The ZWD Trilogy (Book 1): Zombie World Dominance [The Destruction Begins] Read Free

horrible. I hadn’t heard that anything like that was going on. Valerie,
what about Chris? Have you heard from him?”
    “I
called to tell him I was ready, ‘cause it was getting late, but there was never
any answer. Tomorrow I have to go with my parents to work in their booth. Half
their employees didn’t show up today. I guess I get to spend the last couple
weeks of my summer working at the beach again.”
    “Oh,
that doesn’t sound like much fun,” said Mary.
    “I
even talked to Chris about coming to the beach with us. My folks were okay with
it. He said working with all of the tourists didn’t sound like much fun, but he
was good with it so that we could be together. Now I don’t even know if he’s
around, and after hearing Raymond’s story, I’m starting to get scared.”
    “It’ll
all work out for the best. This is East Norwich. What happens in this town
anyway?”
    With
everything that has happened today, I’m just going to go home,” Raymond said.
“My dad wasn’t home when I left. I called my mom. Dad is not home yet. She’s
worried. I should be with her. My dad isn’t home, and we can’t find our
friends. Something just isn’t right.”
    “Okay,
Ray. Thanks for coming. I hope your dad’s all right. Tell your parents hi for
me.”
     “I’m
going to ask Raymond to walk me back to my house,” said Valerie. “It’s on his
way home. I’ll feel safer if I have someone to walk with me.”
    “I
hope everything’s okay, Val. Let me know, all right?” Mary said. “Ray, will you
call me when you get to her house, just to let me know that everything’s all
right? And then call me again when you get home, please?”
     “Sure
I will,” said Raymond. “Valerie, if you’re ready, let’s get going. I really
want to be home with my mom.”
    As
Raymond walked Valerie down the steps, Mary knew that her party was starting to
wind down. The snacks had been devoured. The candles on the cake had been blown
out and the cake half eaten. Mary had opened her gifts. The girls who were still
there were helping clean up the house.
    Mary’s
birthday gifts weren’t extravagant. As with previous birthdays, her parents had
bought her new school clothes for her senior year. They were practical like
that. But they always splurged for a couple of gifts for Mary as well. This
birthday was no exception. They gave her a gold necklace with a charm that
matched her earrings.
    Mary
wanted to take the time to visit with each of her friends before the party was
over. The first person that Mary caught up with was Rosie. They were on the
high school’s flag cheerleading squad together, which kept them in good
physical shape.
    Mary
was always flamboyant with her movements. Mary flipped her long auburn hair
away from her face to show off her new necklace to Rosie. She held out her
right arm, hand bent at her wrist, to display the new bracelet she had received
from Jerry. Smiling at Rosie, she said in her best Victorian accent, “Dahling,
have you ever seen such a beautiful set of earrings, or a more extravagant
necklace? They were lah-vish gifts from my parents. This bracelet was
from my adoring beloved. My dear, I believe that they simply are the loveliest gifts that anyone would ever see. Don’t you agree, Rosie?”
    With a
flair, Rosie took Mary’s hand, bending at her waist to examine her bracelet.
Still holding her hand, she looked closely at her necklace as well. When Rosie
was done, while still holding Mary’s hand she bowed before Mary, smiling.
    “Oh,
my goodness, my dear Mary,” she said in the same posh Victorian accent.
“They are so startlingly, incredibly awesome. You know that your beloved
must have paid a rawther large sum for this? And you know, of course, that he
will later be seeking an equally large compensation for his gift.”
    Mary
took her hand back. With a frown on her face, she spoke to Rosie in her normal
tone of voice. “I know. I hate it when a boy does something for you, then
expects