Dawn of the Dead by George A. Romero

Author:George A. Romero
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gallery Books

7

After a few minutes of whooping it up with the other men, the reality of the situation hit Stephen squarely in the jaw. His body wavered for a second and he felt sick and weak in the knees. But it was also a good feeling, a feeling that he could do anything he wanted to, as long as he put his mind to it. His family had always been a cerebral one, and he had never been taught the pure joy that comes from physical accomplishment. Now, as he stood sweating and panting with the two troopers, a strange calmness overcame him.

But the pleasant feeling was short-lived. The three men continued to shout at the creatures through the cage, and the repulsive beasts were already gathering at the gate. The zombies had lost all of the individuality they had when they were human, but Steve noticed that they were of many shapes, sizes and ages, some with the horrible wounds that had caused their deaths.

There was a middle-aged gray-haired man in a business suit; a housewife, possibly in her forties, in an apron; a well-dressed young woman, once attractive with long blond hair, in a skirt and sweater, probably an office worker. There were some children, about ten to thirteen, who looked like they’d just come home from school; a construction worker with a beard; a young black man with an Afro and wire-rimmed glasses; and a grandmother-type with a gray bun at the back of her neck. A few more men in nondescript work clothes hung around the gate, but it didn’t much matter what any of them had been in their former lives, they were all horrible and partially decomposed now, and their strength had nothing to do with their appearance. The youngest were most repulsive, as many had died of violent causes and not of old age.

Peter had warned Steve not to soften when a child or older woman approached him. They were all deadly.

Out on the concourse, a few zombies wandered aimlessly, but most of them turned toward the direction of the first-floor department store arch, where the men were doing their best to stir up a racket.

On the upstairs balcony, the creatures that had collected there were again moving toward the stationary steps and the escalators.

The three creatures that Steve had battled with in the administrative corridor moved toward the open mall. Two walked out on the balcony, but the third turned into an open office. They seemed as stiff-legged and awkward as wind-up dolls. The last one staggered back out, spun around and headed down the hall toward the fire stair.

Fran, who had been waiting nearly an hour for Steve’s return, heard the faint whooping of the men as she moved toward the stairway door, which was still open. She couldn’t imagine what the sound was for. It seemed like a celebration of some sort, and then the horrid thought crossed her mind, What if they had cracked under the pressure? Or what if Steve were dead and Peter and Roger were happy? She stopped herself from those silly thoughts.

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