mumbled. The sadness in his voice was overwhelming. My whole body felt numb, aside from a dull ache starting in my hip. I shifted to get comfortable, which only made the ache worse. “You ok, Zoe?”
I shook my head ‘no’ against his chest. “Far from it.” My head began to grow fuzzy and I felt sick to my stomach. I pushed away from Gus and looked at him.
“What is it?” he asked me.
I looked to the area of brush where the hidden shooters had fallen. “They’re awake.”
Gus tensed. Neither of us was holding a weapon. Moaning from the shrubs began; the hideous sound of the undead. The noise grated at my core. Gus used his arms to move me behind him.
“Boggs!” I shouted as the first of the two dead snipers emerged from the shrubs. I was surprised to see that it had been a woman. She was tall and her skin pale from death. Bright red blood coated her shirt. She had long black unkempt hair. Aside from her deathly pale skin, clouded eyes, and the blood all over her, she could have been just another living person. Her mouth was snarling as she stumbled toward us. It was as if she were learning to walk again.
Boggs appeared quickly behind us, his pistol in hand. “Fuckers can’t leave us alone.” He aimed his gun and shot the dead woman in the head. She fell, face forward, to the ground.
“There’s another one,” I said quietly. “It’s smarter, Boggs, be careful.” Still standing behind Gus, I turned around to face the shelter. The sickly sweet smell from the fallen dead woman was already beginning. “It’s circling us.”
“Do you know where it is?” Gus asked me, his voice quiet.
“No.”
Boggs had stepped backward, so that the three of us were now back-to-back in a triangle of sorts.
“I don’t hear anything,” said Gus.
“Me either. Think it’s gone?” whispered Boggs from beside me.
“No. It’s here,” I answered. As my words ended, a nearby rhododendron bush began rustling. Boggs was already repositioning himself to face the commotion when a dark figure emerged. I hadn’t seen this creature since the day we had first arrived on the island. We had never found a trace of it after it had communicated with me. Its skin was still burnt black with cracks of bright red running throughout. Its eyes were still clear. It moved slowly, focusing on me. In my mind I heard ‘stay still.’ As it approached me, I held a hand out to Boggs to keep him from shooting. “Wait, Boggs.”
He kept his gun aimed at the creature, but didn’t shoot. The creature continued forward, toward me. I knew it wouldn’t hurt me, but was surprised to sense in my head that it also had no interest in harming my companions.
“It’s not here to hurt us. It’s not like the others,” I said.
The burnt zombie was only a couple of feet in front of me. Its eyes were filled with pain and for a brief moment I felt deep sympathy for it. It crouched down, startling me, and began growling. It was looking beyond us, and I knew then that the recently risen dead was approaching from behind. I also was aware now that it had risen as a Runner.
I turned quickly, just in time to see the Runner begin its attack on us. I knew that Boggs had already turned and was aiming, but before he could fire a round from his gun, the burnt creature was already upon the Runner. Unspoken words inside of my mind told me that the burnt one was saving me and the baby from the newly risen zombie. Its purpose was to keep us safe. Why, I could not be sure. As the two creatures fought, I took a couple of steps back. Boggs took a shot, hitting the Runner in the shoulder. The distraction allowed the burnt creature to deliver a final lethal blow to the Runner’s head. Boggs fired again, and I watched in shock as the burnt creature fell to the ground in a cloud of dust. It was gone, as if it had never existed. The only trace left was the powder on the ground that was already being washed away by rain that had begun to fall again.
“They’re
I shook my head ‘no’ against his chest. “Far from it.” My head began to grow fuzzy and I felt sick to my stomach. I pushed away from Gus and looked at him.
“What is it?” he asked me.
I looked to the area of brush where the hidden shooters had fallen. “They’re awake.”
Gus tensed. Neither of us was holding a weapon. Moaning from the shrubs began; the hideous sound of the undead. The noise grated at my core. Gus used his arms to move me behind him.
“Boggs!” I shouted as the first of the two dead snipers emerged from the shrubs. I was surprised to see that it had been a woman. She was tall and her skin pale from death. Bright red blood coated her shirt. She had long black unkempt hair. Aside from her deathly pale skin, clouded eyes, and the blood all over her, she could have been just another living person. Her mouth was snarling as she stumbled toward us. It was as if she were learning to walk again.
Boggs appeared quickly behind us, his pistol in hand. “Fuckers can’t leave us alone.” He aimed his gun and shot the dead woman in the head. She fell, face forward, to the ground.
“There’s another one,” I said quietly. “It’s smarter, Boggs, be careful.” Still standing behind Gus, I turned around to face the shelter. The sickly sweet smell from the fallen dead woman was already beginning. “It’s circling us.”
“Do you know where it is?” Gus asked me, his voice quiet.
“No.”
Boggs had stepped backward, so that the three of us were now back-to-back in a triangle of sorts.
“I don’t hear anything,” said Gus.
“Me either. Think it’s gone?” whispered Boggs from beside me.
“No. It’s here,” I answered. As my words ended, a nearby rhododendron bush began rustling. Boggs was already repositioning himself to face the commotion when a dark figure emerged. I hadn’t seen this creature since the day we had first arrived on the island. We had never found a trace of it after it had communicated with me. Its skin was still burnt black with cracks of bright red running throughout. Its eyes were still clear. It moved slowly, focusing on me. In my mind I heard ‘stay still.’ As it approached me, I held a hand out to Boggs to keep him from shooting. “Wait, Boggs.”
He kept his gun aimed at the creature, but didn’t shoot. The creature continued forward, toward me. I knew it wouldn’t hurt me, but was surprised to sense in my head that it also had no interest in harming my companions.
“It’s not here to hurt us. It’s not like the others,” I said.
The burnt zombie was only a couple of feet in front of me. Its eyes were filled with pain and for a brief moment I felt deep sympathy for it. It crouched down, startling me, and began growling. It was looking beyond us, and I knew then that the recently risen dead was approaching from behind. I also was aware now that it had risen as a Runner.
I turned quickly, just in time to see the Runner begin its attack on us. I knew that Boggs had already turned and was aiming, but before he could fire a round from his gun, the burnt creature was already upon the Runner. Unspoken words inside of my mind told me that the burnt one was saving me and the baby from the newly risen zombie. Its purpose was to keep us safe. Why, I could not be sure. As the two creatures fought, I took a couple of steps back. Boggs took a shot, hitting the Runner in the shoulder. The distraction allowed the burnt creature to deliver a final lethal blow to the Runner’s head. Boggs fired again, and I watched in shock as the burnt creature fell to the ground in a cloud of dust. It was gone, as if it had never existed. The only trace left was the powder on the ground that was already being washed away by rain that had begun to fall again.
“They’re
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