Returning to zombie cows and Doctor Quackenboss…
Resistance is Essential
“We must save Doctor Quakenboss.”
The cows, Jake, Winston, Arabella, and Fred, walked out of the shadows and I shrieked.
“Don’t be afraid, we mean you no harm.”
“Yeah, right.” I backed away. “Wait. You can talk too?”
“Our speech is a side effect of the virus that has infected Doctor Quakenboss. A virus we need your help to defeat.”
“I knew it!” Frankie pumped his fist. “He’s not evil.”
“No, but the sentient virus within his system is most malevolent. The world is doomed without your help.”
“I say, Arabella,” Fred rolled his eyes, “very dramatic. Accurate, but dramatic.”
Yesterday, Tomorrow, and Thursday
“Oh, dear.”
My gut churned at Frankie’s tone and the cows looked worried. I glanced at the console where Frankie worked.
“What did you find?”
“Um, you remember that dimensional rift thingy?”
“Where Thursday got sucked into another world? Yeah, I remember.”
“Well, the virus infecting Doctor Quackenboss has that same dimensional signature.”
“Does that mean…?”
Frankie nodded. “We’re being invaded.”
I shuddered, thinking of flying monkeys. “Crap!”
“But good news, I can stop the virus.”
“Great!”
“Bad news. I have to shut down the entire city grid.”
I shut out the thought of future paperwork and replied, “Do it.”
Endings and Beginnings
Doctor Quackenboss looked at us and mooed.
“Hurrah! It worked.” Frankie did a little dance. “I purged the virus!”
I looked around, studying the reset of the virtual space, back to a peaceful meadow. To the right the other cows grazed, returned to their original programming. Yet, something tickled at the back of my mind, something was off. Then it clicked.
“Did you add that black gate? It’s just sitting out there in the field.”
“What gate?” Frankie peered at where I pointed. “Um, no.”
Slowly the strange entrance creaked open. We heard a flutter of wings and cackling laughter.
Be Afraid of the Dark 
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