Queen Street Mall – Gestation Sculpture

You arrive at Gestation, determined to kill two birds with one stone by observing what all the fuss is about while single-handedly achieving those high distinctions in your Bachelor of Arts degree. Who said Uni life was stressful?

People stream around you, stumbling, limping, arms flailing by their sides. Moans and groans emanate from their throats. Their feet drag behind them. What’s all this noise? You want to tell the shoppers to go home and take a footbath if they can’t handle the Myer sales.

Then you see the blood dripping from their faces. Their skin is a pale green colour. Images of The Walking Dead flash in your mind, and you wish you hadn’t watched all three series in 36 hours straight. That Rick Grimes, he made the zombie apocalypse look so cool. Much more fun than working part-time at the IGA Deli and eating microwave dinners.

But hang on, didn’t the Zombies nearly eat him?

Something scratches your leg. You scream; jump back from the Gestation ball.

“Who’s there?” you yell.

“Shut up, and get in here!” A girl’s voice. Is it coming from the Gestation sculpture? You bend down; see a tiny girl underneath the ball. She hisses, “If you want to live, get in here! Now!”

You dive under the sculpture, but as you peer out through the gap, you wonder, could these people be zombies? Could such a virus exist, and infect Brisbane? The zombie resemblance is uncanny — the way the shoppers are behaving. But it’s impossible. Isn’t it? Car horns bleat on George Street. Tyres screech, smoke billows as cars collide. Zombie-like people smash glass as they tear at the flesh of the drivers. A chill runs down your spine.

“I can’t find my parents.” The girl next to you speaks quickly. “We were in the gardens, feeding the bandicoots, and I haven’t seen them since last night.”

Bandicoots, you think? Were her parent’s feeding them, or feeding on them?

“Help me find my parents?” she asks. “My name is Mary.” She extends her tiny hand.

You’re torn. Your ankle aches. You look down. Has Mary scratched you? You think, maybe these people are just actors, scaring a few shoppers. Isn’t Carnival of the Dead coming up in October? Should you shrug it off as a silly promo and keep your eye on the prize, those high distinctions, or should you help Mary find her parents, despite what you believe right now? Maybe Brisbane’s finally coming to life with flesh-eating crazies.

Platform B Bus Station: If there’s a chance you believe this could be real, and you’re feeling brave enough to help Mary, then take her hand and head North on the mall until you reach Platform B bus station (in between the water fountain to your left and the entry to Myer Centre on your right). 

Or

Butterfly Facade: If this just feels too weird, and you’d rather ditch Mary and focus on those high distinctions by following through on your art trail walk instead, head North along the mall until you reach the Regent Theatre Sign (next to the butterflies building façade on your right-hand side).