Snatchers (Book 9): The Dead Don't Scream by Shaun Whittington Page A
Authors: Shaun Whittington
Tags: Zombie Apocalypse
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the attic and opened the window that led to the roof. There weren't many houses that had an attic, but fortunately this house had one of them.
The attic itself was a dark place, full of boxes, and although it hadn't been converted to a bedroom, it had been floored. She urged Rosemary and a frightened Lisa to follow her. She was the first to reach the roof and asked Rosemary to pass up her bow and bag. The large bag was heavy. There were only a few pine arrows left, but the heaviness was down to the crowbar inside of it.
Stephanie climbed to the top of the roof—the spine—and put the bag against the chimney. She had slid down a few yards to help Rosemary and Lisa out of the attic's skylight, and tried to ignore the groaning underneath her. It was obvious some of the dead were in the gardens, including the one that belonged to the house where they were staying.
A petrified Rosemary told Lisa to go first, and Stephanie held her hands out to the youngster. The nine-year-old was heavier than what Stephanie thought, but managed to drag her out. Seeing that she had struggled with Lisa, Rosemary looked around the attic for something to stand on, but could only find a sealed cardboard box. She had no idea what was in it. She picked it up, struggling because of the weight, but somehow managed to place it under the window. She stood on the box and climbed out with ease, then asked Stephanie which way.
"We're going to the high school." Stephanie hunched her shoulders. "I can't think of anywhere else to go."
Rosemary pointed north. "It's just a two-minute walk."
"I know." Stephanie pointed at the next back garden. It was dark, but the raging fire from the tanker at the front filtered through the alleyways by the sides of the houses, providing a little light. "That garden seems empty. We walk across the roof to the next house and climb down."
"Can't we just stay up here? In the attic?" Rosemary was now holding on tightly to a petrified Lisa.
"If we wait any longer, these gardens will be swarming and we'll be trapped ... for good. Your choice. But if you choose to stay, I'm off. I'm not gonna starve to death."
Although Lisa struggled and was also crying, all three females had managed to get to the top of the roof.
It was a humid night, and all three of them shivered with fright. Stephanie was standing up and was going to lead the way; Lisa was in the middle and Rosemary was behind.
"Put a foot each on either side of the spine of the roof," Stephanie commanded. "Follow me and take slow steps forwards."
"Are you sure?" Rosemary asked with terror in her words.
"Trust me." Stephanie turned her head around and smiled at the pair of them. "I've done this before. Just don't look down, keep looking forwards."
Their feet shuffled across and now they were passing the house that they'd stayed in and were now near the roof of the next semi-detached house. Next, they would have to climb down, possibly down the drainpipe, to reach the garden that didn't have the dead in them.
"Nearly there," said Stephanie, and turned around to see the frightened Lisa and Rosemary shuffling behind her. She broke her own code and looked down. She could see the silhouettes of two ghouls in the back garden. She could handle them with ease, but reaching the vacant one next to it was still the aim. After that, they would cut through the fence over the garden and end up at Burnthill Lane. Hagley Park High School would be their next destination after that.
A scream was suddenly heard from behind Stephanie, a young scream, and she turned around to see that Lisa had slipped and fallen a few yards down the side of the roof that looked over the back garden. Stephanie tried to shush her, forgetting that she was nine and frightened, hoping she wouldn't entice more into the gardens, making their escape a tad more difficult.
Rosemary went onto her front and slid down before Stephanie had a chance to react.
"Be careful," were the only words that came out of
The attic itself was a dark place, full of boxes, and although it hadn't been converted to a bedroom, it had been floored. She urged Rosemary and a frightened Lisa to follow her. She was the first to reach the roof and asked Rosemary to pass up her bow and bag. The large bag was heavy. There were only a few pine arrows left, but the heaviness was down to the crowbar inside of it.
Stephanie climbed to the top of the roof—the spine—and put the bag against the chimney. She had slid down a few yards to help Rosemary and Lisa out of the attic's skylight, and tried to ignore the groaning underneath her. It was obvious some of the dead were in the gardens, including the one that belonged to the house where they were staying.
A petrified Rosemary told Lisa to go first, and Stephanie held her hands out to the youngster. The nine-year-old was heavier than what Stephanie thought, but managed to drag her out. Seeing that she had struggled with Lisa, Rosemary looked around the attic for something to stand on, but could only find a sealed cardboard box. She had no idea what was in it. She picked it up, struggling because of the weight, but somehow managed to place it under the window. She stood on the box and climbed out with ease, then asked Stephanie which way.
"We're going to the high school." Stephanie hunched her shoulders. "I can't think of anywhere else to go."
Rosemary pointed north. "It's just a two-minute walk."
"I know." Stephanie pointed at the next back garden. It was dark, but the raging fire from the tanker at the front filtered through the alleyways by the sides of the houses, providing a little light. "That garden seems empty. We walk across the roof to the next house and climb down."
"Can't we just stay up here? In the attic?" Rosemary was now holding on tightly to a petrified Lisa.
"If we wait any longer, these gardens will be swarming and we'll be trapped ... for good. Your choice. But if you choose to stay, I'm off. I'm not gonna starve to death."
Although Lisa struggled and was also crying, all three females had managed to get to the top of the roof.
It was a humid night, and all three of them shivered with fright. Stephanie was standing up and was going to lead the way; Lisa was in the middle and Rosemary was behind.
"Put a foot each on either side of the spine of the roof," Stephanie commanded. "Follow me and take slow steps forwards."
"Are you sure?" Rosemary asked with terror in her words.
"Trust me." Stephanie turned her head around and smiled at the pair of them. "I've done this before. Just don't look down, keep looking forwards."
Their feet shuffled across and now they were passing the house that they'd stayed in and were now near the roof of the next semi-detached house. Next, they would have to climb down, possibly down the drainpipe, to reach the garden that didn't have the dead in them.
"Nearly there," said Stephanie, and turned around to see the frightened Lisa and Rosemary shuffling behind her. She broke her own code and looked down. She could see the silhouettes of two ghouls in the back garden. She could handle them with ease, but reaching the vacant one next to it was still the aim. After that, they would cut through the fence over the garden and end up at Burnthill Lane. Hagley Park High School would be their next destination after that.
A scream was suddenly heard from behind Stephanie, a young scream, and she turned around to see that Lisa had slipped and fallen a few yards down the side of the roof that looked over the back garden. Stephanie tried to shush her, forgetting that she was nine and frightened, hoping she wouldn't entice more into the gardens, making their escape a tad more difficult.
Rosemary went onto her front and slid down before Stephanie had a chance to react.
"Be careful," were the only words that came out of
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