were clenched shut. The color had drained from her face.
I boldly ra n toward the man-turning-living-dead and brought my branch up toward his face. I knew I only had a brief window of opportunity where he hung in balance on the fine line between his life as one of us and his life as a walking dead man. I jammed the sharp end of the stick into his face. I had figured it would pierce him easily, but instead it bounced off of the bony structures beneath his skin. His glasses were knocked off, falling to the ground. Gus was already beside me, and kicked Linus until he fell to the ground. The turning man still clutched his sister’s hand, and the movement caused her to shriek in agony. Gus rushed forward and stepped on the man’s chest. He held a large stone in his hands and brought it down on Linus’ head. Fresh crimson poured from the resulting wound. The man sputtered as blood flowed from his mouth and nose. Gus repeated the blow two more times until scalp, skull, and brain matter were mixed in a fashion where nothing left was recognizable.
I walked to where Agnes’ hand was still held in a death grip and pried it from her brother’s. She whimpered pathetically from the pain of both her injury and the loss of her twin. Eventually, she vomited violently next to the remains of his head.
CHAPTER 10
Standing over Linus’ fallen body, Gus tried to slow his breathing.
“Fuck!” he shouted. “What the fuck !”
He looked like he wanted to kick the bod y, but had no shoes on with which to do it. I looked at the girl who was still on the ground, now crouched near her brother’s feet. She was sobbing and looked scared.
“Agnes, what happened?” I asked, still shocked. “ What happened ? It was more than a sprained ankle, wasn’t it?”
Gus was already pulling the shoe off of Linus’ injured foot. Agnes was unable to speak, but nodded.
“Holy shit,” expressed Gus. “Holy fucking shit! He was fucking bit, wasn’t he Agnes? You tell me the truth and you tell me right now,” he ordered her , as if speaking to a child.
“One…of…them…” she sobbed, trying to catch her breath. “When we… climbed …over…the…wreck.”
“Gus, settle down,” I said under my breath. The poor girl was scared and obviously traumatized.
“No, Zoe. They should have told us.” Gus’ eyes were dark and full of anger. “They put us both in danger. I will not settle down .”
He took a few steps away from us and took a deep breath before turning back. His face was full of rage.
“Jesus Christ, Agnes! What the fuck were you thinking!” he screamed.
“I…I…I” she stammered.
“Answer me, Goddamnit !”
“Gus, stop!” I shouted, getting angry with him. “Just stop!”
He ran his fingers through his hair and ended up looking half wild. He walked away several feet to cool down again. I heard him mumble a few obscenities.
I walked to Agnes and knelt down on the ground with her.
“Zoe, it didn’t break his skin. I swear it didn’t. It bit onto his shoe and barely made marks on his ankle. I didn’t think…” she broke down sobbing.
“Ok, ok…” I tried to soothe her.
“Take me away from here, please,” she begged. “Oh God…Linus…”
Gus walked back over to us, very obviously still pissed off. “Agnes,” he began to say, his tone just a bit too threatening. “Agnes,” he said more calmly. “I’m sorry I yelled. I’m sorry about Linus. You have to understand, though, that if any of us comes into contact with one of those fucking dead bastards we all have a responsibility to inform the others. There’s no other way to put it.”
Agnes nodded while trying to calm her own crying.
Gus, seriously, chill out . I hoped he got my silent message loud and clear. I followed it with a glare of my eyes.
“Agnes, did you make contact with any of the dead?” I asked as gently as I could. “Any at all?”
“I only kicked the one that had hold of Linus’ foot,” she managed to say in a
I boldly ra n toward the man-turning-living-dead and brought my branch up toward his face. I knew I only had a brief window of opportunity where he hung in balance on the fine line between his life as one of us and his life as a walking dead man. I jammed the sharp end of the stick into his face. I had figured it would pierce him easily, but instead it bounced off of the bony structures beneath his skin. His glasses were knocked off, falling to the ground. Gus was already beside me, and kicked Linus until he fell to the ground. The turning man still clutched his sister’s hand, and the movement caused her to shriek in agony. Gus rushed forward and stepped on the man’s chest. He held a large stone in his hands and brought it down on Linus’ head. Fresh crimson poured from the resulting wound. The man sputtered as blood flowed from his mouth and nose. Gus repeated the blow two more times until scalp, skull, and brain matter were mixed in a fashion where nothing left was recognizable.
I walked to where Agnes’ hand was still held in a death grip and pried it from her brother’s. She whimpered pathetically from the pain of both her injury and the loss of her twin. Eventually, she vomited violently next to the remains of his head.
CHAPTER 10
Standing over Linus’ fallen body, Gus tried to slow his breathing.
“Fuck!” he shouted. “What the fuck !”
He looked like he wanted to kick the bod y, but had no shoes on with which to do it. I looked at the girl who was still on the ground, now crouched near her brother’s feet. She was sobbing and looked scared.
“Agnes, what happened?” I asked, still shocked. “ What happened ? It was more than a sprained ankle, wasn’t it?”
Gus was already pulling the shoe off of Linus’ injured foot. Agnes was unable to speak, but nodded.
“Holy shit,” expressed Gus. “Holy fucking shit! He was fucking bit, wasn’t he Agnes? You tell me the truth and you tell me right now,” he ordered her , as if speaking to a child.
“One…of…them…” she sobbed, trying to catch her breath. “When we… climbed …over…the…wreck.”
“Gus, settle down,” I said under my breath. The poor girl was scared and obviously traumatized.
“No, Zoe. They should have told us.” Gus’ eyes were dark and full of anger. “They put us both in danger. I will not settle down .”
He took a few steps away from us and took a deep breath before turning back. His face was full of rage.
“Jesus Christ, Agnes! What the fuck were you thinking!” he screamed.
“I…I…I” she stammered.
“Answer me, Goddamnit !”
“Gus, stop!” I shouted, getting angry with him. “Just stop!”
He ran his fingers through his hair and ended up looking half wild. He walked away several feet to cool down again. I heard him mumble a few obscenities.
I walked to Agnes and knelt down on the ground with her.
“Zoe, it didn’t break his skin. I swear it didn’t. It bit onto his shoe and barely made marks on his ankle. I didn’t think…” she broke down sobbing.
“Ok, ok…” I tried to soothe her.
“Take me away from here, please,” she begged. “Oh God…Linus…”
Gus walked back over to us, very obviously still pissed off. “Agnes,” he began to say, his tone just a bit too threatening. “Agnes,” he said more calmly. “I’m sorry I yelled. I’m sorry about Linus. You have to understand, though, that if any of us comes into contact with one of those fucking dead bastards we all have a responsibility to inform the others. There’s no other way to put it.”
Agnes nodded while trying to calm her own crying.
Gus, seriously, chill out . I hoped he got my silent message loud and clear. I followed it with a glare of my eyes.
“Agnes, did you make contact with any of the dead?” I asked as gently as I could. “Any at all?”
“I only kicked the one that had hold of Linus’ foot,” she managed to say in a
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