rot & ruin 100 page excerpt
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New York LoNdoN ToroNTo SYdNeY
Jonathan Maberry
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An impint Simn & Schust Chilns Publishing divisin
1230 Avnu th Amicas, N Y, N Y 10020
This b is a ctin. Any ncs t histical vnts, al ppl,
al lcals a us ctitiusly. oth nams, chaacts, placs, an incints a
pucts th auths imaginatin, an any smblanc t actual vnts lcals
psns, living a, is ntily cincintal.
Cpyight 2010 by Jnathan Maby
All ights sv, incluing th ight puctin in hl in pat in any m.
is a tama Simn & Schust, Inc.F inmatin abut spcial iscunts bul puchass, plas cntact Simn &
Schust Spcial Sals at 1-866-506-1949 [email protected].
Th Simn & Schust Spas Buau can bing auths t yu liv vnt. F m
inmatin t b an vnt, cntact th Simn & Schust Spas Buau at
1-866-248-3049 visit u bsit at .simnspas.cm.
B sign by Launt Linn
enpap at by rb Sacchtt
Th txt this b is st in Augustal.
Manuactu in th Unit Stats Amica
2 4 6 8 10 9 7 5 3 1
Libay Cngss Catalging-in-Publicatin dataMaby, Jnathan.
rt & ruin / Jnathan Maby. 1st .
p. cm.
Summay: In a pst-apcalyptic l h ncs an b patls gua th
ppl lt m th zmbis that hav vtan civilizatin, tn-ya-l Bnny
Imua is nally cnvinc that h must ll in his l bths tstps an
bcm a bunty hunt.
ISBN 978-1-4424-0232-4 (hacv)
[1. ZmbisFictin. 2. SuvivalFictin. 3. Bunty huntsFictin.
4. BthsFictin.] I. Titl. II. Titl: rt an ruin.
PZ7.M11164r 2010[Fic]c22
2009046041
ISBN 978-1-4424-0234-8 (B)
ACkNowLedGMeNTS
Spcial thans t sm al-l ppl h illing t nt th l Bnny an
Tm Imua. I bliv that i th l ns, yull still b th. My agnts, Saa C anHavy kling; davi Gal an Navah wl at Simn & Schust; Nancy kim-Cmly, Tiany
Schmit, Gg Schau, rb an Ana Sacchtt, rany an Fan kisch, Jasn Mill, Sam
wst-Mnsch, kith Stun, Chali an Gina Mill, Athu Mnsch; an th Philly Lias Club:
Ggy Fst, dn Laty, L. A. Bans, Jn McGan, Slmn Jns, e Pttit, My Jns,
Maia Lamba, Saa Shph, klly Simmns, kith Stun, an dnnis Taya.
excpt m The Onion Girl by Chals d Lint us by pmissin th auth.
richa Pys cmmnt us by pmissin Jnni L Py.
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For the young writers in my Experimental Writing for Teens class:
Rachel Tafoya, Clint Johnston, Brandon Strauss, Brianna Whiteman,
Jessica Price, Tara Tosten, Jennifer Carr, Kellie Hollingsworth,
Nathanial Gage, Maggie Brennan, Kris Dugas, Evan Stahl, and
Jackson Toone. You always amaze and inspire me.
And, as always, for Sara Jo.
a
a
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1Benny imuraCoulDntholDajoB, sohetooktokilling.
It as the amily business. He barely liked his amilyand
by amily he meant his lder brther, Tmand he defnitely
didnt like the idea business. or rk. The nly part the
deal that sunded like it might be un as the actual killing.
Hed never dne it bere. Sure, hed gne thrugh a
hundred simulatins in gym class and in the Scuts, but they
never let kids d any real killing. Nt bere they hit fteen.
why nt? he asked his Scutmaster, a at guy named
Feeney h used t be a TV eatherman back in the day.
Benny as eleven at the time and bsessed ith zmbie hunt-
ing. H cme yu dnt let us hack sme real zms?
Because killings the srt thing yu shuld learn rm
yur lks, said Feeney.
I dnt have any lks, Benny cuntered. My mm and
dad died n First Night.
ouch. Srry, BennyI rgt. Pint is, yu got amily
sme kind, right?I guess. I gt Im Mr. Freaking Perect Tm Imura r a
brther, and I dnt ant t learn anything rm him.
Feeney had stared at him. w. I didnt kn yu ere
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lat t him. Hs yu bth, huh? wll, ths yu
ans, i. Nby btt t tach yu th at illingthan a pssinal ill li Tm Imua. Fny paus an
lic his lips nvusly. I guss bing his bth an all,
yuv sn him ta n a lt zms.
N, Bnny sai ith hug annyanc. H nv lts
m atch.
rally? Thats . wll, as him hn yu tun thitn.
Bnny ha as n his thitnth bithay, an Tm ha
sai n. Again. It asnt a iscussin. Just N.
That as m than t yas ag, an n Bnny as
six s past his tnth bithay. H ha u m s
gac t n a paying jb b tn inanc cut his
atins by hal. Bnny hat bing in that psitin, an i
n m psn gav him th tn an spch, h
as ging t scam. H hat that as much as hn ppl
sa smn ing ha an thy sai cap li, Hly
sms, hs ging at that li hs tn an ut .
Li it as smthing t b happy abut. Smthing t
b pu . wing yu butt th st yu li.
Bnny int s h th un as in that. oay, mayb it
as maginally ay bcaus it mant nly hal ays schl
m thn n, but it still suc.
His buy Lu Chng sai it as a sign th ging
cultual ppssin that as iving pstapcalyptic human-
ity ta accptanc a n slav stat. Bnny ha n
aing ia hat Chng mant i th as vn man-ing in anything h sai. But h n agmnt bcaus
th l n Chngs ac alays ma it sm li h n
xactly hat as hat.
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At hm, b h vn fnish ating his sst, Tm
ha sai, I I ant t talk abut yu jining th amily busi-nss, a yu ging t ch my ha ? Again?
Bnny sta vnmus ath at Tm an sai, vy
claly an istinctly, I. dnt. want. T. wk. In. Th.
Family. Businss.
Ill tak that as a n, thn.
dnt yu think its a littl lat n t ty an gt m all
xcit abut it? I ask yu a zillin tims t
Yu ask m t tak yu ut n kills.
right! An vy tim I i yu
Tm cut him . Ths a lt m t hat I , Bnny.
Yah, th pbably is, an mayb I ul hav thught
th st as smthing I cul al ith, but yu nv lt m
s th cl stu.
Ths nthing cl abut killing, Tm sai shaply.
Th is hn yu talking abut killing zms! Bnny
f back.
That stall th cnvsatin. Tm stalk ut th
m an bang aun th kitchn a hil, an Bnny
th himsl n n th cuch.
Tm an Bnny nv talk abut zmbis. Thy ha
vy asn t, but thy nv i. Bnny culnt un-
stan it. H hat zms. evyn hat thm, thugh ith
Bnny it as a hit-ht cnsuming hat that nt back t
his vy fst mmy. Bcaus it was his fst mmya night-
ma imag that as th vy night hn h cls hisys. It as an imag that as sa int him, vn thugh it
as smthing h ha sn as a tiny chil.
da an Mm.
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Mm scaming, unning ta Tm, shving a
squiming Bnnyall ightn mnthsint Tms ams.Scaming an scaming. Tlling him t un.
whil th thing that ha bn da push its ay thugh
th bm that Mm ha ti t blc ith a chai
an lamps an anything ls sh cul n.
Bnny mmb Mm scaming s, but th
mmy as s l an h ha bn s yung that h int
mmb hat any thm . Mayb th n
s. Mayb it as just h scaming.
Bnny mmb th t hat n his ac as Tms tas
ll n him as thy climb ut th bm in. Thy
ha liv in a anch-styl hus. on sty. Th in mp-
ti ut int a ya that as pulsing ith an blu plic
lights. Th m shuts an scams. Th nighbs.
Th cps. Mayb th amy. Thining bac, Bnny gu it
as pbably th amy. An th cnstant ppping gun,
na an a aay.
But all it, Bnny mmb a singl last imag. As
Tm clutch him t his chst, Bnny l v his bth-
s shul at th bm in. Mm lan ut
th in, scaming at thm as das pal hans ach
ut th shas th m an agg h bac ut
sight.
That as Bnnys lst mmy. I th ha bn l
mmis, thn that imag ha bun thm aay. Bcaus
h ha bn s yung th hl thing as littl m than acllag pictus an niss, but v th yas Bnny ha
bun his bain t claim ach agmnt, t assign man-
ing an sns t vy scap hat h cul call. Bnny
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rmmbr th hammring sun vibrating against his
chst that as Tms panick hartbat, an th lng ailthat as his n inarticulat cry r his mm an his a.
H hat Tm r running aay. H hat that Tm
hant stay an hlp Mm. H hat hat thir a
ha bcm n that First Night all ths yars ag. Just as h
hat hat da ha turn Mm int.
In his min thy r n lngr Mm an da. Thy
r th things that ha kill thm. Zms. An h hat
thm ith an intnsity that ma th sun l cl an small.
du, hat is it ith yu an zms? Chng nc ask
him. Yu act lik th zms hav a prsnal grug against
yu.
what, Im supps t hav uzzy bunny lings r
thm? Bnny ha snapp back.
N, Chng ha cnc, but a littl prspctiv
ul b nic. I man . . . vryby hats zms.
Yu nt.
Chng ha shrugg his bny shulrs an his ark
ys ha art aay. evryby hats zms.
Th ay Bnny sa it, hn yur frst mmry as zm-
bis killing yur parnts, thn yu ha a licns t hat thm
as much as yu ant. H tri t xplain that t Chng,
but his rin ulnt b ran back int th cnvrsatin.
A yars ag, hn Bnny un ut that Tm as a
zmbi huntr, h hant bn pru his brthr. As ar as
h as cncrn, i Tm rally ha hat it tk t b a zm-bi huntr, h hav ha th guts t hlp Mm. Insta, Tm
ha run aay an lt Mm t i. T bcm n them.
Tm cam back int th living rm, lk at th
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mains th sst n th tabl, thn l at Bnny n
th cuch.Th still stans, h sai. I yu ant t hat I
, thn Ill ta yu n as an appntic. Ill sign th paps
s yu can still gt ull atins.
Bnny gav him a lng, ithing sta.
I ath b atn by zms than hav yu as my bss,
Bnny sai.
Tm sigh, tun, an tug upstais. At that thy
int tal t ach th ays.
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the following weekenD Benny anD Chong haD piCkeD up the
Saturday edition o the Town Pump, because it had the big-
gest help wanted section. All o the easy jobs, like working in
stores, had been long-since snapped up. They didnt want to
work on the arms, because that meant getting up every morn-
ing at the crack o no way, Jos. Besides, it meant dropping
out o school completely. They didnt love school, but it wasnt
too bad, and school had sotball, ree lunches, and girls. The
ideal fx was a part-time job that paid pretty good and got the
ration board o their backs, so over the next several weeks,
they applied or anything that sounded easy.
Benny and Chong clipped out a bunch o want ads and
tackled them one at a time, having frst categorized them by
most possible money, coolness, and I dont know what it
is, but it sounds okay. They passed on anything that sounded
bad right rom the get-go.
The frst on their list was or a locksmith apprentice.
That sounded okay, but it turned out to be humping acouple o heavy toolboxes rom house to house at the crack
o rigging dawn while an old German guy who could barely
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spa english pai nc lcs an install ial cmbi-
natins n bth sis bm s, as ll as installingbas an i gills.
It as in unny atching th l guy xplain t his
custms h t us th cmbinatin lcs. Bnny an
Chng bgan maing bts n h many tims p cnvsa-
tin a custm ul say hat, cul yu pat that,
bg pan.
Th as imptant, thugh. evyn ha t lc
thmslvs in thi ms at night an thn us a cmbina-
tin t gt ut. o a y; sm ppl still lc ith ys.
That ay, i thy i in thi slp an animat as a zm,
thy ulnt b abl t gt ut th m an attac th
st th amily. Th ha bn hl sttlmnts ip
ut bcaus smns ganath ppp in th mil
th night an thn stat ching n n th is an
ganis.
I nt gt this, Bnny cn t Chng hn thy
aln a minut. Zms cant a cmbinatin
lc any m than thy can tun a nb. Thy cant
ys, ith. why ppl vn buy this stu?
Chng shugg. My a says that lcs a taitinal.
Ppl unstan that lc s p ba things ut, s
ppl ant lcs thi s.
Thats stupi. Cls s ill p zms ut. Zms a
bain-a. Hamsts a smat.
Chng spa his hans in a hy, thats ppl yugstu.
Th Gman guy install ubl-si lcs, s that
th cul b pn m th th si in a al,
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nnzmbi mgncy; i th tn scuity guys had t
cm in and d a clanup n a n zm.Smh, Bnny and Chng had gttn it int thi
hads that lcksmiths gt t s this stu, but th ld guy
said that h hadnt v sn a singl living dad that as in
any ay cnnctd t his jb. Bing.
T mak it s, th Gman guy paid thm a littl m
than pckt lint and said that it uld tak th yas t
lan th actual tad. That mant that Bnny uldnt vn
pick up a scdiv six mnths and uldnt d any-
thing but cay stu a ya. Sc that.
I thught yu didnt ant t actually k, said Chng
as thy alkd aay m th Gman ith n intntin
tuning in th mning.
I dnt. But I dnt ant t b bd ut my aking
mind ith.
Nxt n thi list as a nc tst.
That as a littl m intsting, bcaus th
actual zms n th th sid th nc that kpt th tn
Muntainsid spaat m th gat rt and ruin. Mst
th zms a aay, standing in th ld and-
ing clumsily tad any mvmnt. Th s pls
ith bightly cld stams st a ut in th ld, and
ith vy bz th futting th stams attactd th
zms, cnstantly daing thm aay m th nc. whn
th ind calmd, th catus bgan lumbing in th dic-tin any mvmnt n th tn sid th nc. Bnny
antd t gt cls t a zm. Hd nv bn cls than a
hundd yads m an activ zm b. Th ld kids said
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that i yu l int a zms ys, yu fctin ul
sh yu h yu l as n th living a. Thatsun vy cl, but th as a guy ith a shtgun g-
ging Bnny all thugh th shit, an that ma him ttally
paani. H spnt m tim ling v his shul than
tying t n maning in a mns ys.
Th shtgun guy gt t i a hs. Bnny an Chng
ha t al th nc lin an stp vy six tn t, gip
th chain lins, an sha it t ma su th n
bas ust a spts. That as ay th st mil,
but ata th nis attact th zms, an by th mil
th thi mil, Bnny ha t gab, sha, an las ptty
ast t p his ngs m gtting bit. H ant a cls-up
l, but h int ant t ls a ng v it. I h gt bit,
th shtgun guy ul blast him n th spt. dpning
n its siz, a zm bit cul tun smn m halthy t
living a in anything m a hus t a minuts,
an in intatin, thy tl vyn that th as a z-
tlanc plicy n inctins.
I th gun bulls vn think yu gt nipp, thyll bl
yu all t hll an gn, sai th tain, s b caul!
By lat mning Bnny gt his st chanc t tst th
thy abut sing his zmbi fctin in th ys n
th living a. Th zm as a squat man in th ags hat
ha nc bn a mail cais unim. Bnny st as cls t
th sa si th nc as h a, an th zm lumb
ta him, muth ing as i ching, ac as pal as itysn. Bnny thught th zm must hav bn Hispanic. o
as still Hispanic. H asnt su h that ith th
living a. Mst th zms still tain nugh thi
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riginal skin clr r Benny t tell ne race rm anther, but
as the sun cntinue t bake them year ater year, the whlemass them seeme t be heaing twar a unirm grayness
as i the Living dea was a new ethnic categry.
Benny lke right int the creatures eyes, but all he saw
were ust an emptiness. N refectins any kin. N hun-
ger r hate r malice either. There was nthing. A lls eyes
ha mre lie.
He elt smething twist insie him. The ea mail car-
rier was nt as scary as he ha expecte. He was just there.
Benny trie t get a rea n him, t cnnect with whatever it
was that rve the mnster, but it was like lking int empty
hles. Nthing lke back.
Then the zm lunge at him an trie t bite its way
thrugh the chain links. The mvement was s suen that
it elt much aster than it actually was. There was n tensin,
n twitch acial muscles, nne the signs Benny ha been
taught t lk r in ppnents in basketball r wrestling.
The zm mve withut hesitatin r warning.
Benny yelpe an backpeale away rm the ence. Then
he steppe in a steaming pile hrse crap an ell har n
his butt.
All the guars burst ut laughing.
Benny an Chng quit at lunch.
The next mrning Benny an Chng went t the ar sie
twn an applie as ence technicians.The ence ran r hunres miles an encircle the
twn an its harveste els, s this meant a lt walking
while carrying yet anther grumpy l guys tlbx. In the
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st th hus thy gt chas by a zm h ha squz
thugh a ba in th nc.why nt thy just sht all th zms h cm up t
th nc? Bnny as thi supvis.
Caus ls ul gt upst, sai th man, a scuy-
ling guy ith bushy ybs an a tic at th cn
his muth. Sm thm zms a lativs ls in tn,
an ths ls hav ights gaing thi in. Bn all sts
tubl abut it, s p th nc in g shap, an
vy nc in a hil n th tnsl ill suc up nugh
intstinal titu t gant pmissin th nc guas
t hats ncssay.
Thats stupi, sai Bnny.
Thats ppl, sai th supvis.
That atnn Bnny an Chng al hat thy
su a millin mils, ha bn p n by a hs,
stal by a h zmsBnny culnt s anything at
all in thi usty ysan yll at by naly vyn.
At th n th ay, as thy shambl hm n ach-
ing t, Chng sai, That as abut as much un as gt-
ting batn up. H thught abut it a mmnt. N . . .
gtting batn up is m un.
Bnny int hav th ngy t agu.
Th as nly n pning th nxt jbcapt cat
salsmanhich as ay bcaus Chng ant t stay
hm an st his t. Chng hat aling. S Bnnysh up, natly ss in his bst jans an a clan T-shit,
an ith his hai as cmb as it ul v gt ithut glu.
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There asnt much danger in selling carpet coats, but
Benny asnt slick enough to get the patter don. Bennyas surprised theyd be hard to sell, because everybody had
a carpet coat or to. Best thing in the orld to have on i
some zoms ere around and eeling bitey. what he discov-
ered, though, as that everyone ho could thread a needle
as selling them, so the competition as ferce, and sales
ere e and ar beteen. The door-to-door guys orked on
straight commission, too.
The lead salesman, a greasy joker named Chick, ould
have Benny ear a long-sleeved carpet coatlo knap or
summer, shag or interand then use a device on him that
as supposed to simulate the ull-strength bite o an adult
male zom. This metal biter couldnt break the skin through
the coatand here Chick rolled into his spiel about human
bite strength, throing around terms like PSI, avulsion, and
postdecay dental-ligament strengthbut it pinched really
hard, and the coat as so hot, the seat ran don under
Bennys clothes. when he ent home that night, he eighed
himsel to see ho many pounds hed seated o. Just one,
but Benny didnt have a lot o pounds to spare.
This one looks good, said Chong over breakast the next
morning.
Benny read out loud rom the paper. Pit Throer.
whats that?
I dont kno, Chong said ith a mouth ull o toast. Ithink it has something to do ith barbecuing.
It didnt. Pit throers orked in teams, dragging dead
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zms th bacs cats an tssing thm int th cnstant
blaz at th bttm Bins Quay. Mst th zmsn th cats in pics. Th man h an intatin
pt taling abut pats, an nt n an n abut th is
scnay inctin; thn sh past n th ast smil
Bnny ha v sn an ti t sll th applicants n th
physical tnss bnts that cam m cnstant liting, tun-
ing, an thing. Sh vn pull up h slv an fx
h bicps. Sh ha pal sin ith cls as a as liv
spts, an th sun pp h bicps l li a slln
tum.
Chng a vmiting int his lunch bag.
Th th jbs by th quay inclu ash sa
bcaus nt ant zm sm iting v th tn,
n, ? as th cly muscl a. An pit a,
hich as xactly hat it sun li.
Bnny an Chng int ma it thugh intatin.
Thy snuc ut uing th sli sh smiling pit ths
hanling gay limbs an has.
on jb that as nith isgusting n physically man-
ing as can gnat paiman. ev sinc th lights nt
ut in th s lling Fist Night, th nly suc
lctical p as han-can ptabl gnats. Th
mayb ty in all Muntainsi, an Chng sai that
thy lt v m th mining ays th aly tntith
cntuy. Tn inanc ba th builing any thin gnat. elctnics an cmplx machins n
lng all in tn, bcaus a stng ligius mv-
mnt that assciat that in p ith th Glss
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bhavir that had brught abut th nd. Bnny hard
abut it all th tim, and vn sm his rinds parntstalkd that ay.
It mad n sns t Bnny. It asnt lctric lights and
cmputrs and autmbils that had mad th dad ris. or,
i it as, thn Bnny had nvr hard anyn mak a lgical r
san cnnctin btn th t. whn h askd Tm abut
it, his brthr lkd paind and rustratd. Ppl nd
smthing t blam, Tm said. I thy cant nd smthing
ratinal t blam, thn thyll vry happily blam smthing
irratinal. Back hn ppl didnt kn abut viruss and
bactria, thy blamd plagus n itchs and vampirs. But
dnt ask m h exactly th ppl in tn cam t quat
lctricity and thr rms nrgy ith th living dad.
That dsnt mak vn a littl bit sns.
I kn. But hat I think is th ral rasn is that i
start using lctricity again, and building back up again,
thn things ill kind g back th ay thy r. And
that this hl cycl ill start vr again. I guss t thir
ay thinkingi thy vn cnsciusly thought abut itit
uld b lik a prsn ith a badly brkn hart dciding t
risk alling in lv again. All thy can rmmbr is h bad
th hartbrak and gri lt, and thy cant imagin ging
thrugh that again.
Thats stupid, thugh, Bnny insistd. Its cardly.
wlcm t th ral rld, kidd.
Th tns nly prssinal lctrician, Vic Santrini,had lng sinc takn t drinking his ay thrugh th rst
his li.
whn Bnny and Chng shd up r th intrvi at
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th hus th guy h n th pai shp, h sat thm
n in th sha an aiy pch an gav thm glasss ic ta an mint cis. Bnny as thining that h ul
ta this jb n matt hat it as.
d yu n hy nly us han-can gnats
in tn, bys? th man as. His nam as M. Ml.
Su, sai Chng. Th amy pp nus n th
zms, an th eMPs bl ut all th lctnics.
Plus M. Santinis alays sauc, sai Bnny. H as
abut t a smthing biting abut th biza ligius
intlanc t lcticity hn M. Mls ac cas int
a i smil. Bnny shut his muth.
M. Ml smil at thm a lng tim. A ull minut.
Thn th man sh his ha. N, thats nt quit ight,
bys, Ml sai. Its bcaus han-can machins a
simpl, an ths th machins a stntatius. H p-
nunc ach syllabl as i it as a spaat .
Bnny an Chng glanc at ach th.
Yu s, bys, sai M. Ml, G lvs simplicity.
Its th vil h lvs stntatin. Its th vil h lvs
aganc an ganisity.
Uh-oh, Bnny thught.
M. Santini spnt th st pat his li installing
lctical appliancs int ppls hms, sai M. Ml.
That as th vils , an n hs sught th bliv-
in mn um t ty an hi m th act that hs ac-
ing a lng tim in hll hlping t incu th ath thAlmighty. I it asnt Glss mn li him, th Almighty
ul nt hav pn th gats hll an snt th lgins
th amn t vth th vain ingms manin.
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19
out th crnr his y, Bnny cul s Chngs fn-
grs turning bn whit as h gripp th arms his chair.I can s a littl ubt in yur ys, bys, an thats air
nugh, sai Mrkl, his muth twist int a smil that was
s tight, it lk painul. But thr ar a lt ppl wh
hav mbrac th rightus path. Thr ar mr us wh
believe than nt. H sni. evn i all thm nt yt
hav th curag thir aith t say s.
H lan rwar, an Bnny cul almst l th hat
rm th mans intns star.
Th schl, th hspitalvn th twn hallrun n
lctricity rm han-crank gnratrs, an as lng as
right-min ppl raw brath unr Gs wn havn,
thr wnt b any stntatius machinry in ourtwn.
Thr was a whl pitchr ic ta n th tabl, as wll
as quit a pil ckis, an Bnny raliz that Mr. Mrkl
prbably ha a lt t say n th subjct an want his aui-
nc cmrtabl r th whl ri. Bnny nur it r as
lng as h cul an thn ask i h cul us th bath-
rm. Mr. Mrkl, wh ha nw shit rm simpl lc-
tricity t th sul-crushing blasphmy that was hyrlctric
pwr, was nly milly thrwn his gam, an tl Bnny
whr t g insi th hus. Bnny wnt insi an all th
way thrugh an ut th back r. H wav t Chng as h
vault th wn nc.
Tw hurs latr Chng caught up with him utsi
Lartys, th lcal gnral str. H gav Bnny a lng anvil lk.
Yur such a g rin, Bnny, Ill rally miss yu
whn yur a.
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du, I gav yu an ut. whn I int cm bac, int
h g ling m?N. H sa yu g v th nc, but h pt smiling
that smil his an sai, Yu littl in is ging t bun
in hll, yu n that? But you ulnt spit in Gs y
li that, ul yu?
An yu stayed?
what cul I ? I as aai h pint at m an say
Him!, an thn lightning blts ul hit m smthing.
Scatch that jb th list?
Yu thin?
Sptt as th nxt jb, an that pv t b a g chic,
but nly n thm. Bnnys ysight as t p t
spt zms at th ight istanc. Chng as li an agl,
an thy him a jb as sn as h nish aing th
smallst numbs a chat. Bnny culnt vn tll thy
numbs.
Chng t th jb, an Bnny al aay aln,
thing ispiit ls bac at his in sitting nxt t his
tain in a high t.
Lat, Chng tl Bnny that h lv th jb. H sat
th all ay, staing ut v th vallys, int th rt an
ruin that sttch m Calinia, all th ay t th Atlantic.
Chng sai that h cul s tnty mils n a cla ay, sp-
cially i th n ins cming his ay m th quay.
Just him up th, aln ith his thughts. Bnny miss hisin, but pivatly h thught that th jb sun m
bing than s cul xpss.
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21
Benny like the soun o bottle, because he gue it o
a actoy job o lling soa bottles. Benny love soa, butit as sometimes ha to come by. Some pop as ol stu
bought in by taes, but that as too expensive. A bottle o
d Peppe cost ten ation ollas. The local stu came in all
sots o ecycle bottlesom jelly jas to bottles that ha
actually once been lle ith Coke o Mountain de. Benny
coul see himsel manning the han-canke geneato that
an the conveyo belt o tapping coks into the bottlenecks
ith a ubbe mallet. He as positive they oul let him ink
all the soa he ante. But as he alke up the oa, he met
an ole teenagehis pal Mogie Mitchells cousin Bet
ho oke at the plant. when Benny ell into step ith Bet,
he almost gagge. Bet smelle aul, like something oun
ea behin the baseboas. wose. He smelle like a zom.
Bet caught his look an shugge. well . . . hat o you
expect me to smell like? I bottle this stu eight hous a ay.
what stu?
Caaveine. what, you think I ok making soa pop?
I ish! Nah, I ok a pess to get the oils om the otting
meat.
Bennys heat sank. Caaveine as a nasty-smelling mole-
cule pouce by potein hyolysis uing puteaction o
animal tissue. Benny emembee that om science class, but
he int kno that it as mae om actual otting fesh.
Huntes an tackes abbe it on thei clothes to keep the
zoms om coming ate them, because the ea ee notattacte to otting fesh.
Benny aske Bet hat kind o fesh as use to pouce
the pouct, but Bet hemme an hae an nally change
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th subjct. Just as Bt as aching th t th plant,
Bnny spun aun an al bac t tn.
Th as n jb Bnny alay n abut: sin atist.
H sn sin ptaits tac n vy all th tns
nc utpsts an n th alls th builings that lin th
r Zn, th sttch pn lan that spaat th tn
m th nc.
This jb ha sm pmis, bcaus Bnny as a ptty
ai atist. Ppl ant t n hat thi lativs might
l li i thy zms, s sin atists t amily ph-
ts an zmbi thm. Bnny ha sn zns ths p-
taits in Tms c. A cupl tims h n i h
shul ta th pictu his pants t an atist an hav
thm an. H nv actually n it, thugh. Thining
abut his pants as zms ma him sic an angy.
But Sacchtt, th supvising atist, tl him t ty a pic-
tu a lativ st. H sai it pvi btt insight int
hat th clints ul b ling. S, as pat his auitin,
Bnny t th pictu his ls ut his allt an ti it.
Sacchtt n an sh his ha. Yu maing
thm l t man an scay.
H ti it again ith sval phts stangs th atist
ha n l.
Still man an scay, sai Sacchtt ith pus lips
an a isappving sha his ha.
Thy are man an scay, Bnny insist.Nt t custms thy nt, sai Sacchtt.
Bnny almst agu ith him abut it, saying that i h
cul accpt that his n ls fsh-ating zmbis
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23
an that th as nthing am an uzzy abut itthn
hy cant vyn ls gt it thugh thi has?H l yu hn yu pants pass? Sacchtt
ask.
eightn mnths.
S, yu nv ally kn thm.
Bnny hsitat, an that l imag fash in his ha
nc m. Mm scaming. Th pal an inhuman ac that
shul hav bn das smiling ac. An thn th aknss
as Tm cai him aay.
N, h sai bittly. But I kn hat thy lk lik. I
kn about thm. I kn that thy zms. o mayb thy
a n, but, I manzms a zms. right?
A thy? th atist ask.
Ys! Bnny snapp, ansing his n qustin. An
thy shul all t.
Th atist l his ams acss his chst an lan
against a paint-spatt all, ha cck as h assss
Bnny. Tll m smthing, ki, h sai. evyn lst am-
ily an ins t th zms. evyns ptty tn up abut
it. Yu int vn ally kn th ppl yu lstyu
t yungbut yu gt this -ht hat ging n. Iv nly
knn yu hal an hu, an I can s it cming ut yu
ps. whats that all abut? w sa h in tn. Hav a
li an lt g th stu yu cant chang.
Mayb Im t smat t just giv an gt.
N, sai Sacchtt, that aint it.At th auitin, h hant bn th jb.
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it was a 1967 pontiaC lemans ragtop. BlooDreD anD so
sup-up that sh utun any amn thing n th a.
An I man damned thing.
Thats h Chali Matthias alays scib his ca.
Thn h giv a big baying hslaugh, bcaus n matt
h many tims h sai it, h thught it as th unnist j
v. Ppl tn t laugh with him ath than at th actual
j, bcaus Chali ha a svnty-inch chst an tnty-
u-inch bicps, an his sat as a sup tststn,
anablic stis, an Jac danils. Yu nt laugh, h gts
ma an stats t thin yu mssing ith him. Smthing
ugly usually ll Chali bcming n.
Bnny alays laugh. Nt bcaus h as aai
hat Chali ul t him i h int, but bcaus Bnny
thught Chali as hilaius. An cl. H thught th
as n n cl n plant eath.
It int matt t Bnny that th ca Chali alays tal
abut ha un ut gas thitn yas ag an as a ustpic scap mtal smh ut in th rt an ruin. N
i it matt that th act th ca cul vn iv as at s
ith histy; nt at th eMPs. In Chalis stis, that ca
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25
ha liv thugh th bmbs an th ghuls an a thusan
avntus, an cul nv b gttn. Chali sai hbn a al a wai in th LMans, cuising th blactp
an bashing zms.
evyn ls at Latys Gnal St laugh t,
thugh Bnny was su a cupl thm might hav bn
aing it. Abut th nly psn wh int laugh at th j
was Main Hamm, nwn t vyn as th Mt City
Hamm. H wasnt as big as Chali, but h was bullg ugly
an ha pistl butts sticing ut vy pct, as wll as a
lngth blac pip that hung li a club m his blt. Th
Hamm int laugh much, but whn h was in a m, his
ys wul twinl li a my pig, an n cn his
muth wul tun up in what cul hav bn a smil but
pbably wasnt.
Bnny thught th Hamm was insanly cl t. . . .
Just nt as insanly cl as Chali. o cus, n n was as
cl as Chali Matthias. Chali was a six-t, six-inch albin
with n blu y an n pin n that was mily an blin.
Th was a um that whn Chali cls his blu y, h
cul s int th alm ghsts with his a y. Bnny
thught that was wic, t . . . vn i h pivatly wasnt s
su it was tu.
Th pai thmChali an th Hammw th
tughst bunty hunts in th nti rt an ruin. evyn
sai s. excpt a w wis, li May kisch, wh
sai that Tm Imua was tugh. Bnny thught that was ala cap, bcaus Chali sai Tm was a bit t asy n
zms, an h sai it in a way that suggst Tm was ith
shy a al fght int hav th aw nv ncssay
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t b a st-class zmbi-hunting, balans baass. Bsis,
Tm asnt hal as big as Chali as man-ling as thHamm. N, Tm as a ca. Bnny n that sthan.
wing as a bunty hunt as a tugh an ang-
us businss. Nn tugh, as a as Bnny n. Mst
th hunts pai by th tn t cla zms ut th
aas aun th ta ut that lin Muntainsi t
th hanul th tns stung ut alng th muntain
ang. oths in pacs as mcnay amis t cla
ut tns, l shpping malls, ahuss, an vn a
small citis, s that th tas cul ai thm supplis.
Accing t Chali th li xpctancy a typical bunty
hunt as six mnths. Mst th yung mn h ti
that jb gav it a mnth t an thn quit, iscving
that actually illing zms as a lt int m hat thy
lan m amily mmbs h ha suviv Fist Night,
an a hl lt int m th stu thy taught in
schl th Scuts. Chali an th Hamm ha bn th
st th huntsagain, accing t Chalian thy
bn at it sinc th bginning, maing thi st pai ills
ight mnths at Fist Night.
w ilt m zms than th hl amy, navy, ai c,
an mains put tgth, th Hamm bagg at last nc
a mnth. An that inclus th pansy-ass Natinal Gua.
F all thi blust an ba s an vilnt tnn-
cis, Chali an th Hamm ppula all aun tn,
patly bcaus thy l t tugh an ugly t b sca anything. Mayb vn t ugly t ill. I vn hal thi
putatin as t b bliv, thn thy bn in m
cls-cmbat tussls ith th living a than anyn, an
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27
ctainly m than any th th bunty hunts ing
this pat th ruin. Thy vn tugh than lgn-ay hunts, li Hustn Jhn, wil Bill Faichil, J-dg an
d. Sillz, th Mng bths. Thn again, Bnny ha
t masu putatin against ality ith nly guss t
g n, an in th n it pbably int matt h n
th mst illing tan th mst has. Accing t dn
Laty, n th gnal st, Chali an th Hamm
ha bagg an tagg n hun an sixty-th nam
has an mayb t thusan namlss a. evy singl
ill ha bn a pai jb, t.
Chali an th Hamm als i clsu jbslcating
a zmbi amily mmb in a clint an putting
thm t nal st. May kisch sai thy ha as high a cl-
su at as Tm i, thugh Bnny ubt it. N ay Tms
at cul b anywhere na Chalis tally. Tm nv ha
xta atin llas t spa, an Chali as alays buying
b, pp, an i chicn ings th c h gath-
aun t listn t his stis.
whn yu gnna ti? as wigly Sputts, th
mail cai, as h pu Chali anth cup ic ta.
Yu bys hav t b ich as Mias by n.
Mias? as th Hamm. whs h?
I thin h sl mufs, Nbt, n th
tas h us am hss t pull agns scavng
gs m tn t tn, an thn bught a ingm.
Yah, sai Chali, ning as i h n that t b thtuth. king Mias. dnitly m dtit. Ma a tun
utta ca pats an such.
An vyn ag ith him, bcaus that as th smat
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thing t . Bnny n, vn thugh h ha n clu hat
a muf as. Lu Chng an Mgi Mitchll n t.wll, bys, sai Chali ith a in. I aint saying Im
as ich as a ing, but m an th Hamm gt us a hl pt
gl. Th ruins bn g t us.
Yah, it has, ag th Hamm, his pupl lips pus
ningly. w ilt us a mss zms.
My uncl Nic sai yu ill th u Mngl bths
last mnth, sai Mgi m th bac th c.
Chali an th Hamm bust ut laughing. Hll ys!
w ill thm an a. Th Hamm snuc up n
thi plac, hal-past sunis, an tss a Mltv nt th
. All u thm a sucs cm stagging ut int
th mning light. Sta ith l bl an hs cap
an h ns hat. Sinny an ttn, smll s than
saty pigs, an ty t aay.
whatcha ? as Bnny, his ys ablaz.
Th Hamm snt. w play sm.
Chali snic at that. Yah. w ant t hav sm
un. This businss is gtting ss illing ths citts is ay
t asy. Am I ight am I ight?
A ppl chucl n vaguly, but nby
sai anything spcic. It as n ths tims hn it asnt
cla hat th ight ans ul b.
Chali pl aha. S m an th Hamm ci t
ma this a bit m ai.
Fai, ag th Hamm.w lai n u apns.
All m? Chng gasp.
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evy last on. Guns, nivs, th Hamms avoit pip,
numchucs, vn thm ninja thoing stas that th Hammtoo o that dad zom ho usd to un that aat school on
th oth sid o th vally. w stippd don to ou jans
and bats and just nt in, mano a mano.
wnt in whut? asd Mogi.
It mans hand to hand, Chong said.
It mans man to man, Chali snappd.
evn Bnny n Chali as ong, but h didnt say so.
Not ight to Chalis ac, anyay. No on as that dumb.
Chali th Chong a quic, ugly loo and plungd bac
into his stoy. Anyays, cam up on thm ith just ou
nucls and nvs, and ai bat thm zoms so bad, thy
did supisd, o up, and did o sham all ov again.
evyon bust out laughing.
Somon clad his thoat, and thy all lood up to
s randy kisch, th ton mayo, standing th, his ams
oldd, bald had cocd to on sid as h lood om Bnny
to Chong to Mogi. I thought you boys supposd to
b out job hunting.
I got a job, Chong said quicly.
Im outn, said Mogi.
w just stoppd in o a cold bottl o pop, Bnny said.
And youv had it, Bnjamin Imua, said Mayo kisch.
No you th un along.
Bnny thought Chali as going to objct, but th
bounty hunt simply shuggd. Yah . . . you boys got toan you ations just li gon ols. Sdaddl.
Bnny and th oths got up and slouchd past th
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may. B thy vn ach th Chali as in ull
sti again, tlling anth his stis, an vyn aslaughing. Th may ll th bys utsi.
Bnny, h sai quitly, th ht sun glinting th pl-
ish cn his shav ha. ds Tm n yuv bn
hanging ut h?
I nt n, Bnny sai vasivly. H n an ll
that Tm ha n ia that h spnt a pat vy atnn
listning t Chali an th Hamm tll thi stis.
I nt thin h li it, sai May kisch.
Bnny mt his sta. I guss I ally nt ca much hat
Tm lis an snt li, h sai, thn a si t th
n it, as i that cul smh impv th tn
vic h just us.
May kisch scatch at his thic blac ba. H
pn his muth t say smthing an thn cls it again.
whatv h ant t say, h pt t himsl. That as n
ith Bnny, h asnt in th m a lctu.
Yu bys un alng n, kisch sai vntually. H
st n th pch th gnal st a hil, but hn
Bnny as all th ay n th stt an l bac, h
sa th may g bac int th st.
Th may an his amily liv nxt t Bnny, an
h an Tm ins. May kisch as alays taling
abut h tugh Tm as an hat a g hunt Tm as
an hat a n xampl Tm st all bunty hunts. Blah,
blah, blah. It ma Bnny ant t hul. I Tm st such a nxampl as a bunty hunt, thn hy int th otherbunty
hunts v tll stis abut him? Nn thm bagg
abut h thy sn Tm singl-hanly ic th butts
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u zmbis at nc. evn Tm int tal abut it. Nt nc
ha h v tl Bnny abut hat h i ut th in thruin. H bing as that? Bnny thught th May ha a
sc ls. Tm as n in l ml t anyn.
Chng sai h ha t gt ay . H as schul
a six-hu shit in his t, an l plas abut it.
Bnny an Mgi un thi in Nix rily, a ha
gil ith m cls than anyn cul cunt, sitting n a
c n by th c, iting in h lath-bun nt-
b. Sh ha h shs an h t in th at. Th
nail plish n h ts l li ubis un th ippling
at.
Hll, Bnny, sai Nix ith a smil, ping at him m
un h il -gl culs. Hs th jb hunting ging?
Bnny gunt an ic his shs. Th cl at
as li a happy paty n his ht t. Mgi sluch
aun an sat n Nixs th si, an bgan untying his
cluny bts.
Thy tl Nix abut Chali an th Hamm, an abut
th may usting thm.
My mm nt lt m anyh na ths guys, sai
Nix. Sh an h mth liv aln in a tiny hus by th
st all, v in th pst pat tn. Up until this past
int, Nix ha alays bn a sinny, gangly i h as
m n th guys than a gil. Li Chng, Nix as a b-
m an alays ha sval bs in h satchl, but unliChng, Nix ant t it bs h n. Sh as alays
scibbling pms an sht stis in h junal. o all
thm sh alays bn th al g, but that ha chang
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v th last tn mnths. N Nix asnt a stic gu any-
m, an Bnny un it i bing aun h. espciallyn ht ays hn sh a tight T-shit an shts. H pt
anting t l at hspcially at hat sh as ing t
that T-shitbut it ma him l ally aa. Nix ha
alays bn li Mgi an Chng. N sh as a girl.
Th as n ay t ign that act anym.
what ma it s as that Bnny as ptty su Nix
ha a cush n him. H li h, t, thugh h ath
hav an am cut than say s. evn t Chng. dating a
in as an l tab amng his c. H an Chng ha
sn a bl ath n it hn thy nin tn. Nix as
ally cut, an h li ling at h, but ating h ul
b li ating Chng. Bsis, ith a gil h h nn
sinc thy just ut iaps, th as n chanc at
all that sh thin h as mystius an intsting. Su,
sh alay li him, but hat ul happn i thy stat
ating an sh ti t iscv his scts, nly t n ut
that h int hav any? o, s, hat ul happn i
h as h ut an un ut that Nix ally int hav a
thing him? Bnny culnt imagin aling ith jctin
m smn h n vything abut him an h h
b sing all th tim. Th hl thing ma Bnny ant t
bang his ha against a all.
H cm? as Mgi. Th qustin bught Bnny
bac t th cnvsatin.
Its cmplicat, Nix sai, ling n at th sunlightn th ippling at. An Mm nt tll m all it, but I
thin sh an Chali ha sm in ght smthing.
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Sh really snt li him. Im nt all t b arun him
unlss Mms thr. or Mayr kirsch r Tm.Sh nug Bnny ith hr t hil sh tal.
Bnny prtn nt t ntic th nug. H as,
why Tm?
Mm lis Tm.
Lis? Yu man lis him li sh lis yur g, Pirat,
rlikes lis?
Lis lis. Sh cut him a siays l. Tms ht.
Thats sic, Bnny sai.
Yu l a lt ali, yu n, sai Nix.
Plas ill m n, Bnny as th havns.
why cant yu b arun Charli ithut yur mm
r Tm? Mrgi as. Unli Bnny, Mrgi ha bcm
inatuat ith Nix. An ith mr than hr n fgur. H
actually liked hr. Mrgi ha nvr ma that ath abut
nvr ating rins, an Bnny culnt quit grasp h h
as abl t fxat n Nix ithut ling ir abut it.
Sh says that h snt trat girls th right ay
smtims.
whats that supps t man? as Bnny, his vic
sharpr than intn.
Nix gav him a lng cnsiring star. Yu can b s
naiv smtims.
I rpat, hats that supps t man?
It mans that guys li Charli sm t thin that any-
thing thy put thir hans n blngs t thm. Mms arait b aln ith ithr thm, an I ulnt ant t b
caught in a ar ally ith thm ithr.
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Yu nuts.
Yu nt a gil, Nix sai. o lt m put it anthay: Yu a by, s th yu pbably incapabl
unstaning.
I unstan, sai Mgi, but Nix an Bnny bth
ign him.
Is yu mm just saying this stu i smthing actu-
ally happn? as Bnny. His vic as havy ith spti-
cism, an Nix simply sh h ha an tun aay. Sh
pt staing at th istant nc lin.
wll, I thin Chali an thm a ally cl, sai
Bnny.
Th mmnt sttch t thin t suppt any m cn-
vsatin, at last n that tpic, s thy lt it g an sai nth-
ing. At a hil a cl bz cam alng, an thy all lai
bac an cls thi ys. Th bz bl th tnsin aay
li n gains san.
withut ling at Bnny, Nix sai, di yu gt a jb
yt?
Nah. H tl thm abut all th jbs h appli
an h ach n ha tun ut.
Nix an Mgi nt yt tn. Thy hat th
thught gtting jbs naly as much as Bnny hat th
pcss ning n, but at last thy ha a cupl
mnths b thy ha t g ling.
what a yu ging t ? Nix as, ppping hsl
up n h lbs. Th sunlight n th at fic lifcs gl in h gn ys, an hn Bnny aliz h
as thining that, h ma himsl l aay.
I nt n.
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why nt yu ask yur brther r a jb? she sai.
I rather be tie n ver an anthill.what is it ith yu t?
why es everyne ask me that? Benny snappe. Tms
a lser, kay? He alks arun like hes Mr. High an Mighty,
but I kn hat he really is.
what? aske Mrgie.
Benny almst sai it, almst calle his brther a car
t his riens. But that as a line he hant ever crsse. on
sme level he elt that i he calle Tm a car, then it might
make peple ner i he as ne t. They ere nly hal
brthers, but they ere still relate, an Benny int kn
i carice as smething that cul be passe n thrugh
bl.
Just leave it alne as all he sai. He sat up an she
n the bank r stnes that he cul thr. He un a e,
but nne them ere fat enugh t skip, s he plunke
them ar ut int the stream. Mrgie hear the nise, sat up,
an jine him.
Nix grabbe her ntebk an rte r a hile. Benny
trie very har nt t lk at her. He mstly succeee, but
it tk ert.
well, sai Nix smetime later, summers almst ver,
an i yu nt get a jb by the start schl, theyll cut
My ratins, he barke. I kn, I kn. Geez.
Nix ell silent. Mrgie pretene t kick her t, but she
kicke him back r real, an they gt int a lu argument.Benny, isguste ith them an ith everything, gt up an
stalke aay, hans in his pckets, shulers hunche uner
the August heat.
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4septemBerwastenDaysaway, anD BennystillhaDntfounDajoB.
H asnt g nugh ith a if t b a nc gua; h
asnt l nugh t jin th tn atch; h asnt patint
nugh aming; an h asnt stng nugh t as
a hitt a cuttnt that smashing in zmbi has ith a
slghamm cutting thm up th quay agns as
much a a him, vn ith his stng hat th
mnsts. Ys, it as illing, but it als l li ha ,
an Bnny asnt all that intst in smthing scib
in th paps as maning physical lab. was that sup-
ps t attact applicants?
S, at sul-saching a , uing hich Chng
lctu him ptty nlssly abut taching himsl m
pcnciv ntins an alling himsl t bcm pat
th ccativ pcss th univs ( smthing li that),
Bnny nt an as Tm t ta him n as an appntic.
At st Tm stui him ith na-y suspicin.
Thn his ys in in shc hn h aliz Bnnyasnt playing a j.
As th ality san in, Tm l li h ant t cy.
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37
He tried to hug Benny, but that asnt going to happen in
this lietime, so they shook hands on it.Benny let a smiling Tom and ent upstairs to take a nap
beore dinner. He sat don and stared out the indo, as i
he could see tomorro and the tomorro ater that and the
one ater that. Just him and Tom.
This is really going to suck, he said.
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thatevening tomanD BennysatonthefrontstepsanDwatCheD
th sun st v th muntains. Bnny as pss. H
l at th sunst as i it as a in int th utu, an
all h sa as c clsnss ith Tm an th pblms
that nt ith it. H als int unstan Tm. H n
Tm ha un aay an yt h n ma his living illing
zms. Tm nv tal abut it at hm. H nv bagg
abut his ills, int hang ut ith th th bunty hunts,
int anything t sh h tugh h as.
on n han, zms nt supps t b ha t ill
in a n-n-n situatinnt against a smat an ll-am
psn. on th th han, th as n m mistas
ith thm. Thy alays hungy, alays angus. N
matt h h ti t it ut in his ha, Bnny cul
nt s Tm as th in psn h cul ul hunt
th living a. It as li a hnhus chicn hunting xs.
ov th last cupl yas Bnny ha almst as
Tm abut this, but ach tim, h lt his qustins unsp-n. Mayb th anss ul smh sh m Tms
anss. Mayb Tm as lying an ally ing smthing
ls. Bnny ha ut a numb biza an unlily
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39
scnais t ty an xplain chicnshit Tm as a zmbi
ill. Nn thm hl at. N, ith th ality hatthy ging t tm mning as cla an al as
th stting sun, Bnny nally put th qustin ut th.
why yu this stu?
Tm cut a quic l at him, but h cntinu t sip his
c an as a lng tim ansing. Tll m, i, hat
is it yu thin I ?
duh! Yu ill zms.
rally?
Thats hat yu say, Bnny sai, thn gugingly
a, Thats hat vyn says. Tm Imua, th gat zm-
bi ill.
Tm n, as i Bnny ha sai smthing intsting.
S, a as yu s it, thats all I ? I just al up t any zm-
bi I s anpow!
Uh . . . yeah.
Uh . . . no. Tm sh his ha. H can yu liv in
this hus an nt n hat I , hat my jb invlvs?
whats it matt? evyby I n has a bth, sist,
ath, mth, haggy l ganmth hs ill zms.
whats th big? H ant t say that h thught Tm pb-
ably us a high-p if ith a scp an ill thm
m a sa istanc; nt li Chali an Hamm, h ha
th stns t it man a man.
killing th living a is a pat hat I , Bnny. But
yu n hy I it? An hm?F un? Bnny suggst, hping Tm ul b at
last that cl.
Ty again.
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oay . . . thn mny . . . an hvs gnna
pay yu.A yu ptning t b a p yu ally nt
unstan?
what, yu thin I nt n yu a bunty hunt?
evyby ns that. Za Matthiass uncl Chali is n
t. I ha him tll stis abut ging p int th ruin
t hunt zms.
Tm paus ith his c cup halay t his lips.
Chali? Yu n Chali Pin-y?
H gts ma i ppl call him that.
Chali Pin-y shulnt b around ppl.
why nt? man Bnny. H tlls th bst stis.
Hs unny.
Hs a ill.
S a yu.
Tms smil as gn. G, Im an iit. I hav t b th
st bth in th histy th l i I lt yu thin that
Im th sam as Chali Pin-y.
wll . . . yu nt xactly li Chali.
oh . . . thats smthing thn . . .
Chalis th man.
Chalis th man, ch Tm. H sat bac an ubb
his ys. G G. what cul yu pssibly n intsting
abut a thug li Chali?
Bcaus h tlls it li it is, Bnny sai. I man, its in
i that suun by, li, a zillin zms, lan abut Fist Night an zmbis in schl, but thy just
tal aun it th mst pat. Thy nt tll us about it. Its
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41
cazy. w hav all ths salvag txtbks m b Fist
Night that tll us abut th lplitics an cas an allthatbut yu kn hat hav Fist Night? A pamphlt.
ds that mak any sns? I can tll yu th mak an ml
vy ca that v ll ut dtit, but I cant tll
yu abut h dtit ll uing Fist Night. I kn abut
cll phns an cmputs an all that before stu. . . . But I
nt kn anything abut hats n th th si th
nc. . . . excpt hat I lan m Chali. Tic a mnth
pactic zmbi killing in gym class by hitting sta tagts
ith sticks, an sm that kin cap in th Scuts,
but nbyI man nobodyxcpt Chali an th Hamm
v ally talks abut zms. ou tachs must think all
laning abut zmbis m u lks, but nn my ins
hav ha squat at hm. Yu vn s bcaus killing
zms is yu jb, an yu nv talk abut it. Nv. Yah,
yull hlp m ith math an histy an all that stu, but
hn it cms t zms . . . I lan m th back Zmbi
Cas than I v m yu. evyn v tnty yas
l in this stupi tn acts lik living n Mas. I man,
h many ppl vn g t th r Zn lt aln all th
ay t th nc? evn th nc guas nt talk abut th
zms. Thy talk abut stball an hat thy ha inn
last night, but thy all ptn th zms ant vn th.
Ppl g t th r Zn, Bnny. Thy g th t
pst sin ptaits th bunty hunts.
oh, yah? wll, I kn a act that mst ppl paykis t pst th ptaits thm. H I kn? Bcaus
Iv put up abut a hun thm.
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Yu?
Zmbi Cas nt buy thmslvs, Tm. An hnppl as is t put th pictus up, thy nt vn say
hat thy a. I man, staning th, bth ling at
an sin ptait, an n n v mntins th zm.
Mst ppl just say, Hy, i, ant t hang this m?
Thy nv say h. Thy n that n, but thy cant
actually cm ut an say it. Its aing i, man.
Ppl a sca, Bnny. Thy in nial. Yu nly
tn, s yu an yu ins nt ally unstan hat
it as li uing Fist Night.
N j, M. wiza. Thats my hl pint! w want t
n.
Tm pus his lips. I guss . . . ppl pbably ant t
shlt yu m it.
Bnny ant t th smthing at Tm. H y a
havy b; that might a him up. H th hc can
anyn shlt us? w liv bhin ncs, suun by th
rt an ruin. Mayb yuv ha it? Big plac, us t
b call Amica? Fill ith zms? Its nt ai that ppl
nt tll us th tuth.
Bnny, I
Its u l t, Bnny snapp. His s hit Tm
li a slap. Thn int th silnc Bnny pp anth
bmb. dnt gt n my cas listning t Chali i hs
th nly n h thins ught t n tuth.
Tm sta at him a lng tim as int mtinsf li at v his ac. Finally h th th last his
c int th bushs bsi th pch, an st up.
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Tell you hat, Benny . . . Tomoo ee going to stat
ealy an hea out into the rot an ruin. well go eep, likeChalie oes. I ant you to see sthan hat he oes an
hat I o, an then you can make you on ecisions.
decisions about hat?
About a lot o things, kio.
An ith that Tom ent insie an to be.
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tom anD Benny left at Dawn anD heaDeD Down to the
suthastn gat. Th gatp ha Tm sign th usual
aiv that abslv th tn an th gatping sta
all liability i anything unta happn nc thy css
int th ruin. A vn sl Tm a zn bttls caav-
in, hich thy spinl n thi clthing, an a ja pp-
pmint g that thy abb n thi upp lips, t ill thi
n sns smll.
will this stu stp th zms?
Nthing stps thm, sai Tm. But this sls thm
n, mas mst thm hsitat b biting. evn ivs
sm aay. It givs yu an g an a littl bathing m,
but nt thin yu can stll thugh a c thm ith
n is.
Thats ncuaging, Bnny sai un his bath.
Thy ss a lng hi. Tm ha instuct
Bnny t a g aling shs, jans, a uabl shit, an
a hat t p th sun m biling his bains.I its nt alay t lat, Tm sai.
Bnny ma a u gstu hn Tm asnt ling.
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dspit th hat, Tom o a lightight jackt ith
lots o pockts. H ha an ol amy gun blt aoun his na-o aist, ith a pistol snugg into a on lath holst.
Bnny asnt allo to hav a gun yt.
evntually, Tom sai, thn a, Mayb.
I lan gun saty in school, Bnny potst.
You int lan it om m, Tom sai ith fnality.
Th last thing Tom stapp on as a so. Bnny
atch ith intst as Tom slung a long stap iagonally
acoss his boy, om lt shoul to ight hip, ith th hilt
staning abov his shoul so that h coul ach up an
ov o a ast ight-han a.
Th so as a katana, a Japans long so that
Bnny ha sn Tom pactic ith vy ay o as long as
h coul mmb. That so as th only thing about his
both that Bnny thought as cool. Bnnys mom, ho as
Toms aopt moth, as Iish, but thi ath ha bn
Japans. Tom onc tol Bnny that th Imua amily nt all
th ay back to th samuai ays o ancint Japan. H sho
Bnny pictu books o fc-looking Japans mn in amo.
Samuai aios.
A you a samuai? Bnny ha ask hn h as nin.
Th a no samuai anymo, Tom sai, but vn back
thn Bnny thought that Tom ha a unny look on his ac
hn h sai that. Lik mayb th as mo to say on th
subjct, but h int ant to say it ight thn. whn Bnny
bought th subjct up a coupl o tims sinc, th ansas alays th sam.
evn so, Tom as ptty amn goo ith th so. H
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cul a ast as lightning, an Bnny ha sn him a
tic nc hn Tm thught n n ls as ling. Hth a hanul gaps int th ai, thn his s
an cut v thm in hal b thy ll t th gass. Th
bla as a blu. Lat, at Tm ha gn t a st,
Bnny cunt th gaps. Tm ha thn six int th ai.
H nly miss n. That as st.
o cus, Bnny ul sn at bn glass than tll
Tm h impssiv h thught it as.
why a yu binging that? h as as Tm ajust
th lay th stap.
Its quit, Tm sai.
Bnny unst that. Nis attact zms. A s
as quit than a gun, but it als mant gtting cls. Bnny
int thin that as a vy smat ia. H sai as much, an
Tm just shugg.
Thn hy bing th gun? Bnny psist.
Caus smtims quit snt matt. Tm patt his
pcts t a quic invnty t ma su h ha vy-
thing h n. oay, h sai, lts g. w buning
aylight.
Tm tipp a cupl nc unns t bang n ums
six hun yas nth, an as sn as that aay th
aning zms, Tm an Bnny slipp ut int th gat
rt an ruin an ha th t lin.
Chng av t thm m th cn t.
w n t mv ast th st hal mil, cautinTm, an h b int a jg-tt that as ast nugh t gt
thm ut scnt ang but sl nugh Bnny t match.
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A e the zmbies staggeed ate them, but the ence
unnes banged n the dums again, and the zmbies, inca-pable hlding n t me than ne eactin at a time,
tuned back tad the nise. The Imua bthes vanished
int the shads unde the tees.
when they nally sled t a alk, Benny as seating. It as
a ht stat t hat uld be a scche a day. The ai as
thick ith msquites and fies, and the tees ee alive
ith the sund chatteing bids. Fa abve them the sun
as a hite hle in the sky.
wee nt being lled, Tm said.
wh said e ee?
well . . . eve since e let yu keep lking back tad
the ence line.
N, I dnt.
o ae yu lking t see i any yu iends came t
see yu ? othe than Chng, I mean. Maybe a cetain ed-
haied gil?
Benny staed at him. Yu ae cmpletely delusinal.
Yue ging t tell me that yu dnt have a thing
Nix riley?
A ld n.
H cme I und a sheet pape ith he name it-
ten n it maybe a millin times?
Must have been Mgies.
It as yu handiting.Then I guess I as pacticing my penmanship. what is it
ith yu? I tld yu, I dnt have a thing Nix. Let it g.
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Tm tun aay ithut anth , but Bnny caught
his smil. H cus un his bath th nxt mil.H a a ging? Bnny as.
Fa. But nt y, th a ay statins h can
cash i nt ma it bac tnight.
Bnny l at him as i h just suggst thy st
thmslvs n an g simming in gaslin. wait
Yu saying cul b ut all night?
Su. Yu n Im ut th ays at a tim. Yu
ging t hav t hat I . Bsis, xcpt sm an-
s, mst th a in this aa hav lng sinc bn
clan ut. evy I hav t g ath aay.
dnt thy just cm t yu?
Tm sh his ha. Th a anshat th
nc guas call nms, sht nmaic zmbisbut
mst nt tavl. Yull s.
Th st as l but supisingly lush in th lat August
hat. Tm un uit ts, an thy at thi ll st
pas as thy al. Bnny bgan lling his pcts ith
thm, but Tm sh his ha.
Thy havy an thyll sl yu. Bsis, I pic a
ut thatll ta us thugh hat us t b am cunty.
Lts uit ging il. Sm vgtabls, t. wil bans
an such.
Bnny l at th uit in his han, sigh, an lt
thm all.
H cm nby cms ut h t am this stu?h as.
Ppl a sca.
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why? Thrs gt t b rty guys rking th nc.
N, its nt th a that scar thm. Ppl in tnnt trust anything ut hr. Thy think thrs a isas
insting vrything. F, th livstck that hav run il
vr th last urtn yarsvrything.
Yah . . . , Bnny sai ifntly. H har that talk.
S . . . its nt tru?
Yu at ths pars ithut a thught.
Yu han thm t m.
Tm smil. oh, s yu trust m n?
Yur a rk, but I nt think yu ant t turn m int
a zm.
wulnt hav t gt n yu abut claning yur rm,
s lts nt rul it ut.
Yur s unny, I almst p my pants, Bnny sai
ithut xprssin, thn sai, wait, I nt gt it. Trars
bring in all th tim, an all th cs an chickns an
stu. . . . Thy r brught t tn by travlrs an huntrs
an ppl lik that, right? S . . .
S, hy ppl think its sa t at that stu an nt
th gring il ut hr?
Yah.
G qustin.
wll, hats th ansr?
Th ppl in tn trust hats insi th nc.
Currently insi th nc. I it cam rm utsi, thy rmark
n it. Lik, n th scn wnsay vry mnth, lksill say, But tim r th agns, aint it?, but thy nt
rally acknlg hr th agns cm rm r hy th
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agns a cv in sht mtal an th hss app in
capt an chain mail. Thy n, but thy nt n. ont ant t n.
That snt ma any sns.
Tm al a bit b h sai, Ths tn an thn
ths th rt an ruin. Mst th tim thy ant in th
sam l, yu n?
Bnny n. I guss I .
H stpp an sta aha ith na ys. Bnny
culnt s anything, but thn Tm gabb his am an
pull him quicly th a an l him in a i cicl
thugh th gvs ts. Bnny p btn th hun-
s t tuns an nally caught a glimps th zms,
shufing slly alng th a. on as hl; th th t
ha agg fsh h th zms ha ast n thm hil
thy still aliv.
Bnny pn his muth an almst as Tm h h
n thy th, but Tm ma a shushing gstu an
cntinu n, mving sunlssly thugh th st summ
gass.
whn thy ll cla, Tm t thm bac up t th
a.
I int vn s thm! Bnny gasp, tuning t l
bac.
Nith i I.
Thn h . . . ?
Yu gt a l this st thing.Bnny hl his gun, still ling bac. I nt gt
it. Th nly th thm. Culnt yu hav . . . yu
n . . .
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51
what?
killed them, said Benny fatly. Chalie Matthias saidhell g ut his ay t chp a zm t. He desnt un
m anything.
Is that hat he says? Tm mumued, then cntinued
dn the ad.
Benny shugged, then lled.
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twiCemore tompulleD BennyofftheroaDsotheyCoulDCirCle
aun aning zmbis. At th scn tim, nc thy
cla th catus lacty ang, Bnny gabb
Tms am an man, whynt yu just pp a cap in
thm?
Tm gntly pull his am . H sh his ha an
int ans.
what, a yu aai thm? Bnny yll.
kp yu vic n.
why? Yu aai a zm ill cm at yu? Big, tugh
zmbi ill hs aai t ill a zmbi.
Bnny, sai Tm ith thin patinc, smtims yu say
sm tuly stupi things.
whatv, Bnny sai, an push past him.
d yu n h yu ging? Tm sai hn
Bnny as a zn pacs alng th a.
This ay.
Im nt, sai Tm, an h bgan climbing th slp ahill that s gntly m th lt-han si th a. Bnny
st in th mil th a an sth a ull minut.
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H as muttring th orst ors h n all th hil h
climb up th hill atr Tom.Thr as a narror roa at th top o th hill, an thy
ollo that in silnc. By tn ocloc thy ntr a sris
o stpr hills an vallys that r sha by massiv oa
trs ith cool grn lavs. Tom caution Bnny to b quit
as thy climb to th top o a rig that ovrloo a small
country lan. At th curv o th roa as a small cottag ith
a nc yar an an lm tr so gnarl an ancint that it
loo li th orl ha gron up aroun it. To gurs
stoo in th yar, but thy r too small to s. Tom fat-
tn out at th top o th rig an motion or Bnny to
join him.
Tom pull his l glasss rom a blt holstr an stu-
i th gurs or a long minut.
what o you thin thy ar? H han th binoculars
to Bnny, ho snatch thm ith mor orc than as ncs-
sary. Bnny pr through th lnss in th irction Tom
point.
Thyr zoms, Bnny sai.
No iing, boy gnius. But hat are thy?
da popl.
Ah.
Ah . . . what?
You just sai it. Thyr a people. Thy r onc liv-
ing popl.
So hat? evryboy is.Tru, amitt Tom. Ho many a popl hav you
sn?
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what in a? Living a, li thm, a a,
li Aunt Cathy?eith. Bth.
I nt n. Th zmbis at th nc . . . an a cupl
ppl in tn, I guss. Aunt Cathy as th st psn I
v n h i. I as, li, six hn sh i. I mmb
th unal an all. Bnny cntinu t atch th zmbis.
on as a tall man, th th a yung man tnag gil.
An . . . Mgi Mitchlls a i at that scaling cl-
laps. I nt t his unal t.
di yu s ith thm quit?
Quit as th accptabl tm th ncssay act
insting a mtal spi, call a sliv, int th bas th
sull t sv th bain stm. Sinc Fist Night, anyn h
i ul animat as a zmbi. Bits ma it happn t,
but ally any cntly cas psn ul cm bac.
evy ault in tn cai at last n sliv, thugh Bnny
ha nv sn n us.
N, h sai. Yu ulnt lt m stay in th m hn
Aunt Cathy i. An I asnt th hn Mgis a i.
I just nt t th unals.
what th unals li? F yu, I man.
I unn. kin quic. kin sa. An thn vyn
nt t a paty at smns hus an at a lt .
Mgis mm gt ttally shitac
Languag.
Mgis mm gt un, Bnny sai in ay that sug-gst having his languag cct as as icult as hav-
ing his tth pull. Mgis uncl sat in th cn singing
Iish sngs an cying ith th guys m th am.
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That as a yar, yar an a hal ag, right? First spring
planting?Yah. Thy r builing a crn sil, an Mr. Mitchll
as using th rp hist t sn sm tls up t th cr
ring n th sil r. on th scaling pips br,
an a hl bunch stu cam crashing n n him.
It as an accint.
wll, yah, sur.
H Mrgi ta it?
H yu thin h t it? H as uI man, h as
scr up. Bnny han bac th glasss. Hs still a littl
scr up.
Hs h scr up?
I nt n. H misss his a. Thy us t hang ut
a lt. Mr. Mitchll as prtty cl, I guss.
d yu miss Aunt Cathy?
Sur, but I as littl. I nt rmmbr that much. I
rmmbr sh smil a lt. Sh as prtty. I rmmbr sh
us t sna m xtra ic cram rm th str hr sh
r. Hal an xtra ratin.
Tm n. d yu rmmbr hat sh l li?
Li Mm, sai Bnny. Sh l a lt li Mm.
Yu r t littl t rmmbr Mm.
I rmmbr hr, Bnny sai ith an g in his vic.
H t ut his allt an sh Tm th imag bhin th
glassin cvr. Mayb I nt rmmbr hr rally ll, but I
thin abut hr. All th tim. da, t. I can vn rmmbrhat sh r n First Night. A hit rss ith r slvs.
I rmmbr th slvs.
Tm cls his ys an sigh, an his lips mv. Bnny
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thught h ch th s slvs. Tm pn his
ys. I int n yu cai this. His smil as small ansa. I mmb Mm. Shs as m a mth t m
than my mm v as. I as s happy hn da mai
h. I can mmb vy lin n h ac. Th cl h
hai. H smil. Cathy as a ya yung, but thy cul hav
bn tins.
Bnny sat up an app his ams aun his ns. His
bain lt tist aun. Th s many mtins i
int mmis, l an n. H glanc at his bth. Yu
l than I am n hn, yn, it happn.
I tun tnty a ays b Fist Night. I as in th
plic acamy. da mai yu mm hn I as sixtn.
Yu gt t n thm. I nv i. I ish I . . . H lt
th st unsai.
Tm n. M t, i.
Thy sat in th sha thi pivat mmis.
Tll m smthing, Bnny, sai Tm. what ul yu
hav n i n yu inssay, Chng Mgiha
cm t Aunt Cathys unal an t a la in h cn?
Bnny as s statl by th qustin that his ans
as ungua. I hav jac thm up. I man, jacked
thm up.
Tm n.
Bnny sta at him. what in qustin is that,
thugh?
Inulg m. why ul yu hav a ut n yuins?
Bcaus thy iss Aunt Cathy, hy yu thin?
But shs a.
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what the hell es that matter? Pissing in her cfn? I
ul so ic their asses.But hy? Aunt Cathy as beyn caring.
This is her uneral! Maybe shes still, I nt n, there
in sme ay. Lie Pastr kellgg alays says.
what es he say?
That the spirits thse e lve are alays ith us.
oay. what i yu int believe that? what i yu
believe that Aunt Cathy as nly a by in a bx? An yur
riens pee n her?
what yu thin? Benny snappe. I still ic their
asses.
I believe yu. But hy?
Because, Benny began, but then hesitate, unsure
h t express hat he as eeling. Because Aunt Cathy as
mine, yu n? Shes my aunt. My amily. They nt have
any right t isrespect my amily.
N mre than yu g tae a crap n Mrgie Mitchells
athers grave. or ig him up an pur garbage n his bnes.
Yu ulnt anything lie that?
Benny as appalle. whats yur amage, man? where
yu cme up ith this crap? o curse I ulnt any-
thing sic lie that! G, h yu thin I am?
Shhh . . . eep yur vice n, cautine Tm. S . . .
yu ulnt isrespect Mrgies a . . . alive r ea?
Hell, n.
Language.Benny sai it sler an ith mre emphasis. Hell. N.
Gla t hear it. Tm hel ut the fel glasses. Tae a
l at the t ea peple n there. Tell me hat yu see.
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S bac t businss n? Bnny gav him a l.
Yu ply i, man.Just l.
Bnny sigh an gabb th binculas ut Tms
han, put thm t his ys. Sta. Sigh.
Yp. T zms. Sam t zms.
B spcic.
oay. oay, t zms. on man, n man. Staning
in th sam plac as b. Big yan.
Tm sai, Ths a ppl . . .
what abut thm?
Thy us t b smbys amily, sai Tm quitly.
Th mal ls l nugh t hav bn smns gan-
a. H ha a amily, ins. A nam. H as smby.
Bnny l th glasss an stat t spa.
N, sai Tm. kp ling. L at th man. Sh
as, hat? eightn yas l hn sh i. Might hav
bn ptty. Ths ags shs aing might hav bn a
aitsss unim nc. Sh cul hav at a in
ight nxt t Aunt Cathy. Sh ha ppl at hm h lv
h. . . .
Cmn, man, nt
Ppl h i hn sh as lat gtting hm.
Ppl h ant h t g up happy. Ppla mm
an a a. Mayb bths an sists. Ganpants. Ppl
h bliv that gil ha a li in nt h. That l man
might b h gana.But shs n them, man. Shs a, Bnny sai
nsivly.
Su. Almst vyn h v liv is a. M than
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six billin ppl ar a. An vry last n thm ha
amily nc. evry last n thmwere
amily nc. At ntim thr as smn li yu h ul hav ic th
crap ut anynstrangr r bst rinh harm r
isrspct that girl. or th l man.
Bnny as shaing his ha. N, n, n. Its nt th sam.
Ths ar zms, man. Thy ill ppl. Thy at ppl.
Thy us t be ppl.
But thy i!
Sur. Li Aunt Cathy an Mr. Mitchll.
N . . . Aunt Cathy gt cancr. Mr. Mitchll i in an
accint.
Sur, but i smn in tn hant quit thm, thy
hav bcm living a, t. dnt vn prtn yu nt
n that. dnt prtn yu havnt thught abut that
happning t Aunt Cathy. H n n th hill. Ths
t n thr caught a isas.
Bnny sai nthing. H larn abut it in schl,
thugh n n n r sur hat ha actually happn.
Sm surcs sai it as a virus that as mutat by raia-
tin rm a rturning spac prb. othrs sai it as a n
typ fu that cam vr rm China. Chng bliv it as
smthing that gt ut a lab smhr. Th nly thing
vryn agr n as that it as a isas sm in.
That guy n thr as prbably a armr, Tm sai.
Th girl as a aitrss. Im prtty sur nithr thm as
invlv in th spac prgram. or r in sm lab hrthy rsarch viruss. what happn t thm as an acci-
nt. Thy gt sic, Bnny, an thy i.
Bnny sai nthing.
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H yu thin Mm an da i?
N ans.Bnny? H yu thin?
Thy i n Fist Night, Bnny sai iitably.
Thy i. But h?
Bnny sai nthing.
H?
Yu lt thm i! Bnny sai in a savag hisp.
ws tumbl ut him in a isjint sputt. da gt
sic an . . . an . . . thn Mm ti t . . . an yu . . . yu
just an aay!
Tm sai nthing, but sanss an his ys, an h
sh ha slly.
I mmb it, Bnny gl. I mmb yu un-
ning aay.
Yu a baby.
I mmb it.
Yu shul hav tl m, Bnny.
why? S yu cul ma up a li abut hy yu just an
aay an lt my mm li that?
Th s my mm hung in th ai btn thm. Tm
inc.
Yu thin I just an aay? h sai.
I nt think it, Tm. I mmb it.
d yu mmb hy I an?
Yah, caus yu a aing ca is hy!
Jsus, Tm hisp. H ajust th stap that hlth s in plac, an sigh again. Bnny, this isnt th
tim plac this, but smtim sn ging t hav
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a serius talk abut the ay things ere back then an the
ay things are n.Theres nthing yu can say thats ging t change the
truth.
N. The truth is the truth. what changes is hat e
kn abut it an hat ere illing t believe.
Yeah, yeah, hatever.
If yu ever ant t kn my sie f things, sai Tm,
Ill tell yu. Theres a lt yu ere t yung t kn then,
an maybe yure still t yung n.
Silence ashe back an frth beteen them.
Fr right n, Benny, I ant yu t unerstan that
hen Mm an da ie, it as frm the same thing that
kille thse t n there.
Benny sai nthing.
Tm plucke a stalk f seet grass an put it beteen his
teeth. Yu int really kn Mm an da, but let me ask
yu this: If smene as t piss n them r abuse themeven
n, even cnsiering hat they ha t have becme uring
First Nightul it be kay ith yu?
Scre yu.
Tell me.
N. okay? N, it ulnt freaking be kay ith me. Yu
happy n?
why nt, Benny?
Because.
why nt? Theyre nly zms.Benny abruptly gt up an alke n the hill, aay
frm the farm an aay frm Tm. He st lking back
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alng th a thy tavl, as i h cul still s th nc
lin. Tm ait a lng tim b h gt up an jin him.I n this is ha, i, h sai gntly, but liv in
a ptty ha l. w stuggl t liv. w alays n u
gua, an hav t tughn uslvs just t gt thugh
ach ay. An ach night.
I hat yu.
Mayb. I ubt it, but it snt matt ight n. H
gstu ta th path that l bac hm. evyby
st h has lst smn. Mayb smn cls
mayb a istant cusin th tims mv. But vyby
lst smn.
Bnny sai nthing.
I nt bliv that yu ul isspct anyn in u
tn in th hl st. I als nt blivI nt ant t
blivthat yu isspct th mths an aths, sns
an aughts, sists an bths h liv ut h in th
gat rt an ruin.
H put his hans n Bnnys shuls an tun him
aun. Bnny sist, but Tm Imua as stng. whn
thy bth acing ast, Tm sai, evy a psn
ut th svs spct. evn in ath. evn hn a
thm. evn hn hav t ill thm. Thy ant just zms,
Bnny. Thats a si ct a isas m sm in
aiatin smthing ls that nt unstan. Im n
scintist, Bnny. Im a simpl man ing a jb.
Yah? Yu tying t sun all nbl, but yu kill thm.Bnny ha tas in his ys.
Ys, Tm sai stly, I . Iv ill huns thm.
I Im smat an caulan lucyIll ill huns m.
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Bnny shovd him ith both hands. It only pushd Tom
back a half stp. I dont undstand!No, you dont. I hop you ill, though.
You talk about spct fo th dad and yt you kill
thm.
This isnt about th killing. It isnt, and nv should b,
about th killing.
Thn hat? Bnny snd. Th mony?
A ich?
No.
Thn its obviously not about th mony.
Thn what?
Its about th why of th killing. Fo th living . . . fo th
dad, Tom said. Its about closu.
Bnny shook his had.
Com ith m, kiddo. Its tim you undstood ho th
old oks. Its tim you land hat th family businss is
all about.
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theywalkeDformilesunDerthehotsun. thepeppermintgelran
ith thi sat, an ha t b appli huly. Bnny
as quit mst th tip, but as his t gt s an his
stmach stat t umbl, h tun cany.
A th yt?
N.
H a is it?
A bit.
Im hungy.
wll stp sn.
whats lunch?
Bans an jy.
I hat jy.
Yu bing anything ls? Tm as.
N.
Jy it is, thn.
Th as Tm pic na an tn tun m
asphalt t gavl t it.w havnt sn a zm in a cupl hus, Bnny sai.
H cm?
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Unless they hear or smell something that dras them,
they tend to stick close to home.Home?
well . . . to the places they used to live or ork.
why?
Tom took a couple of minutes on that. There are lots of
theories, but thats all e havejust theories. Some folks say
that the dead lack the intelligence to think that theres any-
here other than here theyre standing. If nothing attracts
them or dras them, theyll just stay right here they are.
But they need to hunt, dont they?
Need is a tricky ord. Most experts agree that the dead
ill attack and kill, but its not been established that they
actually hunt. Hunting implies need, and e dont kno that
the dead need to do anything.
I dont understand.
They crested a hill and looked don a dirt road to here
an old gas station sat beneath a eeping illo.
Have you ever heard of one of them just asting aay
and dying of hunger? Tom asked.
No, but
The people in ton think that the dead survive by eating
the living, right?
well, sure, but
what living do you think theyre eating?
Huh?
Think about it. Therere more than three hundred mil-lion living dead in America alone. Thro in another thirty-
odd million in Canada and a hundred ten million in Mexico,
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an yu hav smthing li u hun an ty millin
living a. Th Fall happn utn yas ag. Shata thy ating t stay aliv?
Bnny thught abut it. M. Fny says thy at ach
th.
Thy nt, sai Tm. onc a by has stat t cl,
thy stp ing n it. Thats hy th a s many patially
atn living a. Thy nt attac at n anth vn
i yu lc thm in th sam hus yas n n. Ppl
hav n it.
what happns t thm?
Th tapp ns? Nthing.
Nthing? Thy nt t aay an i?
Thy alay a, Bnny. A sha pass v th
vally an mmntaily an Tms ac. But thats n
th mystis. Thy nt t. Nt cmpltly. Thy cay
t a ctain pint, an thn thy just stp tting. N n
ns hy.
what yu man? H can smthing just stp t-
ting? Thats stupi.
Its nt stupi, i. Its a mysty. Its as much a mys-
ty as hy th a is in th st plac. why thy attac
humans. why thy nt attac n anth. All mystis.
Mayb thy at, li, cs an stu.
Tm shugg. Sm , i thy can catch thm. A lt
ppl nt n that, by th ay, but its tu. . . . Thyll
at anything aliv that thy can catch. dgs, cats, bisvnbugs.
wll, thn, that xplains
N, Tm intupt. Mst animals a t ast. ev
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try t catch a cat h snt ant t b caught? N imag-
in ing that i yur nly abl t shuf alng slly ancant stratgiz. I a bunch th a cam upn cs in a
pn r nc l, thy might b abl t kill thm an at.
But all th pnn animals hav ithr lng-sinc scap r
thy i in th rst mnths. N . . . th a nt
need t at all. Thy just xist.
Mrgi says that ut hr il animals turn int zms.
Np. As ar as anyns bn abl t tll, nly humans
turn int th living a. w nt hav th scinc t try an
gur ut hy, an I nt kn i its tru vryhr, but
kn it t b tru hr. othris vry tim yu bit int
a chili g, it bit back.
Thy rach th gas statin. Tm stpp by th l
pump an knck n th mtal casing thr tims, thn
tic, an thn ur mr tims.
what ar yu ing?
Saying hll.
Hll t . . . ?
Thr as a l man, an Bnny turn t s a gray-
skinn man shufing slly arun th crnr th buil-
ing. H r ancint cvralls that r stain ith ark
bltchs an, incngruusly, a garlan rsh frs
arun his nck. Marigls an hnysuckl. Th mans ac
as sha r a stps, but thn h crss int th sun-
light, an Bnny narly scram. Th mans ys r miss-
ing, an th sckts gap mptily. Th maning muth astthlss, th lips an chks sunkn in. wrst all, as th
zmbi rais its hans tar thm, Bnny sa that all its
ngrs ha bn clipp at th primary knuckls.
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Bnny gagg an stpp bac, his muscls tns t
tun an un, but Tm put a han n his shul an gavhim a assuing squz.
wait, sai Tm.
A mmnt lat th t th gas statin pn, an
a pai slpy-y yung mn cam utsi, ll
by a slightly l man ith a lng, bn ba. Thy
all thin an ss in tunics that l li thy ha bn
ma m l b shts. each a thic galan f-
s. Th ti l at Bnny an Tm an thn at th zmbi.
Lav him b! ci th yungst, a blac gil in h lat
tns, as sh an acss th it t th a man an st
btn him an th Imua bths, h t plant, h
ams spa t shil th zmbi.
Tm ais a han an t his hat s thy cul s
his ac.
Pac, littl sist, h sai. N ns h t ham.
Th ba man sh yglasss m a pct bnath
his tunic, an squint thugh ity lnss.
Tm . . . ? h sai. Tm Imua?
Hy, Bth davi. H put his han n Bnnys shul-
. This is my bth, Bnjamin.
what a yu ing h?
Passing thugh, sai Tm. But I ant t pay my
spcts. An t tach Bnny th ays this l. Hs
nv bn utsi th nc b.
Bnny caught th ay Tm put mphasis n th this.
Bth davi al v, scatching his ba. Up
cls h as l than h l. Mayb ty, ith p
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bn ys an a missing tth. His clthing as clan
but thaba. H smll fs, galic, an mint. Thman stui Bnny a lng mmnt, uing hich Tm i
nthing an Bnny gt.
Hs nt a bliv, sai Bth davi.
Bli is tugh t cm by in ths tims, sai Tm.
Yu bliv.
Sing is bliving.
Bnny thught that thi xchang ha th canc a
chuch litany, as i it as smthing th t thm ha sai
b an ul say again.
Bth davi bnt ta Bnny. Tll m, yung
bth, yu cm h binging hut an ham t th
Chiln G?
Um . . . n?
d yu bing hut an ham t th Chiln Lazaus?
I nt kn h thy a, mist. Im just h ith my
bth.
Bth davi tun ta th mn, h using
gntl pushs t st th zmbi back aun th a si
th builing. ol rg th is n Lazauss Chiln.
what? Yu man hs nt a zm
Tm ma a nis t stp him.
A tlant smil fick v Bth davis ac. w
nt us that , littl bth.
Bnny int kn h t ans that, s Tm cam t
his scu.Th nam cms m Lazaus Bthany, a man h
as ais m th a by Jsus.
Yah, I mmb haing abut that in chuch.
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Th mntin chuch bightn Bth davis smil.
Yu bliv in G? h as hpully.I guss. . . .
In ths tims, sai Bth davi, thats btt than
mst. H th a cvt in at Tm.
Bnny l past Bth davi t h th gils ha
tan th zmbi. Im, li, ttally cnus h. That guy
as a . . . yu n. Hs a, ight?
Living a, cct Bth davi.
right. why asnt h tying t . . . yu n. H mim
gabbing an biting.
H snt hav tth, sai Tm. An yu sa his
hans.
Bnny n. di yu guys that? h as Bth
davi.
N, littl bth, Bth davi sai ith a gimac.
N, th ppl i that t ol rg.
wh? man Bnny.
dnt yu man hy?
N . . . who. wh smthing li that?
Bth davi sai, ol rg is nly n th Chiln
h hav bn ttu li that. Yu can s thm all v
this cunty. Mn an mn ith thi ys cut ut, thi
tth pull, jas sht aay. Mst thm missing ngs
hl hans. An I nt tal abut sm th th
things Iv sn n. Stu yu t yung t n abut,
littl bth.Im tn, sai Bnny.
Yu t yung. I can mmb hn bing tn
mant yu still a chil. Bth davi tun an
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atche the t yung men etun ithut the l zmbie.
Hes in the she, sai the blac gil.But hes agitate, sai the the, a pale-sinne e-
hea in he mi-tenties.
Hell quiet n ate a spell, sai Bthe davi.
The men st by the gas pump an eye Tm,
althugh Tm seeme t suenly n smething ascinat-
ing abut the mvement the clus. Bennys usual inclina-
tin as t mae a je at Tms expense, but he int eel
lie it. He tune bac t the beae man.
whs ing all this stu yue taling abut? T that
l man. T thse . . . thes yu mentine. what in
itbags ae ut hee ing that stu?
Bunty huntes, sai the ehea.
killes, sai the blac gil.
why?
I I ha an anse t that, sai Bthe davi, I be a
saint instea a ay-statin mn.
Benny tune t Tm. I nt get it. . . . Youre a bunty
hunte.
I guess t sme peple thats hat I am.
d yu this in stu?
what yu thin? Tm ase, but Benny as aleay
shaing his hea. Tm queie, what yu even n
abut bunty huntes?
They ill zmbies, Benny sai, then finche as he sa
the ls istaste n the aces Bthe davi an thet men. well . . . they ! Thats hat bunty huntes ae
thee . They g ut hee int the rt an ruin, an they
hunt the, um, yu n . . . the living ea.
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why? as Tm.
F mny.wh pays thm? as Bth davi.
Ppl in tn. Ppl in th tns, sai Bnny. I
ha th gvnmnt pays thm smtims. Mst