It’s almost upon us! By the time this week is written up in the annals of history, the prequel to the I Zombie series, T-Minus Zero, will be available. To get you even further pumped, here is chapter one of that novel!
Chapter 1
Fade in:
A seemingly desolate small town in the middle of nowhere. The streets stand empty, save for abandoned cars, stray dogs, and random gusts of wind. What was once a proud representation of pure Americana was dead – at least on the surface. The culture of worship and faith that was so full of life – dead. The proud tri-county high school, home to the most recent state basketball championship trophy – dead.
Farmland – dead.
Cycling club – dead.
Newly rekindled Thespian society – dead.
Weekend Writer Warriors – dead.
Time, it seemed, decided to take a powder and shove life’s face into the cracked and drying soil of the big-minded, small town.
At least on the surface. Dig in a bit deeper and a darker, more disturbing truth would be discovered. That truth was deadly and began with the promise of fame.
Fame. An unseemly bitch sure to bring even the strongest to their knees. No matter how proud the town of Templeton was, the prospect of Hollywood shining its magnificent star onto the heart of America’s purest average was enough to obfuscate reality.
Even before the ink on the contract was dry, the film crews were setting up shop. As the cameras, dollies, and booms were unpacked, something else began coming together.
A wall.
The wall was over fifteen feet high and solid steel. The fifteen by fifteen sheets of inch-thick stainless were flown in via helicopter and pieced together with a team of over one hundred men. Working twenty-four hours a day, the crews managed to complete the structure in record time. The wall surrounded Templeton with seamless welds and razor wire. There was no door, no window, not a single opening to the naked eye. The Mayor of Templeton was assured the wall served to keep the paparazzi from getting a peek at what would be the single most anticipated zombie film of all time.
A movie.
Hollywood.
Rumors spread like disease.
Kristen Stewart was being flown in…
Johnny Depp is in consideration…
Joss Whedon wrote…
Danny Elfman…
The truth eluded all. No one cared. The moment cameras were mounted on turrets every quarter mile along the steel wall, nothing mattered. The little town of Templeton was going to be famous. Every soccer mom immediately made salon appointments that wouldn’t be necessary. Young stud teen boys flashed and flexed abs they didn’t have. Young starlets strutted about in clothing their mother’s would normally faint over.
Chaos slowly took up residence in the tiny town.
That same chaos was quickly snatched up by the Zero Day Collective.
The little town of Templeton had no idea they were about to be completely undone.
By the time the fog-like gas poured over the sleepy suburbia, and the strangers walked out of the clouds of smoke donning gas masks, it was too late. Chaos had Templeton by the ankles and was about to have its way. Middletown dreams were about to be re-arranged into nightmares.
The citizens were out cold, tucked back inside the safety of their homes. When they woke, they’d have no idea what punched them in the heart.
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