barely registered the corpse before it was upon her.
The corpse was a tall man with his nose torn away and face covered in long-frozen gore. He ground his teeth at Maylee, reaching for her.
Maylee stopped and raised her bat. Or rather, she intended to stop. Her feet hit the ice underneath and she kept going, sliding toward the biting mouth of the corpse.
She whipped her bat down and pushed it outward, aiming for the chest of the approaching corpse. The bat thudded into its torso, pushing it back and sending Maylee to one side. She tried to correct, slipped further, and fell to her face in the snow.
She heard the crack of rifle fire as she struggled to her feet. She stood, her feet slipping on the patch of ice she had cleared in her fall. The corpse, a hole now blown in its forehead, fell to the snow beneath her. Maylee heard a loud crack as the corpse hit the ice.
Her face was wet, wetter than the snow would account for. She looked down to where she had fallen. There was large crack where she had hit, with a series of jagged cracks spreading outward, water seeping through.
The rest of the Guard rushed up behind her. "Come on!" yelled one as they passed her. Maylee prepared to run.
Someone screamed to her right. She looked to see Walsh struggling with a corpse. The corpse—a large man with leathery skin split open by the cold—bit and hissed. Walsh kept him at bay with one gloved hand held against the corpse's forehead, but Maylee could tell he would soon slip.
Maylee ran for Walsh, slipping but doing her best to compensate. The rest of the guards rushed blindly past her, almost crashing into Maylee as she ran perpendicular to them. The ice cracked and shifted beneath her.
She reached the young man. "Duck!" she yelled. The young man saw her coming and did, dipping his head down just as Maylee whipped her bat into the corpse's face. It fell back, gurgling and spitting out broken rotten teeth.
"Go!" yelled Maylee as the young man straightened. He did, struggling on the shifting ice. Maylee brought her bat back around and split the corpse's head open. Black muck spread out across the ice as the corpse fell, and she felt the ice split further.
She ran as best she could. Cracks spread underfoot and water seeped up, washing away the snow. Footing became harder and harder as the ice grew wetter.
From the edge, the rest of the Guard cheered her and Walsh on. Maylee heard corpses behind her groan and stumble. She felt the ice grow weaker underneath. She felt certain they wouldn't make it.
Then her feet hit solid ground. She reached where the guards stood and kept going, struggling to stop in the snow. Finally she slowed down, sliding to a stop with snow collected around her ankles.
She stepped out of the packed snow and rushed back to the edge of the lake. Cracks covered the surface. Corpses moaned and shuffled around on the ice. Maylee trotted to a large rock set in the snow a few feet to her right. She dropped her bat, then picked up the rock with both hands. She carried it to the edge of the lake. Grunting, she flung it out onto the ice.
It hit with a thud, spreading cracks out from the impact. The ice groaned but held. The corpses continued making progress toward them.
"Oh for shit's sake," said Maylee, sighing. She snatched her bat up from the ground and dropped to her knees, slamming her bat into the ice. A loud snap rang out and a large crack spread from Maylee's bat across the ice. The ice groaned and finally gave way. Moaning and hissing, the corpses fell into the water. Making no attempt to swim, they thrashed around and quickly sunk.
Maylee stood. "That should keep them occupied for a while, at least."
She turned to grin at the guards. Walsh had his hands on his knees as he bent over, panting.
"You okay?" Maylee asked.
Walsh nodded.
"That almost was fun, wasn't it?" said Maylee.
Elton lowered his gun and stomped over to her. "You nearly got everyone killed."
Maylee ignored him. She moved to re-strap
The corpse was a tall man with his nose torn away and face covered in long-frozen gore. He ground his teeth at Maylee, reaching for her.
Maylee stopped and raised her bat. Or rather, she intended to stop. Her feet hit the ice underneath and she kept going, sliding toward the biting mouth of the corpse.
She whipped her bat down and pushed it outward, aiming for the chest of the approaching corpse. The bat thudded into its torso, pushing it back and sending Maylee to one side. She tried to correct, slipped further, and fell to her face in the snow.
She heard the crack of rifle fire as she struggled to her feet. She stood, her feet slipping on the patch of ice she had cleared in her fall. The corpse, a hole now blown in its forehead, fell to the snow beneath her. Maylee heard a loud crack as the corpse hit the ice.
Her face was wet, wetter than the snow would account for. She looked down to where she had fallen. There was large crack where she had hit, with a series of jagged cracks spreading outward, water seeping through.
The rest of the Guard rushed up behind her. "Come on!" yelled one as they passed her. Maylee prepared to run.
Someone screamed to her right. She looked to see Walsh struggling with a corpse. The corpse—a large man with leathery skin split open by the cold—bit and hissed. Walsh kept him at bay with one gloved hand held against the corpse's forehead, but Maylee could tell he would soon slip.
Maylee ran for Walsh, slipping but doing her best to compensate. The rest of the guards rushed blindly past her, almost crashing into Maylee as she ran perpendicular to them. The ice cracked and shifted beneath her.
She reached the young man. "Duck!" she yelled. The young man saw her coming and did, dipping his head down just as Maylee whipped her bat into the corpse's face. It fell back, gurgling and spitting out broken rotten teeth.
"Go!" yelled Maylee as the young man straightened. He did, struggling on the shifting ice. Maylee brought her bat back around and split the corpse's head open. Black muck spread out across the ice as the corpse fell, and she felt the ice split further.
She ran as best she could. Cracks spread underfoot and water seeped up, washing away the snow. Footing became harder and harder as the ice grew wetter.
From the edge, the rest of the Guard cheered her and Walsh on. Maylee heard corpses behind her groan and stumble. She felt the ice grow weaker underneath. She felt certain they wouldn't make it.
Then her feet hit solid ground. She reached where the guards stood and kept going, struggling to stop in the snow. Finally she slowed down, sliding to a stop with snow collected around her ankles.
She stepped out of the packed snow and rushed back to the edge of the lake. Cracks covered the surface. Corpses moaned and shuffled around on the ice. Maylee trotted to a large rock set in the snow a few feet to her right. She dropped her bat, then picked up the rock with both hands. She carried it to the edge of the lake. Grunting, she flung it out onto the ice.
It hit with a thud, spreading cracks out from the impact. The ice groaned but held. The corpses continued making progress toward them.
"Oh for shit's sake," said Maylee, sighing. She snatched her bat up from the ground and dropped to her knees, slamming her bat into the ice. A loud snap rang out and a large crack spread from Maylee's bat across the ice. The ice groaned and finally gave way. Moaning and hissing, the corpses fell into the water. Making no attempt to swim, they thrashed around and quickly sunk.
Maylee stood. "That should keep them occupied for a while, at least."
She turned to grin at the guards. Walsh had his hands on his knees as he bent over, panting.
"You okay?" Maylee asked.
Walsh nodded.
"That almost was fun, wasn't it?" said Maylee.
Elton lowered his gun and stomped over to her. "You nearly got everyone killed."
Maylee ignored him. She moved to re-strap
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