Love Days

Murderous Marsupial

Warning! Extreme kangaroo violence in this chapter!

Everything happen faster than Arryn could process. As trained as they all were to deal with rabids, a rabid kangaroo on their doorstep was something else entirely.

Claire moved—in exactly the wrong direction. Arryn's brave friend tried to slam the door into the kangaroo and somehow shove the monstrous marsupial out of the house.

"Stop!" Arryn screamed, knowing all too well what was coming.

The black-eyed gruesome face turned to Claire and then leapt with unimaginable speed. Claire was crushed to the floor and the kangaroo began to tear into Claire. 

Arryn wasn't even thinking as she ran for Claire. She didn't even have a weapon—not in this impractically beautiful wedding dress. The crazed kangaroo turned to face her; it's face missed flesh and smeared with blood. 

Claire's blood.

The next few seconds happened too fast and too slow. The kangaroo prepared to jump and Arryn was jerked backwards by Lincoln. Austin was screaming in rage and coming for the kangaroo—when he was caught up in the rampage. The kangaroo slammed into Austin and a chilling scream tore out of Austin. All Arryn could see was the rapid movements of the rabid. But she could hear the sound of bones cracking and crushing beneath the kangaroo's might.

The sounds weren't even drowned out by the sound of screams or the sound of horrible cries coming from Claire. Lincoln was trying to push Arryn from the room, but she lurched forward into a desperate attempt to save Claire. Her mother was across the room, but Claire was right there.

Don't die! Not like he did...

The memory of her father's body after it had been pulverized by the horse's hooves and the flesh had been devoured by the zombie teeth.

Arryn stumbled over to Claire and let out a cry at what she saw. Claire's beautiful flowered dress was now stained with crimson, her one hand crushed with fingers twisted in a terrible position. Arryn took one look at Claire's other hand and had to look away.

The kangaroo had bitten off most of it. All that was left was the remains of her pinkie finger.

Arryn and Claire had once made a pinkie promise that they would always be friends.

Taking a deep breath Arryn reached for Claire, trying to see if there was some way to stop the bleeding. But there wasn't just one wound; her body was so ravaged that there was no saving her. Arryn knew her friend was going to die in a moment—even as she cried and pleaded with Claire to live. 

"A..A..." Claire gurgled as she spat out blood.

"I'm here, Claire," Arryn cried.

"Austin..."

Arryn instinctively leaned forward to shield Claire from the sight of Austin being devoured by the kangaroo. In the background she could hear Lincoln shouting that they had to go while they had the chance. She knew he was right.

But Claire...

Then it was too late. The kangaroo suddenly stilled and turned in the direction of Arryn and Lincoln. 

It was too late. They were dead. Lincoln leaned down and threw his arms around Arryn, as if he expected to take the brunt of the blow. Arryn could see the nightmarish face of the kangaroo getting ready to jump. This was the end.

She always thought she would die in the arms of Lincoln with her best friend by her side.

Then a loud noise tore through the room. Then another. And a rapid series of noises. Arryn looked up to see Dante had entered and was shooting at the kangaroo. He hit his mark, but it wasn't enough to take it down. The kangaroo took off after Dante and he ran out of the house. As soon as he was gone, Lincoln leapt up. Lincoln's dad and Lincoln shut the door and barricaded it.