kind and deserved better than what the end of the world had done to her. She'd come to World Memorial after losing her child to a mob of corpses that ripped his throat out in front of her. She and Mikella cared for the children in the house. Maylee recognized the screaming voice as Rhia’s.
Maylee ran for the trailer, taking the metal steps in one bound. She slid to a stop on the porch, her momentum carrying her inside. She stopped when her snow-slick boots hit the carpet.
It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. Rhia was struggling with a corpse, a skinny man with a deep wound in his throat. Frozen blood caked his chest. He leaned into her face and bit into her cheek. She shrieked as the man tore a strip of flesh free. He pulled back, fresh blood coating his face. He groaned and chewed, and .
"Shit!" said Maylee, rushing over with her bat ready.
Rhia screamed again, pushing the corpse away with one hand and covering her wound with the other. Bright red blood pulsed past her fingers.
"Shit shit shit," said Maylee. She brought her bat up over her head and slammed down into the corpse's skull. One of the nails in the bat thudded into the corpse's head. Maylee wrenched the bat back toward herself, twisting her wrist as she did. The corpse's skull split and a chunk of brain came free. He jerked and collapsed, scattering Rhia's meager possessions as he fell. Blood and gore covered everything nearby.
"No no no no!" said Rhia, backing up and clutching her face.
More screams came from outside, sharp but muffled by the walls of the trailer. Maylee looked at Rhia. Rhia stared back, her hand over the bloody cheek. Her eyes screamed shock and fear. Not like this , her eyes said. Not like this .
"I'm sorry," said Maylee.
The screams came again. Maylee turned and ducked back outside. She whipped her gaze everywhere at once, landing on an old woman, her white hair jutting out in frozen grey shocks. Her shirt was torn open and several deep gouges ran through her frozen and sagging breasts. She jerked and hissed. She hadn't seen Maylee and was rounding the corner, heading down the narrow path. Several people screamed and scrambled out of the way.
A guard named Rooney rushed from between two large metal bins, pulling his rifle from his shoulder.
"There!" yelled Maylee, pointing at the woman. Rooney rushed for the woman, cocking his rifle.
Dalton rushed into view brandishing the tire iron. His eyes were fixed on the corpse and he rushed blindly past Rooney.
"I got it!" yelled Dalton, headed for the corpse.
"Dalton!" yelled Maylee. "What the fuck? Keep out of this!" She jumped from the trailer's stoop and rushed toward the old woman, bat ready.
"Oh no!" said Rhia from the trailer behind her. "Oh please no!"
"Rooney!" yelled Maylee as she ran. "Drop the chains! Keep it here!"
Rooney changed directions without slowing down. He rushed to a lever that was set between two old shacks. He took one hand off his rifle and grabbed the lever. He wrenched downward.
With a groan and a clatter, a thick curtain of rusted chains dropped from a long battered metal box hanging between two buildings. The chain dropped in front of the staggering corpse, blocking her way. The corpse stopped, confused. She clawed at the chains and groaned.
"I've got you!" yelled Dalton, racing up behind the corpse.
The corpse heard Dalton and turned. She groaned at him, deep cracks flexing in her frozen cheeks.
A shot rang out from somewhere, echoing around the metal buildings. The woman jerked as a hole appeared in her cheek. Several guards, guns out and ready, rushed into view. One was cocking his rifle and preparing to fire again. Dalton and Maylee were still rushing toward the corpse.
A guard knelt, aiming more carefully this time. A quick glance told Maylee he was oblivious to Dalton, who was about to rush into the path of the shot. The woman hissed and groaned, reaching for Dalton as he drew near.
"Dammit to hell, Dalton!" yelled
Maylee ran for the trailer, taking the metal steps in one bound. She slid to a stop on the porch, her momentum carrying her inside. She stopped when her snow-slick boots hit the carpet.
It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust to the dim light. Rhia was struggling with a corpse, a skinny man with a deep wound in his throat. Frozen blood caked his chest. He leaned into her face and bit into her cheek. She shrieked as the man tore a strip of flesh free. He pulled back, fresh blood coating his face. He groaned and chewed, and .
"Shit!" said Maylee, rushing over with her bat ready.
Rhia screamed again, pushing the corpse away with one hand and covering her wound with the other. Bright red blood pulsed past her fingers.
"Shit shit shit," said Maylee. She brought her bat up over her head and slammed down into the corpse's skull. One of the nails in the bat thudded into the corpse's head. Maylee wrenched the bat back toward herself, twisting her wrist as she did. The corpse's skull split and a chunk of brain came free. He jerked and collapsed, scattering Rhia's meager possessions as he fell. Blood and gore covered everything nearby.
"No no no no!" said Rhia, backing up and clutching her face.
More screams came from outside, sharp but muffled by the walls of the trailer. Maylee looked at Rhia. Rhia stared back, her hand over the bloody cheek. Her eyes screamed shock and fear. Not like this , her eyes said. Not like this .
"I'm sorry," said Maylee.
The screams came again. Maylee turned and ducked back outside. She whipped her gaze everywhere at once, landing on an old woman, her white hair jutting out in frozen grey shocks. Her shirt was torn open and several deep gouges ran through her frozen and sagging breasts. She jerked and hissed. She hadn't seen Maylee and was rounding the corner, heading down the narrow path. Several people screamed and scrambled out of the way.
A guard named Rooney rushed from between two large metal bins, pulling his rifle from his shoulder.
"There!" yelled Maylee, pointing at the woman. Rooney rushed for the woman, cocking his rifle.
Dalton rushed into view brandishing the tire iron. His eyes were fixed on the corpse and he rushed blindly past Rooney.
"I got it!" yelled Dalton, headed for the corpse.
"Dalton!" yelled Maylee. "What the fuck? Keep out of this!" She jumped from the trailer's stoop and rushed toward the old woman, bat ready.
"Oh no!" said Rhia from the trailer behind her. "Oh please no!"
"Rooney!" yelled Maylee as she ran. "Drop the chains! Keep it here!"
Rooney changed directions without slowing down. He rushed to a lever that was set between two old shacks. He took one hand off his rifle and grabbed the lever. He wrenched downward.
With a groan and a clatter, a thick curtain of rusted chains dropped from a long battered metal box hanging between two buildings. The chain dropped in front of the staggering corpse, blocking her way. The corpse stopped, confused. She clawed at the chains and groaned.
"I've got you!" yelled Dalton, racing up behind the corpse.
The corpse heard Dalton and turned. She groaned at him, deep cracks flexing in her frozen cheeks.
A shot rang out from somewhere, echoing around the metal buildings. The woman jerked as a hole appeared in her cheek. Several guards, guns out and ready, rushed into view. One was cocking his rifle and preparing to fire again. Dalton and Maylee were still rushing toward the corpse.
A guard knelt, aiming more carefully this time. A quick glance told Maylee he was oblivious to Dalton, who was about to rush into the path of the shot. The woman hissed and groaned, reaching for Dalton as he drew near.
"Dammit to hell, Dalton!" yelled
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