by Jason Perry
laughed, soothingly “It’s nothing. Everything’s fine, comrade.” hoping his laughter would change the subject.
“Positive?”
“Positive, Maleena.”
The pilot flew over the mountains, heading as far away from the destruction, as he possibly could. Maleena breathed a sigh of relief. Ace smiled, cheerfully, thinking they’ve eliminated Medusa’s existence, and her evil ways.
Three months later…
“Hey, Jack. Whatever happened to those survivors who escaped from that saw mill?”
“Beats me, Brent.”
“Do you believe that that Medusa chick is really dead?”
“We’ve found no traces of her body. That should be a sign.”
Brent laughed, casually “Always clowning, I see.” as he reached for his cup of coffee.
Glass shattering, in the hall, caused Brent to drop his cup of coffee, on the floor. Jack jumped out of his chair. He pulled the handgun out of its holster and readied it. Banging on the door occurred.
Jack demanded “Who’s there?!”
The banging on the door continued, becoming much louder.
“I SAID WHO’S THERE?!!”
The doorknob started jiggling, as if someone was turning it. Jack cocked his handgun, causing the banging to vanish. Brent jumped out of the chair. He pulled the handgun out of its holster and readied it. Jack pointed two fingers at the door, gesturing his partner to open it. Brent nodded his head and tiptoed to the door. He slowly reached for the doorknob. Grabbing it and turning it, it wouldn’t budge.
“It won’t budge.” he said, making the mistake of turning around, to face his partner.
The glass on the door shattered, when two arms punched through it. A hand reached for Brent’s head and grabbed it. The other hand grabbed a hold of his collar.
Brent pleaded “Jack, help me!” fearing for his life.
Jack was too frozen to make a move.
Brent pleaded, once again “JACK, HELP!!!” as he struggled to break free from being dragged out of the shattered window, on the door.
Jack stood frozen and listened to his dying partner’s pained screaming, from his flesh being gnarled into, and ripped apart, until it vanished. Jack finally built up the courage to move. He tiptoed to the door. Sticking his head out of the shattered window, a hand grabbed him, by his face, and pulled him out of it. Jack screamed, painfully, as his flesh was being gnarled into, and ripped apart…
“Throw the ball, Jeremy!”
Jeremy squawked “Get ready for another strike, Brandon!”
He winded up and threw the baseball, as hard as he could. Brandon, swinging the bat, perfectly, timed it just right. He crushed the baseball, sending it across the street. It flew over a fence and rolled in a backyard, coming to a stop, after hitting something.
“Damnit, Brandon! The ball went into that hag, Mr. Oliver’s backyard!”
Brandon proclaimed “Odds, or even, to see who goes and gets it.” with a smile on his face, which turned into laughter.
“I’m not going and getting it.”
“Jeremy’s a chicken.”
“Shut up, Kevin. And besides, he said “Odds, or even”.”
“Jeremy’s a chicken! Jeremy’s a chick--”
Kevin was interrupted by growling, coming from somewhere.
Brandon wondered “Did you guys hear that?” his tone, slipping into a whisper.
“Yeah. I--”
Interrupting his friend, Jeremy whispered “I think it came from Mr. Oliver’s backyard.”
“Go check and see if it’s coming from over there.”
“No, Brandon!” Jeremy hollered.
Kevin chimed in “Keep your voice down.” slapping Jeremy’s shoulder.
Jeremy ran across the street. He tiptoed into Mr. Oliver’s backyard. The baseball was in front of the doghouse. Jeremy’s heart sank in his chest. He gulped, before approaching the doghouse. He dropped to his knees and reached for the baseball. A dog jumped out of the doghouse, lunging at him, and knocking him down, onto his back. The dog sank its teeth into Jeremy’s chest. He screamed, painfully, as he struggled to get the rabid beast off of him.
“Kevin--that’s Jeremy!” Brandon cried.
He grabbed the bat and darted across the street, into Mr. Oliver’s backyard. He stood frozen and watched the rabid beast rip his friend apart. The back door opened. Mr. Oliver, quite zombified, staggered down the steps.
“Mr. Oliver?”
Mr. Oliver growled. Blue slime dripped from his mouth. He staggered toward Brandon, still growling. Brandon turned around to run out of the backyard, but he felt himself falling to the ground. Mr. Oliver’s dog was ripping Brandon apart. Kevin could only watch, in horror, as he was too frightened to move. Gaining some composure, he stepped back, on a twig, cracking it. The cracking sound alerted the dog. It dashed across the street, into Jeremy’s front yard. Kevin, too frightened to move any further, the dog lunged at him, tackling him to the ground, and mauling him to pieces.
Medusa laughed, hysterically “Soon, the entire human race will cease to exist.” while holding up a syringe, with a yellow substance inside of it.
Badly burned, from the explosion, at the saw mill, she ran down the street, searching for the nearest pond. A ball stopped in front of her feet.
“Can I have that ball, lady?”
“Sure. Come and get it…”
“Stay away from that burned up freak of nature, Chris!”
“Listen here, you little pun--”
Medusa was interrupted by a rock hitting her, in the side of her head. She growled, before slowly approaching Chris. She hummed the ball at Chris’s friend, hitting him in his face. The force broke his nose.
Chris screeched “Look what you did to Jamie, you freak!”
“GET OVER HERE, SO YOU CAN MEET YOUR DEMISE!!!”
The threat replayed, constantly, in Chris’s head. His heart sank in his chest and he became frozen, stiff, with fear.
“CHRIS, GET AWAY FROM THAT THING!!!”
Chris cried, helplessly “Cody...my legs. I can’t move.”
Cody ran to Chris. Medusa stepped in front of him and jammed the syringe into his temple, injecting the yellow substance into him. Mr. Oliver’s dog lunged at Chris and tackled him to the ground. A metal bar was slammed into the rabid beast’s head, causing it to squeal. Chris shoved the dog off of him.
“Are you alright, boy?”
“Watch your back, Mister!”
Medusa grabbed the man, from behind, not allowing him to break free. Cody staggered to the man and vomited in his face. The brown slime burned his flesh, down to his skeletal structure. The man cried out, as the pain became unbearable. Medusa let go of him and he fell to the ground, face first. She noticed Chris running out of the yard and up the street.
She lashed out “COME BACK HERE, SO YOU CAN DIE!!!” as she sprinted after her target.
Cody collapsed to the ground. His skin started turning a yellowish complexion. He slouched over and vomited more brown slime. It burned a hole in the ground. His insides burned, fiercely, as the yellow substance injected into him, slowly took control of his body.
Chris yelled “STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!” constantly looking over his shoulder, at the burned up human chasing him.
“YOU LITTLE RUNT!!! STOP RUNNING!!!”
“HELP!!! SOMEBODY HELP!!!”
Chris turned the corner. He was immediately grabbed and pulled behind a tree. Medusa turned the corner. She was immediately hit in her face, with a shovel and knocked down, to the ground.
“Are you hurt?”
“Are you hurt, boy?!” a man snapped.
“No. I don’t think so.” Chris replied.
“Let’s get out of here, Roland. There might be more of them.”
Roland reached for his shotgun.
He snapped “Die, you ugly motherfucker!” before pulling the trigger and blowing Medusa’s head off.
Blood blue splattered on Chris. Roland turned around and faced him. He rea
ched for his handkerchief and threw it at him.
“I’m Chris.”
“Chris, are there any others who are infected?”
He paused and looked at his feet. Roland stormed up to him and grabbed the collar of his shirt.
“ARE THERE ANY OTHER FUCKING INFECTED PEOPLE, YOU ROTTEN, LITTLE SHIT?!!”
“Take it easy, Roland.”
Tightening his grip, he spat “This is not the time for sympathy, Lora!”
“Chris, you need to tell us if there are any others who are infected.”
Before Chris could open his mouth, growling appeared. Roland shoved Chris back, causing him to stumble, and fall to the ground.
Roland ordered, sternly “Get that punk-ass kid out of here!” while loading the shotgun and cocking it.
“What about you?”
He spazzed “GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!!” as he looked over his shoulder.
Lora grabbed Chris’s hand. She ran with him to the tank. Medusa’s body started twitching. Roland fired the shotgun, blowing a hole in her chest. Her body continued to twitch. The hole in her chest healed. The growling continued and became louder, after every growl. Roland turned around and a swarm of infected were charging up the street. He turned around and was immediately grabbed by Medusa. Raising him into the air, she laughed.
“Big mistake…”
She drove her mutated arm through his abdomen. Lora barrelled the tank through yards. She stopped after seeing her enemy ripping her comrade’s body apart.
“Are we going to die, Lora?”
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Chris.”
“Looks like another pathetic human is gone.”
“Hang on! Full speed ahead!”
Lora floored the tank at Medusa and ran her over. She drove it up the street. The loud engine alerted the infected. They dashed to the tank and jumped on it.
Chris cried “I’m scared.” as he ducked
