by Sweet, Dell
I don't know what happened. I'll never know. Did she get ten miles down the road before they got her somehow? Only a mile? How did they do it? I'll never know. I only know she came back to me last night. Dead already. A zombie. Already reeking of death.
“Johnny!” In the night. Her calling my name and it pulled me up from sleep with dread, fear, but hope that there was some sort of plausible reason why she was out there calling my name in the night.
“Johnny! Please... Help me!” A single knock fell on the door and nearly caused me to burst into tears right then. I rushed to the door.
I had thrown the bolt on the door and had it halfway open before I realized what a fool I was. It was too late then. She was on me before I could close the door. She was strong. So damned strong, and she knew where the gun was and tried to stop me from getting to it.
I got it, but I hesitated too long for the last time, looking in those eyes that were her eyes yet weren’t her eyes at all and she got me. She lunged and took a chuck of flesh out of my shoulder. I got her in the stomach with two shots, and then one more, after I reloaded, in the head.
I buried her this morning, but even as I did I had this strange urge to taste her. Just a small bite. Who would know? I was shocked that I had, had the thought. Shocked that I had continued with the burial and had not eaten her. I've been sitting here writing my story out since then. They've come around, I told you. I can hear them. It was the noise of them digging her up earlier that I heard and thought had come from upstairs. I suppose they dug her up. I just bet they did. I should have kept her for myself, I think. But, God, what am I thinking? What?
I can feel it working its poison in my body. My sense of smell is incredible. My eyesight sharp. I'm hungry. It's like something that is trying to drive me... Own me... I can't stand it. I can't. I...
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dell Sweet wrote his first fiction at age seventeen. He was honorably discharged from the service in 1974. He is a musician who writes his own music as well as lyrics. He is also an enthusiastic 3D modeler and game builder.