"Rebuild": A Zombie Survival RP

We moved along after team one had cleared the way for us all. The jokes and laughter helped a lot to keep us not only calm...but sane in a insane world. Still chuckling we made our way to the PLC hall. When too many of the walking dead was making it a little awkward Cassandra suggested we duck inside hall. As it turned out, the main hall was too gorey for words so the three moved on, Daniel taking the lead.

As they cautiously moved along, Cassandra immobilized two more of the things I nodded my head and we kept on moving. Then we came to the Lab, things then got kind of ugly, but thank the gods, no one was harmed. I watched those two as they joked and were stupid, shaking my head at them. (But I really did love them at that moment.) Suddenly I heard something and hissed,

"Shush....I hear something coming...get ready!"

Things starting happening fast now, A teen age girl...dragging a boy of no more then 7 years came running towards them. Followed closely....way too closely by three rather fast moving Zombies. In seconds two were taken down by arrows, Daniel was already closing in on the remaining one, that nearly had it's hands on the little boy. It didn't take him long to dispatch it, all he did was one good swing and the head fell away from the torso, leaving it to slump down in a gooey mess.

The girl stood against the wall shaking and holding the little boy who stood quiet and pale. Derry walked over to them quietly asking,

"Are you alright? They didn't touch you did they?"

She shook her head, whispering,

"No we have been hiding in this building for days now, did you come to get us out of here?"

By that time Cassandra and Daniel had come up, and heard her question. Derry glanced at them shaking her head before whispering,

"Unfortunately we are like you, trying to survive, we are on a food gathering mission......"If you want to live, come with us."

At those words, both Cassandra and Daniel burst into a quiet laugh. The girl didn't catch the phrase, just nodded her head saying,

"Yes, we will come with you,...there is nothing left to eat here....thanks."

All five of them moved on down the hallway.

I gave both the girl and boy hugs “Ok … we’ll take you back to a safe place. But we need to collect some more food first.” I told the older girl. “And I’m sure you know this … but move slowly and as little noise as possible.” They both knew this already and nodded in agreement.

“I’m Cassandra … this is Derry and he is Daniel” I told them “What are your names” I asked them.

“I’m Amy and this is my brother Bobby” She said.

Daniel turned and said … “The exit door is this way … follow me.” He led us to a good exit door, but there was a few too many zombies walking around for us to move. We needed to wait. “Let’s wait here" He suggested.

We had some time to kill … so I went back to the lab door and with a piece of paper … I picked up the severed hand and walked back to show Derry.

“Derry … look at this …your the biologist” I said “even though the body is “dead” the flesh does not decay … how can that be?” I ask her.

First team

We made it to the Van without encountering any zombies. I was hoping if some came near, they would be attracted by one of the five piles that were burning in front of the Knight now and catch fire too, feeding the pile.

When we were sitting in the car, the doors closed, safe for now, I handed the bottles out.

“Drink, we need it.”

“Thought you had more Molotovs.” Murmured John. I shook my head.

“Nope, we will make some as soon as we drain gas from a car. You still have the tube, Thomas?” He nodded, passing me a half empty bottle. I gulped the water down.

“Start the car, man, or I get out now. I am scared shitless.” Stated Skip matter-of-factly.

Thomas started the car.

“We need a bigger car. A small truck would be good.” John was thinking aloud.

“There is a gardening shop not far away, I have been there with my mom. They have trucks. Deliverance trucks.” Offered Skip.

Thomas nodded, and steered into a side street. And into another one after that. More zombies here. Some started to follow us. Thomas wasn’t driving fast. An athlete running would have surpassed us. All kinds of debris was lying around. Mostly bodies. Some bicycles. A motorbike. A children’s bicycle. I sighed, closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I saw something.

“Stop! Shopping-bags!” Thomas set back a bit, and I opened my door, handed two bags to John, who put them on the seat behind us. I picked a plastic bag filled with apples from the ground, and two plastic packages spaghetti. Two pounds each. One meal for all of us, if we added some vegetables, which hopefully would be in one of the bags.

From then on Thomas drove a little bit quicker, the zombies that had been following us, were very close to the car when I got back in. And we watched the street more carefully. Skip was the one who saw a car with an open trunk. He and I had our doors open before the car was standing completely still. Two suitcases and three or four bags with food on top of them. Dog food too.

“Thomas, open our trunk, please.” I thought it funny we hadn’t done this before.

“Beer!” Skip laughed when he put two bags in. I had a quick peek when I put my two in, two six-packs beer, cans, not bottles –those I would have emptied straight away for Molotovs- a sack charcoal and some tools. I spotted a crowbar and took it. Skip put in the suitcases too. Hopefully we would have some spare clothes for most of us now. Except for the children.

John spotted the next open trunk. Thomas drove over to the other side of the street, stopped.

“Not much in it. Only some empty jerricans.” He reported and was getting back in the car empty-handed.

“Take them!” Thomas hissed. “We have nothing to put gas in!” I glanced back, the zombies were too close to risk draining a tank into them at this moment. I told Thomas to drive a bit faster now.

“Just a moment. What if we drain a bit, and set this bunch on fire?” Skip asked us as John was getting back in again. “They are annoying me. Up front is another open car. And some are concentrating on a house on the same side of the street up front too. I am sure the persons inside would appreciate us getting them away from their residence.”

“The words you use.” I grinned.

“Me’z eddecated.” He said dryly.

Thomas stopped the engine, got out, so did John and Thomas had the tube already in his hand. Soon the gas was streaming into a jerrican. I handed them our two empty water bottles, tearing up a piece of oily cloth that was lying in the trunk. Those we needed filled first. Thus we would have three Molotovs instead of only one.

“Fill them only three quarters or a bit less. I want to put more cloth in them. That will burn longer and with a higher flame when the bottle melts.”

Skip and I prepared the bottles, John was standing lookout, his catapult in his hand. He shot at the quick ones running towards us. They were really quick! About ten! A second I wondered if we should get in the car and flee. Then I started shooting at them too. Skip lighted a Molotov, and threw it. It landed way too short! The bottle melted, the liquid flew out and flamed up. Two stopped to look. Got nearer. I made one tumble down. Another one stopped. But about fifteen were still advancing. Skip threw the next bottle. Those from up the street were coming at us too!

Thomas got up, a half filled can in his hand and ran towards them, ripped his shirt off, threw it on the ground, emptied the can over it and lighted it. He ran back. Took his club out off the car! I was running out of shots! Three I had in my hand.

With one I made one tumble down into the fire Thomas had started. Others were standing around it, two actually stood in the fire. Three were coming at us. From behind me I heard thudding sounds. Skip and John.

I couldn’t look how they were doing. I couldn’t help them! I knocked one out with my last shot, I panicked and then I remembered the crowbar. It was lying beside me on the ground. Thomas was standing in front of me, knocked one down while I bend over to get my weapon. He hit the next one as I straightened. On its chest. It stumbled back, but didn’t fall. But Thomas stumbled too and fell down!

The zombie immediately bend down, groping at him and I thudded the crowbar on its head. It fell on top of Thomas! I hit it again, and again. Nearly hit Thomas’ hand.

“Stop it!” He screamed, pushing at the zombie. He crawled out from under it, shoved it away. His chest was full of zombie-blood and other gore. I trembled. He grabbed his club and ran away. I turned, and saw John and Skip standing back to back in the midst of group zombies. Mostly slow ones. Thomas went around the group, hitting here and there until he could stop the few zombies still passing the fire. I went around the cluster the other way, hitting here and there. Some fell down, some tumbled, one knocked another to the ground.

Thomas knocked some back into the fire. The cluster around Skip and John was slowly thinning. Those standing here, trying to get the luscious meat, wouldn’t be attracted by the fire anymore. They didn’t even seem to notice we were hitting them from behind. Not even those we could see in the face. We had to slaughter them. And that we did. Thomas came back, and both of us hit them from behind. I saw a red streak on John’s forehead. Hit the zombies with renewed force.

Finally we were done. Skip and John started dragging corpses into the fire, hit some that were coming to their senses on the head again and dragged them over too.

“Make an other pile, we have gas enough.” Thomas said while he handed them a half full jerrican. I was dragging horrors to the fire on the other side. This time we were working as quick as we could, a lot of slow zombies just rounded the corner ambling aimlessly, but in a group.

“Skip, the gun.” I said silently.

“Why should we skip it?”

“No, you should get it.”

He looked very doubting at me. “I have to talk with her.” He whispered. “I really have to talk with her. Soon. This is so nerving me!”

Thomas poured gas over three zombies lying close together. Held his lighter at their clothes. Soon the fire was ablaze and he pushed them closer together. He added three more. I had added only three to ‘my’ pile and John and Skip had simply douched the haphazard zombie-circle and lighted it. I don’t think they added others to this heap. But to the first two ones they did. None were standing around that. That whole bunch had preferred to go after us, instead of watching the dancing flames.

We got in the car. Drove over to the one with the open trunk. Thomas drained the tank until both jerricans were full and put them into our car. On the floor behind John’s and my seats. I stared in the trunk unhappy. For that meager reward we had taken this risk?
Only one bag of groceries. Some lying on the street, spilled out off a bag. We collected it, John ripped open a pack of wet towels for a floor-cleaning-thingy and cleaned his face and his hands. He and I cleaned Thomas. John had a nasty scratch on his forehead. Skip found a first aid kit in the car and slapped a tissue on John’s face. It must have been something nasty, because John started to curse.

The fires were working though, no zombies were coming for us, all had gathered around the piles, those in the second row pushing the first rowers into it in their eagerness to come as close as possible to the what? The high, wobbling flames? The smell? The warmth? I didn’t know it. Didn’t want to know it. Those things were stupid as … They didn’t work together in an other way as forming groups. And that only if they were attracted by the same thing. Skip opened the passenger’s door of the car, and then the glove compartment. He emptied it to the floor and found a bottle of aspirin, a bag with sweets and one with cookies.

Thomas shoved the used towels on a heap with his foot near the car, sucked once more at the tube and gushed them with gas. Then he lighted it.

“And now? Back in the car?” He asked. I nodded.

“But before we drive to the garden-center we have lunch.” Skip announced, holding up the cookies.

Team Two;

Derry looked at the hand ... “From what I can tell, the zombie virus, can invade a cell and take it over. Then it uses the cell ... like nerve cells to control the body ... Other cells are change too ... like the green blood stuff" Derry explained ... "The virus is so powerful it can continue to survive after the body is dead ... and with the modifications its made ... It uses the nervous system to continue to make the body move around. Feeding off proteins inside the dead cells. The virus itself is not smart … but by reusing the brain of the victim, the dead body goes out and seeks food. In this case, living humans. It needs them for energy to continue to move around. As you can imagine one living human body can keep a zombie moving around for a month.” She explained.

“But why don’t they decay?” Cassandra asked again

“Well, I think the virus is so powerful, when some microorganism gets near it, the virus takes them over too. So zombies only decay a little bit … but not much” Derry said.

Cassandra miss heard her and said “The Zombies are having micro orgasms … YUK ... I’m going to need to wear gloves!”.

“Organisms … not orgasms!” Derry said and Daniel and Cassandra laughed.

Even Amy chuckled, while her brother put his hand up to his mouth hiding a shy smile.

Derry continued,

"This just might help us in the long run...if only I could get to my lab, so I can really dig down deep onto the workings of the virus...make some kind of vaccine or something to immunize us. Then all we would have to worry about is being eaten."

Everyone nodded at this, while Daniel had another look to see if the Zombies had moved off.

Team one

Just as we started to get into the car, the door of the house where the zombies had been opened and a young man, a little over thirty I thought, came running out, a gun in his hand and quite long blond hair flying around his head.

“Hey! No looting here! Get off!”

“Stop it.” I hissed. “Don’t scream, don’t run!”

He halted in his track a moment and then came over more calmly. “I called the police.” He said. “They will be here any moment!”

Beside me, John and Thomas were doing their Shoulder-shaking-thingy and Skip’s mouth couldn’t open any wider, I was sure of that.

I just shook my head once. “I really wish he police would be coming.” I said longingly. This seemed to startle the man and ‘my’ men grew sober at once.

“Yeah …” Sighed Skip. “It would be a wish come true.”

“Just wait.” The man said very sure of himself. “This is my street, those cars belong to my neighbors and the stuff you took too.”

“With some of that stuff we just cleaned your street for you.” Skip sneered. “Something you didn’t do for your neighbors!” I laid my hand on his arm.

“Stop it. Please. All. You too, mister …? We are just foraging food for the people we took responsibility of, just like you seem to do.” This made him sigh.

“Parker.” He said. “Frank Parker.” At this we introduced ourselves too. And then we all were silent a moment. Frank came a bit closer, his gun now pointing to the ground.

“Who, how many and where are they?”

“About twenty, half of them little children.” I told him. “We are hiding in a library.” I didn’t trust him enough to tell him which one.

“Not much food in a library for so many.” He said almost accusingly. I nodded. “Children too here. Three, the two of the Walkers and a girl I called in when she was trying to escape the monsters. And eight adults. Neighbors, who could make it too my house. And some who couldn’t make it are hiding in their basements and attics. Arms at the ready.”

“Well, I am sure you have seen we didn’t enter a house, just took the stuff that was lying around.” Thomas said calmly. “I don’t know why we didn’t enter a house. We had shops and weekend shopping in abounded cars in mind the whole time. In one we found a toddler. Brought it back to our place before we went for food again.”

“Are all those people in your house? It seems a bit small for that.” I asked him.

“Yep.” He answered. I nodded again.

“Luckily your neighbors didn’t use their arms then when we were fighting the zombies here a little while back, otherwise we still would be fighting now. You may have noted they are attracted by loud noises. But they really seem to like the fires. I wonder why …”

“Just like the lizards my cousin has.” Frank said while he looked around at zombies circling the fires. “They always lay down immobile in the sun when they are full.”

I gasped, clasped my hand before my mouth. “They do that because digesting takes energy. And because they are cold-blooded animals that means it drops their body temperature.”

Alarmed we looked at each other, our minds in overdrive it seemed and all animosity forgotten.

“If that is true for zombies too,” Skip said, “we are helping them with the fires!” He grabbed his table leg tighter “The full ones would get quick again when they have digested the meat they ate!”

“If that is true, it doesn’t seem to happen very quick, and a lot are so close to the fires they die from it.” Frank observed. “It is as if the flames don’t hurt them. Only when they fall, or can’t move their legs anymore, they seem to realize something is wrong. And then it is too late for them to get away from the fire.”

I had my phone out, was typing a message for Cassandra and Peter telling them this ‘discovery’. When I had sent it on its way I looked up again. “I just told our friends this. Hey! Do you hear what I hear?” It seemed to me as if a car was coming near. We all looked towards the end of the street. My mouth dropped open when I saw a police car round the corner. He was driving very fast. Then the engine stopped and the car rolled eerily silent, getting slower and slower until it had nearly reached us. Had the zombies first looked at it, they soon decided to ignore it. Only one came slowly towards the car. The policeman was still sitting inside. Frank lifted his gun.

“No!” John hissed, aiming his catapult. “Just wait.” When the zombie was beside the car, he shot it. He made it fall down, and Thomas quietly went over, and hit it on the head.

“Thanks.” The policeman, a fiftyish, very tall, athletic-build man with very short black-and-white hair, said softly, climbing out of his car. “A knife in the breast or through the throat would be less risky though. Less fast movement you know. This the looters you told me about, Frank?”

“Yeah, they are, Bart, but … They are good folk I think. They only took stuff lying on the street. And they claim they have to look after a bunch of children.”

The policeman came over. Nodded. Looked into our car.

“No TV’s and stuff. You mind to open trunk?” It wasn’t really a question. John leaned in, pulled the lever. The officer looked into the trunk, nodded. “Seems alright to me.” Very careful he closed the lid. “What are those fires about?”

“To make them deader.” Skip said.

“Deader?” The man said. “I like that. Both the word and what it means. Officer Bart Sanders. And you lot are?” Again we introduced ourselves. We huddled close together and Skip passed to cookies around. We kept our eyes at zombies most of the time while talking. We told officer Sanders the discovery we thought we made. He looked stunned.

“Okay …” He said. “If that is true, would it mean they don’t rot? That they are still quite alive? Just changed into something non-human?”

“Non-human or walking dead, it doesn’t make a difference to me!” Skip hissed. “I want them completely dead! Deader.”

“I want them deadest.” The officer said. “They got so many people. And so many have changed into these horrors, although I don’t know how that happened. You never see a zombie that has bite-wounds though. Half eaten dead bodies are everywhere but none of them walk.” Nobody had an answer to that. We were silent for a bit. Moved even closer together. I was standing between John and Bart. Felt both their bodies pressing against me when the moved.

I giggled. “We are standing closer together than was appropriate for people who had just met a few days back.” I said when they all looked at me. The policeman smiled.

“Yes, a lot has changed in a few days. Where do you live?” I couldn’t believe he wanted to make small-talk!

“I am from Europe. Holland. Here on vacation.” I told him a bit snappy. He smiled.

“Nice, but where are you living now? How many of you are there?”

“The Knight.” John said. “A little over twenty. Eight no, nine kids now, and a dog.” Bart lifted his eyebrows.

“You don’t know how many kids you are taking care of?” That sounded disapproving. Quickly we told him what happened to us so far. He cursed.

“Never came to my mind to check those cars! Darn, we have to be quick now, almost three days those people are locked in!”

“We will try to check more cars too.” I offered. “But we really need to get food to the library. And soil and seeds and stuff.”

“Frank, maybe you should get your people in cars and head over to the library. Much easier to defend than your house, even if it is over-burglarproof because of your mom’s panic-attacks. Ma’am, tell your friends there that people will be arriving.”

“Why?” I said. “If Frank’s house is so safe, why should they move out? Too many people in there, okay I understand that, but kind of attach some of the neighbor’s houses to it and they are fine! Much more supplies around here, and you have back gardens maybe?”

Frank nodded. “My mom won’t want to move, you know that, Bart. We couldn’t even get her to the hospital last time when she was really ill, you remember? But the others should move over. Only the house is safe, the zombies pounding at my door drive me crazy.”

“Well, keep them away from your door then!” I said impatiently. “And keep them from other doors too! Build a wall for god’s sake! You would be fine with that!”

“A wall!” He sneered. “With what should I build a wall? You see any stones lying around?”

“I see lots of metal!” I snapped back. Bart was waving his hand, motioning us to slow it down.

“Ma’am, ripping up the cars would make too much noise and requires a lot of equipment. They will move over.”

“No.” Thomas said. “We have nothing else than a defendable shell around us. No beds, no food, no medical supplies, nothing. We wouldn’t be out here if we had any of that. No need to rip the cars! Just push them into a circle or such!” I nodded.

“Let the air out of the wheels of most of them, put them real close together and nothing will come through. You could easily wall in four or five houses that way!”

Frank looked as if he was thinking hard. “Old doctor Peyers and his wife would like to move back into their house. They are in my house only because they were visiting with mom when the shit hit the fan and I forced them to stay. They are nearly as bad as mom. They could take in some others too. Push the cars huh? You will help?”

“One hour. After we had lunch. Which you will provide. After all we already cleaned your street for you!” John said firmly and kind of definitive.

“And we want free medical help on six occasions.” I added.

“On three.” Frank offered.

“No, six!” I said. “We are losing time here we need for our people.”

“Stop it!” Bart chuckled a bit though as he said that. “Make that five and an hour and a half, and the lunch of course. I will stay too, Frank. That is four more men. Tell the Hunter to use his crossbows, we will retrieve his arrows for him.”

It seemed settled after that. We had lunch. A stew. And worked hard. During lunch I questioned Frank and Bart, who was living on that street too. Draw them a plan and told them about some other defensive measures like shallow holes in the ground that would make attackers stumble in the night and such. Told them to connect the houses with new build corridors between the them. Again he started moaning about material.

“Then break some buildings now. Take doors out of them, windows to build glasshouses in your back or front yard. Make new doors in outside walls.”

Frank and Bart were busy phoning and persuading people. The Hunter came over. A man of about sixty, living across the street. He was willing to move over to this side. As was an elderly couple at the far end of the street. And a highly pregnant lady living on the other far side across the street. Only one family with one child didn’t want to leave their house. That was all that was left of a complete street.

Bart caught my eye when I sighed. “Had to shoot neighbors.” He said. “Ma’am, that was the hardest thing I ever had to do, they were attacking me, and I nearly couldn’t make myself shoot them.”

We put all the zombies down, with the crossbows (The Hunter reluctantly gave one to Bart, who had to give him a lot for it) the catapults (for which John and I collected a lot of stones in Frank’s backyard) and with Thomas, Skip, Frank and one other man beating and dragging zombies to the fires. We cleaned the five houses of dead bodies too. And pushed cars while elderly people stood watch. We loaded the baby bed and other things on a flatbed truck, the pregnant lady in the driver seat and pushed it over to the house along half the street.

The doctor had asked us what medical supplies we needed and told us the man living in the house opposite his, was a diabetic when we told him, we, above of everything else, needed insulin for Lola.

Bart had wanted me to stay inside, with the other women and wasn’t too pleased when I simply refused it and shot zombies. He complimented me on my marksmanship though, which he witnessed closely because he kept to my side.

He even accompanied me into the diabetic’s house shortly before we were ready to leave them.

“So, you are on vacation here? With your family?” He asked as we entered the house through the broken sitting room window. I told him I was traveling alone.

“I divorced about ten years ago.” He said when he held my hand as I climbed over the windowsill. It would have been easier if hadn’t done that. I told him I was divorced too.

“Anyone waiting for you at home?” He asked when we made our way to the kitchen. I told him I had two daughters.

“Lots of men in the library?” He asked when I opened the fridge. I told him there were quite some young men in the Knight.

“One you fancy?” He asked when I was bend over to look into the fridge. I froze.

“Are you trying to tell me you fancy me?”

He chuckled. “I think I am doing that, yeah …” I rose, two full bottles of insulin in my hand, and a half empty one. A box with syringes stood on the kitchen table. A carton with disinfecting sweeps was standing beside it. And a little plastic box with small paper strips I had seen one of my students use, you have to smear a drop of blood on it, and then the color tells you what dose you have to inject yourself with.

Bart was emptying the fridge in a bag he had brought with him. “Well, you now know I fancy you, but … do you fancy me, with all those young studs around you?” Now it was my time to chuckle.

“Could be.” I said.

After two and a half hours we said our goodbyes. A quarter of that time we had used to get all the children’s clothes out of three houses. This they offered us because of the extra time we had put in. We filled six big garbage bags with clothes for the children. And one with toys.

When we said our goodbyes, Bart leaned his head down and kissed me on my cheek. “I think I have to visit the Knight soon.” He whispered into my ear, still holding my hand and my body close to him. “Would you like me to?”

“Yes.” I whispered.

Team 2

Daniel said the coast was clear but we needed to move extra slow and quiet. We all slipped out of the PLC building and moved slowly through the trees towards Condon hall. That is where the Department of Geography was based. I took Introductory Geography course there … GEO 141 the Natural Environment … all about the earth's physical landscapes, vegetation patterns, weather, and climate. It was a fun class … but in the middle of a zombie apocalypse … I really saw no way to use that knowledge … except I guess I knew how to read a map.

As we moved slowly towards the building … I saw one of those emergency call boxes. I don’t know why … but I just had to push the emergency button and pick up the phone … “Help there are zombies everywhere and they are all trying to rape me!” I whispered into the phone.

Daniel got a big frown on his face … “Keep moving Cassandra” He said. I put the phone down and kept moving. We made it to the Condon building but did not go in … we went along side it and then crossed over Kincaid street. That was super scary … but we moved so slowly … the zombies I saw … did not pay any attention to us.

There was Taylor’s Bar and Grille … and across the street was the Duck Store. I had forgotten the duck store was over here. Anyhow, Daniel put his finger to his mouth to remind us to keep quiet and peeked around the corner. His head came back “two zombies but pretty far away. Just get inside the bar … we’ll lock the doors and should have a bit more freedom to move faster” he whispered to us.

We followed him around the corner, there was a big sign in front saying “$2 Beers after the game …. Celebrate OU’s victory here!” I whispered to Derry “I’m having a beer to celebrate … what about you?”

Daniel opened the door and we all got in. He locked the door. The smell of rotted meat/food and stale beer blasted my nose. The bright, cutting rays of sunlight that streamed into the bar ended as the door was reclosed.
My eyes were still adjusting to the darkness and I saw huddled forms at the back of the bar moving forward towards us … Their eyes … were red … awake and sharp, bright with the hot blooded excitement of a feeding frenzy!

Half-dozen pairs of hungry eyes traveled towards us … I raised my bow … Daniel had his axe ready … Derry was already firing arrows at the approaching killers … Amy almost screamed … but the smart girl knew that would only bring more killers, instead she covered Bobby’s mouth so he did not scream.

Both Derry’s arrow struck and killed … I took out another … and Daniel moved at the remaining ones … getting room to swing his axe. I kept looking at the eyes of the zombies that were left … I could see their overwhelming desire for our flesh!

Daniel was good with the axe and kill one more … but his axe was buried into the long, scarred bar top and that left him defenseless to the other two zombies… I didn’t want to do it … for fear I might hit Daniel but I fire another arrow anyhow … and it went right past his ear and into the open mouth of the zombie that was going to take a bite out of him. I fired the arrow SOO hard … probably in fear … the zombie's head rocked back and I heard something SNAP. It fell to the floor. The remaining zombie was almost on Daniel … Only Derry could save him now …

That was when my cell phone started to buzz.

Norah

At the Knight

From far I had watched them leave. I had cringed when the fire-door closed behind my brother. I had started to sob when Cassandra and Derry came down, told us they were in the car. Cassandra wanted to tell us something, but Max shook his head. Cramer was standing at the door. Started to open it, when Daniel nodded to him.

I watched them leave too. Lola came over to me, put her arm around my shoulder.

Not knowing what to do, I fiddled with my phone. Suddenly I had an idea and typed the loading code and my credit-card number. It got accepted! I loaded an ridiculous amount.
Lola was watching me.

“It still works! Ria did it on Saturday, and I was thinking the computers might not function anymore. But they do! Don’t you want to load yours?”

“No. I am monthly. And my phone was in my backpack. Which I threw in the face of an zombie.” She shrugged her shoulders. “We have nothing else to do as wait now?”

“Nope, my dear young ladies.” Max smiled. “Lots of things need to be done: the toilets, the shower-room, the floors need to be swept, the bookcases need a dusting, and, and, and.” Keep them busy, he had thought, less time to worry. Old army-rule: If there is nothing to do for the G.I.s, let them march or run. Or both. “We get the kids down too. That two teachers always hiding with them is rubbish. You two set up a cleaning plan, I’ll get all folk together.”

Dutifully Lola and I had made a plan. When all were there -which took some time since the female teacher didn’t want to come down with the kids at first- we explained it. The only ones protesting were Lex and the female teacher. He because he thought cleaning was women’s work and she because “These are children! Not teenagers! We have to teach them!” Max nodded.

“You are right. And now we teach them to clean house. And an old proverb: Many hands make light work.” That settled it. Lex had slinked away and surely was sulking somewhere. We just had started, Max had the first shift on the roof, when Peter’s phone started to buzz.

“They want what? They found what? I can’t believe it. Yeah, yeah, I believe you, but … you come down when they are near? Okay.” He was silent for a moment.

“Spread the word!” He then started in a loud voice. “Team one has found a very small child, a toddler Max said that Ria said, and a dog in car. Both alive but well, needing food and care. Soon they will be here, when Max comes down I want all who are able at the door. The car was loaded with luggage and has to be emptied as quiet and quick as we can.” He paused a moment. “Children, Lola and the teachers go up now, and come down again when everything is safe again.”

“I stay here!” Lola protested. “Getting up the stairs and down again is not a great idea on the low calorie-diet I am on now. I will get the papers and take note of what will be coming in.” She crossed her arms over her chest and I had to stifle a giggle. Peter nodded at her.

Again we waited an eternity. Max came down the stairs.

“They are pushing the car. I don’t know why. Maybe it is out of gas or they don’t want to attract anything. All is clear on all sides now.”

I rushed over to the door, and was standing beside Max when Cramer and Peter opened the fire-door. I wanted to run out when I saw Ria coming up to us with the child in her arms, but Max’ hand on my shoulder stopped me. He reminded me to move very slowly and to be silent. Max took the baby and brought it inside and handed it to Lola.

“Little pooper is a bit stinky, the poor thing.” I overheard him saying when I dropped a suitcase and a bag beside the table.

“She needs water.” I said and took a bottle that was standing around and stroke a wet finger over the baby’s lips. And again. Until she parted her lips. The dog had laid itself at Lola’s feet and put his head on his forepaws, sighing loudly.

“He needs water too. Over there, that flat flowerpot or whatever it is, would that do as a bowl for him?” I saw what she meant and got it. Poured some water in it and placed it before the dog. At once he started to lick it up. Ria came up to us. Max came back with a bottle of orange juice, badly concealing a worried look on his face with a broad smile.

He told me to dilute the orange juice with water. He asked what those folks had been doing. Tears rolled over my face when Ria told us a possible scenario about how it could have happened this little girl was locked in the car with the dog.

“How shall we call the dog?” I asked Lola.

“Hasn’t he a tag or something on its collar?”

I looked. There really was metal tag hanging on the collar. “Nana.” I read aloud. “Nana? A strange name for a dog. I have heard that somewhere though.”

Lola giggled. “Yes, in the stories your mom read to you. It is the name of the children’s dog in Peter Pan. Hey! This little one is moving his hand!”

I spooned some fluid in her mouth. “His? It is a baby-girl.”

“I think it is a boy. We will see soon enough.”

“Have you ever changed pampers on a child? I haven’t.”

“Me neither.” Lola sighed. “Ria will know how to do that, she is a mum.”

Max came up carrying a bucket. And grinning. “Yep, she would know it. But she isn’t here, so it is up to you two ladies to bath and dress the child.”

He had a baby-blue bag slung over his shoulder and a towel. “Lost and Found.” He said a bit proudly. “Not even this I have thrown away. I think you can take the top of and lay it on the table, to make a soft bedding while changing the diaper. Dip him in, it is nice and warm, and the clothes might tear his skin if you try to undress him now.” He had put everything on the table and walked away.

Lola and I looked at each other. Then I took the baby out of her arms and held it over the bucket.

“Doesn’t fit. I can only dip in her bum if I bend her double.”

“Dip the legs in too.”

“Take her shoes off then.” Finally we managed to dip her in the water. I held her a bit awkwardly, her head on my arm, my hands around her chest somehow and soaked her, which made the stink nearly unbearable. Lola now spooned watery orange juice in her mouth every few minutes. When we thought her clothes were thoroughly soaked, I took her out. Held her dripping above the bucket. Cramer came up, asked how the little one was doing, and if we needed help.

“Could you search these bags for her clothes? And give the dog more water and some food? And empty this bucket?” He smiled.

“Drop the clothes in there to soak a bit more. I will get you another one.”

I was peeling her clothes off of her, when she opened her eyes and whimpered “mama”. It broke my heart. Lola sobbed. And started to sing a lullaby. At last I opened the diaper. Lola had found baby wipes in the bag Max had brought, and other stuff. She put it all out on the table when Cramer came back with a new bucket. Lola poured some washing lotion into it and I dipped him again.

After a long while we thought him clean. Cramer had found clothes, and food. Baby food and normal food. He had sprayed some cheese on crackers and had put them in our mouths. He had fed the dog. He had brushed the dog. Peter came, asked how the kid was doing, looked at the two bags with food, murmured something about it being one meal, asked where Max was, if anyone of us had seen Lex, and then he told us he had got a message from Ria.

“Now you tell us? How are they?” I nearly snapped. I wanted to know if John was alright!

“I don’t know. She wrote me something about them meeting another group of survivors, and them thinking that maybe the zombies are attracted to the fires because of the warmth they need when they are digesting. Something about them being like lizards.”

Cramer looked up from the bags he was going through. “That makes sense. At last that makes sense.” He had passports in his hands. Peter shook his head.

“Not to me.” To me neither, but I kept quite. Cramer explained about lizards being cold-blooded and their digesting slowing and even stopping if they were too cold. Then he waved with the passports. “His name is Frederique Duchateau, he is French. We need to be careful with these, it might be this are the only pictures he has of his parents.” He put them on the table and went with Peter to look for Lex.

Peter

Peter was up on the roof. It was where he had been all day. It was the place with the best cell phone reception and he could keep an eye on where people were. He had followed both team 1 and team 2 and was happy with their progress. Things seemed to be working.

Then he got a text from team one:

“Team one just discovered that the reason the zombies are attracted by fire maybe is they have to use a lot of energy to digest the meat they eat. If that would be true, this could mean that digesting lowers their body temperature extremely, which makes them slow. And warmth from outside would help them digest quicker.”

It was an interesting discovery … but Peter did not see a quick way to use this information to help them. He decided he had some time before the teams made it back to check on the new arrivals. So he head back downstairs and ran into Crammer.

“How is everything going” Peter asked.

Norah

At the Knight

We were still busy with the child, spooning watered down baby food into him now, when there was a commotion. Much later on, when we were cataloguing the stuff the first team had brought, and spooning watery orange juice into Frederique’s mouth -who started to look around him a bit, and once in a while touched our faces, or laid his hand on one of ours holding the spoon at his lips, he also opened his mouth now when he wanted another spoonful- Cramer ran over to us.

“Have you seen Lex in the last hours?”

“Nope.” I said. “I am sure he is sulking somewhere.”

“We can’t find him. All the food from below is gone. We checked all windows in the building. One was ajar in the basement. We fixed it with some boards. But we don’t know how long it has been open. Max doesn’t know why the burglary alarm didn’t go of. He is trying to find out now, if it was set so, that it only alarms the police.”

Robert Riggs

Teacher, at the Knight

I was glad to go, when we got summoned this morning to help with the cleaning. We were living here, eating the food, and it felt wrong not to do something in return. Susan didn’t want to leave the room though. I had noticed she only very reluctantly went out herself, had tried earlier this morning to persuade me to bring the food up here for all of us.

She told every kid who wanted to go to the toilet to wait a bit. When they asked her again permission to go, she asked them if they really needed to go. The children had started to whisper about her. And since late Sunday afternoon they asked me for permission too go to the toilet. And then Susan wanted to make them go in groups, the girls with her, the boys with me.

I then took her to the side. Told her that was okay for morning and evening washing, but not for toilet breaks.

“We have to keep them safe!” She exclaimed. I tried to reason with her, told her we were as safe in the dining room as in here as in the toilets as in the rest of the building, but she was not able too listen to reasoning. She sobbed, told me again about the parents she had had contact with and that had disappeared, and the ones she had not been able to reach, and the ones wanting their child brought home. And the ones at home she had had contact with and that didn’t respond anymore. Only the parents of two children still answered her calls, she said. I did know that. She had told me every time she lost contact with one. It was greatly bothering me too. Suddenly I saw myself in locus parentis to six children.

But we were doing fairly well. Although some children had wept this morning at breakfast. It really was meager. And the children even got the same two bars we adults got. Which meant they got more than we.

When the janitor knocked at our door, and told us to come down to help, the children did want too. As did I. Only Susan wanted to keep them inside. At last the pleas of our pupils turned her around, and reluctantly she came down with us.

Still she tried to talk her way out of cleaning duty for the children. I liked the janitors answer, and nodded at the children.

“Exactly. If all lend a hand the work will be finished real soon. And you can sing the songs we taught you yesterday. Ask riddles, talk about the story you have to write for English. Only take care you don’t start to write the same story afterwards.”

Then the drama happened. Peter told us to go upstairs, to the safe place. Since they would open the main entrance for one of the foraging teams. Susan told the children in all earnest the library as a whole wasn’t safe … I had to contradict her in front of the children.

“It is safe. Everywhere in this building. Maybe not on the roof, because you could fall down if are not careful enough. (that brought some smiles and giggles from some) Only if the doors have to be opened it is safer for us up here. Only then.”

“Because of the monsters outside, mister Riggs?”

“No, no, there are no monsters!” Susan lulled them. I braced myself.

“Yes there are monsters outside. You all have been talking about it, heard a remark maybe, not meant for your ears. Miss Lowers, I really think we can’t and shouldn’t hide it from them anymore. (She had started to contradict me) We are safe here in the library. It is a strong building. No monsters will come in here. The other grown-ups and I are prepared to fight them of, if we have to open the doors. Which we have to do, once in a while, because people have to go outside to get food and clothes and such. And of course we have to open the doors again when they come back and help them carry everything in.”

Susan was livid with me. Some of the children had started to cry, and only seconds later all were sobbing. I had tears running over my cheeks, I hadn’t told them we thought most of their parents had died yet. And I wouldn’t, for as long as I could.

I hugged four children at once, when Susan grabbed one at the hand ran to the door, called the other children to follow her. I told them to wait for me, and ran after her. On the stairs I could get hold of Ronald, free him from her grip. I hugged him, sent him back to others. I just caught Susan’s arm when she climbed on the bannister.

“Don’t you dare! Don’t you dare to take the easy way out!”

Peter handles the problem the best way he know how ... he lies!

Peter put both of his hands on his head and said “OH CRAP!” He was supposed to watch that little asshole … but there had been way too much stuff going on. Lex must have taken advantage of the situation and run off with all the food.

“Ok everyone don’t worry … we’ll find the food … no one can eat all that food in an hour. And we’ll find Lex … He is probably in the building somewhere … the adults not watching the kids or the baby …please form groups of two and going looking for him. He might resist … so don’t bring him back … just try to find him … I’ll need to talk to him. I think he is just upset about the work rules … I told him he needed to get food for other people or do work here in the library … but he could not just sit around and grumble." Peter explained.

He looked at all the worried faces around him, he knew he needed to say more. “Ok everyone please don’t worry … we’ll find the food …. And the food gathering teams are doing well. Everything will be better tonight. You’ll see” he said totally making up the success of the food gathering teams … but he hoped it would buy him some time.

“Ok … go find Lex … and THANKS EVERYONE ” he said.

As the people started off to look for Lex … Peter texted both teams “Teams 1 and 2 … Can’t explain it now … but bring back as much food as possible!!

As Cassandra's arrow hit it's mark with a vengeance, that no one was in doubt as to whether that sucker was getting up again. But now, the last Zombie was almost on Daniel, Derry swiftly put an arrow in the bow, drew it and let fly, hitting it in the right eye and on into it's gooey brain mass. It fell on top of Daniel knocking him to the floor.

Cassandra was at his side in seconds, pulling it off, that is when she suddenly went as white as a sheet. Daniel's ear was bloody, and some of the green blood/gore, whatever you wanted to call it smeared with Daniel's red blood. She looked up in real fright at Derry, silently mouthing,

"Help him!"

Derry was at his side in seconds, wiping his ear of the blood and gore, once it was cleaned off, her face paled, before she quietly said,

"This isn't good, I can see that the ear is damaged, that means some of the virus probably has gotten into his body by now."

She stood up, paced for a few seconds talking to herself,

"If we are right and this is a virus, we need anitbiotics, ...a mega dose of the strongest antibiotics we can lay our hands on. Cassandra.....we have to get to a drug store and pronto ...Amy and Bobby can stay with Daniel....while we go get it."

She looked at everyone, all nodded except for Daniel, who started to protest, both Derry and Cassandra ignored him. Derry asked,

"Where is the nearest drugstore from here? "

Just then the cell phone started to buzz.

Robert Riggs

Later in the afternoon someone knocked on the door. The children were very subdued. Frightened, not as much by the monsters outside it seemed to me, but more by the actions and words of Susan.

I had managed to calm her down, had reasoned with her, tried to talk sense into her. I had cursed her and had been angry. In fact I was still angry with her, and it was very difficult to hide it from the children. About an hour it seemed everything was okay. She was acting okay. Then she started to whisper to her pupils, one by one.

Those put up a very brave face. Ronald came to me, when she was whispering to yet another child.

"Mister Riggs, Miss Lowers said we will go to a place where no monster will ever get to us, all of us at once. Where will we go to, Mister Riggs? Why can't we go home instead?"

"We are not leaving here, Ronald. I think you misunderstood Miss Lowers. Whispering can be very hard to understand. You have played 'silent post' haven't you?" He nodded. "Well, you know how it is then. A word is easily misunderstood when whispered. Is your story ready?" He shook his head, and sat down again. I went over to Susan, and took her by her arm.

"Not a word, Susan. Not one!" I hissed when I pulled her over to the door.

"Children, we will be back in a minute. You continue your work. We will be staying here, we won't go nowhere."

When Susan explained me it was much better for the children if they didn't have to suffer, I snapped. The first time since I was fourteen years old and hit a guy who was hitting a younger kid, I hit someone. I slapped Susan.

"Come to your senses! Jesus Christ, Susan, stop the nonsense! Get a grip!"

She looked very frightened and started to sob. I put an arm around her shoulder. and sighed

"I am trying, Robert. I really am. But I can't stop it!"

One of the children put its head around the door.

"Mister Riggs, may I go to the toilet?"

"Yes. And when you come back tell the others Miss Lowers is just afraid of the monsters outside. Just as we all are. She didn't want you to know that though. Now you go, and don't worry too much. We will find a solution."

A few minutes after he came back Susan had calmed down.

"I am sorry, Robert." She said wiping her eyes and blowing her nose. "I really am. It is better now."

"No more whispering, Susan. No talk about better places to go to." I was stern. She nodded.

"Yes. I don't know what came over me. I really don't know why I told them that. I am so sorry."

We made the children swap their stories, read them and look for mistakes, then another swap and another look, and then the authors read their work loud for all of us.

We sung a song with them. I wished I had my guitar, but I drummed the rhythm on a table with two empty water bottles, which they liked too, we sung another song, and then there was this knock at the door.

Amy had door duty, so she went to open it and whooped.

"A dog, a dog! hello doggy!"

"Her name is Nana, and this is Frederique. May I come in?"

Of course Amy had to come over now -normal procedure- and ask me. All eyes were focused on the door. I nodded. A dog! I hadn't seen a dog before in the Library!

In came a young girl with a toddler in arms, and an enormous dog beside her.

"I am Lola, this is Frederique, and his dog is called Nana." She said. She came over to me. "Is it alright if we stay here? And could you go down to help the others? She added quietly. Desperate I looked at Susan.

"It is alright. Everything is okay.Nana. Children do you know which famous dog had the same name? No? Really? Well, I will tell you in a minute!"

Cassandra looked down at her cell phone. She saw the text about the zombies liking fire … being attracted to it. “MMMM … I think we can use that!” She thought. Then she did a quick search for medical services and gasped. “Derry the close medical place is the student clinic at the PLC. We were really close to it and did not even know it. Let’s go!”

Cassandra gave Amy her bow and the arrows she had left. Tears running down her face ... “If Daniel turns …” She said but could not finish “you know what to do …”

Then she grabbed a knife from the kitchen and a bottle of Everclear … Daniel was standing up now “Hey I’m fine … it is just a cut on my ear …” he was trying to explain.

“Pour alcohol all over the ear … use the extra strong stuff … we’ll be back … just hold on Daniel … we are going to save you!!” Cassandra said and unlocked the bar door and was gone …

Cassandra was running! Running directly to the PLC!. Derry poked her head out of the bar door and saw her. Derry could not call after her as that would just attract more zombies … so she needed to decide to follow or not … in a split second she made it and she took off running after Cassandra … “That crazy big breasted stripper better know what she is doing!”

Both their motion attracted zombies … a whole shitload of them! the huge group of zombies were following the two woemn as the raced towards the PLC!

I ran to the entrance of the PLC. I had a plan … kind of … but it was a really crazy one! I went to the side of the door and there was a building firefighting station. I had seen it when we had gone through the building. I grabbed the hose and hauled it off the reel … Derry arrived quickly on my heels …

“Grab this!” I said to her handing her the noozle…

Derry did and pointed it at the oncoming Zombie horde. “Hold on to it as FUCKING TIGHT AS YOU CAN!!” I yelled and turned the water "on" valve … at first it did not move much but I threw all my weight against it and it spun open. A massive wall of water came out of the hose at over 150 PSI … Derry almost lost control of the hose but she held on!! I joined her … in holding the fire hose and we were in control of it.

The zombies had no chance … I had seen videos of fire hoses (water cannons) being used as crowd control and it was incredible what force was behind them …

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XktfS3K0gE

The stupid zombies did not know what hit them. As the water ripped their half decayed flesh from their bones … or tumbled them down the steps … There was no way any of them could get to us. Well, except from behind us … which was about to be a problem!

“TAKE THAT FUCKERS” I yelled … Derry agreed “Its WORKING!!”

After another 50 seconds of blasting the zombies Derry and I had confidence in using the fire hose. We actually let the zombies get closer and then directed the hose on them ... it did WAY more damage that way. Derry finally asked “Now what?”

“I don’t know … I had not gotten that far in the plan!!” I told her. Then we both heard two zombies from inside the PLC building coming to the entrance doors to get at us.

As the door opened we turned the water on them … causing them to be smashed down the hallway.

We turned the hose back on the horde outside. As Derry looked back, I aimed the hose at the Zombie Horde.

Derry still had her bow. “You hold the hose … I'll kill the ones behind us” She told me.

Derry released the hose and grabbed her bow … two arrows later they were dead. “More are going to come … we need to get out of here!” She said.

“I know … I have a theory … turn off the water” I said. She turned the water off … the horde of zombies that we had not disabled slowly started to get up.

“See how slow they are … the 50 degree (F) water sucked all the heat out of them” I told her “They are all now moving like the slow ones … Follow me!” We both got inside the PLC and locked the doors. We moved more carefully now to the student medical clinic. I had my knife in one hand and a bottle of everclear in the other. Derry was right next to me with her bow and arrows. We only encountered one zombie on the way and Derry told it out with ease.

I stood guard as Derry raided the medical items

Once Derry and Cassandra had cleared the area of the walking dead, they peered into the clinic to see if the coast was clear. It was, with Cassandra as a lookout, Derry quickly moved inside, found a couple of large heavy duty Glad bags and headed for the refrigerator in the back area first. She found only one partially eaten person is the corner, without a second thought she opened up the refrigerator. It was brimming with every kind of drug you could imagine, spying some towels she put some in the bottom before she scooped an arm load of bottles in, then another towel. She made layers hoping to minimize breakage. Once the frig was empty she tied the bag and set it by the door.

Next Derry went for the cupboards, finding all kinds of useful items from sterile bandages to syringes, and small tools for cleaning and sewing up wounds. ( These ought to come in handy, now what else is in here?) One cupboard she opened held a portable blood pressure machine, she grabbed it, along with other small items that would come in handy sooner of later. She stood up and spotted another cupboard.

Opening this one up revealed a good supply of various pain killers, from tylenol to freezing liquids for small surface wounds....that needed to be stitched. She threw everything into the second bag, looking in there, she thought,( There is a little more room to put stuff, what else can I find?) When she heard Cassandra whisper,

"Hurry up, we don't have all day...we have to get back to Daniel."

Looking back at Cassandra, Derry grabbed a few more towels stuffing them in the top of the bag before tying a knot at the top. Grabbing both bags by the top knot, she dragged them out of the back room. Cassandra quickly came over to help, trying to lift one, she looked at Derry hissing,

"You got to be kidding me! How are we supposed to carry these huge bags that have to weigh at least ...I don't know....they're just heavy. We won't have a chance to outrun Zombies hauling these with us."

All Derry could do was shrug her shoulders and remark,

"I know...I know...but we need all of it, look around there might be some kind of cart we could use."

As they looked around Derry pointed to a spot near where patients could put their coats, a wheel chair, folded up so as to not be in anyone's way. Cassandra hugged Derry and ran over to get it, in no time she had it open and wheeled it over to the two heavy bags. Settling them carefully onto the seat, they looked at each other, those bags needed to be securely tied in somehow.

Cassandra motioned for Derry to wait, returning to the coat rack area, on the top of the shelf was what looked like a couple of lost scarves. They tied them together and proceeded to wrap them around the bags and the back of the chair. Cassandra said,

"I will push, you just keep your bow ready, I think we need to find another way out of the building, I am pretty sure there will be a horde of those things waiting for us at the entrance by now."

Derry nodded her head, went to the door checking to see if the corridor was clear, she looked back and signaled Cassandra to move forward.

I could not believe how many medical supplies Derry had found. Those bags were HEAVY. But the wheelchair idea was brilliant! We headed down the hallway silently. Wheelchairs were AWESOME! The rubber on the wheels made almost no sound when they moved.

We headed for another exit. It was a fire exit. We’d need to cut through the international student center to reach the exit. I learned an important lesson at this point. As I cracked open the door to the student center waiting area … a zombie the size of a little girl groaned and shuffled toward me. I froze … I did not want to shove my knife into the little girl. She was still in her pretty yellow dress, although it was covered in blood. I unfroze enough to squeak and jump back away from the pint sized zombie … Derry saw what was happening and leapt into the door with both feet. SLAMMING into the door with all her weight just as the little girl zombie was opening it.

There was a crash and the sound of breaking glass. We listened and heard nothing for about 10 seconds. We both entered the room carefully. The little girl zombie had flown through the window and lay dead on the ground outside.

“It was a little girl … I just froze” I told Derry almost in tears.

Derry looked at me “Its ok Cassandra … I got it” She said. A quick look around the waiting room revealed (and this REALLY cheeped me out) the kid’s parents half eaten. Apparently, they could not kill their own kid either … so the kid zombie killed them and had dinner! Gross!!

The broken window was a problem. The zombie outside probably heard it. But I had another crazy plan.

“Derry I’m going to draw the zombie away … when it is clear ... move across the street with the wheelchair and save Daniel! I’ll join you in a bit … or call you, if I’m in deep shit!”

(OCC Sorry folks, I re-posted this post further on in the thread after I had rewritten it because some information in it didn't 'fit' with a post made by MM.)

Derry

Watching the Zombie moving around outside, both women tried to calm down after the little girl episode. Derry wanted to get going, Daniel needed the meds and the sooner the better. Cassandra had come up with one of her crazy ideas again. Turning towards Derry she whispered,

“Derry I’m going to draw the zombie away … when it is clear ... move across the street with the wheelchair and save Daniel! I’ll join you in a bit … or call you, if I’m in deep shit!”

It was crazy, yes but there really was no choice, I needed to get to Daniel and fast nodding my head I whispered,

"Please Cassandra be careful, I don't want to lose you, and if you get in deep shit, call me, I will be there....I promise!"

I watched as she took off, that dead thing soon followed, I started to push the heavy wheelchair into the street as quickly and quietly as I possible could, the wheels rattled on the small stones. There was nothing I could do about that so I pushed and ran like the devil was behind me, it felt like I had been doing this for an hour instead of just 15 minutes. Sweat ran down my temples, even my back was wet. I slowly but steadily made my way back to the bar where Daniel, Amy and Bobby waited. I went around the back, hoping against hope my luck would hold out, and the back door wasn't locked.

Once there, I tried the door, it was unlocked I thought, (What are the odds of that?) I pushed the heavy metal door open with my butt, pulling the wheelchair inside it felt like it weighed a ton now. Just then a Zombie that I had not seen coming up behind me, stuck his arm in trying to grab me. I slammed my shoulder at the already closing door, it's arm was caught slammed into it again and again. Finally I heard a crunch as the bones smashed and the arm fell to the floor twitching. I threw the bolt in and leaned against the door trying to catch my breath.

Once I'd calmed down, I kicked the disgusting arm towards the corner before grabbing the chair again and pushing it towards the room we had left Daniel and the others in. Once at the door, I stopped and quietly knocked, in seconds Amy opened it a slit, her brother Bobby just behind her, like a shadow. Seeing it was me, she opened it wider as they both helped me pull the chair inside, locking it behind them again.

My hand went into my pocket, earlier as I have been shoveling the drugs into the bag. I had noticed a bottle of very high potency general antibiotic, I had thrown in a syringe as well. Once at Daniel's side, I asked how much he weighed, was told about 185 lbs. I quickly calculated the amount of drug to that weight, and tripled it. I told him.

"Your going to get a mega dose of this drug, are you ready?"

He nodded his head, as he held out his arm, I shoved the needle into the thickest part of his muscle while his face grimaced. I added,

"Your going to get another few shots in the next 12 hours, and pray to whatever you pray to that this works."

He looked up at me asking,

"Where is Cassandra?"

I went out of the fire exit door and ran into the grass lawn in front of the building. I started to wave my arms … “Over here DUMBSHITS … Nice fresh juicy human flesh … right over here!” I yelled. Then I took off running towards the student bicycle parking rack along side the building. There were lots of bicycles still there. Now … Here is the part I was pretty worried about … I really hoped one of the bikes was not secured to the parking rack. If I could not find an unlocked one … the zombies would run me down!

But my luck held and the second bike I picked was not locked up. I pulled it out and got on and started riding. On the bike, I was much faster than the zombies! The bike even had one of those little kid bells on it so I could go “BRIING BRIING” every so often to keep the zombie interested. I got on the road (Kincaid St) and headed away from the Taylor’s Bar and Grille … back towards the Knight Library. I had Peter on speed dial and pushed the button.

Peter answered “Hello?”

“Peter this is Cassandra … I’m on a bicycle headed back towards the Knight … I have a whole horde of zombies behind me … I need a few fire bombs to get them off my tail … and I need the fire door of the Knight open so I can duck in” I explained.

“FUCK NO … Cassandra … take your horde of zombies somewhere else … you are endangering everyone here!” Peter yelled back at me.

“But …" I said

“NO” Peter answered. I hung up on him and said “FUCKKKK!!!”

I turn the bicycle left going along the south side of PLC. People in the library could see me now. Later … I was told I had a cheering section going for me “Go Cassandra Go” they yelled as I got up on the bike and gave it all I had … ripping down the quadrangle and getting back on Kincaid St. but now heading north. The zombies behind me were not a problem … I was traveling better than 20 MPH … it was the one in front of me that worried me! If a zombie blocked me enough … so I needed to turn around or if I took a spill … I was DEAD.

I raced by Taylor’s Bar and Grille … and wondered what my fellow team 2 members would be thinking … probably something like … what is that crazy stripper doing now! I was doing good so far … but as I neared the Lillis Business Complex … two uglies saw me and move to block me. I did the only thing I could … switched into a higher gear and increased my speed. I was scared … I mean really scared …and that helped me go even faster … I managed to get by them but only just barely … as they reached out … their fingers just could not grab hold of the bike or me …

I continued to increase speed and made it to the end of Kincaid and across the Old 99 or Franklin Blvd. I had a chance to glance behind me … and most of the zombies had given up the chase … there was only about 20 “fast” zombies still following me. I kept going through a dirt parking lot and into the Willamette River. The water was FUCKING cold … 50F degree! Talk about making your nipples hard … it literally took my breath away … I was gasping for breath from the shock to my system. I tried to keep my cell phone above the water level … the river is almost 11 feet deep here … so I needed to swim with only one hand. Holding my cell phone up. The zombie chasing me plunged in the river too … It took a while but the cold started to slow them down. I flip my cell phone open and called Ria this time … (Fuck Peter)

Ria answered “Hello?”

“Ria this is Cassandra … I’m swimming/floating down the Willamette River … the zombies behind me have slowed way down … this water is FUCKING cold! Can I get a pick up from someone in a car?” I begged her. “I can meet you at river bank near “the original pancake” house. I'll need a towel ..." I said as my teeth started to chatter.

Team one

My face was bright red when I got into the car.

“That officer a true wish come true for you?” Skip inquired. I smiled and blushed a bit more.

“What do we do now?” I asked. “Afternoon now. The car is full. We even have some more food. We have enough now to last us two or three days. (I hadn’t told them about Peter’s message asking to bring in as much food as possible. I was wondering what happened though. There had been at least one bag of food with the baby) Bart gave me three packages of frozen toast at the diabetics house. Some open jars with peanut butter, honey and jams. And containers with salt, flour and sugar. It is all in the very big pot the diabetics wife used to make jams and such in. As is Lola’s insulin, wrapped in tea-towels.”

“I got some bedding.” John said. “The man that accompanied me when I got the clothes for the children, allowed me to stuff the duvets, sheets and pillows on their beds in a sack. Those children had a hidey-hole in one of the wardrobes and there were some sweets and a bag of cookies in it. Since I was allowed to empty the cupboards I took that and also some spare bed linen.”

“I got pillows too.” Thomas said. “From the sofa. Six, quite good stuffed ones. And I could take some shirts out of the man’s closet. One I put on. You like?” He was wearing a black shirt with the old TV sign on it. The round one with the colored stripes.

“And I got some more food.” Skip told us. “Frank was emptying the fridge there and told me to open my sacks, he stuffed open jars into them. Peanut-butter, jam, chocolate paste, butter I believe, some glasses with pickles, an open pack of toast, but almost full, and he put cheese and cold meats –still I their tuppers- in too. And he told me to raid the bathroom. I have toothpaste and soap and such. And a handful of towels that were hanging on the rack. Used, but we can launder them, can’t we?”

“Very nice!” I sighed. “That makes at least two more meals for all of us. And we had a good stew.”

I was silent for a moment. “But what are we going to do now?”

“What if we drive over to the garden center, it is not far, light a fire to draw zombies out of it and then take another road back to the Knight?” Was John’s idea. We debated it, and decided to do that. We would keep an open eye for shopping lying around too, we had some space on the floors and between the seats we were sitting on was a free one too.

Thomas knocked a zombie over just before we reached the garden center, and John poured some gas over it without leaving the car. He then poured some on his shirt -“You give me one of those you got, John, yes?”- and set fire to it. Immediately some zombies came towards the flames. About a hundred meters further on, nearly in front of the shop’s entrance, John did the same, and this time Skip took his shirt of.

“All gory anyway.” He said.

“We need some coveralls or such.” I said, looking down at my jack and jeans. Gory was the right word. “Maybe we will find some in the garden center. I hope so. I won’t wear these clothes tomorrow. And if there isn’t anything remotely fitting me in those suitcases we got, I am down to my last set of clothes tomorrow.”

The fires were blazing when we looked back. John had started the engine, driven the car about hundred meters and let it roll until it stopped.

We looked back, content with the work we had done so far, and ate some cookies. My phone vibrated.

“Well, he is a quick one!” Thomas said dryly and alarmed I looked around. “The cop.” Thomas specified. My cheeks were bright red when I answered the phone. “Hello?” I said unsure of what would follow. My mouth dropped open. I listened.

“Right.” I managed after a while. “We are coming, I don’t know how long that would take us. We will call you when we are near. You do have your phone on the vibrating mode, do you?” I closed my phone and closed my eyes, sighed.

“That was Cassandra, she is in the river, near a place called ‘The original Pancake House’. Anyone knows where that is?” Thomas nodded, his fingers gripping the wheel so hard his knuckles were white. Wondering why she had ended up in the river -John groping into sacks on the seat behind us, searching towels and some clothes that might fit Cassandra- we drove through a lot of streets. Thomas killed the engine each time when he had to round a corner, steered around zombies. Skip and I kept a look-out. We passed a deliverance van, a pretty big mauve one, on the side in darker mauve letters the words ‘Laura’s party and pleasure service’. Some zombies around it, and bones. It was a shame we couldn’t stop now, who knew what would be in there? Food and cutlery and plates and tablecloths and drinks … I was dreaming about all the goodies in that car when Skip yelled.

“Stop. Stop, there is someone on the roof!” Thomas braked, and we looked back. A black- clad arm was waving.

“We can’t leave him …” John whispered. “Who knows how long he is up there …” Silently we shook our heads. Thomas put the car in reverse and backed up to the party van, knocking over some zombies. John was douching a pillow with gas, lighted it, and dropped it onto one of the zombies. Thomas drove away, and we got out, arms at the ready. Three were coming for us, not too quick, but not slow either. After a short while we added them to the pile. Two pairs of eyes were peering at us, four arms waving. A man and a woman it seemed. Thomas backed up again, and they climbed down, dropping themselves onto the asphalt. We got them inside. And were full. And a stink spread, forced itself into our noses. Stale urine, vomit and feces …

“We need that car.” I said urgently when Thomas already started to drive away.

“No gas.” The man coughed hoarsely. The woman was sobbing softly, repeating a whispered “Thank you God” over and over.

“Gas or diesel?” Thomas said. He had to repeat his question before the man said “gas”. Thomas set the car back again, now onto the other side of the van.

Skip sighed. “Keys are in.” He reported subdued.

“You drive that thing, John?” Thomas asked. That we had talked about before, how we would split up, if we needed to or had the change to. John nodded, his dark brown face grey.

“Come on, Kip.” He said, a jerrican in his hands, his door open already. Skip climbed over the man and got out. In a few minutes they had gassed the van up, and were sitting in the front. Thomas leaded the way, and they followed after a frightful minute in which the van’s engine hiccoughed. I had found a nearly full gallon of milk, which I handed the woman, now sitting beside me.

“Take a few sips and hand it over to your friend.” I told her. For a while that was all that happened.

“We are nearing the restaurant.” Thomas warned me after a while. I got my phone out and called Cassandra.

"So so so … cold," I said to myself … I was shivering violently now. I had found a spot near the river bank under a low hanging tree to stand. But about half my body was still in the river. I knew my body temperature had dropped … I just hoped it had not dropped too low! That is when I got the phone call.

“We are nearing the restaurant.” Ria told me “I’lllll be be …. right …. there” I said through my chattering teeth.

I had to crawl out of the river, my muscles were not working so good. There were basically no zombies around the river. I think that was because there was basically no food near the river (human food or otherwise). I got up and started to walk toward the restaurant … and then I saw the two vans approaching.

I tried to walk faster … but my body was fighting me … I was still shivering uncontrollably, the wet clothing holding me back. I did have a thought at this moment for myself “YOU STUPID IDIOT … DON’T HIDE IN A 50 DEGREE RIVER …EVER AGAIN!!!” My teeth were still chattering as I finally reached the open door of one of the Van. Kip grabbed me and pulled me in as more zombies were approaching.

I felt the van moving again ... Kip looked at me and said “Are you ok?” John the driver said “You look blue!” I just nodded and said in a stuttering voice “I …I …. need to to to ... get warm”

John told me to take off my wet clothing. Young Kip was about to get an eye full but I did not care. I pulled off my red sweater blouse, displaying my heavy breasts struggling to get out of my bra. I’m sure my hard nipples could be seen … but I was not excited … I was FREEZING. I got my Nike running shoes and socks off. Then I tried to get my tight fitting blue jeans off. I was shaking way too much … and those jeans were tight when they were dry. Wet they were really hard to get off. But Kip grabbed the cuffs and YANKED. Finally they came off.

Kip grabbed me and started to rub me all over “you got in the wrong van … we don’t have a blanket or cloth for you ….” He said. Kip was pretty good at rubbing me arms, legs, he did not rub my boobs however … but I just felt like closing my eyes … maybe I was losing consciousness … I don’t know … but with my eyes closed someone said “… shared bodily warmth …” Kip took off his shirt and pressed his naked chest against mine … hugging me … His shirt now covering my back. I also started to feel the heat from the van heater. I know some people would have thought … Kip was a pervert … but I did not care … he was nice and warm … he could hug me all day long as far as I was concerned!

Team one

Slowly we reached the spot where Cassandra would be. Still in the water. Freezing.

Some zombies were milling around on the grass. Not that many around here as there were between the buildings. Maybe because there was no food for them here, or because it was cooler at the waterside. In no time we put some down, got out off the car and set fire to them, about a hundred meters from where Cassandra was hiding, we hoped.

“Why are you doing that?” The woman we rescued, said accusingly. “Bring me home!”

“Come out off the car and take off your clothes.” I commanded her, an idea suddenly forming in my mind. “You too!” I told the man. “They stink!” I handed them the packet floor weeps that had fallen in my hands when searching for a pillow to light the zombies with. I cursed. “Clean yourself a bit with these.” I could have thought about that before, now we had wasted a pillow.

After some protesting from her, he was pulling off his tuxedo trousers already, she started to take hers off too. I had to grin, seeing a handsome young man strip until he was only wearing a shirt and a tuxedo jacket was kind of nice. I thought the men were liking to see her strip too. She also stripped down her tuxedo trousers from her bottom half. I stuffed the stinking clothes in a plastic bag, poured some gas on it, told Thomas we didn’t have much anymore, and threw it onto the fire, looking those two over out of the corner of my eye. They did look healthy, although she was very skinny. Both about as tall as I am, he had short blond hair, quite muscular legs, a sharp chiseled face. She was a bit smaller than me, long auburn hair -so auburn I was sure the color had been in a flacon before- and a sweet, heart shaped face, now looking quite angry, frightened and ashamed at the same time.

We got into the cars, and drove up to where Cassandra was climbing out off the water. She started to run to us –at least I think that was what she was trying to do- and Skip got her in.

“The restaurant now. John, put your car so against the wall and ours that we form a V with them. ” I said and closed my phone. I kept turning my head in all directions, not many zombies around here, I was suddenly more afraid of missing a quick one.

The pancake house was not surrounded by other buildings, and there were only a few cars in the parking. The shutters on the windows were down too. I made a remark at that, afraid a lot of people had closed themselves in just in time who would not be pleased we wanted their food and Thomas told me it was basically a breakfast and lunch place; closing at two o’clock on most days. He drove up to the backdoor. I grabbed the clothes and towels and jumped out off the car. Skip was hugging Cassandra, but that wouldn’t warm her up enough. Even if they were pressed close together, since four people were sitting on the space meant for three.

At least not quick enough. We had work to do. John had stopped his engine before he reached us, put his car with the hood against the wall. I opened he door, and started to rub Cassandra dry where I could reach her.

"We need to get some clothes on you, and something warm to drink in you, but I am afraid that has to wait. We will get some flour and sugar and what else we find here before we go to the Knight. Inside the restaurant it will be warmer." I kept talking while rubbing her legs.

Derry, Daniel & the kids;

"Where is Cassandra?"

At Daniel's question I looked down where he was sitting before replying,

"That crazy woman, got it into her head that she would divert the zombies away so I could push this wheelchair back to you and pump you full of drugs. She told me she would call if she and I quote "If she gets into deep shit." I wish she would call....I want to know if she is OK."

Daniel shook his head,

"Not good enough, call her now....if she is in trouble I have to go to her....Derry call her now!"

I took my cell out and dialed, it rang and rang...but no answer. Now I was really worried. I got an idea,

"I'm calling Ria....maybe she has heard from Cassandra, if she was in trouble, it would make sense for her to call Team 1 for help....hang on it's ringing."

On the forth ring, Ria answered, I immediately asked if she had heard from Cassandra, since we got separated. I nodded my head as I listened to what she told me. Then when she was done, I replied,

"Listen Ria, as soon as you pick Cassandra up, is there any chance you can get that van over to the Bar and Grill? We have two heavy bags of medical supplies and only a wheelchair to move it over to the Knight's."

After listening for a minute, Derry nodded her head and told her they would wait to hear from them before trying to make their way back. After shutting the cell, she told Daniel and the kids what was happening. Of course Daniel felt he should have gone with them for the meds, Cassandra wouldn't be in danger now if he had. They went back and forth with this useless guilt type conversation, until finally Amy cut in.

"Hold on...hold on, this is getting us nowhere, let's just calm down and hope we hear from the others soon."

That stopped both Derry and Daniel in their tracks, sheepishly they agreed with Amy settling down for the wait. Derry remembered,

"I forgot, Ria asked if we could look around for food, in the bar and make some Molotovs too...so lets do that while we wait for the pickup."

Team one

All had got out the cars, John had found some jeans for the Dan and the woman, and I had handed my crowbar to Thomas who set it at the crack of the door.

"Just a minute, Thomas. Introductions are called for, and we have to know how we do this. What if this building has an alarm?" I said insecure of how to proceed exactly.

Soon we knew Dan's family name was Thunders and that he was a mechanic, jobbing at the party service to get extra money for his hobby, and Carla De Santiago was his boss/co-worker at the party service. Skip had asked if one of them was the cook, which had started Carla sobbing again, and Dan told us Carla's mother was the owner and the cook of the party service. And she had been driving the van. He had been sitting nearest to the other door, and the moment the zombies had grabbed Laura he had climbed onto the roof, pulling Carla up after him.

My phone vibrated. It was Derry. As soon as I knew they were quite safe at the Bar and Grill, I asked her if they could collect meat and other stuff too, that we would come over as soon as we had loaded here and unloaded at the Knight.

"Bar? Make Molotovs!" I added as an afterthought before I closed the phone. I still had it in my hand, when it vibrated again.

"Yes?" I snapped, thinking it was Derry again who wanted to ask or tell something.

I turned bright red when I recognized the deep voice saying "I like that answer from a lady ..." as Bart's. "Where are you?" He asked. Quickly I told him we were ready to enter the pancake house and that we had found two survivors. I also told him we would have to pick up some others who had found medicine and two more survivors.

"The Original?" Bart asked, and at my confirmation he told me to be careful. "Might be a siren starts as soon as you open the door. Wait a bit, I am coming over. We could use some stuff too. I will start some distractions on the way."

Quickly I told the others this, and John wanted to fill our tanks while waiting for Bart. Only four cars were near, and not many zombies. None had taken note from us this far. Carla was muttering she wanted to go home, that we were nuts, and looters and other niceties.

Cassandra was loosing her patience. As were more of us, but Cassandra seemed ready to explode.

"Carla, I told you, you get your van back as soon as we are done at the Knight. What you do then, is up to you. Now we fill the tanks. Then we forage. And you will help. With both tasks. Cassandra, you lost a lot of calories trying to keep warm, eat something. There is toast and peanut butter and stuff in some sacks."