Monday 29 October 2012

Blood and Roses

On Saturday afternoon, we made our way downtown to pick out our trio of pumpkins. Small groups of Muslim girls were moving through the Byward Market, passing out crimson and cream roses to the passers-by, in honour of Eid, I suppose.
I was delighted when younger daughter and I were presented with cream roses; we were cradling them and admiring them when we boarded the Number Seven bus for home.

That was why I didn't notice the zombies.

It took a few moments for me to realize why the bus was so crowded, unusual for a Saturday afternoon. I looked across the aisle at a man swathed from head to shoulders in a bloody bandage. The girl next to him appeared to have part of her cheek eaten away. Many other young passengers were in various states of decomposition; several had crimson and cream roses.

A man turned to the Resident Fan Boy and laughed, "It's like Woodstock for the Undead!"

They clambered off at McDonald Gardens Park where hundreds of men who died building the Rideau Canal are buried under the large mound. I wonder how many of the young zombies were aware of this, as they staggered back to the Parliament Buildings clutching their Eid roses.

6 comments:

JoeinVegas said...

So the zombies walk to parliament every October? Is there a purpose, a complaint or just for fun?

Persephone said...

No zombie walks in Las Vegas, Joe? They started in the States, and are now world-wide. Sometimes they serve a purpose; sometimes they're just for fun. Rather revolting fun...

SOL's view said...

I've never managed to catch the Zombie walk here. Here it's a fundraiser for .... yep, you guess it. The Brain Foundation. ^.^

http://www.brisbanezombiewalk.com/

Persephone said...

I love it!!! So nice of the Brisbane zombies to give up their dinner....

Rob said...

I haven't heard of any zombie walks in the UK. We certainly don't have them in Edinburgh yet, though with all the ghoulish-themed after-dark tourist walks (well, this is the land of Burke and Hare, with plenty of graves well proofed against resurrectionists) they wouldn't be out of place.

Persephone said...

I believe they had one in Birmingham, Rob, and also in Nottingham. Did you see the recent movie "Burke and Hare"? Gotta love a film which begins: "This is a true story --- except for the bits which aren't..."