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."
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
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.
Friday, August 3, 2012
Zombies part 4
Half of the soldiers dropped out the window. They quickly secured the area, then waited for the refugees to come down. The girl was one of the last down, followed by her boyfriend and the rest of the soldiers. The line rubbed her hands raw and the descent was frightening and fast, but it was much better than being torn apart by zombies.
"Go, go, go," the commander ordered. The door in the room splintered with a sharp, very audible crack. Zombies crawled through the door and crowded around the windows. "Grael, Smith! Cover the windows behind us."
The girl looked back at the two determined soldiers as the commander hustled them out of the alley. Zombies were already dropping from the windows, and even the long fall didn't stop them. Those whose legs shattered with the impact simply dragged themselves onward, and more zombies dropped on top of them. The kept coming and coming, forcing the soldiers to back up slowly.
There's no way they're going to make it out of there alive. They knew that.
Blinking back tears, the girl followed closely behind her boyfriend. He had acquired an assault rifle and a pistol from a dying soldier along the way and had made good use of it.
The commander led them on. "We need to get back inside the building," he said. "There's fewer zombies in there and more defensible places. In addition, that's where the helicopters will land and more soldiers will come in. We need to be there because we have no other way to contact them."
The girl checked her phone. No service. There goes the cell phone towers.
"What about the radio?" her boyfriend asked.
"They shorted out," the captain said grimly. "There's some kind of interference. We do have these walkie talkies, though." They reached a hidden corner in nearby wall that was clear of zombies. For the moment at least. The commander brought them to a halt and surveyed the group. "But there's not enough walkie talkies for everyone." He quickly distributed the few he had. "Okay. Who knows how to shoot a gun?""
The girl hesitantly raised her hand. She liked shooting guns. But she didn't know if she could shoot one of those things.
"Just enough. We only have five extra guns." Each soldier had been carrying an extra gun from their dead comrades.
After making sure those who received guns knew what they were doing, the commander outlined his plan. "Is there a back way to that employee room?" he asked.
The girl spoke up. "Yes. On the first floor of the Wilk. There's a code on the door, but most of us know it." The others nodded in agreement.
"We're going to go there. There's limited entry points to that room, so hopefully the zombies haven't broken in there yet."
"Go, go, go," the commander ordered. The door in the room splintered with a sharp, very audible crack. Zombies crawled through the door and crowded around the windows. "Grael, Smith! Cover the windows behind us."
The girl looked back at the two determined soldiers as the commander hustled them out of the alley. Zombies were already dropping from the windows, and even the long fall didn't stop them. Those whose legs shattered with the impact simply dragged themselves onward, and more zombies dropped on top of them. The kept coming and coming, forcing the soldiers to back up slowly.
There's no way they're going to make it out of there alive. They knew that.
Blinking back tears, the girl followed closely behind her boyfriend. He had acquired an assault rifle and a pistol from a dying soldier along the way and had made good use of it.
The commander led them on. "We need to get back inside the building," he said. "There's fewer zombies in there and more defensible places. In addition, that's where the helicopters will land and more soldiers will come in. We need to be there because we have no other way to contact them."
The girl checked her phone. No service. There goes the cell phone towers.
"What about the radio?" her boyfriend asked.
"They shorted out," the captain said grimly. "There's some kind of interference. We do have these walkie talkies, though." They reached a hidden corner in nearby wall that was clear of zombies. For the moment at least. The commander brought them to a halt and surveyed the group. "But there's not enough walkie talkies for everyone." He quickly distributed the few he had. "Okay. Who knows how to shoot a gun?""
The girl hesitantly raised her hand. She liked shooting guns. But she didn't know if she could shoot one of those things.
"Just enough. We only have five extra guns." Each soldier had been carrying an extra gun from their dead comrades.
After making sure those who received guns knew what they were doing, the commander outlined his plan. "Is there a back way to that employee room?" he asked.
The girl spoke up. "Yes. On the first floor of the Wilk. There's a code on the door, but most of us know it." The others nodded in agreement.
"We're going to go there. There's limited entry points to that room, so hopefully the zombies haven't broken in there yet."
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Zombies part 3
An hour passed before the call to go to the roof came. Quietly, people piled into the elevators and crept up the stairs. When they reached the roof, the first helicopter had landed and soldiers were lining the perimeter. Other soldiers came forward to direct the refugees to the helicopter.
As her fellow employees followed the soldiers to safety, the girl searched for the familiar face she desperately needed to see. Finally, she spotted him. With a cry of relief, she threw herself into the arms of her boyfriend.
"I'm so glad you're safe," he murmured. She smiled, feeling protected and safe.
But that feeling soon shattered. Gunshots rang out and the screaming began.
"How did they get up here?" the commander shouted.
The girl's eyes flew over the rooftop. Zombies were everywhere. Emerging from the floor below, climbing over the side of the building, shambling out from behind objects. Almost as if they knew all these people would be here. An ambush? No, zombies were too stupid for that. Weren't they?
A zombie jumped from a niche in the roof by one of the helicopters. The group of refugees screamed and ran from it. Zombies swarmed up the roof.
"Get on the helicopter!" the commander yelled. Some people obeyed, but others kept running in a panic.
The girl, who had been at the back of the crowd, was jostled and carried farther away from the helicopter. Not all of us can fit in it anyway, she realized. The commander must have realized that too because he started yelling. "Inside! Get inside!" He shouted more commands for those of his men who were left, and they formed a ragged aisle to the exit.
The helicopter took off, zombies hanging from it, as the remaining people staggered through the door and continued onto the stairs. Two soldiers led the way and the rest took up the rear, covering the escape. Every way the group turned was blocked off by zombies. Finally, they were forced to take refuge in a room on the fourth floor of the Wilk. Zombies pounded on the door, moaning loudly, and the door shook alarmingly. Even the walls suddenly seemed fragile.
"We can't last in here forever," someone said nervously.
The commander, who'd been examining the room and peering through the glass lining the back wall, made a quick decision. "We're going out the window."
The declaration was met with looks of disbelief from the Cougareat employees, but the soldiers got right to work. They pulled cords from clips on their belts and started securing them to pillars in the room. Catching the girl's wide-eyed stare, a soldier smiled grimly. "We came prepared," he said.
The commander frowned at him. "Not prepared enough. We should have been prepared for the ambush on the roof."
The soldier nodded, his face clouding with sadness and pain. No doubt he'd lost friends in the attack on the roof.
Another soldier finished cutting through the glass and they dropped the lines down. Six soldiers and the commander were all that was left of the original force. Six out of twenty.
As her fellow employees followed the soldiers to safety, the girl searched for the familiar face she desperately needed to see. Finally, she spotted him. With a cry of relief, she threw herself into the arms of her boyfriend.
"I'm so glad you're safe," he murmured. She smiled, feeling protected and safe.
But that feeling soon shattered. Gunshots rang out and the screaming began.
"How did they get up here?" the commander shouted.
The girl's eyes flew over the rooftop. Zombies were everywhere. Emerging from the floor below, climbing over the side of the building, shambling out from behind objects. Almost as if they knew all these people would be here. An ambush? No, zombies were too stupid for that. Weren't they?
A zombie jumped from a niche in the roof by one of the helicopters. The group of refugees screamed and ran from it. Zombies swarmed up the roof.
"Get on the helicopter!" the commander yelled. Some people obeyed, but others kept running in a panic.
The girl, who had been at the back of the crowd, was jostled and carried farther away from the helicopter. Not all of us can fit in it anyway, she realized. The commander must have realized that too because he started yelling. "Inside! Get inside!" He shouted more commands for those of his men who were left, and they formed a ragged aisle to the exit.
The helicopter took off, zombies hanging from it, as the remaining people staggered through the door and continued onto the stairs. Two soldiers led the way and the rest took up the rear, covering the escape. Every way the group turned was blocked off by zombies. Finally, they were forced to take refuge in a room on the fourth floor of the Wilk. Zombies pounded on the door, moaning loudly, and the door shook alarmingly. Even the walls suddenly seemed fragile.
"We can't last in here forever," someone said nervously.
The commander, who'd been examining the room and peering through the glass lining the back wall, made a quick decision. "We're going out the window."
The declaration was met with looks of disbelief from the Cougareat employees, but the soldiers got right to work. They pulled cords from clips on their belts and started securing them to pillars in the room. Catching the girl's wide-eyed stare, a soldier smiled grimly. "We came prepared," he said.
The commander frowned at him. "Not prepared enough. We should have been prepared for the ambush on the roof."
The soldier nodded, his face clouding with sadness and pain. No doubt he'd lost friends in the attack on the roof.
Another soldier finished cutting through the glass and they dropped the lines down. Six soldiers and the commander were all that was left of the original force. Six out of twenty.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Zombies part 2
The girl stifled her gag reflex and fought the uncontrollable urge to scream. Except she couldn't scream. She could barely breathe through her fear. Forcing herself to move, her hand scrabbled for the door behind her, and she yanked it open, squeezing into the small open space. She tried to shut the door behind her.
The zombie grabbed the door.
She pulled the door with all her strength and weight, slamming the zombie's fingers in it. Ew ew ew. Resolutely, she locked the door, and only then did she take stock of her surroundings. She couldn't see any zombies in the back room, but she couldn't see any people either. The stores looked as if the people had just up and left---in Scoreboard Grill, hamburger patties sat on the grill, although the grill was turned off---but there was no sign of a struggle. Almost like they knew and had just quietly left. Why didn't anyone tell me?? The had probably tried but hadn't been able to. Her store was so isolated from the other stores.
The girl peeked through the bars of Taco Bells. Zombies shuffled around the Cougareat, more and more appearing as she watched. How had she not noticed? She marveled at her luck in getting to the backdoor safely. The zombies must have cleared at just the right time. They were probably surrounding her store now. She became aware of pounding on the door she had just escaped through. She needed to get out of there.
Well. Time to do reconnaissance. First to change and get her phone. She went down to the locker room without seeing a single soul. When she opened the door to the locker room, though, she was greeted by all the other female employees.
"Thank goodness you're safe!" one of them exclaimed. "We sent someone to get you, but they never came back. We left the door unlocked for you, though."
The girl stared at them. She felt a huge relief they hadn't abandoned her, but suddenly what had happened hit her with full force. She'd been running on adrenaline so far, and now it disappeared. Pushing past the other employees, many of whom were curled up crying or staring around with a lost expression, she ran into a bathroom stall and threw up into the toilet. Retching, she huddled on the floor and tried to take deep breaths.
When she'd finally gotten herself under control, she emerged from the bathroom and stall and looked for her locker. She quickly changed, taking in the air of despair, hopelessness, and even disbelief. "So what's the plan?" she asked.
They stared at her blankly. "We're waiting for help to come," one of them volunteered.
Another nodded. "Yes. We called 911. They're sending the military in and are going to get us all out from the roof in helicopters."
Seemed as good a plan as any, and after all, there wasn't anything she could do to help. She was weaponless and untrained. And she really didn't want to see another zombie. They were a thousand times more gruesome in real life than they were in video games.
The girl left the safety of the locker for a couple minutes and stood in the empty hallway where she got reception. She called her mom's cell.
"Oh honey! Are you alright!? We were so worried!" It took several minutes to calm her mom down, but she eventually found out that the zombies had originated from downtown Provo. The authorities didn't know the cause yet, but they had quickly evacuated the surrounding cities and were setting up safe houses.
"From what I saw on the news, though, it looks like there are breakouts all over the world," her mom continued. "But no on knows who or what made them. At least, no one's talking."
After getting off the phone with her mom, the girl called her boyfriend to make sure he was safe. He'd been frantic with worry for her too. So worried, in fact, that he'd taken a plane into Utah as soon as he'd heard rumors on the news and twitter about a zombie apocalypse. Luckily for him, he managed to get on the last plane that was actually allowed to take off. All subsequent planes were ordered to stay on the ground.
Her boyfriend had military connections because his dad was a veteran. "They're going to let me help load people onto the helicopters," he said confidently. "The military is stretched very thin right now and are taking some volunteers. But there's no zombies on the roof, or anywhere close to that level, so there'll be absolutely no danger."
The girl smiled in relief. "Good. I'm excited to see you! Although this isn't how I imagined seeing you again . . ."
They talked for a couple minutes before the girl returned to the locker room and told those in there what she had learned.
"There's guys in the other locker room." It was the same girl who'd told her about the military coming in helicopters. "I'll go knock on the door and let them know what's going on."
The zombie grabbed the door.
She pulled the door with all her strength and weight, slamming the zombie's fingers in it. Ew ew ew. Resolutely, she locked the door, and only then did she take stock of her surroundings. She couldn't see any zombies in the back room, but she couldn't see any people either. The stores looked as if the people had just up and left---in Scoreboard Grill, hamburger patties sat on the grill, although the grill was turned off---but there was no sign of a struggle. Almost like they knew and had just quietly left. Why didn't anyone tell me?? The had probably tried but hadn't been able to. Her store was so isolated from the other stores.
The girl peeked through the bars of Taco Bells. Zombies shuffled around the Cougareat, more and more appearing as she watched. How had she not noticed? She marveled at her luck in getting to the backdoor safely. The zombies must have cleared at just the right time. They were probably surrounding her store now. She became aware of pounding on the door she had just escaped through. She needed to get out of there.
Well. Time to do reconnaissance. First to change and get her phone. She went down to the locker room without seeing a single soul. When she opened the door to the locker room, though, she was greeted by all the other female employees.
"Thank goodness you're safe!" one of them exclaimed. "We sent someone to get you, but they never came back. We left the door unlocked for you, though."
The girl stared at them. She felt a huge relief they hadn't abandoned her, but suddenly what had happened hit her with full force. She'd been running on adrenaline so far, and now it disappeared. Pushing past the other employees, many of whom were curled up crying or staring around with a lost expression, she ran into a bathroom stall and threw up into the toilet. Retching, she huddled on the floor and tried to take deep breaths.
When she'd finally gotten herself under control, she emerged from the bathroom and stall and looked for her locker. She quickly changed, taking in the air of despair, hopelessness, and even disbelief. "So what's the plan?" she asked.
They stared at her blankly. "We're waiting for help to come," one of them volunteered.
Another nodded. "Yes. We called 911. They're sending the military in and are going to get us all out from the roof in helicopters."
Seemed as good a plan as any, and after all, there wasn't anything she could do to help. She was weaponless and untrained. And she really didn't want to see another zombie. They were a thousand times more gruesome in real life than they were in video games.
The girl left the safety of the locker for a couple minutes and stood in the empty hallway where she got reception. She called her mom's cell.
"Oh honey! Are you alright!? We were so worried!" It took several minutes to calm her mom down, but she eventually found out that the zombies had originated from downtown Provo. The authorities didn't know the cause yet, but they had quickly evacuated the surrounding cities and were setting up safe houses.
"From what I saw on the news, though, it looks like there are breakouts all over the world," her mom continued. "But no on knows who or what made them. At least, no one's talking."
After getting off the phone with her mom, the girl called her boyfriend to make sure he was safe. He'd been frantic with worry for her too. So worried, in fact, that he'd taken a plane into Utah as soon as he'd heard rumors on the news and twitter about a zombie apocalypse. Luckily for him, he managed to get on the last plane that was actually allowed to take off. All subsequent planes were ordered to stay on the ground.
Her boyfriend had military connections because his dad was a veteran. "They're going to let me help load people onto the helicopters," he said confidently. "The military is stretched very thin right now and are taking some volunteers. But there's no zombies on the roof, or anywhere close to that level, so there'll be absolutely no danger."
The girl smiled in relief. "Good. I'm excited to see you! Although this isn't how I imagined seeing you again . . ."
They talked for a couple minutes before the girl returned to the locker room and told those in there what she had learned.
"There's guys in the other locker room." It was the same girl who'd told her about the military coming in helicopters. "I'll go knock on the door and let them know what's going on."
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Zombies story part 1
Let me explain a few things for those of you who have not been to BYU Provo, which is where this story takes place. The setting is the Cougareat, or the schools cafeteria in the Wilkinson Student Center. We call it the Wilk. BYU has a penchant for shorting the names of buildings on campus. The Harrison Fine Arts Building is the HFAC, the Spencer W. Kimball Tower is the SWKT (and yes, we pronounce all the sounds in that particular acronym, so it comes out like "Swikit"). We're kind of strange. But don't let it confuse you.
One more thing. I started writing this story when I was bored at work and didn't intend for it to go on very long then. I'm just going to copy what I wrote earlier, though. (For example, that's why I didn't name the girl in the story until later.)
Alright.
So once upon a time...
There was a girl who was bored out of her mind at work. She wished desperately that something interesting would happen. The words "Be careful what you wish for" flashed through her head as she helped a customer. Customers were rare this early in the morning. She shrugged the apprehensive feeling away and continued to wander around the store, scrubbing counters that were already clean.
She heard a crash and looked up, startled. Was it the construction people? No, they didn't come to work for a couple more hours. She leaned forward, peering over the counter and down the hall, but there was not a single soul in sight. In fact, now that she thought about it, everything was eerily quiet. The girl looked back at Subway, the only store visible from her corner in the Cougareat. She could usually see people in the store, but now she could detect no movement. Odd. She waited a couple more minutes before deciding to check out the other stores, just to ease her mind. After all, there was no way everyone could have just disappeared.
Canceling the transaction on the register and sliding the micros card in her pocket as she'd been taught, she slipped past the barrier and walked toward Subway and the other stores. Rounding the wall that enclosed Cougar Express, she swept her gaze over the other stores. Empty. They were all empty. And...the gates were closed too. What's going on? The door to the backroom beckoned her. Maybe they'd all gone in there for some reason.
As her hand touched the doorknob, she heard a loud moan behind her. She spun around and came face to face with the most hideous creature she'd ever seen. It was human, or once was. The skin hung loosely from the body, rotted and, in some places, falling off. The teeth, those few that were left, were black and misshapen. And the eyes...they terrified her---shrunken and empty of life. Tattered clothes clung to the body and a powerful stench rose from the creature. Raising it's arms, it moaned again, its gaping, bloody mouth reaching for her, hungering for her.
Zombie, a small part of her mind informed her calmly. The rest of her mind froze in fear and disbelief. She couldn't move. The zombie blocked the way in front of her, closing the space between them.
I'm going to die.
One more thing. I started writing this story when I was bored at work and didn't intend for it to go on very long then. I'm just going to copy what I wrote earlier, though. (For example, that's why I didn't name the girl in the story until later.)
Alright.
So once upon a time...
There was a girl who was bored out of her mind at work. She wished desperately that something interesting would happen. The words "Be careful what you wish for" flashed through her head as she helped a customer. Customers were rare this early in the morning. She shrugged the apprehensive feeling away and continued to wander around the store, scrubbing counters that were already clean.
She heard a crash and looked up, startled. Was it the construction people? No, they didn't come to work for a couple more hours. She leaned forward, peering over the counter and down the hall, but there was not a single soul in sight. In fact, now that she thought about it, everything was eerily quiet. The girl looked back at Subway, the only store visible from her corner in the Cougareat. She could usually see people in the store, but now she could detect no movement. Odd. She waited a couple more minutes before deciding to check out the other stores, just to ease her mind. After all, there was no way everyone could have just disappeared.
Canceling the transaction on the register and sliding the micros card in her pocket as she'd been taught, she slipped past the barrier and walked toward Subway and the other stores. Rounding the wall that enclosed Cougar Express, she swept her gaze over the other stores. Empty. They were all empty. And...the gates were closed too. What's going on? The door to the backroom beckoned her. Maybe they'd all gone in there for some reason.
As her hand touched the doorknob, she heard a loud moan behind her. She spun around and came face to face with the most hideous creature she'd ever seen. It was human, or once was. The skin hung loosely from the body, rotted and, in some places, falling off. The teeth, those few that were left, were black and misshapen. And the eyes...they terrified her---shrunken and empty of life. Tattered clothes clung to the body and a powerful stench rose from the creature. Raising it's arms, it moaned again, its gaping, bloody mouth reaching for her, hungering for her.
Zombie, a small part of her mind informed her calmly. The rest of her mind froze in fear and disbelief. She couldn't move. The zombie blocked the way in front of her, closing the space between them.
I'm going to die.
Monday, July 30, 2012
To begin....
I've decided to start a blog, not because I want to talk about my life or vent at all---in fact, I'd rather random people in the world didn't know about my life---but as a creative outlet. I love drawing and writing stories, and a blog seemed the perfect place to store them. After all, everyone these days seems to have a blog. So here goes.
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