Fanfic: Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES! 🧟 Ep. 1: The Play That Was Never Performed

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Magic Kid. Enjoy!

Hello, all readers! It’s Magic Kid here today! 

Welcome one and all to the beginning of “ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES, ALWAYS ZOMBIES!” — a story of zombies, survival, Poptropica, and — we can’t forget this — blueberries! 

I’m really excited to get this fanfiction started, and hopefully you’re excited to read it. The first episode is kind of an introduction to the story (and some questions may get answered later, so don’t fuss about it). Thank you all so much, and enjoy!

ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES, ALWAYS ZOMBIES!

A Zomberry Series

Episode One: The Play That Was Never Performed

The curtain to the stage is closed. The Audience gathers around in the theater’s seats, making a hum of chatter like buzzing bees. 

They all gather and by the time that nearly everyone is sitting and comfortable, perhaps munching on popcorn, or checking their watches, they all begin to wonder why the play hasn’t started yet, and the hum of excited voices becomes bugged and worried.

A family of three sits at the front of the audience, feeling the same anticipation as everyone else.

Audience Dad

Why aren’t they starting already? They’re more than ten minutes late!

Audience Mom

Shush dear, I’m sure it’s all just a big misunderstanding, they can’t be much longer.

A little boy sitting next to them is fidgeting from sitting still for so long.

Audience Little Boy

Mommy, when’s the play going to start? I’m bored!

Audience Mom

Have some popcorn or some of this smoothie, they have to start soon.

 The little boy munches on the buttery popcorn, and then just decides to devour it all.

The buzzing noise intensifies as people begin to get more concerned or annoyed. 

But the stage continued to have the dark velvet curtains closed. Just as everyone thinks that it won’t happen, that the play was canceled, and everyone begins to leave, grumbling all the way…

The lights darken smoothly.

 The talking becomes a hush as everyone hurries back to their seats, excited.

A grand voice issues from the unseen speakers, echoing impressively throughout the theater.

Play Narrator (Jazzy Hawk)

Welcome one and welcome all! Young and old, welcome! Welcome to 24 Carrot Theater’s production of The Carrot-Apocalypse! We must thank the mayor of this town for remodeling this room so we can give you live performances. We’ve brought you actors and actresses from all across Poptropica for you to enjoy tonight!

The Play Narrator continues to talk, to stall, because backstage, where his magnified voice is muffled, a disaster is going on.

There is a group of actors clustered together backstage, finishing up make-up checks and costume checks. Everyone is wearing a costume that is either a zombie-bunny, a farmer, or some other costume. A few Poptropicans are in black shirts and are in charge of the stage and effects. The narrator is sitting on a stool by a microphone reading a script, occasionally glancing back at the cluster around the snack table.

At the snack table is where something very bad happened, and why the play was delayed for so long. 

There had been a huge jug of a blueberry smoothie that one of the play’s sponsors gave the actors backstage (the sponsors also sold the smoothie to the audience). One of the actors had tripped on their costume, and had made the blueberry smoothie spill all over the floor and their costume.

It had made a huge mess, and was taking a lot of time to clean up because it was so sticky.

The director was in fits.

Director

Why must this happen today? On our opening night? You—

He pointed at one of the actors dressed as a farmer.

Director

Go out immediately after Jazzy Hawk finishes his script, and remember: DON’T MESS UP YOUR LINES!

Jazzy Hawk (Play Narrator)

Thank you for your patience. Our story begins with a simple farmer out to harvest his carrots.

Jazzy Hawk sets down his script and jumps off the stool.

Director

HURRY! GO! GO! GO!

The farmer actor goes out to the stage to wild applause, while the curtains open.

Farmer Actor

Ahh, harvesting time, my favorite part of the year.

The director runs over to the actress covered in the blueberry smoothie, who’s dressed as a carrot.

Director

Are you still in for your lines?

Carrot Actress

I feel sick…

Director

Go then! Run! 

The actress runs, looking sick with hand over her mouth and face, out of the backstage area.

Director

I need another carrot, you— set person, go get one of our spare carrot costumes from one of our other plays, go!

The Set Manager #1 runs into a large storage closet, rummaging feverishly through all the boxes. Meanwhile, the director begins to pace.

Director

Can anybody play the role of a carrot? Does anyone have the space and time?

Nobody says anything for a few moments. One of the set managers, Clumsy Bird, raises her hand.

Clumsy Bird

Uh, me!

Director

No way! Not you!

Clumsy Bird looks like she’s about to say “well…”, but does not because the director turns to Jazzy Hawk.

Director

How about you? Can you memorize the lines in ten minutes?

Jazzy Hawk

Uhh…

Director

Great!

The director shoves the script and costume into Jazzy Hawk’s hands. Hawk walks to the dressing room, then goes over to check on how the audience is doing.

Director

What?!

At those words, everyone gathers at the crack in the curtain. Some people are looking sick, and other people are leaving quickly.

Director

Why are they doing this?! Why are they leaving?! We haven’t even gotten to the intermission!

The stage door opens and the director looks around as the Carrot Actress comes back in, all blue (probably from the smoothie splatters, thinks everyone backstage…)

Director

Ah, good! You’re back! Come on, let’s try to convince the audience to not leave with the carrot zombie scene! Let’s go!

Carrot Actress

Bleh.

Director

Come on! That’s not the right attitude to have! Get on the stage!

The Carrot Actress turns to look at the director with yellow eyes.

Carrot Actress

Bleeeh.

Director

What the…?

The Carrot Actress jumps at him, and blueberry smoothie splatters off of her costume and into the director’s mouth.

Director

AHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHAT’S GOING ON?!

Everyone starts running away and screaming. Except Clumsy Bird, who hides in the stage rafters. 

The director begins to turn bluer and bluer and his eyes turn yellow-ish.

Director

STOP! WHAT— bleh? Blaaah?

Clumsy Bird looks creeped out.

Now turned into two zombies, they wander out of the backstage area. In the distance, more zombie noises sound as they wander out of the theater and into the streets of 24 Carrot Island.

Clumsy Bird jumps down from the rafters and picks up a long stick that had been for one of the scenes of the play that never happened.

Every little noise seems magnified — the creaking of floorboards, the ticking of a clock. Clumsy Bird jumps as music begins to play for the scary scene of the play.

There is a sound of footsteps behind Clumsy Bird and she spins around and thwacks… a giant carrot.

TO BE CONTINUED IN EPISODE TWO

WHERE (IF POSSIBLE) THINGS GO EVEN MORE DOWNHILL

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Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Magic Kid. If you did, you might also enjoy their Pop Quiz: Which Pop Character Are You? post.

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