Godead

XXXIV

The policewoman cringed with rage, suddenly readying her baton as she glared at the creature. As she swung her weapon at the zombie's head, it stepped back, clumsily dodging before quickly rushing forward. It shoved Blair against the kitchen stove, white pus oozing from its mouth as it attacked. As Max twitched and bled on the linoleum floor, the zombie relentlessly assaulted Blair, wildly swiping its decaying claws at her.

As Blair wrestled with the creature, she suddenly looked sideways, spotting an icepick laying on the counter nearby. She grabbed the utensil, raising it before skewering the zombie through the eye. It winced, twitching several times before falling to the floor. Blair then looked over, rushing to her brother lying on the floor beneath her.

"Max!" she exclaimed, worriedly looking him over as he feverishly bled out. "Max! Hang on!"

Just then, the kitchen window shattered as another zombie burst its way through, crawling inside as two additional zombies followed behind. Blair watched in shock, rising to her feet before looking around. She rushed to her shotgun propped up against a nearby counter, taking aim before firing at the approaching zombies.

As the first one's head blew off, Blair pumped her twelve gauge, a shell flying out as the zombies crept closer. As the second one lurched forward, Blair fired, turning the creature's head into hamburger meat. She then pumped her weapon again, aiming once more at the final zombie. As the sizable creature shuffled its way forth, Blair pulled her trigger, going pale as the weapon gave a click.

As Blair realized she was out of ammo, the zombie bared its fangs, raising its arms as it grabbed Blair by both shoulders. It pushed her several feet into the living room, the two falling to the ground as they stumbled over a nearby table. The zombie groaned, falling onto Blair as it bit at her flesh, sticking its green and black tongue out as Blair weakly cringed. She fiercely struggled with the zombie, finally managing to free herself of its grasp.

She kicked it away, rising to her feet soon after. As the zombie also stood, Blair raised her baton, swiftly bringing it down on the creatures head. It moaned, falling to the floor as Blair pressed the attack, gritting her teeth as she struck the zombie repeatedly over the skull, bludgeoning the creature as blood splattered out in all directions. As the creatures moans came to a stop, Blair paused, catching her breath with a wild, eery look on her face.

As the large zombie lay motionless on the ground beneath her, a final, familiar moan echoed through the house. Blair froze in place, eyes wide as a shadowy silhouette rose to its feet in the kitchen. As it slowly lumbered forth, Blair looked over, watching as the zombie crept its way forward.

"...No...!" Blair said in a weak whisper.

As the policewoman stood in fright, Max slowly approached through the darkness, his moans distorted from his torn open throat. As Blair watched in horror, the zombie paused, clumsily tilting his head at her.

"...S... s—s—sis...!" it said in a raspy voice.

Blair's eyes grew wide, body trembling as she stared at Max from across the dark living room.

"...Brother...!" she replied weakly.

"...Sss... s—s—sssiiisss...! I'm c... c—c—c... cold!" the creature mumbled, struggling to speak as Blair watched in fright.

As the policewoman stood on the verge of tears, Max paused, giving a dreadful moan as his body went stiff. He seemed to be fighting the urge to attack, but in the end, lost all control. He gave a low snarl, looking to Blair before rushing forward. Blair stepped away, shaking her head as Max edged ever closer.

As the boy cornered his sister against a wall, Blair frowned, raising her baton before batting Max across the head with it. Max groaned, stumbling before again charging forward. Blair hit him again, tears in her eyes as her brother soon fell to the floor. As the zombie attempted to rise, Blair gritted her teeth, steeling her resolve before raising her baton high in the air. As her brother reached out, Blair screamed, slamming her weapon against his head time and again. As his skull finally cracked open, Max stopped, falling to the ground as a tear from Blair's cheek fell along with him. As a pool of blood grew around her brother's lifeless body, Blair dropped her weapon, falling to her knees as she broke down in tears.

What was she thinking? She should have known better than to enter the house having found zombies inside. So what if it was late? So what if they were tired? So what if they hadn't seen another house for miles? None were valid excuses for entering the house. It was a lapse of judgement on Blair's part.

One that had cost Max his life.

As Blair lamented her decision, she looked across the room, staring into her brother's lifeless eyes. She sat in bereaved silence, pain in her heart as she slowly looked out a nearby window. As crickets chirped off in the night, her thoughts suddenly turned to Claude.

She wanted to see him. She wanted it more than anything. She wanted him to tell her it was alright; to reassure her in that calm, Claude-like way. She wanted him to hold her; to ease her trembling body, and calm her dreadful feelings. There she was, a twenty-three-year-old policewoman wanting a seventeen-year-old runaway to comfort her, a thought which made her feel all the worse.

Blair didn't care, though. She'd lost her parents. She'd lost her brother. She'd failed to protect Misty. She'd killed a man in cold blood. All these things were but afterthoughts in light of Claude's memory. As she sat in silence amidst the bloody living room, she finally came to a realization.

Blair was in love with Claude, and would stop at nothing until she told him her true feelings.