November 3rd, 5:13.
Marlene had never been one to give into panic, not even in her youth. She’d never been particularly assertive, but she wasn’t one to lose her head in a crisis, either, and thus far it had served her well. They had to get out, no matter what, and her first responsibility now was to make sure the child was safe. While James went to the door to see what was happening, she snatched up the coats from where they’d been hung at the far end of the room, and hurried toward Kitty.
“Come on, Kitty, put on your coat,” she told the terrified bundle huddled against the wall. “I know it’s very scary right now, but we may have to run soon, and you need to be warm if we do.”
She put out her hand, and to her relief the child appeared too frightened to do anything except obey her and take the hand she’d proferred without protest. With the ease of many years of practise she got the girl into her coat and zipped up, and pulled Kitty’s boots over her feet, tugging her socks into place. She slipped into her own coat then, shoved her feet into her boots, and hurried to bring James’ jacket to him. He didn’t appear to recognize her for a moment, staring at the chaos unfolding before him with a dreadful look of despair on his face, but he snapped out of it when she grasped his arm and thrust his coat at him. He immediately understood what she intended, and began struggling into it, his expression still slightly bewildered, as though he’d lost sight of what it was he was meant to be doing here.
The creatures had gained entrance to the store. She’d expected as much, and was prepared for the worst. If only they could get out, start running again, they might stand a chance of escaping. Perhaps Michaela would have an idea of where they might go next -she’d said the night before that she and her friend from Ontario were trying to come up with a plan for escape. Marlene was more than willing to put her trust in the girl: thus far, she hadn’t steered them wrong.
Looking at Michaela now, who was struggling to maintain her composure as she fired into the group of shambling creatures that had just torn into poor Kurtis as though he was nothing more than a piece of tissue paper, she felt a pang of sorrow for the girl, who had faced more in the past two days than anyone should in their entire lifetime. Marlene ducked behind James and began making her way toward Michaela and Randhir, trying to keep clear of the horrible beasts and their rotting fingers and blunt, snapping teeth: she had no illusions about trying to wield a gun or any other kind of weapon, but she could make herself useful in other ways. She would bring them their coats, hand them ammunition if it would help, and let them know that everyone who could still flee was now in a position to do so.
Michaela didn’t look up from her shooting when she approached, but nodded briefly to acknowledge her presence. Randhir paused long enough to smile at her, though his expression was devoid of anything but grim determination and a fleeting moment of gratitude. She looked around for the boxes of ammunition that had been there the night before, and was surprised to see how few there were. Could they have gone through so many rounds in so little time?
A shrill scream tore her attention away from the problem of ammunition. Looking up, she saw James being mobbed by three zombies, fighting like a demon to keep them at bay. The scream hadn’t come from him, though: it was Kitty who was shrieking, cowering behind a chair that seemed ridiculously small and fragile, kicking at a zombie that had somehow managed to lumber right over to her and was now pawing at her, trying to find purchase with its torn and decaying fingers.
Without stopping to think, Marlene hurled herself at the shambling figure, crossing the space that separated them faster than she’d ever believe herself capable of moving. Grasping the creature by the neck she hauled at it as hard as she could, to no effect. The zombie was a huge, hulking thing, and must have been remarkably large and strong when it was alive. No matter how hard she tugged and pulled and kicked, it didn’t react. It only kept going after the little girl, who screamed and cried and tried to back further up against the wall, as though hoping it might open up and swallow her, protecting her against the monster that was trying to eat her.
With a shove that appeared effortless, it swept away the flimsy chair, which flew through the air only to splinter against the floor several feet away. Kitty screamed again and tried to crawl away, but the zombie was on top of her, and Marlene knew it was too late. She twisted around desperately, putting herself partly between it and its target, and shoved her wrist as hard as she could sideways into its gaping mouth. She heard Kitty scramble away, and felt a sensation of relief at the same time as searing pain coursed through her body when the zombie bit into her flesh.
She looked up into the creature’s face and gasped when she recognized Chuck. Her last conscious thought was to wonder how he’d gotten back into the store so soon after dying.
“Come on, Kitty, put on your coat,” she told the terrified bundle huddled against the wall. “I know it’s very scary right now, but we may have to run soon, and you need to be warm if we do.”
She put out her hand, and to her relief the child appeared too frightened to do anything except obey her and take the hand she’d proferred without protest. With the ease of many years of practise she got the girl into her coat and zipped up, and pulled Kitty’s boots over her feet, tugging her socks into place. She slipped into her own coat then, shoved her feet into her boots, and hurried to bring James’ jacket to him. He didn’t appear to recognize her for a moment, staring at the chaos unfolding before him with a dreadful look of despair on his face, but he snapped out of it when she grasped his arm and thrust his coat at him. He immediately understood what she intended, and began struggling into it, his expression still slightly bewildered, as though he’d lost sight of what it was he was meant to be doing here.
The creatures had gained entrance to the store. She’d expected as much, and was prepared for the worst. If only they could get out, start running again, they might stand a chance of escaping. Perhaps Michaela would have an idea of where they might go next -she’d said the night before that she and her friend from Ontario were trying to come up with a plan for escape. Marlene was more than willing to put her trust in the girl: thus far, she hadn’t steered them wrong.
Looking at Michaela now, who was struggling to maintain her composure as she fired into the group of shambling creatures that had just torn into poor Kurtis as though he was nothing more than a piece of tissue paper, she felt a pang of sorrow for the girl, who had faced more in the past two days than anyone should in their entire lifetime. Marlene ducked behind James and began making her way toward Michaela and Randhir, trying to keep clear of the horrible beasts and their rotting fingers and blunt, snapping teeth: she had no illusions about trying to wield a gun or any other kind of weapon, but she could make herself useful in other ways. She would bring them their coats, hand them ammunition if it would help, and let them know that everyone who could still flee was now in a position to do so.
Michaela didn’t look up from her shooting when she approached, but nodded briefly to acknowledge her presence. Randhir paused long enough to smile at her, though his expression was devoid of anything but grim determination and a fleeting moment of gratitude. She looked around for the boxes of ammunition that had been there the night before, and was surprised to see how few there were. Could they have gone through so many rounds in so little time?
A shrill scream tore her attention away from the problem of ammunition. Looking up, she saw James being mobbed by three zombies, fighting like a demon to keep them at bay. The scream hadn’t come from him, though: it was Kitty who was shrieking, cowering behind a chair that seemed ridiculously small and fragile, kicking at a zombie that had somehow managed to lumber right over to her and was now pawing at her, trying to find purchase with its torn and decaying fingers.
Without stopping to think, Marlene hurled herself at the shambling figure, crossing the space that separated them faster than she’d ever believe herself capable of moving. Grasping the creature by the neck she hauled at it as hard as she could, to no effect. The zombie was a huge, hulking thing, and must have been remarkably large and strong when it was alive. No matter how hard she tugged and pulled and kicked, it didn’t react. It only kept going after the little girl, who screamed and cried and tried to back further up against the wall, as though hoping it might open up and swallow her, protecting her against the monster that was trying to eat her.
With a shove that appeared effortless, it swept away the flimsy chair, which flew through the air only to splinter against the floor several feet away. Kitty screamed again and tried to crawl away, but the zombie was on top of her, and Marlene knew it was too late. She twisted around desperately, putting herself partly between it and its target, and shoved her wrist as hard as she could sideways into its gaping mouth. She heard Kitty scramble away, and felt a sensation of relief at the same time as searing pain coursed through her body when the zombie bit into her flesh.
She looked up into the creature’s face and gasped when she recognized Chuck. Her last conscious thought was to wonder how he’d gotten back into the store so soon after dying.