Deadies: Run for Your Life Read Online Free PDF Page A

master bedroom. This is where Michelle and Kaitlin sleep.
    Across the hall was another bedroom. He announced it as where Ray and Naveen slept.
    “ Where do you sleep?” I was curious.
    “ Up in the attic.” Nick pointed to the ceiling.
    “ Oh so you got your own place.” I teased.
    “ It’s the highest up and it has a window in front and one in back. I can see the freaks moving around outside.”
    “ Ooookkkkay.”
    “ Besides if they break in they’re going to eat everybody else in the house before they get to me.”
    I chuckled before I realized he was deadly serious, absolutely no fiction in his statement. “So let’s see the attic.”
    Nick didn’t speak he just lowered the attic’s staircase from the ceiling by a long leather cord. We walked up into the ceiling. The attic was large and mostly vacant, not at all like the attic’s I saw in movies. It was fairly spacious. We could walk around while standing upright. There was no old dusty antique furniture or molding clothes. There was an air mattress on the center of the floor alongside an oversized flashlight.
    “ I have first watch tonight. You probably want to get a good night’s rest. We have to go on a run tomorrow. The master bedroom is big so you should be okay in there. Kaitlin usually sleeps in the living room with her dad so you’ll have a lot of space with Michelle.”
    I thought carefully before I spoke. I wanted to phrase my request in the best way possible. Putting my foot in my mouth was not an option. “Nick, do you think it would be okay if I bunked in the attic with you?”
    His reaction was strange. He took two steps back away from me and kind of just stared. “I mean Michelle obviously doesn’t care for me. I could sleep on the floor. I feel better with you. I know my comfort level is not your concern but--”
    “ Fine, whatever,” Nick folded his arms over his chest.
    I held in my glee. I was from the city and city folks weren’t too trusting. Nick had proven himself to be a standup guy. He wasn’t a rapist. He had the opportunity to do that when he picked me up in his Camaro. He wasn’t a killer of the innocent. He could’ve killed me on Interstate fifty-five or worse, he could’ve let the deadies eat me to death.
    “ So what do you do when you look out?” I asked.
    “ I sit in this chair at this window and watch them. I sometimes move to the other window and do the same.”
    “ I’ll keep you company.” I offered.
    “ Fine, go get a chair from the kitchen and bring it up.”
    I left the attic and made my way to the second floor. I passed Michelle in the hall and she glared at me. She had bottled water in her hand and for a moment I thought she might bop me on the head with it. She went into the master bedroom and closed the door. Just as I thought, I wasn’t welcomed. I reached the stairs and literally ran into Joe the Marine. He had served time in Afghanistan. Kaitlin shared this tidbit when we talked earlier.
    “ Sorry.” I said as I smashed into him.
    “ You need to get some shut eye. You’re out and about tomorrow.”
    Aye, Aye sir was my first response but I nixed that for an, “Okay.” Joe passed me and made his way up to the attic. I assume he had to confer with Nick. I still can’t figure out who the leader of this mish-mash clan was.
    Downstairs was quiet. I grabbed a chair from the kitchen and made my way back upstairs and to the attic. Joe had left, I guess. Nick was alone sitting in the chair near the front window. I could barely see him. Only a faint light came from the full moon outside the window. I put my chair next to his but not in his personal space. The attic windows were some of the only open windows that weren’t boarded up. All the windows were boarded in the first and second levels.
    Nick palmed a can of beer that sat in between his legs and I wondered where it came from. He lifted the can to his lips and took in one huge gulp. “They know we’re in here.” He whispered. “They