The Living Dead Boy by Rhiannon Frater Page A

stood out starkly against her white skin.  Looking up at her, he saw that her eyes were even cloudier than before. Horrified, he realized how much she looked like a zombie already.  His mother was dying right before his eyes.
    “Do this for me,” his mother said again in a faint voice. “Save your brother and yourself.  Your dad will come back for both of you.”
    Afraid, Josh nodded.  He overcame his fear of her appearance and pressed a quick, hard kiss to her cheek.  It was cooler than he thought it would be.  She hugged him briefly, then pushed him away.
    “Go now.”
    “No!”  Drake said firmly. “Want Mama, not Josh!” The little boy flung himself at his mother.
    Josh grabbed for him, managing to catch his collar. Drake grabbed hold of Lynette’s wounded arm, making her scream.
    “Let go!”
    “Want Mama!”
    “Take him,” Lynette gasped, slumping down on the couch, resting on her elbow.  Blood was bubbling from her lips.  “It’s almost over and I have to...do....this...” Her hand gripped the gun at her waist.
    Pulling with all his might, Josh managed to pry Drake off of his mother.  “Leave her alone!”
    “Mama, Josh is being mean. I want to be with you !”
    “Go with Josh, Drake.  I want you to go with Josh. I’m sick, Drake. I can’t go with you.”  Lynette fumbled with the safety on the gun.  Her voice was raspier, her breath coming faster.
    The three year old became a tornado of limbs flying everywhere.  He twisted and jerked his body, his feet kicking.  “No! No! Mama!  I want to stay with Mama!”
    Josh held on as tight as he could, dragging Drake to the door.  It was hard to breathe and his tears kept blinding him. He had always thought it would be so cool for zombies to come and for him and his family to fight them off.  He had never imagined his mom being bitten.
    “Mama!” Drake screamed so loud it made Josh’s head hurt.
    Reaching the door to the study, Josh pushed the door open and fought to get the squirming, kicking child through the doorway.  “Mom, I’ll do it.  I’ll take care of him,” he promised.
    With one more hard yank, he got Drake through. He reached into the room to grab hold of the door knob when he saw his mother sit up sharply on the sofa.
    “Mom, I love you, “Josh he said.  “I’ll make sure Drake is safe.”
    Her only response was to open her mouth, screech, and lurch off the sofa toward him, one hand thrust out to grab him.
     
     

 
     
     
    C hapter 14
     
    Josh froze for a second, his hand still reaching for the door knob.  The creature in front of him resembled his mother, but the horrible shriek that emanated from its blue lips and milky eyes meant only one thing.
    “Want Mama!”  Drake declared, trying to dart past Josh.
    Catching his younger brother, Josh was released from his paralysis.  In seconds, his mind processed that he couldn’t hold his brother back and close the door at the same time with the zombie swiftly moving toward them.  He quickly made his choice.
    Lifting his little brother off the ground, Josh ran down the hallway toward the archway that led into the dining room.  Behind him, he could hear the hard clap of his mother’s boots against the wood floor. She wasn’t as fast as the zombies at the school, but she was close behind him.
    Drake cried, his arms flung out toward his mother, his eyes squeezed shut, his mouth open in a wail that didn’t seem to end.  He was heavy, but adrenaline fueled his older brother’s flight across the small dining room.
    Risking a few precious seconds, Josh reached out with one hand, snagged the back of one of the big wooden dining room chairs and sent it crashing to the floor behind him.  The shriek of the zombie was cut off abruptly as it tripped and slammed into the floor face first.
    The child gate guarded the door to the kitchen. There was no way he could leap over it holding his younger brother, so Josh tossed the three year old over the barricade. Drake