ZOMBIES AND WINGDINGS
Charlie sat in the driver’s seat of the apple-red Corvette. He had not started the engine. His keys remained in his pocket. His eyes were closed. He did not know what to do next. His heart whimpered from inside the purple velvet bag. Charlie wanted to check his watch, but he knew he wasn’t currently strong enough for that information to have anything other than a negative effect. He reached into his pocket for his car keys, but his fingers found the walkie-talkie. The channel was already set to Wanda, so he turned it on.
‘You there? Over?’
‘Yup. Kinda in the middle of a couple of things, though. You okay?’
‘I think I’m broken.’ Charlie heard Wanda sigh. This was not the sort of support he was looking for. ‘What?’
‘☠🞐♦♒♓■♑.’
‘What?’
‘🖐♦❼⬥ 🙰⧫⬥♦ ⑤ ⬥♏❼❖♏ ♌♏♏■ 🞐❖♏❒ ♦♒♓⬥,’ Wanda said, and then she said nothing. Through the phone, Charlie could hear gunfire in the distance.
‘What are you saying? What language are you speaking?’
‘❄♒♓⬥📬 🏳❖♏❒ ♋■♎ 🞐❖♏❒ ♋■♎ 🞐❖♏❒ ♦♒♓⬥📬 👍♒♋❒●♓♏📪 🖐❼❖♏ ♑🞐♦♦♋ ♑🞐📬 🖐❼🔾 ❒♏♋●●⍓ ♓■ ♦♒♏ 🔾♓♎♎●♏ 🞐♐ ⬥🞐🔾♏♦♒♓■♑📬❾.’
‘This is so frustrating.’
‘That’s how I feel.’
‘No. It’s not that. What were you saying?’
‘Seriously? You want me to say it again?’
‘Please?’
‘Do you still love your kids?’
‘What kind of question is that?’
‘So you do?’
‘Of course.’
‘💧🞐 ♦♒♏ ●🞐⬥⬥ 🞐♐ ⍓🞐⬥❒ ●🞐❖♏ ♐❒❒ ⍓🞐⬥❒ ⬥♓♐♏ ♒♋⬥■❼♦ ♍♒♋■♑♏♎ ♦♒♏ ●🞐❖♏ ⍓🞐⬥♒♋❖♏ ♐🞐❒ ⍓🞐⬥❒ &♓♎⬥?’
‘Wait … ’
‘❄♒♏■ 🙰◆⬥♦ ♎🞐 ♓◆✏ 👎🞐■❼◆ ♏❖♏■ ♋■⬥◆♏❒➔ 👍●🞐⬥♏ ⍓🞐◆❒ ♏⍓♏⬥ ♋■♎♐♏♏● ♦♒♏ ●🞐❖♏ ⍓🞐◆♒♋❖♏♐🞐❒ ⍓🞐◆❒ &♓♎◆.’
‘You’re doing it again! Or it’s happening again.’
‘What is?’
‘What were you just saying?’
‘❄♒♏■ 🙰◆⬥♦ ♎🞐 ♓♦✏ 👎🞐■❼◆ ♏❖♏■ ♋■◆⬥♏❒📬 👍●🞐⬥♏ ⍓🞐⬥❒ ♏⍓♏⬥ ...’
‘No, not the content. What were you talking about?’
‘We could talk on and on and on about it. We already have. But it’s not about me having the answers. You have to figure it out. For yourself.’
‘That’s what you were saying?’
‘No, I was telling you to ♑♏♦ ⍓🞐⬥❒ ♐⬥♍&♓■♑◆♒♓⬥ ♦🞐♑♏♦♒♏❒📬 ❄♒♋♦ ⍓🞐⬥ ♎🞐■❼⧫❒♏♋●●⍓ ●🞐❖♏ ♒♏❒ ♋■⍓🔾🞐❒♏📬 ❄♒♋♦⍓🞐⬥ ♐♏♏● ♑⬥♓●♦⍓ ♋♌■⬥♦ ■🞐♦●🞐❖♓■♑ ♒♏❒ ♋■⍓🔾🞐❒♏📪 ♦♒♋♦ ⍓🞐⬥ ⬥♋■♦ ♦🞐 ⬥♦♓●● ♌♏ ♓■ ●🞐❖♏ ⬥♓♦♒♒♏❒ ♌⬥♦ ■♏♓♦♒♏❒ 🞐♐ ♦♒♓♦ ♦♒♓■♑♦♋❒♏ ●🞐❖♓■♑ ♒♏❒📬❾📬📬📬⌦.’
‘I didn’t –’
‘And that isn’t holding just you back: it’s holding us back.’
‘How come the part where you scold me comes through?’ Charlie knew Wanda was right, even though he hadn’t understood most of what she’d said. Something that Metaphoria was doing was finally making sense to Charlie.
‘I have to go. I’m literally fighting off zombies.’
‘Jesus.’
‘They all look like my college boyfriend. It’s fucked up, Charlie.’
The gunfire got louder and closer and then the signal from the walkie-talkie turned into static.