pushed across her face in a way that made Celia think she couldn’t even see out of her right eye.
When the girl heard the door open, though, her head snapped up. That was when they all saw her eyes. They were white and gray, completely inhuman. Involuntarily, Celia cried out with the realization of what she was seeing.
The creature’s mouth fell open, and it sprang over Stacy’s bed toward the still-open door. Before it got there, though, Andy swung the door closed. They heard a crash as the zombie ran into it, but it held. The door’s opening seemed to have clued the zombie in to how best to exit, and the sound of rabid clawing came after the initial crash.
Andy reached into his holster and removed his gun. Celia had staggered back against the wall and crouched, already in a state of panic. Tears were flowing and she was breathing heavily. Stacy seemed more composed, and had produced her own, smaller handgun as well, but Andy could see the fear in her eyes all the same.
“What do we do? What do we do?” Celia asked.
Andy stepped over to his daughter, prepared to help her, when they all heard the sound of glass shattering in the girls’ room.
“What was that ?” Stacy asked.
“It went out the window,” Andy said.
“Fourteen floors down?” Celia asked.
“What do we do?” Stacy asked, she and Andy both ignoring Celia’s question.
“Classroom,” he said, trying to feign confidence. He reached his free hand down for Celia and, after a few seconds of staring, she took it and allowed him to help her up. He led the way back to the stairs, pulling his daughter behind him. Stacy stayed close as well.
Just before they got to the stairwell door, the last door on the right burst open, and a girl came falling out of it. Just behind her, another female form — a zombie — crawled after her. It had a bone sticking out of its left lower leg and could no longer walk. The girl it was chasing was crying and cradling her left hand, which carried obvious bite marks.
Andy didn’t pause. He aimed the gun at the crawling zombie’s head and shot it once in the head. It stopped immediately.
“Thank you!” the girl gasped, tears flowing down her face. “I didn’t know what I was —”
Andy didn’t let her finish. He shot her in the head with the same precision he had used on the zombie. Once again, Celia cried out.
“Dad! She was —”
“She was infected !” Andy said immediately. “That’s all she was. You can’t fight that off. One nip and you are done . Listen to me,” he went on, turning to face both of them, “I ever get bitten — ever — even a little bit, you shoot me right between the eyes. I mean it. Don’t wait, don’t think about it, don’t try to convince yourself that I’ll be the lucky one — I won’t. You see anyone bitten, you don’t wait. You shoot first, ask questions later. You can’t be too careful. Anybody wounded —” he stopped. Instead of finishing, he just nodded at them. Stacy returned the nod. Celia, though, just stared.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s go.” Andy herded the girls into the stairwell. From below, Andy could hear screams, cries, and gunshots.
“Can we get all the way down?” Celia asked.
Andy cocked his gun. “One way or another,” he said.
They descended two levels past closed doors without incident, though Celia heard screams from both halls. She stopped briefly as she passed the thirteenth floor, her instincts telling her that she had to do something to help. But Andy and Stacy passed without a pause, and Celia reminded herself that she couldn’t help even if she wanted to. At the twelfth floor entrance, she made herself hurry past.
The door to the eleventh-floor hallway stood open when they got there, and Celia could see blood smeared across the doorway and a motionless hand lying across the threshold. She stood a few stairs above, just behind Stacy, as her father stepped into the doorway and fired four
When the girl heard the door open, though, her head snapped up. That was when they all saw her eyes. They were white and gray, completely inhuman. Involuntarily, Celia cried out with the realization of what she was seeing.
The creature’s mouth fell open, and it sprang over Stacy’s bed toward the still-open door. Before it got there, though, Andy swung the door closed. They heard a crash as the zombie ran into it, but it held. The door’s opening seemed to have clued the zombie in to how best to exit, and the sound of rabid clawing came after the initial crash.
Andy reached into his holster and removed his gun. Celia had staggered back against the wall and crouched, already in a state of panic. Tears were flowing and she was breathing heavily. Stacy seemed more composed, and had produced her own, smaller handgun as well, but Andy could see the fear in her eyes all the same.
“What do we do? What do we do?” Celia asked.
Andy stepped over to his daughter, prepared to help her, when they all heard the sound of glass shattering in the girls’ room.
“What was that ?” Stacy asked.
“It went out the window,” Andy said.
“Fourteen floors down?” Celia asked.
“What do we do?” Stacy asked, she and Andy both ignoring Celia’s question.
“Classroom,” he said, trying to feign confidence. He reached his free hand down for Celia and, after a few seconds of staring, she took it and allowed him to help her up. He led the way back to the stairs, pulling his daughter behind him. Stacy stayed close as well.
Just before they got to the stairwell door, the last door on the right burst open, and a girl came falling out of it. Just behind her, another female form — a zombie — crawled after her. It had a bone sticking out of its left lower leg and could no longer walk. The girl it was chasing was crying and cradling her left hand, which carried obvious bite marks.
Andy didn’t pause. He aimed the gun at the crawling zombie’s head and shot it once in the head. It stopped immediately.
“Thank you!” the girl gasped, tears flowing down her face. “I didn’t know what I was —”
Andy didn’t let her finish. He shot her in the head with the same precision he had used on the zombie. Once again, Celia cried out.
“Dad! She was —”
“She was infected !” Andy said immediately. “That’s all she was. You can’t fight that off. One nip and you are done . Listen to me,” he went on, turning to face both of them, “I ever get bitten — ever — even a little bit, you shoot me right between the eyes. I mean it. Don’t wait, don’t think about it, don’t try to convince yourself that I’ll be the lucky one — I won’t. You see anyone bitten, you don’t wait. You shoot first, ask questions later. You can’t be too careful. Anybody wounded —” he stopped. Instead of finishing, he just nodded at them. Stacy returned the nod. Celia, though, just stared.
“Okay,” he said. “Let’s go.” Andy herded the girls into the stairwell. From below, Andy could hear screams, cries, and gunshots.
“Can we get all the way down?” Celia asked.
Andy cocked his gun. “One way or another,” he said.
They descended two levels past closed doors without incident, though Celia heard screams from both halls. She stopped briefly as she passed the thirteenth floor, her instincts telling her that she had to do something to help. But Andy and Stacy passed without a pause, and Celia reminded herself that she couldn’t help even if she wanted to. At the twelfth floor entrance, she made herself hurry past.
The door to the eleventh-floor hallway stood open when they got there, and Celia could see blood smeared across the doorway and a motionless hand lying across the threshold. She stood a few stairs above, just behind Stacy, as her father stepped into the doorway and fired four
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