Free Winter's Salvation by Jason Deyo

Garand rifle.  
                  As soon as Sam landed in Mr. Cooks lawn Naomi hit the fence and started climbing.  Her toes ripped through her black stockings and her bare toes interlocked with the steel chain link fence.  She winced in pain, but forced herself to the top of the tall fence.  She ripped her tight fitting blue dress right up the middle when she threw her legs over the top.  She straddled the top bar and the manic ghoul smashed into the fence throwing Naomi over the top and landing on her back. 
                  The creature did not climb over the fence, but tried to force it’s hands and body in between the rusting links.  Naomi pushed away with her feet and her hands were pressed hard against her back supporting it, as she arched it.  Sam went to her side and tried to help her up, but Naomi cried out in pain.  The zombie gnashed it’s face against the fence and bit down on the links breaking her teeth.  Thick black and crimson blood smeared across her grey skin as the ghoul smashed her face and forced the rusted links to cut into her flesh. 
                  “Get down,” a voice hollered to them and Sam laid over her mother.  A shot rang out and the female ghoul was launched backwards and thrown to her back.  It was back onto it’s hands and knees in a fraction of a second.  The shot went through the right shoulder, but the frenzying ghoul still had function of its right arm.  It got to it’s feet and began moving toward Naomi when another shot rang out.   
                  This time the zombie flew sideways and landed on its left side facing Sam and Naomi.  The shot went through the back of the creature’s neck and now lay looking at the two of them.  It let out a scream and ground it’s teeth, but made no move toward them.  The ghoul’s milky eyes were fixed on the females, but her body laid motionless.  She was paralyzed, but still wanted to destroy them.  It had no care for itself and all it wanted to do was kill. 
                  Naomi got to her feet with the help of Sam and they started making their way to Mr. Cook.  He turned his attention to the front of the house and let out a few more shots.  After they were away from the fence and almost to the old man’s house, Mr. Cook turned his attention back to the paralyzed screaming ghoul and silenced it with a shot to the head.               
                  Mr. Cook is a short, solid, broad shoulder man with a thick charcoal colored beard.   He wore blue corduroy shorts with black suspenders that stretched out wide around his large belly and wore a burgundy colored short sleeved button up shirt.  Long socks covered his large calves and his dirty white shoes had mud caked on them.
                  He would talk with Naomi often, but most of the time she tried to avoid him.  He is a retired teacher and would always lend advice about her lawn and odd and end projects that she had no intention of ever starting.  She had asked him on a couple occasions to help with unclogging a toilet or helping to install a few electric outlets.  Mr. Cook is the man she has grown to enjoy living next to because of his handiness and willing to help in any situation, but only on her terms.  She was very surprised to see the pacifistic retiree walk out of his house with a rifle and then actually use it.   
                  Mr. Cook’s house was an old beat up yellow rancher that looked as if it was built facing the wrong direction.  What was supposed to be the front of the house was facing Naomi’s house, but they made it so the front porch attached to the kitchen.  His house is the oldest house in the neighborhood and at one point in time the main road ran between their houses, but that was before Naomi’s house was built.  As time went by the population grew and, so did the need for newer roads, so they removed the road and