Zombie Project (3 page)

“Now sit down and have something to eat, Benny,” said Maude. “I know you must be hungry after all that work.”

“I am,” said Benny. “I am.”

Everyone laughed.

Maude put a basket of apples and a bowl of cheese slices on the table. Benny walked up to the table.

“Wash up first,” said Maude. “Then you can eat.”

“Yes, ma’am,” said Benny. He walked over and stood in line at the sink.

“Jake,” said Maude. “Can you take the Aldens to a good fishing spot after you eat? It’s their turn to catch our dinner.”

“That will be fun,” said Jessie.

“How many fish do we need to catch?” asked Henry.

“We’ll eat whatever you catch at dinner tonight,” said Maude. “But don’t worry. We’ll be serving other food as well.”

“I’ll catch a big fish for you,” said Benny. He held his hands out to show how big it would be.

Maude smiled. “That sounds great, Benny. Are you sure that will be big enough for you to eat?”

Benny looked at his outstretched arms. “I think so,” he said.

“Oh, Benny,” said Violet.

After everyone ate their snacks, Jake took the Aldens back to the toolshed behind the main lodge. He opened a tall cabinet. “All of the fishing gear is in here,” said Jake.

Benny walked up and looked inside the cabinet. He saw a small fishing rod. “This one is just my size,” he said.

Jake handed Benny the short fishing rod. “Then it’s yours,” said Jake. “I used the same rod when I was your age.”

“Did you catch a lot of fish?” asked Benny.

Jake smiled. “Of course!”

“I thought so,” said Benny. He put the fishing rod over his shoulder.

Jake looked at Violet. “I have one for you, too,” he said. He gave Violet a medium-sized rod.

Then Jake looked at Henry and Jessie. “You can both use taller rods.” He gave them each a tall fishing rod. “Now I’ll take you to a good fishing spot.”

“Good,” said Benny. “I want to catch a lot of fish.”

“We have a lot of people to feed,” said Henry.

“We’ll do our best,” said Jessie.

“Maude said that whatever we catch is fine,” replied Violet.

Jake picked up a tackle box and a big plastic bucket. “Follow me,” said Jake. The Aldens followed Jake out of the toolshed. Jake led them back down the winding trail they had just cleared.

“It’s a lot easier to walk this way now,” said Jessie.

“It’s still pretty,” said Violet. She took the camera out of her pocket and started filming.

Jake walked past the old fishing lodge and stopped at the edge of the river. “Here we are,” said Jake. “It’s my lucky spot.”

“Why is it lucky?” asked Benny.

Jake pointed at the cabin behind them. “That’s the first place our zombie was seen,” said Jake.

“Your zombie?” said Benny.

“The Winding River Zombie,” said Jake. He patted Benny on the shoulder. “I’ve always had good luck fishing here, and you will, too.”

“You said that was just an old family story,” said Henry.

“It is,” said Jake. He looked at the woods and smiled.

“Have
you
seen the zombie?” asked Jessie.

“Well, uh, yes,” stammered Jake.

“You have?” said Benny. “What did it look like?”

Jake shrugged his shoulders. “Oh, you know. It walked like this.” Jake put his arms out and slowly lurched forward. Then he turned to leave. “I have to go help Grandma now.”

The children watched as Jake walked back down the trail.

“W
ill we see the zombie, too?” asked Benny.

“Jake said it’s just an old story,” said Jessie.

“But he said he saw it,” said Violet.

“I’ve seen zombies in the movies, too,” said Henry, “but they’re not real.”

Henry put his hand on Benny’s shoulder. “It’s a good story for the tourists, Benny,” said Henry. “Nothing more.” He pointed at the old cabin behind them. “They call it the old fishing lodge, not the old zombie lodge.”

Benny looked at the cabin. Then he turned and looked at the river. The sun was shining down on the river as it flowed past. The birds were singing. Everything was calm and peaceful.

Henry knelt down and opened the tackle box. The lures were in the small, open drawers at the top. Some lures looked like small, shiny metal fish. Some had feathers and beads with long hooks that pointed in three directions at once.

“What kind of lure do you want to use, Benny?” asked Henry.

Benny looked at the shiny-fish lures and the lures with the feathers and beads. Then he saw the long plastic worms.

“Fish love worms,” said Benny. “But which color is better? Do I want red or blue or black?” Benny looked at the plastic worms in the tackle box again. What would a fish like?

“I want this one,” said Benny. He took a long, red plastic worm out of the tackle box. “It looks like a real worm.”

Benny put the fishing line through the loop at the end of the worm lure. Then he tied a knot. “Now what?” asked Benny.

“Cast your line into the water,” said Henry, “like this.” Henry flicked his wrist and the end of the fishing line flew back over his shoulder. Then Henry moved his arm toward the river and the end of the fishing line flew over his head and dropped into the water. Benny watched as the red-and-white bob on Henry’s line floated on the surface.

“I can do that,” said Benny. He flicked his wrist back and the fishing lines flew back over his shoulder. Then he moved his arm forward and the line flew over his head and into the river. His red-and-white bob floated on the water next to Henry’s.

Jessie cast her line into the water and so did Violet. Benny watched their lines bob up and down in the water.

“Come on, fish,” said Benny.

Crack!

Benny turned around. What was that?

The sound came from behind the old fishing lodge. Was someone there?

Benny squinted his eyes. He could see something in the forest behind the cabin. And that something was moving!

Benny leaned in closer to take a better look. Then a man came out from behind the trees.

Benny watched as the man lurched across the clearing. Why was the man moving like that? And why were his clothes torn?

Benny gasped! Could it be the zombie?

Benny grabbed Jessie’s sleeve and pulled on it. “Look!” said Benny. Then he turned and pulled Henry’s sleeve. “There it is!”

“What is it?” asked Jessie.

“It’s the zombie,” said Benny. “Over there!”

Benny pointed at the trees behind the fishing lodge. But the figure was gone.

“I don’t see anything,” said Jessie.

“Neither do I,” said Henry.

Violet gave the camera to Henry. “Can you see it with this?”

Henry pressed the button on the camera so he could see up close. “It’s just trees,” said Henry. He gave the camera back to Violet. She put it in her pocket.

Benny put his fishing pole down. “But I saw a zombie,” said Benny. “He was right behind the old fishing cabin.”

“Benny,” said Jessie. She put her hand on Benny’s shoulder. “Even in the movies, zombies don’t come out in the daytime.”

“It must’ve been something else,” said Henry.

Benny looked at the woods again. “Who was it?”

“It was probably Jake,” said Jessie.

“Maybe that’s how they keep the zombie legend alive,” said Henry.

“By pretending to be the zombie?” said Violet.

“Maybe,” said Henry.

“How will a zombie give me good luck when I fish?” asked Benny.

Henry laughed. “That’s an old story, too.”

“An old
fishing
story,” said Violet.

“Fishermen love to tell stories about the fish they catch, Benny,” said Jessie. “But that doesn’t mean the stories are true.”

“Oh,” said Benny. He picked up his fishing rod. A moment later, his line was back in the water.

Benny looked back at the woods one more time. Zombies weren’t supposed to come out in the daytime. That’s what Jessie said. But what if the zombie didn’t know that?

Benny felt a tug. He turned around. It was his line.

“Henry,” said Benny. “It’s a fish!”

“Reel it in slowly,” said Henry.

Benny turned the handle on his reel. Then there was another tug on the pole. Benny turned the handle on the reel again. The pole bent down as the fish tried to pull away. “It’s a big one,” said Benny.

“Keep reeling it in,” said Henry.

Benny turned the handle on the reel again. It was getting harder and harder to make it turn.

Splash!
The fish came up out of the water.

“You caught it,” said Jessie.

Violet took the camera out of her pocket and turned it on. “Wait until Grandfather sees this.”

“I caught a fish, Grandfather,” Benny said to the camera.

“He will be so proud,” said Jessie.

The Aldens fished the rest of the afternoon. Henry caught two fish and Jessie and Violet each caught one.

“Five fish,” said Henry. “Pretty good for one afternoon.”

“Let’s bring these fish back to Maude,” said Jessie. “She can cook them for dinner.”

“Dinner!” said Benny. “I can carry them.” He tried to lift the bucket. It barely budged.

“The bucket is heavy now,” said Violet. “It’s full of fish.”

“Can you carry my fishing rod, Benny?” asked Henry.

“Sure,” said Benny. He put the bucket handle down and picked up Henry’s fishing rod instead. Henry picked up the bucket. The Aldens walked back down the trail to the main lodge.

“We’re back!” said Benny as he opened the door.

“What have we here?” said Maude.

“Five fish,” said Benny.

“Jake took us to a great spot,” said Henry.

“By the old fishing lodge,” said Violet.

“That’s the best spot on the river to catch fish,” said Maude. “Let’s take these fish into the kitchen and get them ready.”

Henry carried the bucket with the fish into the kitchen. “Put the bucket in the big sink,” said Maude.

“Sure,” said Henry. He lifted up the bucket and put it into the deep sink. Maude put on her apron. Then she washed her hands.

Violet took her camera out of her pocket and started filming. “What happens next?”

“I’ll get the fish ready to eat,” said Maude.

“I can hardly wait,” said Benny.

“Benny,” said Maude. “Can you put the fishing poles away?”

“Yes, I can do that,” said Benny. He took the other two fishing poles from Violet and Jessie. Now he had all four.

Violet took a picture of Benny holding all four fishing poles. “Grandfather will like that,” she said.

“Do you need help?” asked Jessie.

“No,” said Benny. “I can carry all of them by myself.” Benny put two poles over each shoulder.

“Let me get the door for you,” said Jessie. She walked over and held the kitchen door open.

“Thanks,” said Benny. He walked out the kitchen door. Then he walked around to the back of the lodge to the toolshed. Benny tugged on the toolshed door with his toe. The door swung open. Benny walked into the shed and over to the fishing cabinet. He used his toe to open the cabinet, too. Then he heard voices outside the toolshed.

“And when it gets close to you . . .” Benny heard Jake’s voice say.

“ . . . I scream,” said Abby.

Benny froze. What were they talking about?

“Then I stop,” said Caleb.

“Just for a minute, though,” said Jake. “I want to zoom the camera in on your face.”

“Should I grimace?” asked Caleb.

“I don’t know,” said Jake. “Let’s try and see.”

What is a grimace?
wondered Benny.
Does it have something to do with the zombie?

Then the voices moved away. Benny put the fishing poles into the cabinet and closed it. Then he opened the toolshed door and came out. The teens were gone.

Benny walked back to the kitchen. He had to tell Henry, Violet, and Jessie right away!

B
enny opened the kitchen door and walked in.

“There you are, Benny,” said Maude. “That was perfect timing.” She handed Benny a big bag of marshmallows.

“Can you carry these out to the campfire?” said Maude.

“Are these for s’mores?” asked Benny. Benny loved hot and gooey s’mores. He forgot all about the teens and their grimace.

“Yes, they are,” said Maude. “What is a campfire without s’mores?”

“Yum,” said Benny.

“Here we go,” said Maude. Henry carried the fish, Jessie carried the corn, and Violet carried the chocolate bars and the graham crackers. They all walked down the trail to the fire pit.

“You can put it right here on the picnic tables,” said Maude. The Aldens set all of the food down. There was already a big bowl of coleslaw and a platter of rolls on the table with the red-and-white checkered tablecloth. An ice cooler filled with drinks sat next to the table with the blue-and-white checkered tablecloth.

Maude picked up the long tongs and walked over the fire pit. The fire was already burning, and there were two-dozen foil-wrapped packages on top of the coals.

“What are you making?” asked Violet.

“Fire-baked potatoes,” said Maude as she turned the foil wrapped potatoes over. “They have to cook for over an hour, so I put them in a while ago.”