One Foot in the Grave: An Almost Zombie Tale Read Online Free PDF Page B

happening any time soon. Or ever. My cell phone rings and Elvis’ Jailhouse Rock fills the sanctuary. I blush and fish the phone out of my pocket, quickly pressing the down volume button before answering. “Hello?”
    “Hey, Isis.”

Six:
    It’s a Date!
    I’d recognize that slow southern drawl anywhere. It’s Sam. My eyes widen. It’s Sam . What the heck am I going to say? I can’t believe he actually called.
    I turn my back to everyone and lower my voice. “Hey, Sam. What’s up?” There. That sounds natural and not like I’m standing in the sanctuary of the weirdest church ever.
    “You still up for a Coffee Jar run? Farrie, Rhett and I are going to run by there before heading to Savannah.”
    “I’d love to come,” I say.
    “I can swing by your apartment and get you in, like, ten minutes.”
    “I’m not home, but I can meet you at the Jar,” I counter. “I’m not too far from there.”
    There’s a pause and a flurry of conversation I can’t hear, then Sam’s voice comes back loud and clear. “Okay, yeah, that’ll work.” The phone beeps.
    I turn back to Daniel. “Sorry, I’ve got a —”
    “A date. Yeah, I heard,” the half-vamp says. “Having a life when you don’t really, y’know, have a life is harder than you think.” He smiles and it looks a bit sad. “But good luck. I hope it works out for you, I really do.”
    “Thanks, Daniel.” This time, when I smile at him, it’s real. He seems like a nice guy. Fangs and all. I head for the front doors.
    “Uhhh…Isis?” Daniel calls me back. “You forgot something.”
    I frown.
    “Were you planning on leaving your hand here?”
    Startled, I glance down. I somehow completely spaced that my hand is sitting on Father Moss’s desk. I guess because I’m right-handed. But that leads me to another issue. “Would you do me a huge favor?”
    He looks cautious, but nods. “Sure.”
    “Wrap my hand back onto my wrist?”
    His sigh is relieved. I wonder what favors he’s had to do before, but it’s really none of my business. I barely know him. “I’ll be right back.”
    I wade through the other people, glancing briefly at the paw handed guy. He catches my eye, raises one eyebrow, then turns back to the girl standing next to him. She looks totally normal. I wonder what her super power is. She’s gotta have something, or she wouldn’t be here. Then again, with the way she’s clinging to paw guy’s hand, she might just be a visitor. I don’t even know if that’s allowed. Maybe I could bring Sam… if this is going to be my life, it might be nice to have a bit of normal in it.
    Father Moss isn’t in the office when I get there, so it’s a quick in and out to grab my hand and get back to where Daniel’s now standing with paw guy and the chick.
    “And this is Isis,” Daniel says, as if he totally knows me.
    The girl, a cute multi-color haired pixie, smiles. “I’m Bekah and this is Albin. It’s great to meet you. Is this your first time here?”
    I don’t really have time to chat, but her question gives me the opening I want to ask a question of my own. “I’m new to all this. What about you?”
    She laughs. “Oh, it’s not like that. The most unusual thing about me is my hair.”
    “And all…this,” I wave the hand in my, uhhh, hand to encompass the whole church, “doesn’t mess with your head?”
    “It did at first, yeah. But Albin’s paws aren’t ever going away…so neither am I.”
    It must be nice to have a love like that. My thoughts flit back to Andrew. He really was perfect…except for the biting part. But if Andrew was so perfect, why am I going to coffee with Sam? My life’s obviously not going to be anything close to normal ever again. Maybe trying to be something I’m not just isn’t worth it.
    “Aren’t you supposed to be going on a date? If you give me your hand, I’ll re-bandage you.” Daniel holds out his hand for my loose one.
    “I—don’t know if I should go.” I give him my hand and