Regina the Zombie Slayer, Episode Fourteen: A Tasty Meal

Regina drew a deep breath and peered into the dark interior of the store. A low wind blew, brushing the truck with its cold fingers. If she was going to get supplies, she had to get in and out quickly. She was hungry. She was cold. These were undeniable facts, facts that necessitated that she risk her life once again.

Yet the three corpses barred her path. Any one of those things could come alive instantly and go right for her jugular.

But her stomach growled its discontent. She clenched the frying pan, and opened the door into the brisk morning air.

She stepped onto the pavement and stole her way toward the store. She slinked past the gas pump, coming upon the first body. It was a middle-aged woman with light blue eyes that stared lifelessly upward. Her matted blonde hair was streaked with blood and dirt. A rotten smell issued from deep teeth marks on her neck. Regina winced, and raised the skillet. She slammed it down, hard, on the head. The skull cracked under the cast iron. Blood splattered on the surrounding pavement, sending cold, congealed flecks onto Regina's face. An even more disagreeable smell assaulted her nostrils. When she brought the skillet back up, the face was unrecognizable.

"That seemed to do the trick."

She looked at the other two bodies lying next to the store's entrance. She stepped away from the first body and walked toward the door. Both bodies lay there - one of an old man with overalls and a red plaid shirt, who looked pale, ghostly, and emaciated. The other was a boy of about fifteen. Regina looked a moment into his vacant eyes, wondering who he was - what his hopes had been, whether he had liked any girls at his school, of all the joys of life he never would get to experience.

Don't think like that, Regina said. He's the enemy.

She raised her skillet, ready to bring it down on the boy's head. But something stopped her. She didn't know what it was for a moment, but then it came to her in a burst of realization.

The boy reminded her of her little brother.

He was about the same age, and just thinking of him forced a tear to come to Regina's eye. She couldn't bring herself to smash his face in.

She shook off the thought. Her brother was one thousand miles away in Nebraska. That was a long way from East Texas. With her cell phone left back in the apartment, forever out of reach, Regina had no way of being sure if her family was safe.

She lowered the skillet, unable to make herself to what had to be done. Maybe she could get in and out fast enough.

She stepped into the store, her converses crunching over some broken glass. The store looked to have been ransacked. Blood smeared the floor. This had been a site of an undead skirmish during the night.

The store's interior was dark, and she walked carefully over to the food section, making as little noise as possible. She reached for a box of granola bars, ripping it open and tearing the wrapper and plunging the food into her mouth. She ate ravaneously - a whole meal's worth within a minute, before going to the fridge and grabbing some water. She guzzled the whole bottle down.

She looked around the store for a moment for something to carry food in, but there seemed to be nothing in reach, and she didn't want to risk the time to look. She instead grabbed some food and water, as much as she could carry in her arms, and walked toward the door.

But she stopped dead when she became aware of a disturbing sound - the smacking and ripping of flesh off bone was undeniable. Slowly, Regina turned to look. A door leading into a back room of the convenience store was slightly ajar, revealing nothing but a sliver of darkness.

Something welled inside her heart, a great fear of knowing where the monster was, but not being able to see it. It spread out from her chest and reached every part of her, to her shoulder, to her arm, to her hand, then to her fingers, paralyzing them with fright. The muscles in her hand slackened, and the skillet slipped from her hand and clanged onto the floor.

There was a moment of silence that seemed to last for infinity, stretching time and space. She felt her head dim, her vision darken, and felt every pound of her heart against her chest just in slow motion exactly three times, felt the life of her blood with each pump surge through her veins, felt a suffocating constriction seize her lungs. She suppressed the urge to throw up.

The zombie's gorging on flesh ceased. A low, foreboding moan emanated from the back of the store, making Regina'a skin crawl.

Then, like an explosion, life resumed its furious pace and Regina kicked into overdrive. She grabbed her skillet and food and ran toward the front door.

But the zombies outside were now standing, shambling toward her, having responded to the sound of the beast within the store. She was trapped, and once again, she found she had to make a terrible decision.

She could either take on the two zombies now blocking the doorway, even the one looking like her brother, or brave the one zombie in the back room that was out of her worse nightmares.

And she only had a fraction of a second to decide.

What should Regina do?

Go out the front (against two zombies)

OR

Go out the back (against one zombie)?

Place your vote in the comments section, and return soon for the next chilling episode of Regina the Zombie Slayer.

Regina the Zombie Slayer, Episode Ten: A Watery Grave?

Regina looked back . The zombies were closer than she had realized. She wasn't going to be able to beat them on foot for much longer.

She had to swim.

Regina turned and bolted down the path toward Deadwater Lake, praying it wasn't too far.

The path sloped down and to the left, surrounded on both sides by towering pine trees. The route seemed endless.

Tears of desperation streaked down Regina's cheeks. She loved life more now than she ever had before.

Where is that lake?

Ahead, the path straightened out and the trees opened up. Regina could see moonlight glistening of off a calm, murky body of water.

"Yes!" Regina made her feet go faster. The path ended in an old, wooden dock. For a moment, Regina imagined kids playing on it, jumping into the water, launching canoes.

Those happy moments were long gone from the place. Now, Deadwater Lake was privy to a scene of horror: hundreds of zombies chasing after a girl armed with nothing but a frying pan.

Regina felt like she was flying as she ran from the dirt path to the dock. She readied herself to dive into the lake, attempted to quickly recall the swimming lessons she had taken as a child.

Crack.

Regina fell through the docks and slabs of jagged, rotten wood flew up around her face. She shielded her eyes as the splinters cut into her cheeks.

"No!" The perfect facial complexion she had always taken pride in was now ruined.

To make matters worse, she was now flailing in dark, stagnant water that tasted like mud and metal. She swung her arms and legs around in the awful water, trying to calm down. She surfaced and gulped in precious air.

Regina looked up at the gaping hole in the dock through which she had fallen. Regina felt stupid for trusting the old platform. She should have found a different place to jump in.

Before Regina could have another thought, shadowy hands were reaching into the hole, grabbing violently for her.

"No!" Regina screamed as a zombie got a hold of her shirt with hands covered in gangrene. The ghoul was surprisingly strong, and started pulling her out of the water. Other zombie hands grasped her as well, each one helping the other to pull their potential meal from the water.

Regina realized that she was still holding the frying pan. It seemed nearly attached to her arm now.

She swung it out of the water and bashed at the grasping hands and arms. Water cascaded off the pot and into Regina's mouth as she gave a primal scream.

The ghouls let go of her and she swam out from under the dock, coughing and choking on the terrible water. Regina kicked her way to the center of the small lake. Despite its size, it still took a few minutes to get there.

At the center, she began to tread, turning to look back Tthe shore line.

Zombies had lined up along the lakeside, clearly afraid to jump in.

"Take that!" Regina thrust her pan in the air triumphantly.

However, Regina realized how dire her situation was when she turned towards the other side of the lake to see a line of zombies there as well.

She was surrounded on both sides.

"No!" Regina shouted through gritted teeth. "Charlie! Will! Help!"

Regina knew it was pointless to call for her deserters, but she wouldn't be able to get out of this situation by herself again.

Something brushed against Regina's leg.

Once. Twice.

Oh no.

Regina was either going to have to take her chances and swim out, or stay in the water, hoping that it was just harmless fish swimming past her legs.

Another scrape against her thigh. That didn't feel like a fish at all...

What should Regina do?

Keep treading water

or

Swim out of the lake?

Regina's in more trouble than ever before. Only your decision will help her survive the next moments of her life. Come back next week for the next harrowing chapter.

Regina the Zombie Slayer, Episode Five: Forget Those California Boys

Regina took a deep breath...and turned from the car. She was doing well on her own, and her gut told her to stay on her own for now.

The car peeled off into the darkness behind her. She spared a thought to wish them well.

They would need it.

Regina let go of all idle thought. She was ran straight back toward the path of zombies that now stood between her and the woods.

Regina picked up her speed as the lead zombie sauntered toward her. She swung her trusty pan and clocked it on the head . Blood, thick and black, sprayed in an arch as the zombie's head sailed to the ground and rolled across the pavement.

"Eww, eww, eww!"

She kept up her sprinting pace, even if the smell assaulting her nostrils made her want to hurl.

Two more zombies approached. The ribs of one were clearly exposed through its ripped clothing and flesh. The other's intestines fell from its stomach as it lumbered forward. It tripped on the tubular flesh and fell to the ground.

The one still on its feet reached Regina first. She clotheslined the ghoul just like the other one. Its head came off even easier. The head bounced and cracked open like a rotten egg. Dead brain matter spilled onto the concrete.

Regina didn't miss a beat as she stomped the other zombie that had tripped, reducing its head to a bloody pulp. The worst part was ruining her shoe.

That's when she saw the bicycle rack. Five bikes were there for the taking. All Regina had to do was pick one. And fortunately, no more zombies barred her path for the time being.

Regina skidded to a stop in front of the racks. She checked to see if they were chained.

Locked. Locked. Locked.

The fourth bike, a red and grey Mongoose, was not chained.

"Thank God!"

Regina's careless shout drew instant attention from nearby zombies.

Crap!

She hopped on the bike and peddled toward the woods.

A line of zombies formed in her wake and chased her down.

Regina coasted into the trees. Navigating became difficult as concrete gave way to uneven gravel and dirt.

She stopped the bike and made herself think. The moans of the trail of undead were uncomfortably close.

She didn't know what to do. The highway was to the west. She could head for the road and ride alongside it to wherever the pavement took her. But surely there would be many horrible dangers there.

Her only other choice was to travel deeper into the woods. But there were trees, wild creatures, and almost complete darkness. These woods extended for miles and miles. Getting lost was a very real possibility, and encountering ghouls in this dark place was not an appealing idea.

Even though the risks of both decisions were high, she remained calm.

She hadn't expected an easy way out anyway.

The first few zombies now stumbled through the first line of trees. She had to get moving.

She looked down at her pan for a moment.

I'm gonna need to get an upgrade sometime.

Regina placed her foot on the bike pedals again. It was time to brave up or die.

What should Regina do?

Go deeper into the woods,

or

Head west for the highway?

Will Regina survive? It's up to you. Place your vote now and return Thursday for the next gory episode.

Regina the Zombie Slayer, Episode One: The Undead Siege

The moans of the undead outside Regina's apartment were getting uncomfortably loud.

Not that any sound the undead make is comfortable. Not by any stretch of the imagination.

But they were out there in the parking lot now. Regina did not dare stand by the window. She did not want to be seen by those...things. Instead, she sat huddled in a corner, shivering, waiting, phone to her ear.

This phone call was her only hope.

An insurmountable dread had formed in her stomach, chilling her like a block of ice. Her stomach churned, and a whimper escaped her throat.

God, please let him answer...

Outside, screams sounded in the night. She fought with every fiber of her being not to join them, however much she wanted to give in. Her boyfriend needed to answer.

He would never leave me here.

Beastly snarls and the ripping and tearing of flesh from outside met her ears, followed by more bloodcurdling screams. She was thankfully on the second floor, and her door was locked tight.

But would it be enough?

At last, the rings went to voicemail - and Regina felt an all new coldness. She was being ingnored. She had been abandoned, betrayed; numbed to the point that she could not think or even feel angry.

"Oh God," Regina said, the tears starting to come. "Oh God..."

She looked toward the front door. It was locked, chained. She thought that maybe she should also move something in front of it.

But she couldn't even move herself.

I'm dead. I'm going to die...

She curled into the corner, paralyzed. She didn't move for a few minutes - not even daring to lift a finger.

Outside, it had quieted. There was nothing but the wind and the crackling of a fire outside.

Slowly, Regina stood and looked through the window. A fire engulfed a car across the parking lot - she had heard it explode earlier, had seen its fierce light paint the walls in the hues of the sun for a moment. Behind the fence, the trees were dark, indifferent to the chaos that had unfolded.

There were none of the horrible creatures, however. At least, none in sight.

Perhaps they moved on. Perhaps this wasn't real - just a dream.

She pinched herself, even though she already knew the pointlessness of such an act. Somehow, someway, zombies were attacking her apartment complex, and she was going to die.

Don't think like that. It's not over yet. They don't know you're in here. They haven't seen you.

She suddenly went cold when she realized she had just stood in front of the window. It was a stupid, careless thing to do. She might even die for it.

Then, realizing nothing could be done about it, she forced herself to move. She stood and began pacing the room. She paused a moment, thinking of who else might help her.

She shook her head. If her boyfriend would not come for her, who would?

She only had herself.

The room darkened a bit, and Regina frowned. There was a heavy stillness.

Then behind her, the window shattered. She screamed as shards rained down on her neck, causing sharp, stinging pain. Adrenaline and fear coursed through her veins as she stumbled onto the floor.

A bloodthirsty snarl sounded from behind her, and she gave another futile scream.

She crawled away madly, screaming and whimpering, oblivious to the broken bits of glass cutting into her hands and knees. She crawled toward the door, not daring to look back at the zombie behind her.

She put a hand on the knob and started to turn it, but then she heard the scuffling. The sound of another zombie - right outside her apartment door.

She was cornered.

She could hear the zombie crawling toward her on all fours, grunting, groaning, bent on its goal. Regina sobbed as she leaned into the door.

She could not get out.

Regina finally looked at the zombie. It wore a tattered black suit. Red clumps of dirt fell from its shoulders, its skin gray and peeling. Long, gray hair descended in a skullet, green with slime. The large, baleful eyes stared at Regina: ghostlike, vacant, hungry.

It groaned louder as it neared, and the zombies outside her door echoed its call. Regina pressed her back against the front door. She could hear fingernails scraping down the wood.

Then, as if of its own volition, the panic subsided. She knew she had to do something - anything - because doing nothing would get her killed.

She looked around the ktichen for something to defend herself with. It was hard to see through the tears in her eyes. The zombie on the floor was pulling its way toward her, like a slug.

At last, she saw an iron skillet sitting on the stove. That could work. She could use that, right on the head, and knock the zombie out.

But maybe I'll miss...and then I'm good as dead. And I'll have to swing it really hard.

Or I could go outside, but there is at least one zombie out there, maybe even more waiting for me. If I could just take this one out now...

These thoughts raced through her mind as the zombie crawled toward her, as slow and inevitable as a glacier.

Regina knew she could not move from her place. It was too close now. It could snap at her. One bite, and it was all over.

She only had two options - use the skillet, or try to force her way out the front door and into the horror-filled night.

The zombie was now only mere feet away...

If I'm going to leave the apartment now, this is my only chance.

Regina looked once more at the skillet. The zombie reached for her...

What should Regina do:

Fight the zombie with the skillet,

OR

Get out her apartment?

Place your vote in the comments section, and come back Friday to discover Regina's fate.

Regina the Zombie Slayer

You know her as the perpetual whiner and annoying girlfriend in Night of the Necromancer - but what if things had been different?

What if Regina was never rescued by her boyfriend, who thought she would only hurt his chances of escape?

So much chivaly. And now, with zombies pressing in on every side, Regina is alone, afraid, and abandoned. The ghoulish monsters outside her apartment are just waiting to tear her apart.

And you, readers, will decide her fate.

How it will work:

Regina the Zombie Slayer will feature 250-500 word posts written from Regina's point of view, released at a rate of about three times per week.

At the end of each post, one of two decisions will need to be made. Readers will vote on each decision in the comments section, and whichever gets the most votes is the course the story will take - for better or for worse.

This is not a sequel, so no prior knowledge is needed. Just read and have fun!

When will it start?

Tomorrow, the first part of Regina the Zombie Slayer will be posted. Readers will immediately have the chance to read and vote on her next choice.

Will Regina survive? Will she become the greatest zombie slayer of all time? Will she have the chance to confront her cruel boyfriend, for either vengeance or mercy's sake?

Her fate awaits you in Regina the Zombie Slayer.

Night of the Necromancer now available on paperback!

I'm pleased to announce that Night of the Necromancer is now available on paperback!

The cover looks pretty sweet, done by Jelani's uncle, Gary Phillips. The book looks very professional (in my opinion).

Get yourself a copy today, and continue to support your favorite indie zombie authors!

Who is the Necromancer....

For those readers and friends who have fortunately remained ignorant concerning their knowledge of the Necromancer (learning the truth almost always means certain death) below you will find an explanation for the title of the book, and some insight to the most dangerous person you will encounter during your night of survival.

NECROMANCY- conjuration of the spirits of the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events. (Merriam-Webster Online)

The sound of rattling bones

The crawling of dead flesh

The emptiness of the grave

The macabre conquering of death

You will know the Necromancer by these signs...

(from THE BOOK OF THE UNDEAD)

If you had read this before the terrible night when the zombies rushed into your apartment complex, you would have written it off as creepy, insane, occult, pyscho-babble. But now you know that the legend of the Necromancer is an all too real threat to your life.

It is rare that anyone survives an encounter with a necromancer. Unfortunately for you, he will become your chief foe as you struggle to survive the terrible predicament that you've found yourself in. The secrets of his existence, and his sinister motives, are all locked up within the choices you make. Choose wisely. You will only have seconds to make life-saving decisions when you encounter him.

He controls a vast undead horde of zombies.

You and your fellow survivors are only five strong.

The odds are already stacked against you.

How will you ever survive the Night of the Necromancer?

Accept the challenge here.

Night of the Necromancer is about...you.

You have always viewed yourself as a survivor. You're smart. You know all the rules of the game and your fight or flight response is highly tuned. But, can you really survive the Zombie Apocalypse. How will you really react when a massive, Necromancer-driven horde of ghouls are closing in on you, their undead breath cold against your skin.

Before, when you had your fantasies of survival, they were all in your head. But now, it is time to determine how smart and savvy you really are. Now it is time for you to brave Night of the Necromancer.

You are in control. You make the decisions. You decide how you will live or die. Your choices will determine whether you survive, or whether you die a horrible, grisly, bloody death at the cold, merciless hands of ghoulish fiends. The intelligence of your decisions will gauge how ready you really are for the zombie apocalypse. And from the looks of it, you have a lot to learn.

There are a hundred ways to die, and you may die one of those deaths tonight. Luckily, you will get to turn the page and give your self a second chance. But that won't be an option when the Z-day finally comes. You're greatest test is to survive this story without dying...not even once.

But, that shouldn't be a problem for you. You say you're ready. You think yourself a regular zombie slayer. Enough talk.

Let your decisions speak for you.

Night of the Necromancer is Live!

At last, Night of the Necromancer, an 80,000 word behemoth of a choose your own adventure, is live and ready to sell for $3.99 on both Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.

Taken from the back cover:

"Just hours ago, you were a student trying to survive college. Now, as zombies attempt to knock down your apartment door and eat you alive, you must ask yourself if you will survive the night. And, in order to get through this nightmare, you will have to make all the right decisions.

"Will you save your overbearing girlfriend, who just broke up with you hours before the zombies arrived? Will you trust the survivors you meet along the way? Will you retreat to the forest in an attempt to escape the undead hordes, or will you face your fear head-on and fight your way through the city?

If you are quick on your feet, you just might see another day. One wrong decision, and you'll end up as zombie food, or worse, a member of the undead."

It was a lot of hard work, but worth it in the end. The book has been live for about a week and already has two positive, unsolicited reviews on Amazon.

If you've ever wondered if you have what it takes to survive the zombie apocalypse (and it will come), then why not test your skills before the inevitable arrives?

Click here or here to check the book out!