Doorways (A Book of Vampires, Werewolves & Black Magic) (The Doorways Trilogy - Book One) Read Online Free
Author: Tim O'Rourke
the hilt of one of his crossbows, preparing to defend himself should one of these things come for him.
‘You’re wasting your time! You ain’t gonna kill them,’ William said from inside the stagecoach. ‘Didn’t I tell ya? They’re already dead! ’
Zach wheeled round, peering into the darkness of the carriage.
‘What!? Like zombies?’ he asked.
‘Not exactly – but similar,’ William said.
The earth beneath Zach’s feet began to tremble and the horses (if that’s what they were) began to wail with fright and started to edge forward pulling the stagecoach deeper into the forest. Failing to notice the stagecoach moving away, Zach looked in horror as a set of dead-looking fingers shot from beneath the earth inches from his feet. He staggered backwards as the fingers were followed by an arm, a pair of shoulders and then a head. The creature twisted and turned in the hole like a bloated worm and turned to face Zach.
He looked at it and the zombie-thing was grotesque. With eyes that were white and blank, the thing stared at Zach as he inched himself away. Opening its mouth to reveal a fleshy set of black gums, the zombie-thing grinned. A globule of creamy, yellow-looking pus ran over its tongue and onto the forest floor. Releasing an agonising groan from the back of its throat, the thing reached out towards Zach with a pair of decaying hands. The fingers were knotted like twisted tree roots.
‘Will you stop playing around back there and come give me a hand!’ William shouted, thrusting his head out of the carriage to look for his companion.
Hearing his voice, Zach turned his back on the creature and charged towards the carriage.
‘Take her legs!’ William said, diving back into the stagecoach.
Without w arning, a pair of naked feet were thrust into the open doorway and Zach wrapped his arms around them.
‘Pull! Pull!’ William urged.
Zach pulled on the legs and a semi-conscious girl appeared in the carriage doorway cradled in William’s arms. The groaning was closer now and looking over his shoulder, Zach could see the zombie-thing lumbering towards them. Its arms were outstretched and its hands were clawing at the air like a terrified child searching for its mother in the dark.
‘Faster! Faster!’ Zach shouted, carrying the girl between them like a stretcher.
‘They won’t hurt us,’ William assured him, pulling the girl’s legs free from Zach’s grasp and swooping her up into his arms.
‘How can you be so sure they won’t hurt us?’ Zach said, the zombie-thing inches from them.
‘Because she’s with us,’ William said, nodding towards the girl.
Zach looked at her. She was about seventeen years old and very undernourished. Her skin was waxy-looking and pale, and a fine sheen of perspiration covered her brow and cheeks. She looked like a waxwork that had started to melt. The girl’s eyes rolled in their sockets and she murmured as if talking in her sleep. She was delirious. Her hair was long and thick and it lay in dark ringlets about her shoulders.
‘Who is she?’ Zach whispered.
William pulled the girl’s cloak tight over her as if to keep her warm.
‘Who is she?’ Zach asked again.
‘She’s one of them ,’ William replied, nodding in the direction of the approaching creatures.
Chapter 5
‘What do you mean she’s one of them ?’ Zach asked, following William deeper into the forest, where the trees huddled together like muggers on street corners.
‘She’s a Slath!’ William shouted back over his shoulder, carrying the girl in his arms.
Zach jogged to keep up, his crossbows bouncing against his thighs. Even though the wolf-type creature was carrying the girl, he moved with such speed and agility that Zach had trouble keeping up with him. Zach was now grateful for all those early morning runs he had taken along the beach.
‘What’s a Slath ?’ Zach puffed.
‘They’re the night-folk. They live by night, hiding away from the sun by day – it can
‘You’re wasting your time! You ain’t gonna kill them,’ William said from inside the stagecoach. ‘Didn’t I tell ya? They’re already dead! ’
Zach wheeled round, peering into the darkness of the carriage.
‘What!? Like zombies?’ he asked.
‘Not exactly – but similar,’ William said.
The earth beneath Zach’s feet began to tremble and the horses (if that’s what they were) began to wail with fright and started to edge forward pulling the stagecoach deeper into the forest. Failing to notice the stagecoach moving away, Zach looked in horror as a set of dead-looking fingers shot from beneath the earth inches from his feet. He staggered backwards as the fingers were followed by an arm, a pair of shoulders and then a head. The creature twisted and turned in the hole like a bloated worm and turned to face Zach.
He looked at it and the zombie-thing was grotesque. With eyes that were white and blank, the thing stared at Zach as he inched himself away. Opening its mouth to reveal a fleshy set of black gums, the zombie-thing grinned. A globule of creamy, yellow-looking pus ran over its tongue and onto the forest floor. Releasing an agonising groan from the back of its throat, the thing reached out towards Zach with a pair of decaying hands. The fingers were knotted like twisted tree roots.
‘Will you stop playing around back there and come give me a hand!’ William shouted, thrusting his head out of the carriage to look for his companion.
Hearing his voice, Zach turned his back on the creature and charged towards the carriage.
‘Take her legs!’ William said, diving back into the stagecoach.
Without w arning, a pair of naked feet were thrust into the open doorway and Zach wrapped his arms around them.
‘Pull! Pull!’ William urged.
Zach pulled on the legs and a semi-conscious girl appeared in the carriage doorway cradled in William’s arms. The groaning was closer now and looking over his shoulder, Zach could see the zombie-thing lumbering towards them. Its arms were outstretched and its hands were clawing at the air like a terrified child searching for its mother in the dark.
‘Faster! Faster!’ Zach shouted, carrying the girl between them like a stretcher.
‘They won’t hurt us,’ William assured him, pulling the girl’s legs free from Zach’s grasp and swooping her up into his arms.
‘How can you be so sure they won’t hurt us?’ Zach said, the zombie-thing inches from them.
‘Because she’s with us,’ William said, nodding towards the girl.
Zach looked at her. She was about seventeen years old and very undernourished. Her skin was waxy-looking and pale, and a fine sheen of perspiration covered her brow and cheeks. She looked like a waxwork that had started to melt. The girl’s eyes rolled in their sockets and she murmured as if talking in her sleep. She was delirious. Her hair was long and thick and it lay in dark ringlets about her shoulders.
‘Who is she?’ Zach whispered.
William pulled the girl’s cloak tight over her as if to keep her warm.
‘Who is she?’ Zach asked again.
‘She’s one of them ,’ William replied, nodding in the direction of the approaching creatures.
Chapter 5
‘What do you mean she’s one of them ?’ Zach asked, following William deeper into the forest, where the trees huddled together like muggers on street corners.
‘She’s a Slath!’ William shouted back over his shoulder, carrying the girl in his arms.
Zach jogged to keep up, his crossbows bouncing against his thighs. Even though the wolf-type creature was carrying the girl, he moved with such speed and agility that Zach had trouble keeping up with him. Zach was now grateful for all those early morning runs he had taken along the beach.
‘What’s a Slath ?’ Zach puffed.
‘They’re the night-folk. They live by night, hiding away from the sun by day – it can
Readers choose
Michael Collins
Jess Dee
Jeffrey D. Sachs
S.M. Schmitz
Sean Hoade
Dyan Sheldon
Jodi Picoult
Joe Ducie
J. S. Bangs
Ros Baxter