Read Online The Afflicted: A Zombie Novel by Russ Watts - Free Book Online Page A

not come on.
    “Miguel? You all right?” The words hung in the air without response. He knew something was going wrong. Goosebumps spread down Evan’s arms as he heard a crash and a scream. A short guttural cry followed by a high-pitched shriek from opposite ends of the house. He raced out of the bedroom. Miguel stood to his left in the kitchen doorway, unmoving. Evan heard Miguel say, “Alma?” but the crashing noises were away to his right, and growing louder. Evan ran down the dingy corridor and pushed open the door at the end.
    Karyn was grappling with an old woman, who was dressed in a nightgown, stained almost black with blood. George was silent, kneeling over his sister. Lucy was dead. She was splayed out, arms outspread, one hand still holding her rag-doll, whilst blood poured from her throat and soaked into the floral carpet beneath her. Her lifeless eyes were staring accusingly at Evan.
    “Miguel!” called Evan , as he rushed to Karyn’s aid. At the sound of his voice, the old lady ferociously pushed Karyn away and sprung toward Evan. Her snarling mouth was smeared with fresh blood from Lucy’s throat. Evan had no time to use his club. He dropped it and charged, the two clashing like rutting stags. Evan outweighed his opponent though and the force of their collision sent the old woman flying back, tripping over a small coffee table. Evan picked the table up and crashed it down over the zombie’s head. 
    “ Karyn, help, hand me the club!” He turned around, only to see Karyn chasing George out of the room, club in hand, slamming the door behind her. Miguel’s dead mother was getting to her feet. Evan spied a drinks cabinet and grabbed the first bottle at hand. He flung it at the approaching zombie and it shattered, spilling its sweet contents all over her. He did it again and whisky spilled down the nightgown. The glass shattered over the zombie’s head, its own blood pouring down its face and mingling with Lucy’s. The old woman was close now and sprang off her feet to attack.
    Joe and Amane had heard the commotion and come in. Out in the corridor, Karyn stood guarding the lounge door, brandishing her club.
    “Mrs Craven, let me in there right now!” shouted Joe.
    “No! We need to get out of here. Lucy’s fucking dead and you’re our driver, Joe, I can’t afford to lose you! We need to get out of here.” Her eyes were wild. Her hair was matted with bright red blood and she was shaking. Joe wasn’t sure if she was more interested in protecting George or herself. They heard a moaning sound behind them and whirled round.
    Miguel stood in the kitchen doorway facing them. His wife had him in a bear hug, teeth sunk deep into his neck. Miguel was gripping the doorframe, eyes shut, unable to move, as his wife’s teeth sliced through his jugular, spraying his blood over the dusty walls. He crumpled, weak, and his wife shoved her fist through his open neck. She repeatedly pulverised his dying body, beating it down to the floor. In a frenzied blood lust, she tore at his clothes, his skin, ripping off anything and everything: fingers, toes, ears. Like a rabid dog, she savaged her husband’s face, sharp incisor’s tearing out his eyes, fingernails slashing and hacking without mercy. Amane threw up and Miguel’s wife turned around. Dead, black eyes fixed on Joe and Amane.
    In the lounge, Evan was struggling to hold off Miguel’s mother. Behind the dead pale eyes, he could see a hunger, a fiery, burning passion to kill. He had grabbed a leg from the shattered table and brandished it like a sword, but the zombie paid no heed and kept swiping at Evan. There was a fireplace behind the zombie and Evan saw the sunlight glint off the coal shuttle. He lunged for it and the old woman fell on top of him. Evan’s hand pulled at the first thing it found, and he drove the copper poker into the zombie’s face, straight through her old brittle skull. Miguel’s mother stopped clawing at Evan and he pushed the