Ghastly Lantern

      Mr. Martel went on to answer, but Andrew was only partially listening to his response. Instead there was another sound that tugged at his ears which was coming from one or more of the creatures that still stood in darkness. It was a type of muted cracking and sloshing sound that recurred at a rapid pace and was so alien that it could not be associated with anything Andrew had ever heard before. Martel was either ignoring this strange noise or simply did not hear it over his own voice. Then came the faint sound of whirling helicopter blades from an unknown distance. It was not long before the din of its engine and propellers could be heard circling the area high above the trees, overpowering the odd noise of the creature or creatures. Its powerful spotlight briefly pierced through a heavy curtain which blocked the view of whatever might be going on beyond its window, but before moving on, it brought light to those dark corners of the cabin where the restless undead resided.
      Andrew now saw what the alien noise was coming from and knew he would forever fear that horrid sound, for the creature in the now illuminated corner was displayed in all its repulsion, shaking and convulsing without control. Then the seizure suddenly stopped, leaving the zombie standing just as still as before but now somehow altered. A green radiance could be seen pulsing in the abomination’s chest, making apparent the fine silhouette of its ribcage and turning its torso of dead flesh into a ghastly lantern.
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Illustration and Excerpt from Signs of the Unknown: The Soul Thief