Chapter 3

  The Silent House

  Lee gasped for air. Every breath hurt. His left leg felt like it was on fire, throbbing with pain every time his heart beat.

  Behind him, at the top of the hill, the dead were coming. They stumbled down through the leaves, sliding and falling, but they didn't stop. It sounded like a landslide of bodies.

  Move, Lee told himself. Just move.

  He turned and limped into the thick forest. He went as fast as his bad leg allowed, tripping over roots and rocks. The woods were quiet, except for the crunch of leaves under his feet and his own heavy breathing.

  Far away, a dog barked. Woof. Woof. It sounded lonely. Then, it stopped. The silence came back.

  Lee kept walking until he hit a wall.

  A tall wooden fence blocked his path.

  He was trapped. The dead were getting closer.

  He could hear twigs snapping behind him. He looked for a hole or a way under, but there was nothing.

  He had to go over.

  "Come on, Lee," he whispered.

  He grabbed the top of the fence. He dug his good boot into the wood and pulled himself up. As he pulled, his injured leg banged against the fence. Pain shot up his body, so sharp he almost let go. He yelled out, tears stinging his eyes, but he didn't stop.

  With one last push, he threw himself over the top. He tumbled down and hit the grass hard on his back.

  Thump.

  A body hit the fence on the other side. Then scratching. They were trying to claw through the wood. But the fence held.

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  Lee rolled over and sat up. He was in a backyard. To his right, there was a swimming pool. The water looked dark and still. A swing set stood near the fence, and a big treehouse sat in a large oak tree above him.

  "Hello?" Lee called out. His voice was raspy. "Anybody home? I need help!"

  No answer.

  Lee stood up, swaying a little. He saw a glass sliding door leading into the house. He limped over and pushed it. It was unlocked.

  The door slid open. Lee stepped inside.

  The kitchen was a disaster. Drawers were ripped open. Forks and spoons were scattered on the counters. Papers and mail covered the floor. It looked like someone had left in a total panic.

  Lee took a step forward and almost slipped.

  He looked down.

  There was a massive pool of blood on the floor. It was thick and dark red, smeared across the white tiles near the fridge. It looked wet.

  Lee stepped back, his heart pounding. He looked around the empty room, but he saw no bodies. Just the blood.

  "I think they needed help more than me," he whispered.

  He stepped carefully around the blood. His throat was so dry it felt like sandpaper. He couldn't wait. He grabbed a plastic cup from the counter and filled it with tap water. He drank it all in one second, then filled it again.

  As he put the cup down, he saw a red light blinking. It was the answering machine.

  3 NEW MESSAGES.

  Lee pressed PLAY.

  Beep.

  "Message one. Left at 5:43 PM."

  "Hey, Sandra, this is Diana. We're still in Savannah. Ed had a little 'incident' with some crazy guy near the hotel, so we had to get him back to the ER and have it checked out. Anyway, he's not feeling well enough to drive back tonight, so we're staying an extra day. Thanks so much for looking after Clementine, and I promise we'll be back in time before your spring break!"

  Beep.

  "Message two. Left at 11:19 PM."

  "Oh, my God, finally! I don't know if you tried to reach us; all the calls are getting dropped. They're not letting us leave and aren't telling us anything about Atlanta. Please, please, just leave the city and take Clementine with you back to Marietta. I've got to get back to the hospital. Please let me know that you're safe."

  Beep.

  "Message three. Left at 6:51 AM."

  "Clementine? Baby, if you can hear this, call the police. That's 9-1-1. We love you... We love you... We love y—"

  Click.

  The machine beeped. Lee let out a shaky breath. He looked at a framed photo near the phone. He picked it up.

  It was a happy family—a mom, a dad, and a little girl in a baseball cap named Clementine. They were all smiling. They had no idea their world was about to end.

  Khhh-kkhhh.

  Suddenly, static noise cut through the quiet room.

  Lee jumped and almost dropped the photo. He quickly set the frame back down on the counter, his hands shaking.

  The sound came from a walkie-talkie sitting next to the fridge.

  "Daddy?"

  Lee stared at it. He reached out slowly and pressed the button. "Hello?"

  "Daddy?" the voice asked again. It was a little girl.

  "No," Lee said gently. "I'm not your daddy.

  I'm... I'm Lee."

  Silence. Then the girl spoke again.

  "I can see you," she whispered.

  Lee frowned. He looked out the dark window. "You can? Where are you?"

  "I'm in my treehouse," she said. Her voice was shaking. "But you have to move, Lee."

  "Why?" Lee asked. He leaned against the counter, exhausted. "Is something wrong?"

  "Yes," the girl said. Her voice was sharp with fear. "She is at your back."

  Lee froze.

  A low, wet growl came from right behind him.

  It wasn't static. It was real. He smelled it now—the smell of rotting meat and old blood. He could feel the cold air coming off whatever was standing just inches behind his shoulder.

  He didn't need to turn around. He knew what it was.

  I'm doomed, Lee thought, his heart hammering against his ribs.

  He was trapped in a stranger's house, injured and weaponless, with death breathing down his neck. The silence of the house was broken by the sound of snapping teeth.

  And Lee had nowhere left to run.

  Q: Which part of Chapter 3 hit harder?