Winter's Salvation Read Free

everything up?”  His left hand pressed hard against his left ear and he hunched over as if that were going to turn the volume down on the TV.  “Dad, hello Dad,” He looked at his phone and a message on the screen read network busy .
    Rod took his eyes off the screen and looked to Eric.  “What did your dad say?”
    “He said the same thing the T.V. said.  Lock everything up and don’t go outside.”
    “Are they ok?”
    “Yeah, so far.  He locked everything up, but he’s like seventy years old,” His voice cracked, but he regained his composure.  
    The sounds of squealing tires followed crushing metal and then car alarms sounded through the house.  Dave looked out the front window to see a baby blue colored Toyota Celica crashed across the parking lot about twenty feet from the red headed woman with three people running behind it.  The people gorging themselves on the woman all stood up in unison and took flight after the wrecked car.  Under the shine of the street light was a red mass where the woman once laid.  The bloody red mass that was there now was nothing more than a small pile of ripped blood soaked clothing.  They thought they could make out what might have been arms or legs, but the clothes and lack of anything resembling the beautiful red haired woman made it difficult for Dave to fathom what just happened.  The only thing that resembled to woman now was the fan of red hair that was spread evenly on the pavement above the carnage.  
       Rod looked just in time to see the crazed people attack the Celica.  All eleven of them hit the car at the same time and the driver side window shattered.  As one reached into the window, the glass ripped into it’s arms.  He stood there just long enough to see a male being pulled through the window.  He was in his mid-thirties and from his apparel, dark blue button up shirt and long black neck tie, must have been rushing home from work.  His thoughts immediately turned to Julie and Drew.  She was at the hospital today.
    Just as he was thinking about Julie his subconscious picked up the anchor woman listing the symptoms to look for when in contact with people from outside your home.  “Profuse sweating,” check, Rod thought to himself almost as if he were using a mental clip board.  “extreme mood swings,” check “fits of violent rage,” check “unusual scratches or bite marks” check “and tight leathery skin with a grayish complexion or skin tone.” The news anchor finished her list. Aha no grayish complexion.  
    “I’m going next door to check on Drew.”  Rod said as he ran out the front door.  Eric was just a few steps behind him when Rod got to his apartment. 
    Rod pushed on the front door sending it flying open.  Straight ahead of him was his thirteen year old son standing at the end of the hallway that connects the bedrooms.  Drew is a skinny, taller kid with pale skin, from sitting in front of the computer for endless hours.  His hair is black with a small curl to it that hangs down to his shoulder.  His body blended in with the dark hall way behind him because he wore black shorts with a black shirt with Pantera’s heavy metal band logo on the front of it.  He looked shocked and confused after seeing the front door fly open. 
    Rod was relieved when he saw him standing at the beginning of the hallway and breathed deep as he felt the anxiety let go for a second.  From the shadows behind Drew, Rod and Eric both saw a huge mammoth of a figure step out from the bedroom door.  It wore a black short sleeve shirt and short blue shorts.  It took one step out of the bed room and looked at Drew with a look of anger and hunger.  Rod looked in sheer terror as Julie’s face emerged from the shadows to reveal tight grayish leathery skin.  A playful thought in Rods head immediately said check and that was followed by a verbal “Fuck!” from Eric.
    Julie’s small feet sounded like thunder as they pounded her heavy body