triggered an off switch. Everyone froze around him, seeming afraid that they would set him off again. Then he slowly turned to the side to stare at me with milky white pupils, the whites themselves yellowed and bloodshot.
One hand stretched out toward me and for a heartbeat I thought he recognized me. Then a feral snarl distorted his features and he... it lunged for me, mindless hunger the only thing evident in those dead eyes as it plowed unheedingly through the soldiers who stood between us.
A bolt of paralyzing grief hit me, so strong and painful that it felt as if someone plunged a knife into my chest. I just stood there as my now undead boyfriend knocked soldiers aside in a driving hunger for my flesh that had nothing to do with sex.
Zombie Matt’s fingers actually grazed my shoulders when one of the pole clasps suddenly snagged the collar around its neck, stopping it in its tracks. I looked up to see Gabriel holding the other end of the pole, muscles tensing as he fought to pull Matt away from me. Everyone else scattered as it bucked and lunged, hands grasping and slipping off hazmat suits, guttural moans and growls spilling out of its mouth along with that rank black fluid.
“Some help here!” Sweat poured off Gabriel’s brow.
Without thinking, I grabbed up one of the poles dropped by the soldiers and shoved the business end up against the ring on the other side of Matt’s collar. Theclasp opened and shut with a snap. The resulting jerk on my arms and shoulders nearly made me pass out. All that kept me upright was the knowledge that if I fainted, I would probably die.
Gabriel shot me an unreadable look.
“Someone grab that pole— now!” he barked.
Thankfully, someone grabbed the pole from my hands. Someone else caught me as I started a slow collapse to the floor.
This is getting monotonous, I thought as everything faded to black.
The last thing Annie wanted to do was open the store. Her throat felt like raw meat, what with all the coughing, and she could buy stock in Kleenex. But with Lily currently unreachable and her mom out of town, someone had to keep things running.
At least she had a job, Annie told herself as she went through the morning routine. And when she didn’t feel like hammered shit, it was a job she loved, with a great boss and a sweetheart of a co-worker.
Maybe Lily had lost her cell phone, Annie mused as she counted out the bank for the register. It wasn’t like her to ignore calls, especially when the store was involved. She sneezed for the umpteenth time in two days, getting her sleeve up just in time to prevent her from spraying the contents of the register. She was blowing her nose when the first screams ripped through the air outside.
Annie froze in front of the register. Then the unmistakable shriek of a child came from the courtyard out front, unlocking her paralysis. Grabbing the shop key, she dashed to the front door, jammed the key in the lock, and turned the tumblers.
Out in the courtyard a little boy in dinosaur-print pajamas cowered on the lawn as two men and a woman converged on him, all three looking—and smelling—like they’d spent the night in a dumpster.
Annie didn’t stop to think. She threw herself through the door, yelling in outrage as she ran toward the little boy.
“What are you people doing? Get away from him!”
The woman ignored her, reaching for the child, who cringed away in terror.
“Mommy, no, please!”
The two men turned toward Annie, who stopped short in disbelief and dawning horror as she saw their faces for the first time. Black fluid dripped from their ears, noses, and mouths, their eyes were a combination of sickly yellow whites and milky corneas. One had a chunk of flesh missing from his cheek; the other looked like he’d gone a round with a grizzly, and lost.
Both moaned and lurched in her direction. She stumbled back a step, looking over at the child, who was now screaming steadily as the woman grabbed hold of him despite
One hand stretched out toward me and for a heartbeat I thought he recognized me. Then a feral snarl distorted his features and he... it lunged for me, mindless hunger the only thing evident in those dead eyes as it plowed unheedingly through the soldiers who stood between us.
A bolt of paralyzing grief hit me, so strong and painful that it felt as if someone plunged a knife into my chest. I just stood there as my now undead boyfriend knocked soldiers aside in a driving hunger for my flesh that had nothing to do with sex.
Zombie Matt’s fingers actually grazed my shoulders when one of the pole clasps suddenly snagged the collar around its neck, stopping it in its tracks. I looked up to see Gabriel holding the other end of the pole, muscles tensing as he fought to pull Matt away from me. Everyone else scattered as it bucked and lunged, hands grasping and slipping off hazmat suits, guttural moans and growls spilling out of its mouth along with that rank black fluid.
“Some help here!” Sweat poured off Gabriel’s brow.
Without thinking, I grabbed up one of the poles dropped by the soldiers and shoved the business end up against the ring on the other side of Matt’s collar. Theclasp opened and shut with a snap. The resulting jerk on my arms and shoulders nearly made me pass out. All that kept me upright was the knowledge that if I fainted, I would probably die.
Gabriel shot me an unreadable look.
“Someone grab that pole— now!” he barked.
Thankfully, someone grabbed the pole from my hands. Someone else caught me as I started a slow collapse to the floor.
This is getting monotonous, I thought as everything faded to black.
The last thing Annie wanted to do was open the store. Her throat felt like raw meat, what with all the coughing, and she could buy stock in Kleenex. But with Lily currently unreachable and her mom out of town, someone had to keep things running.
At least she had a job, Annie told herself as she went through the morning routine. And when she didn’t feel like hammered shit, it was a job she loved, with a great boss and a sweetheart of a co-worker.
Maybe Lily had lost her cell phone, Annie mused as she counted out the bank for the register. It wasn’t like her to ignore calls, especially when the store was involved. She sneezed for the umpteenth time in two days, getting her sleeve up just in time to prevent her from spraying the contents of the register. She was blowing her nose when the first screams ripped through the air outside.
Annie froze in front of the register. Then the unmistakable shriek of a child came from the courtyard out front, unlocking her paralysis. Grabbing the shop key, she dashed to the front door, jammed the key in the lock, and turned the tumblers.
Out in the courtyard a little boy in dinosaur-print pajamas cowered on the lawn as two men and a woman converged on him, all three looking—and smelling—like they’d spent the night in a dumpster.
Annie didn’t stop to think. She threw herself through the door, yelling in outrage as she ran toward the little boy.
“What are you people doing? Get away from him!”
The woman ignored her, reaching for the child, who cringed away in terror.
“Mommy, no, please!”
The two men turned toward Annie, who stopped short in disbelief and dawning horror as she saw their faces for the first time. Black fluid dripped from their ears, noses, and mouths, their eyes were a combination of sickly yellow whites and milky corneas. One had a chunk of flesh missing from his cheek; the other looked like he’d gone a round with a grizzly, and lost.
Both moaned and lurched in her direction. She stumbled back a step, looking over at the child, who was now screaming steadily as the woman grabbed hold of him despite
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