“You knew?”

  Billy Jean and Michael Joke were gobsmacked.

  Loree nodded hard, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.

  “When I saw it in the supermarket, that feeling of déjà vu just wouldn’t quit.

  I was too scared to be sure, so I hightailed it home.

  But the second I saw you two at my door, I knew. He’d come back.”

  Billy Jean was rocked to her core.

  Just how much love did it take to recognize your beloved, no matter what they’d become?

  “Since you knew, why didn’t you ask where it was?”

  Loree shook her head, her eyes bloodshot.

  “I respect his choice. If he wants to come home, he knows where the spare key is. He can waltz in anytime.”

  Hearing that, Billy Jean let out a sigh.

  What a remarkable woman.

  Now she really wanted to give that mummy a piece of her mind.

  How could he not cherish someone so amazing?

  “Still not coming out? Don’t make me lose respect for you.” Michael Joke said.

  Billy Jean looked around, but there was nada.

  “Michael, who you talking to? Is the mummy here?”

  Loree’s spine stiffened.

  She’d been feeling a cold breeze on her neck.

  Could it be him?

  The next second, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from the front door.

  Loree looked over, her palms sweating bullets.

  The door swung open, and the mummy strolled in.

  In his hand was the spare key.

  “Lo... Lo, I... am... back.”

  He forced the words out, his voice raspy as sandpaper.

  Loree burst into tears.

  She’d been waiting for this moment forever.

  “Just come back.”

  The second the words left her mouth, a searing pain ripped through her chest.

  “Pfft...”

  A mouthful of blood spurted out.

  Her body, already on its last legs, started to crumple.

  “Loree... Loree.”

  The mummy sprinted over and caught her.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  “Loree... Loree, I'm... sorry. I... came... back... late. What's... wrong... with you? Don't... scare... me... okay...”

  The mummy clutched Loree’s body like it was his lifeline.

  He could feel her body heat draining away.

  He was freaking out.

  Loree weakly raised her hand and hugged him, gently patting his back with her tiny hand.

  “Don’t be sad. I was very... happy... to marry you.”

  Her voice trailed off into a whisper.

  Her hand slid down like a limp noodle and dangled by her side.

  The mummy’s body convulsed, and then he started shaking like a leaf, breaking down.

  “AAAAH... No, no... Don’t go, don’t... leave... me, no...”

  Billy Jean watched, stunned, as tears trickled down the mummy’s face.

  It was crying.

  Seeing the light fading from Loree’s eyes, Billy Jean felt a powerful urge.

  She didn’t want this loving, noble woman to vanish.

  She deserved to be happy.

  Billy Jean crouched down.

  “Give her to me, quick. I’ve got a trick up my sleeve. Hurry, or it’ll be too late.”

  The mummy, hearing Billy Jean had a plan, thrust Loree at her.

  “Please... save... her.”

  Billy Jean took Loree and, just as her last ounce of life was slipping away, sank her teeth into her neck.

  Loree’s head jerked back, her eyes rolled up in her head, and her body started twitching like crazy.

  The zombie virus was tearing through her system.

  A sickly greenish-gray tint spread across her pale face, and black veins spider-webbed out from the bite mark.

  Loree started growling like a rabid dog.

  She was turning into a zombie.

  Billy Jean slashed her wrist, and blood gushed out like a geyser.

  She pressed her bleeding wrist to Loree’s lips.

  Loree instinctively opened her mouth and latched onto Billy Jean’s wrist, guzzling her blood.

  After downing Billy Jean’s blood, Loree’s body started knitting itself back together at warp speed.

  The gaping wound on her thigh filled in with fresh flesh.

  Even her scarred-up face was morphing.

  Her bony frame was filling out too.

  Michael Joke watched, slack-jawed.

  Did she have some super-evolutionary mojo?

  Nope, it was all Billy Jean’s blood.

  He’d always been wowed by how Billy Jean’s spit could heal.

  Now it seemed her blood was the elixir of life.

  The mummy watched, his eyes shining, as his wife seemed reborn, a far cry from a moment ago.

  Her mangled face was beautiful again.

  Billy Jean handed Loree back to him.

  “She’s okay now. But she might have to live as a zombie from now on.”

  This was Billy Jean’s first rodeo turning a human into a zombie.

  The mummy hugged his wife tight, like he’d found her after losing her in a crowd.

  “Thank you. I don’t care if she’s a zombie or not. I just want her to be okay.”

  Billy Jean was tickled pink by what he said.

  That’s what a real man would say.

  A blood bag came sailing at Billy Jean.

  She snatched it out of the air, jammed it in her mouth, and started slurping.

  With one hand, she gestured to Michael Joke to toss her another.

  She was desperate to recharge.

  Michael Joke, feeling generous, fished two more out of his space ring and lobbed them to her.

  “Eeek, aaah...”

  One-year-old Joe toddled around Billy Jean, his big, cloudy eyes glued to the blood bag in her hand.

  Billy Jean, the blood bag still in her mouth, looked down at the tyke.

  “Roar... You want some?"

  Joe nodded.

  “Roar... Auntie, I want some."

  Billy Jean signaled to Michael Joke again, pointing at Joe to make him cough up one for the kid.

  So Michael Joke dug another out of his stash and chucked it to Joe.

  “Thud...”

  Who knew Joe would get nailed by the blood bag and go down like a sack of potatoes.

  A piercing wail filled the air.

  Billy Jean, the blood bag still lodged in her mouth, gave Michael Joke a look that could kill, like he was picking on a defenseless kid.

  Michael Joke: “Joe, Joe...”

  Loree, snoozing away, mumbled Joe’s name in her sleep when she heard the crying.

  The mummy, seeing Loree stirring in his arms, shot a dirty look at Joe, bawling on the ground.

  Joe was pint-sized, but he was a zombie, and he could sense danger.

  Feeling the death stare, he clammed up, snatched up the blood bag, and scurried into the corner, huddling up like a scared bunny.

  The mummy wiped the scowl off his face and went back to gazing at Loree, asleep in his arms.

  He couldn’t get enough.

  Billy Jean: Is this a real father?

  Looking at the little guy in the corner, she suddenly felt bad for him.

  She walked over to comfort him, but saw him facing the wall, happily slurping the blood from the bag with both hands.

  There was no sign of sadness on his face.

  Uh... well, it seemed she was being a softie.

  After draining the whole blood bag, Joe felt his blood boiling and his head spinning.

  He was scared.

  He’d never felt like this before.

  He wanted to find his mother.

  He staggered to his feet from the corner, but after two steps, he crashed into a chair and went down like a ton of bricks.

  He picked himself up with his stubby arms and legs, and then slammed into the corner of the table.

  After that, he was like a drunk sailor, staggering around and crashing into stuff.

  “What’s wrong with him?” Billy Jean asked.

  “He seems drunk.” Michael Joke said.

  Billy Jean was befuddled.

  “Drunk? Drunk on blood?”