1st Halloween ficlet
Original ficlet: Wasn't there supposed to be a body here?
Author: thl
"Wait, wasn't he supposed to be dead?"
Bill looked up at the open window five floors above them, then shrugged. "I thought so too, but that groan...I'm changing my mind."
Tim frowned, tilted his hat and scratched his head. "He's really messed up then. I mean, all we have to do is wait." He looked down at the lumpy mess contained in stained clothing and sighed. "It's not like we can do CPR or anything, not with all those broken bones."
One of the man's hands twitched.
"Jesus!" Tim jumped back and put one hand on his gun and the other on Bill's elbow to yank him backward too. "He's a vampire! Or undead! Yeah, a zombie!"
"It's a death twitch," Bill grumbled, yanking himself out of Tim's grasp. "Rookie."
"There's no such thing!" Tim paused. "Is there?"
Bill raised a hand. "Swear to God."
Tim unsnapped his flashlight from his belt and flicked the light on and off the man's face. "His eyes...his pupils...is that normal?"
"How the hell can you see dilation or anything from there." Bill shoved his partner forward. "Really look."
The man's hand shot out and grabbed Tim's boot. "Mine," he growled.
The coroner studied the empty alley and scratched his head before making the call.
"I'm on the scene. Patrol car's here but no officers. Nothing." He swiped his foot on the concrete and noticed the small metal blobs all over the place. "Wasn't there supposed to be a body here?"
-*-
Author: thl
"Wait, wasn't he supposed to be dead?"
Bill looked up at the open window five floors above them, then shrugged. "I thought so too, but that groan...I'm changing my mind."
Tim frowned, tilted his hat and scratched his head. "He's really messed up then. I mean, all we have to do is wait." He looked down at the lumpy mess contained in stained clothing and sighed. "It's not like we can do CPR or anything, not with all those broken bones."
One of the man's hands twitched.
"Jesus!" Tim jumped back and put one hand on his gun and the other on Bill's elbow to yank him backward too. "He's a vampire! Or undead! Yeah, a zombie!"
"It's a death twitch," Bill grumbled, yanking himself out of Tim's grasp. "Rookie."
"There's no such thing!" Tim paused. "Is there?"
Bill raised a hand. "Swear to God."
Tim unsnapped his flashlight from his belt and flicked the light on and off the man's face. "His eyes...his pupils...is that normal?"
"How the hell can you see dilation or anything from there." Bill shoved his partner forward. "Really look."
The man's hand shot out and grabbed Tim's boot. "Mine," he growled.
The coroner studied the empty alley and scratched his head before making the call.
"I'm on the scene. Patrol car's here but no officers. Nothing." He swiped his foot on the concrete and noticed the small metal blobs all over the place. "Wasn't there supposed to be a body here?"
-*-