Mel watched along with the other zombies in the hallway as the child zombie looked at the humans . The look was powerful , feral and so viscous that it did not belong on any child . Even the zombies felt afraid of the child , none dared to get near him .
The child had appeared infront of them when they climbed up the stairs . He had looked at them with bright blue eyes . They'd been so ethereal that Mel had been awe struck , so awe struck he spoke .
" Pre...tea ." He had said and the toddler zombie had smiled , showing sharp canines.
He'd pointed at Mel and he'd stepped up , feeling something he had not in a long time ; fear . It was true zombies could die but why would you be afraid of that if you're already dead ?
But Mel could feel something about the toddler zombie , an aura of power . A strange leaking power that , as soon as he was infront of the child , felt like the hard stone of granite rubbing on his skin .
How could he feel that ? Zombies couldn't feel anything !
The child had looked at him with his shiny eyes and then he spoke . Not the dumb mumble bumble of a child but the clear words of someone far above his appearance.
" You stay infront . " He said to Mel and it seemed to echo into his mind and make him obey .
" All of you , come . " The child zombie said to the other zombies behind Mel .
The horde of zombies all obeyed and moved forward with Mel infront of them and the child zombie leading the way .
Then they had seen the human , shooting zombies and when he had seen them , he had turned around and ran . The child had walked up to the zombies dead on the floor and waved his hand . They had crumbled and chunked into dust .
" Come . " The child had said and he had a angry frown on his face , " Punishment . "
" Punish...ment arghhh ! " The zombies had felt the word in their very bones , breaking through their throats and demanding escape. But they didn't show any surprise for speaking , only continuing to follow the child .
That's when they had come upon another human , who was carrying an injured human . The human dropped the injured human and ran away , but the zombies were ignoring him and looking at the toddler zombie .
His aura had changed and it became suffocating , like being buried alive and being unable to even rise up . To a zombie that was a nightmare , to arise but be trapped forever . At least it was the fear of one zombie in that horde .
Now the toddler zombie stood glaring at the other humans above them . Mel could feel the fear in their hearts , it made him hungry . A few zombies growled and he realized they were feeling the same way .
Was it because of the child ?
.....
Will didn't know what the thing downstairs was but he knew what he was going to do .
" Ahh ! " He shouted as he fired at the toddler zombie but before the bullet could hit , a zombie jumped infront of it . The other zombies began to move to block the child but Will wouldn't have it .
" Cover me ! " He yelled and his teammates nodded their heads .
Will fired several shots and killed off five zombies , then he grabbed his Crux , his eyes aimed at the toddler zombie . Justin and Darwin fired at the incoming zombies , making room for their captain .
When Will reached the child , he saw it was glaring at him but it didn't try to run . He smirked and aimed for it's neck . A hand reached out and grabbed his wrist .
It was a zombie with one eye and brunette hair , glaring at him . Will lifted his hand , and pulled it's wrist , before raising a leg and kicking it in the chest . Mel was knocked back and Will wasted no time . His hand swept down at the child's neck .
That's when she came .
...
A green light had risen from behind Justin and Darwin , like a tiny spark it moved in the air until it reached Will and the zombie child . When he was about to cut off the child's head , the light grew .
A small spark turned brighter and became a flame and then the flame combusted in a shower of green embers . It was beautiful , ethereal and eerie . Inside the ember , a woman stood as still as a ghost , her face and body covered and hidden by a veil of black and green .
When she took a breath , no one could breath , and when she breathed out , the air tasted like the insides of a dead donkey . She raised her head and looked at Will and the zombie child . The child looked at her with wary eyes as if knowing what was coming next .
This whole time Will was still aiming to cut off the child's neck but when the women came , time seemed to slow down . The air seemed to freeze over and it was as if the cold touch of death was in the wind and sky .
The woman who had appeared watched as the Crux neared the child's neck . She raised her index finger and placed it on her mouth , the air seemed to get even colder than before . Death was no longer in the wind and sky , but in every breath and under every piece of flesh . It's icy grip of fear and darkness held everyone in place as the woman spoke .
" Shh "
It was a whisper of a word , but unlike the child zombie's whisper , this one was as loud as an after shock of an explosion . The frozen air shook and quivered , like crystals ready to shatter and that is what happened .
Right as Will's Crux met the child zombie's flesh , it quivered , slightly shook and shattered like glass . The pieces blew up like a hammer had struck the knife to smithereens . Time moved back to normal as Will was thrown back , his eyes wide , confused and his heart feeling heavy .
And he wasn't alone .
The humans could now feel what the zombies were feeling . The presence of the woman was now affecting them aswell . Will and his team took deep chilly breaths that put the arctic wind to shame and made the hair on their necks stand up .
Their eyes were locked upon the woman who stood still and unmoving like a dark statue of the underworld , ominous and foreboding . They didn't dare speak , their bodies didn't allow them to . As if they were instinctively afraid of her .
" What an audacious thing you nearly did here . " The woman spoke and her voice echoed in the air and the minds of everyone , it was a gentle voice with a touch of dark fear , like a dagger's kiss on the throat .
" I am sorry mother . " The child zombie said walking up to her with his head down , " But they - "
" What they did matters little . To call me here when you know I must find her ... I am very disappointed . " The woman leaned down and placed a hand onto the child's cheek . The little zombie flinched but did not draw back from her touch . Her hand was cold and pale looking , barely anything but skin on bones .
" Very disappointed . " The woman said softly rubbing his cheek and the child zombie's body began to shrink . The flesh seemed to sag over his little frame as if the little life he had was being snatched away .
It was only when his body looked like that of an old man , that the lady let him go . The child zombie stepped back with his head bowed down and his body so delicate a breath could turn it to dust .
" Bang ! "
A shot went through the air and a moment later , a pair of dented bullets fell to the floor . The woman turned around and faced Will , the one who had just fired at her . Her stance seemed to be both annoyed and indifferent .
" Who ... What are - ahh ! " Will cried out as the woman took off her hood and looked at him .
Her face was pale and bloodless , her eyes hollow empty sockets in her skull and her mouth had thin and puckered lips . When the humans saw such a thing they felt like running but the woman raised her hand and beckoned Darwin and Justin to come .
The two men moved down the stairs slowly , their faces the very picture of fearful reluctance . They didn't want to come to her , especially not after Will shot her . What had she'd done to the zombie was still in their eyes .
" Darwin , Justin and Willson . " She said their names and their eyes grew wide .
" You know who we are ? " Darwin spoke in a small voice .
The lady laughed , a soft but powerful echo that moved across the room . With a wave of her right hand , she showed them an brown hourglass. It's too and base were carved in the shape of claws and inside , it was flowing with black sand . Inside its surface , three faces appeared , the three men's faces .
" This is your fate . " She said , " I see it . I am it . I am the one who ends the thread when it reaches it's limit . I am the one who takes those who have reached their end . I am your end and more . I am the final end . "
The lady's eyes grew two distinct green lights on her eyes like two balls of flame ," I am Death ."
If the humans were afraid before , now they were consumed by terror . In their hearts they believed her , they had to . Her face alone was akin to the image of death they knew . Her cold and heartless nature was apparent and so was her horrible power .
They regretted coming there .
The lady's eyes looked at them impassively , and then they looked down to the human on the floor . Her hand reached up and touched her chest and she stepped back as if surprised .
" It can not be . " She said and moved towards Lesley's body , touching his face .
She could tell he was unconscious , his body was severely broken and that without help ,he'd be dead in a few hours . So , she took his bleeding hand and placed her own palm above it . A strange green glow flowed from her hand into Lesley's own hand .
" Mother ? " The child zombie spoke , " Is he my - "
" No . Right now he is nothing to us . " She said and looked around the room until her eyes landed on Mel .
" You . " She pointed at him , " Come and take this mortal . Not to eat . To help . "
Mel walked up and looked down at Lesley , avoiding to look at Death . He was feeling fear again but this time it was in his chest and not his skin . It made him want to quiver and crumble but her voice demanded obedience . He could feel that what she said was what would happen .
Lesley was breathing shallowly and his body was bruised , so when Mel came up and lifted him bridal style , the redhead groaned in his sleep . He moved his head towards Mel's chest and away from Death .
The cloaked spectre did not fail to notice this but she gave it no voice .
" Leave with him . " She said and then she turned around , " None will feast on him . Do you all hear me ? From Death these words come ; Lesley Woodsman shall neither be dead nor undead . He , "
She turned to him with a meaningful look , " is mine . "
The words she spoke echoed across the hallway and into the very air beyond the hospital . Soon it would be known what Death had meant but right then she had more important matters .
" Take him away. " She said dismissively .
Mel walked away from them all , passing through the zombie horde that made way for him . It was the most disconcerting thing that Will had ever seen and if he'd had a gun , he'd shoot them both dead. But he feared what the woman would do to him .
" Let us go . " Death said and the child zombie walked up to her .
" You have no reason to fear . " Death told them waving her hand in a circle , " Atleast none yet . "
Will and his teammates looked around them and saw that they were surrounded . The zombies and gone onto the stairs and now they had no way to flee .
" I will not hurt you . But , I cannot deny my children such fresh meat that lies before them . " Death said and gave a distinct chuckle .
Then in a glow of darkness and green amber , the two beings disappeared and left Will and his team with the zombies . As soon as they were gone , the zombies charged for them .
No , Will thought , after everything I've done . Everything I've sacrificed and had to endure . I can't die here , I won't die here ! He quickly grabbed his Skillet and started shooting around at the zombies .
Justin and Darwin looked at him and then at the zombies . Even they could tell that there were too many . They couldn't last for more than a few minutes and then -
" Don't just fucking sit there . Stand up and fire ! " Will shouted at them . But the two men didn't move .
" You pathetic pieces of shit ! " Will shouted , " Don't go acting like God damned rookies . "
The zombies were closing in on them and Will was having a harder time keeping them back . But he still carried on shooting , his eyes hard and angry . He would die fighting or live to fight again .
" Ahh ! " Darwin shouted when a zombie grabbed him and bit his arm .
Justin shot the zombie and that got him on his feet . He knew they would die but he had to fight , right ? He looked down at Darwin who was holding his arm and crying tears behind his shades .
" Darwin . " He said , " there is some medicine in my pocket , take it . It can stop your change . I'll make a path for you . Run up the stairs and keep running until you find a place to hide . "
Darwin took the medicine from Justin's pocket , a syringe with blue fluid and injected his arm with it . The greenish coloring that had appeared quickly disappeared from his arm .
" Ready ? " Justin asked him .
" But I'm - "
" Move ! " Justin aimed at one spot near the stairs , started firing at the zombies and clearing a small way for Darwin to go through .
Darwin looked at Justin and felt a warmth and sense of regret . He got up and ran at the path that he made . Justin fired continuously , making sure no zombie followed him upstairs . Luckily , Darwin was already gone when he ran out of ammo .
" Fucking great plan ! " Will said sarcastically as he looked at Justin , " How are we going to escape ? "
" We're not . " Justin said as he grabbed his Crux and stabbed Will in the back .
" Gahhh ! " Will cried out as the knife pierced through him and then he cried out when a zombie jumped him .
" Noo-" he didn't get to finish his cry before the zombie dug into his mouth with it's teeth, chucking off his lips in one bite .
More zombies piled ontop of them , Justin included , grabbing skin and tearing it off like gift rapper . Their bodies were peeled clean till they were like bananas and the feasting had only begun .
Teeth sunk into muscle , chomping it apart , revealing more delicious flesh , dripping with blood . The horde was ruthless ,and plucked out Will's genitalia , chewing it up like candy . Fortunately Will would never know it .
Justin had his skull smashed open , inorder to get to his brain . His skull was pulled apart ,as the zombies each tried to get to the squashy , delectable organ . One zombie pulled out his eyeballs and swallowed them whole . Blood and flesh was everywhere making the scene as gruesome as a nightmare .
And they were only getting started.