MonstrousMay 20. The Walking Dead

MonstrousMay Day 20. The Walking Dead

The halls of Hollow Oak High echoed with the sound of squeaking shoes. Harry Davenport, having snuck in to steal the State Football Championship trophy, hadn't expected anyone to be there that late. He had taken off his letterman jacket, kneeling on it to try and jimmy the lock.

When the shadow moved up behind him, he figured he was busted. He had apologized to it at first, figuring he might be able to talk his way out. The stealing of trophies had been happening between Hollow Oak and Priddy High for years. Surely they would understand. But what came at him wasn't a teacher working late or a cop. It was all teeth, slamming into the trophy case as Harry jumped out of the way. He started running.

Harry's football training was paying off. He was sprinting past classrooms, faster than he'd ever ran down the field. His pursuer's footsteps weren't far behind. Harry didn't look back. Just as he did on game day, he kept his head down. The goal was in sight, the double doors he had come in through. 

Harry slammed against the doors. They were locked. He screamed and smackes his hands against the glass, calling for help. Someone stood outside, watching him. He begged them to open the door, but they stood still. His head was wrenched back and a spray of blood coated the door.

The next day, life was normal at Hollow Oak. The janitor, Mr. Matlock, unlocked the double doors and prepared for the kids and the teachers to show up. He whistled as he shined the new football trophy. It was bigger than the one he and his team had won back before the dinosaurs, which was now relegated to a far corner. But that was okay. That was the nature of things. When he slid the glass back into place, he saw two smudges, full handprints just smeared on. He tsked and polished them away with a rag.

He went about his usual duties. As he finished emptying the trash, the building started to come alive. He saw his daughter Audrey walk in with her friends. He waved to her and she waved back. Mr. Matlock was grateful to have such a good kid. She did well in school. She volunteered at church. He beamed with pride.

It was awful, what had happened to her sweetheart Ben. A small part of Matlock was secretly grateful she hadn't gone out with him the night his friend flipped the car. Probably trying to show off. It was puppy love, her and Ben, but he knew what it was like to lose the one you thought you'd grow old with.

First her mother, then him. It was a wonder she could smile at all. But she did. He had told her every day she could talk to him. And she did sometimes. But she also moved on with her life. He admired her strength.

The day went by as days did. Some lunchroom messes. Breaking up some boys smoking in the bathroom. Once everyone had left, Audrey was alone in the library, waiting for him to finish. It had gotten dark by the time he finally rolled his mop bucket back into the closet. 

He was about to turn off the light when something caught his eye. A letterman jacket, crammed into the corner. It wasn't the right colors for Hollow Oak. Mr. Matlock bent down and grabbed it, holding it up to the light. The back read "Davenport". 

Mr. Matlock took it to the library to place it in the lost and found. Then he and Audrey could go home and get some dinner. Just as he entered, he heard her laugh. It made him smile. She must have found a good book.

A wall of stench nearly knocked the breath from Mr. Matlock. He was familiar with the reek of rot. Dead rats and fish heads left in the ceiling as pranks. "Audrey?" Mr. Matlock asked.

"Dad!" Audrey called out. He rounded a corner and saw her standing from a table. Beside her…. Surely he wasn't seeing straight.

"Ben?" Mr. Matlock asked. "I thought you were.…" Audrey shushed him. Still in his letterman jacket, Ben was missing a large chunk of his face. His exposed jaw clenched as he stood up.  

"Mr. Matlock!" he said. A black goo squished out through his teeth as his tongue moved and squished about in his marred mouth. His eyes had begun to turn a milky gray. But besides, he just looked like a teenager who'd been caught necking. "We were just talking!" he blurted out.

"Audrey, honey," Mr. Matlock said, reaching his hand to her. "Why don't you come over here?" He tried to smile, terrified Ben might lunge at her. Audrey whispered something to Ben and then walked to Mr. Matlock. He tried to think of the quickest way out.

"Dad," Audrey said. "Be nice."

"This isn't right," Mr. Matlock said quietly. "Something's bad wrong with him. His parents-" Audrey shushed him.

"It's okay, I fixed it." Audrey smiled up at him. "I prayed for him and here he is." She turned back to look at Ben for a moment, then leaned up and talked soft, so Ben wouldn't hear. "He's dead, he just doesn't know it yet."