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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue
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Copyright 2013 by Ami Blackwelder

Artwork 2013 by Eloquent Enraptures
Edited by Ashely Egan and Katherine Pine

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Zombie Housewives: It Started in the Kitchen
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New Jersey, in the not so distant future...
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Crystal and Alex

A silent scream erupted from somewhere deep inside Crystal. She could feel the anger
building, like something inside of her broke. Slowly counting to 10, she gently placed the camera
on the sofa and spun back around to glare at her husband Alex, her thin summer dress swirling
around her. Fine, I wont pick up my camera again! Ill spend all day in the kitchen. Trapped,
she felt so trapped, unconsciously her upper lip curled like an angry dog.
Her husband Alex threw his hands up before finishing his point, just like he always did,
and then his hands landed on his suits slacks. I didnt mean it like that, Crystal. I just need you
to be more focused on the housework. Dishes are piling up and the floors are dirty. Im at work
all day and then come home to this...this filth. His carefully trimmed eyebrows sat at angles
over his dark slanted eyes. His tall and slender shape hung over her like a drill sergeant, his
growing anger would become one more thing his mother would blame on Crystal, somehow.
Sometimes she imagined him floating out the window like a kite, his words dragging behind him
like a tail. It may not soften the stabbing complaints seeping from his mouth, but the image of
him flying away made the words a little less painful. Wow, when did she start wishing she could
blow him out of her life?
She wished that she could feel chastised by this charade of a fight that they seemed to have
every payday, but these days she couldnt summon enough emotion to care. She dusted her hands
on her dress before she marched into the kitchen and jerked on the faucet, her wavy blond locks
bouncing behind her. Water splashed over the dishes and she squeezed a few more drops of the

SunShine dish soap into the filling sink. Rinse, Soap, Rinse, repeat. She settled into the neverending ballet that was the dishes, the sudsy plates dancing across the counter. Her fingers started
tingling.
Alex followed her into the kitchen and continued. Cant you spend less time on your
hobby and more time on the house?
He went there.
Hobby! Hobby? The anger rising in her throat was palpable. I studied photography at
college. I have wanted to be a photographer since I got my first camera at four years old. How
long did you study for your job? Eight Weeks? Whatever, Alex! If we hadnt gotten married right
out of college maybe I would have had time to pursue my dreams... I am your wife, not your
slave. I have replaced working on my career with working on your dinner and five years later
where has that gotten me? Another bowl careened into the soapy water.
What does that mean?
It means you were supposed to have duties too, remember? Or did you already forget all
the promises you made? She spun from the sink, her back at the counter edge, and her hands
covered in suds. At least he had the decency to blush, the red creeping up his cheeks staining his
Asian complexion.
"I didnt care about your promises of a two story home with a picket fence and two cars. I
never cared about keeping up with the Joneses, or the Changs, or the Griffins. I never wanted to
get married." Damn it, why was she crying? "I wanted to travel the world, just me and my
camera. Then you came along and I loved you so much that my heart hurt every time I thought of
leaving...My bag is packed, Alex, has been for two months now.
It has been five years, Alex. Five years! What do we have to show for it? She flung her
hands at him and the suds scattered. She scanned the dingy kitchen of their one bedroom home,
as if just noticing the peeling wall paper, mismatched chairs and chipping paint.
Ive told you real estate is tight right now. No one is buying. The economy is bad. I work
all day to make ends meet and come home to more mess. How do you think that makes me feel?
Fine, Alex. You win. Her emerald eyes grew defiant, though her pale complexion turned
hot red. She folded her arms tightly over her chest, opening and closing her suddenly stiff
fingers. Wasnt 27 too young to get arthritis?
Dont be like that. Im... he fished for a reason to cool the argument, just hungry
darling. Alex inched closer and stroked her cheek with his pinky. She sighed, just about ready to
believe his apology. Could you get me something to eat?
Jerk!
Sure! She wiped her hands off on the dish towel and shoved a frozen dinner into the
microwave. The tiny door slammed.Be ready in five. She turned on her heel to walk out of the
kitchenbeing that close to the knives was far too tempting.
Silent at last, Alex stood motionless in the hallway of the kitchen. Crystal brushed past
him and headed to the sofa to find her camera. Lifting the viewfinder into her eyes, she aimed the
lens at Alexs disappointed expression as the microwave timer buzzed.

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Jennifer and Brad

Be back soon, my ass! Fighting back tears and memories of better days, Jennifer
fidgeted with the picture of her husband Brad. She finally placed the frame down on the banister
with a thud and picked up the duster. She glared at his image. But, just as in real life, the blondhaired, blue-eyed doting father of two smiled by his military jeepunaware of her struggles. In
his fatigues, he was just another large, square man with his left hand on his cap and a duty to his
country. Too bad he could never bring with him the people who needed him most.
Jennifer wiped down the banister and then hit the picture frame with the duster before
moving to the window in the living room. She had a clear view of the house across the street
from the window. White lace curtains curled in her right hand as she leaned against the glass.
She could just make out the shadowed silhouette of Crystal behind her curtains in the
living room, lifting a camera. Flash, Flash.
At least Alex comes home every night, she mumbled under her breath. Been married
seven years, she reflected on her husbands absence, and hes been home maybe four of them. I
could tell the kids that the mailman was their daddy, they see him far more often then they see
their own. She shook her head, then she lowered it in shame. She knew she shouldnt judge him
for his duties to the country. After all, that was why she fell in love with him and married him on
her twenty-third birthday.
As the sun dropped to the horizon line and cast an orange tint over the window, Jennifer
saw her reflection. Her critical eye straying to her sagging boobs and the pouch of a stomach that
had taken up residence during her pregnancy settling in after her kids were born. She was plain,
there was nothing spectacular about her facial features. Still me She raked her tousled brown
bob with her fingers before she headed to the kitchen. What a mess.
She dropped her hand from her hair and stared at all the dishes piled up in the sink. A
cake-crusted pan, a bowl with a few drops of cake batter, and a dirty spatula that she used to
transfer the batter to the pan. Ten kid's plates and a few adult-sized ones as well, cups, bowls
with spaghetti sauce, and chocolate frosting spread over the counter.
At least the twins had a nice birthday party. She flipped the faucet on and reached for
the SunShine dish soap. The silky suds sloshed over the dishes in seconds as the water level rose.
She turned on the radio sitting on the kitchen window sill and washed to the music of Madonna.
Waves of melancholy crashed over her as she soaped yet another plate, and, as Madonna
sang Express Yourself, she could see herself burning down the place in her mind. She kept
thinking about the look on her twins faces as she told them their father was going to miss yet
another birthday. Her fingers tingled as she wiped away her tears with a soapy finger.
Pulling herself together, she headed down the hall to say goodnight to her children. She
stopped at the first door. Pink, with a simple wooden carving attached to the center that read
Melissa. Gently opening the door, Jennifer walked in and sat quietly at the feet of the sleeping
five year old girl. She remembered her birthit was such a defining moment in her life. One
second she was a pregnant woman full of promise and the next she was a Mom. She had ripped
off her old identity, much like she would a band aid. She had not known how much motherhood
would change her. It touched everything in her life. She kissed her daughters cheek and then
whispered, Sweet dreams.
Walking to the next door painted blue, she straightened the name of Mark carved in wood
before entering. How is my little boy? She whispered to herself as she stopped at the foot of

his bed. His blanket twisted between one of his legs and the rest of it hung off the corner.
Jennifer pulled the Spiderman blanket up over him and fluffed it once before kissing his cheek
and heading to her own bedroom.
Pulling the pajama drawer open, she lifted an over-sized t-shirt and then plopped onto her
bed of pillows. After changing, Brads face stared at her from the picture frame on the nightstand
and she sighed. What, no Skype? I cant believe you missed their birthday again! I hope that the
mission was worth it! She shook her head and then grabbed a few pictures she had printed out
from the party and a letter which she had placed on the nightstand earlier. She slipped them into
a vanilla envelope. Guess youll only have these to remember the big day. Well, these and the
lovely therapy bills you will get to pay when the kids are teenagers...
She kissed the picture of Brad and huffed. Her fingers felt stiff as she fiddled with the
phone next to the lamp. She then clicked off the light and closed her eyes.

Chris and Carrie

When Chris finally stopped playing his guitar, Carrie rushed up to him. Red, long hair
draped over each of her shoulders and hazel eyes beamed as she gushed, That was the best song
youve ever written!
Chris grinned and reacted with fake humility, Nah, you say that about all my songs.
No, it really was. The chords, the melody, Everything, just perfect. Carrie squeezed
between Chris and his guitar on the sofa. Her thin frame barely indenting the cushion. She
basked in his presence, still amazed that he had chosen her. Black liner marked his inner eyelids
and jet black hair curled from scalp to chest. Chris let his pinky finger course over a few freckles
that scattered over her nose before he brushed his fingers through his hair.
Yeah it was, wasnt it? He said less as a question and more as a padded compliment.
Standing swiftly, he swung his arm over Carrie to snatch his guitar. Cant go anywhere without
my baby.
You used to say I was your babybefore we were married.
That was nine years ago Care Bear.
Only nine? It feels like a lifetime... Carrie felt her heart sink as he stumbled away from
her and towards the bedroom.
She stood infuriated, And you still spend more time with that damn guitar then me. He
barely heard her.
What honey? He stood in the hallway stroking his crimson-colored electric guitar. His
black leather pants and vest drew crowds when he performed, but they didnt have the same
appeal to Carrie as they did nine years ago. Something about the ego that seemed to come with
them, well, it just killed the magic.
She twisted her hands nervously, as if building up the strength to yell with her timid voice.
Youre always off somewhere playing with the band, doing a gig, and even when youre
home...youre not home. Youre always with your guitar. Youre not married to me Chrisyoure
married to your music.
Dont say that. Chris held the neck of the guitar as he strolled up to Carrie. She huffed
and her lids half closed as the tears swelled in her eyes.

I wanted a family. You said you wanted to have kids before we were thirty. Well, Im
turning thirty in a week. Im not even pregnant.
Sweetie pie, I told you my music comes first. As soon as me and the band make it then
we can start having children. He played with her strawberry-colored locks. She wiped the tears
with her sleeves. Besides how are we going to pay for a kid? We barely make enough for
ourselves.
Make it? That could take a lifetime Chris. Besides, I can take a job. All I do all day is stay
at home anyway.
I dont want you to have to work. Youre my sweetie pie. Besides, you have to take care
of the house. With me gone, who is going to take care of things? Laundry, dishes, vacuuming,
meals. You know a house doesnt take care of itself.
So Im your sweetie pie now, not your baby. She sniffled and took a deep breath as she
stomped into the kitchen. Reaching for the SunShine dish soap, she flipped on the faucet and
filled the sink with the days dishes.
Come on, dont be like that. He leaned his guitar against the wall and rubbed her
shoulders. She rubbed her hands in the sudsy water and fumed. Her fingers started to tingle, but
she grabbed another dish. Sometimes she wished real life was like the dishes. What she wouldnt
give to scrub off the pathetic eyeliner and see the face of the boy who had made her feel so
special. Who had kissed each and every one of her freckles because he thought they made her
look young and carefree. The man who had held her hair when she had drank too much in
college or held her close when his mom had focused more on the dust over the mantle piece than
the authentic Italian meal that she had researched for a week and took nearly as long to cook.
That man she had pledged to have and to hold, in sickness and in health

The next morning

Carrie awoke to find a note on the nightstand: Ill be back tomorrow night. The band
buzzed me. Weve got a gig. Later, Chris. She rolled her eyes, she felt so cold. Did they forget to
pay the gas bill again? She stumbled to the shower and turned the water on as hot as it would go.
At least that was still working Shivers shot up her spine and left her shuddering as she stood
under the steaming water.
When she past the broken vanity mirror hanging on the wall next to the bed she froze in
her tracks. Her normally pale skin had started to turn a moldy color. It etched across her skin
where her veins would be. What the frick? She laid her forefinger over the protrusion under
her neck and felt from beginning to end point. Gushy.
Staring at herself, she cringed. I look like a glow skeleton on Halloween. She reached
for her cell beside the bed and dialed the top number. Come on Chris, pick up. She tapped her
toes on the floor as she swayed in a wet towel. She started to speak, but her voice seemed stuck
in her throat. She coughed a few times, then she left a message on his voice mail. Hi, this is
Carrie. I am not feeling well, there is something wrong. Im going into the clinic today. Call me
when you get this.
After dressing in a pair of jeans and a flowery pink blouse, she hunted through her closet
for a wool sweater. Carrie dialed the second number. Hey Crystal, its Carrie. Im not feeling
well and wanted to go to the clinic. Chris isnt home and I didnt want to go alone. Do you think

you could come with? Her face shriveled in confusion as she listened. No, the sun is still
shining. You cant get warm either?
When the doorbell rang Carrie opened the door to a Crystal she had never seen. Mascara
stained her eyelids and red lipstick smeared over the corners of her lips. Pea colored markings
flowed up and down her neck and arms and even a few lines shot from her chin to her ears.
Crystal? What happened to you? Carrie yanked her inside with a tug of her hand.
I cried all night. I know, stupid. Alex fell asleep on the couch. He didnt even hear me.
Hes at work now. And now I am green! It does not go with my complexion.
Oh, honey. I am so sorry to hear that. She bit back the millions of responses about how
far up his arse Alexs rod actually went. They had been down the this road before and the
manipulative narcissist was just not worth it. Crystal and Alex were always having these tiffs, it
would blow over. They seemed to have bigger problems at the moment.
What the hell is going on? She outlined the discolored vessel throbbing on Carries
neck. Youve got another moldy mark here too. Crystal touched Carries cheek.
Something we ate?
I dont know, but Im cold, Crystal retorted and squeezed her arms around herself.
Me too. Some kind of flu? Carrie spit out the first thing to come to her mind.
Got me, but wed better head to the clinic. Crystal shrugged. I left a message for Alex.
Hell get it on his lunch break.
I have no idea when Chris will check his messages. Carrie shook her head. Lets take
my car so we dont have to walk back to your house.
On the way out, Carrie and Crystal stopped at the sidewalk and noticed Jennifer two
houses down waving goodbye to her twins as they rode away on the school bus; the bus sped off
down the road. She wore a robe, a scarf, and her hands had been encased in sparkly gloves.
Jennifer looked like the Pillsbury Dough Boy. She looked like she was holding it together, but
when she clutched her stomach and threw up they raced across the street.
Jennifer, are you alright? Carrie asked as Jennifer lifted her head and they saw the telltale green lines etched across her forehead. Crystal gasped.
You have it too.
Have what? Jennifer responded dumbfounded as she stared at her friends strange
coloring.
Have you seen yourself lately? Carrie inquired.
I try to avoid mirrors, Jennifer retorted, instinctively crossing her arms over her chest
and rubbing her wrists.
Crystal flipped open her powder mirror. Here, look!
When Jennifer took the mirror from Crystals hand, she stared up and down at her face for
several minutes, pinching her fingers against the moss colored lines and poking her skin with a
sparkly finger before handing the mirror back to Crystal.
What the heck is going on? Jennifer asked incredulously with hands on her hips.
You felt cold this morning right? Carrie clarified.
Yeah. Jennifer shrugged.
Crystal added, shivering, as she tucked the mirror into her purse.

Yeah. Jennifer agreed then met her friends eyes for the first time that morning. Wait,
whats wrong with your faces?
Weve all caught some kind of flu, Carrie concluded sure and pointed to her car. Were
heading to the clinic now. Come with us.
Nodding, Jennifer tightened her robe. Just let me change.
Jennifer met her friends at Carries car. Weaving out of the neighborhood, Carries stiff
fingers tightened around the steering wheel. They drove to the nearest clinic just a few blocks
down the main road. Hopping out of the vehicle, Crystal entered the clinic first, while her friends
struggled with their seat belts.
The clerk stifled a scream as eyes bulged from behind his window. His fingers shook as he
filled out a schedule. Carrie and Crystal popped up in front of him. We need to see the doctor,
Carrie said emphatically.
Its an emergency. See this. Crystal pointed at the discolored lines on her face and neck.
These marks are all over our bodies.
Im sorry but youre going to have to take a seat. Ill schedule you in as soon as I can.
His grey eyes returned to the papers on his desk.
When will that be? Theres nobody here! Jennifer interrupted behind her friends with
her head poked between them.
As soon as I can. His forehead straightened like fine leather.
When? Crystal drooled. Five minutes? Five hours?
Carrie hit her palm against the plexiglass. We just want to know when! She snarled, her
expression twisted.
No need to get all hysterical. The clerk stood, pushing back his chair. The doctor will
see you after the patient with him now. Could be thirty minutes, could be one hour. If youre
having a real emergency, go to the emergency room at Westerns Hospital on Lincoln Drive.
Now sit down and fill out those papers!
Jennifer shot him an enraged, but empty, glare. Crystal moaned.
Please, have a seat and fill out that paper work The nurse in white garb popped up
beside them and then guided them to the waiting room. The doctor will be with you as soon as
possible. I swear you will be the first to know.
The nods of the three infected women looked more like heads bobbing at a religious
function, and after they sat Crystal mumbled again.
The nurse came back for their forms. They tried to fill them out, but their stiff fingers
made it near impossible. They fumbled in their purses for their insurance cards and drivers
licenses, which the nurse deftly handed back to the man behind the window.
Oh, Jennifer, you are a stay-at-home Mom? Isnt that one of the toughest jobs out there? I
know I couldnt do it. I mean, what DO you do all day?
Bile rose in Jennifers throat, she wanted to tear this woman limb from limb. Emotions
crashed over her: anger, pity, rage, hatred. hunger. hunger?
A muffled sound escaped from Jennifers lips and, unable to stop themselves, Carrie and
Jennifer added their voices, much like a pack of wolves howling at the moon. Soon, the waiting
room reverberated like a mental hospital. Carrie rocked in her seat while Jennifer grabbed the

nearest magazine and started shredding it. Crystal slapped her hands against the window behind
her as she sat in the chair on her knees.
The nurse shot them a panicked glance. Im going to have to ask you women to please
keep it down in here.
We need to see him now! Carrie demanded, foam shooting up her throat.
Miss, please stop doing that. The nurse swatted the ripped magazine from Jennifers
hands and then pointed at Crystal. Now, young lady you are going to have to sit in your seat
properly if you want to be seen by the doctor.
Crystal slowly turned from the window and her tomato red irises startled the nurse.
Jumping back, the nurse stumbled backward to return to the medical room. Carrie moaned louder
as she picked at her arm. She had been peeling from her last sunburn, but now the skin pulled
away in sheets. Jennifer growled as she ripped the magazine to shreds and Crystal stood, her
angelic blonde hair contrasting with her demon-like eyes, as she drew towards the nurse.
We. Want. The. Doctor. Each word came with a hollow breath as the nurse fidgeted with
the door knob behind her, terrified eyes never leaving the housewives.
Yes, I will get him for you immediately. The nurse shook. Just as Crystals bony fingers
touched the nurses neck, the back door snapped open and the nurse disappeared. Crystal twisted
the knoblocked. Jerking the knob back and forth, Crystals hollow sounds grew louder until she
hit the door with her body.
In a daze, Carrie stumbled from her seat, her knees locking with every step. After a few
stumbles, she managed to stand before the clerks window. Her head jerked left and her eyes
searched over the man in slow motion. Her palms slapped the plexiglass several times. The clerk
stared at her for a moment, then fumbled backward as he bumped into a trash bin next to the
back door before exiting.
In the reflection Carrie could see herself. A moldy and dark brown color stared back at her.
Red eyes shone like pulsating blood and her words had disintegrated into strange vocalizations.
She struggled to straighten stiff fingers to touch the outline of her face, then her body. She didnt
recognize herself and yet there she stood.
Another growl escaped out of her throat, she hit her fist into the plexiglass and broke the
window. Shards of the glass stuck in her hand and algae-like blood oozed over her skin. Jennifer
rolled her head around and around before crashing the table in front of her with two fists.
When the table didnt break, she picked up the square object and tossed it across the room
and into the table adjacent the clerks window. With the cracking vibration, Jennifer groaned as if
she was cheering and then Crystal hit the doctors back door with her body again. Bang, bang,
bang!
When Crystal finally broke the door, she pushed her body over the limp hinges and cried
for her friends to follow. Carrie turned from the clerks window and staggered behind Crystal.
Jennifer picked up the top table and threw it at the entrance door before turning in Crystals
direction, and then the three stumbled down the hallway leading to the doctors room.
The nurse stood with a syringe in one hand and her back up against the wall as the doctor
jerked away from the patient who foamed at the mouth. The clerk from the front desk couldnt
take his eyes off of her, she was growling like a wild animal.

The patient flailed her arms about before she popped up from the hospital chair. Straggly,
curly brown hair twisted below her elbows and chapped lips added to her already peeling and
discolored skin.
What the hell is going on? The nurse shouted to the doctor as he grabbed a red bag from
the counter top marked Hazardous Material and shoved it into his white coat pocket.
I dont know, He said plainly while keeping his eyes on the three new zombies entering
his medical room, but we have to get out of here.
Crystal cried at the doctors response. Carrie and Jennifer stayed close behind her as they
piled into the tiny room, which was made for only three. The crazed patient stumbled for the
dazed clerk, and, after she knocked her body into his, she jabbed her teeth into his neck. Blood
jetted everywhere.
The plump patient easily pinned the lean clerk to the wall. He let out a scream before
becoming silent. The nurse turned pale white and the doctor fumbled with the knob to the back
door of the medical office. Crystal took a step forward toward the smell of blood emanating from
the clerks torn arteries. Then her head jerked toward the two live humans.
We have to go now. The doctor hit the frozen nurse on the shoulder and pushed the back
door open. Darting out onto the street, the nurse followed behind him. When the three
housewives finally opened the door themselves and stepped onto the alley sidewalk, the nurse
had just turned a far corner with the doctor at her side.
Jennifer mumbled and then became fascinated with the brick wall. Her hands rubbed up
and down the red colored stones, leaving trails of skin and pea colored gore. The first zombified
patient fumbled onto the sidewalk and glanced over at Jennifer. In another life, they might have
been friends. After a short fixation, Jennifer drew her attention back to Carrie and Crystal.
Crystals neck picked that moment to stop working and she surveyed the area her head
bobbing up and down like a demented pigeon. Carrie peeled more layers of skin off her arms and
cheeks. After several groans, the three wandered up the street in the same direction as the doctor
and nurse, following their human scent still lingering in the air. Crystals nose flared as she led
the group.
When Carries cell buzzed in her back jean pocket, she flipped open the case and saw
Chriss name vibrating in yellow neon. She tried answering with a statement along the lines of:
Hi Chris! Im sick and at the clinic. Something strange is going on with me. But only disharmony
came out her mouth.
Carrie? Chris questioned at the other end. Carrie! Got your message. Whats wrong?
Errrrmmmmmmm.
I cant understand you honey. Im heading home.
Eeellllppppp.
Click.
Crystal struggled to hold up her head, but her body continued to move following the trail
of the doctor and nurse. Jennifer followed in a haze with her fingers gliding over every brick wall
along the way. She looked like a stage doll.
Wobbling around a corner, Crystal couldnt move any faster. Her knees were barely
functioning. With Alex, she had to stay on her toes to make him happy. Dishes, dusting, dirty
laundry. All had to be perfect to put a smile on his face. It was amazing how just one day of

slacking could destroy the house and put Alex into a snit. Once the overgrown toddler started his
temper tantrum the day turned into crap.
Now, shed be lucky to even get the dishes done. Hell, she would be happy to hold a dish.
Nothing in her new self, her zombified self, was made to care for a house. Brains and blood only
occupied her mind. Why brains? Yuck, a part of her thought. Yet she couldnt help how she felt.
She had given into the crazy and that crazier part of her was in charge now. In fact, it dominated.
Somehow Crystals legs weighed a ton and her muscles felt sluggish. Her direction
became dictated by some kind of primal instinct rather than conscious will. Fighting the crazy
became futile. Crazy overrode every conscious decision, with an added urge to keep the zombie
alive. An urge that wanted constant quenching.
As the three housewives wandered, following the scent of the nurse and doctor, they ended
up at a corner street where the scent just died. Crystal growled and threw up her hands. She
couldnt understand why. She didnt really want to kill them, did she? Jennifer rubbed her hands
over her cheeks, trying to stifle the monstrous noise that escaped her lips. When Carrie stumbled
into Crystals backside she stopped and then her head oscillated to one side and then the next.
Passing the corner, Crystal turned down their street, Mulberry Lane. The once quiet
neighborhood stood in mayhem. Their neighbors, once decent and hard-working housewives,
had became a pool of wandering zombies. Expressionless faces paced up and down the street.
The undead housewife neighbors took to their new role well.
They tore down fences and kicked trashcans on the sidewalk. One even ripped a few
mailboxes out of the ground. They managed to orient themselves on the streets as kids and
husbands raced inside and locked all doors. The only humans brave enough to remain outside
seemed to be the reporters. Crystal, Jennifer and Carrie could hear them as they walked down the
street. She stood outside Jennifers home with her news van haphazardly parked on the curb.
This is Amelia Reinhart reporting for channel 6 news. In quiet suburbia, on Mulberry
Lane, in a neighborhood where nothing much ever happens, there has been an outbreak of a rare
form of a virus, one unlike anything we had ever seen. Today we have a statement from Dr.
Zachary, the head doctor at the local clinic. He stated that four infected females appeared in his
office today. He had been attempting to treat one of them when his office was ransacked by the
other three. Unfortunately, his clerk was brutally killed.
Amelia flipped her brunette bob with the back of her hand and continued, When asked
what he thought caused this, he said he couldnt be sure, but that he found a common
denominator in all infected homes. SunShine dish soap. Under closer inspection, this newly
released detergent shows to be harboring a rare form of a virus, one doctors have now dubbed
virus Z. Scientists are working diligently on a cure, because if they dont find one soon there may
not be any more housewives left for husbands to return to.
After Amelia backed up toward the home she finished, What does this mean for all of us
not infected? Burn your bottles of SunShine dish soap. Dont let infected humans near you. They
are dangerous and could contaminate or kill you. Report infected people to the local authorities.
They will be quarantined. In the meantime, dont panic and wait for the knock at your door for
your local doctor visit. Everyone must be cleared. When cleared, you will be given a purple band
to wear around your wrist. No one is allowed outside without one or they will be arrested and
quarantined.

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