It seems to come from all around you. A mournful cry from a mouth full of gravel, "UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHH."

On stage, Pat stops midsentence, his face flushed and his eyes wide. After moment, he regains his composure, clears his throat, and starts again. "The, uh, the winner and this year's Miss Creamed Corn is -- Cindy Dithers!"

The applause from the distracted crowd is polite. Cindy steps forward, her Crest Kid smile still stretched wide, even though her eyes clearly show the disappointment of having her big moment interrupted. Pat places a fall bouquet in her arms and a crown on her head (his eyes conspicuously dropping to her neckline as often as possible). She takes Pat's microphone with her free hand and coos, "Thank you so much everyone for making me your new Miss Creamed Corn. I promise I will faithfully discharge its duties and treat this position with all the respect it deserves. Furthermore-"

Again, the noise comes. Louder. Angrier.

"UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Is that coming from… underground?

You hear Cindy's angry whisper, unintentionally magnified by the microphone she's still clutching. "What the hell, Pat? This is my moment and it's being ruined by-by-whatever that is! Make it stop!"

Suddenly, a scream rings out behind you. You turn, but the on-edge crowd has already devolved into a mass of kicking feet and flailing limbs. Men, women and children dart in every direction; most of them clearly unsure what's going on or how they should react. Todd Donnelly stumbles past you, clutching his neck. Is that blood? He nearly knocks you down, but Jerry grabs your shoulder and steadies you. What is going on?

"UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

More screams erupt to your left, but a suddenly drowned out by the deafening whipcrack of splintering wood. Onstage, Pat Kendall, Cindy, and the rest of the pageant competitors shriek in terror as the stage begins sliding to one side. A sinkhole has opened up under one of the supports!

From under the ground, you see a cracked and dried hand reach out towards them. Then another. Then another. Soon there are heads, too. And shoulders and torsos. Some are pale white bone, gleaming in the moonlight, but most of them have dry, papery skin still clinging to their bodies. It's the dead. The walking dead. The crawling dead.

Pat tumbles towards the creatures. One grabs onto his ankle, another sinks it's rotting teeth into the flesh of his thigh. He lets out a squeal of pain and horror. The biting dead. The hungry dead. Another hand grabs his shoulder and begins to pull him down.

Jerry grabs you and starts to drag you away. "Come on! We need to get out of here! Find someone in charge! I saw the sheriff and Father Grady heading towards the corn maze!"

You glance at him uncomprehendingly. You have no love for Cindy Dithers (or most of the other girls that were on that stage tonight), but you can't abandon them to this, can you?

If you think Jerry's right and you need to people with loaded guns and strong faith, go HERE.

If you think entering the corn maze is probably a bad idea and you may be better off on your own, go HERE.

If you just can't desert the girls on that stage, go HERE.