The Corpse Walker

It’s a legend my dad first told my older brother Jack about, and then laughed between cans of beer when he heard Jack telling me and my best friend Steven the same story. Steven didn’t believe him for one second, unlike me.

“We’re too old for that, we’re sixth graders.” He said at the time.

My brother rolled his eyes and spoke sarcastically. “Whatever, just don’t say I didn’t warn you when I have to save your asses from the corpse walker.”

The idea always excited me after that, and Steven and I went looking every October after. Being in 8th grade now, I feel like we’re finally grown enough that we have a real shot at finding it.

“That you, Jack?” Dad hollered from the living room when I got home.

“No, it’s Chris.” I said. The snap of another beer and shuffling feet towards the kitchen followed.

“What are you doing?” He leaned against the doorway.

“Making some food, you want some?” I asked without looking up.

“Nah, when you see Jack though, tell him I need to talk to him.”

“Yea.” I said offhandedly, clanging around for the pot I was starting to think disappeared.

“Promise? It’s important.” His gruff voice carried a hint of worry I hadn’t picked up on in awhile, it reminded me of how he sounded when he told me mom was in the hospital.

I looked up. “What is it, dad?” I caught his wishful gaze just in time for it to divert to the floor. “One of my grenades from the attic is missing. Now you know I brought them back from overseas, and they’re not just for show. I just need to know if that bastard took it.” He shuffled away and plopped back down in his chair. I focused on boiling the water.

—————

Steven and I were invited to a party at Jessica’s dad’s house earlier in the day at school. Steven has always had a big crush on her just like every other guy our age. Her older sister is dating Jack though, so I always felt kind of weird about whether she was attractive.

“Can you hold some of these?” Steven labored a bit behind me on his bike.

“Dude I told you not to bring the whole case of Mountain Dew.” I glanced back.

“They’re Jessica’s favorite though, and she told me to bring drinks.”

“Ok, whatever, give me some.” I stopped my bike and opened my backpack.

Steven sighed in relief as he moved some of them in. “Thanks dude, when you get a girl I’ll have your back one hundred percent.”

“Of course man, we’re brothers.” I held out my fist and he bumped it.

We were some of the last people to get there, and the warmth of the fire felt perfect since I forgot to bring my gloves. I was so focused on warming up that I didn’t notice until Steven looked around and asked the question.

“Hey, where are all the guys?”

Jessica looked up from making her s’more.

“They’re out in the woods playing flashlight tag if you want to join them.”

I gave Steven a look because we both knew what this meant. A kid in our class, Billy McGuire, was always messing with Jessica and trying to get with her. If Billy comes back then Steven wouldn’t have any other openings. I smirked at him and lugged my bag from behind our hay bale.

“Steven brought the drinks like you asked.” I said. I unzipped it and showed off the mountain dew through the glow of the fire.

“Thank you, Steven. Wanna bring me one?” Jessica tilted her head and smiled.

The look on her face was enough even my heart skipped a beat.

“Can you bring me one, Chris?” Jessica’s friend asked me.

“Sure.” I cracked one for myself and walked to the other side of the fire to give her the other one.

“I gotta go catch up with the guys. Flashlight tag sounds fun.”

I made eye contact with Steven again, and the look on his face told me not to go.

I started to wish I hadn’t when I was heading back to the fire. Billy had taken nonstop verbal shots at me every chance he could, but it was worth it to see the look of frustration he had on his face when we got close enough to see Steven and Jessica snuggled under a coat, her head on his shoulder and most of her friends had disappeared while the few remaining buried their faces in their phones.

“Steven’s a dead man.” Billy picked up his speed.

“Chill out dude.” I grabbed his arm to stop him. Billy whipped around and pushed me to the ground.

“You gonna take that from him?” Someone in our flashlight group said. The rest started to form a circle.

I got up and brushed off the leaves from my clothes. He was a lot bigger than me, but I had to do something.

“Screw you Billy.” I went to push him back, but he grabbed my arms and threw me to the ground again.

I braced with my forearms as he flailed his fists into me repeatedly.

“Fight back, fight back!” Everyone chanted. “What’s going on?” I could hear Steven running over.

“Guys cut it out!” Jessica yelled, pulling Billy off of me. He plopped backwards on his butt and looked up at her and then Steven.

“Whatever. Chris you’re a pussy just like Steven. You guys don’t even drink beer.” Billy sneered.

“I drink more beer than you, idiot.” Steven shot back and helped me up.

“Right, that’s why you’re holding a Mountain Dew.” Billy snorted.

I looked at Steven and hushed my voice. “You didn’t even set it down first?”

“It’s really good when it’s cold.” He whispered back.

“We’ll have a chugging contest then. The loser has to leave the party.” Billy crossed his arms.

“As if you even know how to get beer, Billy.” Steven challenged.

Billy forced out a laugh and hastily walked to his bag. “Jessica told me to bring drinks so I took five beers from my dad’s fridge.”

Steven gave Jessica the side eye, she just shrugged. Billy reached in his bag and handed one to me and Steven. It felt like there was a pit in my stomach. I looked at Steven then back at the beer. Neither of us had ever drank an entire one by ourselves. I gulped through the tight muscles in my throat, hoping it’s not still as gross as the first time I tried it.

“On the count of three.” Billy grabbed the tab of his beer and counted.

The cracking sound sent an image through my brain of my dad opening his beer, sitting on the couch, doing nothing. I turned the can upside down and closed my eyes, but I saw myself as him sitting on the couch in a flashback. I could hear the front door opening, and there I ran inside, me a few years ago, holding my bloody elbow and crying because I was afraid there were rocks in it from when I fell. But from the couch I barely acknowledged my younger self. Instead I turned the beer upside down, just like I’m doing now during this competition.

I spat the beer on the ground and coughed wildly. I looked up at Steven straining to chug it. And after what felt like an eternity Billy finally stopped and crushed his can a few seconds before Steven was finished. Billy turned and high-fived his friends while they congratulated him for being fast.

Billy turned to us and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. “Looks like it’s time for you guys to go.”

“Yea, whatever.” I threw the rest of my beer on the ground. “Dude you’re wasting my freaking beer!” Billy snapped.

I turned to Jessica. “Are Molly and Jack here? I’m not supposed to ride back in the dark.”

“You guys don’t have to actually go.” Jessica spoke solemnly.

“No really, I want to.” I turned to look at the house.

“Yea, they’re probably upstairs. I’ll take you up there.”

I grabbed my bike so her and I could start walking to the house. Steven hurriedly came up alongside Jessica. “You can stay if you want Steven, Billy can’t make you leave. She reached for his hand. Steven just kept facing forward.

“One hundred percent.”

It felt nice to get out of the cold and into Jessica’s dad’s house. The basement was massive and hexagonal. There’s a wooden balcony inside at the halfway point which creates a lower basement ceiling on the far half of the room while the half near the door shares the same ceiling as the second floor. We didn’t plan to be here long, but I still felt bad not taking my shoes off on the carpet.

“That’s them upstairs, I’ll let Molly know.” Jessica said after we heard something fall and then laughter. Steven and I waited in the basement and tried not to feel awkward when Jessica and Molly got into a shouting match with each other before a door slammed and Jack came stomping down the stairs.

“Did you turds really lose a fight and now you want me to take you home?”

“Shut up Steven.” I muttered.

“I guess you don’t need a ride then.” He started back up the stairs.

I huffed loudly. “Yes, okay? We need a ride.”

“That’s what I thought. But in an hour. I gotta do something.” He began up the stairs again.

“What? Man no, I just want to go home.”

“Jackie just let ‘em come with us, it might be funny.” Molly said from the top of the balcony.

“Are you serious?” Jack asked.

“Yes, otherwise you’ll have to come back and get him anyway, just drop him off after.”

“After what?” I asked.

Jack looked at me, I could tell he was thinking hard about something. Then he smiled. “You’ll see.”

“I can’t believe you left your own party to come with us.” Molly said to Jessica from the front seat of Jack’s truck. The stench of weed made my stomach twist. I watched Molly give it to Jack. I wondered how often he smoked while he drove and if we would die in a crash because of it.

Steven subtly reached over and held Jessica’s hand. I silently pumped my fist for him in a way nobody else could see.

“So where are we going?” I spoke up.

I made eye contact with Jack in the rearview mirror.

“You should be happy. We’re going to find the corpse walker.” He cackled and reached over to mess with Molly which made her squirm and joke for him to stop.

“What’s the corpse walker?” Jessica asked.

“Jessica stop.” Molly turned. “You know about the corpse walker.”

“No I don’t, is this a joke?” Jessica let go of Stevens hand and folded her arms, slinking down into the seat. Molly just laughed.

“Jack, you tell her.”

“I think Chris back there is the expert on the corpse walker by this point.” He said while still fighting off his laughter.

I told her the legend of the old doctor named Liam Grayson as best as I could without making her think Steven keeps weird company. I kept an annoyed eye on my brother as I did so.

“Creepy. It sounds dumb. But it’s creepy.” Jessica let out a deep breath.

“If it’s so dumb, touch his grave when we get there.” Molly said.

“I thought they never found his body?” Jessica replied.

“They didn’t, but the townspeople gave him a grave anyway. They thought it would stop the corpse walker.”

“What idiots.” Jack took another puff from his joint and let out a cough, passing it back to Molly. “You guys want any of that?” He asked.

Molly playfully tapped his shoulder. “Jack, they’re just kids.”

“What? You remember how old we were when we started.” He shrugged. She nodded and offered it, none of us took it.

—————

The cemetery had a rusted black metal fence around the perimeter with unkempt overgrowth where the landscapers didn’t bother to get too close. It was eerily quiet and didn’t have lights, so the only way to see was from our phones and the brightness of the moon reflecting off the headstones.

“Come on guys, it’s in the back.” Jack took off while grabbing Molly’s hand.

“Jack slow down!” She laughed as they took off.

“Guys wait up!” Jessica yelled.

I took off ahead of her and Steven, but I couldn’t keep their pace as they weaved through some of the taller headstones and monuments in the cemetery. I slowly cut down my pace so I could look harder around the corners, and that’s when I stumbled on it. Grayson

It was the only headstone that looked like it had been kept up and was in good maintenance. Steven and Jessica were right behind me.

“Oh my God.” Jessica whispered, her eyes widening at the sight of the headstone.

“Do you see them anywhere?” Steven huffed while catching his breath.

“No clue.” I replied.

A loud snap came from behind and we all jolted. There was the sound of footsteps behind us, but when we turned around I only caught a glimpse. They vanished just quick enough to keep out of sight.

“Cut it out guys.” Jessica demanded, grabbing both of us and boxing herself in. We all looked hard at one of the tall monuments, thinking we had just watched someone slip behind it. My ears rang intensely through the newfound silence of feeling hunted.

A hand grabbed my shoulder and whipped me around hard.

“Boo!” Jack yelled in my face, startling me enough that I fell over Steven behind me.

He quickly grabbed me and hoisted me back up.

“Dude come on. That’s not funny.” I scolded Jack, once again brushing myself off for the night.

Molly came out from where we thought we had seen a shadow and started cackling hysterically with Jack.

“Look you got us, can we go home now?” I feel exasperated.

“Alright, alright I’m done messing. Let’s go.”

The sudden sound of leaves aggressively moving in the darkness made us all stop.

“Hey! Who’s there?” Jack spoke defensively.

There was no response, but one of the smaller trees started to shake violently.

“Seriously you guys, the joke is over, ok? It’s getting annoying.” Jessica said to her sister.

“This isn’t us Jess just shut up.”

“I’m serious, I’m not in the right head space for this, you better stop!” A hint of fear crept into Jack's voice.

The tree shook aggressively again, and I could faintly see a shadow pacing back and forth.

“We should go.” I said.

Jack was breathing hard. “No man, someone thinks they can punk us? I’ll show them a scare.”

“Jack, what are you doing?” Molly asked as he reached in his jacket pocket.

Everyone went silent when he pulled it out.

“What are you doing with dad’s grenade?” I hissed.

“Shut up, Chris. I’m handling this.”

“Jack get rid of that before someone gets hurt.” Molly panicked.

“I will.” responded Jack. He pulled the pin and threw it towards the trees.

“No!” I started towards him, but the moment it was in the air I turned and lunged for a headstone.

“Get down!” Steven dove on top of Jessica.

The loud boom erupted behind me, and I braced against the mixture of sticks, rocks, and debris that hit me in the back. I felt my ears ringing and a throbbing pain all over my backside. Jack was lying on the ground, breathing heavily and staring into the trees which were now on fire. A part of the metal fence was missing.

I stared into the flames and then at everyone. I somehow felt hot and cold at the same time. “Jack, what did you do?” I asked in shock.

He couldn’t manage to get any words out. He just pointed.

I looked into the flames, and emerging was a dark silhouette. It hobbled towards us, dragging along a foot facing the wrong way, and bracing an arm across its chest, the other one was half gone. Something seemed off about its face. It gargled and groaned some sort of sound at us, and reached out with its one arm, pointing at Steven. When it got closer I realized its jaw had been blown partially off, and was hanging down by a tendon that somehow remained attached, swinging back and forth with every step it took.

“Who are you? The corpse walker!” Jack yelled in disbelief as he stumbled backwards, flailing his legs so much that he couldn’t prop himself up.

“It wants to kill me!” Steven yelled in desperation as the figure kept pointing and shuffling toward him.

“Don’t let it touch you!” Yelled Jack as he stumbled to his feet.

He grabbed Molly and I and we booked it back to the truck, the three of us slamming the doors and Jack started the truck.

“Where’s Jessica!” Molly screamed. I looked around frantically.

“Steven’s not here either!”

We opened our truck doors and heard a guttural scream from Jessica.

“I’m coming!” Molly took off with Jack and I following behind.

When we got back to the headstone Jessica was collapsed on her knees, Steven hunched over her, shakily clutching her back.

“What is it? What is it? Jessica!” Molly shook her hysterically.

Jessica slapped her hands away and looked down at the body. It was now lying with its back up and face turned towards us.

“He must’ve followed us here.” I whispered, unable to look away.

“Who followed us?” Molly was still shouting, tears streaming down her face.

“Billy McGuire.”