screamed.
He wasn’t using his walkie talkie this time, there was no need. Those goddamn runners had figured out that the wall had two ends, and that if they simply took a cool dip in the river, they’d come out on the inside, where all the fresh meat just happened to be. I was tripping over my own feet with panic, trying to get to my end of the wall. Eric was already there, inside the watchtower. It seemed as though he was having trouble with his gun. At least that’s what I was trying to convince myself. That was better than what was really happening; the stupid sonofabitch had frozen up again.
Abby, Mia, Todd, and Michael were desperately trying to get into position on their side, while John, Jonah, and Jake were trampling down my ass on my side. I noticed how quiet everything and everyone had become. Even Jake. I think at that moment we were all having the same premonition, and that mental image was more than we could bear.
They were going to get inside.
Nancy and Troy were on the dock.
The kids…oh God, the kids.
Heart hammering in my chest, I literally shoved Eric out of my way, almost sending him flying over the platform’s ledge. I could hear a few short, barking orders coming from behind me, but had no idea who they were coming from. My only thoughts were of Nancy and the kids. I skidded to a stop just at the end of the wall.
“God damnit !” I yelled, immediately setting up at the shooter’s bench and opening fire on the deadheads spewing forth from the river.
I worked my rifle’s bolt over and over, missing half of my targets. As I stopped to reload, the guys positioned around me kept firing. We were taking them down, but not fast enough. For every one we killed, three leapt from the water and ran towards Nancy, Troy, and the three kids in the boat.
I knew what was about to happen. I heard Jake next me, cussing and swearing as loud as he could, his voice choked with piercing sobs.
* * *
“Get that motor running!” Nancy yelled, slamming the butt of her shotgun into the mouth of one runner, then immediately swinging it to catch another along the side of its face.
She couldn’t figure out what had happened, how the deadheads had gotten past the others. Her focus had been on the areas around the house, not the ends of the wall.
Why didn’t we secure the ends of the wall? Seal the gap, something!
Troy yanked so hard on the engine’s pull-chord it snapped. Before he could scream his frustrations, a runner wrapped him up and took him off the side of the boat. Nancy caught a glimpse of his face as he was dragged under the murky water.
This is it.
Little Sam shrieked. She couldn’t hear the other children anymore.
Too late.
The last lucid thought Nancy had before being torn to shreds was of Jake, Kasey, and Mia, a silent apology for not being able to stay with them.
* * *
This isn’t happening , Mia thought.
She watched Nancy and Troy frantically trying to get the boat’s motor to start while simultaneously trying to fight off the dead that were swarming all over them. The children were screaming and trying to jump off the boat. Between Nancy and Troy firing at and beating off the deadheads, Sam, Elly, and Meredith were stuck. Mia’s hands shook terribly as she dug into her shell carrier. She was down to her last reload, and she had a feeling the others weren’t too far behind. She loaded her last five shells and glanced at the people around her in the left end watchtower: they were all in different stages of alarm. Some were yelling obscenities, some were crying. She pulled her gun up again to continue firing, trying her best not to focus on Nancy through her scope.
“Fuck! You fucking bastards! ” Michael screamed and threw his rifle down onto the wooden floor.
He was empty and out of ammunition, but he pulled his sidearm all the same. Mia shot over and over, killing the runners who were trying to claw their way onto the boat. It didn’t matter now, it was
He wasn’t using his walkie talkie this time, there was no need. Those goddamn runners had figured out that the wall had two ends, and that if they simply took a cool dip in the river, they’d come out on the inside, where all the fresh meat just happened to be. I was tripping over my own feet with panic, trying to get to my end of the wall. Eric was already there, inside the watchtower. It seemed as though he was having trouble with his gun. At least that’s what I was trying to convince myself. That was better than what was really happening; the stupid sonofabitch had frozen up again.
Abby, Mia, Todd, and Michael were desperately trying to get into position on their side, while John, Jonah, and Jake were trampling down my ass on my side. I noticed how quiet everything and everyone had become. Even Jake. I think at that moment we were all having the same premonition, and that mental image was more than we could bear.
They were going to get inside.
Nancy and Troy were on the dock.
The kids…oh God, the kids.
Heart hammering in my chest, I literally shoved Eric out of my way, almost sending him flying over the platform’s ledge. I could hear a few short, barking orders coming from behind me, but had no idea who they were coming from. My only thoughts were of Nancy and the kids. I skidded to a stop just at the end of the wall.
“God damnit !” I yelled, immediately setting up at the shooter’s bench and opening fire on the deadheads spewing forth from the river.
I worked my rifle’s bolt over and over, missing half of my targets. As I stopped to reload, the guys positioned around me kept firing. We were taking them down, but not fast enough. For every one we killed, three leapt from the water and ran towards Nancy, Troy, and the three kids in the boat.
I knew what was about to happen. I heard Jake next me, cussing and swearing as loud as he could, his voice choked with piercing sobs.
* * *
“Get that motor running!” Nancy yelled, slamming the butt of her shotgun into the mouth of one runner, then immediately swinging it to catch another along the side of its face.
She couldn’t figure out what had happened, how the deadheads had gotten past the others. Her focus had been on the areas around the house, not the ends of the wall.
Why didn’t we secure the ends of the wall? Seal the gap, something!
Troy yanked so hard on the engine’s pull-chord it snapped. Before he could scream his frustrations, a runner wrapped him up and took him off the side of the boat. Nancy caught a glimpse of his face as he was dragged under the murky water.
This is it.
Little Sam shrieked. She couldn’t hear the other children anymore.
Too late.
The last lucid thought Nancy had before being torn to shreds was of Jake, Kasey, and Mia, a silent apology for not being able to stay with them.
* * *
This isn’t happening , Mia thought.
She watched Nancy and Troy frantically trying to get the boat’s motor to start while simultaneously trying to fight off the dead that were swarming all over them. The children were screaming and trying to jump off the boat. Between Nancy and Troy firing at and beating off the deadheads, Sam, Elly, and Meredith were stuck. Mia’s hands shook terribly as she dug into her shell carrier. She was down to her last reload, and she had a feeling the others weren’t too far behind. She loaded her last five shells and glanced at the people around her in the left end watchtower: they were all in different stages of alarm. Some were yelling obscenities, some were crying. She pulled her gun up again to continue firing, trying her best not to focus on Nancy through her scope.
“Fuck! You fucking bastards! ” Michael screamed and threw his rifle down onto the wooden floor.
He was empty and out of ammunition, but he pulled his sidearm all the same. Mia shot over and over, killing the runners who were trying to claw their way onto the boat. It didn’t matter now, it was
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