Keepers of the Flame by McFadden III Edward J

Author:McFadden III, Edward J. [McFadden III, Edward J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Zombies
Publisher: Severed Press
Published: 2020-05-31T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-two

Year 2075, Pass Christian Armory, Mississippi

The old brick house sat nestled in the northeast corner of the complex, and a white picket fence surrounded the remnants of a small lawn. Barriers of wood, metal and chain-link fence zigzagged like a maze all around the house. Two rocking chairs sat on the porch, and three dogs rested beneath a pile of scrap metal that formed a crude portcullis. The white picket fence looked freshly painted, and wild flowers and weeds sprang from every crack and patch of dirt. Tall poles were spaced around the house at intervals of ten feet, and skulls rested atop them. To their left the wall of blood baked in the midday heat.

Milly gagged. “I can’t abide that,” she said.

“Hearing his ignorant ass talk about it was worse,” Robin said.

The name of every person Axe had ever killed was finger-painted on the large wooden canvas in blood. If Axe couldn’t find out the deceased’s name, he assigned a number. In the lower right was the notation “1-23 unknown.” Milly traced Peter’s name, and her stomach burned.

Both women knew how to get through the maze and where the traps were. Salt and Pepper, the black and white husky twins, bolted down the steps of the house and through the twisted metal entrance to meet Milly and Robin. They jumped and sniffed, howling and whining. Helga, an old German shepherd, followed. She walked and watched the scene for a few seconds, then turned and headed back to the house like a supervisor who’d seen enough to be satisfied the job was being done.

Inspection complete, the huskies bolted for the house and Milly and Robin followed.

“We’re bringing them with us, right?” Robin said.

“No question. Larry and Turnip also,” Milly said.

“Tester’s going to love that,” Robin said.

They entered the house and barred the doors. Milly could only do so much with one arm, but she could walk OK and her ribs didn’t hurt too badly. She did her best to make no abrupt movements so as not to pull on the healing wounds, but overall she was steadier with each step.

Despite having shared the house with Axe for over six years there were still rooms Milly had never been to. Every door had a lock, and sections of the house had been off-limits to her. Robin flipped through the key ring and opened every door and what they found was unsurprising.

Adaline’s room was untouched. Years of dust lay on every flat surface and time and mice had gnawed away the bedspread and mattress leaving only springs and the metal bedframe. Plastic toys, and doll heads lay on the floor, and faded posters of long-gone rock groups adorned the walls.

Axe’s room was plain and unadorned: a bed, a dresser, and a table with a lamp, but nothing remained of the lampshade except the metal frame, and there was no bulb. “Axe kept Peter’s… axe,” Milly said. She laughed, and for an instant she was renewed. The axe rested in a corner and she hefted it, bouncing it up and down in her hand.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.