The Zombie Zone-a to z 26 by Ron Roy, John Steven Gurney

Ruth Rose’s grandmother set her paint box on the sidewalk in front of their hotel.
    They were in New Orleans, Louisiana. Ruth Rose’s gram was visiting the city to take a painting course, and she had invited Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose to join her.
    “What are you going to paint today?” Ruth Rose asked her grandmother.
    Ruth Rose liked to dress in one color, and today’s color was robin’s egg blue. Everything matched perfectly, down to her blue socks and sneakers.
    “I don’t know yet,” her grandmother said. “Our art teacher will tell us. I’d love to paint one of these charming old buildings with the balconies and creeping ivy.”
    “Thanks again for bringing us,” Dink said. His real name was Donald David Duncan, but ever since he was little, his nickname had been Dink.
    “And thanks for hiring Jack to show us the bayous,” Josh added.
    “You’re very welcome,” Ruth Rose’s grandmother said. “Where is he taking you today?”
    “We’re going on a hike,” Josh said.
    “We’re visiting a community in the woods,” Ruth Rose said. “He said the people there live in huts with no electricity!”
    “That sounds fascinating!” Ruth Rose’s grandmother said. “Oh, here’s Jack’s van. Have fun and I’ll see you for lunch!”
    The kids watched Ruth Rose’s grandmother stride away with her paint box under one arm.
    A van pulled up to the curb. It was painted all over with trees and vines and flowers. On one side was an alligator with the words GATOR GUIDES spilling out of its mouth.
    A tall man in boots, shorts, and a T-shirt hopped out. He had light hair and a deep tan. “Hey, kids, ready for a nice hike?” he said.
    “Hi, Jack!” the kids said. Josh and Ruth Rose piled into the back of the van as Jack climbed into the driver’s seat. Dink sat in the front passenger seat.
    “Buckle up!” Jack said.
    While the kids fastened their seat belts, Jack handed Dink a can of bug spray. “There will be a lot of flying critters where were going, he said.

    The kids sprayed their arms and legs while Jack guided the van through the busy city. Dink saw a lot of people jogging, walking dogs, or eating breakfast at little sidewalk tables. One woman strolled along with a parrot on her shoulder!
    “We’ll be hiking through a beautiful forest today,” Jack told the kids as he drove. “And we’ll meet those people I told you about.”
    “Why don’t they live in the city like everyone else?” Ruth Rose asked.
    “Not everyone likes city life,” Jack explained. “The folks you’ll meet today would rather live the old-fashioned way. They grow most of their own food and hunt or fish for the rest.”
    “But don’t they miss TV and computers?” Josh asked.
    Jack laughed. “The kids go to school in town, so they probably know about that stuff,” he said.
    “But without electricity, how do they cook?” Dink asked.
    “On open fires,” Jack said. “Most of them have simple stoves made from clay and rocks.”
    Dink pictured his parents cooking all their meals outside. He smiled.
    The road became narrower until the van was bumping along over gravel. Tall trees lined the road. Grayish green Spanish moss dripped from the branches. Through the open windows Dink could hear birds and smell sweet dampness.
    Jack’s cell phone started ringing. He pulled the van to the side of the road and stopped to chat for a minute.
    “That was my wife,” he told the kids after he hung up. “We’re expecting our first baby any day now!”
    “Cool!” Josh said as Jack continued driving. “Will you take him on hikes?”
    “The baby could just as easily be a girl, you know, Josh,” Ruth Rose said.
    “Either way, he or she will definitely be a hiker,” Jack said, grinning.
    Soon Jack parked the van in a small clearing off the road. Behind them was the sunny gravel road. In front was a dark wall of trees, moss, and thick shrubbery.
    The kids and Jack climbed out of the van. The air felt muggy, and tiny bugs flew