“Arm yourself!” he hollered. I grabbed the biggest sword I could find. “What for, Mr Watkins?” I asked.
“Zombies, that’s what!” he cried. Of course my sword wasn’t actually a sword, but a broom handle; his was an umbrella.
The two of us, weapons in hand, swung wildly, as we chopped the heads off the zombies. When the battle ended, we celebrated.
“A round of beer for everyone” he said. Beer wasn’t really beer either, but ginger ale that my mom had set on the table in the backyard.
Later that day Mr. Watkin’s wife came and got him. Again.
This tale of bravery and senility was brought to you courtesy of Rochelle Wisoff-Fields’ Friday Fictioneers. Be sure to check out the other stories at the link below.
SightsnBytes 
Good on Mr Watkins! Great fun.
Lovely story. Well done
I got a chuckle out of that!
I was laughing through this, thinking they were children, but maybe it’s a little sad. Still, if I go senile, this is how I want to go: fighting zombies.
We all should be having as much fun as these two… who’s in? Lovely tale.
Hey! I’m beginning to resemble that remark. 😦 As they say in the obits, (which I’m reading more often now) ‘in his 71st year’, the same as your aunt Jean.
Catching up on a couple of other book series, I thought to start at the bottom of the Repairman Jack list, but found that local second-hand book shops almost never get them in. I guess I’ll have to pay full price, and order them through Chapters. The first of the series, written in the ’80s, was re-released a couple of years ago. Welcome back to writing. 🙂
I am reading the Pendergast series by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child.
I would ask how you become aware of all these series, but – still working, and far less of a loner than me – just like this! One fella tells another fella. I’ll research these guy’s works. Thanx. 🙂
They wrote the novel in which the movie The Relic was based
Love your story! Too bad Mrs. Watkins had to be a buzz kill. Nan 🙂
Thanks for reading 🙂
I loved this story! Not only did you entertain me but you taught me that I don’t have to take everything so literally. Now I want to go fight zombies with a broomstick like the narrator. OK, I can’t shake off being literal so easily. Is Mr. Watkins a babysitter or a teacher?
Mr. Watkins was an old man with dementia, reliving his childhood, despite his wife’s wishes
Mr Watkins seems great fun for the kid to have around. Mrs W must be worried sick though, poor thing.
Sounds like a good guy to have around for the coming Zombie Apocalypse. 🙂 Love the lines with the umbrella and a broom handle and finding what weapons you can. It definitely set up an image.
Ha! I thought they were kids at first too. I like it better this way tho, there’s hope for my imagination in the future 🙂
What a way to spend the day! Who wouldn’t have fun fighting the zombies, kid or adult? These days, zombies are very much an adult theme and on everyone’s minds. Well done.
Dear SNB,
Mr. Watkins and his dementia were both clear to me. Imaginative story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
Funny. At least he’s happy inside his own fractured world.