The dog dragged himself up off the ground and limped over toward the fight, but before he could get there the girl managed to poke the sharp end of the crowbar through one of the dead-things eyes, and she hit the other one so hard that it's head split open. She took one look down the road at the other dead-things, grabbed up her bag and began walking down the road again. The dog limped after her, but she was walking fast, and the dog did not know if he could keep up with her. But then, just as he was beginning to think that he could not keep going any farther, the girl slowed and turned off the road onto a dirt track.
The dead-things were still behind them, so the dog hurried to catch up with the girl, trying to ignore the pain in his back leg. The dog followed the girl along the dirt track as it wound through some trees for a little while, but then the path opened up into a clearing and the dog saw the girl standing and looking up at a big house. She was standing just outside the gate of a fence made out of some kind of wire, and she looked back as the dog limped up to where she was standing. She said some words, and the dog stuck out his tongue and licked at the hem of her pants to show her he was sorry for being hurt, and slow. The girl reached down and rubbed the dog's head, and then stood again with the crowbar in her hand, and turned to face the path behind her.
There were the three dead-things, shambling along out of the woods now, and the dog saw the girl tighten her grip on the crowbar. She stood her ground until the dead-things got to where she was, and one by one she buried the sharp end of the crowbar in their skulls. They each fell to the ground and lay still after that. For a long while, the girl just stood there outside the gate, but then she turned and pushed it open. Inside the gate there was nice green grass and flowers in pots, and the dog sniffed around at the new things while the girl wrapped a piece of rope through the fence gate so that it would stay shut. Then she turned around a faced the house.
The dog wondered if this place was her home because the girl had walked for a long time to get here, and she seemed to know the yard. But the way the girl looked at the house, made the dog think that this was not her home, because the girl smelled like she was afraid of something inside the big house inside the fence. The dog wuffed at the girl, and she started as if something small had bit her. Then she said something to the dog, and started forward toward the house. The dog followed close behind her.
The girl reached under a flower pot on the porch and pulled out a key. She opened the door, and it swung upon with a creaking sound the dog did not like.
The dead-things were still behind them, so the dog hurried to catch up with the girl, trying to ignore the pain in his back leg. The dog followed the girl along the dirt track as it wound through some trees for a little while, but then the path opened up into a clearing and the dog saw the girl standing and looking up at a big house. She was standing just outside the gate of a fence made out of some kind of wire, and she looked back as the dog limped up to where she was standing. She said some words, and the dog stuck out his tongue and licked at the hem of her pants to show her he was sorry for being hurt, and slow. The girl reached down and rubbed the dog's head, and then stood again with the crowbar in her hand, and turned to face the path behind her.
There were the three dead-things, shambling along out of the woods now, and the dog saw the girl tighten her grip on the crowbar. She stood her ground until the dead-things got to where she was, and one by one she buried the sharp end of the crowbar in their skulls. They each fell to the ground and lay still after that. For a long while, the girl just stood there outside the gate, but then she turned and pushed it open. Inside the gate there was nice green grass and flowers in pots, and the dog sniffed around at the new things while the girl wrapped a piece of rope through the fence gate so that it would stay shut. Then she turned around a faced the house.
The dog wondered if this place was her home because the girl had walked for a long time to get here, and she seemed to know the yard. But the way the girl looked at the house, made the dog think that this was not her home, because the girl smelled like she was afraid of something inside the big house inside the fence. The dog wuffed at the girl, and she started as if something small had bit her. Then she said something to the dog, and started forward toward the house. The dog followed close behind her.
The girl reached under a flower pot on the porch and pulled out a key. She opened the door, and it swung upon with a creaking sound the dog did not like.
