in the center of the living room.
James watched me and Dominic. His doubt had been smoothed over by Dominic’s words. He’d been hypnotized, but it couldn’t have been that thorough. Dominic hadn’t had much time with him. My crew and I had been worked for a couple hours a day for the first week. How long had James been worked on? The other guys?
How had Dominic gotten James? Was Mom okay? The questions came fast, knocking me out of the moment. I spoke to my brother before pride shut my mouth. “Where’s Mom? Did you eat her, James? Did Dominic tell you you’ll live forever, huh? ‘Cause he told me the same thing and guess what? Twelve weeks is not forever.” I pressed my lips together.
My brother looked at me, his forehead wrinkled with thought. “I…”
Dominic sliced his hand through the air. “Enough. James doesn’t care about your lies, Paul.” He looked at James whose eyes glazed over.
I had no idea what had happened. I’d never seen the effects of hypnotizing so clear, but there was a complete control I wasn’t sure could be attributed to hypnosis. The other guys didn’t react the same way and yet they orbited themselves around Dominic. He moved, they moved.
James and the other three zombies stepped toward us. Dominic hadn’t spoken or motioned them forward, and he didn’t stop them.
Mrs. McCain slapped her hands to her face and screamed. Again. I almost yelled at her to shut up.
Heather pushed to get past me, but I held her back. They weren’t even her family. My main priority was preserving her DNA. She was better off without them.
James would figure the truth out. He had to.
Dominic wouldn’t save us. He’d figure out how to manipulate the virus to keep us mindless, slave-like. Why would he return us to a human state when, as zombies, we were his soldiers? If anything, he’d work on a way to alter the atrophying process, improve the muscle tone rather than eat it, so that the body and mind would live together forever. But he’d apply it to himself and never to any of us.
Least of all me.
No, my original plan had to take precedence. I had to find Dr. Duncan.
The moment had frozen. The guys prowled in a circle around the McCains. Mr. McCain shoved his wife toward the nearest boy and made a run for it, trying to dodge under another guy’s legs.
The adults wouldn’t make it out of there alive. Their death would be the moment I’d need to get Heather out of there. She didn’t need to see them die and James wouldn’t be able to look away from the carnage. He’d lick his lips and drool. His hunger would be unreal this first week. And judging by his clean clothes, Dominic hadn’t fed him yet. That boded well for my mom.
I grabbed Heather’s hand and squeezed. Under my breath, I offered three syllables. “Get ready.”
She squeezed back.
Dominic’s gaze didn’t stay on us for long. He’d never had to face the severe, never-ending hunger the virus exposed us to. He watched the game the boys played as they pushed Mr. McCain from one to the other, a wide smile slicing across his face. Dominic couldn’t focus. He was hungry, too.
Hells yeah, I’d take the diversion. “Run to the car.” I whispered and slid around the corner into the front hallway behind her. Each step filled with desperate pleas to the universe that they wouldn’t notice, wouldn’t notice, wouldn’t notice. We made it to the front door before Dominic roared.
Human screams filled the air but I slammed the door behind us, cutting them off. I pushed Heather toward the Nova. We shimmied in and the engine turned over with sleek speed. I flipped the shifter on the steering column, grateful for automatics, and put all my weight on the gas pedal. One last look out the rearview mirror revealed James staring after me, which disturbed me more than the blood splattering the front room window. Then nothing as I revved out of the driveway.
Heather wouldn’t be able to ask her “parents” anything. Maybe her
James watched me and Dominic. His doubt had been smoothed over by Dominic’s words. He’d been hypnotized, but it couldn’t have been that thorough. Dominic hadn’t had much time with him. My crew and I had been worked for a couple hours a day for the first week. How long had James been worked on? The other guys?
How had Dominic gotten James? Was Mom okay? The questions came fast, knocking me out of the moment. I spoke to my brother before pride shut my mouth. “Where’s Mom? Did you eat her, James? Did Dominic tell you you’ll live forever, huh? ‘Cause he told me the same thing and guess what? Twelve weeks is not forever.” I pressed my lips together.
My brother looked at me, his forehead wrinkled with thought. “I…”
Dominic sliced his hand through the air. “Enough. James doesn’t care about your lies, Paul.” He looked at James whose eyes glazed over.
I had no idea what had happened. I’d never seen the effects of hypnotizing so clear, but there was a complete control I wasn’t sure could be attributed to hypnosis. The other guys didn’t react the same way and yet they orbited themselves around Dominic. He moved, they moved.
James and the other three zombies stepped toward us. Dominic hadn’t spoken or motioned them forward, and he didn’t stop them.
Mrs. McCain slapped her hands to her face and screamed. Again. I almost yelled at her to shut up.
Heather pushed to get past me, but I held her back. They weren’t even her family. My main priority was preserving her DNA. She was better off without them.
James would figure the truth out. He had to.
Dominic wouldn’t save us. He’d figure out how to manipulate the virus to keep us mindless, slave-like. Why would he return us to a human state when, as zombies, we were his soldiers? If anything, he’d work on a way to alter the atrophying process, improve the muscle tone rather than eat it, so that the body and mind would live together forever. But he’d apply it to himself and never to any of us.
Least of all me.
No, my original plan had to take precedence. I had to find Dr. Duncan.
The moment had frozen. The guys prowled in a circle around the McCains. Mr. McCain shoved his wife toward the nearest boy and made a run for it, trying to dodge under another guy’s legs.
The adults wouldn’t make it out of there alive. Their death would be the moment I’d need to get Heather out of there. She didn’t need to see them die and James wouldn’t be able to look away from the carnage. He’d lick his lips and drool. His hunger would be unreal this first week. And judging by his clean clothes, Dominic hadn’t fed him yet. That boded well for my mom.
I grabbed Heather’s hand and squeezed. Under my breath, I offered three syllables. “Get ready.”
She squeezed back.
Dominic’s gaze didn’t stay on us for long. He’d never had to face the severe, never-ending hunger the virus exposed us to. He watched the game the boys played as they pushed Mr. McCain from one to the other, a wide smile slicing across his face. Dominic couldn’t focus. He was hungry, too.
Hells yeah, I’d take the diversion. “Run to the car.” I whispered and slid around the corner into the front hallway behind her. Each step filled with desperate pleas to the universe that they wouldn’t notice, wouldn’t notice, wouldn’t notice. We made it to the front door before Dominic roared.
Human screams filled the air but I slammed the door behind us, cutting them off. I pushed Heather toward the Nova. We shimmied in and the engine turned over with sleek speed. I flipped the shifter on the steering column, grateful for automatics, and put all my weight on the gas pedal. One last look out the rearview mirror revealed James staring after me, which disturbed me more than the blood splattering the front room window. Then nothing as I revved out of the driveway.
Heather wouldn’t be able to ask her “parents” anything. Maybe her
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