The Dead in River City by S.A. McGarey Page A

first.” Alan replied.
    Walking towards the sturdy glass doors, both Alan
and Kendra stopped dead in their tracks. Standing outside the door was another
small horde of Dead Ones. At the head of their pack was a man in a duster
jacket, average height, and medium length brown hair. The man made eye contact
with Alan, and Alan began to put the pieces together. The Dead Ones weren’t
attacking, or even moving. He was sure that this must be Malcolm Graves.
    “Stay here, Kendra.” Alan said, walking towards the
door, shotgun in hand.
    “Malcolm Graves, I presume?” Alan said as he walked
outside, the cool air hitting his face.
    “How perceptive, Alan. You must be a very
intelligent individual.” Malcolm replied.
    “What do you want? Why did you follow us?” Alan
questioned him.
    “Well, you survived my creations at the mall, and
you almost killed someone very dear to me. I’m not a forgiving man.”
    Alan was slightly taken aback. “Are you talking
about the woman we found at the mall?”
    “The very same!” Malcolm said. She was resistant to
my advances, but I am very persistent.”
    “So that’s why she was in the store. She was hiding
from you, and thought we were helping you.” Alan realized what had actually
happened.
    “She’s much more cooperative now.” Malcolm casually
remarked. “The point is, your little girlfriend in there nearly killed her, and
I had to save her.”
    “Wait…” Alan said. “Why didn’t she kill you?”
    “I was the only thing holding the Dead Ones at bay.
They would’ve eaten her alive without me keeping them on a leash. Your little
harlot of a girlfriend nearly killed her. I nearly lost her entirely.” He
elaborated.
    “I can’t say I feel sorry for you.” Alan’s tone
became condescending. “She’d be better off dead than around a psychopath like
you.
    “I’m afraid you don’t quite understand, boy.”
Malcolm said, snapping his fingers.
    At once, a single corpse from the small crowd began
to shamble forward. This one looked newer that the rest. Some hair was still
clinging to the body, and the flesh was less decayed than the others. Alan
observed the body as it moved and noticed that it had a very distinctive
feature. It had a slash across its right arm.
    “Hello, darling.” Malcolm spoke to the living
corpse. “Alan, this is Jessica, AKA the girl you met in the mall.”
    “You saved her… by making her into a zombie?” Alan
said, very confused.
    “Precisely. I have trapped her in this state of
un-death, rather than lose her entirely.” Malcolm confirmed. “It’s better to
have loved a zombie than never to have loved at all.”
    “I don’t think that’s the right saying.” Alan said.
“You’re a sick man.”
    “I’m paraphrasing of course.” Malcolm replied. “Now
enough idle chit-chat. It’s high time I added you to my little army of the
dead.”
    With a snap of his fingers, the Dead Ones behind
Malcolm began shambling towards Alan. If Malcolm wanted Alan and Kendra to join
his undead horde, he’d have to make an effort. Alan retreated back into the
library, and yelled out to Kendra.
    “Bar the doors!” He shouted. “He’s going to have us
under siege.”
    Kendra wordlessly searched for something to hold the
door shut with. Her first instincts told her to use a broom or iron rod,
neither of which she would be able to find in this infernal darkness. She went
for the next best thing. She ran to the door, and shoved her katana into the
door handles, preventing the door from opening.
    “That will hold for maybe… 5 minutes.” Kendra said.
    “I’m loving the confidence, Kendra.” Alan said
sarcastically.
    Alan stood at the door, aiming his shotgun at the
sluggish horde. “Kendra, go upstairs, quickly!”
    “But…”
    “Don’t argue, just go!” Alan shouted.
    Kendra dropped the argument and ran. Never had
anyone been so forceful with her. It was new. She actually enjoyed it on some
level. She bolted up the stairs, hoping that