Читать книгу Respect the Dead - Shawn McLain - Страница 14

The group had already surrounded the cabin, with more coming out of the woods. John loaded his shot gun and watched as they closed in. He heard their thumping shuffles on the wooden porch. Spying through a gap in the dusty blinds he noted that the main group continued past the tiny house along the wood line. John slowly inched his way back from the window. A cool breeze stirred the dust in the room.

Finger nails scrapped across the old metal screens. He readied the gun, aiming at the open window. There was a thump on the door followed by another. A slow pounding started on a window and the continued scraping on the screen had John aiming from door to windows. He backed further and further into his room. The curtains rustled in the breeze, causing John to spin back toward the open window.

The breeze brought with it a foul stench of decay into the room. A ragged finger was caught in one of the holes in the screen. As it was withdrawn green grey skin peeled off. Flies buzzed in through the hole as they crawled off the ragged flesh. Several pieces of skin clung to the barred metal. John blew out the breath he was holding. Metal screeched as the screen tore open. The hand the finger was attached to slid into the room. Sheets of flesh tore off while reaching in. Gagging on the stench and disgust John’s mind filled with terror. Rushing forward in panic and desperation he slammed the window with all his might. The hand broke free from its owner flopping uselessly to the floor. The pounding on the windows and door increased.

Surveying the hand, John smiled. His relief was short lived as a window cracked. He waited for a moment, but the window held. He hurried down to the cellar. Returning with a small rifle and hand gun as well as several boards and a hammer. He hastily barricaded the door and windows. Grabbing boxes of shotgun shells and .22 bullets out of the closet he loaded the guns to capacity. Shoving the barrel of the shot gun to the broken pane he waited until one of them pressed their face against the glass.

Suddenly the air was filled with exploding flesh and the smell of gunpowder.