The zombie crumples against the glass and remains slumped over like that, half standing, half leaning, until I open the door farther and the creature falls out onto the deck with a loud thump and the dog rushes forward to sniff it.
I stand cautiously in the entrance of the house and listen for anymore sounds that might mean another zombie. I don't have to listen very loud- I don't even need the low growl that the dog issues. I can hear another zombie somewhere in the house and its making one hell of a ruckus. I make sure the dog comes inside with me and then I shut the door as quietly as I can. I don't want to accidentally let more zombies inside that I'll have to deal with.
I follow the source of the noise to the bottom of a staircase, but I can't actually see what's happening down there. I pull my flashlight from my pocket and risk turning it on since I'm inside- even though I know its not ideal because of windows. I'm gonna have to risk it, or I won't be able to clear the house. I snap on the light and aim it down the stairs to where a female zombie with long, tangled blond hair is beating fruitlessly against a door.
I recognize the other side of the same door I knocked on earlier. The zombie spins around at the beam of light that hits her, and her face makes me cringe. It's mottled grey with decomposition and she has large bite marks and torn skin. The dog growls and I put a calming hand on its head as I take a few cautious steps down the stairs.
As far as I've seen most zombies do not have the coordination to navigate stairs successfully. The zombie rushes forward hungrily when it spots me and the dog gives a low warning bark, which I shush. The zombie hits the bottom of the stairs and goes down, falling onto her belly, she keeps trying to writhe her way up towards me. Her bony fingers reach out and she grabs the stairs and begins to claw her way- she would probably eventually make it, but I don't have that kind of time. I take the remaining few stairs that lay between us and plant my axe into the back of her head. It was relatively easy because she was so conveniently laying on her belly.
I step on the axe this time, to be sure, even though the zombie has stopped moving. The dog lets out a small whine and I climb the stairs to pat it on the head. I pause and listen for anymore things that go bump in the night, but the house is quiet. It is standard protocol to clear the entire house, but I don't have the energy to go dispatch any zombies that might be locked up in bedrooms. I have no intention of falling asleep in here, and the dog isn't giving any warning sign that something might be wrong.4
The dog takes off, its nails clicking loudly on the hardwood floor, and I follow the dog for a little while to see where it goes. Finally, I realize the dog is just being a dog and sniffing its way around, so I leave it to its own agenda and go check out the kitchen. The kitchen is beautiful, second level overlooking the river, with lots of windows that provide enough light that I don't have to worry about turning on the flashlight.
I start digging through the cupboards, but they are mostly bare, and I have a theory that this couple survived for a while before one of them turned and infected the other. The empty cans overflowing the trash can, tell the story.
I do find a few things they didn't get to eat before they turned. A can of pork and beans, a few cans of fruit cocktail, and a ham in a tin with an odd peel off lid like a sardine can. I open the ham first and take a tentative bite with a clean fork that I find in a drawer. It is salty and delicious, and I savor the bite before I dump it out on the floor for the dog.
I don't even have to whistle, and the dog is magically at my feet, wolfing down the entire thing in a couple big gulps. I open the beans for myself, it's not nearly as good tasting as the ham, but I think the dog deserves a treat for saving my life so many times in one evening.
I finish the can and do a little more poking around until I find a bathroom that has no windows. I make sure its empty then limp inside. My pain level wasn't too bad while I was outside walking around, but now that I've found somewhere relatively safe and have taken a bit of a break, I'm starting to stiffen up.
