They Walk

Chapter Twenty

There are at least three dead guys already through the front windows, and are making their way to me. I don’t bother trying to fight them off, I race by them and make it near the porch door. The hallway leading to the garage is almost within seeing distance, but I feel hands in my hair suddenly, that keeps me from moving.

They get tangled in my curls, and I fall onto my back with a scream. One of the three reaches for me, and I only have time to watch as his upside down body is about to fall on me. I manage to get the ax between us, and his teeth just graze my throat. Screaming I try to shove him off me, but his arms are racking my body and I can feel new scratches form.

He pushes at me with suck strength that I don’t know how long I can hold him back.

I can feel his breathe on my face and as saliva and blood drip on my cheek, I snap. I lift him up just enough to be able to wiggle out from underneath him. He barely stumbles, but I have enough time to scurry backwards and make it to my feet. As he’s already reaching for me again, I see the other two dead guys making their way to me on either side. I half turn to run, when I feel someone behind me. I get the ax almost up, when a hand stops me.

It’s Gabe.

He doesn’t even give me time to be surprised to see him.

“Dammit, run!” He screams in my face.

Just as the dead are almost in touching distance, we both turn and haul ass to the garage. At the door I can hear the other’s yelling from the truck to hurry and I force my legs to just carry me a little further. Breaking the threshold, I realize we have another problem. There’s no door anymore. Gabe notices this at the same time, because he abruptly turns around and swings with the bat at an approaching dead girl.

She stumbles back into a group of guys, but it doesn’t slow them down. They rush the door with such speed, that it makes them bunch at the entrance. This stalls them for not even a second, it’s like they are one mind. They back up a step and rush the entrance again.

“Maggie, get in now!”

I don’t have time to argue with him, a big guy missing an arm is almost to him and he’s looking at me. Running to him and pushing him aside, I swing at the guy and knock him into the wall. He stumbles but gets back up, and this time Gabe is the one to hit at him. I turn away as a girl and two guys rush at me. I lift the ax to swing, when Sam is suddenly beside me brandishing the fire poker.

We easily hit the dead aside.

The dead are having more trouble getting through the small entrance now. And the small hallway is filled with so many bodies that I lost count. Gabe is standing before Sam and me with his back to us.

“Sam, get her in the truck!”

Sam grabs for my arm, but I pull it back.

“Dan and Brian are trapped in a room upstairs! We can’t leave them.” I have to yell over the noise the dead are making.

“We don’t have time, Maggie! Dammit Sam, now!”

Sam gets a grip on my arm and tugs on me, I see Gabe swing at the one armed guy again as he rushes him. The back passenger side door is open and Sam shoves me in before yelling to Gabe and getting in himself.

Claire is in the driver’s seat, and is gripping the wheel with wide eyes. Emily is in the seat behind me, gripping a knife between white knuckles. Maria is beside me, and at first I think she’s talking to me, but it’s too fast and quiet that I don’t understand what she’s saying. Then I see a phone in her left hand, she’s talking to someone else.

She looks up at me and her face is alight.

“It’s Daniel, you were right they’re stuck in a bedroom upstairs. They’re not hurt though. What do I tell them?” She’s shaking and keeps glancing out of the truck. And I know she’s afraid we’ll leave him behind. So am I, to be honest.

Sam slams the door closed behind him and the front passenger side door opens then. Gabe slides in then, just as three guys rush him.

“Maria, tell them to jump like Austin did!” He gets the door closed, and turns to Claire. “Get us out of here!”

“But the door isn’t even opened yet!” Her eyes are wide and I can see the sweat at her temples.

“Doesn’t matter, it’s not a heavy door. We can make it, just hit the gas hard.” He grips the handle above the door and turns to look at the garage door behind us.

“Everybody hold on tight.” Claire says as she steps on the gas.