Her look of horror snapped Rufus back to his senses. This was his wife, not some early morning buffet! "I don't think I could rightly eat people," he said to ease her mind. He lied, because he was sure he might just be able to choke down a chunk or two. "Besides, if all I eat were brains I'd starve in this town inside a week!" He laughed, forced and hoarse.

Mary shuddered at the horror of it, but part of her laughed with him. Part of her knew he was an abomination, yet part of her wanted him to stay. But want as she might, she knew in her heart that her Rufus was long gone, kicked to death by his own ass.

She stood and went to the fridge. "Maybe we can find something to satisfy your hunger."

"That's more like a wife." Rufus gleamed with pride.

"Ya know, I'm not really your wife. Not no more."

"Whatcha mean? I still got my ring!" Rufus held up his decrepit left hand. A golden band glowed against his ghastly flesh.

Mary shook her head. "Don't you remember our wedding vows?"

"Yeah. Love. Honor. And obey. Now obey and make me some flapjacks!"

Mary looked down at Rufus. "I mean the bit at the end."

His milky eyes lit with unholy desire. Mary smelled delicious. "He said I could kiss the bride."

She shook her head again. "Till death do we part."

"So."

"Honey... you died."

Mary waited as the bitter truth sank into Rufus's soft skull.

"I can't stay, can I?" he whispered.

"I love you, Roo, but you know you can't stay. Not... like this." She ran a trembling hand across his rotting face.

Rufus could feel her quiver with fear. His heart ached to bursting, but he knew what he had to do. He pushed her away, stood and stalked towards the door.

"Rufus!" Mary shouted, but she didn't give chase. She heard the door slam as the first tears came. It was as painful as the day they brought his broken body home.

Maybe worse.

Just as quick as it closed, she heard a knock at the door. She stood and went to it. The knock came again before she could get there. Mary pulled open the door and on her porch stood Rufus, propped against the frame, still dead.

"Widow Mooney," he said with a nod.

Mary narrowed her eyes.

"Mamm, I'm sorry about your recent loss but I must confess that I've had my eye on ya for some time. Unfortunately, I have to go away for a while. I don't know how long I'll be, or if I'll ever come back."

"I'm sorry to hear that. You seem... like a fine man."

Rufus turned his milky eyes to the horizon and nodded again. "I thought maybe we could break some bread and watch the sunrise. One more time, before I go."

Mary wiped away her bitter tears. "As long as it 'aint my sweetbread."

Rufus grinned.

It should have been goofy, instead it was gruesome and Mary didn't mind at all.

"Come on in. I was just making flapjacks," she said.

And Rufus Mooney came home, one last time.

~

ZOMBIE #3

½ oz over-proof rum

0.5 oz pineapple juice

1.5 oz orange juice

½ oz apricot brandy

½ tablespoon crushed eyeball

½ tablespoon sugar

1.5 oz dark rum

1.5 oz light rum

1. Shake light rum, dark rum, apricot brandy, pineapple juice, orange juice, limejuice, and powdered sugar with ice.

2. Strain into a Collins glass.

3. Sprinkle eyeball into over-proof rum and float on top

4. Garnish with a fruit slice, spring of mint and a cherry.

5. Serve.

About The

AUTHORS

JAMES ROY DALEY ~ is the brains behind BOOKS OF THE DEAD, the author of The Dead Parade, Terror Town, 13 Drops of Blood, and Into Hell. He is the editor of Best New Zombie Tales Volume 1, 2 & 3, and Best New Vampire Tales Volume 1. Upcoming work includes Zombie Kong, Best New Werewolf Tales Volume One, and Best New Zombie Tales Volume 4.

PAUL KANE has been writing professionally for almost fourteen years. He currently lives in Derbyshire, UK, with his wife -- the author Marie O'Regan -- his family, and a black cat called Mina.

NATE SOUTHARD ~ is the author of Just Like Hell, Broken Skin, He Stepped Through, and the graphic novels Drive and A Trip to Rundberg. His short stories have appeared in such venues as Cemetery Dance, Thuglit, and numerous anthologies. Red Sky, his debut novel, will be available later this year. Nate lives in Austin. You can learn more at natesouthard.com.

JEREMY C. SHIPP ~ Jeremy C. Shipp is the Bram Stoker nominated author of Cursed, Vacation, and Sheep and Wolves. His shorter tales have appeared or are forthcoming in over 50 publications, the likes of Cemetery Dance, ChiZine, Apex Magazine, Pseudopod, and Rosebud. While preparing for the forthcoming collapse of civilization, Jeremy enjoys living in Southern California in a moderately haunted Victorian farmhouse with his wife, Lisa, and their legion of yard gnomes. Thankfully, only one mime was killed during the making of his first short film, Egg.

MURRAY J.D. LEEDER ~ is the author of the novels Son of Thunder and Plague of Ice for Wizards of the Coast, as well as almost twenty-five published short stories. In addition, his academic writings have appeared in such journals as the Canadian Journal of Film Studies, the Journal of Popular Culture and the Journal of Popular Film and Television. He is a currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Carleton University in Ottawa.

SIMON WOOD ~ is the Anthony Award winning author of six books as well as over 150 published stories and articles. He writes thrillers, mysteries, and horror fiction. His previous books include Working Stiffs, Accidents Waiting to Happen, Paying the Piper, Terminated and We All Fall Down as well as The Scrubs and Road Rash under the pen name Simon Janus. His upcoming titles include a first in a new mystery series set in the world of motor racing, Did Not Finish, and the crime-caper, The Fall Guy. You can find him on Red Room, Crime Space, Good Reads, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, which is home to his blog.

JG FAHERTY is an Active Member in the Horror Writers Association. His credits include Cemetery Dance, Wrong World, Shroud Magazine, Doorways Magazine, and several major anthologies. A freelance writer with over 15 years of experience, he has a varied background that includes working as a laboratory manager, accident scene photographer, zoo keeper, research scientist, and resume writer. He also contributes regular columns, interviews, and book reviews to the HWA newsletter, FearZone, Dark Scribe Magazine, and Horror World.

AARON POLSON ~ When Aaron Polson isn't arguing about the definition of irony with his high school English students, he can be found chipping away at a twisted tale in his basement dungeon. Many of his stories take place in the fictional town of Springdale, Kansas, a strange place modeled after his own hometown.  He currently lives in Lawrence, Kansas with his wife, two sons, and a tattooed rabbit. Aaron's stories have appeared in various publications, including Reflection's Edge, Nectrotic Tissue, Big Pulp, and several anthologies.

TIM LEBBON ~ has been published for more than ten years now, and you can find out loads about him at his website http://www.timlebbon.net. He is the author of over thirty books, including the Noreela series of fantasy books (Dusk, Dawn, Fallen and The Island), the NY Times Bestselling novelization of the movie 30 Days of Night, and several books with Christopher Golden, including The Map of Moments and the forthcoming Secret Journeys of Jack London for Harper. He has also written several screenplays and some TV proposals. Tim has won several prestigious awards, and some of his work has been optioned for the big screen.