The two burst through the double doors right into the store. The grip around Alex’s wrist loosened, and he broke free. His skin burned hot even as he massaged it. When he took a deep breath, he instantly gagged. The air inside was unnaturally thick, and a nasty, musty stench of rotten meat lingered; it smelled like death. He seriously doubted if his nose would adjust to this rotten city. Alex averted his fixation by glancing at Keaton, who’d pushed a nearby bookshelf over to block the entrance. It looked like child’s play to that man as he was seemingly unaffected by these strange events. But Alex was lucky to have met someone who could manage well under stress.
“We should be good for now. Alex, you aight?” Keaton finally asked, facing him.
Still rubbing his bruising wrist, Alex responded, “I’m hanging in there.”
“Good. Sorry,” he flicked his head toward Alex’s arm. “I didn’t want to get caught in that mess.”
Alex sighed and finally let go of his wrist. Though the burning sensation that crept up his arm persisted, it was more manageable now. “You think this place is safe?” Alex turned around, taking in all of the scenery.
The air inside was unnaturally thick, and a nasty, musty stench of rotten meat lingered; it smelled like death. The room wasn’t large, but he could see at least four thin aisles, with a small café at the lower left end of the store. In the center was a large round table with stacks of various books.
“Better than being out there,” Keaton huffed and walked past.
Alex turned around and took in the scenery. The room was medium-sized, and around fifty people could take shelter there. Alex saw four thin aisles past the displays of newly released books, with a small café at the lower left end of the store. In the center was a large round table with stacks of various books, and off to the right was the checkout area.
However, when he looked down, Alex realized why this place wasn’t a shelter. There was a plethora of corpses that had been mowed down or eaten, and splotches of dried blood had coated several sections of the floor. He wanted to throw up but couldn’t, not even when he saw bits and chunks of flesh in blood mounds. He looked closer at some of the lesser ravaged bodies and saw matching slash marks on their torsos; the floors and walls oddly shared the same marks.
“Oh, god… What happened here?” Alex clenched his handgun as he walked closely behind Keaton.
“Don’t know, don’t wanna know,” Keaton whispered back.
Alex gulped as he and his friend ventured down one of the aisles. As they passed through, it seemed the place had been thoroughly trashed and scavenged. Torn books were scattered across the floors and aisles, several of them smeared with bloody handprints and scratches.
He tried not to think about it; instead, he focused on the books that still remained on their shelves. As he trailed their spines, reading various titles and authors, a familiar book caught his eye when moving past one of the shelves. It was a pocket-sized book titled Morphine Love. The words were printed with a smooth, creamy gold and a darkened outline; everything else was blank, with the cover’s pure white color—no summary in the back, no author’s name on the front.
I’ve read this before, a long time ago, Alex thought. Despite the hellish atmosphere, a feeling of warmth filled his body as he picked it up and glossed over its rugged hardback with his thumb. He was an avid reader by heart, having various amounts of books back home. The corners of his mouth pulled into a smile as he reminisced about his late nights, enthralled with the worlds his collection contained. Of course, it was all thanks to Eric, who fed his addiction often. His eyebrow twitched, remembering that he’d never asked; Eric just did it.
A husky groan came from behind. Alex dropped the book and whipped around as two decaying hands grabbed his shoulders. His body tensed up as the male zombie pushed against him. It was muscular and heavy, too, forcing Alex to muster up all his strength to keep it at bay. However, its snarls and snapping, bloodied mouth tried to chomp Alex’s throat. Alex then grimaced as he slowly bent his weakening legs. His biceps burned as the zombie slowly overpowered him. A putrid stench of its musky warm breath hit Alex’s nose, cringing it in disgust.
Then suddenly, a blaring popping noise ruptured the tension. Within an instant, a bullet whizzed through the air and pierced the zombie’s forehead. Blood sprayed everywhere from the back of its head as it flicked backward. Its grip finally loosened, allowing Alex to shove it off of him. A muzzled thump followed once the zombie slammed against the carpeted floor.
Alex fell to his knees and gripped his chest as he breathed. His reddened face burned slightly as cool air brushed against it. Keeping his head low, Alex spotted two large shoes coming into view.
“That’s twice I’ve saved you.” Keaton snickered.
“Thanks,” Alex said, glancing up at an extended hand.
As Keaton pulled him back to his feet, he said, “The back door should be around—!”
BANG!
A gunshot went off, and both men froze. It sounded close, maybe a room away, but that was more than enough for Keaton to be on high alert. He lifted his pistol, prompting Alex to do the same.
A survivor? Alex thought; he hoped.
However, Keaton didn’t look as enthusiastic. His face had hardened into a frightening scowl. The two then made their way down the shelves and turned left; taking up the whole corner was what looked to be a small café. The chairs in the front were haphazardly tossed aside, with the small tables also toppled over. Bloody hand marks were smeared against the food display, and dark red footprints trailed off the white tile and onto the store’s carpet. There was a forest green door behind the counter, though it looked untouched. Despite the metallic stench, there was also a hint of vanilla and dark roasted coffee beans wafting through the air.
Keaton moved past the counter and flicked his gun toward the floor. “Clear,” he whispered.
As Alex moved past some of the chairs—
BANG! BANG!
—Muffled gunfire came from behind, causing the two to flinch. Alex quickly turned, his attention toward the opposite end. There was an open door on the far-left side of the room. He took a few steps forward, curious to see who caused that when suddenly, a petite blonde-haired woman rushed through. Two zombies then shambled right after, forcing the young woman to back up into a corner.
Alex gasped. No way! She’ll get caught!
He had to do something fast. But even as he lifted his weapon, the woman was exceptionally quick on her toes; she aimed her handgun and fired a few shots, taking down the first zombie. It wore a dirty and ripped construction uniform, and as it stumbled back onto the floor, its tools scattered, softening the subsequent gunshots.
Whoa! Alex raised both eyebrows, shocked by her skills. She was accurate, better than he could ever be. However, the second zombie was persistent, eating up four rounds and forcing the woman to yield back.
Now was his chance! With the zombie at a safe distance away, Alex aimed and remembered what Keaton said. Aim for the chest.
He slowed his breathing as the monster reached with its left hand, revealing its dirty torso, and he aimed down the sights until they lined up. He finally pulled the trigger, tightening his muscles for the recoil, and the gunshot erupted. Before he could even blink, the bullet whizzed through the air and pierced the zombie square in the chest. Blood sprayed from its back as it staggered.
I hit it!
Another gunshot went off behind him. It had to be from Keaton, as that bullet instantly smashed through the zombie’s skull. It fell back against the wall and slid down, leaving a fresh coat of dark blood. The woman took in multiple breaths as she glanced at them, smiling.
Alex then rushed in, lowering his handgun in the process. Keaton, however, focused more on the zombies. Once the zombie stopped twitching, as blood continued to ooze out onto the cold floor, Keaton lowered his handgun and faced the young woman.
“Thank god you’re okay,” Alex sighed. “That was too close.”
Upon closer inspection, the girl looked unharmed. She took a few steps closer and smiled brightly at Alex and Keaton. As she did, a peachy-sweet aroma encircled her and brimmed Alex’s senses. Suddenly, his full attention was drawn to her.
She had a small, fair-skinned face with a little button nose and thin brows to match. Her blonde hair was tied in a messy ponytail, complimenting her soft-looking appearance. Alex noticed her bangs parted to the left, covering her forehead, and were secured by a few bobby pins.
She wore a thin, maroon, short-sleeved sweater with a mock turtleneck that showed off her petite body. The woman also wore a cream-color hoodie wrapped around her oak-brown denim shorts to compliment it. She certainly was prepared for the cold as she wore black leggings underneath and fashionable brown knee-high boots.
“Thanks,” her soft voice said. “You saved me some bullets.”
“I’d hate to have lost a survivor. My name’s Alex.”
“Lyra. Hey.” She quickly raised her hand, then lifted her thumb and first two fingers. His green eyes met her hazel eyes, illuminated by the bright light above. They were exotic; flecks of green and blue danced in the brown.
Alex waved and nudged his friend to do the same. But Keaton was motionless; he stood there with a blank face and a slightly open mouth.
You can’t be serious, thought Alex. He quickly introduced his friend.
“Look, I’ll keep it straight. I’m trying to get out of the city. This place is seriously fucked.” Lyra kept her gun raised, ready for anything. “I suggest you two do the same.”
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“We were actually going to the shelter—I heard it was safe,” stated Alex. He flicked his head toward Keaton, who still seemed utterly infatuated with the girl.
This time, Lyra lowered her gun and leaned on one hip. “You think it’s worth it?”
“Don’t know but I’d rather try and get out when it’s morning. These things are really annoying to deal with when it’s hard to see...”
She nodded. “True that. I’ve been having trouble on my own. Seems like there’s no one left alive… Well, until you two showed up.”
Alex smiled. “Come with us? We can get out together.”
“Beats being alone… Sure, why not.” Lyra then glanced down at Alex’s belt before smirking. “Oh hey! You’ve got a police radio!” Alex nodded, unsure of what else to say. Lyra then pulled a similar one from her hoodie’s pocket. “Channel seven, okay?”
Alex then checked his radio, making sure to dial it to that. “Got it, easy to keep in touch.” He then slotted it back into place and looked up at Keaton. The man was still flustered, and Alex wondered if he’d even blinked.
The young lady chuckled slightly. “Once the big guy is ready, follow me. I think I found the way out.” She then brushed by; her ponytail swayed fast as she headed for the door they were initially going to go through.
“Uh… Keaton?” Alex snapped his fingers in front of his friend’s face. After a few tries, Keaton finally blinked out of his daze and turned his attention down to Alex.
“Dude, that girl is so pretty,” whispered Keaton with a quick puff.
“Is now really the time?” Alex tilted his head, scrunching his brows.
“I think I’m in love.”
Alex stared blankly before raising his hands out of contempt. Oh, my lord. This man will be the death of me.
“I should ask her out.” Keaton nodded to himself.
He then took a deep breath before confronting Keaton once more. “I think you’ll get a knee to the groin, Romeo. Now let’s go.”
Alex tugged on Keaton’s thick forearm, dragging him toward their newfound companion. Thankfully, she didn’t leave them in the dust; Lyra stood with her arms crossed just outside the door. Alex stepped into a short corridor that banked off to the right. It was empty, thankfully; however, the dried blood stains on the walls suggested caution. Alex firmed his hold on his gun as he followed behind Lyra.
“I was trying to get out through the back, right, but this stupid gate is in the way. I’m hoping this leads through to the security room,” said Lyra.
“It’s not by the gate?” Alex asked.
“There’s this smaller room on the corner with a window, but metal boxes block the door to that; I couldn’t get past—Oh! But I did see that there’s a second door in that little room through the window.”
They rounded the corner, Lyra keeping her gun cocked. She then stopped and pointed toward two sets of large, thick metal crates at the end of the hall. Though they didn’t block off the pathway completely, there was no way for them to squeeze through.
“Come on.” Lyra took a quick left turn down an adjacent hall.
As soon as Keaton rounded the bend, Alex tapped his shoulder. He then asked, “You think you can push that?”
Keaton folded his arms and clenched his jaw. “Maybe. I’d honestly like to see you try, though.”
Alex smiled lightly, then chuckled, prompting Keaton to smile as well.
“Why are we laughing?” asked Keaton.
“Because there is no way I’m going to embarrass myself in front of you guys,” Alex said, raising both his thin arms. “I mean, look at me. I can barely handle staying alive.”
Keaton placed a finger on his chin and his other hand on his hip as he examined Alex’s body. “I don’t know,” he smirked. “You’ve been fine so far.”
Alex wrapped his arms around his torso and glanced away as his face flushed red. He opened his mouth, wanting to speak, when a feminine voice down the hall told them to hurry up.
“Let’s not keep the princess waiting.” Keaton burst out laughing as he strutted down the hall.
Yeah…
Lyra stood, face unreadable, in front of a thick metal door. As the two approached, Alex noticed the door had a small open window built into it. Not only that, but a scratched-out sign was embedded into the door. Security office, he read internally.
“This is it,” she said, not bothering to look at them.
Both men nodded, letting her take the lead. She carefully pushed open the door with the butt of her right hand, then instantly flicked her wrist and aimed her weapon.
Alex leaned against one hip and waited for Keaton to back her up. He then wrapped his arms around his body and shivered. The thin hall was oddly cold, and goosebumps formed up his legs rapidly. He blew air upward in quick succession. Jesus, what the hell? His jaw started to shake rapidly. Alex swallowed some saliva as he tried to keep his teeth from chattering.
“Oh fuck…” Lyra’s voice whispered from inside.
Alex clenched his jaw, rushing in as fast as he could. The room was reasonably packed with a large control panel, corresponding monitors above them, and several metal shelves that covered the walls. Two worn-down rolling chairs had been pushed together to make space. Alex turned his attention to the right, where Lyra had been crouching down, inspecting a corpse. He had to be the security guard, wearing a gray collared shirt with a golden name badge. His security hat had fallen onto his lap, exposing a large gash on the dead man’s skull. Alex’s stomach churned at the sight of pink fleshy brain matter; he glanced away, gritting his teeth, trying not to puke.
“Fucking hell… What happened?” Keaton spoke hoarsely as if he, too, tried not to let the sight get to him. Alex refused to turn toward them, even as Keaton walked by and likely leaned down with Lyra. Instead, he turned his attention to the window above the control panels. The area over was a storeroom, still jam-packed with various unopened boxes. It looked like they had a recent delivery. Alex furrowed his brows and chewed his inner cheek, wondering if the store got overrun from this end or the front entrance.
“It’s blunt trauma; he was struck down with someone heavy—a steel pipe probably,” said Lyra, breaking Alex out of his thoughts. He peeked through the corner of his right eye.
“Shit, what a horrible way to go. Why would anyone do this?” asked Keaton.
“I don’t know; maybe they thought he was infected. But this is overboard. It takes one good swing from someone with average muscle to cause brain damage—but from what it looks like, someone had repeatedly been pounding it down.” She finally stood up and walked over to Alex, unshaken by what she’d seen.
Alex stared blankly, watching quietly as she leaned over and pressed a few keys on one of the monitors. He then coughed, breaking the silence. “What’s up with you? Why are you acting so calm about that?”
Lyra turned her head, her fingers still typing away. “Sweetie, I’m an RN who works in intensive care—I’ve seen things way worse than that.”
The nausea subsided as he nodded slowly. If she can handle this, then it’s not that bad. You can do it too.
With a few more button taps, a blaring buzzing noise burst through the room. Then, a loud and obnoxious metallic groan followed. Alex looked through the dusty window and watched patiently as the shutter slowly lifted. Its hissing screech still blared in his ears even after it had fully ascended.
“Easy,” Lyra smirked. She then stood up and turned toward Alex when suddenly a hellish shriek halted her in place. They both stood frozen as it continued, but the sounds didn’t stop. An ear-piercing metal thump, followed by clanging pipes, drowned out the monstrous noise. Something had moved in the room prior. Keaton quickly slid into the hall, flicking his gun forward.
“What was that…?” Lyra whispered, her arms wrapped around her petite torso.
“No clue,” Keaton responded. “Nothing here, though.”
“Let’s get the fuck out of here—this place is giving me the creeps.”
Lyra kept her head down as she rushed out of the room. The two then slowly crept down the hall, leaving Alex alone. He took a deep breath, trying to keep himself together. He shouldn’t have come here; he knew that much. But still, he wondered what would’ve happened to those two if he hadn’t arrived. His thoughts traveled to Eric, hoping that man wouldn’t be mad. Alex sighed deeply. Who was he trying to fool? Of course, Eric would get pissed. Regardless, he had to see this through. If they got to the shelter, they could wait until help arrived. Then maybe you can snag a line and tell Eric you’re okay.
Alex nodded. It was a good plan, hopefully, one that came to fruition. Finally, he turned around and headed for the door. But as he did, heavy, wet stomps scampered through the storeroom. He flinched when the shriek happened again. It was inhuman, not even fully animal-sounding either. What the—? Eyes wide, Alex ground his teeth as he watched something shadowy slip by the window and through the open gate. It was fast, faster than he could picture. Alex blinked, trying to recall what he had witnessed; whatever that thing was, he wasn’t sure.
I swear if I see that thing again… Alex finally exited the room, trying to forget what he saw, when he’d nearly bumped into Keaton’s sturdy left arm.
“The hell?” Lyra shook her head slowly and backed up a bit. “Those crates were heavy a fuck—there’s no way a zombie could’ve pushed it!”
Keaton walked toward the crate and placed his thick hand on top of it, caressing the smooth metal. “Whatever it was… I doubt we have the firepower to take it down.”
Alex looked over Keaton’s shoulder to see what they were talking about. The metal crates from before had been toppled over, leaving a small but squeezable gap they could move through. That thing must’ve done it. Alex swallowed a lump in his throat, recoiling his body a bit.
“I say we take our leave—maybe we can find better guns in a different store.” Lyra brushed her blonde bangs out of her face. She then casually slid through the open gap the crates caused, effortlessly passing through. “Come on, boys; we should hustle.” With that, she moved out of sight.
Keaton shrugged slightly before giving a light smile back to Alex. He then held his breath, thinning his muscular body as compactly as possible, before moving himself through the gap. It was Alex’s turn next. He holstered his Glock 48 and carefully inched through the crates. Thankfully, his waist pouch didn’t cause any issues. Alex was nearly there, about halfway through the opening. Keaton thankfully waited patiently, checking his surroundings as well.
A sigh of relief slipped out of Alex’s mouth when, all of a sudden, something latched onto his left arm. It was intense, causing him to flinch and practically halt in place. Alex whipped his head around and gasped. The zombie from the security room had latched onto him and was dangerously close. If he’d reacted any later, he’d surely have a nice bite wound on his thin forearm.
The decaying hand surprisingly had a vice grip on him, tugging him hard enough to pop the shoulder out nearly. Alex gritted his teeth, pulling back. Thankfully, the zombie’s teeth were far out of range, but even so, it still snapped its bloody jaws at him and snarled. Alex pulled his arm back harder, nearly slipping out of its grip, but the thing was tenacious; it leaned over the crate and squirmed closer. He silently cursed, realizing his gun was currently holstered. In this situation, all Alex could do was resist. And so he did; Alex pulled back with a harsh glare. The zombie didn’t care, though, as its hollow white eyes were fixated on his young flesh. Then, a second hand gripped his right arm from behind, causing him to yelp.
“Alex, move!” ordered Keaton. He did so, pulling his head back as far as he could. There was plenty of room for the shot, and Keaton didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger—
BANG!
—the zombie’s head slumped onto the crate, with blood splattering against its smooth metal surface. Alex’s ears burned as they rang, the echoing shot reverberating inside his eardrum. He’d likely need a hearing aid after all this was over. But at least he was alive; the grip had loosened, and Alex pulled his thin arm away, free at last. He finally breathed fresh air before fully sliding through and away from that rotting thing.
His arm ached; Alex held it and gently massaged the tightened muscles as best he could. His now reddened skin was bruised slightly. This’ll no doubt turn purple tomorrow, Alex thought while chuckling. Why are they so strong? They’re supposed to be dead.
“You aight?” Keaton asked. He rubbed his firm, thick hand on Alex’s shoulder and motioned his thumb in circles.
Alex nodded, grateful for the warm touch. “I’m okay.”
“Good,” Keaton smirked, giving Alex a light pat before stepping back. “Don’t forget to call for help—I’ve got your back, ya know?”
“Likewise.”
The two wasted no time and walked into the open street, promptly catching up to that zestful young woman.