Monday, August 23, 2010

You can't call them Zombies!

Donovan remained kneeling next to the small girl who continued to quake before them. His comfort must have worked as her eyes shut and she stopped the low whine that she started.

Anna stood up and looked down at Donovan. Her heart raced, but if she was going to trust this nutcase, she had to get some answers. “Can I ask you something now?”

He turned to her, the sunlight reflecting in the one eye she could see giving him a sinister look. He didn’t answer.

Unsure of what to do, she swallowed the growing knot in her throat and choked out a few words of prayer before she got the courage to continue. “Where did you come from?”

He didn’t answer.

She looked to Kyle for help, but his eyes were shut and his face grimaced with pain. Figured that he would pass out now, but the color had returned to his face. Whatever this man did to Kyle, it was nearly magical.

“What is your issue?” She flinched from the words as they fell from her mouth. She didn’t mean to offend him.

Donovan smirked, and stood up. He towered over her, his teeth gritted as he faced her. The muscles in his neck went taut as stared at her. “My issue?” He asked a bit stunned.

“Yes.” She met his stare and licked her dry lips. He could beat her to a pulp if he wanted, but he didn’t move, just watched her, not even blinking.

“I’m angry.” He said after a moment of silence that seemed to hang in between them.

“Why?” She ventured to take the path he was providing her.

“Because those things are everywhere and…” He looked at the girl in the corner. A softer side emerged when he looked at the girl.

“You are trying to protect her?” She pried slowly hoping to keep his wrath in check.

He nodded and sat down. The floor creaked under his weight as he dropped his head into his hands. “I found her surrounded by those things. She was trapped in an abandoned car. Her parents were dead in the front seat, but not turned yet. I ran up to the car with my machete…”

The girl started to sob again and Donovan lifted the girl into his lap. He caressed her hair and she snuggled up against him.

Not sure how to continue, Anna waited for him to start up again.

“I took out four of those things before the parents started to stir. That’s when I broke the glass and pulled her out of the car. She screamed as I ran away, but I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t leave her there could I?” He turned to Anna, tears in his eyes.

“No. You did the right thing.” Anna said. She watched how he cradled the girl in his arms, how safe and secure she seemed to be, and realized that Donovan may be crazy, but he wasn’t going to let anything happen to the girl.

“Why did you come here?” Anna asked.

“I remember your uncle helping me put one of my cats down a few weeks ago and it was the closest place. I thought that he might have some ideas on what caused these things.” He said, wiping the tears that had gathered in his eyes. “Obviously he didn’t.

The small girl in his arms let out a soft snore and Anna a laugh tickled her throat, but she held it in. She didn’t know what this all meant except that they were still stuck here with Donovan. Maybe they could escape together as the creatures wouldn’t stay out forever. Their low guttural growls had already be closer than when they first got here.They would eventually smell them, or hear them, or even see them one day and being trapped was worse without any viable weapons.

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