Read Online The Reawakening (The Living Dead Trilogy, Book 1) by Joseph Souza - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joseph Souza
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children were asleep, and then instructed Dar to carry the sleeping children upstairs. The sound of her tortured cries pierced my ears as we sat down at the table to discuss a plan.
“So we know what we’re dealing with. We need to shut down their brains in order to kill them. It appears that all the animals around this area have become infected with the contagion. The how and why we don’t yet know. But what we do know for sure is that if you get bitten by one of these things, the host enters your bloodstream and you’ll get sick,” Rick said.
“Uncle Rick, how can you be so calm and cool right now? You act like Aunt Susan never even existed,” Dar said, tears in her eyes.
“Look, Dar, your aunt Susan’s gone, and there’s nothing we can do to bring her back. I’ll grieve when the time is right, so don’t give me any of your shit right now, okay?” Rick said. He turned to me. “We have a serious situation on our hands, Thom, that requires clear thinking and sound judgment. It’s something I’ve been preparing for these last few years.”
“If what you say is true, Rick, then we have another big problem on our hands. Delia and her daughter were bitten by that dog. What are the odds that the two of them will turn into one of these things?” I asked.
“Good question. This contagion might affect people in different ways. What could kill one person may have no effect on another.”
“But you saw the animals out there after you shot them. Nearly every single one of them came back to life,” Dar said.
“Or remained dead,” I said.
“Or undead,” Dar said. “They’re freaks, whatever they are!”
“Why don’t we stick to what we do know. Maybe there’s a biological mechanism that only makes them appear dead.”
“Appear dead? Are you serious?”
“Okay, mister novelist, what do you propose we do?”
“For starters, I’d like to head over to that general store down the road and see what the hell is going on out there. I can pick up some supplies while I’m there and make a quick call home and then to the authorities.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Rick said.
“Dar, you stay here with Rick and the others and make sure the kids are okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“The nearest store is ten miles away. Head down the main drag, and you can’t miss it. It’s located at the very end of the road. Make sure you get some more first aid supplies just in case. Always can use more of that. I have plenty of food and water,” Rick said.
“I want to go with you, Dad,” Dar said.
“No way. You need to stay back and help out with the kids,” I said.
“It’s okay if she wants to go with you, Thom. Gunner and I can keep an eye on the kids while you’re gone. You two won’t be that long.”
“Okay, Dar, looks like you’re riding shotgun.”
Rick grabbed one of the rifles and passed it over to me. Dar had only shot a rifle a couple of times and only under the supervision of Rick while out in the pasture. He kissed Dar on the head and then started to tap his finger against his temple.
“Remember, Dar, aim for the skull. You go for the body and these things will keep coming. Shut down the cerebral cortex and you unplug these son-of-a-bitches.” Rick pulled out a Glock and handed it to me. “Take this with you just in case you come into close contact with one of those crazy dogs. I have plenty of other guns to choose from, and plenty of ammo, so don’t be afraid to use it.”
“We shouldn’t be gone too long.”
Dar and I stood at the door, waiting to head out. We scanned the sky and pasture for any potential predators. When the coast appeared clear, we sprinted out to the car. Thousands of birds circled above us, darkening the sky, but they flew too high to be any real threat. We passed the smoldering remains of the birds, their ashes soaring up into the wind. To our right burned the charred remains of Susan, tiny flames still dancing along the shrunken corpse.
“So we know what we’re dealing with. We need to shut down their brains in order to kill them. It appears that all the animals around this area have become infected with the contagion. The how and why we don’t yet know. But what we do know for sure is that if you get bitten by one of these things, the host enters your bloodstream and you’ll get sick,” Rick said.
“Uncle Rick, how can you be so calm and cool right now? You act like Aunt Susan never even existed,” Dar said, tears in her eyes.
“Look, Dar, your aunt Susan’s gone, and there’s nothing we can do to bring her back. I’ll grieve when the time is right, so don’t give me any of your shit right now, okay?” Rick said. He turned to me. “We have a serious situation on our hands, Thom, that requires clear thinking and sound judgment. It’s something I’ve been preparing for these last few years.”
“If what you say is true, Rick, then we have another big problem on our hands. Delia and her daughter were bitten by that dog. What are the odds that the two of them will turn into one of these things?” I asked.
“Good question. This contagion might affect people in different ways. What could kill one person may have no effect on another.”
“But you saw the animals out there after you shot them. Nearly every single one of them came back to life,” Dar said.
“Or remained dead,” I said.
“Or undead,” Dar said. “They’re freaks, whatever they are!”
“Why don’t we stick to what we do know. Maybe there’s a biological mechanism that only makes them appear dead.”
“Appear dead? Are you serious?”
“Okay, mister novelist, what do you propose we do?”
“For starters, I’d like to head over to that general store down the road and see what the hell is going on out there. I can pick up some supplies while I’m there and make a quick call home and then to the authorities.”
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Rick said.
“Dar, you stay here with Rick and the others and make sure the kids are okay. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
“The nearest store is ten miles away. Head down the main drag, and you can’t miss it. It’s located at the very end of the road. Make sure you get some more first aid supplies just in case. Always can use more of that. I have plenty of food and water,” Rick said.
“I want to go with you, Dad,” Dar said.
“No way. You need to stay back and help out with the kids,” I said.
“It’s okay if she wants to go with you, Thom. Gunner and I can keep an eye on the kids while you’re gone. You two won’t be that long.”
“Okay, Dar, looks like you’re riding shotgun.”
Rick grabbed one of the rifles and passed it over to me. Dar had only shot a rifle a couple of times and only under the supervision of Rick while out in the pasture. He kissed Dar on the head and then started to tap his finger against his temple.
“Remember, Dar, aim for the skull. You go for the body and these things will keep coming. Shut down the cerebral cortex and you unplug these son-of-a-bitches.” Rick pulled out a Glock and handed it to me. “Take this with you just in case you come into close contact with one of those crazy dogs. I have plenty of other guns to choose from, and plenty of ammo, so don’t be afraid to use it.”
“We shouldn’t be gone too long.”
Dar and I stood at the door, waiting to head out. We scanned the sky and pasture for any potential predators. When the coast appeared clear, we sprinted out to the car. Thousands of birds circled above us, darkening the sky, but they flew too high to be any real threat. We passed the smoldering remains of the birds, their ashes soaring up into the wind. To our right burned the charred remains of Susan, tiny flames still dancing along the shrunken corpse.
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