Harriet stared at Bill a moment then shook her head. “You’re just as crazy as he is,” she muttered. She pushed past both men and stepped into the hallway. “I don’t know what kind of sick joke you two think you’re playing, but I’m not falling for it.”
“Hold on a second,” Bill said, lifting a finger into the air. “How about if we can prove it?”
Richard shot him a questioning look. “We are NOT taking her to the park.”
Bill shook his head. “We don’t have to.” He motioned toward the window with his head. “Remember the one that ran into the side of the Jeep? He was covered in blood and kept trying to bite the window.”
“You could have hit an animal,” Harriet said. “A deer or a raccoon, or…”
“Deer don’t have human hands,” Bill said. “This guy kept scratching at the glass trying to get in,” he stated matter-of-factly.
Harriet glanced at Richard who was nodding and smiling at Bill. She turned and stared at Bill. “You two hit a man with your car, then come here with that kind of story?” She stared at the pair, shaking her head. “You’re both sick.”
Bill turned to Richard and shrugged. “Is she always like this?”
Richard shook his head. “No. I think it’s denial.”
“You want me to suddenly believe in zombies and that Yellowstone is crawling with them and we have to run for our lives and I’m the one who isn’t in touch with reality?”
She nearly jumped when Jason tugged at her shirt. “Gram? That weird man is back. He’s at the front window, and he doesn’t look right,” he said.
Bill glanced at Richard and pushed passed Harriet who was now babbling something about shooting neighbors. Richard shot past her as he fell into step behind Bill. Harriet marched behind Richard, complaining the entire way. “You will NOT shoot at somebody that we offered help to…” She trailed off as her eyes fell upon the man she had helped along the road. She noticed his eyes first, then the blood that soaked his neck and shirt. “Oh, my God,” she whispered.
The man at the window beat his hands against the glass when they entered the room and opened his mouth wide. The scream that came from his throat didn’t sound human and Jason quickly covered his ears. “Make him stop!”
“I intend to.” Bill immediately stepped toward the back door. “Keep his attention on y’all,” he barked as he stepped out the back.
Harriet turned to Richard, “What is he doing? Richard? What is he going to do?”
Richard stared at her. “What do you think? He’s going to put him out of his misery.”
“You can’t…” She turned and faced the man who was now snapping and biting at their images in the glass. His fingers, devoid of flesh, scraped along the glass as he tried to rip them from the smooth cage that separated him from his prey. “He can’t do this,” she whimpered. “He’s still a man.”
“Not any longer.” Richard stepped closer to the window and pulled Harriet with him. “Look. Look at this and tell me that this is still a man.” The closer they got, the more agitated the man became. He snapped and bit at them more vigorously, the clicking from his teeth audible through the thick glass.
Harriet looked at the thick brown slime he left behind on the glass and tears formed in her eyes. “He can’t be…” she sobbed.
“He is.” Richard pushed her up to the glass. “You decide, Harriet. Either I’m crazy, or this guy is. Either you listen to me, or I open the door and let your new friend in for a cup of tea.”
She snapped her head around and stared at him, his jaw set, his eyes hard. She knew in her heart he’d never do it, but she also knew what his statement meant. ‘Wake up and smell the coffee. This is the new reality.’
Harriet felt her legs give out and she crumpled to the carpet, her hands covering her eyes as she sobbed. She only jumped slightly when Bill’s 9mm sounded outside their home and the screaming stopped.
Jason turned around to look where the screaming man had once stood and saw an ugly brown splatter against the window. “Is he done?” he asked quietly.
Richard smiled at his grandson. “I’m afraid so, Jake.”
“Good,” Jason said. “His pain was hurting me.”
Richard stared at the boy a moment. “His pain?” he asked. “Why would you say that?”
Jason turned and looked up at his grandfather. “Couldn’t you feel his pain? That’s why he’s so angry. That’s why he wants to hurt everything,” Jason explained. “Something inside makes everything hurt. A lot.” He stepped away from the living room window and plopped back on the couch. “It would make you crazy, too.”
“Colonel, your chopper is ready,” the young sergeant said as he handed the senior officer his briefcase.
“Has Fort Collins called back?” He grabbed the case and his cover as he headed toward the door.
“Negative, sir,” the sergeant stated as he fell into step behind the older man. “Duty Officer is on standing orders that any and all priority calls are
