Zombie Boy: Press Start (Adventures of Zombie Boy Book 1) Read online

  Zombie Boy: Press Start

  Val O. Morris

  Contents

  Welcome!

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Help Zombie Boy Grow!

  Sneak Peek: Zombie Boy 2

  Note From the Author

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Zombie Boy: Press Start

  by Val O. Morris

  Copyright 2015 Val O. Morris.

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, businesses, events, or locales is purely coincidental. Reproduction in whole or part of this publication without express written consent is strictly prohibited.

  The author greatly appreciates you taking the time to read her work. Please consider leaving a review wherever you bought the book, or telling your friends about it, to help spread the word.

  Cover Design: Craig Morris

  www.valomorris.com

  Zombie Boy: Press Start

  What if life were a video game?

  Liam Walker wants to be an all-star baseball player, but life has other plans. When his best friend, Katie, lends him a new video game, his world literally changes. Transformed from a down on his luck boy next door into a zombie bashing video game character, Liam must learn to deal with bullies, new friends, and loss while attempting to learn the rules of the game and save everyone from a zombie apocalypse.

  With time running out, can he navigate his way back to the real world before it's too late? Or will the appeal of being a zombie slaying hero have him staying in the video game world forever?

  Join Liam and his friends on an action packed, zombie-bashing adventure!

  If you would like to be notified when the next book in the series is released, please visit:

  http://www.valomorris.com/thankyou-zb/

  For Hayden.

  1

  Liam Walker dreamed of becoming an all-star baseball player. Only things holding him back were that he couldn't hit, could barely throw, and was a lousy baserunner. If he didn't trip over a base, it was considered a victory run.

  Who would have ever thought this kid would ultimately become a hero of the zombie apocalypse?

  Not surprisingly, all the other kids his age made fun of him. What thirteen year old boy couldn't play baseball?

  Liam, that's who.

  "Liam, you suck! You couldn't hit a meteor if it hovered right in front of you," yelled Thomas, the tall, broad shouldered pitcher. "Why do you even try out?"

  Liam tried out for his school's team every year, and every year was the same outcome. But that didn't stop him. He was persistent to a fault.

  Instead of being blessed with athletic ability, he was given geek status. He read comic books, science fiction books, loved movies and the science channel, but his biggest most beloved hobby was playing video games.

  He'd spend hours by himself in his room playing video games. Other kids would be outside playing sports of various kinds while he was hunkered down in front of his console of choice shooting laser guns into aliens or blasting mutated creatures with shotguns. The thought that there might be something odd about his behavior never entered his mind.

  He tapped the end of the bat against his shoes just like he'd seen the pros do on TV as he prepared to take his position at the plate. Only, he wore plain ol' sneakers instead of cleats. Liam cocked the bat over his right shoulder and stared down at the pitcher.

  Thomas rolled his eyes as he wound up for his pitch.

  The ball whizzed by Liam.

  The coach clapped and yelled, "That's okay, kid, get the nex'one!" It was amazing he could talk with all that tobacco stuffed in his lip.

  Liam gripped the bat tight, too tight, and narrowed his focus. He was determined to hit the ball. Liam swung with all his might.

  Again, the ball zipped by.

  The coach called out to the pitcher, "Give'im one he can hit. Come on, now."

  Liam stepped back and took a few swings to loosen up his shoulders, again something he mimicked from TV. When he stepped back into position, he held the bat over the plate and looked at the pitcher.

  Thomas nodded.

  Liam brought the bat over his shoulder again and waited. He thought back to what his father had told him about his days of playing ball. "You gotta see yourself hitting the ball," his father would say. "Envision it, then do it."

  The pitcher wound up and then let go of a change-up.

  The slower speed threw off Liam's timing and he swung way ahead of the ball and missed. No matter how badly he wanted it, envisioning it didn't work.

  Laughter erupted from the dugout. The coach spit his tobacco. "I hope that cocky laughter means you got something to show when it's your turn!"

  Liam drug the bat back to the dugout, and the coach patted him on the back. "Maybe next time, kid."

  He couldn't bare to stick around and watch the rest of the tryouts. He planned to grab his backpack and get out of there as quickly as possible. As he approached the dugout, a look of horror crossed his face. Some of the kids, who were no doubt behind the snickering and laughing, were holding one of his horror comics. That familiar pang socked him right in his gut. They had been going through his stuff again.

  Shoulders slouched, Liam said, "Give it back." It was more of a plea than a demand.

  Caleb, thin and lanky and wearing last year's jersey like a badge of honor, grabbed the comic and stretched his arm above his head. "If you can get it, you can have it."

  One of the other boys teased, "He can't hit. What makes you think he can jump?"

  Thomas joined them as all the other kids in the dugout stepped in close to Liam. Caleb handed off the comic to Thomas.

  Liam took a quick breath and then another. They were closing in on him. Suffocation set in. He had to get out of there. In a David and Goliath moment, Liam knotted his fist and punched Thomas in the stomach causing him to drop the comic and grab for his aching stomach.

  Surprised, the other two boys looked on in disgust rather than in awe of what Liam had done.

  Caleb retrieved the comic from the dirt floor. As he handed it to Liam, he said, "Take your stupid zombie comic and go."

  The coach had heard the commotion and appeared at the dugout entrance. Liam looked up at his bulging chest and crossed arms.

  "Son, the only hitting we allow around here is on the field. And if you can't do that, you're not welcome."

  Liam lowered his head and walked out of the dugout. Sounds of laughter and a kid yelling, "Busted!" followed him like a bad grade.

  It was a beautiful spring day in Draxon Hollow. The trees had already produced green leaves and flowers were finally adding some much needed color to the surroundings.

  Liam lived about a block from his school. If he had taken the straight shot down the sidewalk, he would've been home in five minutes. But what was the point in rushing home when he didn't have good news to share?

  Instead, he took the long way, the scenic route. Any kid who would normally try to beat him up in the woods was on the baseball field, so he felt safe. It gave him time to think, to reflect. Dad would be disappointed; Liam was used to that. But not making the team also upset himself, for he wanted more than anything to wear the number eight just like his idol, Ryan Jackson, and see batting trop
hies scattered around his room.

  Macon Cove ended at the woods where Liam emerged. His house was the second one from the dead end and on the right side from the woods. His best friend, Katie, lived directly across from him, and he made a point to walk down the middle of his street.

  She was sitting outside on her front porch swing. Liam thought Katie was cute, but his favorite thing about her - Katie looked up from her book and ran down the drive to him, "You gotta check out this new game I found today!" - was that she loved video games, too.

  "Here," she pushed a disc into his hand.

  He looked down at it, but he didn't say anything.

  She popped her gum. "What's wrong with you?"

  He finally raised his head and when he did, his eyes stopped on hers. The late afternoon sun caught her golden hair and engulfed him in warmth. She was so pretty. He bet angels sang whenever she looked in the mirror.

  She snapped her fingers. "Earth to Liam."

  "Oh, sorry. What is it?"

  "I told you. A new game. Well, it's not new, new. I got it from a yard sale my mom dragged me to."

  "What's it like?"

  "It's just some zombie game. You'll probably like it more than me." Katie was full of energy and high on life, something Liam lacked, especially at that moment. "Come on, I'll walk you home."

  Liam smiled, "I live right across from you."

  "I know, but you can use the next ten steps to tell me why you look so down."

  His feet scuffed the concrete. "It's nothing."

  "Bull." She eyed his glove. "How did it go?"

  He didn't want to talk about it. Not even with her. Especially not with her. How could he be her macho guy friend if he couldn't even make the stupid school baseball team?

  They stopped halfway up Liam's driveway.

  Katie's voice was soft when she spoke. "Not everyone can be Ryan Jackson, you know. You gotta find the thing that you're good at."

  He could look at her all day, but Katie snapping her fingers in his face got his attention. She had a knack for that.

  "Talk later?"

  He nodded and lowered his head in embarrassment.

  "Gotta finish my homework before dinner or Mom will have a conniption!"

  He watched as Katie skipped down the drive.

  Liam put away the groceries while his mom and dad prepared dinner. They were having meatloaf and mashed potatoes. A good meal for an active ball player, only Liam didn't even get to run the bases. He thought back to the disappointment that washed over his dad's eyes when he told his parents about tryouts.

  Mr. Walker was a tall, stout man. His shoulders told the story of a lifetime of baseball. "If you'd put the same effort into baseball as you do video games, you'd be a pro by now. We'll move practice to every weeknight. Then you'll be ready next year."

  Liam didn't like the idea of giving up his nightly gaming time for more practice. He already spent too much time with homework. While his dad went on about his glory days, Liam continued to arrange cracker and snack boxes in the cabinet just so. He was an expert at making everything fit in the small spaces. Years of playing Tetris had seeped into his subconscious.

  Mrs. Walker opened the cabinet and retrieved a can of green peas. A cabinet full of boxes, some standing tall and some on their sides length ways but all jammed in tight, sat before her. She sighed and rearranged a few of the food boxes. "You have to wake up, Liam, before life passes you by. Don't let video games turn you into a real zombie."

  Liam hung his head.

  As much as Liam wanted to be a baseball player, he couldn't help but wonder who he was really doing it for.

  When dinner was over, Liam excused himself. "Come on, Shadow," he said to his dog.

  Liam plopped down in the chair across from the TV in his bedroom, and Shadow curled up at his feet. Posters of Ryan Jackson, his favorite baseball player, adorned his walls and his room smelled of dirty socks and Cheetos. He picked up the controller and sent Katie a message from the game console.

  'About to try ur game. U busy?'

  An invitation to an online chat popped up on his TV screen. He smiled and hit the "Join" button.

  When they weren't hanging out together, like on school nights, Liam and Katie would talk online through their game consoles while they each played a game. Sometimes they would play co-op in the same game, and sometimes they would play their own separate games. But they were always a breath away from each other thanks to technology.

  "Have you started it yet?" It had only been a few seconds since Liam put the disc in, but Katie was impatient.

  "It's loading now." A logo bursting with colors and sound boomed from the TV. "Whoa!"

  After the initial loading screen, a typed message appeared on the screen that read: "THIS IS NOT A TYPICAL VIDEO GAME THAT YOU PLAY FROM YOUR COUCH. IT IS VERY REAL. THERE WILL BE NO HAND HOLDING. DO YOU CONSENT TO AN ORIGINAL EXPERIENCE? YES/NO."

  Liam shrugged, then highlighted the "YES" option.

  Another message appeared: "WHAT IS YOUR NAME?"

  "Li-." He started to say his name but then decided to type: ZOMBIE BOY.

  "WHAT SCARES YOU?"

  Liam tilted his head. There were no auto response options or onscreen keyboard available to choose. "Um... Zombies? I dunno. This is a zombie game, right?"

  Katie asked, "Who are you talking to?"

  "This game. It wants to know what scares me."

  "Ooooh, interactive!"

  "How deep should I get? I mean, I'm talking to my game console."

  "Tell it you're afraid of spiders."

  "Eww, no way!" He shrugged, "Not making the baseball team was pretty scary."

  The idea of talking to his video game wasn't that strange. His newest console, the HoriZon, had a camera that allowed for verbal instructions for things like turning on the system, starting a game, and apparently, answering questions. Plus, Liam was used to yelling at it and hitting his controller after he'd made a fatal error that would send his in-game avatar plummeting to its death. As if that fatal error were the game's fault.

  More text appeared: "WHAT IS IT THAT YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE?"

  Liam stared at the screen. "I wish real life was more like video games. Then I could level up and get stronger and faster and better at everything."

  Liam heard scratching in his headset from Katie's movement.

  "Sorry. Had to tell my parents goodnight. Wha'did I miss?" Katie asked.

  Liam was thankful she didn't hear his last answer.

  The game screen flashed again, and an electric bolt shot through the controller.

  Liam dropped it. "Ouch!"

  "ENJOY YOUR GAME," appeared briefly on the screen before going black.

  "Hello? Katie, are you there?" But the console had turned off and dropped their connection.

  His phone immediately rang. He hit the speaker button.

  "What's wrong?" asked Katie.

  "The game just shocked me! I think it's broken," Liam said as he tapped the top of his game console. The game had shut itself off. "Oh, man. If this killed my console my parents are gonna kill me."

  "Maybe not. I'll look at it tomorrow."

  "Yeah, okay. I'd better get to bed anyway. See ya."

  Liam hung up and crawled into bed. Shadow curled up next to him in his usual spot. As Liam reached for the light, he eyed the comic books laying beside him on the bedside table. He picked up the stack and laid back on the pillow.

  "Zombies or werewolves, Shadow?"

  The Labrador Retriever looked up. He then covered his eyes with his paw and made a cute groaning sound.

  "You're right. Enough horror for one day." He put the horror comics back on his bedside table, turned out the light, and rolled over on his side.

  In the darkness of his room, below the TV, a red light blinked on the game console.

  2

  Liam tossed and turned until he grew tired of tossing and turning. Finally, he flung the covers off of himself and opened his eyes. He rubbed
them to focus.

  Something wasn't right. He rubbed his eyes again. Nothing changed. Although he was seeing clearly, things were just different. Even his hands looked odd.

  "Huh?"

  His room was bright with color splashed everywhere. His baseball and video game posters were still on his walls, but the coloring was... off. It looked like everything had been replaced with a computer generated version of itself. And a poor one at that.

  Shadow stood on the bed with the tuft of hair in his mane standing on end.

  Liam reached over to pet him, "What's wrong, boy?"

  Liam turned to look at him. Shadow's fur felt like fur, but looked pixelated. "What the...?"

  Shadow relaxed at Liam's familiar touch and sat down. Liam scratched Shadow's head and observed his room. Everything had a similar 8-bit aesthetic to it.

  He pushed the button on his HoriZon video game console hoping it would miraculously work. Instead of the usual high resolution real-looking graphics, the game looked like a first generation console with pixels and aliasing.

  "Crap, I knew something was wrong with this thing."

  But it wasn't just the game console. It was everywhere. Was it just his room? Or had it spread to the rest of the house?

  Liam grabbed his favorite shirt, the one with the extra life mushroom design on the front, and slid it over his head. He slowly walked down the hall to the kitchen.

  "Mom? Dad?"

  No one answered. Was he alone?

  He opened the fridge and the only thing he saw was a pixelated, cooked chicken sitting on a platter on the top shelf. Flashbacks to playing Castlevania echoed through his mind.

  "This is too weird."

  The curtains flung open and Liam peered out the window. Neither of his parents' cars were in the driveway. It was Tuesday, so they must have gone to work. But why didn't they say goodbye? Liam usually had breakfast with his parents before work and school. Had he overslept?