The dead-thing crashed against the door one last time, and this time the door slammed open. The rope jerked out of the girls fingers and jolted her forward. The gun-thing went off with a loud bang, and the window across the room shattered. The dead-thing didn't even slow down. The girl was shaking trying to do something with the gun-thing, and the dead-thing was almost on top of her.
The dog grabbed the dead-thing by the leg of its pants and pulled hard with his teeth. The dead-thing tottered and fell forward right at the girl's feet. The girl backed away screaming, still trying to work the gun-thing. The dead-thing scrabbled against the slick kitchen floor trying to pull itself closer to her. The dog's strained to hold the dead-thing back, but his leg was hurting now worse than ever, and he started to realize how very tired he was. He just wanted to curl up and sleep for a long time. But he knew he had to hold on just a little longer.
Finally the girl managed to pull something on the gun and something metal flew out and landed on the floor next to the dog. The girl snapped the gun right again and pointed it at the dead-thing. The dog thought she would shoot right away, but for a moment she just stood and looked at the dead-thing with the gun pointed at its head. The dog did not know if he could hold on much longer, but just when he thought his strength would give out completely, the girl said two words softly under her breath and the gun-thing bucked and roared in her hands. The dead-thing's head disappeared and a mist of blackened blood and decaying flesh splattered across the kitchen. Some of it got on the dog, and he shook himself hard to get the pieces of the dead-thing out of his fur. When he stopped shaking he looked and saw that the girl had sunk down against the wall with her knees up against her chest, and she had had both her arms wrapped around the gun. She was making little sobbing noises, and the dog saw fresh tears gleaming on her face. The dog went over and sat next to her and put his head on her knee, but the girl did not say anything. They both sat there like that for a long time, and gradually the girl stopped sobbing and leaned her head against the corner, and fell asleep. A little while later, unable to keep his eyes open any longer the dog slept too.
When the dog woke up it was dark, and he could see the girl moving around the kitchen with a flashlight. He saw her go to the sink and run some water, and the sound of the water made dog remember how thirsty he was. Then the girl turned the water off and came over to where the dog was with a metal bowl full of water in her hand. She put it down next to the dog, and the dog raised his tired head up off the floor and drank and drank until he could drink no more.
The dog grabbed the dead-thing by the leg of its pants and pulled hard with his teeth. The dead-thing tottered and fell forward right at the girl's feet. The girl backed away screaming, still trying to work the gun-thing. The dead-thing scrabbled against the slick kitchen floor trying to pull itself closer to her. The dog's strained to hold the dead-thing back, but his leg was hurting now worse than ever, and he started to realize how very tired he was. He just wanted to curl up and sleep for a long time. But he knew he had to hold on just a little longer.
Finally the girl managed to pull something on the gun and something metal flew out and landed on the floor next to the dog. The girl snapped the gun right again and pointed it at the dead-thing. The dog thought she would shoot right away, but for a moment she just stood and looked at the dead-thing with the gun pointed at its head. The dog did not know if he could hold on much longer, but just when he thought his strength would give out completely, the girl said two words softly under her breath and the gun-thing bucked and roared in her hands. The dead-thing's head disappeared and a mist of blackened blood and decaying flesh splattered across the kitchen. Some of it got on the dog, and he shook himself hard to get the pieces of the dead-thing out of his fur. When he stopped shaking he looked and saw that the girl had sunk down against the wall with her knees up against her chest, and she had had both her arms wrapped around the gun. She was making little sobbing noises, and the dog saw fresh tears gleaming on her face. The dog went over and sat next to her and put his head on her knee, but the girl did not say anything. They both sat there like that for a long time, and gradually the girl stopped sobbing and leaned her head against the corner, and fell asleep. A little while later, unable to keep his eyes open any longer the dog slept too.
When the dog woke up it was dark, and he could see the girl moving around the kitchen with a flashlight. He saw her go to the sink and run some water, and the sound of the water made dog remember how thirsty he was. Then the girl turned the water off and came over to where the dog was with a metal bowl full of water in her hand. She put it down next to the dog, and the dog raised his tired head up off the floor and drank and drank until he could drink no more.
