Lizard's Sparkle

chapter 3

Hayley.

Apparently I needed to up my premonition game.

At no point in my life have I ever had one that pertained specifically to zombies. I mean, honestly, you'd think that would be the mother of all premonitions. You know - here's a quick flash of the future that involves zombies, don't drive your bitchy best friend to the old witch's place, don't listen to her when she says everything will be okay she obviously doesn't know shit, and when she physically drags you from the car, it might be a good time to re-evaluate your friendship status and by re-evaluate I mean kill her and hide the body.

"Stop whining, Gypsy, it's just Endora showing off."

I glared at her as Lucian scampered up my leg from his original perch on my left boot, hissing at the fluffy black cat that had swiped his tail across the lizard's face and unsettled his little reptile body enough to nearly knock him to the floor. A constantly chattering ferret followed behind, his tiny squeaks background noise as he scurried to keep up with Serena's long stride. I totally knew that feeling - my short legs meant I always felt like I was running when trying to walk beside her.

"She's showing off with zombies?" I asked incredulously. "Who even does that? I mean, apart from psychos and serial killers." I gave her a meaningful stare, just so she'd be well aware that I was totally thinking Endora could be both of those.

She snorted as she pulled me along with an iron-like grip of my wrist, her face shimmering as she snorted out red glitter, as well as derision, from the explosion of shimmer that I'd sparkled all over her screaming face. That'll be the last time she yanks me out of car. I'm pretty sure that evens us out a little - I officially almost killed her with sparkles - one near death experience down, four more to go.

"Where's the Gypsy that was maniacally excited for goblins, hmm? I want that sparkle-elf back," She waved a hand to indicate my stubborn feet still trying to dig into the ground and halt her forward progress, "This one's broken."

Yeah, well, that's the thing - I'd seen the goblins coming - and every indication had shown Serena finally achieving ascendancy and all of us coming out of that particular scene in one piece. Mostly. Sort of. Well, there was that one outcome where supposedly Serena would come away from the fight missing a few layers of skin and perhaps some deep level tissue damage but that was totally a minor possibility. "I think I'm allergic to zombies," I stated hopefully, "I'm definitely allergic to Endora in any case." Because she was basically the witch version of a severe peanut allergy - at worst there's a high risk of sudden death but even the smallest reaction can cause irritation and projectile vomiting.

Serena snorted. "Why don't we test that theory? One of them is looking at you." She yanked on the arm that she still had a tight grip of and I was forcefully propelled forward until said zombie was mere feet away.

I shuddered as some unknown gloop slid from his eye socket - minus it's eyeball - and ran a slow, thick and sticky path down his hollowed cheek. She was right though - if he'd had actual eyes inside the black depths of his sockets then he'd definitely be looking right at me. "Um, hi!" I waved in an overly excited fashion, nerves making my voice a squeaky whisper, and wondering if glitter dazzled zombies and if that was a thing then I was absolutely down for mesmerising me some dead people and sending them far, far away.

"Mrgerrrgahhh," groaned the zombie in reply.

"Um, sorry, can you say that again?" My voice deteriorating into a cracked whisper. I nudged Serena slightly more infront of me so that should the zombie decide he was hungry then he'd have to eat his way through the fire witch first and I had plenty of time for running away. I'd feel bad but flesh eating zombies trump life long friendship every time.