Chapter 12

chapter twelve Jack, If you would, please walk toward me. I don't like this. Not one bit. June elbows me. "Aww, what's the matter, Jack? Scared to cross your own backyard?" "Me? Scared? Ha!" I say. I boldly stomp toward Quint. Grass squishes loudly beneath my sneakers. This is no problem. ZERO problem.

But Quint grins then. A sick grin. A devious Quint grin. Devious Quint grins are never good. The kid looks like a Bond villain every time he plots a move in Monopoly. My next step is followed by a sudden snapping sound as something tightens around my ankle. It's like a hand, snatching me. "ZOMBIE IN THE GROUND!!!!" I shriek. "GROUNDERS! WE GOT GROUNDERS!" And then—

OK. False alarm. Not grounders. Please just forget that ever happened—me, yelling about grounders. Grounders aren't a thing. It was, in fact, a Quint invention. A particularly cruel Quint invention.

June bursts out laughing—she has a deep, loud laugh that makes my heart happy—and Dirk chuckles like a little kid. Quint talks to Dirk and June like he's Tony Stark presenting some new suit of armor. "Now," Quint says, "I assume you're wondering why our friend Jack is hanging upside down?" "Not really," Dirk says.

"I'm just enjoying it," June says. "He'd make a good Christmas tree ornament. Just wrap some lights around him. What do you say, Jack?" "I hate all of you," I mutter. "That's not very festive," June says. "Listen carefully," Quint says. "I've long suspected zombies were disappearing. Two months ago, we couldn't turn a corner without a zombie pouncing. Now, zombie hidey-holes are nearly empty! I didn't know why until last night, when we heard The Shrieking and saw the parade—" "Um, guys," I interrupt. "All the blood is rushing to my head. I can't really see..." My friends ignore me. Of course. "You're telling me some—ah—some thing is making a freaky shrieking sound—and that sound is calling zombies away from Wakefield?" Dirk asks. "But what?" June asks. "I don't know," Quint says. "In fact, I haven't the faintest idea."

Put something was causing them to shuffle together to some location. And I intend to find out what. June gives me another little shove. "Can I just again mention how much I absolutely love upsidedown Jack?" she says. "Can we keep him like this?" Finally, I erupt. "FIRST! Everyone stop pushing me. SECOND! What does me hanging here have to do with all this? Why did I get snared?" "Because," Quint says, "we're going to use a snare to catch our very own zombie. We'll bring the zombie here. And then..."