Dead Bones - Six Pack. The Ultimate Zombie Collection

by Ian Woodhead

  Bonzo cocked his head to one side then ran over to the door, “I just heard a door at the end of the corridor open.”

  Craig yelped, he knew exactly what that meant; he ran over to the woman and hid behind her.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Alex had been watching the dead things outside the mill build up for the last few minutes. She ought to feel impressed, privileged even. Those things had come for her, hundreds of them within a radius of a couple of miles had all joined together for the single purpose of tearing her into little pieces of meat.

  For the first time since the change, another emotion had wormed its way through her body … this one was apprehension. It wasn’t right, she was at the top of the food chain, superior to them bastards in every way. Those things ought to fear her.

  She sighed, what was she thinking of? Of course they feared her, why else would they use their only weapon against her? The dead had numbers of their side.

  Alex moved away from the window, not liking the way those hundreds of pairs of eyes stared up at her window. She stepped over the numerous bodies that had followed her into this apartment and made her way towards the kitchen. This feeling of being in a siege was playing havoc with her insides. Her worry had increased the gnawing ache deep within her stomach.

  The need to feed on warm human flesh was now overwhelming all other desires, even the fact that she’d become the prize prey now seemed irrelevant. Alex gazed down at one of the things that had followed her in here. Of the twelve, the one between her feet had been the most difficult to put down; even so, it hadn’t taken her that long to stop them. They were hundreds outside, but she still thought with a bit of effort she’d still be able fight her way through them.

  “Would you bet your life on that, Alex?”

  She sighed, no, she wouldn’t. Besides, putting these down had taken up a lot of energy, and if she even thought of escaping, she’d need to feed again. The one below her, unlike the others, wasn’t complete. A chunk of flesh was missing from his left thigh. She’d done that.

  Alex walked into the kitchen, pulling a sour face at the memory of chewing on the dead meat. No matter how hard she’d tried, Alex hadn’t been able to swallow any of that chewed up mush. She felt like a woman adrift on an ocean of inedible meat.

  She opened the fridge door, not sure what she was looking for. Her body and diet had changed but even so, there must be some sort of human food she could eat to ease the ache until her next meal.

  Whoever had lived here, they certainly believed in stocking up. She pulled out a packet of pork sausages, a raw beef joint, and as an experiment, a tub of mushrooms.

  “Think of them as fingers,” she said while opening the sausages. Alex couldn’t even bring herself to put it close to her mouth, it looked as inedible as the meat from the infected.

  She threw the sausage on the kitchen floor and gazed out of the kitchen window, sighing at seeing her enemies drawing closer and closer. Even if she did get out of here, and that now was looking more difficult as each minute passed, those bastards would never stop pursuing her.

  How long could she stay cooped up in here? Would Alex starve? She looked at the things on the floor in the hallway. They didn’t need to feed, and yet they still do, it’s that which drives them.

  Alex slowly sat down, a numb feeling rising up from her stomach. They don’t need to feed because they are dead, does this also mean that she was dead as well? Until now, Alex had been too busy to give the notion any thought. She pressed her hand against her chest, feeling cold tears running down her cheeks when she found no heart beat. She was just like those things out there, a reanimated corpse. A filthy dead lump of decaying meat.

  Something hit the apartment door, it would be one of the corpses trying to get inside. Alex hadn’t destroyed them all, she honestly couldn’t be bothered. The thrill of the kill was always in the feasting

  If she was dead then why did Alex have the urge to eat flesh? Her body couldn’t process the stuff for food, how could it when her insides no longer worked?

  Having bodies that didn’t function didn’t stop those hordes of dead from trying to steal her food.

  Another one bumped into the door. Alex was dead, she didn’t really need to eat, and now she had nobody left to fear or worship her. What was the point in continuing? She may as well open the door and let them consume her—they were bound to get her eventually—why delay the inevitability?

  Somebody out in the corridor suddenly cried out. It sounded as though one of those things had managed to catch another human. She jumped as another cry blasted through the closed door; the panicked voice sounded very familiar.

  Alex closed her eyes and tried to locate the source. “Dennis!” she gasped, when her thoughts homed in on his terrified mind. Through her eyes, Alex saw four of them shambling away from her door and towards him. She couldn’t work out how he’d got to this level, unless he had managed to remove the chains on the other doors. Dennis spun around and frantically pushed down on the door handle.

  She ran over to the door and pulled it open, the two remaining corpses made a grab for her, and with a start, Alex recognised them both, John and Clive; they used to attend her gathering on regular occasions until a couple of weeks ago. Dennis had done some digging and discovered that the men both had wives, but they had told Alex that they were single.

  John lunged for her; she grabbed both their necks, looking for any sign of recognition, all she saw in those eyes was her reflection. There was nothing in their slow thoughts save for the desire to rip her to bits. Alex released their necks, grabbed the sides of their heads, and bashed them together, grunting when both their head caved in like broken eggs.

  Alex leapt over their bodies and ran at full speed at another corpse, it turned around just in time for her to send it flying into the wall with a powerful left hook. The remaining three zombies stopped approaching Dennis, turned around, and shambled in her direction.

  Be still, Dennis. I’m here now. I’ll protect you.

  The man squealed in shock, he sounded like a mouse caught in a trap. Alex launched herself at the corpses, not wanting any of them to turn back and go for the man. She moved her shoulder to avoid one set of snapping jaws and felt another set around her arm. Alex pushed her arm back into the zombie’s open mouth, then grabbed his jaws with her other hand, then wrenched it down, ripping the jaw bone away.

  She turned and punched the other corpse in her face, driving bone splinters deep into its brain. Alex picked the last one up and slammed it onto the corner of the wall then stood back, watching it slide down, leaving a trail of lumpy grey and red mess on the wallpaper.

  “Mistress, look out, there’s one more!”

  Alex felt something sharp penetrate her ankle; she looked down and saw that the first corpse had crawled along the carpet to sink its teeth into her flesh. She shook the thing off her then lifted her foot and stamped on its head.

  “I’m so sorry, mistress.” The man said.

  She watched the sobbing man start to crawl away.

  “This is all my fault.”

  Alex dipped into his mind and recoiled, thinking that she’s entered one of the zombies by mistake. She tried again and found his thoughts weren’t as cold and alien as the things around them. She had no idea that his depravity was so intense, this man had some serious problems. Even so, beneath that corruption, she found he really did care for her, more so than anyone else he had ever known.

  Don’t be scared, my darling. Those filthy things cannot harm me

  She dragged her foot away from the smashed head and wiped the foul muck from her skin. “Look, Dennis. The wound has already healed up.”

  “I don’t understand, how did I hear your thoughts?”

  She chuckled. “Everything is going to be okay. The others in our congregation have gone, Dennis. I’m all yours, that is, if you’ll still have me.” She licked her lips. “You still want me don’t you?”

  He slowly nodded his head, “Oh ye
s, mistress. Yes, please.”

  She smiled back and opened her arms, “Come to me.”

  Unlike the last time, there was no hesitation; the little man flew into her arms. She watched the pulse in his neck, the movement was close to hypnotic, and not sinking her teeth into his warm, soft flesh was the hardest thing she had even done. Alex felt like an addict hugging her fix and unable to indulge.

  To distract herself, she dipped into his mind once more; this time Alex pushed through all the refuse on the surface, searching for the real Dennis.

  “I can feel you inside me, my mistress. It feels good, I need to feel myself inside you.”

  “I know you do, Dennis.” She wondered if that really was such a good idea, the man rarely satisfied her; would Alex be able to resist killing him after he’d finished thrusting into her? She needed to find more followers, ones a little more human than this one. “We are going to rebuild our congregation, and I want you by my side.”

  The man nodded and thrust his head deeper into her cleavage. She decided that now was the best time to explain to Dennis about her change of diet. She placed her arms around his torso and prepared to deliver the hammer blow.

  If he reacted badly then his meat should provide her enough energy to escape from here. “There’s another small item I need to share, Dennis.”

  She lifted up his chin. “I’ve developed a taste for human flesh.” She licked her lips. Alex urged him to feel repugnance, to start struggling and try to get away from what his mistress had become. Alex was so hungry. She dredged through his mind, looking for any hint of betrayal.

  She watched herself tearing the chest of a handsome your man in his mid thirties. Dennis was sitting on a chair at the back of the room, clapping and cheering.

  He gazed up at her. “Did you get that?”

  She nodded. “Who is he?”

  “That bastard acted the hero, he tried to help other people. I want you to find him and eat his face.”

  Alex closed her eyes and sent her mind out into the building, surprised that there was still a scattering of frightened human minds in the mill. Now that those filthy dead minds weren’t there to sully her thoughts, Alex could pick up their signatures very easily.

  She stroked Dennis’s head, “I don’t need to find them.” She gently nibbled on his ear.

  Dennis moaned.

  “He and his friends are coming up to this level.”

  Chapter Twenty-five

  He swung the blade in a low arc, slicing through the dead girl’s neck. Marcus jumped back to avoid drowning in the geyser of blood erupting from her neck stump. His friend shouted out before thrusting the tip on his katana into the eye socket of the next approaching corpse.

  Helen cried out, and they both turned to see another had shambled out of an apartment and grabbed the woman’s hair as she ran past. Marcus brought his katana down on the zombie’s arm, cutting through most of the flesh while Bonzo pulled the grasping fingers out of the woman’s hair.

  “We can’t do them all, Marcus! There’s just too many.”

  He nodded, thrust the tip of the blade up into the jaw of a corpse that got too close, turned around, and joined the others running for the door. Marcus thanked whichever deity was still around that the loathsome things hadn’t reached this door.

  They burst through the fire doors and into the stairwell.

  “Which way do we go?”

  Craig was already running up. Bonzo leaned over the banister.

  “Follow the kid,” he said, there’s a couple more below us.

  The boy stopped and turned. “I think there’s a supply of guns in one of the apartments.”

  Marcus blinked, “Are you sure?”

  Craig shrugged, “It’s what Laurence told me.”

  “Can we hurry it up, guys?” whispered Helen.

  Marcus nodded. He didn’t really believe the kid, but what other choice did they have? He followed the others up the flight of stairs; the lad in front suddenly stopped and picked up an empty sweet wrapper.

  “Fucking hell!” the kid shouted. “Oh bollocks, this is the locked side! I thought we were on the other set of stairs.”

  Marcus reached the top and tried to push through the door only to discover that the lad was right. Somebody had wrapped a heavy duty bike chain around the handles; they didn’t stand a chance of breaking through that. He looked through the windows, gratified to see that the corridor ahead was empty of movement, but what was the point if they couldn’t get through?

  “We have a major problem, Bonzo!”

  The other man rushed up, “Don’t stress out, man. We can deal with it. Place your blade through the middle and twist.”

  “Have you lost your mind? That chain is way too strong.”

  Bonzo nodded, “Yeah I know, but the bolts on the door handles aren’t.”

  Marcus heard the door at the bottom begin to open, he looked at the other two then peered down the gap; he saw a very familiar mop of blonde hair. Marcus stepped back, moved Helen to block Bonzo’s view, then jumped down the stairs.

  “Does this mean that you want me to do it?” Bonzo shouted.

  Marcus raised his Katana and beheaded the first corpse, then kicked the head down the stairs. “I’m so sorry, Christine.”

  He thrust the blade into the other one’s mouth, then put his weight against the door, to try and stop anymore more coming through. Oh hell, dare he tell his friend this he’d just killed Bonzo’s wife?

  “She was already dead,” he muttered. “You did the kindest thing.”

  There were just too many of them trying to come through the door. He pushed his blade between the handles and ran back up the stairs. There was only the woman left up there, the man had managed to open the door wide enough to squeeze through. Helen followed the others and Marcus bent down and pushed his way through the two doors.

  “It’s the door at the end.” Craig said.

  Marcus felt naked without his katana; he needed another weapon. He reached the first open door and peered inside.

  “Keep them safe, Bonzo. I’ll be just a moment.”

  “Who’s going to keep you safe?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  Marcus couldn’t see any movement inside. He slowly walked across the threshold, continuously looking around the dark room for any signs of activity. He passed through the hall and into the living room. Keeping away from any hidden area, he made his way over to the window, hoping that those bastards outside had gone away.

  The view revealed more had turned up with others shambling over; what the hell was attracting them? The canal bank was still clear though. There were only a few of them wandering about. If they didn’t find any weapons, which Marcus thought was probable, going through the fire escape on this level and diving into the water below was there only remaining option.

  “Not a brilliant option.”

  He turned around and searched through the kitchen; he grabbed a large knife out of a wooden block and joined the others outside. The others were already standing outside the door. Craig looked at Marcus as he ran over to them.

  “It’s locked,” the kid said.

  If this guy did have a cache of weapons inside, he wouldn’t keep the door unlocked. Marcus decided not to point that fact out.

  Bonzo stood back and booted the door open before rushing inside. Marcus looked in both directions of the corridor, then gave the knife to Helen. “Just in case.”

  He followed the other man inside. He watched Bonzo come out of the kitchen.

  “I’ve already checked the bedroom, Marcus; I think we’re safe.”

  Marcus opened the door and ushered the other two inside. “Now I’m not saying that your friend is mistaken, but I don’t think we should spend too much time in here.”

  “Are they still out there?”

  Marcus looked at the woman and nodded.

  Bonzo hurried over to an old oak dresser in the corner of the room and pulled open the top drawer. “We’d best start searching
then.”

  He watched the other three turning the living room upside down; he was now convinced that this was a waste of time. “I think it’s time to go. There’s nothing in here.”

  Craig shook his head.” They must be, we’ve only just started searching.”

  Bonzo walked other to the apartment door. Marcus thought he was about to leave until he turned and started to go through the coat pockets.

  “Craig, please believe me, I’m not calling anyone a liar; it’s just that if this guy did have guns in his apartment, he isn’t going to keep them where anyone can find them.”

  Bonzo nodded, “Maybe you’re right.”

  Marcus opened his mouth, then he paused. Did he just hear a door open in the corridor?”

  Can’t we just wait in here?” asked Helen. “At least until they’re gone.” He looked at Craig. “It’ll give us more time to search these rooms.”

  Marcus sighed, “You want to wait until the corridor outside is packed with those things?” He took a deep breath, feeling like a complete bastard for what he was about to say.

  “Bonzo says his wife and daughter is out there, Craig’s family is too; I think that we should go now.” He turned away from his friend so he wouldn’t see Marcus’s shameful face. He then caught sight of the apartment door opening in the kitchen mirror.

  He spun around and watched in amazement as a big, blond haired woman pushed through the door. She wrapped her arms around Bonzo, he dropped his katana and she dragged him out into the corridor.

  Marcus ran across the room then skidded to a halt when a horrifying shriek blasted through the room. He scooped up the blade and glanced back. “Keep him safe, Helen.” Marcus ran out of the room.

  The carpet was soaked in blood, the trail led to a closed door on the opposite side of the corridor. Marcus skirted around the crimson fluid, trying to keep his head focussed. Trying to hope that his friend was still alive and knowing deep down that nobody could lose this amount of blood and still live.

  “I’m so going to gut you for this, you evil fucking bitch.”