This one has been in my head for a while so I thought I’d try to put it out here (obviously in pieces).

Fair warning, Adult situations, Adult context, and we’ve got a zombie holocaust coming up so there’s going to be a lot of friends and loved ones eating each other. Parts of this will be dark.

Saturday November 11th, 2006, Two Days to Z-Day

10:00 am. Suburb of Fort Worth, Texas.

JoAnna & Jillian

JoAnna drove up the driveway at the house and parked, then nervously checked herself in the mirror. She’d spent two hours yesterday deciding what to wear, this meeting was a big deal. It’d been almost a year since she’d actually seen her sister Jill in person and they’d both gone through changes and kept secrets. About nine months ago Jillian had hooked up with a married “friend” named Chris who was trapped in an abusive marriage with Jackie. Supposedly Jill was helping Chris deal with his two young children as well as living and sleeping with him.

Where it got somewhat Springer-ish was for three months Jill didn’t tell anyone that Chris was a woman and Jackie was a man. Jo had disliked being lied to but had always suspected Jill might swing that way, the two had made up the next day over the phone. Jill’s parents had taken the news less well and still hadn’t reconciled. They were still barely on speaking terms with Jill and their view of Chris didn’t bear repeating. Making matters worse they knew Jack’s parents. JoAnna had briefly talked to Chris several times on the phone but had never met her, so this was first impressions time. That also meant that Jo’s secret was about to come out.

Jo looked in the mirror one last time. Makeup good but understated, clothes casual but well done. It was going to be interesting to see how long it took Jill to notice.

JoAnna & Jillian

JoAnna got out, walked to the other side of the car, and picked up the three foot tall stuffed white rabbit that had been riding shotgun with her. It was a magician’s rabbit, complete with magician’s hat and wand. Little Jack was not quite 4, his younger brother John was not quite 2. Kids that age where supposed to like stuffed animals. Jo walked to the house but before she knocked the door opened and strong arms embraced her.

Jillian said, “Jo! Good to see you.” Jillian was a head taller than her sister and the two looked nothing alike. Jill was the classic Swedish ‘Barbie’, tall, good looking, very fair skin, with almost white blond hair while Jo was shorter, darker, and had raven hair from her Southern Italian ancestors. Jo was also considerably curvier, which was new.

Jill held Jo out at arm’s length and said in a surprised laugh, “Hey, what happened to you?” Jill then examined JoAnna’s face carefully and Jo gave back a big toothy smile. Jill continued, “Teeth, chest, um… nose? You go to California for a year and come back with a new you? Did you become an actress?”

Jo replied, “Almost. That’s my other big news. California was a bust, literally….”

Jill looked down at JoAnna’s bust and replied dryly, “So I see.”

Jo continued, “…but Vegas was not. I’m going to be doing magic in a Vegas resort. It’s big stage stuff.”

Jill looked surprised for a moment, then with a shout she embraced her again saying, “Congratulations! That’s good news. When do you start?” Both of them had known the odds of breaking into show business were very low, but it had been Jo’s dream for more than a decade.

JoAnna replied, “Three weeks. First part of December I become a name. You wouldn’t believe where I’ll be in six months. But right now is family time, I want to meet my new members.” Jo motioned with the rabbit, “So where are Jack and John?” Noticing a bandage on Jill’s arm she added, “And what happened to you?”

Jill answered, “Everyone is out back, I wanted you to myself for the first few minutes. And Little John bit me, hard enough to break the skin. Just a phase he’s going through I think.”

JoAnna

Jill walked through the house towards the back yard. To Jo's eye the house was modestly, but tastefully decorated. JoAnna thought, *A lot of this looks like SCA work. Fine print calligraphy. More calligraphy. Metal work, probably Jill's. Still more calligraphy. Someone has talent, and Chris is some flavor of artist so odds are good this is hers."

*Odd. They met at a Ren Fest but I'd been under the impression she wasn't one of us. I'd swear Chris wasn't big on Jill going to the SCA meets.*

JoAnna said, "This is nice work. Is it hers?"

Jill replied with a trace of pride, "Yes it is. She paints to but that's in another room. And here we are." Jill opened the door to the back yard and stepped out, Jo followed, and got her first look at Chris.

Chris wasn't what Jo had expected. Chris might have been pretty a decade ago but now 'plain' would be a good word. She was perhaps in her early thirties, at least 10 years older than the sisters. She had raven hair with a little gray in it and looked to be Jo's height. Her skin showed some serious tanning as a youth and while not over weight she had the physic of someone who didn't work out a lot. Chris had delicate hands and a friendly face. She'd been sitting on a bench but rose to greet Jo.

Jo smiled warmly and said, "Now you must be Chris?" *Wow this is out of character for Jill. I'd been expecting a fitness model, a body builder, or maybe a Greek goddess, but not a PTA mom. I guess love doesn't have rules.*

Jo spotted a pair of young boys almost but not quite hiding behind the bench and spoke to them, "And this must be Jack and John." Jo pulled the impossibly large magician's rabbit out from behind Jill's back and had him 'hop' towards the two. "And this is my friend Whitey. I was hoping he'd be your friend too."

Recognizing a present the two children ran forward and tackled the rabbit. Obviously brothers, both of them had thick dark hair that looked innately tousled.

Chris

As the children circled "Whitey", Jack a little reluctantly, Chris looked from Jill to Jo and back again. She'd never met JoAnna in person, but from pictures knew Jo was shorter and darker than her twin sister. But, these were twins? Chris had met Jillian's parents once in a disastrous meeting that had started out strained and awkward and had degenerated into dreadful yelling and name calling. Jillian looked like both her parents. Although very attractive and charismatic in her own right, Jo looked nothing like Jill and nothing at all like her parents.

Adopted? Twins? Something odd like test tubes? Chris shook her mind off of this, she'd ask Jill later. This was going to be an important relationship and she was standing there gawking.

Chris stepped forward, gave Jo a hug and said, "And you must be JoAnna. Your pictures don't do you justice. You look like you should be a model or game show hostess."

JoAnna smiled in honest enjoyment of the compliment, "Why thank you. I should tell you, I cheat." JoAnna gave a shrug that accented her chest and said, "It's a Show business thing. Everyone goes under the knife. My old pictures aren't bad, they're just not me any more. But enough of that." JoAnna clapped her hands together in a show-woman call to attention, "I was hoping to take all of you out to dinner and you could tell me all about everything."

Jill laughed and said, "Too late. Food is already being cooked. You're stuck with home cooking sister, and be glad for it, Chris is very good with all things boiled. Not only is she a better good than me but she can dye stuff too. And weave. And you've already seen her calligraphy."

"Growl!!!" John shouted as with extreme effort he picked up the stuffed bunny and tried to walk Godzilla like towards his somewhat fearful older brother who was retreating before the onslaught.

Jill said sternly, "John! No bunny wars."

Chris broke in and added gently, "John, I think Mr. Whitey is hungry. Could you put him down and get him a cookie?"

The two year old dropped the rabbit and ran screaming into the house. He was followed a moment later by his four year old brother.

Chris said to Jo, "That's one way to ensure cooperation. The cookies are out of John's reach so he has to get Jack to help him."

JoAnna asked, "I'm sorry if I brought something they'll fight with."

Chris sighed and replied a little sadly, "No, not your fault. John will fight with anything, he takes after his father. Despite the name, Jack Junior is more mine."

For Jo the clues were starting to add up. Chris was SCA, her husband Jack would fight over anything, Chris didn't want Jill to... ah.
Jo said in surprise, "Jack Bull. Your husband is The Jack Bull?"

Jill put in, "Ex-husband."

Chris corrected, "Future ex-husband. The Divorce is final in a few days."

JoAnna blinked. The Jack Bull was a knight, like Jill, and was pretty hard core, also like Jill. Jo said carefully, "Jack senior, ah, has quite a reputation."

Jill put in grimly, "Not after Wednesday he doesn't."

Jo asked, "The divorce is final then?"

Jill said even more grimly, "No. Wednesday is when I beat him up in front of everyone. After Wednesday everyone will know he's weak as well as an..."

Chris looked at the door and said with concern, "Little ears. They're not here, but for their sake I don't want to talk about him."

Saturday November 11th, Two Days to Z-Day

12:01 PM: James DeBeer

Four men sat at a table eating lunch in the fire station. It’d been a quiet day.

James pointed at Dave and said, “Time.”

Dave responded, “21 days, 1 hour, Fifty…” Dave looked at the clock on the wall, “…Nine minutes. Not that I’m counting. And life isn’t going to ‘end’ in three weeks, it’s going to change.”

Jesus asked, “What’s going on? His ship finally come in? New job time?” Jesus was the youngest man in the fire department, and normally worked a different shift. It wasn’t a surprise that he was a bit out of the grape vine.

Fred answered, “No, that’s me. I’m getting a new job next month, my brother Dave here is only getting married. To James’ sister.” Fred gave Dave a smirk that was half “you lucky bastard” and half “thank god it’s not me”.

Jesus first thought was to ask 'Is she pretty' but with James right there he said, “Well, congratulations. But I’d thought James’ sister was already married?”

Looking very pleased with himself, Dave replied, “No, that’s his other sister. James has three. I’m going to get married to Mary, the baby of the DeBeer clan.”

James explained, “I’m the fourth of five. ‘Baby’ Mary is 22. Janet is the oldest, and is married, and she’s hosting my sisters and mom in a bachelorette’s week out in Florida. Her husband Rob owns a resort down there.”

Jesus asked, “Owns a resort? So he’s in real-estate?” Jesus wondered if James’ family was rich, if so he didn’t show it.

James replied, “No, he’s in oil.” With the patience of long practice from multiple explanations on this topic he continued, “Rob owns an oil services company, Janet was his secretary, they got married when she was 25 and he was 65. Yeah, I know. Quite the scandal, or coup, or something. Anyway that was 5 years ago, and she, well, she has a different lifestyle.”

Saturday November 11th, Two Days to Z-Day

12:03 PM: James DeBeer

Jesus struggled for comeback to the open admission that James' sister had married a man old enough to be her grandfather. Several jokes came to mind but he didn't know James very well and wasn't sure how he'd take it. Like all the firemen Jesus worked out, but James was a rock and Jesus was the new guy to this shift.

Deciding to steer the conversation to safer waters, Jesus asked Dave, "If it's in less than a month, then you're all set with plans and all that? Church, Priest, outfits and all that?"

Dave replied, "Almost. We'll get married at her namesakes, Saint Mary's. It will be family only to keep the numbers and price down, you wouldn't believe what a big wedding would cost. The Tux shop has our measurements but they're not ready yet. Mary is running around getting things organized and her big sister is helping her. Other than the ring, which she picked, everything on my side I can dump on my best man." Dave nodded to the other end of the table.

Jesus said to Fred, "So what are you going to do?" As the new target guy Jesus was well aware of Fred's reputation as a practical joker. Joining Fred for 'jokes' on the new groom seemed like a much better alternative than being subjected to them himself.

Fred pointed to James and said, "He meant him. James is best man, I am just a minion."

James said, "Yep, I'm in charge, Dave and I go way back. While the girls are away it's my job to arrange for strippers and booze. Which will be Wednesday. Jesus, if you're off duty, you're invited. Party starts at 6 PM."

Dave mentally translated, *Strippers and booze. James has no imagination and a big part of his job is to make sure no one else does either, including and especially my brother Fred. Tin cans tied to the rear of the car, but no dead fish left inside the car engine or other similarly 'imaginative' things. In 21 Days I'm going to have a dull wedding.*

Jesus smiled and said, "Hey, who can say no to strippers and booze? We'll give Dave a solid funeral."

Monday November 13th. Z-Day.

3:24 AM: 'The Springs' Rest Home

Nurse Andrea Hettinger had seen better days, she considered herself 30 years and 50 pounds over her 'peak', and three and a half hours into her shift this was already shaping up to be an award winning bad day. Dejectedly she headed for a chair and noticed that Kate was in the next one. She didn't have anything against Kate except that she was 30 years younger and 50 pounds lighter. Andrea sat down next to Kate at the front desk and said, "And that makes 12. I'll tell you, we're going to end up in the papers on this one."

Kate was fresh out of nursing school and seriously considering applying to several hospitals for a different job. Their clients here at the laughably misnamed 'Springs' came here for their last few months or sometimes years of life and left only one way. While the work wasn't hard and she didn't feel underpaid, she felt it was depressing being around the sick and dying all the time. By the nature of the work, even when her patents got 'better' that was just a short uptick before she got to watch them die.

Kate asked, "Twelve? That's not bad. And it's just the flu, right? Even if it's bad..."

Andrea responded, "The flu works differently on our people Kate. I don't mean Twelve for the ward or for the building, I meant Twelve of my crew alone, and we're just getting started. And Kate? They're starting to smell. I've smelled death before and I smell it now. There's not much we can do for the flu and they've got it bad. Damn it, how did they all come down with it at once?"

Neither woman speculated about that one but both knew the answer. Someone had broken protocol. Maybe whoever made the food yesterday had been sick and contagious, and as old and infirm as their patents were, it was going to be a costly mistake.

Monday November 13th. Z-Day.

5:25 AM: James DeBeer

The alarm went off and like all the other firemen James was awake, dressed, and ready to go in less than 60 seconds. They were on the road before he found out what the situation was.

Captain Ron, known to his men as "the Man", told everyone over the radio that someone had pulled multiple fire alarms at a nursing home and dispatch now couldn't reach anyone there. Ergo while the presence of fire wasn't confirmed, multiple units, including the entire on duty twelve man crew were being sent.

Not that the Captain had asked for his input, but James approved. Nursing homes weren't normally the target of pranksters, damn their black souls, but they were filled with large numbers of people who couldn't flee a fire scene on their own power.

James half expected, and more than half hoped, that dispatch would call them off before they got there. It didn't happen. Dispatch had nothing more to say, which meant that someone really wasn't answering the phone. Not good. It was normal for situations to be not well understood when the crew was sent out. Fire was best fought while it was small, so 'act fast and act now' was the rule.

En route they picked up several police cars, but when they all pulled up to the building there was nothing. No smoke coming out of open windows. No nurses rushing around taking people out of the building. First responders got out of their vehicles and clustered around the front door knocking and ringing the bell. Some fire fighters started peering into windows and walking around the building.

Monday November 13th. Z-Day.

James DeBeer

Captain Ron shook his head at the men standing next to the front door with axes, James among them. Their unspoken question had been the usual, 'Do we take the front door down or not'. If there had been fire, or signs of fire, or the hint of the signs of fire, then they'd go in double time rapid speed; But no one likes having his front door destroyed because some idiot pulled the fire alarm 'accidentally' and this was looking more like that.

Mentally James relaxed a hair. While it was annoying to not have the 'thrill' of the fight, this seriously wasn't the place for it and if he had to choose he'd pick a false alarm, not that god was in the habit of asking his input. Still it was odd that no one had answered the door.

After a few minutes a civilian car pulled into the parking lot and a worried black disheveled man in his 40's jumped out. James mentally pegged him as a manager, pissed off that he had to get out of bed for what was looking more and more like a false alarm.

Captain Ron walked over and the two men exchanged words for a moment. Then man strode angrily passed the firemen and pulled out a key ring and unlocked the door and everyone went inside.

Monday November 13th. Z-Day.

James DeBeer

James was still carrying the ax with which he'd intended to break the front door down. The lights were on, the place smelled in that old fashioned "hospital" kind of way, front desk was empty, and the fire alarm was ringing and no one other than a dozen firemen was milling around.

Several hallways branched off the front desk area, each with a series of doors. James assumed each led to an old person's "home". He opened and looked in the first one and there were two beds, each holding a half-dead looking person who looked like they should have died of old age about a century ago. There was also a nasty smell but no fire, or hint of any other problem other than both the occupants would be dead soon. James shut the door and made a mental note to not live long enough to end up in a place like this.

On the other side of the explored area Fred pointed to a closed door and said, "Blood." James turned around and sure enough there was a fair amount of blood leading up to the door. Dave knocked on the door and said, "Fire Department, could you open the door please?"

Thankfully someone turned off the Fire Alarm and Dave pounded on the door and repeated himself. A young, blood spattered woman wearing a nurse type outfit opened the door and said hurriedly, "Watch yourself, Mr. Targowski has gone violently insane. He's got dementia but is acting like he's on PCP as well. I don't understand how he's out of his wheelchair. He tried to kill Andrea, bit her real good, I've bandaged her up but she needs to go to a hospital."

Donald, a 30 year old fireman looking into one of the other rooms choked out, "Found him. Good God. They're eating her?"

'Them' implied more than one, James and the others moved to the door and found two ancient, dead looking, pajama clad people standing above a third who was in bed. For a moment James' mind couldn't parse what he was looking at, then he realized that yes, the first two really were ignoring the firemen and pulling out and eating third's intestines.

Suddenly James was sorry he was holding the ax; It was useful for breaking down doors, not for dealing with two demented old timers. He let the ax fall to one side, this was going to get ugly and the last thing he needed was someone falling on it or something. James said forcefully but a hair desperately, "Move away from the person on the bed please, you're sick, you need help".