Morgan’s scream cut off as the ax blade sliced through her neck. No blood spurted out. She had no blood.
People gasped and uttered horrified cries as her head flew high, across the gym, the red hair billowing behind it. A groan escaped Morgan’s open mouth.
The head appeared to float for a long time, and then it dropped heavily to the gym floor, bounced twice, and came to a rest on its side.
Around the room, the zombies began to murmur. They were all gaping at the head on the floor. They stood still for a long time, studying it, muttering to each other in ugly tones from deep in their empty bodies.
Then, as if given a signal, they began to disintegrate. Staggering, stumbling, arms shaking at their sides, empty heads bowed, they fell apart, limb from limb. A terrifying thunder echoed through the gym as they cracked and crumbled into piles of dust. Piles of powdery dust, and all that remained was their stench.
I suddenly realized the ax was still gripped tightly in my hands. I gazed at the shiny blade, gazed at it until it seemed to hypnotize me. The handle began to burn in my hands.
What have I done?
I let the ax fall to the floor. Then I dropped to my knees, lowered my head, and shut my eyes. But even with my eyes shut, I still saw that ax blade cutting through Morgan’s neck, saw the head go flying, uttering its last groan.
When I finally raised my head, Julie was standing beside me. She had one hand placed on my trembling shoulder. “It’s okay, Delia,” she whispered. “She’s gone. The vampire is gone.”
And then I saw Imhoff on my other side.
“I . . . I can’t believe I did that,” I said to him, barely able to choke out the words. “I can’t believe I killed Morgan.”
He knelt down beside me and spoke softly, his silvery eyes seeking mine. “You did the right thing, Delia. You didn’t kill a human. You must always remember that. You didn’t kill a human. You killed a vampire.”
I gazed back at him. I didn’t know how to reply.
“You saved a lot of lives,” Julie said.
Imhoff nodded. “Yes. Delia, you saved a lot of lives.”
I turned and saw that my friends had formed a tight circle around me. “Delia, you’re a hero,” Julie cried. “You’re a hero!”
