Ashton Memorial

by Robert R. Best

  “Two left,” he whispered, readying the rifle.

  Angie nodded and turned back. She motioned for them to move forward, slowly.

  They crept up the hall until they were outside the open door.

  A corpse, an old woman with white hair stained red with blood, was on the floor crouching over an old man. The old man's head faced the hallway. The old woman's head was down, buried in the man's stomach. She pulled up slowly, pulling out what looked like a liver with her teeth. She grabbed hold of the liver and bit free a hunk of it, slowly and feebly. She moaned ecstatically as she chewed. She hadn't noticed them.

  Angie turned slowly to Park. He had the gun trained on the woman, but was relaxing as though realizing they weren't seen. Angie motioned for the rest to keep moving. Park and the kids moved past her. Angie took one last look at the old woman gnawing at the liver. Her wrinkled face was caked with dried blood, flecks of it falling to the floor as she worked her jaw up and down.

  Angie moved on.

  The rest of the hallway was quiet and all doors were shut. They crept up to the last door on the right. Bobby's apartment. Angie looked back down the hallway, making sure nothing was nearby. There was nothing she could see.

  Slowly, she moved her hand up the door and gently knocked.

  The door creaked and moved inward. Angie blinked at it. The door was unlocked. Unlocked and open.

  “Shit,” whispered Park, behind her.

  “Yeah,” she whispered back. “Shit, indeed.” She looked back to the others, put a finger to her lips, and pushed the door inward.

  Angie stepped inside first. Immediately inside the door was a small foyer, branching off in two directions. To the left was the living room. To the right was the kitchen. It seemed like every light in the apartment was on.

  “Bobby?” she whispered, looking around.

  Dalton shuffled in the hallway behind her. Angie held up a hand, indicating for everyone to be quiet, and leaned toward the living room. “Bobby?” she repeated, low and hoarse. She strained to listen.

  Nothing.

  She walked farther into the foyer, making room for the others to file in behind her. Dalton first, then Maylee, then Park. Park shut the door behind them, slowly and quietly.

  A noise came from the kitchen. A shuffle followed by a crunch. Dalton gasped. Maylee grabbed his shoulder. “Shh!”

  “I got it,” whispered Park. He lifted the gun over the kids' heads and moved toward the kitchen. Angie stepped toward the living room and the kids followed her.

  The living room was cluttered, strewn with clothes and empty food containers. Angie frowned at them. Bobby was always a slob. The far side of the living room connected with the kitchen and a separate hallway led to the bedroom and bathroom. Angie heard Park moving in the kitchen.

  “Park?” she whispered.

  Park walked in from the kitchen, holding a bag of corn chips. “These fell off the counter.”

  Angie smirked. “Figures.”

  A moan came from behind her. Angie spun to see Bobby coming toward her. His eyes were yellow and blood ran down one side of his face.

  Dalton screamed.

  Park leveled the gun at Bobby. “That's two.”

  “No!” yelled Angie, stepping back from Bobby and whipping her head at Park. “It's just the one. Don't waste the shot.”

  “Uncle Bobby!” yelled Dalton.

  “Shut up!” yelled Maylee.

  Uncle Bobby limped forward, one of his legs broken and bent beyond human use. His fingers were caked with something dark. He clutched at Angie but she kept backing away from him.

  “Kids,” she said. “Get into the hallway. The bedroom or something. Shut the door.”

  “Mom!” said Maylee.

  “Uncle Bobby!” said Dalton, tears coming.

  “Maylee!” snapped Angie. She glared at Maylee, then nodded to Dalton.

  Maylee looked over at Dalton. Dalton was crying and his lip was starting to quiver.

  “Get to the bedroom!” Angie repeated. “Park and I will handle this.”

  Maylee took another look at Uncle Bobby, then reached down to grab Dalton's hand.

  “Uncle Bobby,” said Dalton, his voice breaking.

  “I know,” said Maylee. “I know. Come on. Let's check out the bedroom.” She led him out of the room and down the hall. Angie heard the bedroom door shut.

  “You think the noise'll bring any more?” said Park. He stepped forward and shoved the corpse of Uncle Bobby backward, away from Angie.

  “I don't know,” said Angie. “Let's hope not. Let's just deal with him for now.”

  Bobby moaned and came toward her again. Angie stepped back, toward the kitchen.

  “Bobby,” she said as she walked backward, “I know we didn't get along before. Truth is, we probably wouldn't be getting along now anyway. But I'm afraid I'm going to have to bash your head open and I guess I'm a little sorry for that.”

  “Seriously?” said Park, following behind Bobby as he and Angie stumbled into the kitchen. The counters were cluttered with food and dirty dishes.

  “Well, he is family,” said Angie, looking around for a weapon. A heavy pan, a knife, anything. All she found were snack foods and dishes. Bobby'd never cooked a thing in his life, so far as Angie knew. “There's nothing to hit him with. Damn it Bobby, why don't you have anything heavy?”

  Bobby gurgled and stumbled toward her, clutching his crusty fingers at nothing.

  “You sure I shouldn't just shoot him?” said Park, shaking the rifle in his hand as he followed behind Bobby.

  “No,” said Angie. She backed toward the foyer. “I've got an idea.”

  * * *

  Maylee led Dalton inside Uncle Bobby's bedroom and shut the door. Dalton let go of her hand and started pacing. Tears glistened from his cheeks. “Uncle Bobby Uncle Bobby Uncle Bobby...”

  “I know, Dalton, I know,” said Maylee. She set her bat in the corner and walked over to grab Dalton's shoulders. She eased him to a sitting position on the bed. He gulped and looked up at her.

  This is the first time, she thought. The first time he's seen one of those things that used to be someone he was really close to. Then she realized it was the first time for her, too. With the realization came flashes of visits to Uncle Bobby. Mom didn't like him, so visits to him had been rare. And there was a lot to do in Ashton. They'd had fun with Uncle Bobby.

  Maylee stopped herself, pushing the thoughts down. She was being strong. She was being strong for Dalton.

  “Uncle Bobby,” said Dalton.

  “I know,” said Maylee, hugging him.

  Dalton cried into her shoulder for a few moments. His sobbing slowed. Maylee's own eyes stung but she kept the tears from coming any further. She swallowed them.

  Dalton settled down and Maylee pulled back. She looked down at him. “You gonna be okay?”

  He nodded and sniffed.

  Maylee stepped away from the bed, wiping her own eyes. She looked around the room. It was cluttered, with clothes on the floor. The bed was unmade. Dresser drawers sat half open. Maylee noticed a bra hanging from one dresser handle. She stepped over and picked it up. She showed the bra to Dalton, raising an eyebrow in question.

  Dalton shrugged and coughed. “Maybe Uncle Bobby has a girlfriend.” He looked down. “Had.”

  Maylee nodded and put the bra back where she'd found it. She walked past the bed, toward a large open closet set into the far wall. It was dark inside. She leaned in and found the chain for an overhead light. She pulled it and the closet lit up.

  A woman stood at the back of the closet, facing the wall. She was making a sobbing noise.

  “Dalton,” whispered Maylee. “Stay there.”

  She stepped into the closet, toward the sobbing woman. “Ma'am?” she said.

  “What is it, Maylee?” said Dalton. Maylee heard him climb from the bed and come up behind her.

  “Stay back, Dalton,” said Maylee, taking another step inside. “Ma'am?”

 
The woman showed no sign of hearing Maylee. Her back and shoulders moved up and down. Low sobs echoed in the closet.

  “Ma'am,” said Maylee. “Are you okay?” She reached out and touched the woman's shoulder.

  The woman stopped sobbing and turned. Maylee let go. The woman's face was gray and covered in blood. She had a hand in her mouth. It looked like it had been torn from its original owner’s arm. She pulled the hand free, a tendon stringing from a finger to her mouth. She pulled the tendon free and sloppily sucked it into her mouth. She made a grunting sound as she chewed. The sound was like sobbing.

  Maylee jumped back, colliding with Dalton. They both fell over, Maylee on top and Dalton pinned underneath her. The woman groaned and fell forward toward Maylee. Maylee put up her hands, hoping to block.

  The woman ground her teeth together and bit at Maylee. Maylee had one palm pressed against the woman's forehead. It was the only thing keeping the woman's teeth from sinking into Maylee's skin.

  “Get off me, Maylee!” said Dalton, muffled underneath her.

  “Kinda busy right now, thanks,” said Maylee. She pushed up as hard as she could, but the woman was bigger than her. Maylee was only able to push her up an inch or so. Not enough to escape.

  “Maylee!” yelled Dalton, squirming underneath her.

  “One second!” said Maylee. She used the inch of space her pushing had made to bend her knee up. She folded her leg against herself, knee and shin against the woman's chest. The woman bit and hissed, clutching at Maylee's clothes.

  Maylee grunted with effort and repeated the motion with her other leg. She now had both knees against the woman's chest and her hand against the woman's forehead. Dalton writhed beneath her, trying to get free.

  “Hope this works,” Maylee muttered to herself. She let go of the woman's forehead and extended her legs. She managed to unfold them an inch or two. The woman balanced on top of them, biting at the air and moaning.

  Maylee looked the woman in the yellow eye. “Thank god you're an idiot,” she said. She put her palms flat against the floor beneath her and pushed herself up off of Dalton. The strain on her muscles was almost unbearable. For the first time in her life, Maylee was glad for gym class.

  “Move!” she yelled to Dalton.

  Dalton squeezed himself out from under her. Maylee's arms shook, then gave just as Dalton was free. She fell to the floor, pain shooting across the small of her back as she connected. The woman rocked on her knees, tipping toward her. Maylee held up her hands, catching the woman's forehead and blocking her. Her arms ached from her previous effort, and the woman gained ground every second. The woman's teeth drew near.

  “Get off my sister!” Dalton yelled from somewhere behind Maylee's head. Dalton's foot flew into view, cracking the woman across the temple. The woman groaned and fell to one side, off of Maylee. She collided with the edge of the closet.

  Maylee scrambled to her feet and backed away as quickly as she could without falling over. The woman groaned and stood. Maylee and Dalton panted at the woman as she slowly moved her head, looking at one, then the other of them.

  “We need Mom,” said Dalton.

  “Nah,” said Maylee, eyeing her bat propped against the wall. “I got this one.”

  They panted and stared at the corpse a moment longer. Maylee looked to her bat, then back at the corpse.

  She dove toward the bat. The corpse responded to the sudden movement with a loud groan. She lunged forward, reaching for Maylee.

  “Mom!” screamed Dalton. He ran to the door and threw it open.

  “Dalton wait!” yelled Maylee as she grabbed her bat and turned to face the woman.

  “Mom!” Dalton repeated, running out into the hallway.

  “Dammit,” said Maylee, turning to follow.

  * * *

  Angie backed out of the kitchen and into the foyer. The corpse of Uncle Bobby, groaning and clawing at nothing, followed her. Park brought up the rear, holding the rifle but not using it.

  “So,” said Park from behind Bobby. “This plan of yours.”

  “Yeah?” said Angie.

  “Does it involve leading him around in a circle until he falls apart?”

  “Nope,” said Angie, turning a corner and backing into the living room. She glanced quickly behind her, seeing a large set of vertical blinds. Behind that, she knew, was a sliding glass door. And behind that was a deck overlooking the parking lot. “It involves that.”

  She ran to the vertical blinds and tugged down on the hanging chain nearby. The blinds opened with a loud clacking sound. She heard Uncle Bobby moaning behind her, getting closer. She unlocked the sliding door and pulled it open. Fall air blew in from the parking lot.

  She spun in time to see Bobby drawing near to her. She stepped backward onto the deck. It creaked slightly under her weight. Cheap piece of crap, she thought.

  Bobby staggered and lurched after her, onto the deck. “That's right Bobby, come on,” she said. She could see Park in the living room, stepping over to follow.

  “Mom!” yelled Dalton. He ran screaming from the hallway and out onto the deck. Angie could tell by his eyes he didn't really see where he was going.

  “Dalton, look out!” yelled Angie.

  Dalton blinked when he saw Bobby. He tried to stop but was too late. With an “oof” sound, he collided with Bobby's back. Bobby moaned and fell forward, onto Angie.

  Angie tipped over backward, her upper back slamming into the railing of the deck. She pushed back on Bobby's shoulders. He bit toward her arms and face, close but not connecting. Thick drool hung from his lips, inching toward her.

  “Dalton!” yelled Maylee, running from the hallway and onto the deck. She bumped into Dalton and they both stumbled onto the deck. The deck creaked, louder than before.

  “Get off my mom!” yelled Dalton. Angie heard smacking sounds and Bobby's body shook with each smack. Angie guessed it was Dalton hitting Bobby. The railing behind her back creaked and groaned.

  “Dalton,” she screamed, struggling with Bobby. “Stop hitting!”

  Dalton screamed and gave Bobby a hard shove. Bobby's body slammed against her. The railing beneath her upper back gave a loud creak, then gave way.

  Angie fell back onto the deck. Pain shot down her spine as it connected with the wood. The back of her neck hit the edge of the broken railing. The pain made her grit her teeth.

  Bobby fell with her, biting and clawing. He landed on top of her. Angie kicked her legs and pushed back at him. He was close.

  “Mom!” screamed Dalton.

  “That's two,” said Park, leveling the gun at Bobby's head. He moved the barrel back and forth, trying to get a clear shot.

  “Not so close to my head,” yelled Angie, struggling with Bobby.

  “Figured you might say that,” said Park. He slung the rifle over his shoulder and stepped forward. He brought up one of his hunting boots and kicked Bobby's rear. Bobby slid forward, past Angie's head and off the deck. Angie heard him slam against the truck below.

  Angie stood, loose bits of wood falling from the deck beneath her. The wood cracked against the truck. She and Park looked over the edge. The truck's front was worse than before. Bobby had landed in the center of the hood, buckling it. Bobby rocked back and forth in the indentation he had made. Soon he would stand up, Angie knew, but the truck was too far away from the deck for him to be an immediate threat.

  “Some plan you had,” said Park.

  “There were complications,” said Angie.

  Maylee screamed from behind them. They turned to see a female corpse stumbling across the living room. She was nearly to the deck.

  “Where’d the hell she come from?” said Angie.

  “Bedroom closet,” said Maylee, backing away and holding her bat in front of her. She bobbed the bat up and down, waiting for the corpse to get closer. The deck creaked under her steps.

  “Don't do anything stupid, Maylee!” yelled Angie as the corpse stumbled onto the deck. It moaned at them, dragging its
feet across the wood. It now blocked the door.

  Maylee grunted and swung her bat hard, nearly hitting Angie in the head with her backswing. Angie leaned back as the tip of the bat whipped past. She started to fall backward off the deck. Park grabbed her shoulder and stopped her fall.

  “Stop it, Maylee!” yelled Angie, using Park's grip to hoist herself back up straight. “There's not enough room!”

  The bat smacked against the corpse’s temple. The corpse's head whipped to one side from Maylee's blow. Several rotten teeth flew from its mouth and clattered across the deck.

  Its head came to a stop pointed at Dalton. It groaned and took a shaky step toward him. Thick blood seeped from its right ear, running down its cheek and neck.

  “Sorry lady,” said Park, stepping around Maylee and shoving the corpse away from Dalton. “Not today.” The corpse stumbled until her stomach rammed into the right-hand railing. The railing shook and cracked. More pieces of wood fell to the parking lot. The corpse doubled over. A thick glob of blood fell from her mouth.

  The corpse groaned and straightened, turning toward them all. Dalton tried to back away, but was blocked by Angie. Angie tried to back up to give Dalton room, but her feet were at the edge of the deck .

  Park aimed the rifle at the corpse's head.

  “Not so close to the kids!” yelled Angie. She grabbed Dalton and pulled him sideways across her front. She almost fell off the deck doing it, but she managed to jerk him away from the corpse and Park.

  Dalton stumbled sideways into Maylee. Maylee had been focused on the corpse and hadn't seen him coming. She screamed in surprise and fell backward. Her back collided with the left-hand railing. It cracked. “Oww!” she yelled, nearly dropping the bat.

  Park adjusted his aim and cocked the rifle. The deck beneath them all creaked and groaned.

  Then it gave way.

  They all screamed as the deck fell to a forty-five degree angle and then stopped. The deck hung precariously, sloping downward toward the parking lot.

  Time seemed to slow down. Maylee and Dalton grabbed the left-hand railing. Park grabbed what was left of the front railing. Angie tipped backward, grabbing at nothing.