The shade shot its left elbow out and connected with Nellis’ chest, sending him flying back into the wall next to the non-functioning fireplace. The shade wasn’t carrying any weapons, but it didn’t need them.

Suze took a step toward Nellis, who was struggling to regain his footing after being slammed into the wall.

Jonathan, not wanting to waste the distraction Nellis inadvertently caused, hit the shade in the back. He threw his whole bodyweight at it and wrapped his arms around its chest. They both went down, crashing into the table he was sitting at just a few moments before.

Suze took a half step back, and then kicked her foot out. Before it connected with the shade, who was now on top of Jonathan, the creature vanished and immediately reappeared behind Suze.

Zoe was still by the bar, watching. “Behind you,” she yelled.

Suze jumped forward as she looked back. The shade’s arms just missed closing around her throat.

Nellis was up by the wall, and swung at the shade with a chair when Suze was out of the way. The chair connected and sent the shade falling back into the wall. Hitting it was like hitting a brick wall. The strike was effective, but Nellis’ hands reeled from the vibrations of the strike. The wooden chair was cracked, and would just break if he used it again, so Nellis tossed it to the ground.

Jonathan was up and ready for another strike. He kicked his leg out and struck the shade’s left knee as it struggled to gain footing for another attack after falling back into the wall. It went down to one knee and turned its head toward Jonathan, baring its teeth.

Suze picked up another one of the chairs and swung it hard while the shade growled at Jonathan. She connected with its face. The chair broke into several pieces as the force of her strike cracked open its semi-translucent cheek. Its head hit the wall so hard there was a dent in the drywall, and a fresh crack ran two feet up the wall. A clear viscous liquid oozed from the shade’s wound. It lay there, apparently dazed.

“We’re not going to be able to kill this thing with chairs,” Jonathan said.

“What the hell is it? I think it’s after me,” Suze said.

“It’s a shade, and we’ve got to go now,” Jonathan said as he backed away, toward the door.

Nellis and Suze hesitated, looking at each other, and then to the shade. It was starting to move its arms around.

“We have to go,” Jonathan said to them. He turned to Zoe, who was standing against the bar, looking unsure of the situation but not scared. “Zoe…”

“It’s getting up!” Zoe said as she pointed past Jonathan.

The three looked back and then toward the front door. “Let’s go,” Nellis said.

“Come on, you can’t stay here.” Jonathan said to Zoe as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her along, out the front door.

The four of them got in Nellis’ truck. As Nellis put the it in reverse and started to turn around in the small parking lot, he heard a crash and looked up. The shade was up and moving toward them, after bursting through the front window instead of using the already open and broken doorway.

“Goddammit, move!” Suze said.

“I’m going,” Nellis said as he put the truck in drive and slammed on the gas.

“It’s going to catch us,” Zoe said calmly from the back seat.

Jonathan looked at her. “No, we’ll be fine if we can get far enough away.”

As soon as those words came out of his mouth, the shade landed on the roof of the moving vehicle. It landed, and then reached in, grabbing at Zoe.

“Shit. Hold on!” Nellis said as he slammed on the brakes. Everyone lurched forward. Suze reached for the grab handle and put her left arm out in front of her, hitting the dashboard hard with the palm of her hand. Zoe and Jonathan both fell forward into backs of the front seats. No one had the time or inclination to put on their seat belts.

The shade rolled off and landed in front of them.

“Hit it,” Jonathan yelled from the backseat.

Nellis put the gas pedal to the floor and the truck surged forward. The left tires each ran over the shade, giving a sickening yet satisfying bump to the ride. “Got it,” he said.

They drove on. Nellis kept glancing at the rear view mirror. There were no other cars around. It was late morning, and no one was on the road. Suze, Jonathan, and Zoe watched out the back, looking for any threat.

“Shit,” Suze said.

“What?” Nellis asked as he looked in the rear view mirror, and the turned his head to look out the rear window. “Oh.”

The shade got up and stared at them. They must have been too far away, because it ran off the road, to the right, and out of sight.

“What the hell?” Jonathan turned back to the front. “Suze, is there anything you’re not telling us?”

She turned around in her seat to face Jonathan. Her expression was a mixture of anger and confusion. “No, nothing. I think that thing was after me, but I don’t know why. Are you saying this all has to do with me, or with my father? I think it’s pretty odd that my father is murdered by zombies, and then some super zombie ghost whatever thing comes after me in a coffee shop. What the fuck was that thing?”

*****

Pick the book up for your Amazon Kindle device or app: Sepulcher Unbound – Book One