by Cenz Barone
Billy had tears flowing as Elise turned to both Kenny and Grant after having witnessed Claire’s corpse. Elise said “The girl is gone, she isn’t alive, we will have to get rid of her body, put it outside”. Elise was trying to bring some degree of control to the situation now it was brought back to heel but just as Elise saying what would next be Claire’s likely fate, it made Melissa lose control again as Melissa screamed at Billy “Murderer! You bastard you did not even say a word, you came in and killed her, I thought I was dreaming”. Cherie could be heard throwing up in the bathroom at this point as Melissa scolded Billy.
Grant was by this time trying to reason with Melissa to calm down, telling her to keep quiet as they were just near the front door and those things were outside so they did not want to attract them. Grant lost his cool and shouted “Will you fucking all shut up” everyone was arguing again but Kenny was the only one keeping quiet as he continued to hold the rifle edge to Billy’s throat, whilst Billy was seemingly getting excitable again but still with his hands up. Laura rushed down the stairs to try and bring calm and everyone was pushing and barging each other in the small location between the stairs and front door.
Mark wearily shouted at them all “You are all insane!” he could not believe what the situation was descending into as they all fought on. Mark added “All of you need to sort yourselves out. You are all out of order!” Mark backed up the stairs watching them engage in this embarrassing display, and he was frustrated that nobody was listening to him to stop their petty squabbling. Mark still walked backwards up the stairs and was not taking his eyes off the group and as the group at the bottom of the stairs still verbally argued. Unbeknownst to them all Claire was stirring in the bedroom and had sat up from the bed, her skin colour and eyes had changed to resemble those things outside. She instinctively followed the sound of the commotion outside the bedroom and moved towards it.
On the top of the stairs Mark sat down observing the group squabble and he was still in amazement they had not quieted down. Kenny was arguing with Billy who had his arms up and the end of the gun at his throat, as Billy was shouting at Melissa and Laura and Grant and Elise were trying to bring them all to silence, but mainly infighting from Melissa and Laura. Mark stood up and was about to turn around to head to another bedroom to shut himself away from this but upon him standing up there Claire was in the shadows and the violence of her death at Billy’s hands had not just delayed her immediate rising but upon time passing seemed to have sped it up. Nobody thought to double check her and be urgent in investigating Claire, there was just too much distractions, as was taking place with the fighting right now. Elise tried mentioning to put Claire outside immediately but now Elise was caught up in the squabbling.
Claire was covered in the blood from her wounds, which soaked through her party dress, her eyes were blood shot and turned and she was pale as a white sheet with grey and even some green blotches. She staggered from the bedroom making her way towards the back of Mark, as she reached the landing she stared and saw the group downstairs from just behind Mark but nobody had seen her yet. She now focused on Mark as the closest to her and was only 4 metres from Mark who had by this time chosen to sit back down on the top of the stairs. This time Mark was crying, Claire staggered to him and then she clamped her jaws onto his shoulders. Instantly Mark let out a painful scream, and this sound brought everyone’s attention to the top of the stairs. They all saw Mark bleeding and trying to fight Claire whose grip onto his shoulder was tight, Claire was munching at his flesh, going through his veins and muscles, and she took no time to chew but took another bite.
Mark had a massive chunk of his skin laid scrawled on the floor as he and Claire rolled down the stairs, Mark’s momentum to escape meant he went forward and Claire and he tumbled over each other, rolling down the stairs. Billy yelled at the sight and grabbed the hammer from Grant to defend himself, but Claire and Mark’s bodies crashed into Kenny who was standing at the bottom of the stairs, perhaps foolishly pointing the hunting rifle as both Mark and Claire crashed into him, Kenny fell back and the hunting rifle went off, firing a bullet into the roof, and Kenny in the process knocked Melissa into the side room nearby the stairs with Laura pushed violently against the door and Grant and Elise only just escaping being knocked over by standing back. Everyone quickly was back on their feet as Melissa noticed Claire still biting at Mark, Mellissa screamed “Claire, oh my god”.
On the floor Claire was tearing into Mark who was by this point drenched in blood and losing feeling in his body, his skin had been splintered from his shoulder right up to the rear of his right ear his skin was gone. But the adrenaline meant he fought to his feet and ran to escape pushing past the group who were now all standing as he raced into the dining room which was just down the corridor to the left. Mark was falling over himself and in shock he was thinking he was about to die and his wounds were severe as he fought against passing out. Claire stood up as she stared at the group in a trance like state, and Claire was chewing on some remnants of Mark’s skin in her mouth.
She was swift in her movements. Melissa went to her friend but was held back by Grant who demanded “Stay back! She is not your friend anymore”. Melissa was uncertain how to deal with seeing her friend attacking Mark. Melissa when she looked into Claire’s eyes could see she was different. Kenny focused the gun but at this point everyone had an up close view of how awful and trance like Claire looked, she truly was one of those dead things. “Hurry the fuck up Kenny” pleaded Elise as Kenny pointed the gun and took a deep breath, he fired a shot and hit Claire in her throat which pushed her back momentarily but then she eased forward and kept coming, everyone scattered into parts away from Claire who was focused on Kenny as the aggressor, Kenny fired again striking her heart but nothing happened.
Billy yelled and ran to her as he raised his hammer and hit her on the head, she motioned back from the blow as Billy thinking he had her on the back foot charged and barged her. Grant took hold of him, knowing it was dangerous to be in close quarters. Grant felt it would be best to use the hunting rifle to slow her down and disable her but Kenny was struggling to fire at this point as it appeared the hunting rifle was jammed. Billy meanwhile shrugged Grant off and ran into Claire, both Billy and Claire fighting on the stairs. Billy on top of her as he used the hammer to smash her face, Melissa felt sick at the sight and backed off, whilst Laura was frozen to the spot. For Laura and Melissa this was as close as they had been to what was happening beyond running across the garden earlier on and it differed as it was Claire being the aggressor, they had never seen Paul do such a thing.
With unforeseen strength Claire broke through Billy’s hammer strikes and bit into his arm he went down and pulled his hand away, it happened so fast but from Billy trying to move his arm away Claire had clamped onto his fingers and bitten through with such precision that Billy was missing four fingers, and tendons were on show, snapped like piano wire in other parts of his arm. Billy fell on his knees drained and stunned at the injuries severity. Kenny pushed Billy aside having finally un-jammed the gun and Kenny fired again, hitting Claire in her heart once more and then again he fired into her cheek. Claire though kept coming and Kenny moaned “This is impossible, what the fuck is going on why the fuck isn’t she stopping”.
Kenny staggered and stammered as he backed off, Cherie was watching this from up stairs having left the upstairs bathroom, the sight below was like a bomb went off with blood on the floor below following a trail from the upstairs. Billy’s fingers all over the place and Grant and Elise lost for words that Kenny’s bullets seemed to have no effect on Claire. Melissa was near Kenny and stood terrified shaking her head like she was having a panic attack, Melissa backed off seeking sanctuary in another room, but Claire once more stood up and seemed angered at the shots to her body and face but it was just instinct driving her on. Kenny opted against shooting and switched the rifle around in his hands as everyone else seemed to rush away for cover and then Kenny using the rifle butt,
slammed it into Claire’s side which brought her down onto the floor. His own instinct to survive took over as Kenny stood over Claire and viciously, and without mercy butted Claire’s head with it, the thudding was terrifying to hear as much as it was to see as Claire’s skull was caved in with each hardened blow Kenny delivered to Claire who was lying on the passage way of this house.
Screaming to psyche himself up Kenny lost count at how many times he was smashing her head in, but again but nothing seemed to stop her even though the blows slowed her down she was still moving. Kenny in his red mist suddenly stopped, he saw he had blood over his clothes and he stopped what he was doing realising he was killing this person, but was she a person, was she alive and what was this shadow of a pretty young girl right now. The questions he asked himself were so different when he was in such an intimate act, he had never been so close to one and now she laid on the floor but was now suddenly not moving, not so much as flinching, her hands above her as blood gushed from all the battered spots of her skull, even brain tissue was visible. Kenny looked at the horrified faces from each of the group around him, they had all realised she had stopped moving and now stared at Kenny in fear due to his crazed and bloodied look.
Kenny threw down the rifle which was covered in her blood, all surveyed Claire and her skull was bust into pieces and Kenny moved against the wall, leaning against it and breathing deeply, he was completely out of breath as he said “I shot her about 4 times, she did not even fucking stop. She did not even react to being shot”. Billy had dragged his body towards the door and was holding his bleeding profusely severed fingers and he stared up at the group in silence, in pain but gritting his teeth was he. Billy muttered “Help” but nobody reacted to him, all were just gazing at Claire and her skin colour and injuries. Mark was hyperventilating as he came out of the side room he escaped into, covering his wounds “Why did she fucking do that!!” he shouted, Mark then fell onto the floor groaning.
Elise said to Grant in despair “We have to get out of here soon”. Outside they heard noises on the streets from those things moving around, but thankfully it did not sound like they were in the house’s front garden property. Billy felt like he was going numb and all his resolve had gone and Mark to was collapsed on the floor. Kenny was lost in thought, like a day dream staring ahead. Grant was more concerned for Kenny though due to being with him the longest than Billy and Mark as he asked Kenny “You okay mate” Kenny did not answer but his look to Grant was obvious in itself he was not. Speaking through his lack of understanding about what just transpired Kenny said to Grant “You saw it didn’t you. I shot her four times, she did not stop, and she kept coming. I know it’s just a hunting rifle but she did not even flinch”. Billy yelled from the floor at the rear near the door “Get me to a hospital, for fuck’s sake, help me you cunts I am dying over here”.
Melissa and Laura turned to him as he stated at them both “This is your fucking fault” trying to blame Melissa and Laura for what he had set in motion was crude but Laura and Melissa did not react. Cherie watched the group from the top of the stairs, as the strange atmosphere concerning the implosion of violence kept rendering a surreal scene, or an inability to do anything more, yet Cherie with her wide berth view atop of the stairs said “Those two boys will turn just like she did” in reference to a struggling to stay awake Mark and an agitated Billy. Billy shouted at them all after hearing Cherie speak “No, it is bullshit, you don’t know that”. Billy tried to crawl to the side, shouting aloud all the while “You’re not going to kill me” but he could not crawl with any purpose as he sat back up against the door. Annoyed at him Elise told Billy “You killed that girl without being sure she was bitten because you said it was better safe than sorry and now you have been bitten you deny it happening when we all witnessed it” Elise could not get over his arrogance, and Elise had zero sympathy for Billy.
Kenny was concerned about another fight of protest from Melissa and Laura at what Cherie was alluding to doing but neither girl said anything. Cherie though was at this moment eager to make sure no more mistakes happened so she rushed down the stairs and went to Grant who was slow in replying, unsure what more to do.
Cherie reaching Grant raised her voice, knowing Grant was rattled. Cherie said “Grant, do you hear me. We have to do something, those two boys will turn it is just a matter of time and we cannot take anymore further risks”. Cherie stared around at everyone, having totally come out of her earlier on breakdown. She said “You are all responsible for this, I warned you all about this happening. Don’t you dare stand in the way of what I am suggesting because it is right” Cherie was now looking at Kenny, due to him being the one who before this group arrived offered the strongest objection. Kenny had nothing to say but Grant had something to get off his chest in response as he answered her “What do you propose Cherie, we kill them? Despite what this guy did” looking with scorn at Billy “He is still alive”. Billy banged his head against the door, the pain was too much and he wanted to get his thoughts off it.
Enraged Cherie said “Look at the state of this girl” Cherie pointing at Claire “You should have seen the state of her body and what he did” Cherie could not get the sight of what Claire looked like earlier from her mind, even though now she looked less human due to the change “Aren’t you in charge here” Cherie demanded of Grant who shook his head with everyone looking at him and he said softly “I am not, I just want help to come so I can find my wife. I don’t know what I am doing anymore”. Elise stood near Grant as Cherie was getting agitated at him. Cherie, feeling vindicated after all that happened since letting the new arrivals into the house, said to Grant “I got into the van you offered me to climb in. So if you don’t make the decision I will do it, you hear me!” Elise annoyed said to Cherie “This isn’t helping”. Cherie replied firmly “No shit it isn’t but if we don’t get these boys out of here at least then...”
Cherie stopped speaking, because she like the rest became conscious of the sound, as behind them they all heard the gun being cocked. Billy held the hunting rifle barely with his free hand and used his legs to aim. Laura and Melissa who were now just listening in and themselves trying to make sense of what the other group members were saying saw their friend Billy pointing the hunting rifle at them all, moving it around but settling on Cherie and Grant who were close together. Laura asked him “Billy, what the fuck are you doing?” Elise and Kenny backed off as Billy said “Don’t move any of you. I swear I might be missing some fingers but I got a hand full of fingers and will fire”. Billy then looked at Laura and answered her “What does it look like I am doing Laura? I am not going to die like Claire and I won’t let you assholes put me outside when I pass out so I am going to wait and stay here until help comes”. Billy coughed and muttered under his breath “If you just gave me the van keys none of this would have happened” of course he spoke of his own injuries rather than Claire’s death.
Questioningly Grant said to Billy “You cannot even pull the trigger Billy, you know you’re a danger to us and yourself, you have been bitten”. Billy took this as a threat and said “You think I cannot fire” Billy then looked at Cherie as he said “What of you girl. I will make you the first one I shoot. I will match your body in the same colour as your red dyed hair. How does that feel huh? Care to say what you think you should do with me now Cherie?” Cherie had no words as she felt her stomach go light with Billy pointing the gun at him. Billy had them all at a disadvantage but each could see his hands were shaking and he was in no position to fire but his hand was close to the trigger. Kenny made eyes towards Elise and Grant but Billy noticed this as he said “Don’t think about it. I am going to wait here, you all go away” again he said in despair “If you gave me the keys to the van none of this would have happened” his blame on Grant once more as he sounded incoherent then he said “Ah fuck this!” he went to fire at Grant who closed his eyes but he could not get any strength around the trigger and then in frustration he threw the weapon on the floor whi
ch reached nearby the first step of the stairs and he had tears in his eyes. Billy felt beaten and he accepted it oddly with a sense of inevitability, he exclaimed “It’s no use. I am fucked, I am totally fucked. God Why, why me” he shouted up towards the sky.
Grant sat on the stairs and watched Mark who was choking on his own blood to the side of the stairs on the floor, his throat and injuries more severe than Billy’s which meant he was dying faster. Laura now went towards Mark to oversee him as Melissa remained near the wall looking with hatred at Billy who was shedding his self-pity. Grant picked up the hunting rifle and Billy observed him, Billy muttered “Don’t you dare shoot me”. Grant not replying to Billy said to Kenny about Mark “He won’t be long. Kenny you’re going to have to do it”. Kenny knew what he meant but protested “Why the fuck do I have to do it”. Grant motioning towards Claire and said “You did it to her mate” everyone looked at Grant and the cold way he said it, passing was he the buck of responsibility to Kenny who said to Grant and was conscious of how everyone was looking at him after witnessing him bash Claire’s skull in “She was not alive was she. He is still alive” Kenny said and then Kenny motioned to Billy and said “Even he is still alive”.
Cherie muttered “Barely, both of them barely alive”. Which Billy strongly objected to “I am fine” so Kenny took the hunting rifle from Grant and then he looked at Mark who was choking on his blood, his heart working twice as hard and in so doing he lost much more blood. Laura saw Kenny walk towards Mark, and Laura stood up from being near Mark. Kenny and Laura made eye contact as everyone observed what Kenny was doing. Laura saw this kid in Kenny around her age holding the rifle, he himself covered in blood and he watched as Laura just moved past Kenny and did not object, she knew what was happening was contagious now, everyone suspected it. Kenny stood over Mark and lowering his head as Billy covered his eyes, his own blood was running out in equal measure at this point.