Return

The undead woman's arms had been drawn straight, folded down and crossed in front of her.  The fabric of the torn sweater partially concealed the most uncomfortable aspect of her visage.  Wrists had been firmly bound within the provided belts and were knotted tightly around horizontal metal bars amidst a sea of inky black.  Shifting its shoulders and arms within the tiny space it still could, the restrained figure vocalized its disdain.

Eyes lacking all conscious awareness followed each motion as the three nearby conspirators spoke to one another within an aura of light.  Behind the triplet, another paltry light spilled through glass and bounced down the brick walled and shrubbery lined corridor.  A minimal glow radiated from a couple of windows above the ground floor.

"I don't know if this will hold."  Jennifer skeptically examined the improvised bindings with an apprehensive sigh.  Her voice accompanied a wispy fog that billowed into the air and dissipated around her.  Although Evan didn't draw attention to it, he did notice the same thing was not happening with the dead woman's moans.  The implication of that made his skin crawl, but he tried not to think too much about it.

"It should for a while at least."  Evan asserted as he eyed Zack.  "Maybe a few minutes after we leave you could see about doing something more permanent?  To make sure it won't get loose and attack someone?"

Zack silently nodded his assent and tentatively approached the nearby gate.  He cautiously examined the captive a couple feet to his left, then peered out into the nearby area.  Helpfully, Jennifer came up at his side, shining the flashlight's beam into the empty road.  No other figures were visible in the immediate vicinity.  But something could be lingering in those dark places just outside of sight, Evan thought to himself.  A thought that would no doubt linger in the minds of humanity fresher now than even in the most ancient eras of man's past.

The only evidence of activity Evan could discern was the sound of their own movements and those of their solitary imprisoned zombie.  Regardless, Evan kept his senses sharp and focused, thinking about the couple zombies he had seen several hours ago from the rooftop of Blackwood dorm.  He didn't know whether they had wandered off or not, but he thought that if they were around where he had seen them before, he probably would have been able to hear their distinctive wailing call.

Apparently satisfied, Zack retrieved the key and gingerly began to undo the lock binding the secure chains to the gate.  Since one arm of the zombie had been threaded through the left side of the gate, Zack firmly held that part closed and carefully swung the right side open just a crack.  Stepping back just enough to be out of the way, he whispered.  "Good luck."

Evan unhesitantly took the lead, tensing his arms carefully as he kept his senses focused.  With his physical training, he was sensitive to the hinderance the coat inflicted upon his motions, but it wasn't nearly restrictive enough to seriously bother him.  At the same time, Evan figured the heavy material might keep him safe from any biting.  So if he absolutely had to engage an attacker, the arm of the heavy coat he wore could probably be used to deflect an incoming lunge.

Quickly surveying the immediate surroundings, Evan motioned for Jennifer to follow or, alternatively, hand him the flashlight.  To his surprise, she stepped through the gate and swung the light around towards their destination with only minimal hesitation.  He wasn't happy about that, but there was no time to argue.  They took off together, both uncomfortably aware of the sound of their own footfalls on the pavement in the silent city.

The returning journey, threading between buildings and traveling adjacent to the green space of the park blocks was much more nerve wracking for Evan than any earlier expedition.  Not just the darkness or the worry for his companion, but Jennifer wasn't quite as fast a runner as he was.  In fact, he knew from experience that she was slower than what could very well charge at them from the shadows.  Still, he would not let his uneasiness show and indicated Jennifer to take the lead with their shared source of vision.

As they proceeded partway along the strip of greenery, while racing up the mild slope, unexpected sounds came from somewhere around them.  Jennifer slowed and halted in response, shooting a nervous glance to Evan as he ran a few steps ahead before halting.  She clearly wanted to retreat, but waited for the signal from Evan to do so.  They stood there a moment as whatever sound it was halted.  The beam of the flashlight searched ahead of them as Jennifer scanned the area ahead.

"What was that?"  Jennifer asked, her voice tiny.  From her tone, Evan could tell she badly wanted to retreat, but nevertheless did not even suggest it.  "Is it an infected?"

There was silence for a moment, only the faint rustling of the wind clattering the bare branches overhead.  Summoning up the confidence he could manage to instill in his voice, Evan whispered.  "If it was, we would hear it running at us."  Then he turned back towards their destination and continued advancing.

With trepidation, Evan motioned for Jennifer to follow as he moved on ahead.  Deciding to resume at a slower pace, he thought it might help to not drown out any further sounds.  A few moments later, they were at the corner of Blackwood dorm as the noise came again, this time more clear.  It was a human voice, high, but tense with fear and calling out for their attention.  Sweeping the beam of the light around, Jennifer settled the illuminating rays upon two nearby figures shortly afterwards.  One raised a hand and waved in response.

Robert and Minoko stood alongside one another amidst the long wooden benches composing the quarter circle amphitheater, halfway between the safety of either adjacent building.  In the minimal illumination available they had somehow made it halfway from the front doors of their former refuge to the doors of the building across the way.

Quickly, Evan moved ahead to join them, carefully avoiding the benches and stepping down the concrete steps as he progressed.  As he neared and the light brought the two into sharper focus, he recognized Robert was uneven on his feet and reluctantly using the smaller woman as an aid to stand.  They were speaking in hushed tones to one another.  Jennifer lagged behind, eying the light coming from the glass doorway of the dormitory.  Faces watched from the lobby.

"No."  Robert gasped out with what force he could muster in relative quiet.  "I'm too sick.  They'll let you back in.  Leave me."

"No."  Minoko replied just as resolutely.

Evan quickly darted to Robert's other side and placed the sick man's arm around his shoulders in a supportive grip.  "We're going to get you inside.  Come on, this way."  He felt the weight of the heavy man as he weakly tried to push Evan away.  His condition was getting worse.

There was a moment of protest, but Robert finally relented at their refusal to leave him.  Finally accepting their assistance, his balance was uneven and his weight made it hard to proceed at a rapid pace.  But he tried his best.

The small group made their way in silence along the walkways and downhill, steadily pacing forwards with an agonizing, slow return to the Mansfield building.  Jennifer led the way, scanning the flashlight about in an uneasy, nervous fashion more likely to attract attention than help the four.  Her distress at their gradual progress was obvious on her face every time she glanced back.

Evan didn't have the freedom to worry.  His every sense and thought was focused on the immediate environment as they proceeded towards their goal, alert for any unexpected disturbance.  The soft sound of a metallic scraping or gentle clatter accompanied every other step Robert took.  The effect of the restraint still attached to one ankle.  The other cuff, unlatched, dangled from the man's wrist.  Such distractions were distressing, but his sense of urgency told him there was no time to remedy that situation.  He needed to be ready to react to anything that might happen.

As they neared the final leg of the return, the discomforting groan of an undead wail flitted towards them from the dark.  Robert and Minoko siezed in terror for a moment, a faint vocalization caught in one of their throats.  Evan whispered softly.  "It's trapped.  We're almost there.  Hurry."  With a gentle nudge and a motion, he coerced their continued march.  They proceeded through the narrow street between two buildings.

They were just within sight of the heavy gate, out from behind the cover of the surrounding buildings when Evan heard a distant thumping of shoes clacking upon asphalt.  Echoes made it impossible to tell from which direction it was coming but with no doubt it was growing louder.

"Get the gate open!"  Evan called out aloud, hoping that Zack was still lingering outside.

Hints of Something Larger

Echoes of awkward arguments and tense chatter still bounced through the black corridors, but the worst of the furor had hit its zenith.  A tense core of dissent could still be heard echoing from the lobby as small clusters of people equipped with flashlights peeled away and presumably retreated to their individual quarters.  Underneath the other noises, uncontrolled sobbing persisted, almost too low to hear and potentially a product of one's imagination.  The result was a morose pall of fear hanging in the air; making the general area entirely unpleasant.

Like many others, Lucas's discomfort ensured he had no intentions of remaining here.  He again wondered where Evan had gone and decided there were only two likely places.  Around where the sick man had been holed up, and within the common room nearby.  Although his friend should have been able to hear these events from either place (and thus, would have put a stop to it),  Lucas thought he may as well investigate what he had been up to.  Once he found Evan, they could at least talk about various things to pass the time until morning.

Turning his attention to the common room first, Lucas proceeded through the door and casually approached the closest table.  Apart from himself, the only other person in the room he saw immediately was Chloe.  She had been using the paltry glow from her cell phone screen to navigate around various obstacles to a back corner.  Her folded laptop sat on a far table, still connected to its defunct charger.  When Lucas entered she glanced back at him, the whites of her eyes highly visible against her dark skin.

Halting before the empty table, Lucas marveled for a moment at how different the chamber appeared during this power outage.  Without the outside lamps projecting light in through the broad windows lining the left and right walls, the place was quite forboding.  Not only was he used to seeing the place with more light, but there were almost always a few people down here no matter the time of day.  Luckily, the muffled noises in the hallway served as a comforting reminder he was not alone.

Shining the flashlight through the room in a slow, scanning arc confirmed the place was truly abandoned, at least for the moment.  Spindly shapes spasmed in the dark as the narrow shadows of chairs, tables and miscellaneous forgotten objects cast elongated shadows within the radiant beam's path.

Turning to look towards Lucas again, Chloe spoke.  "Would you mind helping me out?  I don't have a flashlight with me."

"Sure.  I don't see why not."  Lucas lifted his right hand to aim the flashlight towards the back corner, weaving between a few tables as Chloe gathered up her laptop.  She packed the device carefully in a leather carrying case, then proceeded to loop up the associated wires and collect her other belongings.

Quietly waiting, Lucas marveled a bit at how the simplest things- in this case a dark and nearly depopulated room- could inevitably seem creepy once there was very little light.  Of course, he knew very well that a major component to his thoughts were due to knowing that tonight at least, something terrible stalked in the dark.

Outside, there was a whole empty city.  The only denizens active spreading an unnatural, incomprehensible plague.  For a moment, Lucas wondered if some of the unafflicted cities were similarly deserted.  A few moments of deliberation later, he figured they probably were and moved on to wondering what it would be like to walk through those silent, desolate streets.

Chloe abruptly broke the silence as she finished gathering her things.  "Lucas, what did you mean earlier when you said we can't be safe?  Don't you think the military is going to be able to handle these..."  Chloe hesitated, perhaps not wanting to use the word because the very notion should have been absurd.  "Zombies?"

"Oh, that part should go okay.  The zombies are too stupid to be really dangerous."  Lucas replied casually as he considered the scenario of a firmly secured bus or jeep driving through the area, drawing undead attention; the occupants shooting at adjacent, stationary targets between welded metal bars covering the windows.  "They should be pretty easy to kill for people who put any thought into what they're doing."  Now that he visualized the notion, Lucas was a little surprised he hadn't read about any vigilante groups doing such a thing yet.  Maybe everyone was still too rattled to consider it, but given time, such a thing was inevitable.

"Then what makes you think we can't be safe?"  Chloe set her laptop case upon the table and secured its zippers and latches.  "It's not like we're going to go outside until this is all taken care of or we're evacuated to a safe zone."

"Because of what caused it."

Chloe spoke in a stuttering gasp.  "Y-you know where the infection came from?"  Her attention was drawn away from her task to listen.

"Um.  No."  Lucas shook his head once and halted, pondering how best to sum up his thoughts.  "Not really.  But I do know some things about whatever the origin has to be."

"Go ahead."

"Well, whatever caused the first zombies, it seems to have popped up all over the place without warning.  I was wondering about that, so I checked some times and I found out that all of the early reports are about individual attacks and they all take place around the exact same moment in time.  Every report much later than that is about clusters or swarms.  So that seems to indicate that whatever led to all of the individual outbreak regions was from a single event."

"Isn't that a good thing?  It means once they're gone, this is over."

"It's possible..."  Lucas conceded.  "But there's something else to consider.  We might not know exactly what the source is yet, but if there has only been one triggering event, it must have originated from a specific place, right?"  Lucas paused for a moment, but Chloe only shrugged in a mildly accepting gesture.  "So, whatever this is shoots out zombie radiation or whatever at Earth.  As a result, a handful of random people, some on opposite sides of the planet were affected.  That means that these- uh- z-rays can travel through a planet and still have its normal effect.  So being indoors won't protect anyone from another event if it happens again."

Chloe looked at him with an expression that was either shocked bewilderment or exasperated disbelief.  "Z-rays?"  It could have been a little of both.

"There's one more thing.  If a zombie loses all their blood, how does it continue to get the energy needed to still move around?"  Chloe offered a disinterested shrug in response to the query and continued readying her things.  "Well, there might be something major about biology that I'm missing, but the only thing I can think of is a wormhole.  As far as I can tell the only other alternative is that conservation of energy is being violated."  Lucas paused there, still quite unsure of that conclusion.  But the possibility of that was just too amazing not to bring up.  If every other possible alternative was dismissed, that is exactly what scientists would know they had.

Workaround

"What are you going to do?"  Jennifer clasped at Evan's forearm as he reached for the door handle.  Her eyes met his with a pleading gaze.  The two flashlights they had to see by shone upon the floor and the wall, bouncing dim light around for their adjusted eyes to see.

"Relax.  I'm just going to check to see if we're really trapped."  Evan shrugged off the grip and tested the broad double glass doors. They did not open.

"That might work better if it weren't locked."  Zach stepped forwards and produced a jingling set of keys.  He handed the flashlight to Ryan, then stared long and hard down the brick walled corridor to the faint outline of the figure shifting about at the gate.  Then, apparently satisfied, fiddled with the lock.

"You're going back to get Lucas now?"  Ryan asked, incredulous.  Ryan was fairly short (but not as short as Zack) and an unhealthily heavy young adult of nineteen years old.  He had long brown hair hanging down in front of his eyes- which almost always appeared greasy.  Wispy, uneven patches of not-quite stubble dotted his face.  His broad, round features were dotted here and there with the acne that often plagued the youthful and stereotypically excessively nerdy.

"It's not that.  Someone needs help."

"Dude, there's zombies out there.  Everybody without a gun needs help right now.  Nobody will blame you if you just hang out in here."

"I would."  Evan said, recalling how deftly he was able to incapacitate a single, inelegant attacker.  "If I learn later on that I could have done something to help when I hadn't, I don't know if I could live with that."

"Good luck out there, then."  Ryan shrugged as he returned the flashlight to Zack.  "I'll see you later, man."

Zack stepped aside and gave a silent nod towards Evan.  Quickly (so as to not let much heat escape), Evan opened the door a crack and slipped through first, allowing Jennifer to follow behind.

Fingers of invisible ice reached down from the skies to greet him, nipping at the exposed flesh of his face, neck and fingers.  The oppresive chill of each gust of wind was largely mitigated by the surrounding building's walls, but could be heard as it whistled through the streets of the empty city.  Evan's coat guarded against the worst of the oppressive chill even as he felt it clawing at his skin.

Jennifer rapidly came up alongside Evan, shining the beam of light helpfully a few feet before them as Zack followed behind.  Splashes of scant color and form appeared before them as the dim echoes of vision bounced around the tiny space.  The unhappy, sick wailing of the undead grew louder as they neared.  The shape shifted and flickered about as its owner repeatedly tested the entryway.  Its shadowy form alternated between reaching out in vain to grip them through the bars and naive attempts to open the gate.

Now that he was closer, Evan could see the zombie's appearance more clearly.  She was fairly short with medium length dark hair and bore a heavy sweater and jeans.  The sweater's torn left arm bore several loose strands- yeilding evidence of perhaps the victim's final struggles for survival.  Although her face and skin were very pale, and tinted ever so slightly from the cold, she appeared to have been in her late twenties.  Exposed bits of skin were intermittently covered in small, inky streaks.  Dark stains further discolored her long jeans and heavy sweater.

Most grotesque of all to Evan, she had an ever so slight, suggestive bulge in her abdomen.  That glimpse made him particularly uneasy.

The small group came to within several feet from the sturdy gate, lights shining directly upon the former woman for only a moment before retreating in a sharp motion.  Apparently neither bearer of light had the nerve to witness the figure with the clarity of full illumination.  Evan halted just a little closer to the gate than either of his companions dared.

Moving from each side to spy around the obstructing body, Evan spied the immediate environment outside.  There appeared to be only the one, but this was also the only exit from the building.  Although now that he was so close, the shadowy form alternated tactics between naive attempts to open the gate and vain attempts to reach between the tightly spaced bars to grasp at him.

"Huh.  Look at that."  Evan exhaled a cloudy breath of air.  He was acutely aware of the snarled, open fingers grasping in the air less than a half foot away.

"There's only one, it looks like."  Zach observed.  "If we had a gun, we could just shoot it.  But I guess the noise would probably attract more."

"But we don't have one."  Jennifer added, reaching forwards to give a gentle tug on Evan's left wrist.  "Come on.  Don't stand so close."

"I don't think we really need a gun."  Evan edged backwards slightly, watching the alternating activities of reaching for him and the antagonizing rattling of the metal gate.  "We can deal with this."

Evan took a moment to explain and prepare his idea, while retrieving a light pair of gloves he stored in one of his coat pockets for cold days.  Once they had been placed on his hands, he returned to the distance he had been standing from the gate before, but at the left edge of the corridor.  Sure enough, the corpse reached through the bars, straining the limits of its own grasp as its shoulder and face butted against the heavy bars.

Evan reached up and grasped its forearm in a sudden motion, holding tight and leaning backwards slightly.  The figure resisted with more strength than he had expected it to manage, but the position was more than compromising enough to ensure it could not withdraw.  The hand twisted and strained in an attempt to clutch his arm in response.  He whispered tensely as Jennifer provided ample lighting.  "Belt!"

Moving just close enough to manage, Zach drew a heavy loop of leather-substitute tight around the cold, dead wrist.  Tentative, Evan released his grip and pried the zombie's fingers from him as he stepped to the side.  The binding held as the thing emitted another of its hollow wails.  "Just one more."  Evan puffed out as he eyed the other arm and retrieved his belt.  "And we'll be ready."