behind him and brought his hatchet up, landing a blow to the back of the head of the roly-poly girl with matched braids. She was a much messier kill, liquefied brain matter and gunk showering a large storefront window.
“Watch out!” I shouted.
The zombie with only one arm and a bone-stub was behind both of the men and close to making contact with Boggs. I could hear Abbey whimpering behind me. Boggs spun around at my warning and hit the Roamer in its side as it prepared to bite him. It was knocked off balance by the impact and fell to the ground. As it struggled to right itself, it snarled and hissed. Nathan brought his hatched down hard, splitting its ear in half and cracking the left side of its head open.
The sickly sweet smell of second death was now upon us. I had grown to hate that smell. The buzzing in my head was still there and I knew more were on their way, alerted by my shouting and the sounds of the skirmish that had just taken place.
“We need to hurry,” I said. “Nate, how much farther?”
“Just about a block. We need to make sure none of them see what building we go into.”
“Let’s go,” I heard Gus say in a strained voice.
“There’s more!” said Abbey.
I looked to where she was pointing. Coming from the opposite side street were several more walking dead. They were all similar in looks. Shambling, rotting, tattered. Disheveled lumps of walking death. One was wearing a hospital gown with a catheter bag still trailing behind it.
“Go!” yelled Susan. “Run, Girls, run!”
Nathan and Boggs were at our side again, and quick to offer Gus support. Susan and the girls were fleeing up the street in the direction in which Nathan had said the small strip mall would be located. I looked back to make sure the three men were following us before following the girls as fast as I could. The street was filling with animated corpses.
I could hear Nathan not far behind me yelling. “Go left! Go left!”
I looked back and saw the shambling dead a block and a half down. There were so many they were bumping into each other and a few had been knocked over. I knew that our only saving grace was their slowness. Had there been any Runners amongst them, we’d likely have been killed already.
“Zoe, Susan, run ahead and see if you can get in!” shouted Nathan. The men were slower since they were supporting Gus.
I ran as fast as I could, catching up to Susan and the little girls. I grabbed Abbey with my free hand as we turned left to go around the corner. I stopped short when I saw the Runner standing in front of me. It knew we were coming. It was waiting there for us. Susan and Jane stopped short just behind us. The Runner snarled, almost mimicking a smile. It kept its eyes locked on me. I ignored it. I guided Abbey behind me, then let go of her hand. I brought my pistol up, locked my aim on the dead man’s head, took a deep breath in and as I exhaled slowly my shot rang out.
“Go!” I yelled before the corpse had hit the ground.
Susan was already running ahead of me with Jane at her side. I caught a glimpse of Jane’s eyes as she passed and saw terror in them. I found Abbey’s hand again and dragged her along with me. She was still on the heavy side from her life before the dead rose, and I knew by her huffing that she was tiring.
“C’mon, Abbey, we’re almost there.”
Susan had located the portion of the strip mall that read Deacon’s Animal Hospital and was trying the handle of the front door. She turned to find me. “It’s locked!”
“Try the next one down,” I urged.
The next entry down belonged to a Smoke Shop. We hustled to the door as a group of four. The left side of the front door was shattered and it was clear at first glance that the shop had been looted.
“Get inside, quickly!” urged Susan.
“Keep your gun handy in case there’s any inside,” I insisted.
I looked to the corner we had just rounded, knowing the men should be there by now. After several long
“Watch out!” I shouted.
The zombie with only one arm and a bone-stub was behind both of the men and close to making contact with Boggs. I could hear Abbey whimpering behind me. Boggs spun around at my warning and hit the Roamer in its side as it prepared to bite him. It was knocked off balance by the impact and fell to the ground. As it struggled to right itself, it snarled and hissed. Nathan brought his hatched down hard, splitting its ear in half and cracking the left side of its head open.
The sickly sweet smell of second death was now upon us. I had grown to hate that smell. The buzzing in my head was still there and I knew more were on their way, alerted by my shouting and the sounds of the skirmish that had just taken place.
“We need to hurry,” I said. “Nate, how much farther?”
“Just about a block. We need to make sure none of them see what building we go into.”
“Let’s go,” I heard Gus say in a strained voice.
“There’s more!” said Abbey.
I looked to where she was pointing. Coming from the opposite side street were several more walking dead. They were all similar in looks. Shambling, rotting, tattered. Disheveled lumps of walking death. One was wearing a hospital gown with a catheter bag still trailing behind it.
“Go!” yelled Susan. “Run, Girls, run!”
Nathan and Boggs were at our side again, and quick to offer Gus support. Susan and the girls were fleeing up the street in the direction in which Nathan had said the small strip mall would be located. I looked back to make sure the three men were following us before following the girls as fast as I could. The street was filling with animated corpses.
I could hear Nathan not far behind me yelling. “Go left! Go left!”
I looked back and saw the shambling dead a block and a half down. There were so many they were bumping into each other and a few had been knocked over. I knew that our only saving grace was their slowness. Had there been any Runners amongst them, we’d likely have been killed already.
“Zoe, Susan, run ahead and see if you can get in!” shouted Nathan. The men were slower since they were supporting Gus.
I ran as fast as I could, catching up to Susan and the little girls. I grabbed Abbey with my free hand as we turned left to go around the corner. I stopped short when I saw the Runner standing in front of me. It knew we were coming. It was waiting there for us. Susan and Jane stopped short just behind us. The Runner snarled, almost mimicking a smile. It kept its eyes locked on me. I ignored it. I guided Abbey behind me, then let go of her hand. I brought my pistol up, locked my aim on the dead man’s head, took a deep breath in and as I exhaled slowly my shot rang out.
“Go!” I yelled before the corpse had hit the ground.
Susan was already running ahead of me with Jane at her side. I caught a glimpse of Jane’s eyes as she passed and saw terror in them. I found Abbey’s hand again and dragged her along with me. She was still on the heavy side from her life before the dead rose, and I knew by her huffing that she was tiring.
“C’mon, Abbey, we’re almost there.”
Susan had located the portion of the strip mall that read Deacon’s Animal Hospital and was trying the handle of the front door. She turned to find me. “It’s locked!”
“Try the next one down,” I urged.
The next entry down belonged to a Smoke Shop. We hustled to the door as a group of four. The left side of the front door was shattered and it was clear at first glance that the shop had been looted.
“Get inside, quickly!” urged Susan.
“Keep your gun handy in case there’s any inside,” I insisted.
I looked to the corner we had just rounded, knowing the men should be there by now. After several long
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