Dead Winter: A gripping crime thriller full of suspense by Jack Parker Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jack Parker
blood stained across the floor, trailing across the aisles until they stopped at a wall where a teenage girl was slumped.
"How long has it b-been now? A day? I tried my best.." she murmured to herself.
Screeching, the sound of shoes moved across the floor as the girl charged towards us, dashing a few feet before falling face first in the trail of her own blood, she let out a distorted cry for a moment, before rolling over to stare at us.
"Why did this happen?" she said, the scene replaying in my head. One second, she was fine, the next she looked like one of them, then fine again. The bizarre sight triggered feelings of sympathy for the girl, probably only a couple years younger than I was.
She was obviously infected. But not..fully? I pondered over this idea for a few seconds as John crouched down and asked for her name.
"Miranda.." the teenager whimpered, running her hands over a rather nasty gash on her leg. She made a very sudden jerking motion, screaming to the heavens above as she lashed out with her hands. A seconds later, she regained her composure and moved back to the wall where she slumped back against it.
"One of those..things got me about a day ago. I've been like this ever since. I c-can't stop it." she said, struggling with her last words, bursting into tears halfway through. I felt suddenly dizzy, propping myself up against a shelving unit.
John remained in his kneeling position and resumed talking in his calm, collected and deep voice.
"Is there anything we can do to help you?" he asked, raising his eyebrow slightly
This wasn't going to be good.
A sombre grimace swept over the girl's face as she looked up at John, gazing deep into his eyes. She sniffled loudly and wiped the tears from her eyes before speaking.
"There is one thing.. that I'd like, j-just one." she cried.
"Name it, and it shall be done." John replied, almost sounding like a priest delivering confession.
"Please.. Please k-kill me." she whimpered, another stream of tears rolling down her blood-stained cheeks, rolling across her many scrapes and scratches until falling to the floor.
John slowly climbed to his feet, reaching for his revolver. He cast a glance first at Dave, who nodded sadly. And then to me, still leaning against the shelves.
With a slight swishing sound, John removed the gun from its holster and pointed it towards the girl's head.
"Are you really sure this is what you want?" he chimed in a sorrowful tone, his voice still somehow retaining that sing-song feel.
She nodded hesitantly, covering her mouth as she coughed loudly. She obviously wanted to be spared from succumbing to her infected and being damned to roam the streets. I felt extreme pity towards her as my dizziness stopped.
"May the pain you feel be only for a moment more. I hope you are delivered to a better place than this." John said, standing up with his revolver pointed at her head. Dave and I turned away so as to not witness this sombre turn of events.
Eventually, a single gunshot ran loud and clear, echoing slightly in the distance. John walked quietly over to her, resting his hand over her eyes and drawing them shut as his other hand grabbed a blanket from the shelves. With a final swish, he threw it carefully over her.
John, Dave and I walked back down the aisle through which we had came towards the trolleys and the dreaded sound of silence washed over us again as we resumed out previous actions without a word to the other.
Chapter Six
Second Day (22nd December – 7:02AM)
Smoke billowed out through the air in front of me, breaking into characteristic shapes and patterns. Dave and I had been sat on this counter for the last five minutes in an awkward silence, broken just now by my suited friend.
"I'm surprised nobody raided these already." he murmured, pointing to the small pile of cigarette cartons he had thrown into the shopping trolley
"How long has it b-been now? A day? I tried my best.." she murmured to herself.
Screeching, the sound of shoes moved across the floor as the girl charged towards us, dashing a few feet before falling face first in the trail of her own blood, she let out a distorted cry for a moment, before rolling over to stare at us.
"Why did this happen?" she said, the scene replaying in my head. One second, she was fine, the next she looked like one of them, then fine again. The bizarre sight triggered feelings of sympathy for the girl, probably only a couple years younger than I was.
She was obviously infected. But not..fully? I pondered over this idea for a few seconds as John crouched down and asked for her name.
"Miranda.." the teenager whimpered, running her hands over a rather nasty gash on her leg. She made a very sudden jerking motion, screaming to the heavens above as she lashed out with her hands. A seconds later, she regained her composure and moved back to the wall where she slumped back against it.
"One of those..things got me about a day ago. I've been like this ever since. I c-can't stop it." she said, struggling with her last words, bursting into tears halfway through. I felt suddenly dizzy, propping myself up against a shelving unit.
John remained in his kneeling position and resumed talking in his calm, collected and deep voice.
"Is there anything we can do to help you?" he asked, raising his eyebrow slightly
This wasn't going to be good.
A sombre grimace swept over the girl's face as she looked up at John, gazing deep into his eyes. She sniffled loudly and wiped the tears from her eyes before speaking.
"There is one thing.. that I'd like, j-just one." she cried.
"Name it, and it shall be done." John replied, almost sounding like a priest delivering confession.
"Please.. Please k-kill me." she whimpered, another stream of tears rolling down her blood-stained cheeks, rolling across her many scrapes and scratches until falling to the floor.
John slowly climbed to his feet, reaching for his revolver. He cast a glance first at Dave, who nodded sadly. And then to me, still leaning against the shelves.
With a slight swishing sound, John removed the gun from its holster and pointed it towards the girl's head.
"Are you really sure this is what you want?" he chimed in a sorrowful tone, his voice still somehow retaining that sing-song feel.
She nodded hesitantly, covering her mouth as she coughed loudly. She obviously wanted to be spared from succumbing to her infected and being damned to roam the streets. I felt extreme pity towards her as my dizziness stopped.
"May the pain you feel be only for a moment more. I hope you are delivered to a better place than this." John said, standing up with his revolver pointed at her head. Dave and I turned away so as to not witness this sombre turn of events.
Eventually, a single gunshot ran loud and clear, echoing slightly in the distance. John walked quietly over to her, resting his hand over her eyes and drawing them shut as his other hand grabbed a blanket from the shelves. With a final swish, he threw it carefully over her.
John, Dave and I walked back down the aisle through which we had came towards the trolleys and the dreaded sound of silence washed over us again as we resumed out previous actions without a word to the other.
Chapter Six
Second Day (22nd December – 7:02AM)
Smoke billowed out through the air in front of me, breaking into characteristic shapes and patterns. Dave and I had been sat on this counter for the last five minutes in an awkward silence, broken just now by my suited friend.
"I'm surprised nobody raided these already." he murmured, pointing to the small pile of cigarette cartons he had thrown into the shopping trolley
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