Free Dia of the Dead by Brit Brinson Page A

jeans.  I didn’t want to take any chances if the rash was contagious.  
    “She still has a pulse but she needs help like now,” I announced to the group.
    Everyone pulled out their phones, angling them in different directions.
    “There’s no signal down here, remember?” I reminded them.
    “Hang on,” Brendan said. “I think I have a bar.” He was the tallest of the bunch; therefore, the closest to the ceiling. He swept his arm above our heads, pointing his phone in the opposite direction. 
    “I guess not.”  He slipped his phone back into his pocket.
    “I’m going to get hel p, ” I said. “You guys stay here and watch her.”  
    “I’ll go with you.” Mason stepped forward.
    Mason and I left to look for help while the others stayed behind with Amber.
     

SIX
    Mason and I knocked on every door on the floor looking for help but got no response.
    “Upstairs,” I suggested when we reached the end of the hallway. If we were still hanging around here, I was sure there were others. Mason nodded and headed toward the door with me. My hand had just landed on the handle when a commotion drifted down the hall from his dressing room. I rushed back toward the noise with Mason a few steps behind. 
    “Guys, what’s going o—“ I stopped just outside of the room. In the few moments we were gone, everything had been wrecked.  The mirror wall had two large rippling cracks in it; magazines littered the floor; the make-up chairs were toppled over onto their sides; and one of the gamer seats was lying in the space where Amber once was.
    “What’s wron—“ Mason stopped at my side and peered into the room. “OH HELL NAW!”  He clenched his hands into tight fists and pushed past me as he marched inside with a frown. He looked around and threw his hands in the air.
    “My stuff!” he yelled and snapped his head to the left.  “Hey! What the hell—“ His other gaming chair went flying across the room. He ducked just in time for the chair to whiz over his head. “OH. NO.”  He balled his hands back up and dashed to other side of the room, out of sight.  
    A new chorus of screams erupted. Another piece of furniture flew across the room and crashed to the ground. Mason zipped past the open door and out of view again. I ran inside and saw what he’d run from.  Amber wasn’t on the floor, barely conscious. She was up and on her feet—her back toward me—swaying from side to side in front of a very frightened Brendan, Taylor, Kaci, and Reagan. Brendan had a busted lip, and Kaci sported a fresh red welt on her cheek that looked pretty painful. Taylor and Reagan both shouted for help. Amber let out a low hiss. 
    “What’s going on?” I yelled over the racket.
    “Brendan tried to give her CP R, and she snapped at him. She’s gone crazy!” Kaci screame d, pointing at Amber who stalked back and forth slowly like an animal hunting prey.
    Amber lunged at Kaci with unexpected speed. Kaci moved, running into Reagan at just the right moment to avoid the impact of Amber’s blow.  Amber hit the wall, sending several of Mason’s portraits crashing to the floor. Kaci latched on to Reagan’s arm in a panic and the two of them ran to join Mason who stood behind me yelling about his broken stuff. Taylor tripped over Mason’s game console and fell. Amber recovered quickly, unfazed by the oozing gash on her forehead left from where her head had met the wall…hard.  
    All of the color had drained from Amber’s skin, leaving it gray save for the patches of blue rash and veins. Her eyes had become two dangerous-looking black voids, the same color as the liquid that dripped from her mouth.  It covered the front of her teal t-shirt in a trail of thick goo. I shuddered as she gnashed black-stained teeth.
    Taylor scrambled to her feet but wasn't quick enough. Amber’s hand locked on her leg like a vise. Taylor pawed the wall—hopping on one foot—trying to free herself and gain her balance.  More of