The Garden Where The Celestite Lies

The Garden where the Celestite Lies

            “Celestite. A deadly green substance that once it is smelled or tasted, worse than death awaited you. The victim would die, and then come back as a zombie. Once the victim becomes a zombie there is no hope of them ever returning them back into a human, all hope would be lost.” Josiah lowered his microphone away from his mouth, and looked at his Camera women.

“How’d that sound?” Josiah asked.

“Great! Now all we need is some actual solid evidence. Then we could actually run the story. Man this could be a huge story,” Esther said with a far off look in her eyes.

“It will be a huge story. I already have a huge lead down in Florida.” Josiah said proudly.

Esther looked at him quizzically,

“Florida…since when?” Esther asked.

“Since this,” Josiah walked over to his bag, and pulled out a news paper.

“Turn to page seven,” Josiah handed Esther the paper and she turned to page seven.

“This is about a church? What does this have to deal with zombies?” Esther asked impatiently.

Josiah rolled his eyes, and grabbed the paper back and read aloud.

“She insists on sweeping our basket ball court. She claims that if she doesn’t, this thing called Celestite will take over, and then we’ll have a bunch of Zombies on our hands,” the preacher of the church insists that no one has seen this Celestite, and the employee is just making stuff up for attention.

“There is no such thing as Zombies, and there will never be such things. Thank you,” the preacher kindly asked to not be bothered by any more news reporters, or anyone else seeking a story about Zombies. He does however invite all of those who do not have a home church to go to, and so on. Es this is gold,” Josiah said with a glint in his eyes.

“Josiah that’s great but, Florida is at least a 24hour drive, and theirs expenses. Expenses we just don’t have,” Esther said sadly.

Josiah went back into his bag and pulled out two tickets.

“I bought them yesterday,” Josiah said as he handed Esther a ticket.

“Josiah how did you get the money for plane tickets?” Esther said in shock.

“Pulled a couple of strings here and there, and sold some old junk, and bam got the money. Besides don’t worry about it, oh and check the date of the ticket.” Josiah said.

“Today? Whoa! That means I got to get ready, I got to pack the camera, I have to so many things to do. Josiah you’re the best thanks a ton. We’ll finally get that big story we always wanted.” Esther said as she gave him a hug.

***

Priscilla was sweeping the church’s basketball court because Celestite had been growing all over it. Every Sunday morning Priscilla would come to church to sweep away the Celestite. The Celestite was everywhere, it was believed Celestite actually came from a red seed that would then sprout into a green plant that resembled mossy grass. Red was a color that was hated by those who believed in what a Celestite could do.

 Priscilla swept the court making a game out of it. She would twirl, spin, and laugh. Anything that would distract her mind from the actuality of the danger that would await her should she accidently smell, or taste the Celestite.

It was a sacrifice. That is what it was, a sacrifice. Many members of the church looked on it as nothing but sweeping grass. She tried to tell them what is was, but they wouldn’t believe her. There even was a newspaper written about her, and they made her look like she was crazy. They thought she was trying to make her job seem more important than it really was, but they would never understand that it actually was.

Priscilla was almost done sweeping when from the corner of her eye she noticed little red seeds in a small group together. Priscilla immediately dropped her broom and ran towards the red seeds and went to throw them away.  She ran upstairs to throw them away.  Priscilla figured she would throw them in the garbage and then immediately take them to the dump. She knew it was important for these seeds to be disposed of.

***

Esther and Josiah arrived at the church after there long flight.

“So this is it Jo?” Esther asked

“It better be, you got your camera ready?” Josiah asked eagerly.

“It better be, nah I’m just kidding. Yeah I got it ready. Man this is it, I’m so excited. I just hope my hands won’t shake while I’m recording.” Esther said shaking her hands exaggeratedly.

“So we’ll see the Celestite right? Do you think we will see a zombie?” Esther said.

“Woah don’t get ahead of yourself now. We should see the Celestite, I mean that is why we flew down here. You remember that article we read about that woman who sweeps away the Celestite.” Esther nodded her head, “Well I put some red seeds on the floor. They’re fake copies of the Celestite seeds. This should distract the lady, and give us enough time to get an inside scoop.” Josiah said with pride.

“Wait? You came here earlier and didn’t tell me? Well that’s real lame.” Esther said.

“You can park right over there. I know I didn’t want to involve you, I mean what if she caught me while I was in the middle of planting them. Look I’m sorry, next time I sneak into some place you can come, alright,” He offered her a smile.

“I accept,” Esther said playfully.

“Now you asked earlier if you might see Zombies. Well that would be extremely rare. Sightings of Zombies are at less than 2%. Plus I don’t think it’ll be something you would want to see,” Josiah said.

“I could handle it,” Esther said as she grabbed her camera out of the car. She opened up her camera and got it ready.

“That looks like a good place. I see a lot of green stuff over there. I bet you its Celestite.” Esther said as she pointed in the direction of the Celestite.

Josiah looked in the direction of where Esther was and said,

“You bet that’s Celestite," Josiah said as he grabbed some wires, and his microphone and ran over to the area.

“Hey wait up,” Esther said as she charged after him with her camera.

“Remember when you grab some of the Celestite make sure you don’t sniff any,” Esther said nervously.

“You don’t actually believe that rumor?” Josiah laughed.

“Yes I do! And you should too if you know what’s good for you,” Esther said.

“Nope I don’t believe it. Anyways let’s get to shooting. Who knows when the girl might come back, and that would kill our chance to get our big story.

“Ok, look good for the camera,” Esther said as she raised her camera, ready to shoot.

“Don’t I always,” Josiah said with a coy smile.

“Ha-ha,” Esther said sarcastically.

“Three,” Esther signaled two, then one and started filming.

“They say the grass is always greener on the other side. That however may not be always true.” Josiah bent down and grabbed some of the Celestite. Esther gave him a cautious look and he shrugged it off.
            “This is Celestite sighted at a church called Christ Fellowship Redland Campus. It is believed that Celestite is odorless. That remains to be seen,” Josiah said.

Esther shook her head like crazy, but Josiah lifted the Celestite to his nose, and inhaled deeply. Josiah turned back towards the camera with a wide grin on his face, and Esther sighed in relief.

“Well it certainly doesn’t have a smell,” Josiah immediately dropped his mic, and reached up towards his throat, and then collapsed on the floor.

Esther looked on in aw, she was about to drop her camera and go to Josiah’s aid, when she heard a low whisper.

“Finish our story,” it was Josiah, and then his eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he stopped breathing.

Esther turned in panic her camera was still running, and she noticed a man who held a broom, and went to interview him.

“Sir!” Esther yelled.

He kept on walking, and ignored her sweeping and muttering some unintelligible words.

“Sir! Did you see that man die over there?” Esther said, trying her best to hold in a sob.

The man turned his head quickly his face was full of concern. He stared at the body, and then a smiled in Esther’s direction.

“Do you hear the little girl playing the piano?”

“No,” Esther said the man looked tired. His eyes were red, and large bags lay under them.

“Great a drunk,” Esther muttered under hear breath.

“They say you can hear her play her part in your song. They call it the Zombie song, she plays it when she is about to wake them.

The man started to laugh like a maniac, and he then walked in the direction of the body.

“Looks like I’ll just have to sweep away the body when I get to it. That is…if it is still there,” The man said with a laugh.

“You’re just going to leave the body there?” The man walked over the body,

“I said I’d get to it when I get to it. But I hear the little girl playing her part in the song, looks like he is about to turn.” The man said with glee.

He then proceeded to sweeping the body away.

***

Priscilla accidentally dropped the garbage bags she was holding down the stairs. She went downstairs to get them when she saw that the bottom floor was unlocked. She walked over to it to lock it, when she noticed that there was a piano sitting inside of it. Her fingers ached to touch the keys,

“I’ll just play one song,” she promised herself, as she walked towards the piano.

As she played she forgot about the red seeds she needed to throw away. Everything seemed to fade away. When all of a sudden a low scream brought her back to reality. She remembered why she had to throw away the seeds, and why it must be done in a hurry. Priscilla quickly sat up, and then grabbed the garbage bags, and ran outside. She noticed that it had begun to drizzle so she grabbed her umbrella, and headed off towards the dump.

***

The man’s smile faded, and his face turned serious. Esther noticed this, and asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“The little girl has finished playing her part in the song. He’s ready,” The man said with a far off look.

“What little girl,” Esther looked at the man, and followed his gaze. He was staring directly at Josiah. What was scarier was that Josiah was staring right back at him.

All of a sudden Josiah’s body sprung upright.

“Rigo Mortis!” Esther exclaimed, secretly praying that was it.

“Oh no, that’s not it at all…he’s turning, Zombie” The man said with a smile.

Esther turned zoomed in her camera on Josiah, and said,

“I am here with a civilian, and we are witnessing a man turning into a zombie,” Esther choked on the last few words. It pained her deeply to see her friend turn into a zombie, but today they both made history, and she would not fail him. She laughed to herself bitterly, I got to see my zombie.

Suddenly the man started to scream, and Esther turned towards him with her camera.

“I know, it’s a horrible sight to witness,” Esther said trying to comfort herself, as well as the man.

“Not him a rat,” The man cried pointed at a huge rat running across the field.

Esther had to keep herself from slapping the man, she was actually about to when she noticed Josiah had take off running. He then suddenly collapsed on the ground, and then got back on his feet, and charged in the direction of the dump.

Esther followed the Zombie with her camera, and noticed a women began to walk in that direction. She zoomed in on her with her camera,

“Oh no!” She ran off in the direction to warn her.

***

Priscilla was almost at the garbage dumb when she heard a large thud sound.

“Huh what is that?” Priscilla said aloud, and she looked around, she looked, to her right, up in the sky, and down on the ground, it was when she looked to her left she saw the zombie.

Her body reacted faster than she thought it would in this situation. She ran forward screaming like a nut in the direction of the dump. She needed to throw away the seeds, they needed to be destroyed.

Priscilla flung the umbrella, and held firmly to the trash, and threw them into the dump, as she ran past it.

The zombie had seen her, and she had noticed that there were people to her left. She had to get the zombie away from the people, so she took off in the opposite direction of the people. There was a large farm land she hoped she could get lost in.

The Zombie started to run after her, and it was chucking Christmas ornaments at her. However the zombie’s weakness of slowness allowed Priscilla to escape. She had been the first victim to ever escape being turned into a zombie. She smile to herself, and the kept walking through the farm land, whistling a happy tune.

When all of a sudden her whistle was replaced by a scream. The zombie had found her, and it had been waiting for her in the bushes, It had waited for the precise time she would walk by so that it could grab her. The Zombie did indeed grab her, and it flung her into the bushes.

Priscilla’s scream was muted by the crushes of the ornament balls.