Read Online Sweat Zombies by Raymund Hensley - Free Book Online Page B

“A year? How interesting. I had no
idea.”
    Elaine had her sights on Ben through the whole ride up.
    “ I've found the love of my
life,” she said.
    The words were like icicles falling into my eyes. I felt the tears
coming, and the craziness. The elevator doors opened.
    “ I have to use the bathroom.
I'm exploding,” I said, and ran out of there. I hid in a
bathroom stall and cried on the toilet.
    “ What's wrong with me?”
    You love her.
    I ran to the sink and splashed water on my face.
    “ I do?”
    My reflection shook its head.
    She's always hugging you during goodbyes; laughing and touching
your shoulder whenever you tell bad jokes....Don't you get it? She's
put a spell on you.
    “ You're an asshole. There's no
spell on me. I'm out of here.”
    I got my check from the boss lady – Linda.
    “ Hold it a minute,” she
said. “I have an important announcement. We're firing you.”
    “ WHAT!”
    “ And everyone else. The days
of the medical transcriptionist are over. Blame technology. Doctors
are using computers now that understand their mumbling and print out
their medical notes. Time for us to freshen up on our cashiering
skills.”
    “ This is a nightmare. I can't
work out there with people .
They'll crucify me!” I slapped my hands over my chest. “A
heart attack....Perfect! I'd rather die than handle customers!”
    My legs gave out. I fell into Linda's arms. We eased to the floor.
She looked over her shoulder.
    “ Medic! Man down!”
    Ben and Elaine ran up in slow motion. My eyes were all on her. I
wanted Elaine to be the last thing I remembered before I died.
    “ Come back as a butterfly,”
I told myself. “Come back as a butterfly and live in Elaine's
closet.”
    Somewhere in the hospital, a baby cried.

I woke up in a hospital bed. My eyes adjusted. I could make out a
figure of a woman next to me. It was Elaine.
    “ I missed you,” she
said. “I was so afraid.”
    I smiled and touched her face with the back of my hand.
    “ I dreamed of you. I dreamed
that we were running through tall grass and holding hands.”
    She brushed back my hair.
    “ I have a secret I've been
wanting to tell you for a long time.”
    My heart braced for impact. She leaned in and said the words that
lifted my soul.
    “ I love you. I've always loved
you. I want to be with you forever. Do you love me?”
    I sat up in bed.
    “ Yes, yes, my love! Yes! Let's
be together!”
    I closed my eyes and puckered my lips. She leaned in...and...her face
turned into Linda's.
    She screamed and fell out of her chair.
    “ He's a pervert!”
    I looked around for Elaine.
    “ What happened just now?”
    “ Well...you started yakking in
your sleep...something about a supernatural field made of human
hands. I was scared.”
    “ Why am I in this hospital
bed?”
    “ You stupid or somethin'? You
had a heart attack, remember?”
    “ You're a liar. I'm healthy as
a spring chicken. I take vitamin supplements.”
    A knock at the door, and the doctor walked in with a clipboard.
    “ I'm late for my dinner with
millionaires, so I'll make this quick. You had a heart attack.
Exercise more. Call me in the morning. Goodbye.”
    The doctor ran down the hallway, shrieking, “I'm late! I'm
late!”
    Linda looked at me like she was looking at a poor, wounded lamb.
    “ Awww. You poor, wounded lamb.
Don't hate Dr. Purr. I'm sure if you were rich and successful he'd
care more.”
    I got out of bed and wobbled my way to the bathroom. I paused....
    “ Did Elaine drop by?”
    Linda thought for a moment and shook her head.
    “ Nope. Last I saw, she had her
teeth all over Ben. I knew they'd get together.”
    “ You did?”
    “ She's always hugging him
during goodbyes; laughing and touching his shoulder whenever he tells
bad jokes....Such a lovely couple. Like angels, they are. God loves
them.”
    I groaned and walked into the bathroom and closed the door and sat on
the toilet. They were somewhere out there in the world, kissing,
fondling each other. I