Rigor Mortis had already set in but she managed to pry the piece of paper out of the victims cold lifeless hand. It was a note the words of which struck Lucille’s mind and shattered her fabric of reality sending her into a bout of madness.

She rolled around in the dirt maniacal laughter sounding from her deep red lips as the note was clutched tightly to her chest.

Her uncle Phinnias looked at her. A pitiful look across his face he tried to calm her down as the insanity wrapped Lucille’s mind

“Gh... Gh... Ghouls did this” those were the only words that escaped Lucille’s mouth

Phinnias gasped, he had heard of the existence of ghouls but the mangled torso of the corpse next to them and the note gave solid proof of their existence.

Phinnias escorted Lucille home where he sat her down with a hot cup of coffee. Together they sat the hearth failing to warm the atmosphere between the two.

“We need to get them” Lucille’s voice perked up. It was the first words she had said in hours. Her hand reaching for Phinnias’s Lee Enfield rifle on the wall

“No” Phinnias slapped her hand away “ If we only go after them with bullets and anger we’ll only go the way of Scott”

The mention of his name struck Lucille’s sanity and she sunk back into the chair and grasped her coffee so hard the mug almost shattered and you could see the white of her fingers contrast with the sure burn marks from the hot porcelain.

Phinnias sighed and opened the note bracing for the worst. It read:

Dear Lucille

My house is under siege from those horrible undead. I probably won’t last long

I love you

Scott

In the corner was a stain of blood. Scott’s blood the sadness gripped his mind. Mere 10 hours from now both Scott and Lucille would have been bride and groom but now that dream was destined to die

He knew why she felt so empty as the mug shattered in Lucille’s grip. He didn’t attempt to stop her as she changed out into the night rifle in hand determined to either avenge her late fiancé or join him.