Dead Man Running by Barry Davis

you gotta be shitting me. " 
    Behind Chi, Wiley quietly s at up in bed.
    " W h ip, w h op, wham ," zombie Mookie said as he walked toward Chi.
    " I'll give your ass a wham! "  Chi cock ed the hatch et to strike Mookie.  Before he c ould swing , it wa s jerked backw ard out of his hands.  Wiley had it and he snap ped the handle in two .  Chi broke for the door but his path was blocked by Mookie. 
    Mookie smile d then his mouth start ed to enlarge .  It was suddenly full of sharp teeth .
    Chi turn ed back around and there wa s Wiley, now standing beside the bed.   " Out came the sun and dried up all the rain. "
    "Whip, w h op, wham."
    There wa s a loud growling sound enveloping the room , this time coming from both zombies.
    " Oh my God!" Chi shouted as he sprinted around Wiley to the balcony door.  Mookie and Wiley follow ed him in their slow zombie shuffle s .  Chi unlock ed the door and ran onto the balcony.  He look ed back into the room to see that Wiley and Mookie ha d almost reached the door . 
    Chi turn ed back to the balcony.  He quickly considered his options: become breakfast for two zombies or die jumping out a second floor window onto a strip of asphalt. 
    He leap ed off the balcony into the alleyway.
    Wiley and Mookie finally reached the balcony.  They look ed down and their zombie eyes s aw Chi Bright lying on the alleyway, face down, his broken body in a quickly expanding pool of blood.

NINE
    T he last Sunday before the election and all candidates we re expected in church, none more so than the Rever e nd Benjamin Wiley.  The congressman's limo skim med above the vibrant Harlem streets.  In the rear sat Elias, Jan and Wiley.   Absent Chi or Mookie a s taffer was at the wheel with the privacy partition closed.
    " I haven't been able to contact Chi since Friday.  Do you know where he is? "
    " Last time I saw him was Friday afternoon.  I left the house to pick up a dress.  When I came back, he was gone. "
    "That's not like Chi – he knows that Wiley shouldn't be left alone.  How was Wiley when you got back ? "
    " He was good.  Mookie had stopped by for a visit.  I never realized how much Mookie and Wiley have in common. "
    " Mookie?  What was he doing there? "
    " Just hanging out, I guess. "
    " He wasn't any trouble? "
    Jan smiled.  "N o, by the time I got back, he had found something to eat and everything. "
    The driver brought the limo to a stop in front of the church.
    Well dressed parishioners mob bed the vehicle as their beloved faith leader appeared.
     
    Inside the church t he usher s and attendants we re busy preparing for the service as worshipers enter ed .  A group of deacons argue d near the front of the church.
    " But he called me.  He called me . "  The deacon point ed to himself.
    Another deacon raised his voice.  Small of stature, he held his head high and balanced on his toes as he spoke.  " I should be the one leading the service.   You know, Brother Rutherford , it was Mr. Turnbull what called you, not God. "
    " Yes, Brother Weldon, they called and said that the Reverend Wiley would like one of his deacons to lead the service. "
    A third deacon, Meeks, spoke then.  " And that should be me as I would be the recipient of a call as well . "
    Weldon said, " Brother Meeks , we can talk a lot about what you are the recipient of.  From what I hear you were the recipient of something from that little Jones girl who sits up front.  Between scratching your family jewels and making eyes at that girl, I don't see where you have the time to lead the service. "
    " Brother Weldon , I would think you are above such gossip. "
    " Brother Rutherford, Mrs. Jones is still trying to clean that gossip off her good couch. "
    Brother Meeks attempted a comeback: " I can explain that.  You see I... "
    " Henry, save it.  We need to settle this.  Anybody got some bones? " asked Weldon.
    " I do ," replied Rutherford .
    " Okay, let's go to the back.  First one to roll seven then eleven