Box of Zombies: Rise of the Dead Volumes 1-3 Read Online Free Page A

vision, a hunched over figure rocked back and forth. It was nothing more than a suggestion of a human shape, but she knew what she was seeing. Her mind was gracious enough to fill in the blanks the darkness created. The wind rose, blowing a sick, rotten stink in her direction. It was a stink she knew from earlier. Some things wedged themselves into a person’s head and took up residence there. This smell was like that. It was the odor of death and decay.
    Feeling as though her head was filled with molten lead, Savannah got to her feet. Cautious, she took a small step backward, but something held her fast. A metal cuff was fastened around her wrist, attached to a thick chain.
    The same chain that kept undead Mikey from leaving the muddy backyard. She wet her lips and moved slowly, trying to stick to the heaviest shadows, to keep from being seen. She scanned the rest of the yard and then the back of the house. The windows appeared to be open, but were dark and the yard was deserted except for Mikey and her, and what was left of Morgan.
    Mikey remained where he was, hunched. A wet, smacking sound came from that direction, and Savannah made sure she didn’t look that way for too long. She wasn’t sure she could keep from screaming if she actually saw what Mikey was eating over there.
    She tugged at the cuff on her wrist. It was looser than she had first realized. She’d always had scrawny arms, but up until now, it had never been an attribute. She worked at it, trying unsuccessfully to remain calm. Her heart pounded
    against the walls of her chest and her hands shook. Worse, the cold night was getting to her. Her teeth chattered loudly, and she clenched her jaws to make them stop.
    Working up as much saliva as she could, Savannah spit on her wrist, just above the cuff, and began working the metal back and forth, pushing it farther up and on to her hand.
    For fuck’s sake! It’s stuck!
    Her arms might have been unnaturally scrawny, but her hands were long and wide. No wonder everyone called her monster. All she needed was a suit and she could’ve been The Slender Man.
    Determined, she pushed at the cuff again. It didn’t budge. Looking up, she realized Mikey had gotten his fill of Morgan’s shapely thigh. He stood, stooped and clumsy, and stared at her. His eyes appeared as a pair of black holes—even the moonlight didn’t reflect in them.
    He took an uncertain step toward her.
    Savannah tugged again at the cuff, this time with all the strength she had left. Her hand became a flaming agony under the metal, but she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t allow herself to be devoured alive by some B-movie reject. She’d seen them all. It wouldn’t be pretty and it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant.
    Another mighty pull at the cuff, and suddenly it gave. Along with her thumb. It popped neatly out of the socket with an audible snap. Savannah’s entire arm went limp for a moment and the world did a quick jig in front of her eyes.
    Then she was free. The cuff and chain clattered to the ground. The sound must have jarred something in undead Mikey’s rotted brain because he dashed at her, grunting like a wounded animal. Savannah cut to the right, Mikey’s ragged fingernails leaving a trio of deep grooves in the flesh of her shoulder.              
    She leapt out of the way, falling headlong into the yard. Gravel and sticks nicked her naked
    breasts and gouged her palms as she tried to stop her fall. Either way, Mikey wasn’t coming. His tether held him fast. He struggled against the chain, but couldn’t take another step closer.
    “Fuck you, you sad freak,” Savannah muttered, climbing to her feet.

EIGHT
    MONSTER MANS-UP
     
    She padded toward the back porch, unsure of what exactly she was going to do. She had to get away from there, but she couldn’t go very far wearing only a pair of panties. She was already freezing. And the south was supposed to be warm and balmy. Bullshit to that.
    The old stairs sighed under