would you take the vaccine?” His smirk should have warned me. The humor morphed to calculation. “Hey Paul, want to see what I did before I found James?”
Before he found James? I had assumed he’d hunted, eaten someone , recruited the other guys. The things I knew about Dominic, the things I’d seen so far… nothing could beat that.
Dominic shook his head. “I had your dad as the main contact in your file. I love research.” His lips curled like a cartoon snake’s.
And if pain were alive, min e just reproduced like rats, gnawing at my insides. He had found my dad. I swear if he told me he’d turned him into a zombie, I would dig his heart out with my bare hands. I closed my eyes again, trying to block out Dominic’s face. How could he show me if my eyes were closed?
An image flashed like a sixteen millimeter film in my head. Shit. He could show me.
My dad’s face flooded my mind. James had always looked the most like him. Dad stood at an open door. The smile I hadn’t seen in years welcomed me in.
But it wasn’t me . I relived Dominic’s memories. I was Dominic. ‘Cause that sure as hell was not my hand on the door jamb.
Dominic’s memory had him talking . Compared to how I was used to hearing his voice the words sounded hollow and weird. “Hi, Mr. Ledger. I’m looking for your son, Paul. Have you seen him?” Dominic actually wanted Dad to say no. His desire rippled through him. He sniffed the human odors in the house. Oh, how quickly he’d given over to the cravings. Something I had wanted to do so bad.
His thoughts were mine as he remembered the taste and texture of a previous kill on the way to the house.
Trapped in Dominic’s memory, I could still feel the forest floor under my back, the sore spots where Dominic had attacked me. The hunger. The scents from the memories affected me as well and a sob tore from my throat.
A mental laugh like background music echoed through my head. My dad’s quizzical look, his eyebrows lifting, his confused smile. “No, I’m sorry. I haven’t seen Paul in a long time.” Was that regret? Did he miss me?
But Dominic didn’t focus on the reactions. Elation filled him like a tidal wave. Dad had answered exactly how Dominic wanted.
“Would you like to know what Paul has been up to?” Dominic’s sly reply held mountains of excitement, anticipation, joy. Joy.
I don’t know how I would ever feel happiness again.
My dad’s confusion increased as I, no, I mean Dominic, pushed the door open and sh oved my dad inside. Children’s laughter and a woman’s tinkling giggle caught Dominic’s attention. His smile spread across his face, the skin tight and unused to the movement.
I tried opening my own eyes, but the memory covered my vision, like it’d taken over my senses. Even my dad’s cologne drifted over me.
Dad tried to run, but Dominic’s slimmer, more athletic build created an opponent Dad wasn’t ready for. Dad had turned to run toward the back of the house, calling out for his family to get out.
We laughed and reached for my dad. In that instant, it was me. I was Dominic. With his newfound strength due to the virus, Dominic knocked my dad out. He didn’t kill him, made sure not to in fact. Just reached out and rapped him with a couple knuckles. My dad crumpled to the floor.
Weird Al Yankovic’s song, Just Eat It , came out of Dominic’s mouth. He hummed the tune and filled in the words when he came to the chorus.
Grabbing my dad’s foo t, Dominic dragged him to the back of the house, toward the voices. Just over the threshold my dad came to and struggled as he yelled from the ground, “Are you one of them? Did you kill Paul? Where’s his brother, James?”
Two kids sat at a table. I didn’t look too closely at them. Dad’s new wife stood beside them, her hand outstretched. Dominic noticed her hair and her chest. He grinned. I wanted to scream, but the mouth wasn’t mine. I couldn’t yell at them to run and I couldn’t escape the
Before he found James? I had assumed he’d hunted, eaten someone , recruited the other guys. The things I knew about Dominic, the things I’d seen so far… nothing could beat that.
Dominic shook his head. “I had your dad as the main contact in your file. I love research.” His lips curled like a cartoon snake’s.
And if pain were alive, min e just reproduced like rats, gnawing at my insides. He had found my dad. I swear if he told me he’d turned him into a zombie, I would dig his heart out with my bare hands. I closed my eyes again, trying to block out Dominic’s face. How could he show me if my eyes were closed?
An image flashed like a sixteen millimeter film in my head. Shit. He could show me.
My dad’s face flooded my mind. James had always looked the most like him. Dad stood at an open door. The smile I hadn’t seen in years welcomed me in.
But it wasn’t me . I relived Dominic’s memories. I was Dominic. ‘Cause that sure as hell was not my hand on the door jamb.
Dominic’s memory had him talking . Compared to how I was used to hearing his voice the words sounded hollow and weird. “Hi, Mr. Ledger. I’m looking for your son, Paul. Have you seen him?” Dominic actually wanted Dad to say no. His desire rippled through him. He sniffed the human odors in the house. Oh, how quickly he’d given over to the cravings. Something I had wanted to do so bad.
His thoughts were mine as he remembered the taste and texture of a previous kill on the way to the house.
Trapped in Dominic’s memory, I could still feel the forest floor under my back, the sore spots where Dominic had attacked me. The hunger. The scents from the memories affected me as well and a sob tore from my throat.
A mental laugh like background music echoed through my head. My dad’s quizzical look, his eyebrows lifting, his confused smile. “No, I’m sorry. I haven’t seen Paul in a long time.” Was that regret? Did he miss me?
But Dominic didn’t focus on the reactions. Elation filled him like a tidal wave. Dad had answered exactly how Dominic wanted.
“Would you like to know what Paul has been up to?” Dominic’s sly reply held mountains of excitement, anticipation, joy. Joy.
I don’t know how I would ever feel happiness again.
My dad’s confusion increased as I, no, I mean Dominic, pushed the door open and sh oved my dad inside. Children’s laughter and a woman’s tinkling giggle caught Dominic’s attention. His smile spread across his face, the skin tight and unused to the movement.
I tried opening my own eyes, but the memory covered my vision, like it’d taken over my senses. Even my dad’s cologne drifted over me.
Dad tried to run, but Dominic’s slimmer, more athletic build created an opponent Dad wasn’t ready for. Dad had turned to run toward the back of the house, calling out for his family to get out.
We laughed and reached for my dad. In that instant, it was me. I was Dominic. With his newfound strength due to the virus, Dominic knocked my dad out. He didn’t kill him, made sure not to in fact. Just reached out and rapped him with a couple knuckles. My dad crumpled to the floor.
Weird Al Yankovic’s song, Just Eat It , came out of Dominic’s mouth. He hummed the tune and filled in the words when he came to the chorus.
Grabbing my dad’s foo t, Dominic dragged him to the back of the house, toward the voices. Just over the threshold my dad came to and struggled as he yelled from the ground, “Are you one of them? Did you kill Paul? Where’s his brother, James?”
Two kids sat at a table. I didn’t look too closely at them. Dad’s new wife stood beside them, her hand outstretched. Dominic noticed her hair and her chest. He grinned. I wanted to scream, but the mouth wasn’t mine. I couldn’t yell at them to run and I couldn’t escape the
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