Chapter 6

I can see my breath coming out in tiny puffs as i inhale and exhale, my senses on overload, searching, scanning and running across my brain. My gun is still in my hand, and my thumb reaches around and releases the safety. I say a silent prayer that it didn't get damaged when it hit the ground. The hair on the back of my neck is starting to rise, and my pulse is thudding in my ears. I can barely hear my music, my foot isn't even keeping time with the bass line. I start to turn, slowly, eyes darting from left to right, right to left, my gun arm loose at my side, on standby. I'm still not seeing anything, but i can feel something watching me. I complete my turn. A full 360. Nothing. My pulse is starting to slow, but my dander is still up. At the moment my brain starts to register the song playing, i catch movement in my peripheral vision. I spin, moving so fast i surprise myself. I raise my gun, cocking it, adrenaline pumping. There it is. Its looking right at me, if zombies can actually look and focus on anything. Its arms are swaying slightly, and seems like its trying to take a step forward, but the effort is wasted, because it's not moving. The deader is standing just off to the side of the club, to the South, perpendicular to the front door. At the angle I'm at to the building, i can't be sure if it's seeing me, or not seeing me. It's just standing there, almost looking like it's dancing...dancing?! I might have hit the ground harder than i thought. But as i stand there, my teeth start to chatter and i realize that is exactly what it's doing. Or trying to do. That deader can hear the pound of the bass inside the club and the trill hop of the treble and it's dancing!. I ease the hammer back and depress the safety. And i shouldn't have. The instant i complete the action, something snaps inside the zombie and i know, without a doubt it sees me. It lurches, lunges forward and starts to make its drunken way towards me at high speed. I'm almost surprised as I reverse my actions, cock, release and explode the trigger. The bullet strikes out with a snap-bang! and hits the deader square in the chest. Almost surprised. The sight is most assuredly off from the gun hitting the ground when i  fell. I take aim and shoot again, trying to compensate for the bad trajectory. I was aiming for his chest this time, and nailed his face instead, just as the doors of the club swung open and a crowd came pouring out to see what the commotion was. Blood and bits of whatever-else sprayed in an arc around the deader as the corpse collapsed and hit the ground. Someone gasped, a woman I'm pretty sure i didn't know stood holding a baseball bat, and i made eye contact with the bartender. She smiled, shook her head and started ushering the onlookers back inside, promising free drinks and towels for the goo. In the distance i hear sirens, which sound like they're getting closer. I reinstate the safety and put the gun inside my fanny pack. I touch the print scanner on my phone, once, twice, three times and the decibel level goes down an octave. I shove my hands into the back pockets of my  pants and stand there, hopping a little, trying to keep warm. The blare of the siren gets louder and louder, and I don't move. A police car winds around the corner, it's lights flashing, the siren screaming and screeching as the vehicle rolls up alongside me. I'm hoping my ID is in my fanny pack, because at the moment i don't remember putting it back. I hope to God it's there, or this night will get even more interesting. The policeman gets out of the patrol car, his shiny black boots making a soft swish and scratch on the frozen pavement. I love it when they wear their sunglasses at night. I smirk, because that song "I wear my sunglasses at night, so i can, so i can" starts going through my head. I have the presence of mind to think that I'm going to get in trouble, the instant before the cop says "what's so funny kid?". I make a blank face, reach into the pack at turn my music off and tell him. He's not amused, but takes his glasses off while shaking his head. Into his right breast pocket they go. Now, you might be wondering why he's got his sunglasses on at night. Well, the new sunnies have built in infrared in the lenses, so sometimes its actually easier for them to see at night with them on, than off. I explain in great detail the last hours event, ending with the dead deader sprawled on the ground outside the club. Blood and bits of ick all over the street, and on some of the patrons already back inside. I get a warning for killing a corpse in a public place and for possibly endangering said public. He wanders over to the corpse and gives it a shove with one of those shiny patent boots. The deaders whole body ripples with the force, but that sucker stays down for the count. More sirens are trilling in the background, and i hear a different sort of engine coming my way. The ambulance. Here to make sure the living stays alive and the dead stay dead. Two EMS gents pop out of their ride and rush over to me. I go through the story again, they leave me alone and go over to make sure the corpse is still dead. Everyone pretty much does the "hey how are ya's" standing over the deader, shaking hands, shaking heads, trading the evening news, and then they break away back to their vehicles and head off into the night.  I'm even colder than i was when this whole thing started. I'm wondering whether or not i should stay and wait for the meat wagon to come pick up the body when the waitress pops her head out of the club to tell me i can head out, it'll get picked up in the morning. I smile, say my thanks, apologize for the ruckus and start back the way i came. I turn my music back on, amp up the sound level and let the last dregs of adrenaline ooze out. I'll sleep like a baby when i get home.