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Authors: Rhiannon Frater

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BOOK: The Living Dead Boy
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“Kelly? It’s Rach. Hey, is something going on? Bonnie is acting weird and I thought I heard someone screaming.”

Bonnie rested her head on Rachel’s knee and stared at her.

“You think it’s them again? It makes sense. The last time he chased her down the street. I don’t know why she keeps going back. I just got scared.” Rachel laughed nervously and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “I’m still...you know...adjusting.”

The next door neighbor’s voice sounded strange and small emanating from the phone.  Bonnie liked Kelly. She gave Bonnie cookies and let her play with her human pups.

After a few minutes, Rachel hung up and sighed with relief. “We’re okay, Bonnie. It’s just that couple down the street fighting again. We’re okay.”

Bonnie whined softly in her throat, knowing this was not the case, but unable to communicate that truth to Rachel. She finally settled on following Rachel around as she prepared to go to bed. The dog didn’t smell that terrible scent in the house, but she still felt very uneasy.

Finally, they settled into Rachel’s big bed together. Rachel wrapped her arms around Bonnie.

“I love you, Bonnie,” Rachel whispered.

Bonnie snuggled close to Rachel, lovingly licking her face.

Finally, Rachel fell asleep. Bonnie slowly wormed her way out of her grasp and took up a sentry position at the end of the bed. Ears alert, sniffing deeply every once in a while, Bonnie sat guard through the night.

 

“Shit! We’re going to miss the bus,” Rachel exclaimed. She rushed around the kitchen, her hands skimming over the surface of the counter, trying to locate her keys and phone.

Bonnie finished gulping down her breakfast and lapped up some water. The night had been rough for her. She had fallen asleep a few times on watch only to be awakened by a scream somewhere in the distance. She didn’t want to go outside, but Rachel didn’t seem to understand that something very bad had been happening all night.

“Okay, I got my things. Let’s get going, Bonnie.”

The dog stood patiently while Rachel fitted the harness on her and fumbled with the straps.

Bonnie licked Rachel’s fingers and looked warily toward the front door. The bad smell was stronger this morning. Not in the house, but somewhere nearby.

“Almost ready, little girl,” Rachel said, tugging the last one into place.

Rachel grabbed hold of the harness and grabbed her white cane from beside the door. “Let’s hurry. The bus will be here soon.”

Bonnie licked her muzzle in anticipation and tensed as Rachel opened the front door.

“Let’s go,” Rachel said.

Bonnie hesitated, breathing in the scents from outside. There were multiple bad smells out there. She stepped out onto the porch and looked toward the front gate. The street before the house was empty. The sky was gray as morning crept over the hills to push back the darkness.

Rachel stumbled slightly behind her and pulled at her backpack irritably. “Nothing is going right this morning.”

Bonnie’s nose twitched. She caught that terrible scent nearby. The dog stopped in her tracks and decided it was time to take a stand. Planting her four paws apart, she refused to move.

“Bonnie, c’mon. Let’s go!” Rachel tugged at the harness.

Bonnie held fast, not budging an inch. She wasn’t sure where that terrible smell was coming from. It was hard to track with the wind ricocheting off the trees and buildings around her, disrupting the scent.

“Dammit, Bonnie!” Rachel kept pulling on the harness, her expression desperate. “I can’t be late to class. I’m going to miss the bus! C’mon!”

Bonnie began to pull backwards, trying to get Rachel into the house.

“Fine! I can do this myself!” Rachel abruptly let go of the harness. “I’ll go by myself, Bonnie. Okay! I can do this. I can!” Rachel turned on her heel and tapped at the walkway with her cane. “I’m going, Bonnie! You’re being a bad dog!”

Bonnie whined, hoping Rachel would understand she was being a
good
dog. She was trying to take care of her.

Rachel reached the gate and began to unhook the latch.

Bonnie barked with agitation, but her owner determinedly stepped out of the gate and onto the sidewalk.

The dog rushed after her mistress, skirted out of the gate just before it shut, and shoved herself up against Rachel.

Despite her anger, Rachel sighed with relief and grabbed hold of the harness. “Thank you, Bonnie. Thank you.”

Bonnie licked Rachel’s hand, then hurried her down the broken sidewalk toward the corner. The bus stop was just one block away and she needed to get Rachel on the bus. Something very bad was nearby.

When they rounded the corner, Bonnie was glad Rachel couldn’t see otherwise she may have screamed, and that would have been a bad thing. A group of people were gathered around a car, pulling at a woman and man inside. Blood was all over the humans and Bonnie could smell death in the car. The nasty people shoved big chunks of meat into their mouths. The sound of the morning traffic just a block away muted the sound of the feast.

The bus stop lay in the opposite direction from the bloodied people. Bonnie picked up the pace, pulling Rachel along behind her. She thought about going back to the house, but Rachel would fight her and get upset. That would draw attention.

Bonnie glanced behind her warily to see the bizarre smelling humans were still gathered around the car. The dog tried to speed up, but Rachel struggled a little behind her.

“We’re going to miss the bus, aren’t we? Do you hear it? Is that why we’re rushing?” Rachel asked.

Bonnie winced and immediately looked behind them. A bloodied young man, his eyes murky with death, was just coming around the street corner when Rachel spoke. He heard her and turned to look toward the dog and his companion. The man that was dead, yet not, let out a screech that made Bonnie start in fright.

He charged toward them.

Bonnie broke into a run.

Rachel nearly fell, but managed to get her feet under her and follow. “Bonnie! What is it? What’s that noise? Bonnie!”

Bonnie let out a sharp bark and tried to maneuver Rachel over the more even parts of the sidewalk, but Rachel kept stumbling and that messed up man was getting closer. Bonnie could hear his growls and his heavy footfalls.

Then she heard another sound.  A better sound. It was the bus!

“Bonnie, the bus! It’s the bus!” Rachel exclaimed. She was breathing hard, but she was running as fast as she could, trusting Bonnie completely to guide her to safety.

Bonnie could hear the hisses and growls of the deranged creature. The dead, but not dead man was almost on them. Bonnie dared a look behind her and was horrified to see other bloodied, messed-up people running toward them, too.

“Bonnie! Bonnie! I’m so scared!” Rachel cried.

Rachel’s foot caught the edge of the sidewalk and fell. She managed to land on one knee and the palms of her hands. Rachel was pushing herself up off the sidewalk when the bloodied man grabbed her.

Bonnie twisted about and attacked. Bonnie drove her body into his legs, knocking him aside. His hands gripped Rachel’s backpack, trying to drag her to the ground. Rachel managed to get her arms free of the pack and scrabbled away.  Unable to see, she held out her hands in front of her, lost and unsure in which direction she should go. Bonnie immediately rushed to Rachel’s side and nudged her. Rachel screamed, then realized it was Bonnie. She grabbed the harness and together they ran.

The big bus was rumbling down the street. Bonnie could smell it and hear it distinctly. Inside was safety for her and Rachel.

“I can hear it! I can hear it!” Rachel gasped.

They were almost to the corner. Bonnie began to bark shrilly as the bus roared toward them. Bonnie willed the big green beast to stop. One of the dead things was following her and Rachel.

Inside the bus were people. People who didn’t smell weird, but smelled of sweat, soap, perfume, food and fear.

“Don’t stop! Don’t stop!” a man’s voice shouted inside the bus. “There’s one right behind her!”

“Stop! Stop!” other voices cried out.

“Please stop!” Rachel screamed.

The doors began to open despite the protests of someone inside. The dead thing was almost close enough to grab Rachel. Bonnie ran Rachel right up to the stairs. She saw Derrick inside, reaching forward to grip Rachel’s hand.

Satisfied that Derrick was going to help Rachel, Bonnie yanked free of Rachel’s grasp and launched herself into the dead man about to grab Rachel. The thing howled as her body drove him away from Rachel and the bus.

The dead thing kicked Bonnie savagely and Bonnie yelped in pain. The growling dead man leaped toward Rachel as she was dragged into the bus, his mangled hands reaching for her. Bonnie’s claws skittered on the asphalt. She got some traction and launched herself at him again. Grabbing him by the seat of his pants, her teeth bit into the fabric and his soft flesh, and she wrenched him backwards onto the ground.

The bus lurched forward and Bonnie heard Rachel scream her name.

The dog glanced over her shoulder at the bus roaring away, then back toward the creatures racing toward her. The creature beside her climbed to his feet and ran after the bus.

“Run, Bonnie, run!” the dog faintly heard Rachel screaming.

Bonnie realized the dead, but living things didn’t want her. They wanted Rachel and the others. Rachel still needed her.

With a growl, Bonnie rushed after the bus. She knew where the next bus stop was. If she could get there, maybe the bus would stop for her and then she could take care of Rachel.

Bonnie had never run so fast in her life. Her four paws powerfully hit the ground, propelling her forward. She raced past the bloody man chasing the bus and kept running. She could hear the other dead ones behind her. The bus was in sight and she could reach the next bus stop before it if she tried hard enough.

All around her people were screaming, cars were honking, and the world was sinking into chaos, but Bonnie kept running, her brown eyes steady on the bus. She could hear Rachel and Derrick screaming for her to run faster. She could see Oscar and Melissa in the back window urging her to hurry. And she could hear the man’s voice calling out “Stop Requested” as Rachel pulled down on the yellow cord over the window.

Bonnie pulled out all her reserves and surged past the bus. She almost slid into the bench at the next bus stop when she managed to reach it before the bus.

“Stop! Stop! Stop!” Rachel’s voice screamed.

“It’s just a dog,” a man’s voice shouted.

Bonnie looked behind her to see the dead people. She whined as the big green bus drew closer. She could see Rachel crying and Derrick yelling at the bus driver to stop.

The bus brakes groaned when the big bus came to an abrupt halt in front of the Golden Retriever. Bonnie glanced over at the dead people that had just reached the rear of the bus. The mangled man who had attacked Rachel was even closer.

The doors snapped open and Bonnie leaped on. She dove past Derrick’s legs just as he raised a heavy toolbox and smashed in the face of the dead man trying to get onto the bus. She saw Rachel holding her arms out to her and Bonnie leaped into them.

Rachel buried her face in Bonnie’s neck and wept as the bus lurched forward and the doors snapped shut. Derrick looked toward Bonnie and Rachel and took a deep breath. Outside the dead, but living creatures were howling and screaming. Silence filled the bus.

“It’s just a dog,” a man in a suit and tie finally said in a trembling voice.

“She’s more than that,” Derrick answered him. “Can’t you see?”

Bonnie snuggled against Rachel. Both of their hearts were beating hard and, strangely, in sync.

“You saved me, Bonnie, you saved me,” Rachel whispered. “You’re a good dog.”

Bonnie licked Rachel’s face once more. Slowly, she smiled her doggy smile as the bus rumbled on satisfied that they were both together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the
As the World Dies
trilogy (
The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,
) and the author of other books, including: the vampire novels
Pretty When She Dies, The Tale of the Vampire
Bride and its sequel
The Vengeance of the Vampire Bride,
the young-adult zombie novel
The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters
and her most recent release, the futuristic zombie novel
The Last Bastion of the Living
. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published
The First Days
in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both
The First Days
and
Fighting to Survive
, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to [email protected].

 

 

To contact the author directly, email her at:

[email protected].

 

For more information on her writing, find her at:

www.rhiannonfrater.com

BOOK: The Living Dead Boy
4.14Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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