Untitled (22 page)

       "I thought we were friends," it rasped, standing up. "What will Flannigan say?" The almost severed head hung at an angle, the shovel head pulling free from the gaudy wound.

       "What are you?" Harrison lifted the shovel for a second attack, doing his best to avoid eye contact.

       "We are older than memory," replied the Green creature. "We were here before God said 'let there be light'." It took a step towards Harrison.

       "Fuck you," snarled Harrison, swinging the shovel with all the force he could muster.

       The Green creature stepped into the blow, the blade slicing just above the jawline and digging deep into its face. Something went snap with the loudness of a gun shot and the body immediately went limp, the swirling blackness within the empty eye sockets dissipating like a morning mist burned away by the sun.

       Harrison released his grip on the shovel, watching in stunned silence as the Green creature staggered blindly from side to side, teetering on the spot for long moments before eventually falling forward. The handle of the shovel momentarily stopped the fall, digging into the ground and forcing the blade deeper into the dead things head.

       Megan laid on her side and vomited, bitter acid burning her throat but still preferable to the rank taste of death that had filled her mouth only seconds before. She thankfully let her stomach empty and then spat in disgust, glancing over at the hopefully dead Green creature.

       "Bastard," she whispered hoarsely.

       "We've got to get everyone out of here." Harrison couldn't wait for Megan to fully recover, taking her hand and pulling her upright.

       "What was that?" Megan looked at Harrison, her eyes glazed over with shock.

       "I don't know," replied Harrison, glancing back at Green. "Yet."

       Turning their backs on the abattoir contents of the tent they returned to the clearer air of the forest and the crowd of questioning faces.

       The faces didn't remain questioning for long, the doubting expressions replaced with wide eyed shock as the screaming started anew.

       They came from every direction, slinking from the undergrowth and falling from the trees in a vicious attack that took down more than half the gathered crowd. Those taken first fell instantly under the brutality of claws and the snapping of rabid fangs. Skin and muscle quickly littered the forest floor. The air became filled with a red mist of blood, sweat and the tears of the dying as the human like creatures fed their hunger.

       Harrison scanned the area, locating Kaci and the others before making a decision. He snatched hold of Megan's wrist and dragged her towards their companions, the pair of them buffet around as the surviving crowd hit the panic switch.

       Megan hadn't quite come to terms with what was happening. She'd seen many things during her time abroad, but nothing could have prepared her for the nightmare situation she found herself in. A tiny part of her brain took over; telling her that now would be a good time to run. She would have followed this primal urge if it hadn't been for the forceful grip Harrison had on her arm.

"Harrison?" Kaci yelled at him questioningly.

       All Harrison could do was shrug his shoulders. "We gotta move." The order came out wheezy and breathless. "This way."

       Peter, still in a state of semi awareness, let Kaci shift his weight around before leading him in the direction of Harrison and Megan. They had only gone a few paces when she stopped and looked back over her shoulder.

       "Hewitt, a little help," Kaci snapped.

       Hewitt looked up from her crouched position and stopped what she was doing. Kaci saw the item strapped to the Park Rangers leg and almost gasped.

       "You never know when it'll come in handy." Hewitt pulled the twelve inch knife from the sheath on calf. "Now we can go." With the weapon held in a defensive position she ran over and hitched Peter's free arm over her shoulder.

       Kaci searched for Harrison and Kaci, an impossible task in the sea of bobbing heads and the waves of inhuman attackers. For a moment she panicked and then caught a glimpse of the back of Harrison's head before it was once again swallowed from sight.

       "Where to?" Hewitt questioned as they started moving awkwardly, Peter hanging loosely between them.

       "Looks like they're going back to the control centre," Kaci replied, unsure.

       "This way, back to the Helicopter." Hewitt tried to redirect them, but Kaci came to a stop.

       "Are you mad?" She glared at Hewitt.

"No, but you're crazy if you want to follow them."

       "We're finding the others," Kaci snapped a moment before a naked female knocked her off her feet.

* * *

       Harrison barrelled his way forwards, running with his shoulder down and uncaring of who he threw out of his way. Megan's head had started to clear and she took in their surroundings as she was pulled along.

       Some small groups had made it to the outskirts of the crime scene and they didn't spare time to look back as they ran away from the massacre taking place. Others had also grouped together but these tried to defend themselves from the onslaught of the unholy beasts. They weren't faring well. At least they were still alive, unlike those who had already fallen.

       Megan knew that the butchery playing out all around her would haunt her dreams, etched on her memory in indelible detail. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and block it all out, but she couldn't do it. Something forced her to absorb everything she witnessed, an unknown urge deep in her subconscious that required her to see it all. What she didn't notice was Harrison coming to an abrupt halt and she collided with his back, knocking the wind from her lungs and nearly falling backwards.

       Harrison felt the collision at his rear, yanking Megan upright before she could hit the floor. He needed her to move as soon as he was ready. First he had to deal with the thing stood three foot in front of them.

"Hello Kyle." The creature that had once been Greg Whitehouse glared at Harrison. "How's Maria and the kids?" It grinned widely, showing off elongated teeth in blackened gums.

       Harrison stared dumbly at the ghastly apparition stood before him, a twisted figure that, in life, had been the start of the end for Harrison's marriage. The Greg creature leered back, running a forked tongue over its engorged lips. It glanced at Megan, giving her a sly wink, The eyelid closing over the empty socket.

       "Why?" Harrison asked in a murmur.

       "Don't blame me." The Greg creature feigned hurt. "They were taken first." The sad expression turned into a smile. "Though I do have the memories of how they tasted."

       "You bastard!" Harrison released Megan and ran at the Greg creature.

* * *

       Kaci hit the floor under the weight of what had clearly been a human at some point, but now it resembled a meaty slab of flesh with a snapping head. The gnashing teeth came rushing down towards her head and Kaci had to twist painfully to avoid losing her nose. Instead the fangs drew a vicious line along her cheek.

       "Aren't you a pretty one?" The sound of its voice was like nails on a chalkboard. "I bet you taste pretty too."

       Kaci struggled to get free, but the female thing sat astride her breast and now had her arms pinned in place with its flabby knees. It leaned in close and sniffed at Kaci, inhaling deeply before reaching back with one arm and caressing its prisoner's hips.

"We could have so much fun," hissed the female.

"Fuck you," Kaci spat back.

       "Is that anyway to talk to your future girlfriend?" it asked, moving the probing fingers along Kaci's inner thigh.

       "She came with me!" Hewitt yelled, stepping in and, in a fluid motion, thrust the serrated blade of the hunting knife upwards.

       The blade sank into the underside of the creature's jaw, piercing soft tissue and tearing muscle and tendon. The creature opened its mouth to scream and Kaci could see the steel passing through its tongue and into the roof of its mouth. Hot fluid poured over its teeth and coated her face, clinging to her with an indescribable stench of rottenness.