Zenith had planned this day for weeks, ever since he heard about the Blood Rains: the Second Step coming out on Christmas eve. He told his family not to plan anything until after 3 p.m. that required his showing up because he was dead set on seeing it opening day. They complied, as parents often do with a favorite firstborn. In their eyes, Zenith was worth the inconvenient delay of a few hours, so they placated his sisters with a morning full of carols and brunch and planned a festive family dinner together: no problem. (more…)

We saw them walking
hand in hand- the one, slightly
in front of the other.

We watched them walking,
just outside our garden gate,
past the old Winthrop house,
where Pine and Filbert

intersect. We felt
the crimson tracer tag
our retina’s. Mark
us Barska red for –

Stop, Miss Alba …please… (more…)

Before you wanted to kill us all the time

things were better, back when we were like siblings,

you, the normal older brother, with a soft spot

for us, your retarded kin. Except even then

you couldn’t hide your distaste for us. (more…)

I thought of death often.

At times I yearned to drown myself in the mountain streams, or wander off into the forsaken lands beyond the forest, to be torn and tortured by the walking dead.

I suppose the entire town considered giving up at some stage. We had all lost someone we loved to those who walk the earth and feed off the living. After losing my wife to flesh eaters… God knows what I’d do if I had to lose my father and my little boy as well. (more…)

“Jesus Christ, this mud is thick!” said “Mississip” as his left leg became stuck up to his knee in the wet, viscous mud of the swamp that he and his two companions trudged through miserably. The temperature and humidity were so high and the air was so thick, that Mississip’ imagined he really could cut it with the long bayonet attached to the barrel of his Model 1859 Springfield Musket which he struggled to keep dry in the near tropical conditions.

He peeled the grey slouch hat from his head and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm, which did little more than smear the mud and grime that covered every inch of Mississip’s face. He sighed and pulled at the stuck leg. It started to give and then with a wet slurp the swamp let his leg go and he was free to continue on after the single file line of his two friends. (more…)

Prologue:

“You stand right there for a minute, you son of a bitch. You just abide there and I’ll do what ought to be done.”

My old eyes don’t line up a peep sight like they used to. Something about vision when you pass those sweet years of youth by…it just ain’t happy with settling down to giving you equal perception all through the range. I’m breaking down, but as I steady the M14 over the roof of an abandoned and rusting Hyundai, I can still feel the shot. I take a breath and let half of it out. I squeeze, real gentle. (more…)

We here at TotZW are considering publishing an ink-and-paper tome collecting some of the best work on the site. Please vote for your favorite story or poem on Tales of the Zombie War in the comments on this post, or on our Facebook poll.

Thanks,

-Ed.

Nothing like a good zombie movie that’s also public domain. 1932’s “White Zombie” holds up surprisingly well, given the 80 years since its release. The audio’s a bit rough, but the Haiti-based story of zombified slaves is still chilling. A perfect Halloween film.

Wayne carefully opened the curtains and peeked out.

“It’s quiet outside” he said. “I’m going to the shops, get some supplies.”

Simone turned her head in the direction of his voice, glad for a noise other than the baby’s unending cries. “Have you got the gun?” she asked.

“Yes” (more…)

UPDATE:

——

From our good friend Mr. Pete Bevan:
“It is with great pleasure I can announce that my collected works of Zombie fiction, entitled “All The Dead Are Here” is now available at Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com for the Kindle Reader App. This means they can be read on the Kindle, Smartphone, PC, iPhone or Mac (through Kindle Cloud Reader) for a price of around $5 or $3.50.

All The Dead Are Here – Amazon.co.uk
All The Dead Are Here – Amazon.com

This book contains 9 stories from TOWWZ that have been professionally edited and, in some cases rewritten. Then there are an additional 8 previously unpublished works in this collection that represents all of Pete Bevan’s Zombie fiction in one spine chilling tome of 85,000 words. The collection also contains all three (Three? Or four?) parts of his acclaimed ‘Minister’ series.

I sincerely hope you treat yourself to a bit of a Zombie this Halloween, and I would only ask that you leave a review on Amazon.

Due to the subject matter and language used this book is not recommended for the under 18’s. Not unless they’ve been really bad.

Islands – Competition winning story of a lone shop owner trapped in a city of the Undead, his salvation coming from an unexpected source.
The Minister – Years after the Apocalypse a band of survivors meet the strangest man of God.
Kernow – Take care when holidaying in Cornwall after the Zombie Apocalypse.
The Beating of 10,000 wings – An old man makes his final peace in a scarred land.
Cadish – An strange alien with the best intentions makes a hideous mistake.
The Minister Verse 2 – Government forces hunt for a strange priest not realising his true power.
The Isle of the Ungodly Dead – A Victorian reporter from the Times finds a tropical hell.
These things always happen to me on a Tuesday – The Zombie Apocalypse is not always as it seems.
Leaving Liminality – A survivor reminisces on what he has become.
The Boy – A traffic jam at the wrong place and time changes a boys fate forever.
Koyashis Button – A man employed for his lack of empathy has to make a fateful decision.
Zom – bee – The last man to sleep has to become fear itself as he drives across a nightmare world.
The Madman, The Tower, and The devil – A US General gets a visitation from the old adversary.
Angels with Dirty Faces – A father is faced with his darkest decision.
The Minister Verse 3: Resurrection – The final epic showdown of the Minister triptych
Quantum Practice – The last scientist uses a hat stand of non-linear time to prevent the Apocalypse.
The Tellers Apprentice – A lone traveller seeks to pass on the lost knowledge, but who is this traveller?”

So consider getting yourself or a friend this collection of fine stories for Halloween. Several of these are featured on our site, but many are exclusive to Pete’s collection.

-Ed.

Hello all,

Thought we’d add a few Halloween treats for you ghoul destroyers. It being that time again, here’s an embed of your editor’s long-past days as a college radio disc jockey. Music in this show runs the gamut from Tom Waits to Meat Beat Manifesto to Alabama 3 to Johnny Cash. Take it for what it’s worth – it’ll only be on here for a short time.