zombie simply laughed. Jim's ears rang from the explosion. Tammy lumbered forward again.
"Did you know that she still loved you? Oh yes. I can see it in here." The zombie tapped her forehead. "She
15
planned on leaving Rick so that the three of you could be a family again. But then you got re-married."
Jim screamed. An all-consuming rage swept over him. The veins in his neck and arms throbbed, and his body shook in anger.
"Shut up, you god-damn bitch!"
This time, his aim was true. The bullet left a small hole just above Tammy's eyes. The back of her head splattered across the wallpaper. He fired again and again-and again. His finger kept squeezing till the gun clicked empty. He stood over her corpse, looking down, and the gun slipped from his numb fingers.
"I'm sorry, Tammy. I wish things had ended differently between us. You may have taken Danny from me, but you didn't deserve this."
The hesitant shuffling sound behind the attic door repeated itself. Stepping over Tammy's remains, Jim started toward it.
"Danny?"
The door creaked open.
His son stepped out into the light.
"Danny!"
The tiny figure was silent, and then-
"Daddy? DADDY?"
"Danny! Oh my God ..."
The six-year old boy's hair had turned white. Not gray or silver, but snow white. There was a strict demarcation halfway down the length of his hair. Midpoint to the end was still brown, but the rest was white.
"Danny ..."
Danny ran to him and Jim hugged him tight, crushing his son against his chest. Both sobbed uncontrollably. The emotional weight crushed Jim-the disbelief that he'd actually found Danny alive, the overwhelming tidal
16
wave of relieved shudders descending down his spine, and just the sheer feel of his son in his arms.
"Oh, Danny. I can't believe it."
"Daddy, I thought you were dead. I thought you were like Mommy and Rick and-"
"It's okay, son. It's okay now. Daddy's here now, and I'm never leaving you again. It's okay. I promise it's okay. You're safe now. That's all that matters. Shhh."
There were black circles under Danny's eyes, and he'd lost a lot of weight. Jim felt his son's ribs sticking through the thin Spider-Man pajama shirt. He ran his hand through the boy's white hair. What had happened to him?
What happened to my son? What the hell happened here?
Danny pulled away. "Daddy! You're hurt!"
"It's okay. It's not my blood. It's ..."
Danny looked down at his mother's corpse and then buried his face in Jim's chest. He shuddered.
"You-you shot Mommy?"
"S-she wasn't your mother anymore, Danny. You know that, right?"
"Daddy, I was so scared. The monster-people came, and Mommy and I hid in the attic. Mommy got sick and then Rick came and I hurt him-I hurt him bad with his bowling ball so he wouldn't get Mommy, but Mommy never woke up, and when she did, she was one of the monster-people too, so I locked myself in the attic again and I blocked the door just like on TV, and Mommy kept trying to get in and-Daddy, WHERE WERE YOU? You said you'd always protect me, but you lied! You lied to me, Daddy!"
Jim squeezed him tighter. After a moment, he wiped his nose with his sleeve.
"I was on my way, Danny. I left as soon as I got your
17
message. I ran into some very bad people, and I got delayed. But that was a very smart thing you did, calling my cell phone. You were very brave, and I'm proud of you."
"Mommy said you wouldn't come. She said you didn't love me."
The familiar old anger surged through him, and for one brief second, he didn't regret shooting her reanimated corpse.
"When, Danny? When did she say that?"
"After she woke up again. When she was trying to get into the attic."
"Well, she was wrong. That wasn't your mother talking. And now that I'm here, nothing is going to ever hurt you again. I'll die first. Some friends of mine are waiting outside. But we've got to hurry, okay?"
Danny's cheeks were wet and puffy.
"I love you, Daddy. I love you more than 'finity."
Fresh tears rolled down Jim's face.
"Me too, buddy.
"Did you know that she still loved you? Oh yes. I can see it in here." The zombie tapped her forehead. "She
15
planned on leaving Rick so that the three of you could be a family again. But then you got re-married."
Jim screamed. An all-consuming rage swept over him. The veins in his neck and arms throbbed, and his body shook in anger.
"Shut up, you god-damn bitch!"
This time, his aim was true. The bullet left a small hole just above Tammy's eyes. The back of her head splattered across the wallpaper. He fired again and again-and again. His finger kept squeezing till the gun clicked empty. He stood over her corpse, looking down, and the gun slipped from his numb fingers.
"I'm sorry, Tammy. I wish things had ended differently between us. You may have taken Danny from me, but you didn't deserve this."
The hesitant shuffling sound behind the attic door repeated itself. Stepping over Tammy's remains, Jim started toward it.
"Danny?"
The door creaked open.
His son stepped out into the light.
"Danny!"
The tiny figure was silent, and then-
"Daddy? DADDY?"
"Danny! Oh my God ..."
The six-year old boy's hair had turned white. Not gray or silver, but snow white. There was a strict demarcation halfway down the length of his hair. Midpoint to the end was still brown, but the rest was white.
"Danny ..."
Danny ran to him and Jim hugged him tight, crushing his son against his chest. Both sobbed uncontrollably. The emotional weight crushed Jim-the disbelief that he'd actually found Danny alive, the overwhelming tidal
16
wave of relieved shudders descending down his spine, and just the sheer feel of his son in his arms.
"Oh, Danny. I can't believe it."
"Daddy, I thought you were dead. I thought you were like Mommy and Rick and-"
"It's okay, son. It's okay now. Daddy's here now, and I'm never leaving you again. It's okay. I promise it's okay. You're safe now. That's all that matters. Shhh."
There were black circles under Danny's eyes, and he'd lost a lot of weight. Jim felt his son's ribs sticking through the thin Spider-Man pajama shirt. He ran his hand through the boy's white hair. What had happened to him?
What happened to my son? What the hell happened here?
Danny pulled away. "Daddy! You're hurt!"
"It's okay. It's not my blood. It's ..."
Danny looked down at his mother's corpse and then buried his face in Jim's chest. He shuddered.
"You-you shot Mommy?"
"S-she wasn't your mother anymore, Danny. You know that, right?"
"Daddy, I was so scared. The monster-people came, and Mommy and I hid in the attic. Mommy got sick and then Rick came and I hurt him-I hurt him bad with his bowling ball so he wouldn't get Mommy, but Mommy never woke up, and when she did, she was one of the monster-people too, so I locked myself in the attic again and I blocked the door just like on TV, and Mommy kept trying to get in and-Daddy, WHERE WERE YOU? You said you'd always protect me, but you lied! You lied to me, Daddy!"
Jim squeezed him tighter. After a moment, he wiped his nose with his sleeve.
"I was on my way, Danny. I left as soon as I got your
17
message. I ran into some very bad people, and I got delayed. But that was a very smart thing you did, calling my cell phone. You were very brave, and I'm proud of you."
"Mommy said you wouldn't come. She said you didn't love me."
The familiar old anger surged through him, and for one brief second, he didn't regret shooting her reanimated corpse.
"When, Danny? When did she say that?"
"After she woke up again. When she was trying to get into the attic."
"Well, she was wrong. That wasn't your mother talking. And now that I'm here, nothing is going to ever hurt you again. I'll die first. Some friends of mine are waiting outside. But we've got to hurry, okay?"
Danny's cheeks were wet and puffy.
"I love you, Daddy. I love you more than 'finity."
Fresh tears rolled down Jim's face.
"Me too, buddy.
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