Ready for some ghoulish fun? In honor of Halloween, I've got a special treat. I joined a spooky contest over at Liz Writes, and I thought, why not share my entry here? And so, I present an excerpt from the zombie WiP I've been telling you guys about. I'm not dead set on a title yet, but I'm undead over this really killer concept.
Don't worry, non-horror fans. I'm not a horror writer by trade, so I'm sure you can stomach this. Enjoy!
Chapter 1 - On the Undead Road - First 500 Words
When Dad handed me his .45 for the first time, I didn’t know I’d use it ten minutes later.
Her name was Cassidy Mill, the gorgeous heartthrob —and heartbreaker—of Sands West Middle School. Blonde Hair. Amber eyes. Perfect skin. She had the makings of a cheerleading captain who made all the guys jealous with each new boyfriend. I was never one of them. I’d be lying if I said I never imagined it once or twice, but we never talked. She never even looked.
When she finally did, Cassidy trudged toward me with no hesitation. Torn hair. Red eyes. Peeled skin. It was a shame to put her down, but better her than me. To this day, I can’t decide what hurt more: landing a headshot between her eyes or the recoil that landed me on my butt.
I never had a shot that clean since. Beginner’s luck, I guess.
“What do you think Dad will find me?”
I looked at Jewel, my little sis. Her almost eleven-year-old green eyes brimmed with excitement. “Not sure. You’re smaller than I was. Maybe a .40 to start.”
Jewel snorted. “If it’s loaded, I’ll be good.”
I smiled. She was good. Scare-the-crap-out-of-me good. I usually wait to see how these monsters move before I pull the trigger. Not her. Good thing she missed that live one in the middle of Nebraska. This old guy one time, with a 12 gauge, had boarded up a lone gas station just off highway 80. He charged us an arm and a leg for a few gallons of gas and a safe place to sleep.
I mean that figuratively. Arms and legs are easy to come by.
Well. He lunged for my jugular the next morning. Jewel didn’t miss then.
She glanced at her pink Barbie watch, the one she got after collecting cereal coupons when she was six. Amazing how long the batteries last in those things. “It’s been ten minutes,” she said impatiently. “Does it really take that long to look inside an armoire?”
“Armory.” I corrected.
She flashed a look at me. Her jaw-length brown hair whipped at her cheeks. I knew what she meant, but she was tongue-tied, and what kind of big brother would I be if I didn’t give her a hard time about it? “Don’t correct me. You’re the one standing outside the car!”
“Don’t worry. Mom and Dad will be back before they reach us.”
By they, I meant the Crawlers. Stage 3 Vectors. Nine of them - crawling, clawing, and rolling their way over the dying grass of the town square. Their skinny arms and legs moved in mindless desperation. A sad sight, really. Without a fresh victim to munch on after so many weeks, the virus had all but consumed their fat cells and soft inner tissues, leaving mummy-like drones all about. They inched along, toward us, like dehydrated slugs.
I couldn’t hear them. Yet. Or smell them. I pulled out my .45 anyway.
Her name was Cassidy Mill, the gorgeous heartthrob —and heartbreaker—of Sands West Middle School. Blonde Hair. Amber eyes. Perfect skin. She had the makings of a cheerleading captain who made all the guys jealous with each new boyfriend. I was never one of them. I’d be lying if I said I never imagined it once or twice, but we never talked. She never even looked.
When she finally did, Cassidy trudged toward me with no hesitation. Torn hair. Red eyes. Peeled skin. It was a shame to put her down, but better her than me. To this day, I can’t decide what hurt more: landing a headshot between her eyes or the recoil that landed me on my butt.
I never had a shot that clean since. Beginner’s luck, I guess.
“What do you think Dad will find me?”
I looked at Jewel, my little sis. Her almost eleven-year-old green eyes brimmed with excitement. “Not sure. You’re smaller than I was. Maybe a .40 to start.”
Jewel snorted. “If it’s loaded, I’ll be good.”
I smiled. She was good. Scare-the-crap-out-of-me good. I usually wait to see how these monsters move before I pull the trigger. Not her. Good thing she missed that live one in the middle of Nebraska. This old guy one time, with a 12 gauge, had boarded up a lone gas station just off highway 80. He charged us an arm and a leg for a few gallons of gas and a safe place to sleep.
I mean that figuratively. Arms and legs are easy to come by.
Well. He lunged for my jugular the next morning. Jewel didn’t miss then.
She glanced at her pink Barbie watch, the one she got after collecting cereal coupons when she was six. Amazing how long the batteries last in those things. “It’s been ten minutes,” she said impatiently. “Does it really take that long to look inside an armoire?”
“Armory.” I corrected.
She flashed a look at me. Her jaw-length brown hair whipped at her cheeks. I knew what she meant, but she was tongue-tied, and what kind of big brother would I be if I didn’t give her a hard time about it? “Don’t correct me. You’re the one standing outside the car!”
“Don’t worry. Mom and Dad will be back before they reach us.”
By they, I meant the Crawlers. Stage 3 Vectors. Nine of them - crawling, clawing, and rolling their way over the dying grass of the town square. Their skinny arms and legs moved in mindless desperation. A sad sight, really. Without a fresh victim to munch on after so many weeks, the virus had all but consumed their fat cells and soft inner tissues, leaving mummy-like drones all about. They inched along, toward us, like dehydrated slugs.
I couldn’t hear them. Yet. Or smell them. I pulled out my .45 anyway.
* * *
If you've come this far, thanks for reading! Now go out and have a fun time tonight. Remember. Be safe!
Oh, yeah! And the fabulous J. A. Bennett has me on her blog today for one of her famously hilarious interviews. Give her a visit!
Oh, yeah! And the fabulous J. A. Bennett has me on her blog today for one of her famously hilarious interviews. Give her a visit!
I'm David, and where can I find cheap toilet paper?