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Authors: Barry Hutchison
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swinging. The metal bar caught the man just above the ear. From several metres away I heard the sickening crunch of splintering bone.
But still the man kept coming. His hands reached for Guggs’ clothes, grabbing at them, clawing at them, pulling the boy closer.
BANG! The metal bar hit him again, across the forehead this time. Blood spurted from the wound and flowed down into the man’s eyes, blinding him.
But still he kept coming.
‘Let go of me!’ Guggs roared, delivering another blow to the man’s head. The freakishly large mouth opened even wider, as he lunged again for Guggs’ face.
‘Oh, give me that,’ Ameena sighed, snatching the bar away. Bending low, she swung with it. The man’s knee gave an unpleasant crack , and then he was on the ground, still clawing and biting, but no longer able to stand.
Guggs looked at the length of metal as it was thrust back into his hand. ‘See?’ he mumbled. ‘You do like me.’
‘Not in a million years,’ she told him, before she turned and strode towards me.
Halfway there she stopped as another squeal of rage shattered the quiet. Shapes moved through the snow all around us. They emerged from behind cars, from behind hedges, from behind walls. They staggered in our direction, flailing and screeching, eyes dark, faces stained with blood.
‘Meet at the police station,’ Billy said.
‘What?’
‘The police station,’ he said, his voice shrill with rising panic. ‘Meet there.’
The screeching and gnashing was all around us now. Fifteen, twenty or more of them, closing in, faster and faster. Guggs was already sprinting for a gap, iron bar raised, just in case. Some of the screechers were changing direction, trying to cut him off, but they’d never reach him in time.
Billy ran for another gap in the approaching circle of bodies, limping slightly. ‘The police station,’ he called back over his shoulder. ‘Meet there, and whatever you do – do not get eaten!’
ore of the screechers chased after Billy, hissing and snarling as they lurched through the snow. That left at least eight or nine other figures still closing in on Ameena and me. And they were closing fast.
‘This way,’ I said, taking the lead. I made for the widest gap, keeping as much distance between myself and the screechers as possible. I half-ran, half-stumbled, but made it past the first of them without too much trouble.
But then a shape lunged at me from the left. I staggered right, avoiding the clawing swipe of an outstretched hand. Peggy, the woman who ran the local shop, came at me, gnashing her teeth until rivers of foamy saliva ran down her chin.
She would’ve caught me, too, had another flailing shape not thudded into her, sending them both crashing down into the snow. I didn’t recognise the other person, but his dark eyes and blood-flecked face told me all I needed to know.
Peggy and the new arrival were up in a flash, howling and spitting as they resumed the chase. I raced on, hurdling the smaller snowdrifts, dragging my legs through the larger ones.
The air was a chorus of screams and roars, as more and more of the screechers broke cover. My heart thudded inside my chest. My leg muscles tightened with cold and with cramp. Despite protests from my brain, my body was slowing down, giving in to the cold.
A narrow path disappeared between two bungalows, dead ahead. If we could just reach it, maybe we could lose the screechers in the maze of lanes and alleyways behind the houses.
‘Down here,’ I panted, ‘quick!’
The houses had shielded the path from the worst of the snow, and the going was easier as soon as I reached it. I sped up, zig-zagging through the labyrinth of back gardens and passageways, listening out for footsteps behind me. I was relieved when I heard none, but the relief quickly faded.
I could hear no footsteps.
None.
I stopped at a junction between two paths. No footsteps. Not the screechers’, and not Ameena’s. I backtracked, searching the
But still the man kept coming. His hands reached for Guggs’ clothes, grabbing at them, clawing at them, pulling the boy closer.
BANG! The metal bar hit him again, across the forehead this time. Blood spurted from the wound and flowed down into the man’s eyes, blinding him.
But still he kept coming.
‘Let go of me!’ Guggs roared, delivering another blow to the man’s head. The freakishly large mouth opened even wider, as he lunged again for Guggs’ face.
‘Oh, give me that,’ Ameena sighed, snatching the bar away. Bending low, she swung with it. The man’s knee gave an unpleasant crack , and then he was on the ground, still clawing and biting, but no longer able to stand.
Guggs looked at the length of metal as it was thrust back into his hand. ‘See?’ he mumbled. ‘You do like me.’
‘Not in a million years,’ she told him, before she turned and strode towards me.
Halfway there she stopped as another squeal of rage shattered the quiet. Shapes moved through the snow all around us. They emerged from behind cars, from behind hedges, from behind walls. They staggered in our direction, flailing and screeching, eyes dark, faces stained with blood.
‘Meet at the police station,’ Billy said.
‘What?’
‘The police station,’ he said, his voice shrill with rising panic. ‘Meet there.’
The screeching and gnashing was all around us now. Fifteen, twenty or more of them, closing in, faster and faster. Guggs was already sprinting for a gap, iron bar raised, just in case. Some of the screechers were changing direction, trying to cut him off, but they’d never reach him in time.
Billy ran for another gap in the approaching circle of bodies, limping slightly. ‘The police station,’ he called back over his shoulder. ‘Meet there, and whatever you do – do not get eaten!’
ore of the screechers chased after Billy, hissing and snarling as they lurched through the snow. That left at least eight or nine other figures still closing in on Ameena and me. And they were closing fast.
‘This way,’ I said, taking the lead. I made for the widest gap, keeping as much distance between myself and the screechers as possible. I half-ran, half-stumbled, but made it past the first of them without too much trouble.
But then a shape lunged at me from the left. I staggered right, avoiding the clawing swipe of an outstretched hand. Peggy, the woman who ran the local shop, came at me, gnashing her teeth until rivers of foamy saliva ran down her chin.
She would’ve caught me, too, had another flailing shape not thudded into her, sending them both crashing down into the snow. I didn’t recognise the other person, but his dark eyes and blood-flecked face told me all I needed to know.
Peggy and the new arrival were up in a flash, howling and spitting as they resumed the chase. I raced on, hurdling the smaller snowdrifts, dragging my legs through the larger ones.
The air was a chorus of screams and roars, as more and more of the screechers broke cover. My heart thudded inside my chest. My leg muscles tightened with cold and with cramp. Despite protests from my brain, my body was slowing down, giving in to the cold.
A narrow path disappeared between two bungalows, dead ahead. If we could just reach it, maybe we could lose the screechers in the maze of lanes and alleyways behind the houses.
‘Down here,’ I panted, ‘quick!’
The houses had shielded the path from the worst of the snow, and the going was easier as soon as I reached it. I sped up, zig-zagging through the labyrinth of back gardens and passageways, listening out for footsteps behind me. I was relieved when I heard none, but the relief quickly faded.
I could hear no footsteps.
None.
I stopped at a junction between two paths. No footsteps. Not the screechers’, and not Ameena’s. I backtracked, searching the
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