As the Light Dies

by M. D. Woodham

  “Hunting us!” added Gavin and Dean gave him a firm jab with his elbow shutting him up and then he whispered to them both,“We’ll wait a few minutes. Make sure it’s safe and when we’re sure, we’ll try again ok.”

  The other two nodded their agreement and they sat in silence waiting for his word. Each of them scared and confused until after what felt like an hour Dean said,“Ok. Let’s give it a go!”

  Ann nodded and eased herself out from behind the table and Gavin followed with a resounding“Yep,” when suddenly Sam went rigid in Dean’s arms. Sam was tensing every muscle he had!

  “Hang on,”said Dean knowing something was wrong. The others froze and looked at Dean as Sam started to growl. He wriggled in Dean’s arms trying to hop down as Dean tried to calm him down. Dean dropped back down on to the bench worried he’d lose his balance and make a noise as he struggled to hold Sam as he continued to try and get loose.

  “What’s wrong?”asked Ann. Gavin looked at her and signalled to her to be quiet as he took hold of his torque wrench and pulled it from his belt. Sam’s actions told him everything he needed to know. Dean held Sam tight desperately trying to keep him quiet as a hazy shadow appeared through the murk directly outside!

  None of them could breathe!

  It started growing darker, becoming more solid, seeming to come towards them!

  They watched from the back of the restaurant as another two silhouettes joined the first from either side.

  “Shit!”Ann whispered under her breath unaware she’d even said anything. Sam was wriggling like a fish out of water making Dean work hard to keep hold of him. Dean looked at the shadowy forms, they were thin and short.Children?Dean wondered.Infected children?

  The first silhouette began to come through the murkiness towards them revealing itself.

  It was a dog! A German Shepherd like Sam, only bigger, much bigger, and it wasinfected!

  Its entire muzzle had been torn away leaving its vicious looking teeth permanently exposed.

  Its eyes were clear for all of them to see, and they shone black just like the infected people.

  The other two forms, that had to be dogs, stayed where they were just out of sight as the one in the lead, obviously the leader of the pack walked closer. It placed one heavy paw through the broken windowsill and it crunched as it landed on the shards of broken glass. It stared at them!

  Ann and Gavin stood bone rigid while Dean fought to keep hold of Sam.

  It made a clicking sound from deep within its discoloured wounded chest and that was Ann’s trigger. She spun around and ran towards the very rear of the building triggering a reaction from all three terror dogs. Gavin cursed and leaned over and hauled Dean holding Sam, up of the bench and spun around and chased after Ann. Sam was proving a real struggle for Dean, Dean knew Sam would put up a good fight to protect them but against these dogs who knew how he would fend, even without his muzzle on. The clicking sound turned in to a high pitched mix up between a whine and an infected gurgle as the dogs leapt in to action and charged!

  Ann saw a door marked TOILETS and went for it out of panic but then as she turned she saw another door marked STAFF ONLY with a small circular window over the sign. She changed her mind and ran for that one hoping that it would lead to the kitchens and then to a back door.

  “THIS WAY!” she yelled glancing over her shoulder. The brothers were close behind her, Dean had dropped Sam and was dragging him along behind him. The three terror dogs leapt through the front of the restaurant whining and gurgling. The leader darted straight towards them down the centre of the restaurant dodging between the scattered tables and chairs as the other two terror dogs that resembled big Dobermans leapt up over the tabletops and started coming at the group from either side hopping from table to table, but they struggled for grip and slid around on the smooth vinyl table-tops.

  One of the dogs slid off and fell down between tables sending chairs flying, then a fraction of a second later the second dog did the same, screeching with frustration as their leader chased down the fleeing group!

  Ann thrust open the staff only door and jumped inside the pitch black kitchens. She waited by the door holding on to it, ready to slam it behind the brothers and Sam and stop the dogs from getting in. Dean and Gavin reached the open door just as the leading dog reached Sam.

  It jumped up on its rear legs like a bucking horse with its fleshless mouth wide open trailing strands of dirty black saliva from its long teeth! Sam pulled against Dean’s grip howling and barking uncontrollably as the mauled terror dog fell down on him!

  Dean yelled out,“NOOOO!” just as the bulky end of Gavin’s torque wrench came rushing up from under the terror dog’s mouth and smashed its lower jaw to pieces! The terror dog fell on Sam’s back still trying to bite him despite its lower jaw hanging like a loose hinge. Its mouth didn’t work, so the dog clawed and scratched at Sam showing no signs of any pain from its shattered mouth, but Sam was able to shrug it off and Dean kicked it, landing a solid blow to its breast bone and sent it sliding across the black and white linoleum floor. Before it came to rest the other two dogs leapt up over the last two vinyl benches and dived through the air towards them howling their infected call.

  Gavin snatched Dean’s collar and yanked him and Sam back through the door and passed Ann and yelled at her to,“SHUT IT!”

  Ann thrust the door closed and to everyone’s horror the door swung passed the frame without catching, and it swung wide open on the other side. They hadn’t realised it was a two-way door.

  It happened so fast the three of them couldn’t do anything but watch in horror as the door swung all the way around on its two way hinges and let one of the leaping dogs fly straight through!

  Gavin was quick to act and smashed his torque wrench down on the back of the dog’s neck as it landed. There was a loud crack and it dropped to the floor. The second leaping dog crashed in to the outer edge of the swing door as is started to swing closed again.

  Shoulder bones snapped and popped loudly, and it fell to the floor beside its leader with its shattered jaw, but seemingly oblivious to any pain they were both up in an instant and pushed their way through the swing door and crossed the threshold in to the kitchen and stood beside the third dog with the broken neck as it clumsily stood back up with its head swinging between its front legs! The noise the three dogs were making was horrendous, it reverberated off the tiled walls all around them as Ann searched through the darkness like a crazy woman, trying in vain to find an exit as she bumped in to cookers and cabinets and tables, sending pots and pans flying.

  Gavin swung his wrench again and brought it down like a hammer aiming for the closest dog’s head - the one with the shattered neck. It moved towards him swinging its head like a pendulum as it walked, and despite the damage Gavin had caused, it still snapped its jaw ferociously, and then it lunged at him forcing him back.

  His wrench thumped down on its back between its front legs with almighty force slowing it down a little, but that was all. Gavin retrieved the wrench and swung again from the side like he was swinging a baseball bat. He was aiming for the head again but missed completely as it swung out of the way. The dog lunged again and caught Gavin’s shin with its needle sharp teeth, but didn’t catch hold of him.

  Without being able to flex its neck it couldn’t turn its head to get a good hold of him so all it managed was to nip him. Gavin yelped, more out of fright than pain and he skipped back a step as the dog lashed out with one of its front legs trying to scratch him with its claws. Gavin kicked out at the dogs other leg and snapped it in two. Then quickly while it was off balance trying to work out how to attack again, Gavin swung his wrench up over his head putting everything he had in to the swing and pulled hard. The head of the wrench landed in the middle of the terror dog’s head, just above its little black eyes smashing it down against the cold hard tiled floor where it crunched like brittle honeycomb and he silenced the dog permanently.

  One down, he thought readying himsel
f for the next-comer.

  He saw Dean holding on to Sam again, he was backing up from the one with the shattered jaw.

  Shit, he thought starting towards him to help, but he was suddenly cut off.

  The other Doberman with its protruding collar bone from its collision with the door was coming straight for him baring every single one of its teeth!

  “WATCH OUT!” yelled Ann coming out of the darkness to help holding her cut-off piece of scaffolding pole.

  Gavin yelled back, “HELP DEAN!” just as the limping dog pounced at him.

  Even though it didn’t feel any pain from its shattered shoulder and collar bone, it was slowed down by its injury. As the terror dog leapt through the air its body tilted at an odd angle, pushed off balance because of its useless front right leg. Gavin shifted to his right bringing up his wrench as the monstrous looking dog came down where he’d just been standing, snapping its wild jaws at lightning speed, and without any strength in its wounded front shoulder to hold itself up. It landed off balance and crashed down on to its side smacking its jaw on the floor!

  Gavin was ready and before the dog had even come to rest he started to swing his wrench. He brought the heavy, bulbous steel head of the wrench down fast, and a fraction of a second before it hit the dog, the dog lifted its head in a last ditch effort to attack, but it was too late. The dog was too slow, and the head of the wrench crashed down between its jaws clicking against its teeth like a thumb over the bristles of a comb and snapped each and every one of its teeth off as it sunk all the way down to the back of the monsters throat where it separated its lower jaw from its head with an audible pop.

  Gavin pulled back his wrench amazed that the dog was still unfazed and starting to get up of the floor, all the time still making that strange noise as its lower jaw flapped uselessly below its snout only attached by skin and fur. Gavin tried a glance towards his brother and Ann but he didn’t have time to make out much through the darkness before the dog lunged again.

  It half limped half lunged at him, he sidestepped fast as he took another swing, and this time he put the dog down permanently caving its head in like he had with the other monstrous Doberman.

  It collapsed to the floor in a heap and stayed there.

  Across the room Ann, Dean and Sam were cornered as they tried to fend off the big German Shepherd as it reared up on its hind legs and swiped at them with its powerful front legs now that its lower jaw hung in pieces. It stood as tall as Ann on its hind legs and almost resembled a bear in the darkness. Ann jabbed and prodded at it with her length of scaffold pole and Dean kicked out trying to keep his balance while he held on to Sam. They were only just holding it back.

  Gavin raced up from behind the dog, jumped up in the air and drop kicked one of the dog’s rear legs snapping it in two! The dog fell to the ground still howling that horrible noise, relentlessly lashing out with its big front paws!

  With the dog down Gavin jumped over the dog and stood with one leg either side of it and started swinging. He repeatedly swung his wrench like he was swinging an axe trying to split a stubborn stump of wood, hitting the dog’s head dead centre, over and over and over, turning it in to mulch, spraying everything within range with its mutated infected black blood.

  “Whoa Gavin!Its dead. It’s ok. It’s safe,”said Ann reaching out for his shoulder.

  Gavin carried on swinging over and over, gasping for air between swings.

  Ann tried to get his attention again and patted his shoulder this time but it had no effect.

  Dean stepped up and yelled in to his brother’s ear, telling him that it was ok, telling him to calm down and stop as he grabbed on to his brothers arms trying to stop him. It took some effort but eventually Gavin stopped swinging and he looked up at the other two with wide, confused and wild eyes. He was out of breath and panting. Dean carefully let Sam down and looked at his brother.

  “You ok?”he asked.

  Gavin nodded once in response and said,“You two?”glancing at both of them.

  “Yea,”said Ann and Dean nodded and said,“We’re all ok buddy. Thanks to you. You just kinda lost it there at the end for a minute.”

  Gavin nodded ashamedly and said,“I’m sorry.”

  Dean shook his head and said,“Nothing to be sorry about. You just saved us. I should be sorry! If I’d let Sam down I coulda dropped one of those dogs as well, but I just couldn’t risk Sam, not with his muzzle still on, and that damned Alsatian got me in a corner before I knew....”he stopped talking mid sentence and looked at the other two with wide eyes. They knew what had him on alert, they all heard what sounded like the start of another infected gurgle.

  They all froze to the spot moving only their heads to look at the three downed terror dogs and listened. It wasn’t any of the dogs. It was something else! The sound was cut dead in an instant and they heard nothing but the weather.

  They waited in silence listening, but heard nothing. Dean inched forwards and looked through the little circular window back in to the restaurant making sure it was clear, and it was.

  “C’mon,”he said,“let’s fucking get outa here.”

  He wrapped Sam’s lead around his wrist a couple of times for a better grip and started to move when Ann said,“I’mso sorry. I didn’t realise the door....”

  Gavin stopped her butting in and said,“Forget about it. It’s ok.”

  “Yea,”added Dean pushing back through the swing door.“None of us knew that the damn thing swung both fucking ways!”

  Then he stopped abruptly causing the other two to bump up against him.

  “What’s wrong?”said Ann.

  “Back up!”he whispered,“back up, fast!”

  He pushed back against them urging them to move and they did, they all backed up, back in to the darkened kitchen.“What’s wrong, what is it?”said Ann.

  “Shush,”said Dean holding on to the door to close it quietly.

  “Hold on a sec,”he said and he crouched down by Sam and spoke in his ear,“Sam boy, I need you to be quiet now ok boy,”he said. He got a grumble in response and a half dog nod. Bewildered and wanting to know what was wrong Gavin leaned over Dean while he spoke to Sam and looked through the small circular window.“Oh fuck!” he said.

  “What!What is it?”said Ann.

  Dean answered before Gavin had the chance.“All the noise from fighting those dogs has brought us some attention.”

  “What!” said Ann,“but you just checked!”

  “Yea, I know, and theyjustappeared!”

  Then as he finished speaking, they all heard the tell-tale sound of crunching glass as it was stood on.

  Despite the darkness Dean could tell by their actions and their body language that Ann and Gavin both understood what was happening.

  Just beyond the flimsy swing door meandering between the tables and chairs searching for the source of all the noise, was an increasing number of infected people pouring in from outside!

  Dean searched for something to wedge the door but it was no good, he couldn’t see a thing in the darkness and he didn’t want to risk making any noise searching for anything either.

  “C’mon lets go,” he said, and started tracing his way along one of the walls, working away from the swing door. He said to the others,“There has to be an exit somewhere.Has to be!”

  He led the way, hurrying along searching for a way out with the others close behind him.

  A few seconds passed, and then they all heard the first chair to be knocked over behind them!

  It sent chills down their spines and made Ann skip a step.

  Dean picked up his pace wanting to get out. He felt Sam pulling eagerly to his right and tugged him back pulling the lead, then he rushed face first in to a new wall going too fast for what he could see or feel. Sam had been trying to lead him. The other two bumped in to him forcing him up against the wall knocking the wind out of him and Dean let out a groan, and instantly the noise coming from the restaurant intensified.

  There were m
ore footfalls on broken glass and something was flung across the room, followed by the sound of table and chair legs being scraped across the floor at speed.

  “Shit they heard us!” whispered Ann.

  Dean nodded and said,“C’mon,” and he hurried along, walking the wall as fast as he could with his hands outstretched as the noises behind them grew louder! They sounded closer!

  “We’ve gotta hurry,” whispered Gavin and before Dean could say anything he laid his hand on a door handle.

  “Got it!”he said.

  “Quick. Hurry,” said Ann with a quiver of fear in her voice.

  He turned the overly thick handle and pushed the door. It was stiff. He had to push against it using his shoulder and before the quiet swoosh from the equalising air pressure had time to register with him letting him know what he’d done. A loud ka, chink followed by rustling, came from the other side. Sam turned in to a ball of tense muscle by his side. Dean felt him and understood in that same instant that he’d opened the kitchen’s walk-in freezer and the noise had come from inside.

  His eyes opened wide. He told the others to back up as he tried to pull it closed again, but it was too late and the door was snatched from his hand, pulled inwards with force to reveal a big fat bald man that towered over them wearing kitchen whites and a long white waterproof apron that almost glowed in the darkness where it wasn’t splattered with blood.

  His black eyes, high above them like little black buttons squashed between his heavy brow and puffy

  cheeks fixed on them. He opened his puffy discoloured mouth and bellowed at them with glee as he made his advance!

  Dean Gavin and Ann backed up so fast they nearly stumbled over each other, and Sam reared up on his hind legs snarling and barking at the hulking chef, pulling against Dean as the chef swung one of his meaty arms at him! Sam shifted just in time, and the meaty trunk of an arm missed him by centimetres and smacked the thick freezer door and shook it in its steel frame!

  “RUN!” yelled Gavin and he charged along the back wall searching for another way out knocking all kinds of kitchen utensils out of his way and bashing his hands off things in the darkness making all kinds of noise and within seconds the swing door burst open, so fast that it popped its top hinge, and the infected people that had been stalking the restaurant rushed in screeching their morbid war cry filling the room with a sound like it was full of drowning kittens!