The Walking Dead Aren’t Always Dead (or Ugly)

"Is this the best you could do?"

Tom looked at his wife’s silhouette against the setting sun. Even after ten years, he still couldn't tell if she was bluffing. Or, maybe he simply pretended to put on a look of dismay every time.

"Ah..." he started, one hand scratching his head, the other on his hip. "I overheard you chatting with mum the other day about missing the ocean..." his apologetic tone was too convincing.

"And people say I have the poker face," she grinned, pulling herself into his warm embrace. "I love it," she whispered into his waiting ear. "You're the best."

"I know." He nodded, wrapping her snugly. "How does that saying go again? I can't do any better—"

"—she can't do any worse," she completed his sentence. "Ass," she quipped, punching his chest.

"Ow," he said, not bothering to conceal his cheeky smile. "Hey," he suddenly said. "I got an idea!" A solemn expression replaced his cheerful disposition.

She watched her husband get down on bended knee. "Candace Wong..." he said, reaching for her right hand. "Would you do me the honor..." he tried to suppress a smile, "of being the first couple we know of," he stressed the last three words, "to go skinny dipping on Preston Beach?"

Candace feigned a blush, flapped her face in a way only an Arts undergraduate majoring in drama could rival. "I will," she said, her eyes filled with tearless joy.

They soon got their kits off, one after the other, waist deep. Water splashed. A giggle here and there, interspersed with lusty exchanges of hot, passionate kisses. Then suddenly, a rogue wave crashed above their heads. There was a fleeting moment of panic, when Candace resurfaced but couldn't see Tom anywhere. But he reemerged a second later from behind, grabbed her, and scared the living daylights out of her.

"That's not funny, Tom," she scolded. "I'm serious!"

He stood there, his smile slowly dissipating as he realized she was for real. “I’m sorry, sweet,” he said, wading over to where she was, cupping her face. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. “I’m getting hungry.”

She nodded.

They were out of the water moments later. Tom had sacrificed his shirt for them to dry off. Candace was busily wringing her brunette locks when she realized a third presence on the beach.

“Oh my God!” she cried out.

“Oy! Get the fuck out of there!” Tom went berserk at the boy, no older than ten, standing there with his eyes devouring the scene that had unfolded. Undoubtedly, this would’ve been his first experience seeing a grown woman naked to the bone.

“Tom,” Candace, now fully dressed, came up behind her husband, pulling on his arm. “He’s just a boy…”

“Boy or not,” Tom said, then paused when the pre-teen turned around and darted off, back into the bush. “Bah, stupid kid.”

Candace peered through the natural partition, thinking to spot a tent, or caravan of some sort, maybe a campfire. “There,” she pointed. “We should go. You should apologize for being a jerk.”

“Whaaaat?” Tom raised his arms. “Seriously? I wasn’t the one perving at someone else’s wife naked.”

She was already pulling him up the sand. “Come on Mr Wong,” she said, “The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can undress me again…” she winked.

It didn’t take them long to locate the campsite. Several adults appeared huddled around the boy they had seen earlier. His arms were animated, as if attempting to convey an unbelievable story.

“Your boy’s at it again Damo,” one of the adult men said. He then got up, and took a swig of his stubby. “Maybe he’d been having a few too many sips out of yours,” he laughed.

“Shut your hole Andy,” the boy’s father retorted. “Nate couldn’t have made it up, he doesn’t have one of those fancy screen-things with the news and shit.”

“There’s the radio.” Andrew shrugged.

“Are you fucking serious?” Damien said.

“Dad…” young Nathan tugged his father’s jumper, then pointed to where Tom and Candace stood. “That’s them!” he said excitedly.

“Where’s who?” Damien asked, straining to see anything but sand and native vegetation.

“The dead man and woman,” Nathan said.

Andrew laughed out loud, and started jeering with obscene gestures.

“Go and annoy your sister, mate…” his father said annoyingly. “Go. Now!”

Candace and Tom were flabbergasted. Both standing like statues, completely lost for words. Tom was quick to gather his wits, and was about to put one foot forward but felt a firm hand on his chest. Eventually, he relented, and turned his attention to his wife. He followed her eyes, firstly connected with his, then slowly, down to the ground, and back to the spot where they had came through the bush.

“I don’t get it…” he said, studying her face. “What—”

“Footprints, Tom,” she said.

He swung his head again, looking carefully. There was only one set.