Storm Fahse licked her bloodstained teeth as the thick red liquid left the wound on her forehead and ran down her cheek.

The blood dripped from the corners of her mouth and ran down the sides of her pale chin – the bold red a sharp contrast to the patches of yellow rotting skin that lined her jaw.

“That actually doesn’t taste so bad,” she said. “I would drink that.”

A couple of soft chuckles broke the eerie silence as Fahse continued to use her tongue to paint the inside of her mouth with the Zesty Mint flavored stage blood.

Applying the stage blood was the final detail in transforming Fahse into a lifeless, rotting, flesh-eating zombie during a makeup preview for next week’s Brain Drain Zombie 5K.

AJ Jones, much like Dr. Frankenstein, has spent years perfecting the art of creating the perfect monster and was tapped by one of his professors to spearhead the creation of the zombies for this year’s run.

“One of my professors that does the hair and makeup in the theater department had emailed me and asked me if I would help get people involved,” the junior theater major said. “I worked at a haunted house in my hometown when I was in high school.”

Over the years, Jones has transformed human beings into everything from zombies and vampires to burn victims.

There’s no formula when it comes to creating the perfect zombie, he said.

He learned his basic techniques from looking at pictures and watching tutorials.

“You sort of have to make it up as you go depending on the person. It’s always different from person to person,” he said.

Jones won’t be alone, though, when it comes time to tackle the task of turning roughly 100 normal, living people into a bunch of abnormal undead, he said.

He’s recruited the help of 12 to 15 other theater majors.

“(The plan) is to have six or seven stations with two makeup artists at each, and they will be handling seven to 10 zombies at a time,” Jones said. “We only have 15 minutes to get each group of zombies ready – makeup, bloody, ripped clothes.”

Jones is planning to meet with his makeup team next week, where he will illustrate examples of zombie makeup and teach them basic techniques.

The rest will be made up as they go. “I am very confident in my team of people that they know what they’re doing,” he said.

“There are a lot of talented people in my department,” he said.

The zombies will be split up throughout the course and will occupy Zombie Zones. Participants have to make it through these zones – and other obstacles such as the Brain Drain Pipe Tunnel, Brain Drain Slide and Brain Drain Tire Pit – without “draining their brains” (loosing the three flags they are given at the start of the race).

There are several teams are signed up for the Brain Drain, said Glenna Bower, chair of the kinesiology and sport department.

“This is really unique to this race,” she said. “Most zombie runs don’t have this many teams.”

There are still spaces available for both more human and more zombie participants, Bower said.

“There are currently around 230 registered. We usually expect between 200 and 250 for the first year,” she said. “It’s a new run.”

The Brain Drain Zombie 5K, in its inaugural year this year, will be an annual event, Bower said.

Zombie runs are popular throughout the nation, she said, and the Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education Student Advisory Board wanted to do something different.

“There’s no run like this in the area,” Bower said.

Proceeds from the Brain Drain will go to the Pott College of Science, Engineering and Education Student Advisory Board. “They will distribute it to student organizations within the college,” she said. “It’s a way for them to get funds they may need.”

Throughout the event, there will be a Brain Drain Zombie Blood Bash Expo which will feature vendors from around the community.

“The vendors will be giving things away as well as promoting their businesses,” she said. “There will also be a fire and s’mores and we’ll be socializing in that kind of atmosphere.

Prizes will be awarded to those who “survive” the run, overall team survivors, the best zombie and the best zombie makeup artist.