Robbie Zombie's Arc

Chapter 4 of 6

Robbie stood in front of a small shop with dark windows. A sign hung above the door, showing a brain wrapped in ribbon like a present. He pulled the door open and stepped inside. Shelves lined the walls, packed with jars and bottles he had never seen before. One shelf held different types of preserved brains in clear containers. Another displayed spices in small tins with faded labels. He picked up a jar and read the label: "Premium Brain Seasoning - Chef's Choice." This was exactly what he needed to make his restaurant food taste special. He grabbed three different spice tins and a bottle of brain marinade. At the counter, he paid and tucked everything into his backpack. Walking back outside, Robbie felt the weight of his supplies and smiled. His restaurant was getting closer to real. The street opened into a plaza he hadn't noticed before. Gray brick walls rose high into the sky, forming a tower that stood taller than any building around it. Large clock faces glowed on each side of the structure, casting soft light across the ground below. Robbie stopped and stared up at the illuminated clock faces. The hands showed it was later than he thought. He had spent hours gathering supplies and planning. The tower's light made the whole area feel alive, like the heart of Deadville beating steady and strong. Other zombies walked past, heading home or to their own businesses. Robbie adjusted his backpack straps and looked at the glowing clocks one more time. Tomorrow he would start testing his new spices and marinade. Tomorrow he would practice the techniques he had learned from the cookbooks. His restaurant dream had ingredients now, real tools to make real food. He turned toward home, the tower's light fading behind him as he walked into the darker streets. The path ahead grew darker as buildings blocked the clock tower's glow. Robbie looked down at the cracked pavement beneath his feet. Something purple caught his eye. A wildflower pushed through a crack in the dark gray path, its bright purple and green petals standing out against the concrete. He stopped and crouched down to look closer. The flower had grown in a place where nothing should grow. It found a way through the hard ground and made something beautiful anyway. Robbie stood and kept walking, thinking about that flower. His restaurant would be like that. It would grow in an old broken building and bring something new to Deadville. He walked the rest of the way home with his backpack full of supplies and his head full of plans. Tomorrow the real cooking would begin. An archway appeared ahead, its weathered brick frame marking a passage between two buildings. Robbie walked closer and noticed something strange coating the underside. Pale green fungi covered the brick, glowing with a soft haunting light. He stopped beneath the arch and looked up. The glow reminded him of food presentation, the way garnish could make a simple dish look special. Deadville had its own style, its own way of making ordinary things stand out. He touched the rough brick and pulled his hand back. His restaurant would fit right into this town. It would be strange and bold, just like everything else here. Robbie walked through the archway and headed home, ready to turn his supplies into something real.