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    Better Stay Dead Arc One: John Cries as Reapers Rise
    Better Stay Dead Arc One: John Cries as Reapers Rise
    Better Stay Dead Arc One: John Cries as Reapers Rise
    Ebook157 pages2 hours

    Better Stay Dead Arc One: John Cries as Reapers Rise

    By Dave Callahan

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    About this ebook

    In a world where the dead run and bite... they better stay dead!

    "we get a well written prose, brilliant real characters that are developing nicely and the stirrings of what appears a fast paced exciting plot.", AnathemaDevice

    "I think Better Stay Dead by Dave Callahan might be the best thing to keep us waiting!", Ben Johnson

    "Very interesting set of characters. I like the direction the story is taking, especially the ways in which these character's lives overlap and will continue to connect.", Ileanna

    "I really can't believe what just happened!", Philip Jackson

    "It seems this series only gets better!"

    This is a package of episodes 1-5 of Better Stay Dead!

    Contains:

    Better Stay Dead 1: John's Shout
    Better Stay Dead 2: First Blood
    Better Stay Dead 3: Recon Mission My Ass
    Better Stay Dead 4: The Reapers and the Party
    Better Stay Dead 5: Guns and Grudges

    ON TO THE NEXT ARC! WHOEVER SURVIVED THE ARC FINALE IS GONNA HAVE A HARD TIME STAYING ALIVE!
    Better Stay Dead 6: Protocol B Sideffects

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDave Callahan
    Release dateDec 26, 2013
    ISBN9781311072931
    Better Stay Dead Arc One: John Cries as Reapers Rise
    Author

    Dave Callahan

    Dave Callahan is an author of book serials and books. Most Noted: Better Stay Dead, Cowboys From Hell

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      Book preview

      Better Stay Dead Arc One - Dave Callahan

      Chapter 1

      John was running with tears in his eyes. Fear and sorrow were trying to overwhelm his soul and the kid could not decide who was winning. They are dead. Mom. Dad. Grandma. They are all dead.

      But they weren’t exactly dead. In fact his father’s dead body was hunting him with a blood lusting fury he hadn’t seen even in national geographic’s most brutal documentaries. And it was catching up.

      He turned at Calvin Street. Maybe someone he knew would be around. The narrow road was empty, no human, no undead, no nothing. Only thing he could hear was his daddy’s - his calm caring daddy’s - vicious screams and his own heartbeat. He screamed in despair as he reached an old empty Ford Scorpio that was parked in the middle of the road. He was exhausted. He didn’t want to run no more. But just as daddy’s bloody mouth almost reached to bite off his shoulder, John ran again and whatever his dad was now fell on the car like a dumb fool. Fear won over despair.

      Now John was behind the Ford’s trunk, whilst his daddy was at the front. He was wearing his grey suit and his black tie, what he wore to work almost every day of John’s life. Daddy moved to the left and so did John, so daddy moved to the right now. This was like a ridiculous chasing game, like the ones he would play with his cousin up until he was ten. John just kept going the opposite direction of the monster, every time that undead piece of meat changed his mind. If it had any.

      Hey son! a shout was heard behind him. His choice of words was the most conforming for John. Come to me son! The kid gave one last look at Garry Wayne’s face, his dad’s face and then reluctantly turned and ran to the voice. The savior wore a police outfit. He was a middle aged man, with a long white mustache. He didn’t look at John, but kept looking behind him. He took out his gun and he aimed. John wouldn’t dare to watch. With tears still in his eyes he asked: Is my dad really dead?

      John shook as the gun fired so close to his ear.

      Yes the cop said. And he better stay dead.

      ~

      You were really lucky it was one of us and not one of them the cop said as he was doing a slalom avoiding abandoned cars in E Adams Avenue. You could spot a number of those rotten walking corpses around those fields. Some zombies were chewing off a human arm like it was a steak. The cop took a sudden right turn - he had seen the undead mass ahead on the avenue. And if the undead didn’t stop them it would be a fallen truck, or a set of abandoned cars. He knew how those avenues were nowadays. Unreliable.

      Chances were it would be one of them. You are lucky. This was a gift. Use that knowledge. Fight. Don’t abandon hope for christ’s sake.

      John was barely listening. They had lasted one month. One crazy scary month. But today they lost. Everything was lost… for a fucking can of coca cola that mom dropped! For a fucking cola!, John thought and started sobbing. They were raiding the supermarket and its vast warehouse like they’ve done five times already. But this time they weren’t as quiet. A fucking can killed my family!

      Stop it kid. Stop crying. The cop nudged the kid with his right hand. He grabbed his head and turned it towards the monitor. Look, he said. This is what you should be worried about right now. This is the only thing that should be on your mind. If that gas meter drops, we are completely on our own. I have a couple of friends up west in Fresno.

      The cop whistled a song too old for John to recognise. It’s a shame Adams was blocked but we’ll soon reach Lincoln Avenue. We are so close, but to be frank I’ve never seen the meter so… below empty!

      John could not care. The cop’s attempts to put some sense in him have failed miserably so far. He wasn’t trying. The zombies around him were still scary - but a solution nonetheless. Why didn’t it end for him back there? What’s the point of surviving all alone?

      An ominous sound was heard. It was like the engine was trying to chew on something metallic, or was coughing like an eighty year old heavy smoker. Why did it have to be now…! Shit!, the cop cursed. This is my fault. I should have risked and tried more gas stations. Quick boy. Get up! We are walking… We ll check some abandoned vehicles if we get the chance, though chances are they were abandoned because of gas too.

      The cop got out and opened John’s door for him. He sighed and looked at the ground. My name is Derek Colton. I had a wife and a kid till November 3rd. Now I don’t. Don’t you feel like you owe it to your parents to give a crap about yourself? Do you have any idea how much effort they put in you? They would be frustrated - let alone devastated if you let all that effort go to waste.

      The seemingly mute kid didn’t answer. But at least he gave his hand for Derek to pull.

      That’s my boy. Now this is one empty damn avenue. Empty is good. Though as I told you the golden rule is: chances are you meet one of them and not one of us.

      Chapter 2

      Luanne Myers screamed. She grabbed tightly onto the man’s back as he distanced himself just in time before the unwanted would happen. Luanne was uncomfortable that she was now wet, but happy that the man named Sam was pleased. He met Sam two weeks ago and so far he was everything a woman could wish for in these scary times. A handy survival tool.

      Sam caressed Luanne’s hair and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek. He loved the girl’s angelic red hair and admired her perfectly shaped nose. Did you like it? he asked.

      It was perfect. I mean… at least one thing is better for my life after the apocalypse.

      Sam laughed.

      Sam Webber was well-shaped and Luanne wasn’t lying about the sex being pleasurable - she was just exaggerating.

      I’m starving he said. Should we grab a bite?

      Honey… We already ate for breakfast. It’s only been three hours, don’t you think we should be more tight with our resources?

      It’s not my fault. You are the one who made me starve.

      She giggled and pulled his dense blond hair gently.

      Luanne considered herself so lucky. She had made her own efforts in order to survive and now it was time to retire. Before the apocalypse - as she and Sam call it - she was a saleswoman - one that was considered to use her good looks more than any other persuasive skill to score a sale. In her mind, she was the same now, just in a different context. When she found Sam she knew she would follow him, not because of his obvious physical strength nor his steady, certain voice.

      It was his car. A black limousine that for Luanne meant a possible huge sale. And she was right.

      Sam proved to be the chauffeur of a guy named Raymond Milk, who was candidate for senator in California. When she saw the limo, Luanne shouted ignoring the zombies around her. It was her big shot.

      So Sam took her to Raymond Milk’s highly secured place. They didn’t know exactly where Raymond was but Sam figured he probably got chewed off in one of his pre-election campaigns.

      Sam had already brought three of his friends here. A couple in their mid thirties, Teresa and Bill, along with his best friend Jax. The house consisted of two separate buildings: The main house and the guest house. Both had enough food for them to last over one month. In Sam’s mind, that gave them one careless month and one they would have to go crazy over finding some magic pool of resources.

      Jax knocked the bedroom door - he Sam and Luanne were living in the main house.

      Before someone answered, he opened. They quickly covered themselves under the sheets.

      Hey fellows. Having fun? I suppose no one heard the bell ringing by any chance?

      Jax made a disgusted face when he saw what Sam should have covered the most.

      Well… Jax my man. Can you handle it?

      Jax wasn’t sure if he was talking about the bell or what he just saw. He took a guess.

      Ehm… It could be someone who wants in - isn’t that a decision we should make as a whole?

      Ok. Just give me a minute. Go open and I’ll come right down.

      Okie dokie.

      Jax went down the wooden internal stairs and opened the building’s front door. Outside were Bill and Teresa.

      Oh Jax. You heard the bell didn’t you? We were coming to get you guys. Where are the others?

      I am not telling you that to be jealous or anything… but they are at their ‘lovebirds’ era in their relationship. We’ll handle this on our own for a moment. Let’s see what we’ve got.

      They walked the path to the heavy garage door - Jax walked on the grass.

      "Hey Jax man. This is no longer someone’s grass! It’s ours. Quit stepping on it" Bill complained.

      Jax nodded indifferently.

      They went to the side of the door to take a look at whoever was calling them.

      Bill was in front and saw what appeared to be a middle aged couple. The man had grey ponytail hair and a necklace. The woman was a chubby lady with curly brown hair.

      Can we help you fellows?

      Well… Can you? We are out here. Us and those things, we don’t have a fence separating us. We could use all the help we can get! He sounded like a smoker.

      Jax pushed Bill and took his place. "There are many, many apartments and houses

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