Flight 2842 landed in Dallas to an empty airfield in the middle of winter.

“Holy Jesus. Frank,” said Pennington. He contoured his mouth at his copilot. “Earth to Frank Watson.”

Frank’s airline cap laid over his face. His body flung back with his legs up on a part of the console. A large empty bottle of vodka laid at his feet.

“Well, you’re no help.” He picked up a radio from the console. “Ginda, come up here for a second.” He turned back and saw her come in. Her slim fit stewardess outfit came complete with a little blue scarf tied around her neck. His mouth watered every time he saw her.

“The airfield is bare,” she said. She looked at Frank, then back to Pennington. “Where is everyone?”

“I’ve never seen anything like this in all my life.”

“Do we release the passengers?” she said.

“No. I haven’t been able to contact anyone since we began our decent.”

“They’ll get restless. What should we do?”

“Give out the spare peanuts.” He adjusted his cap. “I’m going for a walk.”

Once in the airport, he clicked a flashlight into the dark corridor. The moving sidewalk stood still. The entire terminal held a coldness that pushed him further through the airport. He checked the security rooms and worker’s areas.

He stole a donut from the Starbucks. “A few days old at least.” He made a pot of coffee and continued walking.

When he reached airport security, he stopped at the sight of a man standing on the other side.

“Hello?” he called. An echo greeted him back. “Hello?”

The man turned and began a slow walk, his features hidden by the dark. As the man neared him, he rose his flash light first at his pants, covered in blood, then at his torso, a buttoned shirt ripped open, and as the light revealed his head, his face seemed lean and hungry.

“Are you okay? Sir?” said Pennington.

The hungry man’s mouth opened to show red and yellow teeth. He started to pick up speed and snarled.

Pennington turned and ran with each step faster than his heart beating in his chest. As he continued, he heard a mass of feet running behind him. He didn’t look back. He returned to his airliner, slammed the exit shut and turned to look back at the passengers. “Wrong airport.” He returned to the console and pulled back the plane.

The creatures poured out of the airport and followed the plane as it turned.

The plane smashed a few under it’s wheels as it powered down the runway.

“This is your captain speaking. We seem to be having issues with our flying instruments. Please allow us to get you to the next closest airport before we allow you to depart.” Pennington’s rear end flew back in the pilot’s seat. His eyes turned to Frank. “You lucky duck. You’ll never believe me.”

He set the plane to autopilot and popped his head out to wave Ginda in. “Do you believe in zombies?”

Ginda snickered. “What kind of question is that?”

Frank started to stir and looked over at Pennington. His hat sat at a half cocked angle. His bloodshot eyes glared at Pennington.

“Frank, ever seen a zombie?” said Pennington.

Just at that moment, Frank threw his body forward and tackled Pennington to the floor.

“The hell!” said Pennington.

Frank bit into his shoulder and kept going back for more.

Ginda jumped back and slammed the door. She curled her lips inside her mouth as she held the door shut. After a few minutes, she heard bang-bang-bang come from the other side of the door.

The passengers yelled as the plane started a nose down decent.

Ginda shook her head in furious tears as she clung to bars keeping the zombie trapped in the cockpit. Death by plane beat death by zombie.