Laughter of the Undead (The Half-Gone Trilogy Book 1) by Z.Z. Warlander

Author:Z.Z. Warlander [Warlander, Z.Z.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Knox Publishing
Published: 2019-11-16T07:00:00+00:00

Eleven

Levi

March 5th - 11:12 a.m.

The battered black car screeched to a halt in front of the small house.

My feet made no sound as they struck rock-strewn driveway, the only thing my over-sensitized ears could hear was the rasp of my own nervous breath.

There was no one on the street, no sound of children playing in the snow. No neighbors shoveling clear of their driveways. Nor old woman shouting nervously for their cats or small dogs, as a normal afternoon would have sounded.

I cleared my throat, and though the sound had come from me, it almost made me jump out of my own skin, such a loud sound in so much silence. I jumped again a moment later as a far-off dog barked nervously. It set my teeth on edge and kept them on edge as I pulled the assault rifle out of the back seat. I felt safer with it on.

Alec’s front porch steps creaked menacingly as I climbed them. I didn’t bother knocking, I never did. The house stood as silent as the rest of the neighborhood. No movement, no noise. My boots clacked on the hardwood flooring. I knew Alec’s house as well as my own. Maybe better. I spent more time hiding out here than at my own.

It was too quiet, only the distant sound of the TV playing pointlessly in the living room, but I couldn’t hear Alec’s mom in the kitchen or Alec’s stepdad, an older man named Marcus, talking at the television. No one said “hey, Levi” when I walked in like they normally would have. I was as much a member of this household as Alec.

I cleared my throat. "Mrs. Fisher? Alec?" I called, knowing that he couldn’t hear me even if he were here. My overwrought nerves had sent rationality packing. No response. Not even the dead laughter I had been half-expecting. Breathing as quietly as I could, I put one hand on the barrel of the gun to push it behind me as I peered around the corner into the kitchen. Finding nothing, I walked into the small room, heart thrumming in my ears.

I nearly tripped on a dead body. I shrieked and backpedaled, slipping on what I realized with horror a moment later was blood. I landed hard on my back, head thwacking against the cabinet.

Black spots danced in front of my eyes and my head swam for a moment before I realized the body belonged to Mrs. Fisher, Alec’s mom. Half of her face was gone, replaced by raw blood-matted flesh, her good eye open and staring me down. Her neck had been mauled too, and down her chest, her shirt that had been white yesterday morning now bore vicious tears and a good soaking of her blood.

Next to her lay her husband. His eyes were open too, but nothing was behind them, almost like they’d been lifeless before he’d died. A knife’s handle protruded from under his chin and I could glimpse the gleaming red-stained metal in his slightly open mouth.

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.