Best New Zombie Tales Trilogy Read Online Free PDF Page A

She did not make a sound, did not even breathe.
    “Nat?” Kirk whispered.
    She made a small clicking sound in her throat as she tried unsuccessfully to speak.
    Kirk took the sheet from the table and draped it over her shoulders, then helped her to her feet. He wrapped her in the sheet and put an arm around her. She felt cold through the cotton. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he whispered. Before leaving the basement, he bent down and grabbed the yellow Post-It note off the floor.
     
     
    - TWO -
     
    1.
     
    It had stopped raining shortly before Kirk entered the funeral home. Natalie’s bare feet slapped the wet sidewalk as she walked stiffly beside him, wrapped in the sheet, stumbling now and then. Her arms did not move at her sides and she did not bend her knees as she walked, and the only sound she made was a small gurgle in her throat. She appeared to be unable to move her mouth and her neck remained stiff. Kirk was still reeling from the fact that she’d sat up on the bed, that she had walked out of the funeral home with him, but he was starting to become concerned about her condition.
    Kirk could hear Randy and Liz inside the Focus well before he got there. Liz screamed when she saw Natalie, then babbled loudly, while Randy sat behind the wheel with bulging eyes repeating something over and over.
    Kirk opened the back door on the passenger side and said to Natalie, “Get in, honey, get in.”
    “Holy shit!” Randy said.
    Natalie had difficulty bending, but finally fell into the car and bent her knees with effort.
    Liz was crying as she babbled. “––my God, I can’t believe this, I can’t fucking believe it, oh my God, this isn’t real, this isn’t happening!”
    “Holy shit!” Randy said.
    Kirk persuaded Natalie to scoot over. He got into the car beside her and pulled the door shut. “Let’s get out of here,” he said.
    “Holy shit! Holy shit!”
    “Oh, Jesus,” Liz said, turned around in her seat so she could gape at Natalie, “this can’t be real, this is so fucked up, oh God, I can’t believe––”
    Kirk said, “Randy, get us out of here before someone sees us. And let’s roll down all the windows.”
    Randy continued to mutter, “Holy shit,” to himself as he started the car and put it in gear. The radio came on loudly, startling all of them, and he turned it off.
    Liz knelt in her seat, clutching the back of it as she gawked at Natalie. “Jesus, is that really her? Nat? Is it you, Nat?”
    “Just go , dammit,” Kirk said. “And sit down and put on your seatbelt, Liz.” He bent over Natalie and pulled the belt across her, buckled her in, then fastened his own.
    Liz reluctantly turned around in her seat and put on her belt.
    Randy pulled away from the curb, made a U-turn, and drove away from the funeral home. His wide eyes flashed in the rearview mirror as he glanced repeatedly at Natalie’s reflection.
    “Holy shit,” Randy said again, his voice a dry rasp. “She’s not bleeding, is she? My mom’ll kill me if I get blood in her car.”
    “Just drive, Randy,” Kirk said. “Everything’s fine.”
    With her head craned around, Liz stared at Natalie. “No-body’s gonna believe this. I can’t believe it, and I’m seeing it.”
    “Well, we’re not going to tell anyone, are we, Liz?” Kirk said.
    Randy said, “Don’t you think Luanne’s dad is gonna wonder what happened to her? Even Luanne will wonder. She’ll think you took her. I mean, they’re not gonna think Natalie just got up and walked out. Even though… she did.”
    “What time is it?” Kirk said.
    “She doesn’t blink,” Liz said.
    “What time is it,” Kirk asked again.
    “She doesn’t fucking blink , that’s so creepy .” She glanced at her watch. “It’s about ten minutes after eleven.”
    “Okay,” Kirk said, “my parents are in bed by now.”
    “Are you sure they aren’t up wondering where you are?” Randy asked.
    “I told them I’d be out late, and they were cool about