HVZA: Apocalypse Sale

By Linda Zimmermann

The "HVZA: Hudson Valley Zombie Apocalypse" novels have created a terrifying world where a mysterious parasite has turned ordinary people into killers and cannibals. This short story begins at the onset of the infection, at the region's largest shopping mall, the Palisades Center in West Nyack, NY. Follow the lives of several people as they attend the sale, only to come face to face with their worst nightmares. Some will survive, and some will die, but no one will ever be the same.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Linda Zimmermann
• Release date: Jan 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311399090

Linda Zimmermann

Earning a B.S. in Chemistry and a Master’s in English Literature made it obvious early on that Linda had wide-ranging interests. After working as a research scientist throughout the 1980s, she decided to pursue her real passion—-writing.Today, Linda is the author of over 30 books, is a popular speaker, and has made numerous appearances on television and radio. She has received honors and awards for her books on American history, and has lectured at the Smithsonian, West Point, and Gettysburg. Astronomy and the space program are also favorite topics for her books, articles, and lectures. In addition, Linda has appeared at major science fiction conventions for her science fiction and zombie novels, and is internationally known for her "Ghost Investigator" series of books and UFO books and film.

Book preview

The short story

Apocalypse Sale

From the zombie universe of

HVZA

Hudson Valley Zombie Apocalypse

by

Linda Zimmermann

It was intended to be a humorous marketing idea. Save up to 50 per cent on end-of-the-world deals at the Palisades Center’s First—and Last—Annual Apocalypse Sale.

This massive edifice to consumerism in West Nyack, New York, had recently seen a sharp dip in revenues. As rumors of an unknown contagion spread throughout the Hudson Valley, fear gripped local residents, causing many to stay indoors. Normally, a weekend would find people fighting for parking spots, jamming the restaurants and movie theaters, and packing the stores from one end of the expansive mall to the other.

However, the local TV stations, newspapers, and social media had been showing gruesome crime scene photos of victims who had apparently been eaten by their assailants. They spoke of an infectious agent turning ordinary people into mindless killers and cannibals. Suddenly, the idea of shopping or grabbing a bite to eat in a place filled with potentially homicidal maniacs was not very appealing. A few hardy souls ignored the media reports and Twitter hysteria and were determined to literally shop until they dropped, but there were not enough of these foolhardy people to keep up the profit margins.

So was born the idea of the Apocalypse Sale, fully embracing American greed over common sense and public safety. Retailers didn’t need much convincing to offer deep discounts, and even joked that they would be better than the Black Friday sales—they would be the Black Death sales. Lured by two-for-one dinners and movie tickets, and half-price jeans and shoes, many tristate residents decided to throw caution to the wind. After all, if you have to die, some reasoned, you might as well die shopping.

Tour companies even offered special buses from New York City, promising that the trip would be free if you spent a minimum of $150, and