Free They Walk by Amy Lunderman Page A

Austin’s dog instantly begins barking with fervor. My earlier anger is gone, and I’m full of worry. Even if I’m mad at him, he’s still Matt and I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. I take a step towards him, but he turns away and leans into the wall with his back to me. I start to reach my hand out to him, that’s when I notice the tremors going up and down his back.
    His shoulders shake more violently.
    He begins to make a high pitched wheezing sound.
    “ Matt? What’s happening are you alright?”
    The dog runs up to him suddenly and begins to nip at his feet, making a low growling noise. Before I can tell the dog to stop, Matt goes still. He stands up straight and his arms fall to his sides. The dog is still barking, and Matt’s head tilts sideways and he moans quietly. In a movement to fast for my eye’s to really understand, he reaches for the dog. With one hand he lifts it up, making it yip in surprise. With a bone crunching sound he snaps the dog’s neck as he bites into its throat. He eats at the dog with such savagery, that I take in a breath I didn’t even know I was holding.
    I take a step back, trying to be quiet so as not to startle him.
    Matt quickly turns to me to me then, and I swear my heart stops at the sight of him.
    His eyes are fully dilated and I don’t even see any blue. Blood is coating his lips, and as he snarls at me some blood slides out. I realize then that this is no longer Matt. He’s turned into one of the dead. He drops the dog, and fully faces me. I freeze for half a second, not knowing what to do. I see his muscle tense, readying to spring.
    I do the only thing I can think of.
    Run.
    Turning down the hall behind me, I charge for the door beyond. I hear him coming after me, but I’m too scared to look to see how close he is. I throw myself at the door with a crash, and my sweaty hands twist at the knob praying it’s not locked. I push it open and fling myself into a darkened room. Just as I slam the door closed, Matt is already smacking into it. I fall back into something as the door shudders under his attacks.
    Leaning against something solid I try to slow my breathing. From the sound of the door cracking I know it won’t hold much longer with Matt fighting against it. I quickly turn around and look around the room I’m in, hoping for a weapon of some kind. I’m in the garage and it’s just big enough to fit one vehicle, which is what I was leaning against. It’s large, maybe a truck, but it’s covered in a dark tarp. There isn’t time to try to find the door and get in to hide. I do feel a relief though, if I make it out of this alive, we have a way out of here.
    Hearing the door splinter behind me, I survey the room. The back wall in lined with tools and lawn equipment, and amongst them is an old wood ax. It’s hanging above a shelf, and I can see the blade glinting off the light from under the door.
    My heart speeds up and I’m filled with salvation.
     
     
     
    Chapter Fifteen
    As fast as I can, I rush around the truck and make my way to the ax. It’s dark in the room and I stumble into the work benches below the shelves. Just as I reach for the ax, I hear the door cave into the room. With a yell, I pull it down from the wall and I hear Matt crashing into the room. Before I can turn around to face him, he’s already too close to me.
    He’s snapping his jaw and his arms are reaching for me.
    I quickly back up and swing the ax up at him with a cry, but he’s too close and I barely hit his left shoulder. He gets knocked to the side, and I only have time to back up before he’s coming at me again. Unfortunately I backed myself up into the truck behind me. So I swing the ax out at him again before he gets to close. I lose my balance, as I’ve hit nothing. And he’s on me before I can recover.
    He slams me to the ground with a force so strong, all the breath gets knocked out of me. I land on my back, with the ax in both my hands between us. He’s