Free Dia of the Dead by Brit Brinson Page B

Mason’s pictures hit the ground. 
    “Help me!” Taylor pleaded.
    I searched for something to use to free her from Amber’s grip and spotted one of the game controllers on the floor nearby. I used my foot to nudge it toward me, keeping an eye on Amber. An iPod whizzed past my ear, thudding into the wall a few inches left of her head.
    “Nice throw, Abe Ruth.” Reagan said from behind me.
    “It’s   Bab e   Rut h, ” Mason corrected her. “And at least I’m trying to do something instead of just standing around. Now grab something and throw it!”
    A blender, a remote, and a bust of Mason’s head went flying across the room.  The blender cracked into pieces on the floor. The remote sent Taylor back to the ground, striking her smack in the center of her forehead and leaving a red mark. The bust smashed into Amber’s back. It should’ve taken her down but she maintained her kung-fu grip on Taylor’s leg.  
    Another wave of items went across the room, but they did nothing to stop Amber. I reached down for the controller.  Amber let out a guttural growl. Taylor yelped in pain. Everyone behind me screamed. I looked up. Amber had torn into Taylor’s leg with her stained teeth and ripped away a piece of flesh. She chewed as if she were nomming on a honey barbecue chicken wing. Taylor shrieked in agony, swatting at Amber.
    I stared at the scene in wide-eyed disbelief.  Amber had just taken a chunk out of someone’s leg with her teeth and was leaning in for another. I wrapped the controller’s cord around my hand a few times with enough length to use it as kind of a mace. 
    Fear crept over me as I stared into Amber’s soulless eyes which were now locked on me.
    “Guys,” I said, not taking my eyes off of her. “We have to leave. Like right now.”
    “You can’t leave m e, ” Taylor cried.
    “We’re not. I promis e, ” I assured her. “I just want to make sure everyone makes it out of here safely. She’s not paying you guys any attention yet, so you need to go. I’m going to free Taylor,” I said out of the corner of my mouth, my eyes still fixed on Amber.
    Taylor was doing a pretty good job of keeping Amber’s clacking teeth from sinking into her skin again.
    “We’re not leaving you here.” Brendan’s voice was stern.  
    “I got thi s, ” I said over my shoulder to him. “You guys just go.”
    Reagan and Kaci didn’t wait for me to tell them twice. They hustled out of the room like their butts were on fire. Mason lingered for a moment, his head going back and forth between me and the door, an internal struggle written all over his face.  
    “Dia, you’re a real nice gir l, ” Mason said, taking small steps toward the door. “And while I’d totally like to stay and help I…I…I have to go. I’m too beautiful to be nibbled on like a piece of prime rib by Annabelle Lecter over there. Good luck and God speed my friend.” Mason ran from the room calling for Kaci and Reagan, begging them to wait for him.
    “Hurry up, pleas e, ” Taylor droned like she was already over the attack as she punched Amber. The blow didn’t deter Amber. She held tightly to Taylor’s leg.
    “Right.” I snapped back to reality and gripped the cord in my hand. “Brendan, you still here?”
    “Y-y-yes.” His voice was a little shaky but he was there.
    “I have a plan. I’m going to try to get Amber’s attention—“
    “—What? No! That’s dangerous!”
    “Don’t worry. I can handle this.  You get Taylor out of the room while I distract Amber. Okay?”
    He didn’t say anything.
    “Brendan, okay?”
    “Okay,” he reluctantly agreed.
    The plan wasn’t fully formed inside my head yet. In fact, I don’t think what I had pieced together could be considered an actual plan. But it was the best I could come up with under the circumstances. I wrapped the cord around my hand once more and charged Amber—screaming like a banshee.
    I swung the controller with all the strength I