“How?”
“Less chance of running into bad guys,” Derek said.
“True.”
“Look,” Derek said gesturing toward the zombie. “He’s stuck.”
The zombie was trying to continue up the hill but was stumbling backwards or to the side with every step. They watched in silence as it fell to the ground and tried to crawl toward them. Its claw like hands scratching at the dirt. Its shoeless feet pushing at the ground.
Finally after a few more minutes it stopped struggling and rolled over on its back. Its teeth snapped together loudly as its jaws opened and shut repeatedly. A sign, they had learned, that meant the zombie was in its death throes. It could take a couple of days or longer though for the end to finally come.
“On second thought,” Derek said sighting in on the zombies head. “I don’t want to listen to that stiff snapping at me for the next two days.”
“Suit yourself.”
Derek took a bead on the top of the zombie’s skull and squeezed the trigger. The head exploded. Black tar like goo oozed out onto the asphalt.
“Gross,” came a voice from behind them.
“John Amy would like to see you,” Stephanie said.
John turned to look back at the building. Amy waved. John waved back.
“Coming,” he shouted.
“What’s Jimmy doing?” John asked Stephanie.
“He’s watching Nicole. She’s napping,” she said.
With rifle in hand John headed up the incline and to the tower.
“Climb,” Amy said gesturing toward the tower stairs when he reached her.
“Why?’ John questioned.
“Because I said so,” Amy said.
“You first,” John answered.
Amy climbed up first with John right behind her.
“Hey, I kind of like the view from back here,” he said laughing.
Amy glanced down at him and smirked.
“Yeah,” she said, “I’m in pretty good shape considering I just had a baby.”
John laughed.
Reaching the top they stood for a moment looking out over the countryside.
“It’s beautiful isn’t it?” Amy said pointing to the western sky.
Daylight was fading fast. The sun dipping below the tree line giving the sky a pastel orange and lavender hue.
“It is beautiful,” John said turning to look at her.
“Sit,” Amy said.
They sat on the bench.
“Is this all you wanted?” John asked. “To sit and watch the sunset?”
“No there’s something else,” Amy said.
“What?”
“Us,” she said softly. “We’ve been so caught up in taking care of Nicole and everything else we haven’t spent any time on us.”
A tear left the corner of her eye and ran down her cheek. She looked lovingly into John’s eyes, smiled and kissed him gently on the lips. He put his arm around her and pulled her closer.
They leaned back, sat quietly, and watched the twilight fade to night.
A scream shattered the moment and brought them back to reality.
John grabbed his rifle, headed down the stairs and ran to the fence where Stephanie and Derek were standing.
Stephanie was standing back a few feet directing her flashlight’s beam on a dog. The dog, snarling and drooling heavily from the mouth, growled at them showing its teeth.
“He’s foaming at the mouth,” Stephanie said. “We were standing here talking and he just launched his body into the fence trying to get at us.”
“Scared the shit out of us,” Derek said.
“Probably rabies,” John said as he examined the dog closely through the fence.
The dog continued to growl menacingly. Derek raised his rifle and glanced over at John.
John nodded. “Do it...” he said.
Derek squeezed the trigger. The rabid dog fell over on its side. The bullet entered the left side of its chest, pulverized the heart and exited the other side. The dog convulsed for a few seconds. Foamy bright red blood ran out of its nose and mouth as it took its last few breaths.
“Ok...” John said. “It’s dead. We’ll burry it tomorrow. It’s dark anyway. Best not go outside tonight.”
“And you’ll need to be careful,” Stephanie said. “Rabies is very contagious.”
“Right...”
“You guys go back,” Derek said to John. “I’m going to patrol the fence once more and go to bed early.”
“OK,” John said. “Have your alarm set? It’s your night to get up and check the compound.”
“Yep,” Derek said. “I have it set for midnight and zero four hundred.”
“Ok,” John said. “See you guys in the morning. We’re going to bed early too. A lot to do tomorrow. Call me if you need anything.”
John turned and headed back.
Stephanie stepped closer to Derek. “I’m going back up,” she said. “Be careful.”
She put both hands on his cheeks and kissed him on the lips.
“Sleep with me tonight,” she said.
“It’s about time,” Derek said smiling.
“You’re getting way ahead of yourself there big boy,” Stephanie said sternly.
Derek laughed nervously.
“You know I’m just kidding right?”
“No you’re not...” she said slapping him on the shoulder.
“Ouch!” Derek said. “I’m starting to wonder if that’s really a good thing.”
“That time, maybe not.,” she said laughing. “Be patient...”
She kissed him again on the cheek, squeezed his hand and headed back.
Amy was waiting for John as he reached the door of the small building. “What happened?” she asked.
“Just a rabid dog,” John said. “Nothing to worry about. Derek took care of it.”
“Where were we?” John asked.
Amy reached out and placed a note in his hand. John unfolded and read it. When he finished he kissed Amy and looked into her eyes.
“I feel the same way,” he said.”
Amy smiled. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” John said. “That’s not a word I use lightly.”
“What word?”
“What?...”
“The word...”
“Oh...”
“You can’t say it can you?”
“Yes...”
“Well?...”
“What?...”
There was an awkward silence.
“Of course I do,” John said smiling.
John leaned in and kissed her again. “I’m going to bed,” he said.
“Ok, I’ll check on Jimmy.”
Amy checked on Jimmy who was sleeping soundly and made sure Nicole was tucked in and the crib’s guards were locked in place. She was terrified of her falling out.
Amy looked down on the little girl and smiled. She gently touched her face, rubbed her back then leaned down and kissed her.
When she was satisfied she was OK, she joined John who was already lying on the bed.
“Move over,” she said.
Amy cuddled up to John and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and could feel her body relax. Once again she had the same feeling she had the night they landed on the aircraft carrier. She felt safe, content and happy.
She kissed John gently on the lips.
“Lets try this again,” she said smiling.
John started to speak but Amy put a finger to his lips.
“Shh...” she said. “don’t ruin the moment...”
Epilogue
Three Hours Later
-----------------------------------------------悪魔死----------------------John was startled out of a deep sleep by Derek bursting into the room.
“John,” Derek shouted, ”get up!”
John sat up abruptly. Almost knocking Amy to the floor in the process. Awakened by the commotion the baby began to cry. Amy picked her up to quiet her.
&
nbsp; “What is it?” John asked.
“You better come see this,” Derek said turning to leave.
John grabbed his rifle and headed out the door. Amy handed the baby to Stephanie and followed them. When they reached the fence, Derek directed the flashlight’s beam on what he wanted them to see.
“It was dead four hours ago,” he said. “It came back...”
“Oh my God...” Amy said weakly.
John stepped closer to the fence to get a better look. The dogs eyes were hazed over. It had obviously returned from the dead.
A sense of anguish came over him. He raised the barrel of his rifle and fired until the clip was empty. The zombie dog’s head flew apart spraying the ground with blood and brains. Its body jerked with every shot until it finally collapsed to the ground. Dead again.
John was dazed. He felt numb.
“This can’t be happening!” he screamed angrily. “This just can’t be happening!”
Amy grabbed John firmly by the shoulders. “John!” she shouted shaking him.
Derek ran into the room. “What’s wrong?”
John jolted upright in the bed. His eyes darted from Amy to Derek and back again. He was sweating profusely and breathing heavily.
“John you’re having a nightmare,” Amy said. “It’s alright, calm down. Just breathe.”
Fully awake now John wiped the sweat from his face with his shirt.
Jimmy and Stephanie came to the side of the bed. “Are you ok?” Jimmy asked.
“Yeah,” John said. “I’m Ok buddy.”
John reached down and put his shoes on, stood up and grabbed his rifle.
“Where are you going?” Amy asked.
“I have to check something,” John answered.
“What?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
“I’ll go with you,” Derek said leaving the room to get his weapon.
“You stay here,” he told Amy. “We’ll be right back.”
John and Derek headed down to the fence where they had shot the dog earlier.
“What is it that has you so spooked?” Derek asked.
“The dog,” John said.
“The dog?”
“Yes the dog...”
When they reached the fence John turned on his flashlight and directed the beam to the spot where the dog had fallen. It was still there, still dead, and not moving.
“Thank God,” John said. “I dreamed it came back.”
“You mean like... came back as a zombie dog?”
“Right...”
“Keep your light on it,” Derek said.
Derek sighted in on the dog and put a round in its head.
“I know it wasn’t going to come back,” Derek said laughing. “But maybe you’ll sleep better knowing there is a bullet in its brain.”
“Maybe...” John said smiling. “Thanks for the gesture.”
“No problem,” Derek said patting him on the back.
They walked back up the hill to the building and stepped inside.
“What was that all about?” Amy said.
“Nothing,” John said. “Everything’s ok. I just had a bad dream and wanted to see for myself that the compound was secure.”
“Well, thanks for the wake up call,” Derek said. “I’m going to go make my round now.”
Stephanie led Jimmy back to his bed and tucked him in. She went to the corner where she and Derek slept, pulled the curtain shut, and waited for him to return.
John washed his face with cold water, put on a clean shirt and sat on the side of the bed. The baby slept soundly in the crib nearby.
“Lie down,” Amy said after a few minutes.
John stretched out beside her. Amy snuggled up to him and laid her head on his chest. The warmth of her body was reassuring. John could feel himself calming just from the sensation of Amy pressed against him.
He kissed her on the cheek and whispered in her ear.
There were a few seconds of silence.
“Really?” Amy said finally.
“Yeah really...”
Amy smiled, put her arm more tightly around him, and got as close as she could. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Her thoughts returned to her parents, sister and Grandmother. The mix of emotions was overwhelming. A rogue tear left the corner of her eye and soaked into John’s shirt. He brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her again.
“It’s ok,” he whispered, “we’re safe now.”
She pressed her face closer to John’s chest and breathed deeply. Wrapped in his arms, the dangers of the outside world faded away.
She smiled, realizing the irony of the fact that in this world gone mad, this dead dangerous world, she was actually happier now than she had ever been.
Time slowed to a crawl. Every muscle in her body relaxed. John’s chest rising and falling with each breath gave her a great sense of security. A sense of well being she thought she would never feel again.
Finally giving in, they were soon sleeping soundly. Dragged deep into the depths of oblivion. The weight of the world, however so briefly, lifted from their shoulders.
Arthur M Wyatt is an ex U.S. Navy Seabee, Writer, Musician and Painter. He lives in upstate South Carolina with his daughter, one miniature schnauzer, six guitars featuring an American Fender Stratocaster, 1000 book personal library, vast collection of Heavy Metal, Progressive Metal, Thrash Metal, Jazz, Blues, 80’s, Classical and Big Band music. He flies the American flag year round.
www.arthurmwyatt.com
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Also by Arthur M Wyatt
The Demon Dead: Tres Zombie(Book 1)
Soul Survivor
The Demon Dead: Troubled Waters Page 21