Della hurried to the white fencing surrounding the paddock. She hid behind a post and studied the paddock and then the area around the outermost buildings. The horses must have heard her because they raced to the corner nearest the buildings. The wandering pair of monsters had noticed the movements and turned to head in their direction.
When the infected finished feeding on the bodies at the front of the paddock they would come for the rest. She had to move.
Della climbed over the white fencing and hurried across the open pasture toward the gate where the remaining horse gathered. She drew closer and the beautiful black and brown horses stamped and skittered away from her. They were terrified.
She glance toward the front of the pasture and realized the infected had lost interest in the remains of the dead and now where stumbling toward the remaining animals. The horses began prancing and charging toward the gate, then back toward the open paddock looking for escape.
Della stopped and whispered. “Whoa…it’s okay.” She cooed. The big black mare turned at the sound. Della kept whispering calming words and the mare separated from the group and nickered. The black took a step toward Della and she stopped. She held out her hand and the horse nuzzled her palm. The mare snorted.
“I’ll get you out of here. Just let me through girl.” She stepped forward and the black stepped to the side. Slowly Della made her way to the gate. She walked past the nervous animals with the black at her side.
Della stepped around a brown horse to the wooden gate and reached over the top to unhook the latch. She pulled the gate toward her and all but the black mare charged through almost trampling Della in the mad rush to escape.
She stumbled back against the gate and fell to her knees. An infected appeared from behind the spooked animals and reached toward Della. The black dashed forward and reared up. Her metal shoed hooves came down on the infected teen. The black reared again and again until the monster lay still.
Della pulled herself to her feet, retrieved the gun and looked at the remains of the infected. The black nudged her toward the gate. “Got it. Let’s go girl before the rest of those monsters get here.”
The horse and Della got through the gate and Della re-latched the gate. She grabbed a rope hanging from a fence post and looped it around the gate.
“Just in case the latch gives out.”
She turned from the fence and jogged to the barn door. She slowed and looked into the gloom. The building had a main passageway with horse stalls on either side opening toward the middle. While the rest of the horses raced through the corridor and disappeared behind the buildings, the black followed Della.
She approached the stables with a real sense of foreboding. It was dark inside. She was terrified at the thought of entering the stable but knew she had to find the veterinary supplies.
Finally, she squared her shoulders and walked into the gloom. She got to the first door and recognized it as a stall. She quickened her pace and hurried past five more, toward the opposite end of the building. Each dark opened gate terrified her but she moved through the building out into the barn yard beyond. The office wasn’t in the building. She walked out into the sun and looked from one side of the opened ground to the other.
The owner’s home was a white plantation style mansion with white pillars and a huge veranda circling the house. The gravel drive sat empty. The only evidence of something amiss was the front door standing open and a single shattered window glass.
Della glanced toward a building resembling a miniature of the stable facing the stable. Someone had been working at planting a flat of flowers around the front door. The half empty flat and tools lay at the side of the bed. Above the door, was a sign advertising the ranch office. Della glanced around the yard then jogged toward the office.
With the 9mm in hand she approached the building. Della could hear the mare walking close on her heels. Feeling paranoid Della looked from left to right and back again. When she glanced around looking for more infected, she realized the mare had been calm until she got near the office building. Now the black shied away from the building and pranced back and forth nervously.
She stepped closer to the door and peeked through the window. Her breath caught in her throat. There was blood smeared on the inside of the glass door. A bloody handprint on the door handle spoke volumes. Now I know why the horse is upset.
“Shit!” She cursed as she stepped back and glanced around. She saw the hoe and reached out to wrap her hands around the handle. She slid the handgun into the bag over her shoulder and looked inside the window again. The monster inside was still looking out a back window. She could do this. One quick swing of the hoe and the monster would no long be a problem.
The black horse reared up and screamed. Della turned. “Okay…I know. But I have to do this. Be quiet!”
Just as she reached for the door again a bloodied body slammed against the glass. Della fell back and stumbled to the ground. The infected man, dressed in a pair of bloody khaki pants and polo shirt, snarled and clawed from behind the glass.
“Now you’ve done it.” Della scolded the black horse.
Della leaned against the hoe and watched the monster claw and scream in frustration too stupid to know as long as the door was closed it couldn’t get to the black horse. That was it…release the latch and the infected man’s weight would push open the door.
Della stepped out of sight while the black seemed to sense there was a plan in play. She stomped the bare packed ground and whinnied. The rest happened so quickly, Della had little time to even think about the danger.
With her back pressed against the wall, she reached over and depressed the latch, the infected it the door and it swung open. Not expecting the freedom to reach his prey, the infected fell from the building.
Della raised the hoe and slammed it down as the monster’s head from behind.
The blade struck the skull and skid down the side of his head landing on the man’s shoulder with a snap of a collarbone. She jerked the hoe up again then slammed it down on his head with all her might. The man fell and she stumbled to her knees.
Before she could get to her feet the mare slammed her hooved into the mangled head. Terrified, Della quickly got to her feet and backed toward the building.
When the infected man remained still, the mare nickered and strolled up to Della for a nuzzled and pat on the nose.
Della pressed her face against the mare’s head and took a deep breath. “I’m not sure if this relationship is going to work out long term, but for now, we’re a team. Okay?”
The mare whinnied.
Della turned and walked toward the office. She looked through the gore smeared door and into the room beyond. It seemed empty. She grabbed the hoe and opened the door and stepped inside.
She walked around the office, opened the cabinets and found nothing useful. At the side of the office were two doors. A quick peek, verified one was a bathroom and the second a room with white cabinets, sink and table. A medical bag sat on the table. She opened the bag and after a quick perusal, she continued her search.
At one side of the room was a cabinet with a lock on the door. Della pulled a knife from the her bag. She jammed it in between the doors and popped the door open.
Inside was a variety of medical supplies including bottles of antibiotics, syringes, vials and a variety of medical dressings. Della swept supplies into the bag. When it was full, she filled her shoulder bag with bandages, take and sponges. After a final glance around, she headed back out the door. When she got back in the office, she emptied the trash bag and stepped in the bathroom to retrieve all the toilet paper.
She’d made a haul, antibiotics for Steve and toilet paper for the outhouse. All she had to do was get to the ATV and get back to the cabin.
Charlotte Hoaks. . . .(C. A. Hoaks) 