Fanfic: Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES! 🧟 Ep. 8: The Lab Thingy

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

Greetings! Okay, so last time I kinda maybe went off on a tangent about cake (or start from the very beginning here) and this week I’ll kind of reel my sweet tooth in a notch or two… or eight because we are on episode eight of “Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES!!”

Previously, the crew jumped off the blimp in the middle of an insane storm, and now they are on Time Tangled Island! Yay? I use that question mark because of what’s going on there. Oh, no no no, I’m not gonna tell you now, you have to read on to find out.

Over and Out!

ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES, ALWAYS ZOMBIES!

A Zomberry Series

Episode Eight: The Lab Thingy

Toothpick is too happy to be on the ground again, and to be safe, that it takes him a moment to realize what is different about Time Tangled.

He coughs a mouthful of ash out and then looks around.

Toothpick

Hawk? Birdy? Are you guys okay?

Birdy is on top of a pile of rubble trying to untangle herself from the parachute, and Hawk walks out from behind a smashed car.

Birdy

Yep.

Hawk

Yeah.

Icy Stone comes around from a large pile of rubble, covered in white ash, like a ghost.

Icy Stone

Oh, I’m fine, thanks for asking.

And then Toothpick realizes that the rubble and ashes were not a part of Time Tangled. The last time he had been to Time Tangled, it was bright, colorful, and in perfect condition. But now… the Party Time Tower was reduced to clumps of concrete, and half-burnt posters…

Something had happened here. A fire? An earthquake? Did an asteroid hit? All of the above…? And then Birdy voices what Toothpick is thinking.

Birdy

What happened here?

Hawk

I dunno…

Groooooooooan.

The zombies are near.

Toothpick (shivering)

We should get moving. 

Birdy

Yeah, to the— um, lab thingy place?

Toothpick

Pendulum’s lab.

Birdy

Yeah, that!

Hawk glances around as he hears more zombie moans.

Hawk

Who cares what it’s called, let’s just get a move on. I think it’s over there.

Toothpick glances around too. They move towards a large clock, broken, tip bent on the minute hand, hour hand reduced to bent metal and gears on the ground,  but still ticking.

A reminder that their hours are numbered. A reminder that the zombies are near, and that they have to hurry.

Birdy goes up to the door and tries the knob. 

Birdy

Locked.

Icy Stone

I got this.

Icy Stone bends down to examine the lock. Then she pulls out a hair pin and starts working on it. 

Groan.

A zombie comes into sight, stumbling around and around, but making a beeline towards them. More zombies are gathering and coming closer.

Toothpick (in a much higher voice than usual)

Uhh, guys? Stone? Could you hurry?

Icy Stone

What do you think I’m doing?

The zombies creep closer, now blocking any way out, except the locked door.

The clock continues to tick. 

The zombies continues to groan.

Their time continues to shrink.

Birdy

Seriously though, hurry!

Icy Stone

You forgot please.

Hawk

Fine. Could you PLEASE unlock the door, or we all are zombie food!

Icy Stone

I’m not quite sure the zombies eat.

Hawk

JUST PLEASE DO IT?!

Icy Stone

Fine, fine, fine, Mr. Bossy.

The zombies are now a couple yards away. Every second that passes, every time that blasted clock ticks, they move a step forward in disturbing unison. Almost like they are dancing to the beat of a drum.

Pick is beginning to feel dizzy the longer he looks at the zombies. Lightheadedness.

And finally when the zombies are but three feet away, and Clumsy Bird has nearly given up, the door unlocks. A click that echoes with another tick of the clock.

Stone

IN IN IN!

They all flood in the dark, dusty lab. And Hawk, the last one in, shuts the door just as the zombies reach it.

Toothpick exhales in relief.

Clumsy Bird

Thank goodness. 

Hawk

Where’s the light switch?

Toothpick feels along the wall and flips it. The light briefly glows dimly, but then it flickers off.

Clumsy Bird

Anyone got a flashlight?

Stone

No. What do you guys want in here?

Hawk

What?

Stone

I’m not blind, you know. ‘Fess up. What’s your plan?

Hawk

Uhh. Er.

Clumsy Bird (hastily)

Oh look! Is it the scientist lady over there? HELLO— OH no!

Toothpick and the rest of them spin around to see the scientist — with the crazy hair and pink glasses, complete with a lab coat. She is indigo. Her eyes are light yellow.

That is a good time to run, so they do.

It is NOT a good time to scream, but they do that, too.

Down the ramp. 

By the time machine.

Hawk

TURN IT ON!

And he, Toothpick, and Birdy push against the battery until it connects to the other side. The time machine lights up at once, pulsing a bright blue over the scene, adding a ghostly lighting to the already frightening scene.

Birdy

Let’s go!

Stone

What are you doing?!

A voice from the shadows

Wait!

Somebody scrambles out from under the desk. It’s the lab assistant!

Lab Assistant

Don’t leave without me!

The zombie creeps closer, faster, zeroing in on her former colleague. 

Hawk

Come on, then, hurry!

The lab assistant begins to run near them when—

AHHHHHHH!

The zombie gets him.

It’s horrifying.

Birdy

Guys, we should go before—

The two zombies are now coming closer. Their only way out is to go to the past.

They all run into the machine, into the light where the zombies can’t go.

It pulses a brighter light and the zombies shriek away. The light is so blinding that even when they close their eyes, it is still as bright as the sun.

The four Poptropicans are in a whirl of light and air, on their way to the past.

TO BE CONTINUED

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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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