Part 2 of 3
Find the full text at http://skinner.fm
In this, the second chapter of our current story arc, Ruby, our heroine, encounters some unexpected company.
The Skinner Co. Network
074 - Ruby Departed: Neighbours, Part 2 of 3
[ Music ] >> Welcome to FlashPulp Episode 74. Tonight, we present Ruby Departed, Neighbors, Part 2 of 3. [ Music ] >> This week's episodes are brought to you by FlashPulp on iTunes. As Bob Dylan famously sang, now you see this one-eyed midget shouting the word now, and you say for what reason, and he says how. Find a link to FlashPulp's iTunes feed at skinner.fm, search for FlashPulp using the iTunes in program search, or point your browser at httpbit.ly9z2OH0. [ Music ] [ Music ] [ Music ] >> FlashPulp is an experiment in broadcasting fresh pulp stories in the modern age, three to ten minutes of fiction brought to you Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings. In this, the second chapter of our current story arc, Ruby, our heroine, encounters some unexpected company. Ruby Departed, Neighbors, Part 2 of 3. Written by J.R.D. Skinner, Art and Narration Biopoponax, an audio produced by Jessica Me. [ Music ] >> July 12th, morning. I've returned to the top of the farmer's pick. What do I do? Do I let it be? I'm not a cop or a hero. I just want to go home. That's all I've wanted since this crap started. I think Leatherhead's gun must still be adrift on the pavement somewhere below all the shuffling legs. Should I grab it and go back? Lunch. Still don't think I could kill a live person. Some time after dark, but probably before Letterman would start. The moon is amazing tonight. I should really be using this time to get away from here. I mean, I can still see the back of the building where those crazies are. My feet feel heavy though. All of me does. Oh Ben, what are we going to do? July 13th, after breakfast. Just found four people trying to sneak through the back parking lot. I invited them up and made them a meal out of my excess supplies. Should I be so trusting? Whoop, I hear them coming back from their pea breaks. Later in the afternoon. All right, there are two couples. Mike and Jean are in their thirties. They look like they were maybe yuppies in a past life. Mildred and Jim might be old hippies. It's hard to tell as everything in Zombie Town is dirty. Mildred seems a little young for Jim, and Jim seems a little annoyed with Mike. They have flyers they want to discuss. Pieces of pink paper, just like the guy in the muscle shirt had in his hand yesterday. Before the chat though, they've decided to go hold some sort of council without me. Can't blame them for wanting to be secretive, but at the same time, it's a little insulting to feed a bunch of people and then have them take off so you can't hear their discussion. For all they know, I might be thinking they're planning to murder me. Seems inconsiderate. I'm fairly sure I could take them. Still, I think they're about to suggest I tag along to the supposed utopia less than a block away. And I'm going to have to break the bad news that they do not want an invite to that particular barbecue. When did I get so jokey about the whole thing? I guess having someone to talk to that doesn't seem like a netter has been good for my morale. After supper. What do I do? Do I threaten to kill them if they don't stay? That seems ridiculous. Jim actually seemed to be listening. The rest though, I might sound kind of crazy talking about cannibals and death from above. But these people just don't get it. I'm going to try convincing them again in the morning. July 14th. Daybreak. Told them again exactly what I saw. Told them again that their stupid pink flyer is a literal death trap. Mike seems to think that if he survived this long with the zombies, he can survive one brief encounter with a couple of jerks. And if I'm wrong, and there really is an apartment building full of food and space for people to band together, that it would be madness not to try. The shriller my voice got, the less they'd listen. Mike kept saying they'd be careful, and Jim kept saying he'd do whatever Mildred did. By the morning light, I could see in their eyes that they thought I'd gone insane from the sun and the moans. I can see them rounding the corner now. And they're gone. Damn it. Maybe four warned will mean four armed. Five minutes later. Should I follow them? Two minutes later. Was that gunfire? Night. Jim made it back. They listened to me as far as not entering the car ring. Instead, they just stood on top of the wall. While Jean, Mildred, and Jim tried to keep the shufflers from grabbing at their pant legs, Mike decided to hold a meeting. Jim says it went something like this. Mike, hi, we got your flyer. Them. Oh yeah, great. We can't let you in without checking for weapons first though, you know, in case you try and take over. So, please just drop them into the slot. Mike. We'd rather not if that's okay. How about we throw our bags into the circle, then someone opens the door and we come on inside. We can pick up our gear after we've chatted. That's when they shot him. Jean turned to help him, but the debtor's grabbed her and pulled her off the barrier. Jim jumped down, but Mildred was trying to save Jean, so they shot her in the back. He tried to pull her away and was bit on the arm. Jim says he knew then that she was dead, so he just started running. Probably lucky that they didn't go around to the rear balconies to take some more pot shots. Debights kill? Did I just finish a rough patch job on a dead man? I guess we'll find out. [Music] FlashPulp is presented by HTTP colon slash slash Skinner dot FM. The audio and text formats of FlashPulp are released under the Canadian Creative Commons attribution non-commercial 2.5 license. [Music] [Music]