The Screaming (Book 1): Dead City Read Free Page A

Paramedic approaching from his periphery. His head snapped round and his crimson eyes locked on to the startled paramedic who scuttled back, dropping the blanket in the blood pool.
                  The man’s mouth slowly dropped open, revealing his broken pus filled teeth. Suddenly he let out an immense chilling scream. The high pitched shriek pulsated through the crowd and reverberated around the mist filled dock. The terrifying child-like pitch unnervingly out of place from the mouth of a fully grown man, sent shivers of fear through the crowd who started stepping backwards, not taking their eyes off him. As if encouraged by the howls, the woman’s mouth also dropped open and released a scream more piercing and higher still. Soon multiple wails burst from the depths of the container, like a crescendo, their heads quickly scanning around the faces of their rescuers each locking onto a face filled with fear.
                  Several police officers pulled out their batons and racked them out with a sharp click and held them ready, instinct clearly kicking in. As sharply as it started, the screams stopped in an almost rehearsed synchronicity. Silence filled the air as ears rang with the echoes of screams. Parker flew back cracking his head on the floor, dazed, he shook his head and looked up to investigate the weight now crushing his chest. The man was on him, his hands clawing into his shoulders. Bodies piled out of the container like bats from a cave, running in every direction, each locking onto an unsuspecting uniform and launching into them.
                  Parker struggled and kicked at his attacker, landing a punch to his forehead. The man paused momentarily and then dipped his head down to Parker’s face and sunk his teeth into his cheek. He tore through the fleshy feast and pulled his prize clean from Parker’s face. Parker whimpered and wriggled but it was no use. The cheek was devoured and swallowed almost instantly and the teeth returned for more tearing into his neck. Blood sprayed from Parker like a hose pipe, covering his attacker in a fine red mist. Parker let out a desperate cry which soon tailed off as he drifted into unconsciousness. People bomb, burst in every direction, being run down by the fast pace of their pursuers.
                  One of the paramedics stumbled only yards from the container door and was set upon instantly by a young male, with hunger in his angry red eyes. The paramedic turned on to his front and reached out at nothing, praying for a miracle saviour. The young monster landed on his back and started clawing at his flesh, ripping through the desperate medics green overalls like paper, before digging his finger nails deep into the exposed fleshy lower back, tearing chunks of meat apart before thrusting his already blood stained face into the gaping wound and devouring his catch.
                  Several street hardened police officers stood their ground, batons drawn. As their opposing attackers launched themselves at them, batons were wildly swung in more desperation than aimed strikes. One Officer completely missed his target and was thrown to the ground by his own momentum and made a soft target for two attackers. One landed heavily on top of the officer, thrusting his knee straight into the back of the officer’s head. His face shattered under the pressure on the cold concrete dock floor. The unfortunate officer’s second attacker dived down to the legs and immediately started tearing at his calf muscles.
                  Panic was everywhere, screams from both attacker and victim reverberated around the misty ceiling. Pete cowered behind the forklift truck with his eyes shut tight and his hands over his ears to shelter himself from the nightmarish performance unfolding in front of him. He was picked out by a middle aged woman, as soon as she sprinted from the dark cage that had been her home for several weeks.