Page 44 of Creepy
What sort of game was Dillon playing?
All the monsters, on their feet now, meandered around at a snail’s pace.At any moment, one could notice me.They wouldn’t be too slow then.The crowd above grew louder, and the zombies seemed to want to climb the walls.For the first time I noticed there was fencing above me as well, but about two stories up, tall enough to keep the zombies away from the spectators but close enough for the crowd to throw down raw meat to draw them nearby.The Stayers were a vicious bunch, entertained by torturing the former humans, it seemed.
Movement came from the middle of the street and the zombies climbed down the fence too fast, like they knew something I did not.On my right, about halfway up the street, another gate opened.Blinking a few times, I couldn’t believe my eyes.Larger than you’d imagine, a freaking Lion stepped into the middle of the street.
Fuck.
The crowd cheered above.
A female, the animal had no mane.Bloody, she was gravely injured already.I thought of the Zoo down in town and wondered about the other animals for a moment.I doubt any of them had survived.My heart broke and my stomach turned knowing what was about to happen.The smell of her blood attracted the zombies.In a pack, they rushed toward the lion as fast as they could, about as fast as a casual jogger.
Stepping forward, I planned to shoot the lioness first, put her out of her misery, but with one step an unbearable pain shot up my leg.Geezus.My ankle thumped in the boot.I reached in my pocket for the pills Mabel had given me.I popped one of them and then another, swallowing them dry.The painkillers would give me about thirty, forty-five minutes until I was out cold.If I couldn’t kill twelve zombies before then, I was done for, anyway.In the meantime, the medicine might kick in and give me a boost.
Taking a deep breath, I muscled through the pain to get close enough to hit the lioness without being too close to the zombie horde attacking it.As I fired too many rounds, they resounded in my aching head.I knew this was all part of his plan.Dillon knew everything about me, including my zodiac sign, Leo.He used to make fun of me for reading my horoscope, but often bought me gifts depicting a lion.Now, the lioness represented me.The blood on the cat drew the zombies closer, and the sound of my rifle would bring the creatures right to me.At least there was nowhere to run and the zombies would come my way.I wouldn’t have to use my bad ankle too much.
Once the lion stopped fighting, I aimed for the zombies, their heads.By all means, I wasn’t a bad shot, but there was no way I could take care of all these zombies before they got finished with the lion and came for me.Soon, it would click that a human was near.Animal blood could fool them for a while but not for long.Just as legend predicted, the undead craved brain tissue.Experts claimed there was a scientific reason.After all, the undead before me weren’t technically dead.The virus in them was alive and well, animating the body the best it could, looking for another host.
From a distance, I shot one, again and again, trying to aim for the head.The others caught on and trotted my way, one after another.And one after another, I fired, hitting them, but it wasn’t enough.By the time the first zombie reached me, I was out of bullets.I dropped my gun and secured my stance to try some self-defense moves like Arlo had taught me, but while I kicked up my good leg, a zombie behind me yanked me down.
When I fell, it became apparent the medicine had done little to relieve my pain.Evidently, it was third down, and I had the football.The zombies tackled me, fighting each other for rights to my neck.My elbows flew up in defense, and those hideous pads didn’t seem so bad anymore.Covered in zombies, I grasped at their slick skin and gooey flesh, tearing off chunks to no avail.All the while, the weight of the creatures made it harder and harder for me to breathe.
As it became clearer, I might not survive, that I was being crushed to death, I realized I’d forgotten all about Troy.Even though, now, I thought only of my brother and about the fact it would be a damn shame I would never get to be an aunt.Especially after I’d survived this long.However, without me around, at least Dillon and the Stayers might leave them alone.Might.Then, I thought of how I’d do anything for my brother and his child to survive.I should’ve radioed Dillon right away and given myself up, not only to save Troy but to protect my brother and his friends too.
As I was fixing to die, I realized the zombies hadn’t reached my neck.They were too busy competing for the chance, attacking one another but using me as their playing field.Asphyxiation it would be.The crowd was going wild, shooting their weapons into the air.The Stayers were celebrating my death.
My eyes grew heavy, my breathing became shallow, but I relaxed all over.My pain faded away.My eyes closed completely next.The heavy weight of this world left me.Jesus took me into his arms to carry me away.I felt like I was floating.But abruptly, Jesus threw me to the ground.He covered my mouth with his.What was it with all these men wanting a piece of me?The next thing I knew, I gasped.Taking another breath, I coughed.
He said my name over and over, not Creepy or Sissy, but Innocent while he slapped at my cheek.Sounding strange, the name got my attention.I opened my eyes the tiniest crack, expecting to see a blinding light, but Dillon glared down at me, his blue-grey eyes piercing.A rush of bile filled my mouth as I puked a bit, turning my head to spit it out.
Not dead at all, I’d been rescued by the very man who’d just tried to kill me.
12
Sunlight flowed inthrough tall windows when I woke in a luxurious bed.A bed in the Bentley Hotel, I presumed.So, recognizing daytime, I slowly found my bearings.Staring at the equally tall ceilings, I figured I must’ve passed out after Dillon performed CPR on me last night.Good thing he’d taken the training as Captain of the swim team while he attended Tulane University in New Orleans.There wasn’t much I didn’t know about Dillon.Those happy times floated into my memory and back out.He’d tried to kill me last night and nearly succeeded.Maybe I didn’t know Dillon too well anymore.I would’ve never thought him capable of killing me, even attempting it.
My head still throbbing, it was a miracle I could keep up with what had been going on in the present at all.Not alone, I could hear rustling in the next room.I moved up on an elbow when I could feel someone watching me.I was in Dillon’s suite, I supposed since he loomed shirtless in the doorway to the adjacent living quarters.
