‘Don’t!’ Not in the script, either. But in character. Finley kept taping.
He’ll quit in a second, she told herself. Hang in. It’s almost time for the zombies to show up and that’ll be the end of him messing with me.
Baxter licked his way up Abilene’s neck. She turned her face away as he tried to kiss her. His mouth found her cheek. He was breathing hard, moaning.
One of his arms went around her back, underneath her blouse. Itpressed her hard against him and she felt the warm fluid squirting against her spine. His mouth got to her lips.
‘No!’
He kissed her hard, and now she couldn’t call out and make it all stop.
She strained against the rope. Squirming, she tried to get her mouth away from his.
Somebody make him quit!
A hand clutched her right breast. Fingertips pushed under the cup of the bra, tugged. The strap dug into her shoulder, snapped. Her breast was bare under his robbing, squeezing hand.
She drove a knee up.
It pounded against him. He grunted but didn’t let go.
Where the hell is Harris?
With a quick twist sideways, she freed her mouth. ‘Stop it! ’
He didn’t stop. His other hand, knife gone, went down her. back and rump. It scratched her skirt up. It rubbed her buttocks for just a moment, then hooked the panties down and he yelped with surprise and pain as Helen clutched his face with a bloody hand and yanked him backward.
He flopped onto the ground.
All three zombies went at him.
It was nothing like the script.
Sobbing and gasping, she watched the zombies pound Baxter.
Cora, sitting on his chest, punched him in the face. Vivian stomped on his legs. Helen kicked him in the side.
They weren’t pretending.
Neither was Baxter. He bucked and twisted. He flung up arms, trying to shield his face. He grunted. He cried out. Real blood poured from his nostrils. He began to beg. ‘Stop! Please! Leave me alone! Don’t! I’m sorry. I’m sorry!’
Finley taped it all.
Harris came rushing into the clearing. Where had he been?
One look at Abilene and he stopped abruptly. Confusion on his face. Then fury.
He took a step forward.
And halted and watched as one-armed Helen lurched forward between Baxter’s legs and kicked him in the groin.
Baxter didn’t respond.
He just lay there, silent and limp.
‘Cut,’ Finley said. Voice grim.
‘What the hell happened here!’ Harris blurted. Not waiting for an answer, he ran over to Abilene. As he approached her, the zombies stood over Baxter and stared down at him.
‘Things got out of hand,’ Finley muttered.
‘Jesus.’ He pulled Abilene’s blouse shut. His arms went around her and he drew her gently against him. ‘Are you all right?’
‘Where were you?’ she sobbed.
‘I didn’t want to watch what he… Did he hurt you?’
She shook her head. ‘Could you get me down from here?’
He reached for one of her bound wrists.
‘Hold it,’ Finley said. ‘Let one of the zombies do it. Then we’ll have an ending.’
‘Screw your damn film! ’
‘It’s okay,’ Abilene said. ‘Let… it’s okay.’
He backed away. Finley gave Vivian a real knife similar to the fake one.
Finley taping, Vivian staggered forward in good zombie fashion but with a strange, frantic look in her green eyes. She sawed through the rope. Abilene lowered her arms. Her panties were down around her knees. She bent over and pulled them up. Then she whirled around and ran for the trees, the loose end of the rope dragging along the ground beside her.
‘That’s it,’ Finley called.
When Abilene returned, the girls gathered around her while Harris untied her wrists.
‘I’m really sorry,’ Finley said. ‘It just didn’t hit me what he was doing. I knew he wasn’t sticking to the script, but…’
‘I should’ve been here,’ Harris said. He sounded miserable.
‘I just wish we would’ve nailed him sooner,’ Cora said. ‘I don’t think any of us realized…’
‘It wasn’t till you kneed him,’ Helen said.
‘Yeah,’ Vivian said. ‘I didn’t know what was going on. God, I’m sotry.’
‘It’s all my fault,’ Finley said. ‘I should’ve stopped things when he started licking off the blood. He wasn’t supposed to do that. But it seemed right for The Reaper, you know? It all seemed right for The Reaper, and you were reacting like a good victim even though…’ She shook her head. ‘Shit.’
Abilene rubbed her sore wrists, then fastened the buttons of her blouse. ‘It’s okay. It’s over. I just don’t want my breast ending up in your movie.’
‘It won’t. I promise.’
‘And you owe me a new bra.’
Just for an instant, a smile tipped up a corner of Finley’s mouth. Then she was looking grim again, nodding.
They all turned their attention to Baxter as he groaned. He shook his head, grimaced, rolled onto his side, clutched his groin and drew his knees up.
‘What’ll we do with him?’ Abilene asked.
Harris took a step toward him, but Abilene grabbed his shoulder. ‘Don’t. He’s had enough.’
‘We oughta get a final shot of him,’ Finley said. ‘Gotta mess him up first, though.’
Vivian and Helen went to the edge of the clearing. As they came back with jars of blood, Cora nudged Baxter with her foot. ‘Roll over and play dead.’
Wincing and moaning, he eased down onto his back. Cora bent over and tore his shirt open. Then Vivian and Helen doused him all over with the crimson fluid. It mixed with the real blood on his face. The real blood looked brighter.
‘Okay,’ Finley said. ‘Get down around him and act like you’re ripping him apart. Don’t move a muscle, Baxter. The mood my pals are in, they just might get carried away. That happens, you know.’
Helen, Vivian and Cora knelt over Baxter. While Finley taped, they pretended to tear at him with their fingernails and teeth. He didn't move at all.
‘That’s a wrap,’ Finley said.
The zombies got to their feet and stepped away from him.
He remained on his back. His eyes found Abilene. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said.
‘I’ll bet,’ she muttered.
‘I mean it. I never… I just couldn’t stop myself. I never planned to do any of that. It… just happened.’ He turned his face away. ‘I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.’
‘You’ll have plenty of time to think about it,’ Finley said, ‘while you’re walking back to town. Come on, let’s get out of here.’
‘We aren’t gonna leave him,’ Abilene said.
‘He’s not going back in my car.’
‘Then we’ll drive him,’ she said, and looked at Harris. He was frowning at her. ‘Hey, I’m the one he messed
