Die Dead Enough by William Kenney Read Free Book Online Page B

slammed the door and dropped to the floor with his back against it as everyone else converged on Gibby, whose neck was now spurting blood.
    One of the old ladies pulled a white scarf from her handbag and quickly gave it to Conor who folded it and placed it against Gibby's throat. He applied pressure, but the wound was massive and the blood would not stop flowing.
    "Damn...D-dammit..." Gibby mumbled, his eyes rolling into the back of his head. "I'm gonna t-turn into one of those fuckin' things, man....D-don't let that h-happen, dude. You gotta do s-something..."
    The scarf had already filled with blood, Conor's hands now red up to the wrist as Gibby's face grew pale and ghostly in color.
    "Just hold on, Gib," said Conor. "It's gonna be all right," he lied as Gibby's hands began to violently shake.
    The others began to back away, with Conor and Aiden remaining by his side.
    "I... don't wanna die. I don't wanna die. I d-don't wanna... oh, shit," Gibby muttered, bloody spittle running slowly down his chin. His eyes stopped their erratic movement and grew blank, his mouth falling open as his head fell forward. He sat motionless, his body growing limp.
    Conor looked at Aiden with disbelief and uncertainty.
    "He's gonna t-" he started.
    "K-kill me..." Gibby suddenly spat, only his lips moving. Instantly the whites of his eyes darkened to a crimson red. "Kill....k-kill...k-kill. Kill!"
    Gibby jumped to his feet, his face contorting as he bit at the air and lunged for Aiden. Conor stepped behind him and grabbed his arms as Klaus rushed in to help.
    He-who-was-Gibby twisted about like mad, trying his best to sink his teeth into them, a deafening scream coming from his newborn throat.
    "Fuck!" Aiden shouted, backing away. "Hold him!"
    "He's too damned strong!" Klaus called out, struggling to keep the zombies arms locked.
    Gibby began to drag Conor and Klaus, moving closer and closer to Aiden, bent on consuming his flesh. Klaus reached into his back pocket, pulled out the scissors he had previously used and tossed them to Aiden.
    "Blind him! Just like I did to that other one!" Klaus shouted, his feet skidding across the rooftop. He would never have imagined the scrawny Gibby having this sort of strength. Together Klaus and Conor must weigh near five hundred pounds and Gibby pulled them as if they were children.
    Aiden caught the scissors mid-air and tentatively stepped forward, holding them overhead. Gibby shuffled across the roof, now-black tongue running across his teeth, wide eyes crazed with maniacal hunger. Aiden stepped in, waiting for the right moment, keeping track of Gibby's unpredictable movements.
    "Shit, I don't wanna do this..." AIden mumbled, gripping the scissor handles tightly. "I mean... it's Gibby, man..."
    He hesitated, backing farther away, now dangerously close to the edge of the roof.
    "You have to do it, Aiden," said Conor, his voice straining as he pulled against Gibby's momentum. "He's gonna kill us all, turn us into zombies. Forget who he used to be. Gibby's gone now. This thing is... something else."
    "You're right," Aiden said, nodding in agreement. "Fucking hard, though. Never really jammed a blade into someone's fucking eyeball before, ya know?"
    "Just do it, dammit!" Vernon called out, stepping up, pointing at Gibby. "You're putting us all in danger. Man up, boy or give those scissors to someone who ain't afraid."
    Aiden's calves hit up against the ledge. He could go no farther and Gibby kept coming, dragging the others behind him.
    "Sorry, Gib," Aiden said and brought the scissors down hard. At the last moment, Gibby jerked his head slightly, causing the blades to strike the bridge of his nose, gouging out a chunk of flesh and wrenching the scissors from Aiden's hand.
    They had fallen out of his reach and Gibby was too close.
    "Oh, fuck," Aiden said, sliding to his left as Gibby's arms swept out for him, narrowly missing his head as he ducked away.
    "Heads up!"
    In the blink of an eye, Bobo rushed in,