The Undead That Saved Christmas Vol. 2 (24 page)

A knock at the door jolted them out of conversation, and Lucas one of his elves, answered the door. A man stepped inside. Eric recognized Mark immediately; the weird guy who liked coffee. He stood there awkwardly, glancing around their small house.

Eric stood up. “Mark right? What can I do for you?”

* * *

Mark leaned his head back to look at the tall man the papers were calling a ‘local hero’. He had to stop this guy. Eric would ruin everything if he kept up this helping people crap. The guy was huge though, and Mark lost his nerve to say anything. Instead he altered the plan.

“Um, I just wanted to come and congratulate you on all the good work. You’re making us all proud of the red suit.” Mark choked out the last words.

Eric stood as tall as he could in the miniature house. “I`m just doing my job.”

“Well, I brought some coffee. It might be a bit strong, but I think you’ll like it.”

Eric shook his head. “I’m sorry, but we don’t drink caffeine during work hours.”

“Okay, I’ll just be going then. Oh, one more thing. The holiday parade is going to start here instead of
Pierce.
We thought it would be good for neighbourhood morale.”

“Thanks, fantastic news. Did you hear that elves? We have lots to do to prepare for the parade. You’ll have to excuse us Mark.”

Mark walked out of the little faux house with a smile on his face. In less than a week his plan would take place, and a local hero would be taken down. He was so happy he could scream. The sight of Christmas lights, the sound of Christmas music, and all the candy cane stickers didn’t even make him twitch. Mark left the mall with a spring in his step. This would be one hell of a Christmas.

Usually he hated this holiday, but this year would be different. This year there would be a massacre, and it would be because of him. This year he would make Christmas fun.

* * *

Eric woke up early Christmas Eve day. He had to have his suit cleaned and pressed, then head over to the mall and make sure the North Pole was up to snuff. After that, he had to make sure the elves passed muster. Finally, he had to prepare for the parade.

He dropped his suit off during his morning run, then stopped off at the shelter to feed the homeless breakfast. Then he picked up the suit and headed to the mall. He was glad to see all his elves there, standing at the ready.

The North Pole looked perfect; his helpers had even added more lights and a bigger tree. Everything appeared fantastic. The large candy cane walkway, the gingerbread men garden, and the lollipop factory were all wonderful additions.

“I’m proud of all of you, Cassie, Lucas, Gabe, Tony, Bella, and Carlos. If I had the power I would give you all a medal.” The group began to blush.

Cassie stepped forward with a piece of paper in her hand. “I’m speaking for all of us when I say this, you have been an inspiration, and made us proud to be elves. We all hope one day we can inspire and help people the way you have us. Oh, yeah I also passed my exam.”

“Thanks guys. You’re going to make me cry, and congrats Cassie.”

Eric stared down at his boots. They were so shiny he could see his reflection in them. After he gathered his composure, he glanced back up, making eye contact with each one of the people standing in front of him.

“You are an inspiration. Now let’s go start this holiday right.”

They all exited the mall and were greeted by dozens of parents with their kids. Last minute pictures with Santa were first, then a parade with all the other Santa’s on a float to the center of the city.

One of the elves held the door open and people flooded inside. Eric went to his seat and prepared himself for the onslaught. Kids listing off their wish list, crying babies, parents at their wits end.

Outside of the North Pole he saw last minute shoppers running around with angry expressions on their faces. He hoped the parade started soon. He could handle a lot, but there were limits.

* * *

Mark stood in the parking lot waiting for the other Santa’s to arrive. The parade was scheduled to start in a few minutes, but he knew better. He checked his watch and counted the minutes. The sounds of moans and screams came earlier than expected. Then again he wasn’t a certified chemist. He minored in it in college and discovered a knack for it, same thing as having a degree as far as he was concerned.

Two weeks ago he had spiked the coffee with a compound he had been working on for years. Anyone who consumed said compound would turn into a mindless monster. He held a device in his hands which emitted a high pitched sound that attracted the monsters, and at the same time made them crazy. His plan was finally coming to fruition as he saw the red suits cresting the hill.

Once they neared Mark, he noticed blood dripping off of their faces. Some of them were carrying things they shouldn’t be, like femurs and forearms. When they were ten feet in front of him he realized he might have miscalculated some of the ingredients.

Mark turned and ran into the mall. He headed straight for the North Pole.

* * *

The zombie Santa’s followed close behind, the noise making them angrier by the minute. As they entered the mall, chaos ensued. Shoppers panicked and caused bottlenecking in all of the exits. As people tried to claw their way out, the Santa’s got to pick and choose who they ate.

People were screaming as crazy blood covered zombie Santa’s began eating them. Mall security showed up to try and help, but most ran at the sight of a pancreas hanging from one of the Santa’s mouths. Those who didn’t run used Tasers which had no effect.

After a few moments they heard the noise of Marks device again. They chased after it once more leaving the shoppers behind. The doors crashed open, most of the shoppers able to escape. Bits and pieces of those not so lucky were strewn across the bloody floor.

* * *

Eric handed a little girl back to her mother. The last one of the day, and according to his itinerary the parade would be starting soon.

As he stood up and gathered the elves around him, all hell broke out. Shoppers ran around yelling about bloody Santa’s eating people.

Eric figured he heard wrong. No way were Santa’s eating people. Seconds later Mark stood in front of him, his sweat covered body shaking.

“What’s going on?”

“We have a problem with the other Santa’s.”

Eric looked pointedly at the screaming people running past them, some bloody, others missing limbs.

“Really, a problem you say?”

“Yes, they seem to be eating people.” Eric raised a sceptical eyebrow.

“Really, they just got up today and decided to eat people.”

“Yes, that’s what I just said, it’s like they’re zombies or something. You have to do something. You’re some sort of hero.”

“Then you would be the villain. So, tell me what you did.”

“Nothing, I have no idea what happened.”

Eric raised his head as he heard stomping feet. A herd of un-dead zombie Santa’s heading straight for the North Pole. He had seconds to decide what to do.

“Elves, grab whatever you can to arm yourselves. We have to take these suckers down. Mark, make yourself useful, go try and reason with them.”

Mark paled. “You can’t be serious?”

“Well, maybe not, worth a shot though. You better grab something to fight with then.”

Eric grabbed popcorn string off the Christmas tree and set up a trip wire. He reached for some ornaments and placed them on the ground lightly; it was the best he could do for an early entry warning system. He looked at his elves, happy to see they had grabbed things to fight with.

Not seeing Mark anywhere, he sighed. He knew he would show up at some point, but for now he had zombie Santa’s to fight.

* * *

Mark hid in Santa’s mini house. He planted the device behind the Christmas tree hoping to throw the zombie Santa’s off his scent. Huddled in a chair meant for a child, he stared out the window as the carnage began.

* * *

Eric and the elves formed a line. When the first wave hit, the trip wire knocked down four of them. Lucas and George ran in and smashed their heads to pulpy bits with giant gingerbread men sticks from the garden.

Eric called out to them. “Lucas, George, get back into position.”

Lucas and George returned to the line. The front of their uniforms covered in a stinky ooze like substance.

Off to the side, Eric heard ornaments breaking. They were about to be breached from the left. A moment later the tree fell on top of a couple of zombies, disorienting them. Eric made quick work of them by knocking them to the ground then crushing their heads with the base of one of the candy canes that formed the entry way.

Eric smiled in grim satisfaction as the bodies twitched while he pounded their heads into pudding. When they stopped moving, he stopped smashing. He turned and moved back to the center area where his team fought with everything they had.

Eric heard a scream and saw Bella being taken down. Two zombies bit into her. Blood gushed out of her neck. One zombie reached inside and pulled out her intestines smiling greedily as he hunched over them. Gabe flew into a rage and ran to try and save her.

“Gabe wait!” He was too late.

The zombie Santa’s surrounded Gabe in seconds. They ripped him apart, tearing off an arm and both legs, while digging out his internal organs. Bits of Gabe were being munched on by at least seven different zombies.

Eric had to think of something, or they were all going to die. They needed a distraction so they could take out some of them out individually. He had to try and separate them. He looked at what was left of his team. They were scared and up against the unknown.

“Tony and Carlos, you’re with me. We’re going to run to one of the exits. The rest of you get out of here and find help.”

Eric took off running with the two boys as if the hounds of hell were after them. After a minute Eric glanced back and realized they weren’t being followed.

“Crap, we have to go back, something isn’t right.”

* * *

Cassie and Lucas waited for the zombie Santa’s to run after Eric, but it never happened. Instead they were stuck in the fight of their lives.

Cassie armed herself with a piece of the picket fence lining the walkway, and Lucas held a giant lollipop.

“You know we’re probably going to die right?” Cassie stared at Lucas.

“I know, but I plan to going down fighting.” Lucas raised his lollipop in a menacing manner to prove his point.

They both smiled and ran into the fray. Cassie stabbed one of the zombie Santa’s in the chest, nothing happened. She pulled it out and did it again and again.

“You have to go for the head.”

Lucas jammed the stick end of the giant lollipop through its eye so hard it broke through the back of the skull. Thick putrid smelling black fluid began leaking as the zombie Santa fell down.

“One down, a dozen to go.” Cassie smiled evilly.

Grabbing another piece of fence Cassie held a weapon in both hands. She started aiming for the head, discovering the zombie Santa’s had unusually soft heads, and the fence pieces pierced the skulls easily. When she had two down, Lucas finished them off with his lollipop.

Cassie reached down to grab another piece of fence when she felt herself being grabbed from behind. She didn’t have time to scream, but a second later the grip loosened, then fell away altogether. She turned to see Eric tearing the head off of the zombie Santa with his bare hands.

* * *

Eric saw Cassie get grabbed and a rage took him over. He reached for the zombie Santa and tore its head clear off. Then he grabbed the Santa chair and threw it hard enough to knock down two zombie Santa’s.

Eric watched as Carlos and Lucas both grabbed lollipops and gingerbread men then went to work grinding the heads of the zombies into a pasty mess. Within seconds the only thing left was a black puddle of ooze.

There were still almost a dozen left and for some reason they didn’t want to leave the area. Eric knew something had to be keeping them here; he just didn’t know what.

“Oh my God! Get it off of me!” Eric knew the voice. He looked around, but didn’t see Mark anywhere.

He ran over to the house and saw Mark inside. He had a zombie Santa attacking him. Eric debated what to do, then realized Mark would most likely know what was happening. He had to save the bastard. Going against his better judgement he rammed his shoulder against the door and made his way inside. Eric barrelled into the zombie Santa so hard his teeth shook.

Once on the ground Eric wrestled until he had the zombie Santa trapped under him and then stuck his fingers in its eyes. He searched for a weapon of some kind, but the only thing he saw was a small chair.

“Give me the damn chair.” Mark didn’t move.

Eric grunted as he tried to control the zombie Santa beneath him.

“Give me the chair, Mark, or you’re going to die.”

Mark handed the chair over and Eric smashed it against the floor. Using a leg he jabbed it into the ear of the un-dead Santa writhing beneath him. Eric almost wretched at the rank smell coming out of the wound.

Standing up he glared at Mark. “Okay, you tell me right now what you did.”

“I made sure people would never want to have mall Santa’s again.”

“I don’t have time for this, and really? That has to be the lamest idea ever for a villain. Now tell me what’s going on.”

Eric heard a scream from outside and grabbed Mark as he made his way out of the house, another miniature leg in his hand. From his right a zombie Santa approached him and without even looking he stuck the leg through its mouth, and then forced it up. The top of the zombie Santa’s head exploded, brackish brain matter gushing out.

 Taking in the scene, things were grim. Lucas had been taken down; four zombie Santa’s had emptied him out like a melon. Cassie, Carlos, and Tony were in trouble, getting surrounded by the remaining zombie Santa’s. There were about eight or nine of them left, and the trio were out of lollipops, gingerbread men, and fence pieces.

Eric yelled, “Get over to the sports store, we need to get better weapons!”

Holding Mark behind him, Mark made his way over to the sports store after he saw his team make it there safely. Once inside they grabbed hockey sticks and baseball bats.