Disclaimer

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Saxophone Blues is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, are coincidental. References to characters, places, products, or brand names are for entertainment purposes only and no identification with such incidents are intended or should be inferred.

 

Saxophone Blues contains mature subject matter. Recommended for adult readers aged 18 years or over. Reader discretion is advised as the content may include explicit language, sexuality, violence, and other themes that may not be suitable for all audiences. The views, opinions, and activities depicted in this work are not necessarily endorsed by the author.

 

Episode 08

 

Jimothy Dyck got to work early that morning. He stepped into the elevator. “Smooth Jazz” played softly over the speaker. Jimothy pressed the button to go up, humming along to the beat.

 

“This is the most perfect elevator ride,” Jimothy thought as he closed his eyes and went to his happy place – where the zombies couldn’t get him.

 

Ding!

 

The elevator stopped.

 

Jimothy opened his eyes. The entire office was crowded in his cubicle.

 

Suzi from I.T. had just been bitten by a zombie and was sobbing uncontrollably.

 

“What happened?” Cheryl asked, offering her a cigarette.

 

“I… I was running late for work,” Suzi cried, “So… I took a shortcut,” she gulped, though the tunnel!”

 

A moment of traumatic silence fell over the office as they relived the horror of Thanksgiving.

 

Everyone was trying to get home early for the long weekend. The Jefferson Tunnel – connecting Midtown Manhattan to Jersey City – was a traffic jam nightmare when it was overrun. Thousands of people were eaten alive during the Thanksgiving Holiday Weekend Massacre.

 

“I missed the all-you-can-eat buffet by ten minutes,” Viktor recalled, “because I was on a call.”

 

Linda stared vacantly into the distance, “There were so many zombies. I was trapped in my car for two days..." 

 

“Holy shit!” Ted from accounting groaned. “What the hell were you thinking, Suzi!?!”

 

“I had no choice!” Suzi insisted, “Freedom Bridge is falling down.”

 

Ted shook his head, “It’s falling down – again?”

 

“It’s falling down!” Suzi exclaimed. “Freedom Bridge is falling down. There’s no more infrastructure funding!” She let out a shaky breath. “The tunnel was my only option.”

 

Everyone in the office held their breath as Suzi continued, piecing together what happened.

 

“I… I saw a light at the end of the tunnel,” Suzi whispered. “I ran toward it as fast as I could. It kept getting brighter and brighter, until…” Suzi stopped. “I wasn’t in the tunnel anymore.”

 

“Where were you?” Viktor asked, leaning forward.

 

“At Mike’s Diner.” Suzi replied, strangely enough.

 

“In Midtown!” Jimothy jumped in. “I know Mike! We’re best friends. Mike made the best burgers in New York City…” Jimothy hesitated. “Before he turned into a zombie.”

 

“Mike was there, too!” Suzi blurted out.

 

“How was he?” Jimothy asked, hopefully.

 

“Still a zombie.”

 

“Oh.” Jimothy looked disappointed.

 

“He was working the fryer.”

 

Suzi went on, “The server took my order to the kitchen – a bacon cheeseburger with no pickles, fries, and a cherry cola. Then I heard his voice…”

 

“Whose voice?” Cheryl asked.

 

“It was Jesus!”

 

Jimothy’s eyes lit up, “What did he say?”

 

“He said, ‘No pickles? What’s wrong with my pickles? Suzi doesn’t like my pickles. Can you believe that, Mikey?’”

 

Mike groaned as Jesus came out with Suzi’s order and sat down next to her at the counter.

 

“Jesus!” Suzi gasped. “I thought you were dead.”

 

“I was,” Jesus replied, rolling up his sleeves, showing Suzi the bite marks under his arms. “But now I’m alive.” 

 

“I don’t understand.”

 

“Here.“ Jesus slid the burger and fries across the counter to Suzi. “Eat.”

 

Feeling hungry, Suzi picked up the burger and took a big bite, “Mmm. This is amazing!”

 

Jesus poured Suzi a glass of cherry cola.

 

“Drink.” He said.

 

Suzi took a sip of cherry cola and smiled. “My favourite!”

 

And then, Jesus turned toward the kitchen and introduced the new server. “Meet Larry.”

 

“Hey.” Larry greeted casually.

 

“Hey – what?” Suzi, her mind starting to feel fuzzy, heard screaming in the distance.

 

“What was it?” Cheryl coaxed.

 

“I – I don’t know.” Suzi said. “That’s when I woke up – outside the tunnel. I made it out alive – or… at least, I thought I did.” Suzi hung her head and sniffled.

 

Cheryl glanced nervously at Ken from Legal.

 

“The company’s not liable for tardiness.” Ken mouthed.

 

Cheryl let out a sigh of relief, “Suzi, I’m so sorry this happened. I know this must be difficult for you…”

 

Suzi nodded.

 

“But you really should stay home if you’re sick.”

 

“What!?!”

 

“I can’t have you infecting the others.”

 

“But…” Suzi protested. “I need the hours – I’ve got kids to eat – I mean, I’ve got kids to feed…,” her voice trailed off, dazed and confused. “What were we talking about?”

 

Suzi’s sickness was rotting her brains, like a feverish delirium. Soon, sweet death would come for a moment of rest before Suzi’s body rose from the dead. Her reanimated corpse, damned to living death, would forever hunger for human flesh to devour.

 

“Oh, Suzi!” Cheryl sighed.

 

Security arrived to escort Suzi downstairs.

 

“Aww!” Jimothy felt bad as he watched the public health officers in hazmat suits take Suzi away. “I always kind of liked her.”

 

Jimothy pushed up his dark-rimmed glasses held together with a strip of white tape and went back to work. He clicked open the video of @hernameismswhiskers the cat hanging from a tree. “Hang in there!” Jimothy chuckled.

 

The office was empty by the time Jimothy finally finished the quarterly sales report. He loaded his shotgun and stepped into the elevator. “Smooth Jazz” played softly over the speaker. Jimothy pressed the button to go down, humming along to the beat.

 

“This is the most perfect elevator ride,” Jimothy thought as he closed his eyes and went to his happy place – where the zombies couldn’t get him.

 

The end.