My dad bought me a camera when I woke up from a coma. I thought that was very thoughtful. He wants me to start filming the rallies from now on so we can review footage and look for signs of whoever raised the Stupids that attcked us and put me out of comission for a week. We have caught him yet. Or her. You never know anymore.

But I’m having some fun with it until the next rally trying to catch Liam - who is notoriously shy. So he says. I think he just hates being on camera. I managed to catching a few times in my hall. I tried for more but he’s onto me now Anyway, for your enjoyment, Liam O’Connor, my favorite Zombie

119Commentshttp://www.cherrypopmcgee.com/2009/04/29/catching-liam/Catching+Liam2009-04-30+02%3A33%3A23CherryPop

CherryPop is unconscious. Last night, we were in the middle of a run-of-the-mill demonstration - nothing special. CherryPop was yelling her little heart out when out from the side streets I’d say fifteen to twenty Stupids bumbled out and made a beeline right for her.

It’s almost like they were watching (or someone was watching… Stupids aren’t exactly know for being observant) for the moment I was farthest away from her. Like they knew I prowl the perimeter during these things.

They attacked and Zombies were flying everywhere by the time I got to her (she’s a feisty fighter, that CherryPop). I had a hard time getting through the terrified crowd. I killed the ones who crossed my path but my goal, as always, was “get to CherryPop.” By the time I did, the crowd had scattered and only two Zombies were circling her. They moved in synchronized stumbles. I stared, fascinated at the precision of their clumsy gait. Sounds strange I know, but someone was controlling them like a puppetmaster. They kept managing to dodge CherryPop’s kicks and punches just in the nick.

They didn’t notice me, though, as I stepped up behind one and snapped his neck. Unfortunately, my actions startled CherryPop who hadn’t noticed me either, and the last Zombie standing lunged and bit her forearm. I can still hear her scream even now. The fucking thing drew blood. Her blood. Rage surged through me and I grabbed its head and tore it off. In fact, I kept tearing at it as the always seething rage I keep tamped down coursed through me. I let it out. By the time, I heard CherryPop’s screams piercing my head, there wasn’t much left of the Stupid but pulp.

Other than her bite, no one else was hurt but the events of the demo really don’t help my make the case to Zombie Rights. We got the bite treated and she seemed fine. Getting bitten by a Zombie doesn’t mean you become one. Think about the mechanics of it. Zombies don’t “infect” you. Usually. They are raised by Necromancers. That’s how you become one - well, a normal one anyway. The Stupids are raised by badly trained Necromancers or amatures playing with the Arts. Though every Zombie rasied has an ingrained need to feast on humans, there are those of us who can control that. It’s no different than a Vampire who must control their need for blood. But the Stupids… (CherryPop’s nickname for them, not mine. It just stuck years ago and occurs to me that you, who ever reads this, might not know that.) The Stupids are the closest thing to the Hollywod Zombie you’re going to find. The stumbling, bumbling gait. Slow, moans a lot. They smell awful too.

Anyway, I’m getting off point. Because I’m worried. When I tried to get a hold of CherryPop this morning, she was acting funny on Twitter. Then she went quiet and never answered me. by the time I got to her place, broke down the door and ran in, I found her slumped over her keyboard, totally unconscious.

Her mum and dad are with her now, doing everything they can to bring her out of it. Charlotte’s trying every spell in the book and Des is on the phone to his Master trying to find incidents of this happening before. We think who ever the idiot was who raised those Stupids somehow infected them with something, some kind of poison. She’s breathing and her vitals are all right, but she won’t wake.

If only I’d gotten to her sooner. If only I’d seen them coming. If only I hadn’t distracted her.

Heading back to the McGee’s to see if there’s anything I can do. Will continue to update on her condition.

116Commentshttp://www.cherrypopmcgee.com/2009/04/19/worried/Worried2009-04-20+01%3A50%3A56Liam

From the journal entries of Desmond McGee:

It started with a phone call in the middle of the night. Charlotte has since forbidden me from answering the phone in the middle of the night. “No call at 3am is ever good news, Des. Best face whatever it is after a good night’s sleep.”

Then again, if I hadn’t answered the phone on this night, my beautiful wife, my darlin’ CherryPop and I would all be dead.

The call was from Liam who was calling from down the pub to warn us to get out of the house. He was making the most of a rare day off (to be honest, I had to force him to take the day off. I’ve always been slightly uncomfortable needing a bodyguard, but in my line of work, it’s a necessity. But there’s no one else I’d want watching back than one from the famous O’Connor clan. Besides, Liam and I have been mates practically since birth.) which, for Liam, mostly consisted of a quiet pint in the middle of the night. Working for me, the middle of the night became a habit as I often wouldn’t finish a job until the wee hours.

Some bodies take a while to raise.

But he’d been having his quiet pint, when he overheard some chatter between a couple of drunken lesser wizards who frequent that pub that something big was about to go down. Something involving my little Popsicle. Liam quickly reached the payphone even as the lesser wizards made their raucous departure and called us.

He warned us to get up, get CherryPop and get out. He’d meet us at the car in a few minutes.

We never made it to the car.

As soon as Charlotte and I stepped outside our bedroom we were both knocked to the floor. There was a surprised-looking wizard just outside CherryPop’s door. The magic wallop he sent our way was not a killing blast. It was more of a defensive punch because we’d startled him. I laid on the floor, dazed, but my wife recovered quickly.

Charlotte stood and began to power up. Despite the presence of a powerful wizard in our hallway who was trying to kill us, I couldn’t help but watch my wife as she called the elements and let them flow through her. I loved to see the wind she generated whip her gorgeous long curls around. I could only get a sense of the power that was beginning to course through her. It crackled against my skin and made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

A sharp zing of electricity flew from her fingertips and slammed into the intruder as he tried to retreat. The force of it sent him flying into the wall at the end of the hall, cracking the plaster. He let out a gasp and collapsed unconscious.

Charlotte slumped and I caught her before she could fall. The energy she expelled had weakened her. She looked at me, her large green eyes full of fear and worry. “CherryPop.” she whispered.

I laid her gently on the floor and hurried into my little girl’s room. There she was, tucked up around her favorite doll, asleep. Peaceful. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

Liam, who hadn’t bothered waiting long at the car, ran into the room which startled CherryPop awake. She looked at me and then at Liam who was gasping near the doorway. I held up my hand toward him and shook my head slightly. Then I gently sat down on my little girl’s tiny bed.

“Daddy?” she asked her voice crackling with sleep. I tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and hummed a gentle tune until I had lulled her back to sleep. When I was sure she slept, I stood, took a deep breath and left the room with Liam.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked him once we had moved into the study.

“From what I can gather Des, someone wants CherryPop. I heard them say something about a bounty.”

Charlotte, who had followed us in, gasped, clapping her hand to her mouth. I pulled her to me and kissed her cheek. I looked hard at Liam.

“It’s Alexander isn’t it?” I asked.

“I heard no names but if I had to venture a guess I’d say yes. The only child of Desmond and Charlotte McGee… She’s valuable. And Alexander is a strong wizard. Who knows what uses he would have for her?” Liam replied, his eyes not quite meeting mine.

I sighed and looked into Charlotte’s eyes. She looked resigned, and nodded. I’m going to check on CherryPop.” she said quietly, and left the room.

I took another deep breath, squared my shoulders and said, “Liam… old friend. I have something I need to ask of you.”

…

Liam stared at the floor for several moments after I finished speaking. His thoughts churned and rumbled through his head as he took in the request. I, for my part, did not press my friend. I merely sat there in silence and watched him deliberate with himself. Several minutes passed quietly as Liam struggled to take everything in. Various emotions flitted across his face. I knew what I was asking of him was momentous so the least I could do was give him time to make his choice.

“I’ll do it.” The words fell from Liam’s lips before he’d even realized he’d said them. He glanced up at me and held my gaze. I could tell that the promise he was making was already beginning to wear on him.

But he would do it. His family had been with the ours for generations. The love and loyalty he felt for us was so ingrained that he would be willing to let go of his own desires with only a little bit of regret. I hoped. I abhorred what I was being forced to ask of him, but it was all I could think of to ensure CherryPop’s safety. I moved forward, knelt before him and took his hand in mine. “Thank you Liam. Thank you.”

Charlotte had stepped back in the room, CherryPop looking like a sleeping angel in her arms. “We need to leave. Now.” she said.

After that, we hastily made our departure from our cozy home. Liam has a little cabin tucked up in the woods outside the city and we decided that’s where we would hole up until we could figure out what to do. CherryPop, who had roused herself and chattered happily as we haphazardly packed bags, thought it was a grand adventure and we did our best to make it fun so she wouldn’t sense our worry.

So with a van packed to the brim with Cherry’s Lego’s and dollies we were on our way. Liam drove and I helped my wee girl build a castle on the floor in the back while Charlotte looked on. After the excitement in the hours before dawn, the trip was uneventful, thank goodness.

When we arrived, Liam and I unloaded the van while my girls went in to light the lamps and unpack the food.

“Listen Liam,” I said, grabbing his arm as he passed. “I want – no, I need to thank you for everything you’ve done for us. For keeping us safe. I don’t know what I would do without my girls.” My voice cracked.

“Ah Des, I know what they mean to you. There’s no need for thanks. We’re all right, you and me. No worries.”

I smiled gratefully and went inside.

The rest of the day passed as if we were on some sort of weekend break. Charlotte had set up a protection spell around the grounds that would alert us if anyone crossed the barrier, so we felt relatively safe. Liam and I played some cards while Charlotte and CherryPop napped during the high afternoon heat.

It was just after sunset when everything went balls up.

Charlotte’s spell sounded the alarm, startling all of us. I ran for CherryPop and scooped her up from her pile of Lego’s. I cradled her close to me as I ran for the door. Behind me I could hear Charlotte begin to chant. I felt the crackling static charge the air as she built up her power.

“Des! Take her and run now! It’s Alexander!” she shouted, her concentration broken as the wizard in question burst into the room with his staff raised and pointed directly at me.

“NOOO!” Charlotte screamed and ran toward him. A vivid blue light lit the room as his blast raced towards me. I had just enough time to turn and shield CherryPop before I felt a hard thud against my back and I fell forward, landing hard on my side so as not to squish my little bundle of screaming, squirming kidlet. A great pressed down on me as I struggled for breath. Turning my head, I stared at the body flung across me.

It was Liam. Dead.

The room was silent. I could no longer hear CherryPop crying or my wife screaming. The weight of Liam’s body covering mine made it difficult to breathe. As if I could breathe at all in that moment. I shifted Liam gently to the side and curled myself around my daughter.

Gradually, as if someone turned up the cosmic volume, the noise returned. Charlotte was now deadly calm as she stood between us and Alexander. The words she chanted in a steady voice were nonsensical to me but Alexander looked terrified. His body began to shake uncontrollably as Charlotte’s chant grew stronger. She stepped towards him, shouting now and Alexander screamed. Such a scream I have never heard in all my long years. I never hope to again.

Blood began to pour from Alexander’s eyes and nose. His fingernails became crescents of blood that dripped to the floor. Then with a wet pop, the wizard exploded covering everything – and everyone – in shredded bits of wizard.

Charlotte turned to me, smiled a bloody smile, and collapsed.

The power of my wife’s spell didn’t leave much of Alexander intact. But he was gone. So was my friend. I didn’t feel too bad for Alexander.

Charlotte was lying near my feet. She looked at me through tired eyes and whispered, “I’m okay baby.” I laughed. Not true laughter, mind you. No, I think it was entirely inappropriate laughter filled with relief and remnants of my fear. My family was safe and the bad guy was dead. No bringing him back either.

My laughter stopped abruptly when I turned to Liam lying so still beside me. I touched his face and felt his faint energy but it was draining away. It was time for Liam to fulfill his oath.

“Charlotte, honey. Liam is dead.” My voice shook. I didn’t want to do this. If I was truly Liam’s friend I never would have asked this of him. A true friend would have let Liam rest. He died a hero.

Charlotte tearfully reached for my hand and squeezed it. “He agreed to it. Look at your girl, Des. Look at her.”

I looked at my blood-spattered girl. I took in every detail, from the blobs of blood and brain matter of the dead wizard to her wide, terrified eyes looking up at me like a deer caught in headlights. And then shut my eyes. “I need to prepare.”

…

I cannot put down in this journal the components of the Raising Rituals. They are kept secret and fiercely guarded by those in my profession. I did, however, need more space than the small cabin could afford. So while I set about preparing an area in the woods, Charlotte took CherryPop, who had finally fallen asleep, and tucked her gently on the sofa in the tiny living room. Only when she was sure the little widget was deep asleep did she put on some coffee. It would be hours before either of us would sleep.

After several hours of preparation,  it was time to begin. Charlotte wanted to help me, but I refused. I was terrified of leaving CherryPop alone so I asked her to stay inside. This was going to be difficult enough. If a necromancer has doubts, or fears about raising someone, things can go… wrong. I’ve read accounts of this happening but I was arrogant enough to believe it wouldn’t happen to me. I’ve always been proud of the quality of my Zombies.

Not this time. This time I knew that Liam would have to live with a deep regret. And I was the cause. It was just a few weeks ago that Liam and I talked about families. He’s always been so good with CherryPop. Thick as thieves, the pair of them. I can’t count the times I would walk in the house to find elaborate forts built from sofa cushions and blankets. My little girl would giggle from within and Liam would appear with an armful of pillow reinforcements.

That evening, I crawled into one of their forts pretending to be the Black Hat baddie while Liam the White Hat saved her. I didn’t think I’d ever seen Liam enjoy himself so much.

Later, after CherryPop nodded off in the middle of a classic Liam tale of wicked kings and good faeries, we got to talking, and I discovered Liam’s wish for a family of his own. He told me it was always at the back of his mind, but from the time he joined my family as our protector, the desire only grew stronger.

“I can’t imagine a greater joy Des. I envy what you have.” he confessed. I squeezed his shoulder full of assurances of that “one day” when it happens for him.

Now that day will never come. And it’s my fault. I began the Raising.

…

“So. I’m back.”

Liam and I were seated in the little kitchen. I sipped coffee, Liam sipped nothing. The ritual went well despite my fears but I was exhausted. A deep, bone-tired ache that permeated my body but each time I acknowledged it, I felt guilt. Liam would never feel that anymore. So I drank my coffee to stave off the ache.

“I’m sorry Liam.” I told him.

“No you’re not Des. Please don’t give me your regrets. I have enough of my own. But I swore an oath to you and I’ll stand by it.”

I didn’t know what to say to that so I said nothing.

He smiled at me. “It’s going to take some time to adjust to this… weirdness. I mean, I would really like some of that coffee. It smells delicious. But I know I can’t have it. I can’t eat anymore. I can’t sleep. If I touch the coffeepot I’ll barely feel the heat of it. I won’t ever need the loo. I can’t… I can’t…” His face crumpled and he slumped forward, his body shaking.

“Bollocks. I can’t even cry Des.” He raised his dry eyes to mine. “I will always be alone.”

Here, Desmond’s journal entries regarding the death and resurrection of Liam O’Connor ends.

So there you have it. Liam selflessly gave his life to save me. My father selfishly brought him back to protect me. It put a strain on their relationship for a while. Yes, Liam agreed to my father’s plan to raise him should he die protecting us and don’t think for a minute that my dad didn’t struggle with the ramifications of the oath. But becoming a zombie was never a part of Liam’s Life Plan.

No, he always thought he would serve my family, as his father and his father’s father had, until he met the right woman. Then he would propose, marry, have kidlets – perhaps a son who could carry on the family biz of keeping my family safe – and then grow old and die peacefully in his sleep surrounded by everyone he loved.

But the O’Connor line is dead now. Liam can’t wed because zombies have no rights, and even if they did and Liam could marry, he physically can’t have children of his own. He was the last O’Connor son and he will be that until the day my father dies.

It’s a lonely way to live.

98Commentshttp://www.cherrypopmcgee.com/2009/04/16/chapter-3-the-death-of-liam-oconnor/Chapter+3.+The+Death+of+Liam+O%27Connor2009-04-17+03%3A30%3A00Stephanie

Any publicity is good publicity is what I say.

Time Mag did a story on how Zombies are the cool new thing:

If there’s a social hierarchy among monsters, zombies are not at the top of the list. They may not even be on the list. They’re not cool like werewolves. There’s no Warren Zevon song about them. They’re not classy like Dracula and Frankenstein, who can trace their lineage back to respectable 19th century novels. All zombies have is a bunch of George Romero movies. [Damn George Romero. -Liam]

[LINK - thanks to reader Alex for the link.]

95Commentshttp://www.cherrypopmcgee.com/2009/04/13/zombies-are-the-new-vampires/Zombies+are+the+new+Vampires2009-04-13+18%3A06%3A35CherryPop

When I was very small, I remember waking up in the wee hours when all was dark and quiet. I had had a bad dream and I wanted my daddy. I wandered into our living room and found him all right. Him and the zombie he had just raised. The other man was still covered in dirt and leaves, his clothes tattered and messy. The sacrificial blood was still on his lips. His eyes were piercing and a little wild. These days I can’t recall very much of that night, just bits and pieces really, but I still remember every detail of the moment I met my first Zombie.

I screamed a piercing little girl scream and I ran as fast as my tiny legs could go back to the safety of my bedroom. My father’s clomping feet followed me but only served to freak me out even more since I thought the monster would come with him and eat me up. But he was alone and had come to comfort me and assure me everything was all right. He took me in his arms and just rocked me quietly.

Eventually, I calmed down enough to actually hear what his soothing voice was saying.

“Hush now luv. Don’t be scared. No worries. No worries.” He whispered this over and over again, his naturally rumbling voice quiet and his Irish brogue seemed thicker. It only did that when he was really worried.

“Now my darlin’,” he said to me, brushing aside a tear slipping down my cheek. “Come and meet my friend.” I looked at my dad quite solemnly for a moment before slipping off of his lap, taking his hand, and letting him lead me back into the living room to meet the scary man.

That scary man turned out to be the best friend I’ve ever had. My father raised him that fateful night because they had learned the hard way that I needed protection. There was a price on my head, and an attempt on my life and I wasn’t even four years old. Apparently, the only child of Charlotte and Desmond McGee was worth a lot in the supernatural world. The bounty hunter who brought me in could be paid in magic or money, seller’s choice.

In those days, the supernatural world was the real world – the ones with bankers and lawyers and movie stars but if you were paying attention, that world included witches, vamps and zombies etc… To those bankers and lawyers and movie stars, the supernatural was the stuff of fiction – entertaining, but not real and anyone who believed it, well they were just nuts.

Liam had been my dad’s bodyguard before he was killed putting himself between dad and a deadly blast of magic. That was the dreadful night they found out about the price on my head. Desperate to protect me, Dad raised Liam immediately after he was killed, and put him back to work.

By the time he brought me back into the room to talk to Liam, the new zombie had changed out of his dirty clothes and wiped the blood from his lips. He looked almost human - almost. His eyes were still wild and piercing and his skin had a deathly pallor. But Liam took my small hand in his cold one, and smiled.

I don’t think Liam knows that I saw the look on his face in that moment. I never told him I saw it. When he took my hand and smiled at me, I fancied a look of sadness in Liam’s eyes. I was too young then to know of things like regret and wistfulness. Emotions were basic to me. Sad. Happy. Mad. Sleepy. To me, Liam looked sad despite the smile. It would be years before I ever figured out why.

My father stood there with us, fierce and protective. I don’t think he saw that look in Liam’s eyes. His head was too full of magic and worry. Too much had happened. The discovery of the price on my head, the attack by the wizard bounty hunter that killed Liam, the grief of that loss followed by the preparation for the raising, hiding mom and me until it was completed, and my freak-out at seeing Liam back from the dead. As strong as my father is, even he has a breaking point.

Later, when I was safely tucked in my bed with Liam stationed outside my door, I fell asleep to the sound of my father sobbing in my mother’s arms.

After that night my father changed a little. It was harder to get him to play with me or read to me. It seemed like he was always busy in a meeting or off talking to the local vampires. When I finally managed to have him all to myself, he was distracted, always looking out the windows or in the shadowy corners of the room.

You never knew when or where a wizard would pop up. They’re pretty sneaky.

Now, don’t get me wrong about my dad. I grew up knowing that he and mom loved me to bits. They made sure of that. But our lives changed big time after that night. Dad had to work harder, making pacts with nearby covens and those local vamps in a bid to keep me safe. He was also doing his best to track down the other wizards involved in my aborted kidnapping. The one who killed Liam had died before dad could question him.

I didn’t know any of this of course. I mean come on, I was three. In my little world, Dad was just away on business a lot. But I had Liam and to give a zombie credit, he took the edge off missing my daddy.

I suppose I should fill in the details, as they say, on what happened that terrible night. Mind you, like I said, my own memories aren’t very sharp. If I close my eyes and pour my concentration into it, I can recall flashes of what happened:

A Lego piece falling from my little hand as my dad scooped me up. The smell of his cologne as my face pressed against his chest. The racing of his heart. Scrunching my eyes up tight against a brilliant yellow light. A scream that might have been Mom’s. Stillness. Opening my eyes when Dad fell to his knees. Seeing Liam lying in front of us, his eyes open but not really seeing…

I don’t remember much else. I don’t think my young brain wanted to remember anything more. What led up to that night will have to be filled in by my father’s journal. Mom was always much better at keeping her journal up to date than Dad was, but this one time, he wrote down every detail. He always said he felt like he owed it to Liam to record his death properly.

What follows is the recounting of the night Liam saved my life, and died in the process.

91Commentshttp://www.cherrypopmcgee.com/2009/04/11/chapter-2-even-necromancers-cry/Chapter+2.+Even+Necromancers+Cry2009-04-11+21%3A19%3A36Stephanie

I stood next to the battered old truck and grabbed the next picket sign that had been flung on top of a pile. Each sign had been painstakingly hand-painted by my friends and me at a little party I threw together last night. Of course, my friends had anticipated beer and Jell-O shots but were instead confronted with finger paints and poster board, but they gamely pitched in anyway. After a few Jell-O shots, it ended up being pretty fun. The signs had the usual slogans on them: “Legalize Zombie Marriage”, “Equal Rights for the Undead”, “Duuuuuuude” – stuff like that.

“Hey CherryPop!” someone yelled. I glanced around and saw my best friend Simone on the other side of the town square waving like crazy. I looked pointedly at the setting sun before waving back. She just laughed and went back to kissing her latest boyfriend. I guessed that since she hadn’t exploded or anything, she must be an Early-riser Vamp. Some vampires can move about in the weak light of dusk or dawn, but not many.

I should get this out of the way too. Yes, my name really is CherryPop. It’s not a nickname. It’s on my birth certificate and everything. No, I don’t know what the hell my mother was thinking when she named me and she won’t tell me why she named me something that guaranteed that boys will think I came from a long line of strippers. But like that poor boy named Sue, I’ve learned how to kick some ass.

My mother is… eccentric. There’s just no other word for it. You know how some people try to trick their brains into getting some extra sleep by setting their alarm clocks ahead by ten or fifteen minutes? Well, my mom actually stops time itself so she can doze a bit longer.

I’m her only child. I love my mother but sometimes I wish she was a little more normal. My life has never been normal. How could it be with a powerful witch for a mother and a necromancer for a father? I grew up in world where vampires and zombies and all manner of ghosties are real. Some of them were good friends of mine.

I handed a “Zombies are People Too!” sign to a teenage boy who had quietly waited his turn. I smiled indulgently at him. He had lived next door to my family his entire life. In fact, I used to be his babysitter. I think he’s got a little crush on me which is just adorable as hell. He’s a little cutiepop.

“Hey Tommy.” I said brightly, flashing him a big smile. Yeah, I shouldn’t encourage him, but come on, show me a girl that doesn’t kind of like a good old schoolboy crush once in a while.

“H-hi CherryPop.” He stammered. “Nice uh, night for it.”

“Yeah, good thing too. Liam hates it when it rains.” I winked.

Tommy glanced nervously over at Liam who was helping me hand out the picket signs. Liam wasn’t a big guy compared to Tommy’s tall, lanky frame. About six feet even, I guessed, maybe a bit less. He had whipchord muscles that would never go soft.

Tommy shifted back and forth, shuffling his feet and seemed anxious to get away as soon as I mentioned Liam. If I had to guess, I’d say Tommy was a little bit scared of Liam. Bless the kid though, for showing up at the rally anyway. I don’t blame him for being a little afraid of my bodyguard. Liam can be… cranky. His brow is always furrowed and he always looks like he could bite someone’s head off. No pun intended. I guess if I had to be a Zombie, I’d be pretty cranky too.

Yes, Liam is a Zombie. With a capital ‘Z’. There are two kinds of Zombies: ones like Liam who were raised with the proper rituals by a qualified Necromancer, and then there are what I call Stupid Zombies.

Liam, and others like him, function like any human. They just happen to be dead. Technically. This means Liam can’t eat, sleep, or drink. They do need to move around a lot or rigor mortis can set in, and trust Liam when he says it’s a bitch to shake it off.  Zombies don’t need to breathe either, so don’t offer them a ciggie.

Zombies cannot reproduce. No shagging. There’s no blood circulating, you see. So once you’re a Zombie, unless you had children before you die, you will never be able to have them. One more reason to grant them rights as citizens. Some Zombies would like to adopt, but as of now, that’s impossible.

If a Zombie is not raised properly, say if a wanna-be necromancer attempted to raise the dead without the proper training and rituals, then you’re going to get the sort of Zombie who gives the rest of them a bad name. The ‘Stupid’ Zombie. Yeah, they’re scary. They will try to eat your brains or any handy fleshy bits (but oddly, they never try to eat your eyes.) Fortunately, it’s very difficult to raise the dead without the right training. Occasionally, some idiot gets lucky though.

“Think we’ll get a big crowd?” Liam asked me as we continued to hand out signs to the swelling crowd.

“I hope so. I’ve been handing out flyers like crazy, and Simone said she had a lot of support among the local vamps.” Liam seemed nervous and kept glancing around the street.

“Oh will you quit worrying already? Things have been quiet lately, you know that.” I scolded.

“Doesn’t mean this isn’t the perfect time to try something CherryPop. You know that.” he shot back. I rolled my eyes as he continued to grumble at my cavalier attitude. I am an eternal source of frustration for him. I have to be to keep him on his toes.

I’ve known Liam my entire life. His family had served my family in one way or another for generations, which, I know sounds very upper class and snobby of me to say, but it’s not what you think. Our families are close and always have been. But each family has different strengths. Somewhere in my McGee family tree we began to exhibit a leaning toward the magical and supernatural. Liam’s family, the O’Connors, tended towards strength beyond the capacity of your average person. They are rugged, hardy folk who often worked as protection, or bodyguards for those who can afford them.

But the McGees and the O’Connors have had a different, closer relationship through the generations. The McGees were the most powerful and highly regarded witches and necromancers in Ireland. I think somewhere back in the days of firelight and pagan rituals, both side might actually have been one family that just forked apart. Perhaps when our strengths separated us. But despite that fork, the O’Connors have been with us as we rose and fell in power. They have protected us, died for us, and if we’re very very lucky, one of them will carry all the signs for us when the rally is over. They’re very heavy.

86Commentshttp://www.cherrypopmcgee.com/2009/04/09/chapter-1-equal-rights-for-all-undead/Chapter+1.+Equal+Rights+For+All+Undead2009-04-10+03%3A00%3A45Stephanie

When I came to, I found myself looking into the eyes of a concerned Zombie. They were Liam’s eyes, and they looked worried. That couldn’t be good. I didn’t bother to attempt to speak. Cognizant thought was a ways off, so I let Liam check me over for broken bones, cuts and bruises. He brushed a lock of my hair away from my face and gazed intently at me.

“Can you hear me? CherryPop? You in there kid?” he said. His deep, soothing voice seemed to penetrate the fog I was in and I blinked a few times.

“She’s awake.” I heard him tell someone standing nearby. I slowly moved my head to look and saw my father’s worn old boots, tattered from years of traipsing over uneven ground. He refused to let Mom throw them out, claiming they were only just beginning to “feel” right. My daddy. Tears pooled in my eyes as the events of the past few hours began coming back to me. I lifted my hand and a sharp, shooting pain zipped through me, making me gasp and cringe.

“Hey now sweetheart. Try not to move. I’m here. I’m okay. ” said my father, crouching down next to me and gently grasping my hand. He didn’t look okay. Dried blood covered the left side of his face. His dark hair lay in limp, wet curls against his head. It always did get a little wild when it was wet I thought to myself randomly, remembering many nights growing up spent in wet graveyards watching him raise the dead. But tonight, the dead had already been raised. Tonight, the dead had attacked.

And we barely survived.

84Commentshttp://www.cherrypopmcgee.com/2009/04/08/the-prologue/The+Prologue2009-04-09+01%3A53%3A24Stephanie

I’m digging Twitter. Liam and I are on it. I’d suggest following both of us, especially if you’ve always wondered what a hot Zombie Liam is

Liam also set up this spiffy Twitter page right here on CherryPop that loads our latest tweets in near ‘real-time’ he says. he’s very excited about it. I think. It’s hard to tell with him.

82Commentshttp://www.cherrypopmcgee.com/2009/04/07/hey-we-tweet/Hey+we+tweet2009-04-07+19%3A19%3A14CherryPop

Liam’s been on my case to do this again. What can I say? I’m a busy girl. Between zombie rights rallies, Stupid Zombie killing, and my best friend, the vampire’s freaking love life, I haven’t had a lot of time to boot up the laptop. But Liam can be scary persuasive when he wants to be so I promised I’d take this up again.

I see his point. I really do. People are on this Internet thing and it’s a cool way to get the word out about rallies, and maybe we can even do one of those cool flash mob things I heard about. Anything to draw attention to legal rights for the properly raised Zombies. It’s been a tough battle. Between the idiots like the Anti-Zombie Coalition raising Stupids to create havoc and confusion on the issue of Zombie rights and my own murky dealings with the undead, it’s no wonder we can’t get the government to listen to us. I swear we didn’t have this much trouble when vampires started wanting legal rights.

Anyway, I’ve got a spiffy new phone so that I can do this Twitter thing too (Liam’s on Twitter too! Follow him. He loves followers, hehe. Don’t mind him if he seems cranky. He loves you all, he really does.) So you’ll be seeing a lot more of me.

What’s happening right now? To be honest, it’s fairly quiet in my world. We just had a successful rally in Denver a couple weeks ago. Peaceful, and I think we got a lot of people to listen to us. Which is better than when they throw things, trust me. Liam spoke for the first time and told his story. I got a little misty-eyed actually. He doesn’t talk about himself much. And while I knew what he sacrificed, I sometimes forget how much misery it’s caused him.

We have another rally next week, this time in New Orleans that I’m slightly nervous about. Lots of voodoo down that way. I’m bringing dad along as backup. Just in case. Will post more about that later.

Simone (my best friend the vampire for those of you following along at home) is a mess right now. I can’t go into detail because she’ll kill me. And I mean that quite literally. I’m thinking turtlenecks for a while if I give out any more details. let’s just say that for a vampire to find true love, well it’s difficult and apparently, ‘All men are bastards.’

Well that’s a hell of an update from me. I didn’t know I could write so much. I think I might get the hang of this thing this time.

More later.

63Commentshttp://www.cherrypopmcgee.com/2009/04/06/yeah-yeah-yeah/Yeah+yeah+yeah2009-04-07+03%3A21%3A31CherryPop