Fanfic: Zombies, Zombies, ALWAYS ZOMBIES! 🧟 Ep. 13: Monkeying Around

Hey Poptropicans, this is a guest post by Magic Kid. Enjoy!

Hello! I’m alive! I hope you guys have had a good month. I’ve been slacking and doing absolutely nothing productive working tirelessly on this episode! (Catch the last episode here, or first episode here.)

I dunno if any of you guys are superstitious, but with this episode being the 13th, I can’t help but wonder what misfortune will befall Jazzy Hawk, Icy Stone, and Birdy on Monkey Wrench Island as they plan a way to save Witty Toothpick on a mysterious island far out to sea. With Poptropica in such an apocalyptic state, what could go wrong?

ZOMBIES, ZOMBIES, ALWAYS ZOMBIES!

A Zomberry Series

Episode Thirteen: Monkeying Around

Hawk, Stone, and Birdy were standing on a jungle island. The pirate ship that had saved them was flying away, leaving the three to an uncertain fate.

It was extremely late in the evening, so late in fact that the sky was lightening up as morning was coming upon them. They were exhausted after an exciting day, and a long night, who wouldn’t be?

But they couldn’t stop. It was like an invisible clock was ticking, and they had to save Toothpick before the time was up.

From the place where they had been dropped off, they already saw a bunch of rope, rusty gears, and other tools. What they had to do was to find the guy on the island, and see if he could help.

Hawk

Come on! Crusoe should just be over here!

Birdy 

Okay.

Stone

Crusoe, isn’t that the guy who was marooned on this island and has monkey friends? Sounds like great help!

Hawk

He should be! Hopefully…

They fought their way through the jungle, moving past vines, over muddy puddles and ferns, and avoiding spider webs as much as possible. Well, except when…

Birdy

ACK!

Hawk

What?!

Birdy (coughing)

I just swallowed a spider web.

Stone

Wow. Are you good?

Birdy (still coughing)

Yeah, thanks.

They continued to traverse through the thick jungle. The highlights of the trip were when Stone grabbed a vine that turned out to be a snake; when Hawk hit his head on a low-hanging branch and a large beetle fell on him; and when they all slipped in the very same patch of muddy sludge.

It was getting lighter, so they didn’t have to be as cautious when finding their way through the brush. After nearly an hour of this, they found a clearing with bamboo forming some sort of structure.

Hawk

This must be it! Let’s try to find Crusoe!

Voice

Eh? Whatcha want?

Hawk turned around and saw Crusoe, coconut drink in one hand, resting by a sign that read: Crusoe’s Castaway Retreat.

Stone examined the place. It didn’t look much like a retreat. There were fruit trees, sure. But the place had bugs, monkeys, and everything looked well-worn, like it could break in heavy rainfall. And, being in a jungle rainforest, that seemed like an extremely possible event.

Crusoe

Fellow adventurers, ey? What d’ya need? Lemme guess, a blimp?

Jazzy Hawk

Uh, yeah, something like that. 

Crusoe

‘Right, ‘right. Smoothie?

Birdy

What?

Crusoe

The last group of adventurers who came in here made me a mighty fine good smoothie. There’s more in that contraption o’er there.

Stone

Blimp?

Crusoe

Eh, fine, fine. I’ll getcha a blimp. Lemme see ‘ere…

Crusoe disappeared into the jungle. There was rustling, clanking, and other noises coming out of the brush while the three friends waited.

They were entertained for a few moments by a group of chaotic monkeys fighting over a banana.

Crusoe came out. He was silent for a few seconds and then—

Crusoe

Yeah, I got nothing.

Stone

What? Come on!

Crusoe

Oh, but I do have a hot air balloon some “famous” adventurer gave me after I helped her an’ another adventurer win a race.

Hawk

That— that’ll work. Thank you.

Crusoe

No problem, I don’t need it back, by the way.

Hawk

But don’t you want to get off this island?!

Crusoe

Nah. This island has everything I need.

Food—

He gestures to a large banana tree.

Crusoe (continued)

Shelter—

He nods towards a hammock under a very make-shift roof.

Crusoe (continued)

Aaaand entertainment!

Right on cue, the monkeys tumbled past again, still arguing over a very squished banana. Hawk had to admit to himself that it was pretty funny and entertaining. 

Crusoe

Anyway, take that hot air balloon! I don’t need it. You can even take some fruit and stuff for your journey, you three looked like you haven’t slept or ate in days!

That statement was all too true. The three friends were beyond exhausted and— now that they thought of it— no one could remember the last time they ate. 

Crusoe

Ah! I see! Listen, how about y’all rest here a night and get a couple square meals in? It’ll do ya good.

Hawk had a slight spasm as two trains of thought collided in his mind. He had no idea how much danger Toothpick was in, nor how long it would take to find out where he went. For all he knew, they could already be too late—

On the other hand, Crusoe was right. It had been days since he had slept, and he was starving.

Would it be worth the risk? Wouldn’t it be better to be full and energized for when they save Toothpick? He didn’t know.

And, anyway, it wasn’t only his decision to make. Birdy and Stone probably had their own ideas on what to do. He turned to discuss it with them.

Birdy

Let’s grab some food and try to find Pick. Who knows what’s happening to him.

Stone

Uh, I like Crusoe’s idea.

Birdy

But— but think about Pick! I mean— what if we’re too late?

Hawk 

Yeah—

Stone

Listen, the best thing right now would be to be able to fully function WHEN we save Toothpick. It’ll be no use if we turn up there, half-dead with starvation and too tired to walk.

Hawk

True.

Birdy

Uggggg, fine. Fine, we’ll stay here for a bit— but ONLY one night!

Hawk

We’ve got ourselves a plan!

After figuring out a few details with Crusoe, the three friends spent most of the day making hammocks and collecting food for the hot air balloon Crusoe was willing to lend them. They feasted upon fresh, tropical fruit and coconut drinks, while doing a check-up on the hot air balloon. They rested a while in the hammocks, and soon night came, and they settled around a fire while a pig was being roasted, discussing the whole situation and having a pretty good time.

Hawk

Imagine what Pick would say once we turn up!

Stone

Heh!

Birdy

“Cheese and crackers, how’d you guys get here?”

They all laughed, but then quieted down into thoughtful silence.

Birdy

We probably should leave soon.

Hawk

Yeah.

Stone

…Yeah, let’s leave now.

Hawk

Okay, lemme just—

A groan echoed from the forest.

A kind of groan all too familiar that it made the three friends shiver.

It was a zombie.

A chorus of groans bellowed louder and louder, and exiting from the forest was a horde of zombies. Along with a Crusoe zombie, with a purple-ish face.

Birdy

RUN!

Hawk kicked sand onto the fire and then they ran! Luckily, the hot air balloon was on the beach, pretty close to where they were. Unluckily, the zombies were much faster than Hawk had ever seen them be. 

The three friends reached the hot air balloon, and hurriedly took off just as the zombies reached it. The zombies’ fingertips barely reached the bottom of the basket.

And they were off again, out to find Toothpick. Still shocked by the sudden attack of zombies, they nevertheless pursued through the night sky.

All that Hawk, Stone, and Birdy could do was hope that they weren’t too late.

TO BE CONTINUED

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Hope you enjoyed this guest post by Magic Kid. If you did, you might also enjoy their Pop Quiz: Which Pop Character Are You? post.

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