Frank moved towards the woods and Joe took off, skirting the edge of the clearing, to follow him. Chet, still transfixed in shock, never even noticed Joe leave.
Although Joe wanted desperately to catch up with Frank and envelope him in a good old-fashioned bear hug, he restrained himself. Though Frank was alive, he was under the influence of something. The something being whatever had been in the bowl Frank and the others had drank from.
If Joe wanted to rescue Frank, and there was nothing he wanted more, he would have to stay out of sight of Frank, the other victims, and whoever was in charge until he knew exactally what was going on.
Joe followed discreetly until Frank stopped by a shed. Someone, he was too far away for a good look, handed Frank a shovel. Frank then made his way over to where several of the other zombies were digging and joined them.
"Slave labor," Joe said to himself in disgust. "Someone's giving these people the bare minimum they need to stay alive and getting their work done for free. But why the ceremony?" he wondered, his forehead creased in thought.
Joe stayed and watched Frank for the rest of the evening. As dawn grew near, the undead workers returned their equipment after a short man barked at them in Native Hiatian. Frank, not understanding the language, kept on digging until another man came forward and shouted, "Return your shovel and go to the cave."
Frank followed the others to the tool shed where they, after turning in their equipment, turned and headed for the edge of the clearing where Joe was hidden!
Growling, Joe backed away a little, then climbed a tree. He would wait until they passed before climbing down and following them.
Joe watched silently as the abused individuals passed below, his heart going out to them as a child, no more than ten, followed a woman well into her sixties.
As the last of them moved off, Joe made to climb down but stopped as he heard more footsteps coming his way. Unlike the steps of the zombies which were irregular and trampled any and all branches in their path, these were quieter and made no sound except for the soft thud as food met solid earth.
Joe stayed where he was, cursing silently because he was unable to follow Frank and the others now.
The footsteps drew nearer and stopped. Joe peered down and saw the man who had shouted at Frank in English. Unable to get a good look at the man, Joe could still see his short dark brown hair and navy short-sleeved shirt. He was wearing black pants and seeemed to be waiting for someone.
The eerie glow of dawn became bright as the sun began to clumb higher in the sky. Over forty minutes later, Joe's legs were beginning to ache. The man below had sat down and was resting his back against the tree. Should he look up, Joe would be seen, but the man kept looking forward. Joe thought he may have fallen asleep. He wondered who was so important that this man would wait in the middle of the woods.
Twenty more minutes and another person appeared. Appeared, for Joe had not seen, nor heard, the man approach. Neither had the man leaning against the tree, for when the newcomer spoke, the man leeapt to his feet. Although Joe didn't understand what was being said, he felt sure the man was apologizing for a moment later, the newcomer held up a hand and the first man fell silent.
Joe heard the conversation and tried to remember some of the words so he could ask Jima what they meant. He was sure the small man was someone of importance. After a few minutes the man left and the other man, after kneeling and tying his shoe, also departed. By the time Joe descended from the tree, both men were gone.
Joe pulled out his map of the plantation and retraced his trip. He was somewhere on a neighboring plantation. Joe wondered briefly if this one belonged to Jima's family as he marked the clearing on the map.
Back at the guest house Chet, Biff and Phil were all waiting anxiously. Biff and Phil had not witnessed the ceremony last evening and were finding what Chet told them a bit hard to swallow.
Chet had remained where Joe left him and watched as the zombies disappeared from view. Then the people rose to their feet and began dancing. Soon, however, all fell quiet as a beautiful dark-skinned young woman arrived. She was dressed in a long, silver gown and her face sparkled as the firelight danced off the flecks of glitter on her face.
The silence then faded as the three drummmers began again. The young woman flirted with the men as the women rushed to her with offerings of lace and jewelry.
As the night wore on, the young woman seemed to grow depressed, she left near dawn and the ceremony began to wind down. Chet remained where he was until everyone had left. He made his way back to the guest house and waited for the others to return.
When Biff and Phil entered the house, Chet was waiting in the entryway and told them about seeing Frank and Joe following him.
"Frank is alive?" Biff demanded, disbelief written all over his face.
"He's a zombie," Chet declared.
Phil looked at Chet skeptically. "You actually saw Frank?" he asked. "Moving?"
Chet nodded vigorously, then told them about the strange young woman at the ceremony. Phil shot Biff a look then took Chet by the shoulder and led him to a chair. "Sit diwn and relax," he told Chet. "Joe should be here soon."
"But what if they got him?" Chet demanded as Biff came over and pushed Chet down.
"Relax," Phil ordered. "If Joe doesn't show up, we'll go looking for him."
As time went on and Joe did not return, the boys became worried. "I knew it!" Chet declared, standing up and wringing his hands. "They got Joe."
"Let's go look for him," Biff said, going over to the door and pulling it open.
As the door swung open, Joe Hardy, blood on his forehead, fell forward into Biff's arms.
Although Joe wanted desperately to catch up with Frank and envelope him in a good old-fashioned bear hug, he restrained himself. Though Frank was alive, he was under the influence of something. The something being whatever had been in the bowl Frank and the others had drank from.
If Joe wanted to rescue Frank, and there was nothing he wanted more, he would have to stay out of sight of Frank, the other victims, and whoever was in charge until he knew exactally what was going on.
Joe followed discreetly until Frank stopped by a shed. Someone, he was too far away for a good look, handed Frank a shovel. Frank then made his way over to where several of the other zombies were digging and joined them.
"Slave labor," Joe said to himself in disgust. "Someone's giving these people the bare minimum they need to stay alive and getting their work done for free. But why the ceremony?" he wondered, his forehead creased in thought.
Joe stayed and watched Frank for the rest of the evening. As dawn grew near, the undead workers returned their equipment after a short man barked at them in Native Hiatian. Frank, not understanding the language, kept on digging until another man came forward and shouted, "Return your shovel and go to the cave."
Frank followed the others to the tool shed where they, after turning in their equipment, turned and headed for the edge of the clearing where Joe was hidden!
Growling, Joe backed away a little, then climbed a tree. He would wait until they passed before climbing down and following them.
Joe watched silently as the abused individuals passed below, his heart going out to them as a child, no more than ten, followed a woman well into her sixties.
As the last of them moved off, Joe made to climb down but stopped as he heard more footsteps coming his way. Unlike the steps of the zombies which were irregular and trampled any and all branches in their path, these were quieter and made no sound except for the soft thud as food met solid earth.
Joe stayed where he was, cursing silently because he was unable to follow Frank and the others now.
The footsteps drew nearer and stopped. Joe peered down and saw the man who had shouted at Frank in English. Unable to get a good look at the man, Joe could still see his short dark brown hair and navy short-sleeved shirt. He was wearing black pants and seeemed to be waiting for someone.
The eerie glow of dawn became bright as the sun began to clumb higher in the sky. Over forty minutes later, Joe's legs were beginning to ache. The man below had sat down and was resting his back against the tree. Should he look up, Joe would be seen, but the man kept looking forward. Joe thought he may have fallen asleep. He wondered who was so important that this man would wait in the middle of the woods.
Twenty more minutes and another person appeared. Appeared, for Joe had not seen, nor heard, the man approach. Neither had the man leaning against the tree, for when the newcomer spoke, the man leeapt to his feet. Although Joe didn't understand what was being said, he felt sure the man was apologizing for a moment later, the newcomer held up a hand and the first man fell silent.
Joe heard the conversation and tried to remember some of the words so he could ask Jima what they meant. He was sure the small man was someone of importance. After a few minutes the man left and the other man, after kneeling and tying his shoe, also departed. By the time Joe descended from the tree, both men were gone.
Joe pulled out his map of the plantation and retraced his trip. He was somewhere on a neighboring plantation. Joe wondered briefly if this one belonged to Jima's family as he marked the clearing on the map.
Back at the guest house Chet, Biff and Phil were all waiting anxiously. Biff and Phil had not witnessed the ceremony last evening and were finding what Chet told them a bit hard to swallow.
Chet had remained where Joe left him and watched as the zombies disappeared from view. Then the people rose to their feet and began dancing. Soon, however, all fell quiet as a beautiful dark-skinned young woman arrived. She was dressed in a long, silver gown and her face sparkled as the firelight danced off the flecks of glitter on her face.
The silence then faded as the three drummmers began again. The young woman flirted with the men as the women rushed to her with offerings of lace and jewelry.
As the night wore on, the young woman seemed to grow depressed, she left near dawn and the ceremony began to wind down. Chet remained where he was until everyone had left. He made his way back to the guest house and waited for the others to return.
When Biff and Phil entered the house, Chet was waiting in the entryway and told them about seeing Frank and Joe following him.
"Frank is alive?" Biff demanded, disbelief written all over his face.
"He's a zombie," Chet declared.
Phil looked at Chet skeptically. "You actually saw Frank?" he asked. "Moving?"
Chet nodded vigorously, then told them about the strange young woman at the ceremony. Phil shot Biff a look then took Chet by the shoulder and led him to a chair. "Sit diwn and relax," he told Chet. "Joe should be here soon."
"But what if they got him?" Chet demanded as Biff came over and pushed Chet down.
"Relax," Phil ordered. "If Joe doesn't show up, we'll go looking for him."
As time went on and Joe did not return, the boys became worried. "I knew it!" Chet declared, standing up and wringing his hands. "They got Joe."
"Let's go look for him," Biff said, going over to the door and pulling it open.
As the door swung open, Joe Hardy, blood on his forehead, fell forward into Biff's arms.