Fanfic: Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES! 🧟 Ep. 14: So About What Happened to Toothpick…

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

Hi there! I’m back with the zombies, the drama, and the adventure! Are they too late to save Toothpick? We’ll have to find out…

(I apologize in advance for the events that take place in this episode. Also, Merry Christmas!) (Catch the last episode here, or first episode here.)

ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES, ALWAYS ZOMBIES!

A Zomberry Series

Episode Fourteen: So About What Happened to Toothpick…

Let’s rewind a few days previously to Party Time Tower, right after unsuccessfully trying to change the past. The flying pirate ship is soaring away, engine sputtering dangerously. Toothpick was left alone. Alone, in the middle of a vast hoard of zombies.

He instantly felt as though something had dunked him in ice cold water. Oh, the fear!

Toothpick didn’t know if this made the situation better or worse, but a black helicopter was on his way towards him. 

The zombies had fallen back a bit when the pirate ship had lowered down, but they were now regaining the height at a very quick pace. 

The helicopter was now right above Toothpick. A rope ladder unrolled right by him. 

Pilot

GET IN!

Either Toothpick is captured by zombies, or he gets on that helicopter. 

He started climbing that rope ladder, quickly.  Once he reached the top, someone hurriedly pulled him in and rolled up the ladder. 

Agent Thorn

Got him.

Toothpick

What? Wait— who are you?

Agent Thorn

We are— uh survivors, trying to take down the zombies.

Pick

Oh! Okay!

He sat down and looked out the window. He was smiling, and his legs were bouncing, because he had some hope that he’d be able to be reunited with his friends.

Agent Thorn almost pitied him. Almost. She had a job to do, after all.

The helicopter flew for nearly an hour. Toothpick began to fidget with the seatbelt. Without his Rubik’s cube (he had left it in his backpack which had been taken on the pirate ship with his friends), he was left with nothing else to do. 

Occasionally he tried to stir up some conversation.

Toothpick

Nice helicopter!

Silence.

Toothpick

What’s your name?

Thorn

Agent Thorn.

Toothpick

 Oh! That’s a cool name!

Silence.

Toothpick

Are there any more survivors in your group?

Silence.

Toothpick

Where are we going?

Silence.

He eventually gave up. The quiet was okay with him.

He tried not to look out of the helicopter. They were so high up in the sky. Toothpick was afraid of heights, but every now and then he glanced out.

Even though morning was coming, the sky seemed to be getting darker? Yes, the black clouds were thickening and blocking out the sun. The sea below seemed less inviting than when they were by Time Tangled. It was churning and splashing against dangerously sharp rocks.

Toothpick gulped. He began to worry again.

The island that they were coming up to looked like it was in ruins. A school bus was flipped upside-down, and an old record store had smashed windows plus scattered vinyl albums across the street. Zombies were wandering the town, tripping over fallen posts and walking into the remains of walls. 

Though the helicopter lowered, it didn’t land. Instead it was nearing a big wall with lights and barbed wire.

Pilot (into radio)

Copter Alpha requesting passage.

Voice from radio

Request accepted. You may enter, Copter Alpha.

The helicopter flew over the wall.

Toothpick was shocked to see what there was on the other side. It wasn’t in ruins. It looked like the grounds of a sinister hospital. In the center of the area, there was a tall tower. It was so tall that it disappeared into the inky clouds.

Toothpick opened his mouth to say something, but closed it, unsure what to say. Something about this place felt foreboding and made his spine tingle in a way that didn’t feel right.

He gripped the seatbelt and closed his eyes as the helicopter landed with a big thud.

Thorn

Come here! Watch your head.

Toothpick ducked out of the helicopter and onto the ground. When he inhaled, the air seemed toxic. Full of chemicals. People in suits, uniforms, lab coats, all neat and clean were walking around, all with purpose. Toothpick stuck out like a sore thumb in his dirty blue hoodie. 

He followed Thorn, who was going into one of the buildings. A sign over the door read: LAB. Inside it was large and clean. The walls were light gray and empty.

Toothpick

Where are we going?

Silence.

Toothpick wanted to run. It didn’t feel right in here, it didn’t feel safe. But he didn’t have anywhere to go? Even if he made it out of the building, he’d have to make it past all those people, the guards, and that wall! And on the other side of the wall were just zombies! Zombies, zombies, zombies. Why did it always have to be zombies?

There was no way out of this. He was doomed.

Their footsteps clacked on the cold floor. Doomed. Doomed. Doomed.

They had now walked all through the hallway, into a more open area. There was a railing and a window. The window did not show outside, but a larger room. A testing room. People in lab coats were measuring beakers and looking at blueberries under microscopes. Zombies were in small caged areas, blindfolds over the eyes. 

A terrible thought appeared in Toothpick’s mind. What if—no.

But what if the zombie apocalypse wasn’t a circumstance. What if it was on purpose?

Toothpick shivered. But, of course, they could be just trying to find an antidote. He probably is overreacting.

But still, he felt uneasy as Agent Thorn led him past the large glass wall and into a door. The room inside had three white walls, and one glass wall which had another view down into the testing room.

Agent Thorn

Sit down in that chair.

She pointed at a cold steel chair by a small table.

Toothpick hesitated, then sat. Instantly, on the arms of the chair, cuff restraints pinned his hands to the chair, making him unable to move.

Toothpick

UM—!

Thorn

Don’t worry, this will only take a second…

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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