Tales Of The Fairly Undead

Chapter 2: A Can of Beans

On the other side of the city a young lanky boy no more than 17 years old sits atop a building. Shoveling a can of cold beans into his mouth as he looked out across the city

"Jack drive the cattle to the north field" his mother had said that morning. Its was the first big thing shed trusted him with since the fire incident where he used a bit too much fuel to get the bloody thing a lite.

As he finished the can he dropped it over the edge. Leaning forward eager to watch it bounce of the footpath below.

He'd turned his back for only a second. The prospect of an untouched house to much for his growling stomach to pass up.

The can bounced high into the air and he smiled.

He'd only found the single can of beans though. That and a rotting body. But when he returned to the path where he'd left the cattle to wander they were gone.

Oh how his mother raged when he told her they'ed disappeared.

Jack raised his hand to the lump on the top of his head where shed thrown the can of beans at him.

"Get out!" she shouted "and don't come back unless you have all of the cattle or I'll shoot you myself."

Who needs her anyway Jack thought kicking his legs. All she ever did was shout at him after all.

"Jack stop juggling the eggs." He mimicked the voice of an old crone.

"Jack did you burn the fence posts again."

That's why he took her biggest goose with him. He smiled as it honked from his backpack. "Yea yea I know." he grumbled to it.

He spat over the side if the building before jumping to his feet. Teetering over the edge for a moment before running a hand over his short shaved hair. "I'll find them tomorrow and we can both go home" he spoke back to the goose. "you just work on brewing me an egg for breakfast. I'm starving."

He looked out over the city one last time he had searched the entire outskirts all day. At least this side of the city anyway. But found only a single cowpat. A cowpat that lead him into the tall shady buildings his mother had told him to stay away from.

He jumped from the edge of the roof and headed for the door leading inside.

He'd chosen this building because it was the tallest. And though the stares left his legs aching. He climbed straight to the top.

Can shufflers climb stares? He paused in front of the door. As he swung the back pack onto his shoulder.

He hadn't thought of that.

He put his ear to the door.

In his haste to steal the goose he hadn't thought to grab a weapon.

"Do you hear anything Lucy" he was talking to the goose again. "me ether" he answered after a short pause.

Straightening his shoulders he opened the door.

Planing to find a solid weapon and bunker down for the night.

He went down a single flight of stares. Opening the door to the next level down not nearly as carefully as he had opened the last.

The goose honked nervously as he blindly made his way into the dark hallway.

"Okay Lucy, wait here" the fact that he'd bound the gooses legs and zipped all bar its head in his backpack meant nothing as he set it gently on the ground.

The boys nervousness was evident in his voice and though he strained his sharp blue eyes into the darkness he could only make out shadows.

He crept forward gravel crackling under his feet. The eerie vibe of the building leaving a knot in the pit of his stomach.

His shoulder hit a red box jutted out slightly from the wall and he cursed under his breath before reading its large white label aloud.

"Fire" his face lit up. A fire extinguisher smiling at him from the other side of the glass he now ran his hands over.

In a rush he removed his shirt rapping it tightly around his hand and looking over his shoulder like a criminal.

"I've always wanted to do this" He muttered before drawing back a punch and sending his hand full force into the smooth surface. The crack of the glass satisfying in his large ears though he'd caught his for arm on a decent shard.

"Come to papa" he mused undoing the fire extinguisher from its holder and pulling it through the jagged glass. The base of it knocking the door open as he did.

Glass showered onto the floor while Jack mused at his weapon. Stopped only by a sniffing groan.

Blood trickled down his wrist as he flicked the pin from the fire extinguisher and blindly pointed it nozzle into the darkness.

"Bring it!" he shouted and Lucy honked loudly behind him.

Everything fell still and the fast shuffling of feet echoed down the hall.

With a pitiful war cry Jack pulled his trigger sending a sea of foam into the darkness.

For almost a whole minute he sprayed it everywhere.

Satisfied he paused staring into the dark where he could now make out a foam covered silhouette.

A huge grin formed on his face and he blew into the fire extinguishes nozzle like a smoking gun.

"Nailed it" he chimed back to Lucy who was again honking nervously.
"I froze your ass.." he paused turning back to an empty hall. "oh sh.." he froze as foam fell onto his arm. A sickening stench wafting straight up his nostrils.

The grumbling monster beside him one of the biggest shufflers he'd ever seen.

"Nice zombie" he cooed as it loomed over him. "we can talk this out" he laughed nervously and the rotting man lunged at him.

Jack swung the fire extinguisher a sickening crunch following it hard hit. The zombies head now partially caved in. It stumbled backwards and Jack straitened himself slightly. Though his hands shook and lip trembled as the creature flicked its black eyes back onto him. A dark ooze dribbling from its jaw as it screeched at him loud enough to shake the entire building.

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If you were attacked by a zombie right now what would you have to defend yourself? 

On a side note my inspiration for Jack is my 17 year old brother, lets just say he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. 

Thanks for reading, 

Chrissy