causing Terrance to jerk his head around in fear at the physical contact , and said, "C’mon, we got to beat feet or they'll get to us before we can get to the barn.”
With an effort, they forced their legs to carry them along at a fast jog.
Lungs bursting, the two finally made it to the weed-choked lane that led to their refuge. Having added slightly to their lead, Billy and Terrance walked the remaining distance to the barn. Billy kicked open a door set into its side wall, and the two men squeezed through shoulder to shoulder and looked around in wonder at what they saw.
From the road the barn had looked whole with the exception of the busted out windows, but upon entering they saw that the back wall of the structure had collapsed in several places leaving gaping holes. Without saying a word to each other, Billy and Terrance turned to leave the building to try and find somewhere more secure. Stopping again, they watched in horror as the zombie at the head of the pack, dressed in his gray bus driver’s uniform, turned and started down the drive toward them.
Looking back into the barn for a place to hide, Billy spotted a hayloft suspended eight feet off the ground, still attached to an undestroyed section of the back wall. Shoving Terrance toward it, he scrambled up the fixed wooden ladder after him.
Safe for the moment, t he two men collapsed onto the platform and tried to catch their breath. Terrance leaned over to vomit the beer still in his stomach while making noises like a cat trying to dislodge a large hairball. Billy rolled over into a position where he could look over the edge of the loft at the door.
The moon had risen, its light glowing through the numerous holes in the roof and back wall. Once Billy's eyes adjusted, this provided enough light to make out the inside of the barn. When he had spied the hayloft, Billy's mind had latched onto the idea that he might find a pitchfork or some other tool that he could use as a weapon. Seeing nothing except dirt and moldering piles of hay , he felt a slight sinking feeling in his stomach. All he had was the empty rifle he’d held onto through his wild flight to the barn. He could use it as a club. He had seen Terrance throw his weapon away.
Surveying their position on top of the hayloft, Billy was slightly gladdened to see there was only one way to get to them and that was the ladder. That meant they could only come at them one at a time.
As if in reply to his thoughts, a single shape darkened the doorway. To Billy, this was the signal that the battle had begun. In seconds, a wave of flesh eating zombies came through the door and converged at the base of the platform. Here they milled around, looking up at where the two men sat out of reach, hissing and squealing at their inability to reach the food above them. Terrance, who had recovered from his retching, noticed this and shouted out with glee, "They can't climb. They can't get at us."
This statement was quickly proved false when an elderly, dead woman wearing a to rn and blood soaked sun dress wrapped her hands around a rung in the ladder and started up. Seeing this new development, Terrance screamed and backed away.
Turning his rifle around and grasping it by the barrel, Billy cocked it back over his shoulder and moved into position at the top of the ladder. When the dead thing's head came level with the platform, he screamed out, "Fore," and swung with all his might.
The rifle butt impacted the side of her cranium, knocking the dead woman off the ladder and through the air to drop on the ground ten feet away. The blow had broken her neck, but had not severed her spinal column. With her head lolling to one side, she regained her feet and rejoined her dead companions.
A second zombie tried the ladder, only to be struck down like the first. Before a third could attempt to scale their defenses, Billy used the rifle butt to break away the top four rungs. Now the dead could still start up, but they couldn't
With an effort, they forced their legs to carry them along at a fast jog.
Lungs bursting, the two finally made it to the weed-choked lane that led to their refuge. Having added slightly to their lead, Billy and Terrance walked the remaining distance to the barn. Billy kicked open a door set into its side wall, and the two men squeezed through shoulder to shoulder and looked around in wonder at what they saw.
From the road the barn had looked whole with the exception of the busted out windows, but upon entering they saw that the back wall of the structure had collapsed in several places leaving gaping holes. Without saying a word to each other, Billy and Terrance turned to leave the building to try and find somewhere more secure. Stopping again, they watched in horror as the zombie at the head of the pack, dressed in his gray bus driver’s uniform, turned and started down the drive toward them.
Looking back into the barn for a place to hide, Billy spotted a hayloft suspended eight feet off the ground, still attached to an undestroyed section of the back wall. Shoving Terrance toward it, he scrambled up the fixed wooden ladder after him.
Safe for the moment, t he two men collapsed onto the platform and tried to catch their breath. Terrance leaned over to vomit the beer still in his stomach while making noises like a cat trying to dislodge a large hairball. Billy rolled over into a position where he could look over the edge of the loft at the door.
The moon had risen, its light glowing through the numerous holes in the roof and back wall. Once Billy's eyes adjusted, this provided enough light to make out the inside of the barn. When he had spied the hayloft, Billy's mind had latched onto the idea that he might find a pitchfork or some other tool that he could use as a weapon. Seeing nothing except dirt and moldering piles of hay , he felt a slight sinking feeling in his stomach. All he had was the empty rifle he’d held onto through his wild flight to the barn. He could use it as a club. He had seen Terrance throw his weapon away.
Surveying their position on top of the hayloft, Billy was slightly gladdened to see there was only one way to get to them and that was the ladder. That meant they could only come at them one at a time.
As if in reply to his thoughts, a single shape darkened the doorway. To Billy, this was the signal that the battle had begun. In seconds, a wave of flesh eating zombies came through the door and converged at the base of the platform. Here they milled around, looking up at where the two men sat out of reach, hissing and squealing at their inability to reach the food above them. Terrance, who had recovered from his retching, noticed this and shouted out with glee, "They can't climb. They can't get at us."
This statement was quickly proved false when an elderly, dead woman wearing a to rn and blood soaked sun dress wrapped her hands around a rung in the ladder and started up. Seeing this new development, Terrance screamed and backed away.
Turning his rifle around and grasping it by the barrel, Billy cocked it back over his shoulder and moved into position at the top of the ladder. When the dead thing's head came level with the platform, he screamed out, "Fore," and swung with all his might.
The rifle butt impacted the side of her cranium, knocking the dead woman off the ladder and through the air to drop on the ground ten feet away. The blow had broken her neck, but had not severed her spinal column. With her head lolling to one side, she regained her feet and rejoined her dead companions.
A second zombie tried the ladder, only to be struck down like the first. Before a third could attempt to scale their defenses, Billy used the rifle butt to break away the top four rungs. Now the dead could still start up, but they couldn't
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