? Carrie spit out the first thing to come to her mind. Got me, but wed better head to the clinic. Crystal shrugged. I left a message for Alex.

Hell get it on his lunch break.! I have no idea when Chris will check his messages. Carrie shook her head. Lets take

my car so we dont have to walk back to your house. On the way out, Carrie and Crystal stopped at the sidewalk and noticed Jennifer two hous-

es down waving goodbye to her twins as they rode away on the school bus; the bus sped off down the road. She wore a robe, a scarf, and her hands had been encased in sparkly gloves. Jen-nifer looked like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. She looked like she was holding it together, but when she clutched her stomach and threw up they raced across the street.

Jennifer, are you alright? Carrie asked as Jennifer lifted her head and they saw the tell-tale green lines etched across her forehead. Crystal gasped.

You have it too. Have what? Jennifer responded dumbfounded as she stared at her friends strange color-

ing. Have you seen yourself lately? Carrie inquired. I try to avoid mirrors, Jennifer retorted, instinctively crossing her arms over her chest

and rubbing her wrists. Crystal flipped open her powder mirror. Here, look! When Jennifer took the mirror from Crystals hand, she stared up and down at her face for

several minutes, pinching her fingers against the moss colored lines and poking her skin with a sparkly finger before handing the mirror back to Crystal.

What the heck is going on? Jennifer asked incredulously with hands on her hips.

You felt cold this morning right? Carrie clarified. Yeah. Jennifer shrugged. Crystal added, shivering, as she tucked the mirror into her purse. Yeah. Jennifer agreed then met her friends eyes for the first time that morning. Wait,

whats wrong with your faces? Weve all caught some kind of flu, Carrie concluded sure and pointed to her car. Were

heading to the clinic now. Come with us. Nodding, Jennifer tightened her robe. Just let me change. Jennifer met her friends at Carries car. Weaving out of the neighborhood, Carries stiff

fingers tightened around the steering wheel. They drove to the nearest clinic just a few blocks down the main road. Hopping out of the vehicle, Crystal entered the clinic first, while her friends struggled with their seat belts.

The clerk stifled a scream as eyes bulged from behind his window. His fingers shook as he filled out a schedule. Carrie and Crystal popped up in front of him. We need to see the doctor, Carrie said emphatically.

Its an emergency. See this. Crystal pointed at the discolored lines on her face and neck. These marks are all over our bodies.

Im sorry but youre going to have to take a seat. Ill schedule you in as soon as I can. His grey eyes returned to the papers on his desk.

When will that be? Theres nobody here! Jennifer interrupted behind her friends with her head poked between them.

As soon as I can. His forehead straightened like fine leather. When? Crystal drooled. Five minutes? Five hours? Carrie hit her palm against the plexiglass. We just want to know when! She snarled, her

expression twisted. No need to get all hysterical. The clerk stood, pushing back his chair. The doctor will

see you after the patient with him now. Could be thirty minutes, could be one hour. If youre hav-ing a real emergency, go to the emergency room at Westerns Hospital on Lincoln Drive. Now sit down and fill out those papers!

Jennifer shot him an enraged, but empty, glare. Crystal moaned. Please, have a seat and fill out that paper work The nurse in white garb popped up beside

them and then guided them to the waiting room. The doctor will be with you as soon as possi-ble. I swear you will be the first to know.

The nods of the three infected women looked more like heads bobbing at a religious func-tion, and after they sat Crystal mumbled again.

The nurse came back for their forms. They tried to fill them out, but their stiff fingers made it near impossible. They fumbled in their purses for their insurance cards and drivers li-censes, which the nurse deftly handed back to the man behind the window.

Oh, Jennifer, you are a stay-at-home Mom? Isnt that one of the toughest jobs out there? I know I couldnt do it. I mean, what DO you do all day?

Bile rose in Jennifers throat, she wanted to tear this woman limb from limb. Emotions crashed over her: anger, pity, rage, hatred. hunger. hunger?

A muffled sound escaped from Jennifers lips and, unable to stop themselves, Carrie and Jennifer added their voices, much like a pack of wolves howling at the moon. Soon, the waiting room reverberated like a mental hospital. Carrie rocked in her seat while Jennifer grabbed the nearest magazine and started shredding it. Crystal slapped her hands against the window behind her as she sat in the chair on her knees.

The nurse shot them a panicked glance. Im going to have to ask you women to please keep it down in here.

We need to see him now! Carrie demanded, foam shooting up her throat. Miss, please stop doing that. The nurse swatted the ripped magazine from Jennifers

hands and then pointed at Crystal. Now, young lady you are going to have to sit in your seat properly if you want to be seen by the doctor.

Crystal slowly turned from the window and her tomato red irises startled the nurse. Jump-ing back, the nurse stumbled backward to return to the medical room. Carrie moaned louder as she picked at her arm. She had been peeling from her last sunburn, but now the skin pulled away in sheets. Jennifer growled as she ripped the magazine to shreds and Crystal stood, her angelic blonde hair contrasting with her demon-like eyes, as she drew towards the nurse.

We. Want. The. Doctor. Each word came with a hollow breath as the nurse fidgeted with the door knob behind her, terrified eyes never leaving the housewives.

Yes, I will get him for you immediately. The nurse shook. Just as Crystals bony fingers touched the nurses neck, the back door snapped open and the nurse disappeared. Crystal twisted the knoblocked. Jerking the knob back and forth, Crystals hollow sounds grew louder until she hit the door with her body.

In a daze, Carrie stumbled from her seat, her knees locking with every step. After a few stumbles, she managed to stand before the clerks window. Her head jerked left and her eyes searched over the man in slow motion. Her palms slapped the plexiglass several times. The clerk stared at her for a moment, then fumbled backward as he bumped into a trash bin next to the back door before exiting.

In the reflection Carrie could see herself. A moldy and dark brown color stared back at her. Red eyes shone like pulsating blood and her words had disintegrated into strange vocalizations. She struggled to straighten stiff fingers to touch the outline of her face, then her body. She didnt recognize herself and yet there she stood.

Another growl escaped out of her throat, she hit her fist into the plexiglass and broke the window. Shards of the glass stuck in her hand and algae-like blood oozed over her skin. Jennifer rolled her head around and around before crashing the table in front of her with two fists.

When the table didnt break, she picked up the square object and tossed it across the room and into the table adjacent the clerks window. With the cracking vibration, Jennifer groaned as if she was cheering and then Crystal hit the doctors back door with her body again. Bang, bang, bang!

When Crystal finally broke the door, she pushed her body over the limp hinges and cried for her friends to follow. Carrie turned from the clerks window and staggered behind Crystal. Jennifer picked up the top table and threw it at the entrance door before turning in Crystals di-rection, and then the three stumbled down the hallway leading to the doctors room.

The nurse stood with a syringe in one hand and her back up against the wall as the doctor jerked away from the patient who foamed at the mouth. The clerk from the front desk couldnt take his eyes off of her, she was growling like a wild animal.

The patient flailed her arms about before she popped up from the hospital chair. Straggly, curly brown hair twisted below her elbows and chapped lips added to her already peeling and discolored skin.

What the hell is going on? The nurse shouted to the doctor as he grabbed a red bag from the counter top marked Hazardous Material and shoved it into his white coat pocket.

I dont know, He said plainly while keeping his eyes on the three new zombies entering his medical room, but we have to get out of here.

Crystal cried at the doctors response. Carrie and Jennifer stayed close behind her as they piled into the tiny room, which was made for only three. The crazed patient stumbled for the dazed clerk, and, after she knocked her body into his, she jabbed her teeth into his neck. Blood jetted everywhere.

The plump patient easily pinned the lean clerk to the wall. He let out a scream before be-coming silent. The nurse turned pale white and the doctor fumbled with the knob to the back door of the medical office. Crystal took a step forward toward the smell of blood emanating from the clerks torn arteries. Then her head jerked toward the two live humans.

We have to go now. The doctor hit the frozen nurse on the shoulder and pushed the back door open. Darting out onto the street, the nurse followed behind him. When the three house-wives finally opened the door themselves and stepped onto the alley sidewalk, the nurse had just turned a far corner with the doctor at her side.

Jennifer mumbled and then became fascinated with the brick wall. Her hands rubbed up and down the red colored stones, leaving trails of skin and pea colored gore. The first zombified patient fumbled onto the sidewalk and glanced over at Jennifer. In another life, they might have been friends. After a short fixation, Jennifer drew her attention back to Carrie and Crystal.

Crystals neck picked that moment to stop working and she surveyed the area her head bobbing up and down like a demented pigeon. Carrie peeled more layers of skin off her arms and cheeks. After several groans, the three wandered up the street in the same direction as the doctor and nurse, following their human scent still lingering in the air. Crystals nose flared as she led the group.

When Carries cell buzzed in her back jean pocket, she flipped open the case and saw Chriss name vibrating in yellow neon. She tried answering with a statement along the lines of: Hi Chris! Im sick and at the clinic. Something strange is going on with me. But only disharmony came out her mouth.

Carrie? Chris questioned at the other end. Carrie! Got your message. Whats wrong? Errrrmmmmmmm. I cant understand you honey. Im heading home. Eeellllppppp. Click. Crystal struggled to hold up her head, but her body continued to move following the trail

of the doctor and nurse. Jennifer followed in a haze with her fingers gliding over every brick wall along the way. She looked like a stage doll.

Wobbling around a corner, Crystal couldnt move any faster. Her knees were barely func-tioning. With Alex, she had to stay on her toes to make him happy. Dishes, dusting, dirty laundry. All had to be perfect to put a smile on his face. It was amazing how just one day of slacking could destroy the house and put Alex into a snit. Once the overgrown toddler started his temper tantrum the day turned into crap.

Now, shed be lucky to even get the dishes done. Hell, she would be happy to hold a dish. Nothing in her new self, her zombified self, was made to care for a house. Brains and blood only occupied her mind. Why brains? Yuck, a part of her thought. Yet she couldnt help how she felt. She had given into the crazy and that crazier part of her was in charge now. In fact, it dominated.

Somehow Crystals legs weighed a ton and her muscles felt sluggish. Her direction be-came dictated by some kind of primal instinct rather than conscious will. Fighting the crazy be-came futile. Crazy overrode every conscious decision, with an added urge to keep the zombie alive. An urge that wanted constant quenching.

As the three housewives wandered, following the scent of the nurse and doctor, they ended up at a corner street where the scent just died. Crystal growled and threw up her hands. She couldnt understand why. She didnt really want to kill them, did she? Jennifer rubbed her hands over her cheeks, trying to stifle the monstrous noise that escaped her lips. When Carrie stumbled into Crystals backside she stopped and then her head oscillated to one side and then the next.

Passing the corner, Crystal turned down their street, Mulberry Lane. The once quiet neigh-borhood stood in mayhem. Their neighbors, once decent and hard-working housewives, had be-came a pool of wandering zombies. Expressionless faces paced up and down the street. The un-dead housewife neighbors took to their new role well.

They tore down fences and kicked trashcans on the sidewalk. One even ripped a few mail-boxes out of the ground. They managed to orient themselves on the streets as kids and husbands raced inside and locked all doors. The only humans brave enough to remain outside seemed to be the reporters. Crystal, Jennifer and Carrie could hear them as they walked down the street. She stood outside Jennifers home with her news van haphazardly parked on the curb.

This is Amelia Reinhart reporting for channel 6 news. In quiet suburbia, on Mulberry Lane, in a neighborhood where nothing much ever happens, there has been an outbreak of a rare form of a virus, one unlike anything we had ever seen. Today we have a statement from Dr. Zachary, the head doctor at the local clinic. He stated that four infected females appeared in his office today. He had been attempting to treat one of them when his office was ransacked by the other three. Unfortunately, his clerk was brutally killed.

Amelia flipped her brunette bob with the back of her hand and continued, When asked what he thought caused this, he said he couldnt be sure, but that he found a common denomina-tor in all infected homes. SunShine dish soap. Under closer inspection, this newly released deter-gent shows to be harboring a rare form of a virus, one doctors have now dubbed virus Z. Scien-tists are working diligently on a cure, because if they dont find one soon there may not be any more housewives left for husbands to return to.

After Amelia backed up toward the home she finished, What does this mean for all of us not infected? Burn your bottles of SunShine dish soap. Dont let infected humans near you. They are dangerous and could contaminate or kill you. Report infected people to the local authorities. They will be quarantined. In the meantime, dont panic and wait for the knock at your door for

your local doctor visit. Everyone must be cleared. When cleared, you will be given a purple band to wear around your wrist. No one is allowed outside without one or they will be arrested and quarantined.

When the camera lights went out, Amelia took a deep breath, her whole body shaking from nerves. Crystal stepped up to the back of the van with her duo close at her side. When she murmured all eyes turned to her.

Oh God, one of them is after us. Amelia pointed at Crystal as the blond camera man tugged on his camera and shot a close up of Crystals face. Are you getting this? Amelias nerves paused as her fascination with a Pulitzer prize-winning story went to the foremost of her mind.

Getting it all. The camera man grinned. Crystal wobbled forward, her legs a sad testament to the good physical shape she used to

be in when human. Jennifer tried to race up to her front door, but she could only stumble for-ward. Excited to see her home again, she wanted to kiss the faces of her kids and hug her hus-band Bradbut hed still be overseas, stationed for months. When she approached her front door, she saw her neighbor Harry sneak out the side door with her twins Mark and Melissa.

They headed for the police car parked outside his driveway. As Jennifer fumbled toward the police vehicle, her inarticulate vocals grew louder. Mark and Melissa hugged each other as they stared at their zombified mother with frozen expressions.

Come on kids! We have to get you two out of here! Harry shouted as he pushed the twins into the back seat. Youll see your mom again when shes feeling better.

Mom? The twins said in unison right before the door slammed shut. Jennifer moaned and groaned. Her face grew an angry Hulk color as puss oozed out of her

ears and one eye. Carrie jerked her head in the direction of the police car, and, though a part of her pulled her toward the reporter and camera man at the delicious scent they expelled, another part of her compelled her to help Jennifer. Slamming her fists on the hood of the vehicle, Carrie hit several times. Jennifer finally reached the bumper when the car revved.

Before Carrie could hit the car again, the vehicle spun off and skidded around the corner out of Mulberry Lane. Mark and Melissa pressed their eyes to the back window and the image burned in Jennifers mind before they disappeared from her sight. She scraped her arms and then looked up and down her legs. Mossy-brown skin, some of it even peeling. The sight disgusted her. No wonder no one wanted to be near herbut how could they just take her kids away like that?

Jennifer would have cried if her tear ducts still worked, but instead she wiped her lashes and then turned her attention to the reporter. Something inside of her just cracked. First Brad abandoned her and then her kids are torn away from her. She had been left with nothing, not even her health.

Fumbling forward, her muffled mumbles grew stronger as she drew closer to the reporter. The camera man still had his camera fixed on the three zombies. After taping the entire fiasco with the kids escape, he settled his camera back on Crystal who now stood only a few feet from him. In one quick flash of a second, Crystal dove on top of the camera man, knocking the camera out of his hands.

Carrie and Jennifer stood on either side of Crystal as the reporter bit her lip. Hairs stood on end as she backed up into the driveway and then hit the garage door. As Crystal pinned the cam-era man to the ground, Carrie and Jennifer wobbled to the reporter. Carrie groaned as Jennifer threw the weight of her body against the woman. One thud and Amelia fell unconscious.

Somehow, the scent of her intoxicated Jennifer and Carrie, and before long Jennifer found herself gnawing on the womans neck. Carrie slurped the womans blood while aiming her nails at her scalp. After Crystal had her fill of the camera man, she walked over to her duo and fin-ished off the reporter.

The grotesque scene had only been upstaged by all the mayhem caused by the wandering neighbor housewife zombies. A few managed to break house windows and crawl inside their homes to throw dishes through more windows. Others pulled vacuums out of the front doors to break over their knees before tossing them onto the front lawns.

Quiet suburbia slowly died as the sun descended. !Carrie Carrie stood and stumbled away from the reporter and aimed for the street. She noticed a

man with a guitar standing in front of her house. Curly dark hair and dark eyes resonated with her memory. Chris!

Exhilarated, she wobbled off the sidewalk to cross the street and aimed for her house. Ap-proaching in more of a zig zag fashion, she finally arrived. Chris stood mouth agape against the open front door. Carrie drew closer with each slow step.

Carrie? Chris questioned, disbelief clouding his face. When she wiped her mouth with her sleeve, blood stained the garment and she froze in her step. Remembering what she had done minutes prior, she couldnt come to terms with this new self. What had she become? Her world stood before her, her handsome guitar-playing husband Chris. A man she wanted to run to, a man who could take her away from all this madness and...

Then her mind went to different corners of the brain. The zombie within called. That perfect husband in front her became someone else. A neglectful husband who sat on

the couch strumming his guitar, while she cooked and cleaned. A boy who abandoned her everyday while he ran off to fulfill his dreams, but never once asking about her dreams. A chau-vinist who assumed that she wanted nothing more from life then to fix him the perfect dinner. A stranger who no longer called her baby, because he found a new babe to keep him company.

Anger coursed through her veins, lubricating her stiff joints. Her frozen step thawed and she drew closer to Chris with each angry muffled sound.

Honey? Carrie? What are you doing? His eyes searched the streets and then the reporter van. I cant let you in here, dear. The authorities will come soon and theyll take care of you. Im so sorry.

Sorry? You havent been sorry a day in your life, Carrie wanted to shout at him, but only more cacophony exploded from her mouth. Before Chris could slam the door, she swung her hand in front of the knob and grabbed hold. She pulled the door open and fumbled inside her house. Sorry! She cried again. Ive cooked and cleaned and taken care of you for years! Each groan only made Chris more nervous as he backed away from her. Dropping his guitar, he reached for a knife on the counter. Ive done everything for you so you could have your precious

music! What about me? What have you given me? Her voice became like angry growls as Chris gripped the blade in his palm.

Dont make me hurt you honey! Hurt me! You couldnt hurt me anymore if you tried! Carrie yelled inarticulately and

reached for the stack of dishes in the kitchen. She tossed them onto the hard floor and watched each one crack, one by one.

Carrie! What are you doing? Chris stood with feet only a few inches apart, his stance ready for attack with a knife sprawled in front of him. When he spotted the front door out of the corner of his eye, Carrie jerked her head up at him. Want to leave the party so soon? She mum-bled.

Stepping toward Chris, she shrieked as if all the anger, all the disappointment, all the frus-tration came out in a single note. Chris held his ears and then dashed for the door while the glass from the windows shattered. !

Jennifer As Carrie soothed her inner zombie with Chris, Jennifer had a score to settle with Brad.

Somehow the husband who had never been there left a mark more indelible then either Chris or Alex. Jennifer pounded on the back door which she suspected must still be unlocked after her twins' escape.

When it swung open, she staggered inside like a woman half drunk. Her eyes were focused on the banister of pictures over the fireplace. She wanted to shout, to screambut nothing more than a muffled cry emanated from her zombified mouth.

Throwing the back of her hand across the banister, she knocked down all the pictures in one swoop. Images of her and Brad in the hospital when the twins had been bornthe most hours hed ever spent in bed with her after the wedding. Brad in his military vehiclewhere hed spent most of his time. The wedding daythe last full day she ever got to spend with him. Brad and his parentswho were constantly on his side. Brad with his military riflehow she hated that thing.

Disappointing memory after disappointing memory flashed across her mind. She couldnt hate him. He had been busy serving his country. She couldnt complain, she had everything she needed. All mandatory items met, like a demented check-list. Yet a longing inside of her could not be satisfied. She felt lonely, abandoned, overwhelmed, and ignored. Nothing she had imag-ined on their wedding had come to pass. This marriage had become so broken. They were be-yond two ships in the night that would imply they were on the same planet.

After the pictures smashed to the floor, Jennifer shuffled over to her twins rooms. Their names still hung over each door. Pink and blue. Her anger stilled as she glanced inside, rooms she had decorated with them. At least she had had her kids. But not anymore. This... this virus even took that away from her! She groaned. She could yell as loud as she wanted, no one was ever around to hear her.

She stumbled into the kitchen and found a fork to shove into the toaster and then a can to stick into the microwave. She had always wanted to do that. A small nagging voice, her human voice, told her this would be a mess. However, the zombie inside of her stuffed that voice behind a door; after all, she had had enough. She turned on the toaster and then the microwave and then fumbled toward the front door. Outside she could see Crystal aiming for her own home.

!!!Crystal Crystal spotted her husband Alex staring at her from the window in the living room as she

wobbled up to the front door. Knocking a few times, she expected her loving husband to open the door, but she only heard him mumbling at the other end.

Go away, Crystal! Go get quarantined! You need medicine! The harshness in his voice only infuriated her more, more than the locked door. So, she

stumbled over the bushes lining up and down the walkway and inched her way to the living room window. Gazing inside she saw her camera on the sofa. She tried saying: Mine, mine!, but no real words emanated from her mouth. She hit her fists against the glass, shattering the window over the sofa.

Then she climbed over the window sill, the broken shards slicing across her legs as she passed. She hardly felt the pain. Blood-shot eyes focused slowly on the camera as she remem-bered herself, and then they broke away when she heard Alex step onto the living room carpet.

Their eyes met, fixated like a rabid dog on a deer, the deer sensing all the while what would happen next. Sweat dripped from Alexs forehead and palms as he stumbled over words to explain himself.

I...I wanted to let you in dear. Really I did. But we have been warned by authorities to not let anyone infected inside the homes. It says so on TV. He pointed to the blaring noise from the plastic box. A male reporter delivered the frightening news across the state that an unknown virus had infected over 50 housewives in the nearby area off Mulberry Lane.

Groaning, Crystal wiped the corners of her mouth which still had caked blood from the reporter she devoured earlier.

I...I...please dont harm me. Alex panicked, his hairs stood on end. His hands wavered in the air as he glanced in both directions. A forlorn expression crossed his face.

Moan, moan, moan, moan. Crystal ranted on about how he never fulfilled any of his promises, about how they still lived in a pathetic house on Mulberry Lane, about all the sacrifices she made so he could work and how it never amounted to anything.

Of course, Alex couldnt understand a word. As she drew closer and closer to the kitchen, Alex backed away from her, finally hitting

his spine on the sink. A wrinkle broke between his brows and his hands cradled the counter top behind him as his feet shuffled underneath him.

No more room. Please, Crystal. Dont hurt me. Talk to me. The time for talking ended long ago. Crystal lunged at him and both hands landed firmly

over his shoulders. Her head hung by his heart as she shook him twice. She could taste the fear rolling off of him. He closed his eyes as his face scrunched in fear before she let him go. Moan, moan, moan! She screamed at him as she grabbed the pans behind him in the sink. His eyes peeked open just long enough to see her throw the pans to the kitchen floor and kick one of them into the kitchen window over the sink. Crystal swung the fridge open and started tossing out every jar, dish and container. Food splattered all over the linoleum.

You happy now Crystal? You happy now! Alex shouted as he darted toward the living room. Crystal grinned and then kicked a container of leftover noodles. Minutes later she fumbled toward the front door where Alex had already made his escape.

He stood on the sidewalk on the other side of the street with Chris, watching incredulously as Jennifers house exploded into flames and smoke twisted up into the clouds. Crystal hastened to meet Carrie and Jennifer, but her legs moved slowly. The two stood in the middle of the road calling out to her. When the trio finally united they headed down Mulberry Lane, leaving their old lives behind them.

A fire truck rolled into the neighborhood and blaring sirens sounded in the distance. The truck eventually pulled up to Jennifers burning house. By the time the truck arrived, the trio skirted around a corner at the end of the street and exited the neighborhood. They headed north-bound for New York. !

Crystal worried about Jennifer and threw her hand around her friends neck. She groaned something along the line of: dont worry. Youll see your kids again. Jennifer would have cried if she still had human tears. Her twins meant everything to her. All she had left in the whole world was gone.

As they trekked across more streets they noticed most homes barred their doors and win-dows. Few people occupied the streets and the few that saw them scampered away quickly. More and more zombified housewives appeared. A new zombie every corner they turned. At least they wouldnt have to go through this experience alone.

Pointing to the train station, Crystal had an idea. Jennifer and Carrie followed as they al-ways had, even when the trio had been human. Stepping down the stairs onto a train, they saw a sign that read Manhattan, New York. As the subway slowed to a halt, the trio jumped on and found a seat with no problem. What few humans still rode the vessel quickly separated them-selves from the zombie trio by exiting or moving.

A lonely older man sat with a newspaper in hand at one far corner, covering his face. Only his inquisitive eyes hanging over the newspaper could be seen.

Jennifer moaned: where are we going? Crystal groaned: Manhattan. We need a change, dont we? Carrie shrugged and Jennifer lowered her head. The human side of her couldnt shake the

fact that shed be miles from her twins. But what could she do? Everyone feared her. Heck, she even feared herself. Her twins would be better off with the authorities until the scientists could figure out a cure. She consoled herself with that thought, that singular thought of returning hu-man and reuniting with her twins... Someday. How long it would take, she had no idea. But she couldnt give up on them.

When the subway finally made its last stop, the zombified housewives stumbled out and onto the pavement. When they climbed the stairs to the top, no easy task, the world appeared much as it always had. Not like New Jersey, which was looking far more like a war zone. Hu-mans hustled and bustled to and fro while hot dog vendors emitted tempting smells on sidewalks. Taxis swung up to the curbs for passengers.

Had only Mulberry Lane and its nearby area been infected?

Pointing at the vendor on the side of the road, Crystal lunged forward. She moved as fast as her shaking legs could take her. Something inside of her, maybe the human side or perhaps a mix of both human and zombie wanted that hot dog.

Just before the cook handed a customer his hot dog, Crystal grabbed the food out of his hand and shoved the entire street-meal into her mouth in one gulp.

What the hell are you doing? The cook swung around and froze when his eyes fell on her putrid skin and blood red eyes. I...I mean... have another if you like. He handed Crystal another hot dog when Jennifer and Carrie tore open the case of cooking meat. The cooks enraged ex-pression dropped to surprise and then fear in seconds before he darted away from his cart.

Delighted, the three munched down. It was almost as good as when they had eaten the flesh of the reporter on Mulberry Lane. Something about meat made them crazy. When they fin-ished, they looked up and noticed a crowd of New Yorkers staring at them from the sidewalks and inside the cars.

Jennifer wanted to apologize. She didnt know what came over her. She had never stolen anything before in her life, but how could she pay the cook now? She didnt have her wallet with her. Carrie swung her head back, her peeling neck exposed. She told the crowd to get away from here! Leave them alone! But of course, it only came out as noise.

The loud cacophonous sounds caused an uproar within the crowd that escalated each minute. Soon, the crowd doubled in size. When Crystal pulled away from the food, she wiped her mouth and staggered toward a couple humans standing outside the Excite Modeling agency.

The girls looked no older than seventeen. One had blue eyes and short blonde hair and the other had brown wavy hair which flowed over her chest and contrasted with her striking emerald eyes. Both with legs that stretched higher than any of the housewives' and both in expensive jeans, white t-shirts and lip gloss... Bitches!

The two models watched in horror as the three zombies ate more calories in 2 minutes than they would consume in the next year. They couldnt take their eyes off the mayhem at the hot dog cart. As the two models watched Jennifer and Carrie shove more hot dogs into their mouths, Carrie licked her lips and drew closer to the naive girls.

When the blonde turned her head in Crystals direction her eyes widened and she jerked backward instinctively, leaving an open space. Crystal sunk her teeth into the brunette model in-stead and they sat on the models temple for at least thirty seconds before releasing her.

The mumbling from Jennifer drew Crystals attentions back to the hot dogs. After Crystal loosened her hold on the brunette model, she fumbled back to her friends. Carrie forced more food into her mouth as Crystal and Jennifer found uncooked beef burgers. The blood on the raw meat was still fresh.

In a frenzy, the three zombie housewives licked their fingers and devoured the meat as a strange shriek echoed on the sidewalk behind them. Curious, Crystal lifted her head, the blood dripping from her mouth and raw meat in her right hand.

Strangers watched in horror at the models and then turned their heads from them to the housewives and back again, as if they couldnt decide which terror had been worse. The brunette model lay in a seizure on the sidewalk, milky rust colored foam shooting out of her mouth. The blonde friend stood over her screaming. The beautiful bronze color the brunette once had faded

to a pea green-brown, and when she turned her head in Crystals direction the eyes pulsated like a heartbeat of blood.

Whatever humanity the model once had left in her, which had prompted Crystal to eat her, faded, and instead the model excreted a familiar scent: Ode du Zombie. !

This was going to be one hell of a Photo Shop bill. ! ...Read the sequel Zombie Models: It Led to the Runway !!!!!!!!!!!