Life is a precious thing, and there are only a few justifiable reasons to take one. Survival or revenge, are as good a reason as any, but any other reason is just a lie to make a man feel better about the actual deed itself. When you’re planning to take someone’s life you better be damn sure they have it coming, because killing a man for money or greed may actually seal your own fate one day. Money motivates and tends to make folks do all kinds of crazy things, no matter how high the risk. Obviously revenge can be sweet, as it may ultimately fulfill a promise made, but it can also spiral downward, finding you in return. Surviving is the goal of all living things. So if it’s your life or his… then all bets are off. It’s kill… or be killed. The choice is just that simple, whether you like it or not…                       

Morgan’s right side revolver came out with blinding speed! It was so fast the large man couldn’t even blink an eye to acknowledge it. Everything just stopped. The man froze in his tracks. “Please don’t make me shoot you big fella” Morgan pleaded, breaking the awkward silence. He eased back the hammer of his ivory handled peacemaker. The man laughed very loudly, “You won’t shoot me…You can’t shoot me! We both know those things out there will come in here if you do! Killing me would be like killing yourself. Besides, I’ve always wanted to bash in the skull of one of you rebel bastards. You assholes have killed way too many friends of mine!” Morgan frowned, and he looked down at his own clothes, “I’ve really gotta get rid of this damn uniform” he quipped. Morgan knew the man was right however, if he fired even one shot, the dead would come for them both, and they’d both die horribly. “Listen big man, you’re family needs our help, and I really don’t wanna have to explain to them why I had to shoot you.” The man laughed again,” You’re something else aint’ ya’ mister? You wouldn’t help us anymore than I’d help you! You’re a damn rebel soldier and you’re gonna die by my hands this day.” Morgan glared hard at the man., “I spoke with two men…your brothers I would assume, Daniel? Johnny? They said you would be in the barn, I came to get you just like they asked me to” he quickly lied. The man threw down his club, and Morgan was hoping this meant the big man had a change of heart and was finally listening to reason. However, he quickly realized the man only dropped the club to pick up a nearby axe! The man grinned at him from ear to ear, “so you think you can throw a couple of names at me and I’m gonna just not wanna kill ya’? Is that it? Well you’re wrong Mister, I don’t care who you think you talked to! Like I said, I’m planning to kill you for all the friends and family that I’ve lost, because of you and your kind!” Morgan attempted to reason harder with the man, “Come on now big boy put down the axe. Let’s go help your family. Nobody has to die here today and I certainly don’t wanna have to kill you.” He continued to point the gun in the larger man’s face. “Fuck you little man! I told you, you’re gonna die. I’m gonna rip you apart…piece by piece!” Without further words, the man suddenly charged! Morgan had very little time to respond, up came the axe, leaving him no choice but to take down the huge man! He gently squeezed the trigger. Click! The gun failed to fire! What the f-fu..!? Morgan suddenly realized he forgot to re-load both of his guns! Something he never forgets to do! “You’re so stupid Morgan!” he chastised himself rather loudly. Time slowed in the moment he pulled that trigger. It froze the big man right in his tracks! And through the bewilderment that covered his extremely large face, Morgan saw his eyes beginning to fill with even more rage for him, “You was gonna’ shoot me! I can’t believe that you were actually gonna’ do it!” The man proclaimed. “Well, yeah! I wonder why…you were about to take my head off you dumb ox!” The man growled in anger, and charged hard for him! He raised the axe high as he approached rapidly. Morgan had no weapon and he knew he was physically out matched, so he improvised. Morgan kicked the man square in his right knee cap, causing the large man to crash down hard and onto his face! Thankfully the axe flew a good distance away. “You’re not very graceful are you big fella? Why don’t we call a truce? You tell me your name…and I will tell you mine, and we can laugh about this later. Right after we both go on over to the house and kill some already dead soldiers, and help your family get out of the mess they’re in, whatta’ ya say?” Morgan knew he should just run. Just get as far as away from this idiot and all this chaos, and be gone, but before he could do so, the man reached out and grabbed Morgan’s legs with his massive hands and pulled him down to the ground! Morgan was on top of the man now, with his back to him. “Who needs grace with a puny little man like you? I don’t need an axe to crush your skull!” Before Morgan had a chance to react or respond, the man’s arms were wrapped around his neck squeezing the life from his body! What raw strength this man possessed! Morgan struggled for air, trying every possible return attack on the man, just to get him to loosen his grip. He clawed at the man’s eyes. He punched him in the groin. He kicked and he rolled, to no avail. This man would be the end of him for sure! Morgan was about to pass out, when he remembered the knife in his boot. That seven inch dagger had saved him more than one time he knew. He reached down and was able to get his right hand around the bone polished handle made of deer antler. He withdrew it from his boot, and with one swift motion he drove the knife down into the man’s right thigh burying it to the hilt! The man screamed in obvious pain! The large man’s grip loosened, but he did not fully let him go. Morgan was thankful for the air, but he realized very quickly this fight was far from over! The man squeezed even tighter now, “You bastard! I’m gonna hurt you for real now Mister! You fucking stabbed me you rebel son of a bitch!” Morgan quickly yanked the knife from the large man’s thigh. He brought it up even higher and towards the man’s mid-section, he thrust it down, burying it to the hilt once more! The large man finally let go, shoving Morgan far and away! Morgan gasped for air as he rolled over to his hands and knees. The man screamed and screamed, cursing him all the while. Morgan watched in disbelief as the man was on his feet standing over him! Morgan began to chuckle, as he realized the man had also somehow gotten the axe back into his huge hands. “You won’t be laughing soon little man! I’m gonna finally finish you! And this is gonna hurt…and it’s gonna hurt a lot!” He kicked Morgan in the ribs hard sending him flying across the floor! The kick blew the wind from his lungs once again. Morgan had no time to respond! The man ran towards him. The axe in his massive hand was raised high above his head getting ready to sweep in for its deathly blow. Morgan realized the man was right about what he said…this was gonna hurt a lot! As he was about to drive the axe into Morgan’s awaiting skull, the man was stopped by bone chilling screams that came from the yard! This was the opening that Morgan needed badly, and he reached down deep within himself finding a surge of energy and ignoring the pain and he charged shoulder first into the belly of the distracted big man driving him back to the far wall of the barn. The axe flew from the man’s hands and they both hit the wall with a thunderous crash knocking several other tools that hung there to the barn floor! That was way too loud Morgan knew! Those things had to have heard them! He scrambled back to his hands and knees, attempting to catch his breath. Morgan grimaced when he sensed the large shadow on the ground next to him. Big boy, and to no surprise to Morgan, was still standing directly over him once again! “Ok buddy you got me, just make it quick okay?” Morgan laughed halfheartedly. He couldn’t believe the man was still on his feet after being stabbed and hit as hard as Morgan had hit him. Oddly, there was no response this time. Just silence. Morgan thought it odd the chatty big man had nothing to say. The area of the barn they fought in, was the darkest, and Morgan could not see the man very well, but he had to assume the man was about to split his skull in two with that axe! He waited a few moments in that silence. The only sounds he heard were his own beating heart and quickened breaths. He began to laugh again in disbelief how the man could still be standing. Morgan glanced up at his legs and could easily see the man’s right pant leg was saturated with blood. He wondered how much of it was his, and how much of it was the man’s. Morgan felt like he just took the worst beating he ever took in his entire life, and he knew he didn’t look any better than he felt. He continued to look up at the man. He could see the handle of his knife sticking out of the man’s gut. The handle glowed from the moonlight shining upon it through a nearby window. How could he still be standing? Morgan continued to wonder, “Okay…you win, you beat me. I can’t beat you, so just kill me if you’re going to! Come on just do it!” Morgan cried out. He felt defeated. More than he ever had. He knew the man would kill him, what was he waiting for? Without his guns, Morgan felt naked and alone. There was nothing but silence. If only he had only reloaded his damn guns! Morgan realized how fatal of a mistake that really was! “Come on big boy! Just do it already!” he screamed out. There was still no response from the large man. It suddenly occurred to Morgan, he couldn’t hear the man breathing! No movement came from the man whatsoever. Morgan got up off the ground slowly and with great effort. He faced the very large man. The man towered over him, obviously making it difficult to see his face clearly, but he could see that his eyes were closed. Big boy appeared to be out cold! Morgan pushed at the man’s body and he could not budge him, and he did not wake. He found a nearby wooden crate and he brought it over and set it on the ground just in front of him. He stood on it so that he was face to face with the larger man. Ole’ Big boys head was slightly tilted back towards the wall. Blood trickled down the middle of his face. The blood came from the center of the man’s forehead…Morgan looked closer and could barely see the tiny tip of a steel hook protruding from the center of the man’s head. Morgan was stunned and he quickly examined the back side of big boys head and could see a large hook mounted to the wall! More than half of the hook was embedded inside the large man’s skull! Big boy had been impaled! The man was no longer a mountain, and he was no longer a threat…he was just simply dead. “Huh, would you look at that” was all Morgan could really say.

Inside the house, Daniel screamed at his brother Johnny, “Get your fucking ass down in the cellar with Ma’ and the girls! I have to go find Hank and Thomas!” Johnny looked back at him with confusion, “But Daniel, if you nail the door shut, how will you get back in here with us? It’s a suicide mission and ya’ know it brother!” Daniel shoved Johnny through the cellar door, “I will get the others, and we will hold up in the barn. You know the doors are tough when they are barred properly! Nothing will get you and Ma’, or the girls, and we will be safe in the barn! I have to do this to protect the family Johnny! You know this has to be done!” “We could go with you! The barn would be safer for all of us! You heard the stranger Morgan Black even say so! Besides we should stick together, were a family Daniel! You can’t go out there alone!” his brother pleaded. “Listen, you take care of this end, I will find Hank and Thomas. These mindless things will get bored when they realize there’s no chance of getting in there. They will move on and we will clean it all up tomorrow. It’s just one night John! I need you to be strong! Our family needs you to be a man right now!” Daniel shut the door abruptly in his brother face. He grabbed the nails and began to hammer them through the closed door all the way into the frame. “Daniel, please be careful brother! I love you and our family needs you! Hurry to the barn! Run faster than you ever have before in your life!” Daniel stood in front of the cellar door for several moments. He watched the windows in the house shatter and the front door break apart only seconds later! The dead were coming for him! He knew he would never make it out of this one. “Johnny…you have been a good brother to me…I love you too…take care of our family, I p-promise, I will see you soon!” Daniel ran for one of the windows and dove straight through it breaking the remaining glass and toppling over several dead soldiers! He sustained several cuts, but he never felt any of them, he only had one chance to get to the barn in time. He got back to his feet, and he ran across the deck and into the abyss of dead bodies. Suddenly, he had nowhere to go! The things were everywhere! “Oh my God, what have I done?!” He tried to back away from them, shooting several in the head as he went. Thankfully they dropped, but more and more came for him! There was just too many! Daniel walked backwards in the direction of the barn. He suddenly stopped moving, as he felt his back touching something directly behind him! He felt the hot breath and the smell of death was lurking over him. Terror filled him fast! The something…did not budge! Oh how he wished it was the barn he just ran into, but this wasn’t the barn! He looked up and over his shoulder to see a large dark figure with glowing red eyes towering over him! Daniel heard the low growl slowly become louder, and Daniel felt the rumble of that growl as his backside was against the beast. The thing standing behind him was not a dead soldier…it was so much more. “I-I was wrong J-Jon” Daniel quietly said out loud, “G-God isn’t w-watching today.” Daniel Anderson never stood a chance, and his poor family heard his terror filled screams and they watched in horror from the windows of the cellar…as he was completely torn apart!

“You friggin’ idiot. I would have helped you! You’re so stupid!” screamed Morgan, and he slapped the man’s face hard. Clearly he was frustrated with the larger man’s choices. Morgan had to kill him of course, “You’re so stupid! Why’d you do that?” Morgan began pacing back and forth and he felt sick to his stomach by what had happened. He knew the family in the house would not be happy if they knew the young man died by his hands. Suddenly he was distracted by those thoughts, realizing someone, or SOMETHING, just walked past the nearby window! “Damn it I knew it…they heard us!” Clearly frustrated, he watched for more movement. Unfortunately his gut told him it wasn’t going to be the living kind of movement he so desired. Taking no chances, he quickly barred the rear door of the barn. Morgan looked back to the large man impaled on the hook and just hanging there, “Well, you were right about one thing big boy, they heard us…and guess what asshole…they’re definitely coming for us…well…for me anyway. I hope you’re happy!” He had to get out of this barn or it would ultimately be his end! Morgan knew a distraction or two would definitely be necessary! He walked over to big boy to retrieve his knife still stuck in the man’s belly. He pulled it out slowly. He leaned down and picked up the axe. He then ran to the front area of the barn, where the horses were all stabled. He searched the stables frantically, looking for just the right horse. Morgan had a plan, but in order for it to work, everything would need to be just right. He found what he was looking for after looking in the second stable. The horse was smaller than all the rest, but he knew it weighed enough to do what he was intending to do. Morgan was certainly hoping anyway! He led the small horse from its stable and out into the open area to stand just before the two large front doors of the barn. He quickly examined his surroundings, making sure everything was where it needed to be. The two doors were already secured with a large wooden post. He assumed the large man must have done this prior to Morgan’s arrival. He guessed he was trying to keep the dead soldiers out of the barn and he most likely was about to lock the back door, when Morgan arrived. “I guess I should thank him when I get the chance” he joked. There was nothing left now, only the sarcastically dry humorous comments that Morgan had grown quite accustomed to using these days. And this day had become a living nightmare of astronomical proportions! The barn was constructed so the loft had been structurally built in the center. Both ends of the huge building were open to the roof above. Morgan could see the loft held several bales of hay and he knew it was designed for the singular purpose of storing them. Directly above Morgan, hung a block and tackle pulley system. Raised on a Maine farm as a child, he basically knew how the system worked. Morgan calmed the horse with a light pat to his face and led it over to stand just beneath the dangling hook. He could tell the horse was spooked, as it sensed something wasn’t quite right. Morgan knew the horse could feel his own uneasiness. He knew what he was about to do was not going to be easy, not even a little bit! In most cases, Morgan had more respect for animals than he did for any man. He lightly patted the horse’s neck and whispered in his ear, “This is nothing personal young fella, but…I have no…” Morgan brought the axe above his head swiftly, and then swung it down hard into the horse’s skull, dropping the poor unsuspecting creature quickly to the floor. The horse never saw it coming and had died instantly from the crushing blow. “…choice” he solemnly finished. Morgan had no time to fathom what he had just done, so he grabbed the rope with the hook from the pulley hanging above. He tied the rope around neck of the horse. He quickly pulled down on the rope and the horse began to rise from the barn floor. The horse was heavier than he’d hoped and this took a great deal of his strength. The horse’s front legs and upper body were now suspended and Morgan stopped pulling on the rope. He removed his knife from his boot and used it to slice open the horse’s belly. The young horse’s innards spilled out and covered the floor. Morgan was hoping the horse would now be much lighter…and of course more appetizing. He grabbed the rope again and began to pull the horse up slowly. Thankfully the beast was much lighter now disemboweled. He continued to pull until it was almost to the top of the block and tackle system. Blood poured from the horse and the intestines hung grotesquely almost the entire distance and all the way to the floor. The stench was overwhelming. Morgan purposely ponched the animals stomach to increase the stench. He hoped the smell would be like ringing the dinner bell for the dead. Morgan tied the rope off on a nearby hook. This held the horse in place just above him. Now for part two. Morgan ran back to the rear of the barn. He climbed the only ladder that went up to the loft. Once in the loft, he began to crawl over the bales of hay to face the front of the barn. Morgan began to throw the bales of hay down to the main floor. The plan was to separate both ends of the barn by making a wall of hay to separate the two sides from each other. Morgan went back down the ladder to the main floor and stacked all the bales on top of each other, building the crude wall of hay. Continuing to work fast, he ran to the rear door and tied a rope to the wooden cross bar. As he was tying the rope, he heard scratching and clawing coming from the other side of the door. This was no time to panic, and he just kept working. He climbed back to the loft holding onto the other end of the rope. In the loft and facing the rear door, Morgan walked along a beam to the wall just above the door. He tied the rope to a nearby rafter and walked back across the beam. Morgan could hear the creatures outside still trying to get in the house. He prayed that someone was still actually alive inside that house! He and the big man heard some screaming coming from the yard during their epic battle, so Morgan had no idea what that may mean for the family. Back on the main floor Morgan found two large canisters of kerosene. Using the canisters, he poured the contents all over the constructed hay wall. Then he poured some more on the barn walls, benches, and he even poured some on ole’ big boy. He covered everything he could. Morgan was careful to save a little kerosene in one canister for the one last important task. He grabbed one of two lit lanterns hanging nearby and walked back over to where big boy was. Part three of Morgan’s plan was about to take place, and he wasn’t real happy about this part, but what choice did he really have? He hated to use the man’s body as part of his plan, but... He drove his knife back into the wound his knife had already created in his mid-section. Morgan firmly slid the knife across the man’s abdomen, out spilled the man’s intestines covering the floor. Morgan groaned a bit and he nearly threw up. He grabbed the man’s right arm and raised it up, placing the back of his hand against the wall. Morgan quickly drove his knife through big boy’s palm, thus pinning his hand to the wall. “Sorry about that my friend” Morgan frowned, as he stood back and looked at the man. Ole’ big boy looked like he was standing there waving, and most folks would probably wave back if it were not for the man’s guts dangling down from the large gash in his belly! Morgan smiled a bit, taking the already lit lantern and then hanging it on the handle of the knife. He stood back again and admired his handy work. He knew his plan was taking shape, but he also knew he was running out of time! The dead were beginning to claw and kick louder at the rear door! Morgan grabbed the canister of kerosene he saved, and the last remaining lantern. He climbed back up the ladder to the loft. He set down both items and went back down the ladder one last time to grab the axe. As Morgan climbed back up to the loft, he broke each rung to the ladder, purposely busting them apart with the axe. The scratching at the rear door had become full on banging now! Morgan knew all of the noise he was making most likely didn’t help. He knew those things were out there, and noise or no noise, THEY knew he was in here and they wanted him like a cat wanted a mouse! “I sure hope this works he muttered. Either way, I’m guessing I probably won’t see the sun rise in the morning” Morgan reasoned. He scurried back across the beam to stand above the rear door of the barn. He peered through the wall boards and was not surprised to see the amount of dead men banging on the door outside. Morgan estimated approximately fifty crazed dead assholes were about to come to his ready-made supper! And it was a meal he was betting they could not resist! “I hope you like what I have prepared for ya ’all, because it’s gonna be your very last…assholes!” Morgan shouted out to them. The soldiers became even more agitated now, shoving the door harder and harder. “Here goes nothing.” He took a deep breath, and he yanked hard on the rope, easily dislodging the wooden beam. Up it came! In flew the door, and with it…in walked death.

Morgan walked methodically back across the beam. He stood on the edge of the loft, remaining in the shadows. He watched quietly reloading both guns slowly. Never again would he leave them unloaded! He listened, and watched what those monsters did. They tore at the large man, ripping the flesh from his body with their teeth. They fought with each other for every vicious bite! He heard sounds he’d never quite heard before, standing up there in the loft, alone in the dark. He imagined this is what it sounded like when a pack of wolves fed on a freshly killed deer. Hearing quite enough, he was thoroughly disgusted. He began to pour the last bit of kerosene from the canister out over the top of the creatures below. When the can had finally emptied, Morgan without another thought callously tossed it down as well. The can bounced off a couple of them boys’ skulls… and this of course drew some unwanted attention his way! Several of them glared up at him! “Whoops! My bad fella’s” Morgan chuckled. This was not part of the plan of course, and he reasoned in his own mind that apparently having kerosene dumped on you doesn’t attract the same attention as having a metal container bounced off of your head! That made him smile a bit, although quite uneasily. Morgan picked up the lantern and he lit it. The glow bathed him fully in the light. He was now in full vision to the evil below. The dead reacted instantly, just as he figured they would! They raised their arms up and reaching for him. He listened to their cries of anguish and hunger. He also realized that now that he could see their faces, unfortunately he knew who some of these men were before all of this. He held no sentimental feelings for any of them of course. Most were criminals in some fashion or another. Not to mention Morgan was a true born Yankee, and not really from the south at all, but still…nobody deserved this fate. He shook off the thoughts of who they were before, and visualized who they were now. They were the enemy and Morgan hesitated not a second longer. He threw the lantern down into the center of the dead. He didn’t stand around to see what came next…because he knew what came next! He turned and ran towards the front of the barn. Morgan could hear the fuel ignite in the air above them. He felt the intense heat that followed and the barn was filled with demonic screams! The rear of the barn ignited quickly and just like that, there was no escape for anyone! However, Morgan had a plan, and he jumped down to main floor to where the horse hung grotesquely. He removed the crossbar and slowly opened the two large barn doors. Absolutely none of the dead bastards left the house. They didn’t even seem to notice Morgan’s ready-made barbeque quite yet. Thankfully the yard in front of the barn was empty. He quickly ran outside and around to the back side of the barn. The cool night air felt great on his skin, but the heat from the surging fire greatly diminished it. As he arrived at the rear door, a burning corpse was attempting to walk out of the barn. Morgan kicked the man square in the chest and drove him back to his burning fate. He grabbed the door and shut it abruptly. He used the wooden crossbar to secure it from the outside this time. The dead howled! They burned fast, just as Morgan hoped they would. He ran back to the front of the barn and could see his plan was now drawing some attention as well. The remaining hoard at the house was coming, and sooner than Morgan had hoped! Working faster, he opened all the corrals in the stable, urging the horses out through the doors into the dark night. As they ran from the barn they trampled several dead soldiers along their way. Morgan knew they wouldn’t be dead, but it would definitely slow them down a bit! With the screams from the barn and the ruckus the freed horses caused, Morgan knew he had the remaining dead’s full attention! He untied the rope to the pulley. Wrapping it firmly around his left wrist and forearm, keeping it taught. He drew out his revolver, aiming carefully at the block and tackle above his head. “Hey! You dead fuck’s!” He screamed, “Over here!” He knew they would come. At least another fifty more came towards him now! He wasted no more time and took a shot on the block and tackle above his head blowing it to several pieces! This allowed the rope to run freely, causing the weight of the horse to come crashing down to the floor! Gravity took over of course, and the weight of the horse falling to the ground catapulted Morgan upwards! He held on tight, as he hung there swinging back and forth for a few seconds! As he swung over the top of the loft, he released the rope with perfection, rolling to a well-placed tumble onto the loft floor. The burning barn quickly filled with fire, smoke, and the rest of the dead army! They seemed to not care at all the damn thing was ablaze! They only wanted the horse and most likely Morgan! He taunted them as he walked across the cat walk that led to a load window just above the larger front doors. He opened the window and softly muttered one word. In a whisper his new friend’s name was spoken, “Ghost.” He should not have been surprised to see the horse standing below the window just a mere second later…but he was all the same! Morgan did not hesitate though and he jumped down onto the horse. It was a good distance, but he made the jump with ease. The moment he hit the saddle he slid off the horses back and down to the ground. Once on the ground he ran to the large barn doors quickly slamming them both shut! Morgan barred the doors from the outside, and then he jumped back onto Ghost, and they rode out of there fast!

Moments later, in the woods behind the barn, Morgan remained seated upon the great horse. They both watched as the entire barn became fully engulfed. The creatures or whatever those boys had literally become, were screaming as the flames reached them. It made him happy to know those demons locked inside were burning. As the roof of the barn finally collapsed, he was taken aback by all of the destruction caused by his own hands. Morgan could not believe his plan had actually worked! He looked to the house and realized it was eerily dark, and unfortunately quiet. He slid off the horse and he slowly crept out to the backside of a nearby woodshed that was closest to the house. Ghost did not follow. He remained standing beneath the copse of trees. Morgan could see several bodies lying dead on the ground near the house. He tried to reason in his mind why these men had not risen like the others. Morgan continued to be cautious with his approach. He soon realized that the dead lying upon the ground had all shared one similar trait with one another…these men had all been shot in the head. He considered this to be a very interesting and it had to mean something. He leaned back against the shed feeling drained from his battle with the large man. He slid down into a seated position to face the very quiet Anderson home. He did not know if the family inside had survived or not, but he was mentally defeated and physically exhausted. Being completely overcome with the violence and death before him…Morgan gently laid his forehead down upon his knees. No matter how hardened the man had become, he was still flesh and blood, and this time he could not stop them…and the tears fell freely from his eyes.

Next Chapter: Chapter 3 "Hope"