“Mum, can I go for a walk?” Charlie asked his mother. He was a ten-year-old boy who lived with his mother. His father died three years ago around the same time the epidemic started.

“Only if you take Edward with you.” Katharine told him. Edward was their father. His body was reanimated along with all of the other recently dead, or infected people. After the military was called back by a gigantic monopoly that seized the opportunity of domesticating the dead and selling them as pets, butlers if you would. With robots being released at the same time, the zombies were cheap alternatives that could be used for purposes robots could not.

“But I don’t want to, the kids stare at me.” He whined.

“He needs fresh air every now and then.” Katharine reminded. “Besides, if he does anything you don’t want him to, you just shock him a bit.” On occasion the zombies would get hungry, or the caretakers would not feed them enough and they would try to attack their owners. Collars were released that would send a painful, but not deadly voltage to the neck, causing the zombies to stop. It also served as an easy method for them to be trained.

“Fine.” Charlie took the leash that was hanging by the keys and snapped it to the collar on Edward.

“It shouldn’t be too bad.” Katharine said.

“Not since all the rich kids have robots.” Charlie walked out the door dragging Edward behind him. The zombies all had to be clothed, it was a new law they made, something about respecting the dead. He slammed the door and kicked his dad on the shin. “That’s for having to come back to life!”

“What’s the matter? Your zombie not listening to you?” A group of children yelled at Charlie.

“No! I’m just mad at him!”

“My robot always does what I tell them do.”

Charlie looked at Edward and he glanced back at him. “Sick ‘em.” He dropped the leash and Edward started chasing after the children. The boy took the remote out of his pocket so the police would not have him put to sleep. The slowest one, named Jimmy, was tackled by Edward and he started aiming for his neck. After all the years of research, they never figured out why zombies always went for the neck. Charlie pressed the button that was supposed to send a shock, but with no result. He frantically tried pushing it, but Edward was getting closer to biting the little boy. Edward took a bite out of the boy’s neck right as he received the first shock. “No way. No…” Charlie said to himself. “This can’t…no…” Edward returned quickly back to Charlie’s side with a big, bloody smile. “It’s time to go home.” Charlie said quickly. Edward groaned in agreement.