「 Extra 」Works

Sneak Peek: The Ruined

Seriously Unedited

Please feel free to cringe at my junior year self with her courage to attempt a zombie, post-apocalyptic series.

And laugh. I laugh too.

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    The instant we heard the mass of jaws snapping and hungry groans, we froze to a stop. The crowd in front of us all began to scream indefinitely, each and every one of them scrambling to get out of the way. As they all sprang off in different directions, I watched in horror as some fell victim to the feasting herd. Shrieks of pain that followed sprouts and sprays of red were deafening. How the scene reeled out in front of me was like those of the first scenes of plays when the drapes opened to reveal the actors. The sea of human bodies were the drapes, the undead and their meals the actors.

    I felt multiple frantic shoves hit my left shoulder from the rushing persons, but I knew that my small group were all standing in shock next to me. I turned to look at them, to which they each exchanged anxious looks with me.

    We were all frozen to the spot.

    It wasn't until I saw a flash of yellow lunge at me in my peripheral vision that slapped me awake and turn to see that it was a pasty eyes crossing guard. He lunged forward, his eyes flashing a look of infinite hunger and determination. Blood-saliva globs dripped from his Crimson stained lips and fell onto his filthy neon vest. One look and I knew that even though there was no emotion in his murky eyes he longed for a hearty meal.

    I tightened my grip on my metal baseball bat and took a wide swing at his head, my ears rushing with the sudden burst of adrenaline. I must have exerted more into the swing than I thought, because it left my arms and shoulders in a rattle, and by the sickening crack, I could tell it made more than just a dent in his rotting skull. Because the moment he hit the ground, he didn't move. Not even a flinch.

    I whipped back around to my group, my heart racing and my limbs numbing.

    "Come on!" I hollered, waving my hand as I started to side pedal to the left. That set of doors that led to theatre was going to have to be our only option to safety.

    "We have to go!"

    Maybe that was enough to get them moving because as soon as I twisted to take off in a sprint, I could hear the stomping of their shoes against the polished floor loud and clear, right behind me.