Writers Note:
Keep the following in mind while reading this story. I created this for my family Christmas because every year someone writes a story and incorporates everyone’s name. We play a game while reading and pass around hand woven ornaments when a persons name is said in the story. Whoever the ornaments stop on by the end of the game get a scratch off lotto ticket. This has become a fun new family tradition and is the reason the story is written the way it is. I hope you enjoy and may even end up incorporating a similar fun little tradition into your family get together’s as well. The next chapter will be available at Christmas time this year.
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“Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring not even a mouse. The stocking were hung by the chimney with care. And Zombie moans and groans filled the crisp morning air.”
DAY 1 : Merry Z-Mas Erbaugh Family
Christmas is a time to spend with family and show your gratitude, love, and appreciation for one another. We all look forward to the delicious home cooked family dinners, opening heartfelt gifts, and creating memories that last a life time. But…what if those lasting memories; all the joy, laughter, and savory smells were exactly that…The Last.
A rain cloud hovering over Port Jefferson, Ohio comes into contact with a deadly radioactive substance lingering in the atmosphere. Only 30 minutes north of Troy in the small town of Port Jefferson a family is having horrible family Christmas. Turmoil has sprang up and ruined their day. Relatives are bickering and people are starting to leave. That’s when little Susie looks up at the sky and notices an ominous, almost sickly looking green cloud floating only inches above her Dad’s car. She looks around and no one else seems to notice anything, so among all the chaos Susie hops up onto the hood of her dad’s car to see if she can touch the low hanging cloud. It pops! Just like a bubble, right into little Susie’s face, and she falls to the ground in tears.
“SUSIE!” Her father shouts as he rushes to her side kneeling down to get her up off the cold wet pavement. Susie starts to cough and blood starts pouring from her nose. Her father rushes her off to the emergency room leaving the bad blood in the dust.
Doctors and nurses at the hospital are baffled by the side effects little Susie is starting to express. She’s turning pale. Her heart is slowing rapidly, and she’s becoming more and more aggressive as the doctors try to find out what happened. The doctors soon notice that Susie’s father who has been sitting next to Susie the entire time is becoming a little green around the gills as well. He ends up in the bed next to her only minutes later.
**This is just the beginning of the end and the Erbaugh family only has but a few hours left to savor those last holiday treats before their whole world changes forever.**
Karen ushers Kathy toward the kitchen door to start sending some of the younger kids in to grab their plates. She turns to head towards the other room where sounds of chaos have sprung free. She grabs Amara, Caleb, Brandon, and Eris to head into the kitchen and grab their food.
“Hey! Uhmmm what about me? Hunter’s the youngest, so don’t I get to grab our plates too?” Jasmine shouts to Kathy over the roar of family mingle. Kathy furrows her brow at Jasmine and closes her eyes for a second. She sighs and nods her head toward the kitchen giving Jasmine the go ahead to grab food for Hunter and her.
“That’s not even fair! Layne stands up and crosses his arms. “She should have to wait and get her plate with all the other adults.” He gives Kathy a dead serious look and then starts giggling as he sees both Jasmine and Kathy’s faces flair up with rage. “I-I’m just playin, she can do whatever she wants. Hunter is the youngest after all...Ha ha…” He stumbles over his words as he retreats back to his seat realizing the joke just wasn’t as funny out loud as it sounded in his head.
“Shup up Layne! You’re not even funny.” Alexis rolls her eyes over at Layne and then smiles back up at Kathy and Jasmine who are making their way into the kitchen. “She shouldn’t have to wait to feed Hunter just cause SHE’S an adult. It probably worked the same way when we were all babies.” She continues to lecture Layne in a joking manner about him giving Kathy and Jasmine a hard time. Others start to chime in.
“Yeah Layne, what were you even thinking. Asking a mother to starve her child on Christmas! Wow man, that’s just low.” Jayden says as he tries to keep a straight face, but can’t contain his laughter as he keeps hounding Layne with more low blows. They all start bursting out laughing and shortly after change the subject to something about farts. I think…
Meanwhile, Dave and Dave are relaxing in the living room sunken into whatever seat they’ve reserved for themselves. They watch sports as they wait for everyone else to finish grabbing there plates before they head to the kitchen to sift through the scraps.
**Who are we kidding, there’s enough food at these get-together’s to serve a whole military convoy**
“Who do you thinks gonna win this one Dave? My money’d be on the Patriots.”
**Before we go any further let’s clarify the Dave’s we have here in this story. Shall we. We have Dave and David that we will refer to them as throughout the rest of the story. Dave being Dee’s husband and David being Kathy’s husband. **
“Yeah, Patriots got this one for sure. May even make it to the Super Bowl again this year.” David chuckles and starts to get up to head into the kitchen. “I think we’re up.” He looks over at Dave and then walks out of the room.
Later on that evening after everyone’s finished eating Skyla goes over to Karen to ask if they’ll be starting games and opening presents soon. Karen looks up at Skyla and smiles. “I was just about to get started on games. I want to wait till later to open presents after we’ve played a few games.”
“Do I get to be Santa this year?” Jostlyne asks as she walks into the room behind Skyla. “I feel like it’s been forever since I’ve been Santa or elf. I’m definitely dressed the part.” She continues as she glides her hands down her very Christmas spirited wardrobe.
“I’ll be Santa and Jayden is elf this year. You’ll get your turn, just be patient.” Karen giggles and starts to her bedroom to grab the materials needed to get started on the games she’s prepared for the evening. Outside the living room window underneath the stairs going to the upstairs apartment is a small rapping on the glass. Dee turns around to peak out the blinds to find out where the noise is coming from. A look of complete disbelief crosses her face as she turns around and starts to stand up away from the window manically laughing.
“Haha… Uhmm guys, I think… I can’t believe I’m even saying this right now, but I think there’s an uhmm zombie outside the window.” Dee says as she goes back to the window to look again just to be sure she hasn’t lost her marbles. She thinks to herself, “There’s no way that it’s ACTUALLY a zombie, it’s gotta be Jayden or Layne or one of their friends playing a prank on us.” She looks through the blinds again as Heather and Eris come up beside her to take a peak themselves.
“HOLY SHIT BALLS! No way! That’s not a real zombie is it?” Heather shouts as she turns to waive Brad to the window to take a look and confirm if she’s right or not. “Brad come here and look at this guy. His make-up is unreal!” Everyone else starts to make their way towards the window trying to get a look at the zombie man outside the house. Dee turns around to see if Layne and Jayden are in the room, she sees them standing right behind her. “Did one of you guys put someone up to this?” Heather looks over at Layne and Jayden to gauge their reaction and see if she’s figured them out. Just as she’s about to call them out on pranking the family the man at the window notices the movement of everyone inside and goes crazy. He starts beating relentlessly at the window and it slowly starts to crack as he hits harder and harder. Layne and Jayden look at one another and then back at the family.
“We definitely didn’t do this. I have no idea who that guy is Mom.” Layne points at both him and Jayden and starts to back away from the window slowly. Everyone else follows suit as the glass starts to give.
“What the fuck? Is this guy seriously breaking Grandma’s window?” Jayden says angrily clenching his teeth trying to keep from going outside and giving this guy a piece of his mind. Just as Jayden’s about to head out the door the window shatters and the blinds fall to the floor. Growling and moaning noises grow louder and louder as the man with only half a face starts to climb over the broken window frame. Sounds of tearing flesh can be heard as blood spurts out all over the back of Karen’s futon and hand woven blanket as he struggles to make his way into the Erbaugh family home. That’s when all the girls and younger ones start to panic letting out death curdling screams as they run towards the kitchen to get away from the faceless man. Dave and David start to pick up the folding tables to barricade the gaping hole that’s now in the side of the house. Jayden and Layne are standing there completely motionless in the living room in shock as to what is going on, trying to think of ways to help protect their family. Brad lunges forward and grabs ahold of the concaved hole in the man’s head as puss seeps out all over his hands he shoves the grotesque beast of a man out of the window. They all work together to finally get the window blocked off, but they know it won’t hold for very long. Jayden starts to crack open the front door to get a look outside and Jostlyne flips on the TV in the other room to find out what the hell is going on in town.
News Reporter:
“It’s been a grueling 6 hours since the outbreak at the Wilson Health Emergency Room near Port Jefferson, Ohio and doctors have yet to figure out what highly contagious virus they could be dealing with. An estimated 60,000 people have already been reported as showing symptoms of infection with this new mystery virus and most of Miami County is in shambles…” The news reporter goes on to explain the dire situation the Erbaugh family has found themselves dead center of. Everyone looks at one another worryingly as Jayden swings open the front door.
“Uhhh guys…” Jayden shakily says as he takes a step back away from the door. Everyone’s eyes are drawn in his direction towards the door. Peering out of the front door to the Erbaugh family household is a splendid view of dozens of lifeless people walking the streets aimlessly. Sounds of growling and moaning grow louder.
“Well, merry fucking Christmas guys. Looks like we got ourselves a case of the zombies.” Dave says as he whips out his pocket knife readying himself for battle.
Next time on Erbaugh Zombie Christmas. . .
Time to fight to the death for a Happy New Year! Some learn that life is about to get much harder and others find that their lives may be at their end. Who makes it through the year and who finds themselves as zombie food?