Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Zombies Part 8
When Jace and Kristi told the others of their plan, they looked at them like they were crazy. But Mishelle and her partner cautiously agreed to help.
Kristi hugged Rachel. "I'l be back soon. I'm going to find people that need help. We're going to look for your mom and dad."
Rachel nodded. Kristi started to walk away, but Rachel grabbed her hand. "Can I come to your wedding?"
"What? I'm not getting married, Rachel."
"Suuuure. Can I?"
Kristi shook her head in amusement. "Yes, when I get married." She looked up and met Jace's eyes. From the way he was obviously holding back a laugh, she knew he'd heard. She made a face at him. "Let's head out."
They split into teams again, Kristi and Jace taking the main floor of the Wilk. "Let's go over to the HFAC," Kristi suggested.
"Okay."
It was much easier to sneak past the zombies in a smaller group. Plus, they didn't have to worry about protecting weaponless, frightened people. The zombies are pretty dumb and unobservant, Kristi thought to herself as they crossed a hallway, easily avoiding a zombie's notice. But that didn't fit with what had happened on the roof. An ambush. Or the zombies' strange ability to find them and swarm over them during the frightening run to the back room. Almost like someone is controlling them and was aware of us then, but isn't aware of us now. No . . . how was that possible? You have too wild of an imagination, she told herself.
They made it to the HFAC, although crawling through the bushes hadn't been a lot of fun. They started with the basement, quietly going down the stairs and knifing any zombies that got in the way. The basement was a veritable maze, but Kristi knew her way around fairly well. As an art major, she'd spent many hours in the HFAC, in class and exploring, and she also was friends with several music majors who had shown her the sound rooms and instruments hidden in the basement.
Kristi and Jace paused on a narrow, curved stairwell, waiting for a zombie to shamble past. "Kristi," Jace whispered. "It doesn't make any sense." Kristi nodded in agreement, immediately understanding what he meant. "Someone has to be behind this," Jace continued. "Must be the same person, or group of people, who created them and started this catastrophe in the first place."
"That would make sense," Kristi said."Except is it even possible that someone could control them? How would they do it?"
Jace shrugged. "Who knows. We have preconceptions about zombies, but those are from video games and might not---in fact, probably are not---true."
Kristi chewed her lip, trying to work out the puzzle. The zombie had left by then, and Jace nudged Kristi to get her attention. They crept down the stairs. Who would do something like this? Kristi wondered. And how do we find whoever did it? We have to stop them.
Jace and Kristi knocked on every locked door they came to and called to anyone who might be inside. Time and time again, there was no answer.
"I hope it's because there's no one in there and not because they're too scared to open the door," Kristi said with knitted eyebrows.
"There's nothing more we can do, Kristi."
Kristi still looked anxious. Jace brushed her cheek with his hand. "At least they'll be safe from the zombies until BYU is cleared out by the army."
"Hopefully that happens soon, or they'll starve. Or die of thirst."
Jace grabbed her shoulders. "They'll get to them in time, Kristi. We can't worry about that. Our job right now is to help those who are in immediate danger. Those we can help."
Kristi nodded slowly and gave his hand a squeeze. "You're right."
They continued on and came to a bathroom, which they entered warily. Zombie! Kristi slashed out with her knife, and Jace, coming in behind her, quickly helped dispatch of the creature.
"Hello?" Kristi called softly.
"Is-is someone there?" a tremulous voice came back.
Kristi followed the sound to a stall door. It was locked. "We're here to take you somewhere safe," she said through the door.
She heard shuffling and feet appeared on the floor. A thump sounded on the stall door---as if the person had almost fallen over and was using the door to steady themselves. "Kristi, is that you?" the voice said as the door finally swung open.
Kristi blinked in surprise. "Ariel!" she'd met the girl at SNS. "Are you doing alright?"
Ariel stumbled out of the stall and Kristi caught her, helping her keep her footing. Ariel winced as she slowly straightened her legs, leaning on Kristi. "I'm a bit unsteady. I've been crouching on that toilet seat for over an hour." Ariel caught sight of Jace as she finished the sentence and flushed in embarrassment.
Kristi grinned. "This is my boyfriend, Jace."
"Oh! Nice to finally meet you!"
Jace shot Kristi a bemused look. "Uh. You too."
"Ariel is a regular customer at SNS," Kristi explained to Jace. She turned to Ariel. "Do you know where your brother is?"
Ariel shook her head. "He usually meets me at 10 after the class I have here in the HFAC. We stop by SNS, and then we go on to the class we have together." She paused, her eyebrows scrunched up in thought. "He would've been in his apartment when the zombies came. Probably just waking up."
"Okay." Kristi checked the time on Jace's watch. Only 10:30. She looked at Jace. "There's so many places we need to look."
"We'll just do one at a time."
Kristi hugged Rachel. "I'l be back soon. I'm going to find people that need help. We're going to look for your mom and dad."
Rachel nodded. Kristi started to walk away, but Rachel grabbed her hand. "Can I come to your wedding?"
"What? I'm not getting married, Rachel."
"Suuuure. Can I?"
Kristi shook her head in amusement. "Yes, when I get married." She looked up and met Jace's eyes. From the way he was obviously holding back a laugh, she knew he'd heard. She made a face at him. "Let's head out."
They split into teams again, Kristi and Jace taking the main floor of the Wilk. "Let's go over to the HFAC," Kristi suggested.
"Okay."
It was much easier to sneak past the zombies in a smaller group. Plus, they didn't have to worry about protecting weaponless, frightened people. The zombies are pretty dumb and unobservant, Kristi thought to herself as they crossed a hallway, easily avoiding a zombie's notice. But that didn't fit with what had happened on the roof. An ambush. Or the zombies' strange ability to find them and swarm over them during the frightening run to the back room. Almost like someone is controlling them and was aware of us then, but isn't aware of us now. No . . . how was that possible? You have too wild of an imagination, she told herself.
They made it to the HFAC, although crawling through the bushes hadn't been a lot of fun. They started with the basement, quietly going down the stairs and knifing any zombies that got in the way. The basement was a veritable maze, but Kristi knew her way around fairly well. As an art major, she'd spent many hours in the HFAC, in class and exploring, and she also was friends with several music majors who had shown her the sound rooms and instruments hidden in the basement.
Kristi and Jace paused on a narrow, curved stairwell, waiting for a zombie to shamble past. "Kristi," Jace whispered. "It doesn't make any sense." Kristi nodded in agreement, immediately understanding what he meant. "Someone has to be behind this," Jace continued. "Must be the same person, or group of people, who created them and started this catastrophe in the first place."
"That would make sense," Kristi said."Except is it even possible that someone could control them? How would they do it?"
Jace shrugged. "Who knows. We have preconceptions about zombies, but those are from video games and might not---in fact, probably are not---true."
Kristi chewed her lip, trying to work out the puzzle. The zombie had left by then, and Jace nudged Kristi to get her attention. They crept down the stairs. Who would do something like this? Kristi wondered. And how do we find whoever did it? We have to stop them.
Jace and Kristi knocked on every locked door they came to and called to anyone who might be inside. Time and time again, there was no answer.
"I hope it's because there's no one in there and not because they're too scared to open the door," Kristi said with knitted eyebrows.
"There's nothing more we can do, Kristi."
Kristi still looked anxious. Jace brushed her cheek with his hand. "At least they'll be safe from the zombies until BYU is cleared out by the army."
"Hopefully that happens soon, or they'll starve. Or die of thirst."
Jace grabbed her shoulders. "They'll get to them in time, Kristi. We can't worry about that. Our job right now is to help those who are in immediate danger. Those we can help."
Kristi nodded slowly and gave his hand a squeeze. "You're right."
They continued on and came to a bathroom, which they entered warily. Zombie! Kristi slashed out with her knife, and Jace, coming in behind her, quickly helped dispatch of the creature.
"Hello?" Kristi called softly.
"Is-is someone there?" a tremulous voice came back.
Kristi followed the sound to a stall door. It was locked. "We're here to take you somewhere safe," she said through the door.
She heard shuffling and feet appeared on the floor. A thump sounded on the stall door---as if the person had almost fallen over and was using the door to steady themselves. "Kristi, is that you?" the voice said as the door finally swung open.
Kristi blinked in surprise. "Ariel!" she'd met the girl at SNS. "Are you doing alright?"
Ariel stumbled out of the stall and Kristi caught her, helping her keep her footing. Ariel winced as she slowly straightened her legs, leaning on Kristi. "I'm a bit unsteady. I've been crouching on that toilet seat for over an hour." Ariel caught sight of Jace as she finished the sentence and flushed in embarrassment.
Kristi grinned. "This is my boyfriend, Jace."
"Oh! Nice to finally meet you!"
Jace shot Kristi a bemused look. "Uh. You too."
"Ariel is a regular customer at SNS," Kristi explained to Jace. She turned to Ariel. "Do you know where your brother is?"
Ariel shook her head. "He usually meets me at 10 after the class I have here in the HFAC. We stop by SNS, and then we go on to the class we have together." She paused, her eyebrows scrunched up in thought. "He would've been in his apartment when the zombies came. Probably just waking up."
"Okay." Kristi checked the time on Jace's watch. Only 10:30. She looked at Jace. "There's so many places we need to look."
"We'll just do one at a time."
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Zombies Part 7
When they broke away, Jace looked around. "Where did everyone go?"
"Probably back into the locker rooms."
Sure enough, that's where everyone was. "We need to barricade the rest of the exits," Jace announced.
Kristi managed a slight smile. It was just like Jace to think everything through. Two others volunteered to help---a guy and the girl who'd been really helpful throughout the whole ordeal. (Let's call her Mishelle.) They split up into two teams, Mishelle and her partner checking for any weak spots on the first floor and Krisit and Jace taking the second floor.
Jace cautiously opened the door off the narrow spiral staircase. "Clear," he whispered.
The doorway was at the corner of an L intersection, so Kristi went left and Jace moved forward. She stifled a yelp as she turned the corner into the kitchen and almost ran into a zombie. Luckily, it was facing away from her, shuffling around and looking quite lost. Kristi squashed any pity she felt for the monster and drew the knife she'd taken from the Commissary downstairs. They had agreed before then that they would only shoot the zombies as a last resort. They didn't want the noise to bring the other zombies running.
Kristi braced herself and sliced at the zombie, aiming for its neck. The blade cut into the flesh, but the zombie still swung around and lurched toward her, wrenching the knife free. Kristi managed to keep hold of the weapon and, choking back bile, she sliced at the zombie again and again until it fell to the ground and stopped moving.
Kristi avoided looking at the motionless lump of flesh and moved forward. She went to the far left side of the kitchen and checked the small bakery---a room off the larger kitchen. It was empty, so she continued on to Teriyaki Stix. The store was open to the backroom, but not to the customer part of the Cougareat, excepting a small window. She'd always thought that strange, but it made it easier to look for zombies. None were in there.
Kristi discovered another zombie in the long, narrow hallway where the sub boards and shifts for each store were posted and quietly dispatched it. Now for inside the stores themselves . . . That would be hard to do without being seen. She'd seen Jace on the other side of the backroom a couple times---he had checked the dish room and helped her secure and fortified the double door on the other side of the kitchen---and knew he was ready to sweep the stores as well.
Kristi first studied the door on her side of the backroom from the safety of the kitchen. It was closed and intact. Her radio crackled softly. "The door over here is pushed sideways out of its frame," came Jace's voice.
The memory of the first zombie coming toward her filled Kristi's mind. "They were trying to get me and I ran through that door. They must have pounded on it for quite a while." Trying to reach her so they could tear her apart and eat her brains. That's what zombies did, right? Kristi shuddered at the too vivid image. Sometimes her imagination ran away with her.
"I'm really glad you're okay, Kristi . . ." She heard the slight catch in his voice. "We'll barricade it after we clear the stores of zombies."
"Okay."
Crouching down, Kristi half crawled on the ground so no zombies would see her over the counter. She started at Subway, which was separated by a wall from the other stores. Subway was free of zombies, the two backdoors there untouched. She left Subway and passed Teriyaki Stix, entering Freschetta. A zombie stood there. Now Kristi was faced with the dilemma of how to kill the zombie from her place on the ground. It didn't seem to notice her, even though she lay on the ground in front of it. Stupid creature. She crawled closer to the zombie and its eyes focused on her. It opened its mouth, but she swept its feet out from under it and began to furiously stab at it. She had to kill it before it made too much noise. Kristi thanked her lucky stars that the zombie hadn't hit anything and made a loud noise as it fell. That hadn't been very well planned out.
The zombie finally lay dead and she continued into L&T, where she met up with Jace near the entrance to Tomassito's. There had been more zombies on his side. Crawling together, they made their way to the broken door, then carefully pushed it back into place as much as possible. Jace held it steady while Kristi placed enough objects to keep it from falling too much. Then he helped her find more things from the dish room and the kitchen, and they barricaded the door as best they could. They followed suit with the other doors and also stacked objects in front of the two large freight elevators, just in case. The kitchen had plenty of large and heavy equipment, and Kristi tried not to think of how expensive it all was. Their survival had to come first.
Kristi and Jace went back in to the spiral staircase and up another flight, barricading the door up there. It was much more difficult to do in the enclosed space. After they finished, Kritis slumped to the ground, exhausted. She didn't like zombies at all, she decided.
Jace put his arms around her and gazed at her searchingly. "Penny for your thoughts."
"My thoughts are worth more than that." She punched him playfully, and he assumed an overly wounded expression, the corners of his mouth twitching with a smile.
Kristi smiled slightly, then turned serious again and stared at the wall with unfocused eyes. "Jace. Rachel was out there---she would have died if we hadn't found her. There's probably more people scattered out there, hiding." She finally met his eyes, the determination in them clear. "We have to find them. And I told Rachel we would look for her parents."
Jace nodded. "I thought you would say that. I'll be with you the whole time."
She smiled and hugged him tightly.
"Probably back into the locker rooms."
Sure enough, that's where everyone was. "We need to barricade the rest of the exits," Jace announced.
Kristi managed a slight smile. It was just like Jace to think everything through. Two others volunteered to help---a guy and the girl who'd been really helpful throughout the whole ordeal. (Let's call her Mishelle.) They split up into two teams, Mishelle and her partner checking for any weak spots on the first floor and Krisit and Jace taking the second floor.
Jace cautiously opened the door off the narrow spiral staircase. "Clear," he whispered.
The doorway was at the corner of an L intersection, so Kristi went left and Jace moved forward. She stifled a yelp as she turned the corner into the kitchen and almost ran into a zombie. Luckily, it was facing away from her, shuffling around and looking quite lost. Kristi squashed any pity she felt for the monster and drew the knife she'd taken from the Commissary downstairs. They had agreed before then that they would only shoot the zombies as a last resort. They didn't want the noise to bring the other zombies running.
Kristi braced herself and sliced at the zombie, aiming for its neck. The blade cut into the flesh, but the zombie still swung around and lurched toward her, wrenching the knife free. Kristi managed to keep hold of the weapon and, choking back bile, she sliced at the zombie again and again until it fell to the ground and stopped moving.
Kristi avoided looking at the motionless lump of flesh and moved forward. She went to the far left side of the kitchen and checked the small bakery---a room off the larger kitchen. It was empty, so she continued on to Teriyaki Stix. The store was open to the backroom, but not to the customer part of the Cougareat, excepting a small window. She'd always thought that strange, but it made it easier to look for zombies. None were in there.
Kristi discovered another zombie in the long, narrow hallway where the sub boards and shifts for each store were posted and quietly dispatched it. Now for inside the stores themselves . . . That would be hard to do without being seen. She'd seen Jace on the other side of the backroom a couple times---he had checked the dish room and helped her secure and fortified the double door on the other side of the kitchen---and knew he was ready to sweep the stores as well.
Kristi first studied the door on her side of the backroom from the safety of the kitchen. It was closed and intact. Her radio crackled softly. "The door over here is pushed sideways out of its frame," came Jace's voice.
The memory of the first zombie coming toward her filled Kristi's mind. "They were trying to get me and I ran through that door. They must have pounded on it for quite a while." Trying to reach her so they could tear her apart and eat her brains. That's what zombies did, right? Kristi shuddered at the too vivid image. Sometimes her imagination ran away with her.
"I'm really glad you're okay, Kristi . . ." She heard the slight catch in his voice. "We'll barricade it after we clear the stores of zombies."
"Okay."
Crouching down, Kristi half crawled on the ground so no zombies would see her over the counter. She started at Subway, which was separated by a wall from the other stores. Subway was free of zombies, the two backdoors there untouched. She left Subway and passed Teriyaki Stix, entering Freschetta. A zombie stood there. Now Kristi was faced with the dilemma of how to kill the zombie from her place on the ground. It didn't seem to notice her, even though she lay on the ground in front of it. Stupid creature. She crawled closer to the zombie and its eyes focused on her. It opened its mouth, but she swept its feet out from under it and began to furiously stab at it. She had to kill it before it made too much noise. Kristi thanked her lucky stars that the zombie hadn't hit anything and made a loud noise as it fell. That hadn't been very well planned out.
The zombie finally lay dead and she continued into L&T, where she met up with Jace near the entrance to Tomassito's. There had been more zombies on his side. Crawling together, they made their way to the broken door, then carefully pushed it back into place as much as possible. Jace held it steady while Kristi placed enough objects to keep it from falling too much. Then he helped her find more things from the dish room and the kitchen, and they barricaded the door as best they could. They followed suit with the other doors and also stacked objects in front of the two large freight elevators, just in case. The kitchen had plenty of large and heavy equipment, and Kristi tried not to think of how expensive it all was. Their survival had to come first.
Kristi and Jace went back in to the spiral staircase and up another flight, barricading the door up there. It was much more difficult to do in the enclosed space. After they finished, Kritis slumped to the ground, exhausted. She didn't like zombies at all, she decided.
Jace put his arms around her and gazed at her searchingly. "Penny for your thoughts."
"My thoughts are worth more than that." She punched him playfully, and he assumed an overly wounded expression, the corners of his mouth twitching with a smile.
Kristi smiled slightly, then turned serious again and stared at the wall with unfocused eyes. "Jace. Rachel was out there---she would have died if we hadn't found her. There's probably more people scattered out there, hiding." She finally met his eyes, the determination in them clear. "We have to find them. And I told Rachel we would look for her parents."
Jace nodded. "I thought you would say that. I'll be with you the whole time."
She smiled and hugged him tightly.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Zombies Part 6
They continued walking, and Kristi blocked Rachel from seeing the zombies as best as she could. The child was traumatized enough. "Here's the last stretch of hallway," Kristi spoke up. "The door is down there."
The commander looked around the corner. He frowned and pulled out a small pair of binoculars. Noticing their curious looks, he said, "Specially designed to see these zombies."
"Like infrared, but not," Kristi said delightedly. "It's . . . zombie . . . red . . . never mind." Her boyfriend laughed softly. (Let's give him a name now. Jace.)
"Yeeeaaah." The commander brought the binoculars up to his face. "Something like that." He mumbled to himself, "Should've used them on the roof." Kristi could hear the guilt in his voice. She wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words.
"There's a lot of zombies in that bowling alley there. No doubt they'll come swarming out when they catch sight of us. We need to move quickly." His voice was business-like again.
"My bowling alley . . . " one of the employees, who managed the alley, said faintly.
"I'm just glad you all got out of there in time," another employee told her consolingly.
Kristi set Rachel down. "I'll need to use this gun," she told her. "Grab hold of my shirt and don't let go. We're going to be just fine." Rachel nodded and grabbed Kristi's shirt tightly.
They started down the hallway as quietly as they could. "Aaaaaahhhhggggg." The zombies had seen them.
"Run! But stay together!" Bang, bang. Shots rang out.
"Don't let go!" Kristi shouted to Rachel. Never had that hallway seemed so long. Jace stayed right by Kristi's side, protecting her and Rachel. Several times, the zombies got very close, and Kristi shuddered when the rotting hands touched her. Then she blew their heads off with her gun. She checked on Rachel, who's eyes were closed tightly. "Yes, keep your eyes shut," she encouraged.
"Help!" Two people had gotten separated from the main group.
"I got this," the commander said, running back. He looked haggard and blood was dripping freely from his side. "Go!" Boom. "Go!" The two terrified employees ran past him to join the group. Kristi reached the door and quickly punched in the code, holding it open and covering for those behind her.
"It's clear in here!" a voice drifted back.
"C'mon!" Kristi shouted.
Jace back up toward her. Everyone else was through. "The commander fell down," he said, face pale. Then he faced the zombies again, advancing slowly and concentrating his fire on a knot of zombies. Kristi covered his sides, but she knew she couldn't do it for much longer. There were so many zombies. The commander was there on the ground, surrounded by the creatures. We can't get to him, Kristi despaired. "Get inside, Rachel." She tried to keep her voice steady. "I'll come in a couple minutes."
The little girl darted through the doorway and Kristi felt a sense of relief. But Jace was still out there. And the commander. Jace had almost reached him, but zombies were starting to fill in the space behind him, cutting off his retreat.
No, no, he can't get surrounded. He'll never be able to make it back to me. Desperately, she increased her fire. "Jace! I can't hold them off much longer---you have to come back!" He'd reached the commander now and was hauling him to his feet, dragging him slowly toward the door.
They're not going to make it. No, no, no. The commander saw the dilemma and pushed away from Jace, stumbling and barely holding himself up. "Go," he rasped out.
"I can't just leave you!"
"She needs you. Don't make her do this alone."
Jace caught sight of Kristi's tear streaked face before seeing the commander fling himself at the zombies. "No!"
Much as Jace hated it, he knew the commander was right. He wouldn't leave Kristi. He forced himself to run in the opposite direction, toward the door and Kristi. Even then, it was close. He slipped in the door behind Kristi and they pulled it shut.
Jace caught sight of the commander through a tangle of zombies as the door closed. Bang. "He shot himself," Jace said hoarsly. Shaking himself from the image burned into his mind, he turned to Kristi, who had slumped against the wall. "We need to barricade the door."
She nodded and pulled herself up. They dragged heavy items from a side passage nearby. Kristi had always wondered what was down the passageway, but now she didn't much care. When they finished, she faced Jace. The stared at each other for a couple seconds, then fell into each other's arms.
"I thought I lost you." Tears slipped down Kristi's cheeks.
"Shhh, I'm not going anywhere." He tightened his arms around her.
"Promise?"
He hesitated. "I won't make a promise I can't keep, Krisit. But I do promise that I'll try." She nodded and lifted her face to kiss him. It had to be enough.
The commander looked around the corner. He frowned and pulled out a small pair of binoculars. Noticing their curious looks, he said, "Specially designed to see these zombies."
"Like infrared, but not," Kristi said delightedly. "It's . . . zombie . . . red . . . never mind." Her boyfriend laughed softly. (Let's give him a name now. Jace.)
"Yeeeaaah." The commander brought the binoculars up to his face. "Something like that." He mumbled to himself, "Should've used them on the roof." Kristi could hear the guilt in his voice. She wanted to say something, but couldn't find the right words.
"There's a lot of zombies in that bowling alley there. No doubt they'll come swarming out when they catch sight of us. We need to move quickly." His voice was business-like again.
"My bowling alley . . . " one of the employees, who managed the alley, said faintly.
"I'm just glad you all got out of there in time," another employee told her consolingly.
Kristi set Rachel down. "I'll need to use this gun," she told her. "Grab hold of my shirt and don't let go. We're going to be just fine." Rachel nodded and grabbed Kristi's shirt tightly.
They started down the hallway as quietly as they could. "Aaaaaahhhhggggg." The zombies had seen them.
"Run! But stay together!" Bang, bang. Shots rang out.
"Don't let go!" Kristi shouted to Rachel. Never had that hallway seemed so long. Jace stayed right by Kristi's side, protecting her and Rachel. Several times, the zombies got very close, and Kristi shuddered when the rotting hands touched her. Then she blew their heads off with her gun. She checked on Rachel, who's eyes were closed tightly. "Yes, keep your eyes shut," she encouraged.
"Help!" Two people had gotten separated from the main group.
"I got this," the commander said, running back. He looked haggard and blood was dripping freely from his side. "Go!" Boom. "Go!" The two terrified employees ran past him to join the group. Kristi reached the door and quickly punched in the code, holding it open and covering for those behind her.
"It's clear in here!" a voice drifted back.
"C'mon!" Kristi shouted.
Jace back up toward her. Everyone else was through. "The commander fell down," he said, face pale. Then he faced the zombies again, advancing slowly and concentrating his fire on a knot of zombies. Kristi covered his sides, but she knew she couldn't do it for much longer. There were so many zombies. The commander was there on the ground, surrounded by the creatures. We can't get to him, Kristi despaired. "Get inside, Rachel." She tried to keep her voice steady. "I'll come in a couple minutes."
The little girl darted through the doorway and Kristi felt a sense of relief. But Jace was still out there. And the commander. Jace had almost reached him, but zombies were starting to fill in the space behind him, cutting off his retreat.
No, no, he can't get surrounded. He'll never be able to make it back to me. Desperately, she increased her fire. "Jace! I can't hold them off much longer---you have to come back!" He'd reached the commander now and was hauling him to his feet, dragging him slowly toward the door.
They're not going to make it. No, no, no. The commander saw the dilemma and pushed away from Jace, stumbling and barely holding himself up. "Go," he rasped out.
"I can't just leave you!"
"She needs you. Don't make her do this alone."
Jace caught sight of Kristi's tear streaked face before seeing the commander fling himself at the zombies. "No!"
Much as Jace hated it, he knew the commander was right. He wouldn't leave Kristi. He forced himself to run in the opposite direction, toward the door and Kristi. Even then, it was close. He slipped in the door behind Kristi and they pulled it shut.
Jace caught sight of the commander through a tangle of zombies as the door closed. Bang. "He shot himself," Jace said hoarsly. Shaking himself from the image burned into his mind, he turned to Kristi, who had slumped against the wall. "We need to barricade the door."
She nodded and pulled herself up. They dragged heavy items from a side passage nearby. Kristi had always wondered what was down the passageway, but now she didn't much care. When they finished, she faced Jace. The stared at each other for a couple seconds, then fell into each other's arms.
"I thought I lost you." Tears slipped down Kristi's cheeks.
"Shhh, I'm not going anywhere." He tightened his arms around her.
"Promise?"
He hesitated. "I won't make a promise I can't keep, Krisit. But I do promise that I'll try." She nodded and lifted her face to kiss him. It had to be enough.
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Zombie drawing
Finally, here's a drawing of a zombie
And here's a photoshopped version that just looks cool
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Zombies part 5
Thump. A zombie rounded the corner. The commander shot it in the head.
"Let's go!"
The mismatching group headed out, angling toward a small side door that led into the first floor of the Wilk. Gunshots sounded.
"Remember, citizens," the commander's voice rang out, "only shoot if you're sure you'll hit a zombie." On they ran, the soldiers shooting zombies and the citizens occasionally helping.
Zombie in front of her. The girl brought up the gun and let out a round of bullets. She barely stopped herself from squinching her eyes closed as she pulled the trigger. Like the girl in I, Robot, she thought in grim amusement.
Her boyfriend grinned at her. "A little overkill, but nice job." She blushed and smiled back at him.
The next ten minutes were a nightmare. More and more zombies swarmed around them, alerted to their presence. The girl had many opportunities to fire more shots. "This isn't what I was thinking of when we said we'd go shooting together," she told her boyfriend.
He managed a chuckle. "Me either. Nothing is turning out quite as we expected it to."
There wasn't any time for talk after that. The going was painfully slow and by the time they were in the Wilk, three more soldiers had fallen. They'd been able to grab guns from two of them, but the third one had been surrounded by zombies. His agonized screams still echoed in the girl's ears. It seemed so callous---taking guns from the dead or dying soldiers. But they needed those guns to survive.
They stumbled inside the building and kept running. "That was the worst of it," the commander gasped out. The girl looked at him in concern. One of his hands was pressed to his side and blood trickled between his fingers. "I'll be fine." He'd noticed her gaze and straightened up. "Keep going people. We're almost there."
The one remaining soldier was worse for wear, with numerous cuts and scrapes, but his injuries weren't severe. So far, none of the employees had fallen, though several looked faint.
"Were's the door?" the commander asked.
"It's on the other side of the Wilk," the girl answered. She took the front of the line, next to the commander and her boyfriend.
They cautiously proceeded down the hall. Wait. Was that...a whimper? The girl looked around for the source of the sound. "Is someone there?" she called softly. A little head poked out from beneath the table and large eyes regarded them tearfully.
"Hey, come out from there. You're safe now," the commander said. He extended his hand toward the child. She let out a small cry and ducked back into her hiding place. The commander frowned and stepped forward, but the girl restrained him with a hand on his arm.
"I'll get her, commander." She walked to the table and knelt in front of it. "Hello there," she said gently. "I like you hair. It's so shiny and blonde." The child stared at her with wide eyes. "And that bracelet. I have a charm bracelet like that too. Mine has a ring, and a castle, and a heart . . . What does yours have?"
Hesitantly, the child lifted her arm. "A . . . a Micky Mouse and a fish . . . and . . . I have a heart too."
The girl listened patiently. "My name is Kristi," the girl said. (Authors note: yes, it took me that long to think of a name for the girl. But I didn't expect the story to go on this long and it's getting confusing without names.)
"My name is Rachel," the child said shyly.
Kristi smiled widely "We're going to find your mommy, Rachel. But right now we need you to come with us. We're going to keep you safe, I promise."
"O-okay." Rachel slowly scooted out from underneath the table, then threw her arms around Kristi. "I was scared," she said, her tears starting anew.
"Shhh, it's going to be okay." Kristi lifted the child up and rejoined the group.
"Let's go!"
The mismatching group headed out, angling toward a small side door that led into the first floor of the Wilk. Gunshots sounded.
"Remember, citizens," the commander's voice rang out, "only shoot if you're sure you'll hit a zombie." On they ran, the soldiers shooting zombies and the citizens occasionally helping.
Zombie in front of her. The girl brought up the gun and let out a round of bullets. She barely stopped herself from squinching her eyes closed as she pulled the trigger. Like the girl in I, Robot, she thought in grim amusement.
Her boyfriend grinned at her. "A little overkill, but nice job." She blushed and smiled back at him.
The next ten minutes were a nightmare. More and more zombies swarmed around them, alerted to their presence. The girl had many opportunities to fire more shots. "This isn't what I was thinking of when we said we'd go shooting together," she told her boyfriend.
He managed a chuckle. "Me either. Nothing is turning out quite as we expected it to."
There wasn't any time for talk after that. The going was painfully slow and by the time they were in the Wilk, three more soldiers had fallen. They'd been able to grab guns from two of them, but the third one had been surrounded by zombies. His agonized screams still echoed in the girl's ears. It seemed so callous---taking guns from the dead or dying soldiers. But they needed those guns to survive.
They stumbled inside the building and kept running. "That was the worst of it," the commander gasped out. The girl looked at him in concern. One of his hands was pressed to his side and blood trickled between his fingers. "I'll be fine." He'd noticed her gaze and straightened up. "Keep going people. We're almost there."
The one remaining soldier was worse for wear, with numerous cuts and scrapes, but his injuries weren't severe. So far, none of the employees had fallen, though several looked faint.
"Were's the door?" the commander asked.
"It's on the other side of the Wilk," the girl answered. She took the front of the line, next to the commander and her boyfriend.
They cautiously proceeded down the hall. Wait. Was that...a whimper? The girl looked around for the source of the sound. "Is someone there?" she called softly. A little head poked out from beneath the table and large eyes regarded them tearfully.
"Hey, come out from there. You're safe now," the commander said. He extended his hand toward the child. She let out a small cry and ducked back into her hiding place. The commander frowned and stepped forward, but the girl restrained him with a hand on his arm.
"I'll get her, commander." She walked to the table and knelt in front of it. "Hello there," she said gently. "I like you hair. It's so shiny and blonde." The child stared at her with wide eyes. "And that bracelet. I have a charm bracelet like that too. Mine has a ring, and a castle, and a heart . . . What does yours have?"
Hesitantly, the child lifted her arm. "A . . . a Micky Mouse and a fish . . . and . . . I have a heart too."
The girl listened patiently. "My name is Kristi," the girl said. (Authors note: yes, it took me that long to think of a name for the girl. But I didn't expect the story to go on this long and it's getting confusing without names.)
"My name is Rachel," the child said shyly.
Kristi smiled widely "We're going to find your mommy, Rachel. But right now we need you to come with us. We're going to keep you safe, I promise."
"O-okay." Rachel slowly scooted out from underneath the table, then threw her arms around Kristi. "I was scared," she said, her tears starting anew.
"Shhh, it's going to be okay." Kristi lifted the child up and rejoined the group.
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