Sand, Sea, Zombies

By Blackpool and Fylde Lancashire and Cumbria Wrimos

Ten short story writers were given the topic of two characters, Ed and Lily, on a rainy afternoon in Blackpool when there was a Zombie attack. Each story takes a different direction but they all include ZOMBIES!

Here are some extracts:

There was a time when Blackpool Tower was packed every day, filled with people having a good time. Television shows were filmed here, right in the ballroom where people danced and laughed and clapped. But I am the only one here now. (Towered by Jacquera Black)

My best friend had just had her throat ripped out and the person who did it was in an orgasmic state. As my mind started to process the scene, I could hear more screams coming from all around me... (Not Another Zombie Story by Rowanne Carberry)

'Get out son! The shipwreck's full of 'em!' Father shouted. A black rotting corpse broke a hole through the ship's wall in front of me. Staring at me with blood-red eyes, its shrivelled purple lips curled back, mouth opening wide baring teeth black with rot. (The Black Poole by A Isaac)

"It's weird there's nobody around - well I can see a couple of people over there, but they look like they're staggering a bit. Must be the wind, or maybe a lunchtime pint or several!"
"It's probably because Blackpool's dead in the winter and you know why that is!" (Zombietown by Deb Jacobs)

'Mum! Mum!'
'Just a minute, Ed! Mummy needs to do this.' Facebook quiz to check which Strictly celeb I’m most like, Lily added silently, flicking through the questions on her phone. (#Zombies by Leigh Keating)

You could come to Blackpool and just let yourself merge into the miasma of broken dreams and empty promises. Here you could let things fade away slowly hanging onto a façade filled with wild smiles and madness with nothing underneath. (the violence calls up silence by Mark Keating)

Lily knew she had to get off the street. The smell of rain was in the air and the creatures seemed to like the rain. Maybe it was something about the sound all around them, they were always attracted to any kind of sound. (The Pier by Bec Pearce)

I remember thinking to myself, No, no, this isn’t happening, it’s just something else, someone in the crowd getting too rowdy or something. But off in the distance, we could see the soldiers hurrying, getting their guns ready...shooting towards the beach. And we could hear screams now. (Day One by Richard Southworth)

Lily watched through a pane of unbroken glass, terrified, as the first Zombie to reach Ed ripped off her husband’s leg and slid off the yellow trouser covering like taking a wrapper off a bar of chocolate. (Deliteful Donuts by Glenis Stott)

The Ecclesiopians had been putting up beautiful posters of a world returned to nature. Piles of clothes scattered around the landscapes, everyone who had real faith being gathered by angels and returned to the Kingdom of Heaven.
“We just misunderstood,” Lily muttered disconsolately. (Remains by Angel Wedge)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Blackpool and Fylde Lancashire and Cumbria Wrimos
• Release date: Aug 16, 2016
• ISBN: 9781370751815

Book preview

Sand,

Sea,

Zombies

Sand, Sea, Zombies

by Blackpool & Fylde Wrimos,

&

Lancashire & Cumbria Wrimos

at Smashwords

2016

ISBN: 9781370751815

Copyright © Jacquera Black, Rowanne Carberry, A Isaac, Deb Jacobs, Leigh Keating, Mark Keating, Bec Pearce, Richard Southworth, Glenis Stott, Angel Wedge (Blackpool and Fylde Wrimos, Lancashire and Cumbria Wrimos)

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, made sentient, duplicated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means except by the permission on the author.

All characters in this book are entirely fictitious and any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Cover designed by The Dog Ate My Bookshop (http://www.thedogatemybookshop.com/). Original images have been modified and adjusted. Some artwork is based on the images:

https://morguefile.com/search/morguefile/1/blackpool/pop

&

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stinkiepinkie_infinity/10159454363.

The copyright holders, photographers and site owners do not approve, condone or otherwise endorse any changes or usage of these pictures for this cover or any other associated reproduction in any form.

Please see licences:

https://morguefile.com/terms#license

&

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/.

All rights reserved.

Introduction

Can a writer steal another writer's idea? If the first writer shares an idea for a story, an idea the second writer decides to run with, will they write identical stories? That was the thought behind writing our zombie stories, if we all started with the same, would we end up with the same? So we all decided to see if that would happen, we'd start at the same place, with the same information, a male character named Ed, a female character named Lily, set in Blackpool, on a rainy afternoon, and the story would be about a zombie attack. The stories in this book are the result of that experiment, all very different, and pointing to the fact that ideas cannot be plagiarized as each writer will write with a different slant.

Jacquera Black

Contents

Introduction – Jacquera Black

Towered – Jacquera Black

Not Another Zombie Story – Rowanne Carberry

The Black Poole – A Isaac

Zombietown – Deb Jacobs

#Zombies – Leigh Keating

the violence calls up silence – Mark Keating

The Pier – Bec Pearce

Day One – Richard Southworth

Deliteful Donuts – Glenis Stott

Remains – Angel Wedge

Towered

by Jacquera Black

There was a time when Blackpool Tower was packed every day, filled with people having a good time. Television shows were filmed here, right in the ballroom where people danced, and clapped and laughed. But I am the only one here now. I'm the only one who gets to see the golden sculptures in the ceiling or the paintings of dancing men and women just below.

I walk over to the pipe organ set on the stage, press one of the keys and listen to the hum of music as it reverberates through the room and vibrates through my feet.

When I was little, I used to sit here as Mother played the organ. She’d sing nursery rhymes, and pop songs, and tell me about what life used to be like. And warn me that the world was a dangerous place.

That I should never, no matter what, leave the Tower.

She leaves though. Every few months, she goes to get supplies, and I am left all alone. But this time she’s been gone far too long. I haven't seen her for weeks and I’m starting to get worried.

My stomach rumbles so I head out of the ballroom to the kitchen, walking past the door which leads to outside. The door which is always locked, has furniture piled up in front of it, and is rattling as someone tries to open it.

‘Mother.’

I hurry forward and start pulling the furniture to one side. ‘I am so glad you are back. I’ve been so lonely without you. I was starting to think something had happened to you.’ Moving a chair from underneath the handle, I turn the key in the lock and start pulling back the bolts. ‘The food has nearly all gone, Mother. I know you've always said I shouldn’t leave the Tower but I was thinking I’d have to.’ I yank the last bolt out of its slot and fling open the door.

A boy with a head of knotted curls and a bruised face pushes past me.

‘Who are you?’ I put my hands on my hips as I stare at him.

‘Shut the door.’

I ignore him and lean out of the doorway, rain coming through a broken window soaking my long hair.

‘I said shut the door.’

I look back at him. ‘Where’s my mother?’

‘I don’t know but you need to shut the door.’ He steps toward me and tries to push me to one side.

‘What are you doing?’ I shout, trying to keep the door open. ‘We have to wait for Mother.’

‘Then sit right down where you are and wait but this door needs to be closed and locked.’

‘No, it needs to stay open. You don’t get to decide what happens. This isn’t your home.’

‘I don’t care whether it is or not.’ He slams the door shut.

‘Hey.’ I pull at his arm. ‘You can’t come in here and…’

‘Look, I’m sorry but your mother isn’t coming. She’s probably not even still alive.’

‘Of course she’s alive.’ I try to yank open the door before he can bolt it. ‘And she’ll be here any time.’ I glance at him. ‘Why would you say that she’s not alive?’

‘Because.’ He waves his arm toward the door.

‘Because what?’

He tilts his head to one side. ‘Are you winding me up? Surely you know… you’ve got to know… how could you not?’ A frown twists on his face. ‘But you don’t know do you? You don’t know about…’

‘Know what?’

‘How dangerous it is outside.’

I snort. ‘Oh that. Yes, I know how dangerous it is outside. Mother’s told me enough times. But you’ve been out there and are all right. And she’s been out there loads of times and has always come back.’

‘Until now.’

‘She’ll be back and then she’ll kick you…’ I sigh. ‘You know; I don’t believe any of it is true. You’re only saying it is dangerous because I’m a girl. Well I might be a girl but I can look after myself.’

‘I’m sure you can.’ He rubs his stomach. ‘Look as much as I am enjoying talking to you, I’ve not eaten since yesterday. I heard you mention food.’

'And?'

‘I wondered if I could have some. To be quite honest, I'm so hungry that I

Reviews for Sand, Sea, Zombies

[jacqueline Draycott · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

No idea how this got on here but woohoo, I’m a Scribd author. I wrote the foreword and Towered. (Jacquera Black)