The Real Night of the Living Dead by Mark Kramer, Felix Cruz Read Free Book Online Page B

the way we came.”
    “Come on, you crazy fuckers,” said Billy. “Medication time.” He whacked another on top of their head and the creature dropped. “This heavy duty broom’s gonna fuck the crazy right out your head.”
    I swung the mop at one of the infected men. Dropped him. Before I could pull it back to swing again, one of the women grabbed the mop handle and wouldn’t let go.
    I didn’t want to tug, because it would’ve pulled her right on me. I raised the gun and fired a shot in her forehead. The force of the bullet jolted her carcass back into two of the creatures.
    Melvin screamed.
    Billy shouted, “Stanton, they getting him.”
    I stole a quick glance behind me ― not wanting to let the group I was fighting off get close to me ― and saw an infected attendant and patient clutching on Melvin’s T-shirt. Billy was doing his best to defend themselves, but had the rest of the group screaming and clawing to get their hands on him.
    Melvin was swinging like a wild man, but another two grabbed hold of him, one wrapped their arms around his waist, and the other pulled his hair.
    I knew I had to act fast, or Melvin would be dead. I shot the one closest to me from my small group, he fell beside the dead woman. I heard Melvin shriek, then heard flesh being torn.
    Please, God. Please, don’t let them do this to my friend.
    I didn’t want to turn around. I was afraid to see what awaited me.
    I forced myself to turn. For a second, I could swear that my eyes were closed, afraid to see the sight.
    I looked. Billy was fighting off a few trying to reach him while trying to beat off the four that were on Melvin.
    My gaze drifted to Melvin; he was still standing, screaming, as the first two who grabbed him were biting his forearms, tearing off mouthful size chunks of flesh. The creature that had him by the hair moved in and took a small bite from the back of his neck.
    Melvin’s mouth opened as wide as it could, and he let out a painful cry. Both his arms had blood pouring from the bite wounds and running down to his hands.
    I screamed and fired the last three bullets of the revolver into the heads of the three who were feasting on him. The one who had him by the waist was pulling up his shirt and about to sink his teeth into his back.
    I threw the empty gun at one of them, then swung the mop and hit the creature holding Melvin’s waist. His grip loosened a bit, and I pulled Melvin toward me.
    Then we could hear a woman’s voice screaming, Help me !, coming from down the hall, around the corner. I could picture her trapped, in her nurses’ station, surrounded by a band of flesh craving maniacs. I wished we could’ve helped, but there was nothing we could do. There was no way we would be able to get to her without risking our lives further.
    “Let’s go, Billy.” I shouted. “Back out the goddamn door.”
    Billy was doing a good job of fighting them; he had another two dead on the floor.
    The three behind us, from the smaller group, had moved in, and one of them grabbed my hand. He pulled my hand up and toward his mouth. I froze as I saw this happening; I looked into his eyes as he opened his mouth. Then I snapped out of it and pulled my hand away.
    I rushed back as fast as I could, my left arm wrapped around Melvin’s waist, and my right arm gripping the mop. I went through the door first, back into the stairwell, then Billy followed, fighting off the rest of the creatures as he walked through.
    “We’re leaving out the front,” I said. “It’s the only way.”
    “No,” Melvin cried. “We’re not going to make it that way. Front door’s down that hallway.”
    I didn’t care what he said at the moment. I knew there was no other way. The tunnel was the safest route for us, but they had the path blocked off. If we didn’t leave now, then we would be trapped in N-3.
    We took a few steps up the staircase, heard screams, looked up, and saw the infected people from the second floor coming down the