Together they stepped into the shadows of the barn. The silence was heavy and ominous after the roar of the ATV’s motor. Della could hear Zack breathing. As his breathing began to slow, she became aware of another sound. She heard a shuffling sound and then a gentle brush against wood somewhere deeper in the barn.
Della held out her hand, and they both stopped. “I hear something.”
Zack whispered. “It’s at the other end of the barn. Let’s get in and out.”
Della gave a quick nod and flicked on a flashlight. She fanned it across the dark recesses of the long passageway.
“Nothing.” She answered as she swung it into the tack room. After a quick pass around the room, she stepped through the doorway.
Della pulled a list from her pocket. She grabbed a burlap bag and walked to the wall on the left. She pulled half a dozen bridles from the wall. She walked to a work bench picked up a grooming box and dumped the contents into the bag. She tied the end with a length of rope and picked up three saddle blankets. She carried the items to the ATV and settled them on the back cargo rack.
She hurried back to meet Zack carrying two saddles toward her. “Only two in the tack room. Got to be a lot more around here.”
“I think I saw at least a couple hanging over the side of the stalls in the barn,” Della answered as she helped him stack the saddles on the rack.
“Great.” Zack lamented.
“I have the bridles and three blankets,” Della answered.
“Let’s get this over with. I can carry two saddles if you can carry one and the blankets.” Zack answered.
“Sounds good,” Della whispered as she pointed the small LED beam down into the dark. “There.”
She focused the beam on the closest stall. Hung over the top board was a saddle with a saddle blanket next to it. “One.” She whispered as they walked deeper into the barn. She examined the next stall and saw nothing. She quickly moved the beam to the next stall, she hesitated, then added. “Two.”
“Gotta find one more,” Zack commented.
Della hurriedly fanned the beam to the opposite side of the barn. “There! At the end, on the right.” She let out a long sigh. “I’ll get that one. You picked up the other two and let’s get the hell outta here.”
Zack held out a dark hand. “Be careful.”
“You too,” Della answered as she quickened her steps.
Della hurried down the corridor of the barn. She glanced over her should see Zack had gotten to the second saddle. With a powerful arm, he pulled the saddle and blanket from the top board of the stall. Suddenly, Della realized the scratching was louder and closer.
She stopped and fanned the beam of light from left to right. She stumbled when she was clouded eyes staring back at her from the stall holding the saddle. She kept the beam on the face and stared. The gate was open, but the infected reached through the slats of the stall.
“Shit.” She whispered.
Della fought for control of her breathing and her racing heart. She raised the machete in her hand to hit at the infected then dropped her arm to her side. The board where the saddle rested was too high to get to the infected person.
She thought about stepping into the stall with the monster but hesitated. She could pull the saddle down and take a chance of the monster coming through the door after her or do something about the problem.
The stall door opened outward. If she closed the door, she could trap the monster, pull off the saddle and run. She glanced at Zack as he grabbed for the second saddle. A slam against the double doors a few feet beyond the stall made her jump.
“Shit!” Della cursed.
Charlotte Hoaks. . . .(C. A. Hoaks) 