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
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