Read Online As the World Dies by Rhiannon Frater - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rhiannon Frater
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to the old church that was a landmark in the town and the old city hall. If he remembered correctly, the community center was between them.
A squat building, from maybe the seventies came into view and he adjusted the binoculars just a tad to zoom in on it. Long, glass windows were set into the pale orange bricks and enormous glass doors were set under a portico. Obviously that was the entrance. Objects seem to be pushed up against the doors from within and Eric bet those were tables. He moved the binoculars slowly down the side of the building. He could see shadowy movement beyond the long windows. The last window was being hit directly by the sun and he dropped his binoculars the second he looked at it.
Blood. It had been splashed with blood.
His hands were trembling and he tried to steady his nerves. It was hard to breathe and he forced air into his lungs. They were inside the community center. Trapped. That was a good thing. He had to remember that. It was a good thing.
The wind rustled the wildflowers and tall grass and he looked around once more. The world seemed serene and lovely this morning. Pepe was busy scratching at the dirt next to the road and not seeming the least bit worried. The road curved just ahead of them to meet the main street into town. He wasn't sure he wanted to go any further. He was about to turn back when there was a glint of light off of something down off the road and in the trees.
Taking a few steps forward, he raised his binoculars and adjusted the settings quickly. The dark blue car was nestled under the trees, the front hood bashed up against the battered windshield. The driver's door was buckled, the window smashed out and covered in blood. It was his car. It was the car Brandy had died in.
He lowered the binoculars and took a breath. His mind was whirling with the possibilities of what had happened.
Brandy had realized she was wrong as she drove back to Austin and turned around. She was driving up to the bed and breakfast when the solider lunged out at the car. She swerved to avoid him, slammed into the tree, and broke her leg. The zombie reached through the broken window, grabbed her and…
Eric let out a strangled sob and took another breath.
Maybe that had happened.
Or…
Brandy had made it part of the way to Austin, suffered an attack, and wounded, tried to make it back to the bed and breakfast. But she died of her wounds before she made it up the hill and crashed into the tree.
Maybe.
He rubbed his nose and pushed his glasses up.
Pepe began to eat some grass and Eric pulled him back up onto the road.
It didn't matter what had happened to Brandy. She was gone. Dead. Forever. And he and Pepe were alone in a town full of the dead. The only safe place for now was the house. Of course, how long that would be safe was a whole other story. But he didn't have the heart to move on just yet.
There was still work to be done before he and Brandy could be at peace and he knew that he may not have much time to do it. Burying the dead was now a luxury. Brandy had always loved luxury.
She deserved it.
He would do it.
Fighting down his fear and feeling his determination giving him strength, he walked back up the hill to the farmhouse to bury his love.
Chapter Ten
Despair
Despite himself, despite everything he had planned, despite all that he feared, despite the knowledge that the community center was full of the undead, Eric stayed in the B & B. At first it was because he was in no condition to travel, but after three days, it was because a deep malaise had sunk into his bones.
The night
A squat building, from maybe the seventies came into view and he adjusted the binoculars just a tad to zoom in on it. Long, glass windows were set into the pale orange bricks and enormous glass doors were set under a portico. Obviously that was the entrance. Objects seem to be pushed up against the doors from within and Eric bet those were tables. He moved the binoculars slowly down the side of the building. He could see shadowy movement beyond the long windows. The last window was being hit directly by the sun and he dropped his binoculars the second he looked at it.
Blood. It had been splashed with blood.
His hands were trembling and he tried to steady his nerves. It was hard to breathe and he forced air into his lungs. They were inside the community center. Trapped. That was a good thing. He had to remember that. It was a good thing.
The wind rustled the wildflowers and tall grass and he looked around once more. The world seemed serene and lovely this morning. Pepe was busy scratching at the dirt next to the road and not seeming the least bit worried. The road curved just ahead of them to meet the main street into town. He wasn't sure he wanted to go any further. He was about to turn back when there was a glint of light off of something down off the road and in the trees.
Taking a few steps forward, he raised his binoculars and adjusted the settings quickly. The dark blue car was nestled under the trees, the front hood bashed up against the battered windshield. The driver's door was buckled, the window smashed out and covered in blood. It was his car. It was the car Brandy had died in.
He lowered the binoculars and took a breath. His mind was whirling with the possibilities of what had happened.
Brandy had realized she was wrong as she drove back to Austin and turned around. She was driving up to the bed and breakfast when the solider lunged out at the car. She swerved to avoid him, slammed into the tree, and broke her leg. The zombie reached through the broken window, grabbed her and…
Eric let out a strangled sob and took another breath.
Maybe that had happened.
Or…
Brandy had made it part of the way to Austin, suffered an attack, and wounded, tried to make it back to the bed and breakfast. But she died of her wounds before she made it up the hill and crashed into the tree.
Maybe.
He rubbed his nose and pushed his glasses up.
Pepe began to eat some grass and Eric pulled him back up onto the road.
It didn't matter what had happened to Brandy. She was gone. Dead. Forever. And he and Pepe were alone in a town full of the dead. The only safe place for now was the house. Of course, how long that would be safe was a whole other story. But he didn't have the heart to move on just yet.
There was still work to be done before he and Brandy could be at peace and he knew that he may not have much time to do it. Burying the dead was now a luxury. Brandy had always loved luxury.
She deserved it.
He would do it.
Fighting down his fear and feeling his determination giving him strength, he walked back up the hill to the farmhouse to bury his love.
Chapter Ten
Despair
Despite himself, despite everything he had planned, despite all that he feared, despite the knowledge that the community center was full of the undead, Eric stayed in the B & B. At first it was because he was in no condition to travel, but after three days, it was because a deep malaise had sunk into his bones.
The night
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