by Ivan Turner
Almost all of the color had fled from her cheeks. The eyes, though undamaged, stared at nothing. They had this glazed look that wasn't even lucid enough to mistake for hypnosis. They were windows into the world of death. John Arrick screamed and sobbed all at once. He didn't know what the thing in front of him was. But he knew that he was terrified by it.
That was his last thought before it launched itself at him. They collided in a tangle of awkward limbs and gnashing teeth. The teeth! Stay away from the teeth! Arrick brought his forearm up under her chin and felt her lips and tongue split from the impact. Blood and spit splashed on his arms and face. Trying to keep his balance, he gave ground, staving off snap after snap of teeth and neck. They tumbled into the tiny bathroom, light from the hallway spilling in on top of them. Awful sounds struggled out of her throat, or maybe his. He wasn't sure. They slipped on the bath matt and went down. Arrick banged his head on the toilet bowl and went dizzy for a moment. Suzanna's head was in his lap and he felt her mouth grab hold of his inner thigh. Without a thought, he reached with both hands, gripping her hair and pulling her head up. She clawed at him with her fingers. Thank God Suzanna hates long fingernails! With her head under his control, Arrick propped his feet against the wall for leverage. Whipping her backward, he slammed the back of her skull against the tub. He must have pulled the blow because there was nothing but a dull thud and she kept struggling. If anything, she was stronger now than she had ever been. Having the advantage, though, and having got the feel for it, he repeated the blow, this time with much more force. The sound was louder and there was a noticeable effect. Suzanna's strength ebbed. Her limbs flailed wildly now instead of under any sort of control. Arrick was beginning to feel confident.
He slammed her head down again.
This time there was noticeable yield. Blood dribbled from her ears and her flailing limbs fell to twitching.
So he did it again.
And again.
And again.
With each blow, the impact was softer. Blood and spittle from her ruined mouth splattered everywhere. When he felt wetness behind her head, he let go and struggled his way out from under her. He didn't look down, didn't want to see what she had become and what he had done to end what she had become. Suzanna may have been the queen of all the nasty bitches, but she hadn't deserved this.
Running the water in the sink, he washed his hands and face. Then he fled.
This time he took the train home. There would be no more cabs. His body ached from his confrontation and it was all he could do to conceal the blood stains on his clothing. He kept to the shadows and rode in an empty car, not hard to find at four o'clock on a Sunday morning.
When he finally reached his apartment, he threw himself inside and slammed the door shut behind him. He locked it and put up the chain. He stripped off his shoes and his clothing and stuffed them into a garbage bag. He stripped the sheets off of his bed and threw them into the same garbage bag. Using the cleaning supplies he'd bought the night before, he once again scoured the apartment from top to bottom. By the time he'd finished, his head was aching and his muscles were on fire. There was a twinge in his back that would worsen as he slept. It was close to 7:30am by that time and he threw himself into the shower. As he washed himself he began to relax. He was able to distance himself from the events of the past few hours. And just as he was becoming comfortable, secure in his thoroughness, he noticed a faint scratch on his inner thigh. And then he sneezed.
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So concludes episode 3 of Zombies! Next month, Dr. Denise Luco has to convince two lawyers, a bureaucrat, and a public relations man to take Head Shot off of the shelves. Maybe a tour of the Ward, the Zoo, and the Butcher Shop is just what they need. You'll get a closer look at Anthony Heron's life at home, how he's dealing with his cancer treatment, and the effect his new job is having on his personality. Please come back in a month for Zombies! Episode 4: The Sick and the Dead.
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Be sure to check out what happens when the Jury starts punishing people for their crimes in past lives and sets their sites on a rabbi who is believed to have been Adolf Hitler in The Book of Revelations, available for free on smashwords.
For an epic (and involuntary) journey through time at a breakneck pace, join Mathew Cristian as he narrates his adventures as a Forty Leaper. Forty Leap is available on smashwords. Read the first half for free.
Herman Delto is his own worst enemy. But is he also the worst enemy of the colonists he's led to a better world? Read Fast Forward, available on smashwords. Read the first half for free.
Table of Contents
Zombies! Episode 3: Love Bites
Midpoint
