The Dark Trinity (Book 1): Shuffle (29 page)

The beast continued its pursuit of the two friends and their
dog; wondering when the inevitable would happen.

CHAPTER 38 
  DINNER TIME

Sunshine stood at the edge of the small cliff situated behind
the Pittsburgh Pleasure Palace. Seventy-five feet below, the small group of
humans huddled in their little hole like rabbits cowering from hungry
predators. The woman that she saw in Nathan's memories was with them. The area
surrounding the building was ablaze in red for as far as her eyes could see;
"heat" signatures from her children blended together, too many to
count. Her army was here, and soon, her quarry would be here too.

In just a few short hours, the city fell. In just a handful
of days, she had brought the world to its knees. Her children had devoured
everything. A wry smile stretched across her face as she reveled in her own
splendor. She had waited an eternity for this moment. Every decade, every
century, every millennia had been an excruciating existence. She had bided her
time for the right moment, and now, finally, she had emerged from the darkness
to dispense her wrath upon the world.

Casually, without taking her eyes off the adult bookstore,
she called to a zombie from her personal court. "Find me some
dinner," she ordered.

Without hesitation, the zombie rushed off. While she awaited
the return of her meal, Sunshine looked up to the sky, fixing her gaze upon the
full moon above.
What are you up to, my brothers?
she thought to
herself. She had anticipated resistance upon her arrival, but she encountered
none. The humans posed no threat to her and only a moderate one to her horde.
Her brethren of the Lunae were a different story. They would have proven to be
a challenge, but they were nowhere to be found. Not so much as a trace.
Could
they have returned to the dust of the Earth?
No. She knew that they still
lived. For whatever reason, they were hiding.

Sunshine chuckled to herself. "Cowards," she
whispered.

Commotion erupted behind her. Dinner had arrived. The zombie
approached its queen dragging two women by the hair. Her spawn threw the
crying, terrified humans at her feet. They huddled to each other in a feeble
attempt at comfort. Their eyes darted in all directions, but they were
completely surrounded. There was no escape.

"Get up," Sunshine said in a calm voice.
"Please, you need not be afraid."

The two women looked at the girl before them, standing there
in a blood-stained jacket holding a grungy teddy bear that was also caked with
blood. They rose to their feet as they clutched each other tight.

"Ah, now that's better, isn't it?" she asked with a
grin.

Sunshine noticed that the older human wore a gold cross
around her neck. Her smile waned as she reached out and ripped the cross from
the woman. Renewed sobs spewed from the two.

"You should not put your faith in such an empty promise
of redemption," she hissed. "Your God hasn’t cared about you for some
time."

With the same quickness as before, Sunshine grabbed the
woman's head with both hands. Her jaw distended and enveloped the woman's face.
CRUNCH. When the girl pulled back, the woman's face and brain were completely
gone. Blood spurted out of the hollowed skull that remained. Sunshine released
the dead woman, letting the body crumple in a heap at her feet.

The younger girl stared in disbelief at the faceless corpse
which poured blood out onto the snow.

"Now, my child, do you place your faith in the same
apathetic God as your friend here?" Sunshine asked, her demeanor returning
to the pleasant tone as before.

Whimpering, the girl fervently shook her head no. Sunshine
flashed a large smile. Remnants of the woman's face stuck out from between her
teeth.

"You have nothing to fear, my darling. You will not meet
the same fate as her," she said looking down at the corpse. "Instead,
I will grant you the gift of immortality."

Sunshine wrapped her arms around the shaking girl and
embraced her. In an almost imperceptible movement, her forked tongue darted
out; the poison barb penetrating deep into the girl's flesh.

"Welcome to the family," she whispered.

In one fluid motion, she hurled the girl over the cliff. The
scream only lasted a moment; cut off by the sound of bones breaking on impact.
Sunshine knelt before the corpse of the faceless woman and continued her meal,
imagining the joy she was going to experience tearing Nathan and his bitch limb
from limb.

CHAPTER 39 
  A SHEEP IN
WOLF’S CLOTHING

Ronnie, Nathan, and Boomer stopped at the top of the hill
that overlooked Forest Glenn. The yellow Adobe-style stucco walls of the
buildings looked out of place among the snow-covered woods which surrounded the
property. From their vantage point, they saw the havoc that had ensued earlier.
Slowly, they traversed down the steep slope. The ground was soaked with blood.
Vehicles dotted the long parking lot; most were smashed and surrounded by
shattered glass and various severed body parts.

Nathan steeled himself for the possibility that Evelyn was
among the casualties, although he remained hopeful that she survived. They
walked down East-West Drive towards Apartment 46, keeping vigilant for any
signs of life. Boomer had his muzzle glued to the ground looking for a scent as
he zigzagged in front of Nathan and Ronnie.

It was unnerving to see these dead bodies. Even though he
only knew a handful of them personally, he used to see most of them every day.
Luckily, none of the corpses or body parts appeared to be Evelyn—so far.
Despite his optimism, Nathan braced for tragedy.

They walked down the thirty-five intermittent steps which led
to the two buildings situated in the small valley behind the main complex.
Apartment 36 was the last unit on the left. Nathan could see the floor to
ceiling picture window was gone; the blinds hanging in shambles to one side.
The three entered through the missing window, crunching glass with every step.
Boomer avoided the shards and immediately headed for his food and water bowls
in the kitchen, which were still full from earlier. Nathan watched his furry
friend chow down like a champ.
Eat up buddy, he thought. You’ve earned it.

The living room looked ransacked, although the black zombie
blood smeared on the light beige carpet told the story of a struggle. Nathan deduced
what might have transpired. Judging from the small amount of blood, he guessed
that Boomer had inflicted the injury on the intruder. Evelyn would have caused
more damage had she been in the fray.

Heading towards the staircase which led upstairs, Nathan
called out. “Eve! Eve, are you here baby?”

Silence was the only answer he received. In fact, he was
surprised at how quiet it was. The entire complex sat wrapped in a stillness,
like a rolling fog on a cold rainy night. No screams. No animals. Nothing.
Forest Glenn hibernated in a sinister quiescence which caused Nathan to
shudder.

“I don’t think she’s here, bro,” Ronnie said in a solemn
tone.

“Yeah, I know. I expected as much,” Nathan replied as he went
upstairs. After a quick sweep of all the rooms, he returned to the first floor
where Ronnie stood in the kitchen entryway watching the dog eat kibble like it
was his job.

Nathan went over to the coat closet and pulled out a
backpack. He dumped out the contents onto the floor as he walked into the
kitchen. He gathered up a small bag of dog food and some treats, along with a
collapsible water bowl. He knew that it was extra weight, but he felt bad for
his little buddy. The dog had been through so much, the least he could do was
make sure Boomer didn’t go hungry.

Securing the pack on his shoulders, Nathan headed back
towards the open picture window. “Boomer, come. It’s time to go.”

Boomer scooped up the last piece of kibble from his bowl and
trotted after his master.

“We should go check out Julie’s place before we leave,”
Nathan said over his shoulder.

Ronnie nodded. “Whatever you need to do, man.”

They backtracked the way they came, moving quicker than
before. A minute later, the group stood at the “T” intersection where East-West
Drive met North-South Drive. Nathan had always laughed at the profoundly
idiotic and non-creative naming of the community’s streets. They turned left
and continued on, slowing the pace a bit as they entered unchecked territory.

“Keep your eyes on the rooftops,” Nathan whispered to Ronnie.

Answering with a silent nod, Ronnie watched the roofs as they
passed.

“Kinda weird that there aren’t any ghoulies around, don’t ya
think?” Ronnie asked.

“Yeah, it sure is,” Nathan replied. He had the same thought
when they were checking out his apartment. “We haven’t come across any in a
while. I wonder what they’re up to.”

Ronnie shrugged. “Who knows? Who cares? Fuck it.”

Another minute later, they had reached Julie’s apartment. The
door stood ajar, like most of the other units. Blood covered the front. Thirty
feet away, among a dense swath of woods, red eyes watched the dog and two
zombies enter the building.

“Jules, you in here?” Nathan called out. They walked down the
long hallway and into the living room.

Boomer made it into the room first and immediately went
behind the couch. Nathan and Ronnie circled to the back of the couch. They
stared at the dismembered and disemboweled body of their friend. Boomer gently
licked Julie’s cheek as he continued to whimper.

Ronnie opened his mouth, wanting to say something funny to
try to lighten the mood, but he had nothing. There wasn’t anything he could say
to make this situation better. He stood solemnly as he waited for his friend to
react.

Nathan felt defeated and discouraged. Evelyn was nowhere to
be found. One of two possibilities existed. Either she had turned and now
walked among the army of the dead, or she had been one of the countless
casualties of the ensuing apocalypse. No. He refused to believe that she was
dead, one way or the other. She MUST have found a way out. He forced the morbid
thoughts out of his head. She was safe...Somewhere.

GGGGRRRRRRRRRR

Boomer was on high alert, growling towards the front door;
his hair puffed up in an aggressive stance. Nathan and Ronnie looked at each
other, just as the sound of breaking glass pierced the silence outside. The
pair looked towards the door. Nothing and no one entered through the door or
busted picture window.

“We should get the hell out of here,” Nathan stated.

“I second that!” Ronnie agreed.

****************

Sunshine stood on the precarious ledge high above the adult
bookstore and the small band of humans trapped inside. A rabid smile stretched
across the demonic child’s face.

****************

Nathan clutched his head as the image of Julie's front door
flashed painfully in his head.

“Ah, fuck!” he shouted, doubling over.

“Dude, you cool?” Ronnie asked, stopping at the front door.

Nathan shook his head trying to regain his senses. “Yeah, I’m
alright. Let’s get outta here.”

Boomer led the way as the trio hurried out of Julie’s
apartment and into the parking lot. They were too late. Emerging from the
surrounding woods, countless dead advanced on their position. The pair looked
for a viable escape route while Boomer barked furiously at the approaching
army.

“Shit, we’re completely surrounded!” Nathan exclaimed, his
mind grasping at options.

“This is going to suck, dude,” Ronnie replied.

The Horde crept into the parking lot. Getting to the
buildings was no longer possible. The only thing within their reach were a
handful of cars; of those, only a nearby SUV was intact, save for the busted
out driver’s window.

“We need to get to higher ground,” Nathan said as he watched
the growing circle of dead collapsing in on them.

“Good plan, man, but they have like, all the ground.” Ronnie
joked.

“Come on,” Nathan replied.

In one swift action, he scooped up Boomer and jumped up onto
the roof of the Ford Escape that sat six feet away. Ronnie followed and placed
himself back-to-back with Nathan in a defensive stance. Boomer stood sandwiched
between the two’s legs, still barking fervently. The Horde closed the shrinking
gap of space which separated them from the two rebel zombies and their dog.

The dead aggressors in the front ranks began to leap at their
targets. Nathan extended both arms and catapulted the first incoming attacker
back into the swarm of bodies using its momentum against it. Ronnie did the
same, flinging two incoming assailants back into the mob. Again and again the
two repelled the salvos of bodies.

Nathan realized that they were never going to get out of this
in one piece if they didn't start causing some fatalities. With the next
incoming volley, he wrapped his large clawed hand around the zombie's head and
spun laterally. The force caused the body to rip from the neck. He watched as
the now headless body rag-dolled back into the chaos.

"Rip off their heads, if you can!" Nathan shouted
over his shoulder.

"Word!" Ronnie replied.

The pair continued to rebuff the sustained assault, but it
was becoming more difficult to fend off the onslaught. Nathan moved down onto
the hood of the SUV to give himself more room to avoid one of them from getting
knocked down.

"Bro, this isn't working! There's too many of
them!" Ronnie exclaimed in frustration.

Nathan already knew that they weren't going to survive this.
Glancing toward the tree line, he saw that the bodies kept coming. There was no
end in sight. Suddenly, one of the ghouls leapt high over Nathan's head and
landed square onto the windshield, shattering it. Before he could react, a claw
swiped at him, gashing him across his stomach. He paused, looking to see if his
entrails were going to spill out onto the car, but luckily, the wound was
superficial.

While Nathan dealt with his insides, the ghoul turned and
buried four long talons deep into Boomer's side. The little dog cried out in a
horrifying scream of pain. Ronnie spun around and swiped at the zombie's arm,
severing it at the elbow. Nathan grabbed its head with both hands and liberated
it from its shoulders, casting it back into the swarming mob.

"NO!!!" Nathan screamed as Boomer collapsed in a
heap onto the roof.

He grabbed the severed arm and pulled it free from his dog's
side. Boomer cried out again, his breathing shallow and rapid. Nathan turned
and swung the limb like a club, beating back more of the dead as they continued
their attack. It was only a matter of moments before they would be overrun.

A loud, thunderous roar erupted from the woods. Just then, an
immense, hulking beast burst forth from the trees, landing smack dab in the
middle of the zombie army.

"HO-LY SHIT!" Ronnie shouted.

Nathan, Ronnie, and the Horde stared at the towering
creature. The thing stood on all fours like a gorilla and must have been about
seven feet tall. It was covered in strange gray-black fur which shimmered in
the light of the burning cars in the parking lot. Its head was massive. Long
ears protruded back along the muscular neck. Silver eyes glinted and looked
down across the long, wolf-like snout. Large, razor-sharp teeth bared in a
ferocious snarl. It lifted an arm and extended a huge hand-like claw, which
embedded itself into one of the nearby ghouls. It effortlessly cast the zombie
aside, hurling it at least twenty yards towards the woods. The thing released
another booming roar. It lunged into the thick of the dead army and began
tearing ghouls limb from limb. Blood showered down in a maelstrom.

"Is...is that a fucking werewolf!?" Ronnie asked in
disbelief.

"I have no idea, but whatever it is, I'm glad it's
here," Nathan answered.

He turned back to the masses before him and continued to
behead them. With the addition of the enormous werewolf-thing to the fray, the
dead-heads paid little attention to Ronnie and himself.

RRRROOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRRR

A second, slightly smaller wolf-thing charged into the thick
of battle. Now there were two big-ass dogs chewing, clawing, and trampling
their way through the mob. So much of the dead's thick black-red blood was
being shed, that Nathan was having trouble seeing exactly what was going on.

He turned to Ronnie. "Stay with Boomer. Don't let him
get eaten!"

Giving a nod, Ronnie stood over the mortally wounded canine
and fended off any approaching threat. Nathan jumped off the Escape and started
on an offensive. Taking a cue from his new "allies" he began hacking
off limbs left and right.
Genius,
he thought to himself. An immobile
zombie is a much less dangerous zombie. After about five minutes of absolute
butchery, the creepers who still had legs mounted a hasty retreat. Within
seconds, they vanished into the woods.

Ronnie and Nathan looked at each other. Then they looked at
the two wolf creatures standing mere feet away. The larger one turned and faced
the two zombies. The smaller one walked the parking lot, crushing the heads of
those whom now lay armless and legless on the bloody snow.

The larger wolf took three steps towards Nathan and stopped.
It towered over him, just a couple inches away. Instinctively, Nathan's right
arm flails to the left, swiping his talons across the enormous wolf's chest.
His nails made a loud "ching" sound as they made contact with the
wolf. He was shocked when he saw that his attack glinted off the surface,
causing no damage.
Holy shit!
Taking a closer look, the wolf's fur was
comprised of short quills, which, when laid flat, formed something akin to
chainmail.
Body armor. Figures.