Read Online Life Among The Dead by Daniel Cotton - Free Book Online
Authors: Daniel Cotton
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woman’s tantrum Dan can hear the little girl crying again.
He crouches in a room of blue. Everything is colored the same from the walls to the furnishings. He had dove into a nursery. Stuffed animals are lovingly posed on top of a tiny dresser and a changing table. Dan wonders what color their nursery will be. Heather and Dan wanted to be surprised. They have a room primed and ready to go.
In the corner he spots the crib. An infant lies inside stirring from his slumber due to the noise. The boy’s mother continues to pound on the door. From his size, Dan judges the tyke to be about four or five months old. The soldier is drawn to the crib. He just can’t help but look.
Dan wants a boy even though he always tells people that he doesn’t care as long as it’s healthy. All future parents say that. He admires the baby in its blue romper. The little guy rocks his head back and forth as he tries to get himself into a crawling position. It is such a tranquil, innocent sight in a world gone to shit.
“ There you go.” Dan encourages. “Almost.” He ignores the woman’s battering at the ingress as he watches the child sluggishly lift his sleepy head from the mattress.
The angry woman slams her entire body into the wood. Dan knows he won’t be able to ignore her for much longer. He knows that the knife can’t hold her out forever. He also knows that the dead outside must have heard her and are getting curious. They’re probably coming up the walk right now.
Dan turns back to the child to say goodbye. The infant stares at the interloper blankly. His face is pink from sleep. His eyes are a mesmerizing blue. It lunges at the side of the crib.
The boy is pressing his face hard against the bars, reaching for the soldier. It doesn’t cry. It just lets out a weak, high-pitched moan. His empty eyes don’t blink and never waver from their target. He’s hungry.
Dan surmises that the pink hue of his cheeks is where the blood pooled after the child had died. He moves to the door where the woman with the shotgun is still screaming. The zombie baby tracks Dan’s movement. It tries to stand on its undeveloped legs, failing. It never stops reaching, no matter how much distance Dan puts between them.
“ Don’t you dare hurt my baby!” The woman screams from the powder blue door Dan now stands by.
“ Ma’am,” Dan speaks, not taking his eyes off the undead child. “He’s awake.”
She is quiet for the first time since he met her.
“ I will open the door.” He tells her. “But, first I am going to need you to surrender your gun.” He waits for her response.
“ OK,” She agrees. “Anything.”
The soldier wedges his foot at the base of the door while he pulls his knife out of the floor. He eases the barrier open, allowing just enough space for the rifle to be passed through. It enters the room butt end first. He takes it and moves aside.
The mother barges in, pushing the door aside with her elbow. She heads straight to the crib and scoops the little monster up into her arms. Dan is about to speak up, she throws him a dirty look while cooing her child. Her “miracle” Dan assumes.
“ You must be hungry.” She says to her son whose hands are absently batting at her face. She unbuttons her nightie and exposes her left breast. Her son is trying to hold onto her neck but his motor skills aren’t that adept yet, and never will be.
“ Be patient, sweetie.” She tells him softly while guiding his head toward her nipple. It latches on greedily.
“ Here you go, Damien.”
Dan is halfway out the door when he turns.
“ I’m just going to use your phone.” He tells the nursing mother. She ignores him. He hears a window break down stairs. Dan closes the door leaving them to bond.
“ Relax baby, the bad man is gone. Ouch! I think someone is getting a tooth.” The mother says and starts to sing Damien a lullaby.
In the hall Dan opens the closet door and without a word he grabs the little girl’s hand. He
He crouches in a room of blue. Everything is colored the same from the walls to the furnishings. He had dove into a nursery. Stuffed animals are lovingly posed on top of a tiny dresser and a changing table. Dan wonders what color their nursery will be. Heather and Dan wanted to be surprised. They have a room primed and ready to go.
In the corner he spots the crib. An infant lies inside stirring from his slumber due to the noise. The boy’s mother continues to pound on the door. From his size, Dan judges the tyke to be about four or five months old. The soldier is drawn to the crib. He just can’t help but look.
Dan wants a boy even though he always tells people that he doesn’t care as long as it’s healthy. All future parents say that. He admires the baby in its blue romper. The little guy rocks his head back and forth as he tries to get himself into a crawling position. It is such a tranquil, innocent sight in a world gone to shit.
“ There you go.” Dan encourages. “Almost.” He ignores the woman’s battering at the ingress as he watches the child sluggishly lift his sleepy head from the mattress.
The angry woman slams her entire body into the wood. Dan knows he won’t be able to ignore her for much longer. He knows that the knife can’t hold her out forever. He also knows that the dead outside must have heard her and are getting curious. They’re probably coming up the walk right now.
Dan turns back to the child to say goodbye. The infant stares at the interloper blankly. His face is pink from sleep. His eyes are a mesmerizing blue. It lunges at the side of the crib.
The boy is pressing his face hard against the bars, reaching for the soldier. It doesn’t cry. It just lets out a weak, high-pitched moan. His empty eyes don’t blink and never waver from their target. He’s hungry.
Dan surmises that the pink hue of his cheeks is where the blood pooled after the child had died. He moves to the door where the woman with the shotgun is still screaming. The zombie baby tracks Dan’s movement. It tries to stand on its undeveloped legs, failing. It never stops reaching, no matter how much distance Dan puts between them.
“ Don’t you dare hurt my baby!” The woman screams from the powder blue door Dan now stands by.
“ Ma’am,” Dan speaks, not taking his eyes off the undead child. “He’s awake.”
She is quiet for the first time since he met her.
“ I will open the door.” He tells her. “But, first I am going to need you to surrender your gun.” He waits for her response.
“ OK,” She agrees. “Anything.”
The soldier wedges his foot at the base of the door while he pulls his knife out of the floor. He eases the barrier open, allowing just enough space for the rifle to be passed through. It enters the room butt end first. He takes it and moves aside.
The mother barges in, pushing the door aside with her elbow. She heads straight to the crib and scoops the little monster up into her arms. Dan is about to speak up, she throws him a dirty look while cooing her child. Her “miracle” Dan assumes.
“ You must be hungry.” She says to her son whose hands are absently batting at her face. She unbuttons her nightie and exposes her left breast. Her son is trying to hold onto her neck but his motor skills aren’t that adept yet, and never will be.
“ Be patient, sweetie.” She tells him softly while guiding his head toward her nipple. It latches on greedily.
“ Here you go, Damien.”
Dan is halfway out the door when he turns.
“ I’m just going to use your phone.” He tells the nursing mother. She ignores him. He hears a window break down stairs. Dan closes the door leaving them to bond.
“ Relax baby, the bad man is gone. Ouch! I think someone is getting a tooth.” The mother says and starts to sing Damien a lullaby.
In the hall Dan opens the closet door and without a word he grabs the little girl’s hand. He
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