Free You and Me against the World: The Creepers Saga Book 1 by Raymond Esposito Page B

Behind him came a loud screech followed by an equally loud thud. Thorn picked up speed, crossed the drive, and made it to the door. Susan already inside, grabbed the handle and pulled it shut behind him. She locked the door and then turned to face him.
    “Told you it was a bad idea,” she said.
    Thorn bent over as he struggled to catch his breath. He looked up at her.
    “Please tell me that wasn’t the first time you fired a gun.”
    “I didn’t miss, did I?” she responded.
    The pounding on the front door cut off his retort.
    “Come on,” he said. “Help me get some plywood.”
    They carried two large pieces of plywood from the garage and set them in front of the double doors. Thorn nailed the plywood to the doors and the frame. It wasn’t a perfect fit, but it would make pulling the doors open difficult. The infected continued their rage-filled screams as they pounded with their fists and bodies.
    “Will that keep them out?” Susan asked as she watched the doors shake in their frame.
    “I don’t know,” Thorn answered. “But let’s take Rosa upstairs.”
    Thorn knew that the second floor meant no escape if the infected broke in, but leaving the house wasn’t an option anyway, so he figured it was their best choice if this was to be their last stand.
    In his second-floor office, they watched from the window as the neighborhood became a hot summer death. The noise from the bus crash, Susan’s gunshot, and the screaming infected drew the people from their homes to inspect the chaos. The infected fell on them. They saw several neighbors return home, and the infected attacked most as they exited their vehicles. Some made it inside their houses. A few of the attacks resulted in immediate death, but most turned a few minutes after being bitten or sprayed, and these people rose up to join the horde. Throats ripped, innards hanging out, arms missing; Thorn noted that whatever fueled the virus also fueled a physical animation that should have been impossible.
    “Are they zombies?” Susan asked as they watched.
    “No,” Thorn answered. “Not like in the movies. They aren’t dead. They’re something else.”
    Later he saw his neighbor, Carrie, among the infected.
    Susan and Thorn left the window and sat, silently consumed by their own thoughts. Susan went to check on Rosa, but the nurse still slept.

    A little after nightfall, the noise from outside stopped. Thorn looked through several of his windows, but beyond the single streetlight, the neighborhood was dark, and he couldn’t detect any movement.
    “Do you think they’re gone?” Susan asked.
    “I’m not sure, but I want to have a look.”
    “Are you crazy?” she asked. “You can’t go outside.”
    “Susan, there isn’t any choice. We can’t stay here forever.”
    “So wait until morning when we can see from the windows,” she countered.
    Thorn shook his head and said, “No, something has changed out there, and I need to see what it is.”
    Susan looked away, but even in the darkness, he could see her fearful expression.
    “I’ll be careful,” he promised. “And I’ll be quick.”
    Thorn went out through the back sliding glass door. He didn’t want to risk removing the plywood from the front doors. If the infected still waited on his doorstep, he might not be able to replace the boards in time. He slid the glass door open and placed his hand on the accordion-style shutter. He paused for a moment and tried to listen for any sounds behind the plastic barricade. He could hear the soft bubbling of his pool’s waterfall but nothing more. He slid the barricade aside and stepped outside. He had insisted that Susan remain upstairs during his absence. He slid the door shut behind him, but left the shutter open in case he needed to make a speedy return.
    The screened lanai was dark, and the only sounds came from the pool and the soft hum of the air conditioner units. Thorn crept toward the screen door on the far side of the enclosure. He