Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Magic Kid. Enjoy!
Heya! The day that you have all been waiting for— Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES. I might as well give you a brief introduction, but if you had missed the last chapter you can catch it here, or start from the beginning here. I also have some art that you can find here.
The story ended last time when Clumsy Bird, Witty Toothpick, and Jazzy Hawk got word that there were more people out there surviving, and that they would hold a meeting on Goofball Island, in the city hall. So they set their yellow blimp on course to that island… but… someone is watching their every move. And the team knows nothing about it at all.
What happens next?
You’ll have to find out for yourself.
ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES, ALWAYS ZOMBIES!
A Zomberry Series
Episode Five: Goofing Off
It’s nearing morning.
The yellow blimp passes several peaceful fields, gliding through the crisp morning air, over dew-spangled grass. The sun, just peeking over the horizon of hills, is bright and pure.
And then there are the zombies.
They are a bright indigo color, and occasionally speckling the grass. But they are what turn this rather calm morning into something of a nightmare. The birds tweeting and calling are drowned out by the eerie moans and groans.
Clumsy Bird
It’s MORNING? Isn’t this WONDERFUL?!
Clumsy Bird (or Birdy) seems extra cheerful this morning, perhaps because they were on their way to meet fellow survivors. She is bouncing around the small blimp, making it shake a little.
Witty Toothpick
Stop shaking the blimp! It’s too early in the morning! *yawn*
Clumsy Bird sits down on the chair by the blimp’s steering wheel, and keeps bouncing her feet off the group.
Clumsy Bird
I can’t help it!! I’m just TOO EXCITED!
Jazzy Hawk
Stop talking! We’re t— *yawn* t—tired.
Birdy
Well, too bad! Wake up! WAKE UP!!! I CAN’T WAIT!
Witty Toothpick
We aren’t going to arrive at Goofball Island for another hour or so!
Birdy
Then WHY do I see it RIGHT THERE, Pick?
Toothpick
Because— wait!? IT’S RIGHT THERE?
Birdy
YES! Why else am I over-excited!?
Toothpick and Hawk scramble up and look out of the blimp.
They are nearing the ends of the fields, and right there, near the horizon but nevertheless near, is Goofball Island! One side is a vibrant eye-scorching colorful sight, and the other side is straight, dull, and gray.
Hawk
There it is!
With Hawk now at the wheel, the blimp picks up speed. Toothpick is nervously and excitedly fidgeting with his Rubik’s cube, while Birdy is cheering.
Birdy
IT’S RIGHT THERE!!!! I CAN’T WAIT!!
Toothpick
Neither can I!
The blimp flies up to Goofball Island, and now they can see a few zombies scattering the streets, some a neon indigo, others a dark gray, and then a handful the normal blue color. Jazzy Hawk directs the ship so they would land in a fenced-off area around the city hall where a couple cars and airplanes are parked as well, without the threat of zombies.
Birdy lets out another shout of joy. Toothpick sets the Rubik’s cube back in his backpack and slings it over his shoulder. Clumsy Bird does the same with her bag and then adjusts her beanie. Jazzy Hawk can’t help but smile.
The blimp hovers over an empty patch of concrete, and then lowers onto the ground. Toothpick is the first to jump off.
Toothpick
Ground sweet ground! It’s nice to not be in the air anymore!
Clumsy Bird
I kinda liked it up there, though!
Toothpick
You do until you almost fall to your death.
Clumsy Bird
Good point.
Jazzy Hawk ties the blimp with a rope onto the fence, and joins the other two in a happy chatter.
Jazzy Hawk
They said to come in the afternoon, but I hope it’s not bad that we’re really early.
Witty Toothpick
I’m glad that we’re early! I haven’t been here before!
Clumsy Bird
You haven’t been here before?
Toothpick
Nope.
Clumsy Bird
I was here once, but I wasn’t allowed in the city hall then. Do you guys want to go explore inside?
Jazzy Hawk
Let’s do it!
And they all run inside, laughing like there isn’t a zombie in all of Poptropica. Inside they see a large, grand room, with some pockets of gray and some of color. There are people, actual not-zombied Poptropicans, talking and laughing all around. It’s a wonderful thing to behold.
Jazzy Hawk recognizes the mayor in his large cuckoo bird top hat talking to Athena (from Mythology) and C.J. (from Shrink Ray) having a discussion by the snack table that seems really technical (apart from the mayor’s big grin).
Jaws drop. The three friends look around at everything else. A disco ball hangs from the ceiling, a trio of kids with blond hair are chasing each other up and down a staircase and a slide, and then… Hawk, Birdy, and Toothpick notice… the ball pit. They race over.
Clumsy Bird
Let’s jump in!
Toothpick stops her, looking mock-serious.
Toothpick
Hang on, we are nearly adults, therefore we must act as such.
Clumsy Bird nods, mock-formally.
They stand there, trying to look serious, and then Toothpick says:
Toothpick
What the heck, we don’t get to jump in a ball pit everyday! Let’s go!
Jazzy Hawk
Woohoo!
They all jump in and throw the balls at each other while making piles of brightly colored spheres to use as shelter. They don’t notice the shadowed person lurking in the corner, spying on them, and they also don’t notice a tall purple something coming to the ball pit.
A slow voice from outside the ballpit
Keep balls in pit? Big mess.
They turn around to see… a large purple fuzzy thing?
Jazzy Hawk
Yes, sorry, Mr. …
The purple thing
Bosko. Just Bosko.
Clumsy Bird
Okay! We’ll try to keep the balls in the pit, Bosko.
Bosko
Many thanks.
They continue to throw balls at each other until their arms get really sore. Then they decide to wander around and meet fellow survivors, splitting off to have separate conversations at the same time. I’ll begin with Jazzy Hawk’s events.
Jazzy Hawk wanders over to the mayor, who had finished his conversation with Athena and C.J.
Jazzy Hawk
Hello, Mr. Mayor!
Mayor
Hello, greetings, hi, hallo, olla, welcome! I’m so glad that you could make it.
Hawk
Of course! Thanks for inviting us!
Mayor
With all of Poptropica in zombie chaos, it was the least I could do!
Hawk
I’ve been wondering, how did you find us?
The mayor is bouncing up and down and grinning nonstop.
Mayor
Oh, C.J. — over there by the fruit punch — she came here because it was the closest island to her. She found me and made the robot birds and programmed them to find the survivors. Then I dunno! Now we’re all here and it’s time to party!
Hawk
Oh, okay.
Mayor
I painted the birds. Did you like it?
Jazzy Hawk thinks back at how alarmed he was to see a vibrantly colored robot pigeon, and privately thinks “no”, but he doesn’t want to offend the mayor because the mayor figured out a way to gather everyone here (or at least, C.J. did).
Hawk
Yes! It was uh— very noticeable.
Mayor
I knew people would like it! C.J. told me to just leave it, but I convinced her to let me paint it!
Hawk
Uh huh, well, what’s the plan? My friends and I want to know.
Mayor
As the mayor of Goofball Island, I had this plan where we attracted all the zombies with disco music and sprayed yellow paint at them! Because yellow is the opposite of purple, and it’d reverse the effects.
Hawk’s faith in the mayor’s plan is fading, but he keeps smiling and nodding, while inching away.
Mayor
But Athena didn’t like my plan and apparently has one WAY better! I mean what’s better than colorful paint? But I’m sure her plan will go along smashingly. Don’t you?
Hawk
Yes. Umm, I think my friends are looking for me, I need to go. Goodbye!
Hawk leaves as quickly as he can, because the Mayor seems about to go on a chatter, and heads to the ballpit.
Meanwhile, Witty Toothpick is having a conversation with Bosko.
Toothpick
Hey, uh, Bosko, what’s up?
Bosko
Bosko is good. Party make Bosko happy.
Toothpick
You mean “I am doing well, the party makes me happy.”
Bosko
“I am doing well, the party makes me happy?” No, Bosko is good, party make Bosko happy. Sound better.
Toothpick, who believes in having proper grammar, is starting to get a little irritated, but hides it.
Toothpick
Do you know how many survivors there are?
Bosko
…A lot. Numbers make Bosko’s head hurt.
Toothpick grimaces and counts the heads of people.
Toothpick
There are twenty-four Poptropicans, and you.
Bosko
Oh, Bosko remember now, mayor told Bosko that there would be twenty-six people including Bosko. Bosko remember because Bosko gets twenty-six donuts for morning meal. Bosko like twenty-six. Makes Bosko happy.
Toothpick
Thanks! So we only need one more person!
Bosko
No, Bosko count twenty-six total.
Toothpick
Where? Did I miss someone?
Bosko
Yes, one, two–
He points to himself and Witty Toothpick.
Bosko
Three, four, five.
He points at the three kids who were running around the staircase, but are now making catapults with spoons and peas at the dining table.
Bosko
Six, seven, eight, nine…
He points at Jazzy Hawk, the mayor, C.J., and Athena.
Bosko
Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen.
He points at Clumsy Bird, some goth person in the shadows, Amelia, and a couple of people that look like knights.
Bosko
Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty.
Now he points at a large group of random people from random islands.
Bosko
Twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six!
He points at another group of people.
Toothpick
Oh! Okay, thanks Bosko!
Bosko
Bosko had too many numbers, Bosko now has a headache…
And finally, Clumsy Bird walks around and tries to talk to people, but they don’t seem to want to chat, and then she trips over her own untied shoelace. She goes over to talk to the three blond kids, but as she nears the table, she gets a glob of potatoes to the face. One of them says “sorry!”, but that is the only word she gets out of anyone before she finds the other two back at the ballpit.
Clumsy Bird
What’d you find out?
Jazzy Hawk
The mayor has no good plans. Athena and C.J. are the ones actually in charge with good plans.
Toothpick
Bosko doesn’t like counting and there are twenty-six people here, and that should be everyone.
Clumsy Bird
So we should start soon then, I think someone’s going to go on that podium and update us on things. Oh! Shh!
And sure enough, the rumble of chatter goes down as Athena takes the podium and begins to talk.
Athena
Poptropicans, survivors, thank you for joining us tonight. We have a few things that we’d like to mention, but I will start by saying that we are the only ones left. We have a few Poptropicans amongst us working on finding out ways to help those that have been zombied, and to find ways to help us survive. Please, don’t eat anything with blueberries in it, because we assume that is the source of the zombie-fication. Try not to look zombies in the eyes for too long or it will result in unconsciousness. Be on your guard for zombies constantly and—
She stops, looking over at the snack table, where she notices that someone had placed a blueberry smoothie machine. She also notices someone drinking the smoothie.
And then everyone notices what happens next. The Poptropican turns blue. With yellow-ish eyes.
It’s a zombie.
Amidst the only survivors left.
TO BE CONTINUED
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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