Devouring The Dead (Book 2): Nemesis Read Online Free
out, give it a couple of minutes and they would be gone. The dead weren’t intelligent. They didn’t know that their prey could hide right under their noses. He might smell like the back end of a horse, but he would be alive at least.
Billy waited as the multitude of footsteps diminished and then began to sit up. It had only been one minute, two at the most, and he heard nothing. There were no shouts or screams, which was good. He hoped that meant Leonard had found somewhere to hide.
He pulled himself up to the edge of the skip and looked out. The alleyway was dark and empty. Billy felt such relief that he felt like crying. He let his head touch the cold metal of the skip and waited for his emotions to settle down. He would need a cool head out there to find Leonard.
He wasn’t paying attention to the skip anymore, feeling safe, and one of the black bags he had kicked to a corner moved. Just a little at first, a small movement so slight it wouldn’t have been noticeable to anyone who wasn’t looking for it. Suddenly, it began to jostle back and forth. Billy heard rustling behind him and whirled around to see a hand thrust out from beneath the bag. It reached around and Billy kept out of reach of it. He had seen so many things in the last few weeks he was not surprised. He was shocked that anything could be in here though. There wasn’t room for anyone else but him, and he would’ve noticed if he had lain on another body.
Billy inched his way slowly toward the side where he could clamber out and back onto the pallet to escape. The lone hand waved around in the air and then grabbed hold of a rotten piece of wood. It grabbed it and Billy watched in horror as the hand pulled the rest of its body up. A pale arm appeared, followed by a shoulder and finally a head. The dead woman must have been dead a long time, as she looked more like a skeleton. Only thin strips of skin hung on her face and Billy could clearly see her ribcage. The dead woman hauled herself up and Billy noticed that beneath the ribcage there was nothing but emptiness. With nothing else to hold her up, her skeletal body rested against the side of the skip. The lower half of her body was somewhere else, decapitated long ago and eaten.
Billy jumped for the pallet resting against the skip’s side , but the woman sprang forward at the same time. He felt fingers grab around his ankle and he fell backward into the rubbish once more. He writhed around in the sludge and the dirt as the dead woman sank her decayed teeth into his leg. Billy tried to kick the dead woman off, but she held on to him and continued tearing her way through his leg. He tried to sit up, but he could not get hold of anything substantial and the pain was overwhelming. His broken arm was useless and he tried to hit the woman’s head with his one free arm. Black bags kept falling on him as he screamed and shouted for help. He was aware of a warm wet liquid spreading down his legs and saw it was his own blood. The dead woman, still gripping him, had gnawed through to his bone.
He hoped Leonard had found somewhere safe. Billy could take no more and closed his eyes. He wished he could see him one more time. He wished he could have lived longer to help his friend. As the dead woman literally tore the last slices of life from Billy, his heart gave up and he died, wishing he could go back to the attic and stay with Lenny forever.
CHAPTER TWO
Heidi screwed her eyes up and then stretched out, extending her arms and legs, and arching her back. Yawning, she glanced at the clock on the wall. Her electric bedside clock had died, but the reliable battery-powered Swiss clock on the wall still ticked without fail, every second of every turgid, tedious day. It would never die. Only 8:25 P.M., Heidi was bored and frustrated. She shook her head as if to shake herself awake and picked up the book she was trying to read. It was some romantic historical novel her mother had recommended, but in
Billy waited as the multitude of footsteps diminished and then began to sit up. It had only been one minute, two at the most, and he heard nothing. There were no shouts or screams, which was good. He hoped that meant Leonard had found somewhere to hide.
He pulled himself up to the edge of the skip and looked out. The alleyway was dark and empty. Billy felt such relief that he felt like crying. He let his head touch the cold metal of the skip and waited for his emotions to settle down. He would need a cool head out there to find Leonard.
He wasn’t paying attention to the skip anymore, feeling safe, and one of the black bags he had kicked to a corner moved. Just a little at first, a small movement so slight it wouldn’t have been noticeable to anyone who wasn’t looking for it. Suddenly, it began to jostle back and forth. Billy heard rustling behind him and whirled around to see a hand thrust out from beneath the bag. It reached around and Billy kept out of reach of it. He had seen so many things in the last few weeks he was not surprised. He was shocked that anything could be in here though. There wasn’t room for anyone else but him, and he would’ve noticed if he had lain on another body.
Billy inched his way slowly toward the side where he could clamber out and back onto the pallet to escape. The lone hand waved around in the air and then grabbed hold of a rotten piece of wood. It grabbed it and Billy watched in horror as the hand pulled the rest of its body up. A pale arm appeared, followed by a shoulder and finally a head. The dead woman must have been dead a long time, as she looked more like a skeleton. Only thin strips of skin hung on her face and Billy could clearly see her ribcage. The dead woman hauled herself up and Billy noticed that beneath the ribcage there was nothing but emptiness. With nothing else to hold her up, her skeletal body rested against the side of the skip. The lower half of her body was somewhere else, decapitated long ago and eaten.
Billy jumped for the pallet resting against the skip’s side , but the woman sprang forward at the same time. He felt fingers grab around his ankle and he fell backward into the rubbish once more. He writhed around in the sludge and the dirt as the dead woman sank her decayed teeth into his leg. Billy tried to kick the dead woman off, but she held on to him and continued tearing her way through his leg. He tried to sit up, but he could not get hold of anything substantial and the pain was overwhelming. His broken arm was useless and he tried to hit the woman’s head with his one free arm. Black bags kept falling on him as he screamed and shouted for help. He was aware of a warm wet liquid spreading down his legs and saw it was his own blood. The dead woman, still gripping him, had gnawed through to his bone.
He hoped Leonard had found somewhere safe. Billy could take no more and closed his eyes. He wished he could see him one more time. He wished he could have lived longer to help his friend. As the dead woman literally tore the last slices of life from Billy, his heart gave up and he died, wishing he could go back to the attic and stay with Lenny forever.
CHAPTER TWO
Heidi screwed her eyes up and then stretched out, extending her arms and legs, and arching her back. Yawning, she glanced at the clock on the wall. Her electric bedside clock had died, but the reliable battery-powered Swiss clock on the wall still ticked without fail, every second of every turgid, tedious day. It would never die. Only 8:25 P.M., Heidi was bored and frustrated. She shook her head as if to shake herself awake and picked up the book she was trying to read. It was some romantic historical novel her mother had recommended, but in
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