Location Issues

Lucas stood before the glass doors at the front of the lobby, silently watching the roiling group of moaning bodies.  Traces of light filtered through the shuffling forms.  Eyes tracked his motion while hands and teeth tried to grasp him through the glass.  The monsters definitely responded to his presence.  Somehow, they knew he wasn't one of them.

One of the many zombies at the door had a grievous wound over it's chest.  Out of those present, it definitely fit its moniker more accurately than its peers.  Few of the others had prominent injuries except for minor nicks and scratches.  They all shared the same pale, partly frozen look to their skin from the overnight rain and cold.  The appearance of the things was sickening, but worse than that, the rank odor was enough to make Lucas glad he hadn't eaten anything.  A few moments' worth of observation partly desensitized him to the sight, but the stench would eventually drive him into retreat.

The solitary, shadowy chamber was rife with a feeling of palpable tension.  Although the zombies factored into the mood, Lucas was more nervous that Simon would assert he was pointlessly agitating them.  He watched the stairs, listening intently for any indication someone was moving through the halls or descending in haste.  He was primed to bolt down the one hallway and proceed up the other stairway.  Yet as the seconds became minutes and nothing came of Jorge's retreat, Lucas's nervous energy receded.

He seemed to have some time; there was only one observational experiment Lucas had in mind.  Taking one step back from the doors, he selected an unstained area and laid upon the icy floor.  Moving limbs continuously rattled upon glass while he moved.  They followed his movement, some of them splaying their fingers uselessly upon the lower portion of the doors and the large, full windows.  Their moaning calls droned on.

Lucas attempted to remain motionless, closing his eyes and settling his breathing into a slower rhythm.  The unholy stench seeping through the cracks made it difficult to relax.  Just beside the rattling doors, he was uncertain if he could remain motionless enough to feign sleep.  He wondered how long being inert would take before the droning monsters would lose interest in him, if they would.

Forcing himself to take slow breaths, Lucas recalled everything he could which might contain meaning.  For some reason, these zombies remained here at the door whether or not someone was down here for them to directly see.  He was uncertain of the intervals at which the group had sent an observer, but their continued presence outside could mean they remembered that people were inside.  If so, he wasn't sure if he could hold his position long enough to have them forget he had been moving.

Thinking back, he recalled how one zombie had passed over those struck by the blackout event, deliberately avoiding them.  They did not lash out at one another.  It was laughable to think they could see human consciousness, but with those anomalous facts and the strange animal immunity Lucas no idea what else could explain the behavior.  A far more sensible explanation might linger just beyond his imagination.  But maybe not.

If being conscious was not the fundamental distinction, then what could be?

As Lucas waited, other thoughts intruded.  Nearly a full day had passed and there was no indication of their rescuers returning; the power had not been restored.  He had little concrete idea what a dedicated response team's priorities would be, but it seemed that if they did not arrive by now then at least they should have restored communication.  The ongoing lack of power within the city was troubling.

The monsters and strange events known so far should be surmountable with clever engineering.  Anyone should realize these issues were solvable with the right approach and a bit of time.  There had to be some reason they weren't solved yet by the people whose job it would be to solve these issues.  They should have seen some indication of that by now.

Yet the only explanations Lucas could fathom were things like more z-rays burst events hitting Earth, or the blackout events spreading out to mask the travel of those unknown aliens into the wider world.  Maybe yet other forces were making their presence known.  Regardless, it was as if the outside world had vanished.  Something else was ongoing- something that kept people with resources and organization away- the immediate problems would have to be solved locally.

Distant, muffled sounds of voices drifted in from elsewhere- barely audible in the eerie silence.  Food was apparently running low for many of those in the building.  Soon the others would also realize they would have to take matters into their own hands.  Of course, safely leaving the building to search for supplies or flee would present problems, especially if they did not have good leadership.  It wasn't a pleasant prospect to consider. 

Lucas could be careful and smart about what he did.  But he could not control the choices of all the people he was with by circumstance.  Additionally, the zombie presence outside was increasing in numbers over time.  It was direct evidence that others were facing the same scenario and evidently handling their situation ineptly.

Lucas halted mid-breath, suddenly realizing that he had no longer been hearing the droning call of the undead.  The doors had ceased rattling in their frame; yet the foul stench lingered.  The only sounds discernible were muted voices participating in a lively conversation.  He couldn't hear the zombies any more; he couldn't see them.  Other than the smell, which could simply be lingering, he had no direct experience of knowing that they were still outside.  Could they have left?

With his head turned to face the floor-to-ceiling glass, Lucas opened his eyes.  Blank gazes returned through the translucent barrier, fingers spread and teeth gnashing.  The aggressive challenge of the door continued a moment later along with the familiar droning calls.  Lucas closed his eyes again.  The racket continued.  The undead were active once more, seemingly because he had became aware of their presence.  It was crazy, but how did they determine when to be quiet?  Lucas puzzled thoughtfully over the curious observation, speculating if it was further evidence in favor of the outlandish theory.

A firecracker jolt tore Lucas from his contemplative reverie.  Another came as he sat up, sending his heart into rapid motion.  Dead peeled away from the door in ones and twos.  Beyond, a jet of material shot into the air, coinciding with another heavy crack.  Beyond the bodies, he could see something fall.  Hastily, Lucas stood again and backed away.

For one joyous moment, Lucas discarded his thoughts, thinking that their help had finally returned, but the relief quickly faded as he realized the source was from a solitary civilian vehicle.  Still, the arrival was slaying the zombies.  He further backed away, almost into the hallway in order to help divert the undead attention.  Excited voices began to echo from above, steadily rising in volume as more people were drawn to attention.

As the final body fell, Lucas approached the doors to look outside.  Several people who had been hiding upstairs came down to gawk.  Outside, a few remaining stragglers revealed themselves from around the corner, only to be taken down once in closer proximity.  As the action settled, the vehicle was littered with bodies and viscera, but the occupants were seemingly alive.

"Did they come back?"  Jorge asked as he descended the stairs among a cluster.  A mingling roar came with him as excited voices spoke, some declaring their imminent rescue while others were quickly rebutting the optimism.  Many from the crowd brought with them their own light sources, giving the area a soft glow.  A few coughed at the reek in the air and withdrew.

"It's just one car."  Lucas called back.  "But they killed all the zombies."

Simon came down, passing by everyone without giving them much of a glance.  He approached the doors with an authoritative stance.  Others tentatively followed, most keeping close to the stairs or standing somewhere upon them.  Lucas sidled away to where the glass facing met the wall.  A combination of excited and disgusted voices filled the room as additional observers arrived.

Lucas's eyes widened as he witnessed Evan emerge from the vehicle and gaze slowly around himself.  He carried a pistol with him and appeared to have been sprinkled with the violence of the event outside.  Hushed silence fell over the throng as they watched his approach.  Lucas raised his hand to wave.

"No way are you coming inside like that."  Simon called out as Evan halted before the doors.

Evan shook his head and returned Lucas's gesture with his free hand.  "I don't want inside.  I'm only here to get someone."

In one awkward moment, Lucas realized the everyone was watching him.  A few voices protested to one another that more could escape with the vehicle, but the enthusiasm of that realization seemed to be tamped down somewhat by the visible carnage.  Lucas regarded Simon with an uncertain glance and tentatively approached.

Simon glared at Evan.  "Well, you don't need to be standing right there for any reason."  Simon scowled as he took the keys for the door from his belt.  Evan nodded and moved back, returning to his attention to the surrounding environs.

Tentatively, Lucas approached the doors and spoke.  "You'll let me back in?"

Simon regarded him with puzzlement before replying, as if he considered the question absurd.  "You'll have to prove you're okay if you want back inside."

"Okay.  I'll be back in a bit, I think."  A cold chill rushed to envelope exposed skin.  Ice felt its way through the cracks in his coat.  An errant breath of supremely foul air produced a gag.  A sudden force propelled him into a reflexive walk.

Rattling clatter, and muffled voices emanated from nearby as Lucas coughed.  Apart from a vague awareness of movement and fallen bodies with slimy spillage oozing forth, all he knew was his friend was there.  Outside, they were alone.  Events transpired whilst he struggled to sensibly interpret the essential elements of the scene surrounding him.  Sensations flickered, drilling into his skull and lingering in memorandum long after exposure.

Lucas exhaled harshly, muted awareness communicating place, scent and noise.  Safety.  He closed his eyes, feeling fabric beneath him and streaks of color upon glass.  Watching the slaughter from the interior of the building was one thing, as body after body fell in a horrid, yet comprehensible escalation.  Fluids gradually spread over the ground.  He had witnessed everything.  But he hadn't seen them.

Necessity had forced prolonged observation of things he now realized his gaze had unconsciously avoided.  If he hadn't really looked this time, he would have fallen.  To trod amongst the detritus was wholly otherworldly.

A repeated voice came to him.  "-okay?  Lucas?"  Evan had been waving his hand in front of his face.  They were inside a vehicle, its exterior littered with discolored smudges.

"Yeah.  I-"  Lucas stifled a wet convulsion in his throat and readjusted his glasses.  "I don't...  I'm okay."

"How is everyone in there doing?"

"Not good.  Running low on food."  Lucas idly glanced at the door beside him.  Someone had locked it.  Leon and the Asian girl he had seen only briefly a couple times before were in the vehicle as well.  Weapons and ammunition had been strewn about the interior.

"Okay, so we pick up some supplies."  Evan gazed towards Blackwood dormitory and the scared people riotously chattering inside. "Any ideas after that?"

"Leave?"  Leon suggested from the front passenger seat.  "To get help, I mean."

"That sounds good."  Said the girl as she rubbed at her ears.

Lucas stared at the back of the seat before him, silent.  Thinking they may be on their own was disquieting, but he had figured this situation was something he could handle.  Merely walking a few feet outside shattered that idea as the fragile delusion it had always been.  Taking useful action meant being capable of accomplishing what his friend had done.

"Lucas, what about you?"  Evan paused cleaning himself off with a towel to touch him on the shoulder.

"Yeah."  Lucas closed his eyes and tried not to breathe.  Once they left, he doubted any of them would return.  Likely, nobody else would venture this way either.  "Let's go find help."

There had to be a very good reason for their complete abandonment.  Whatever it was, nothing they could do would change those reasons.

Escape

Eerie wailing drifted through the long stone corridor, muffled by the glass frame at its end.  A wall of writhing flesh strained upon the cast iron portal.  Murky winter light filtering through dense clouds cast long shadows through the chilly environment.  Individual figures were only occasionally discernible from the mass, rendering any attempt to precisely count numbers futile.

"Whoa, there's a whole bunch of them out there.  Maybe over a dozen."  Ryan broke the silence as he scratched at patchy bits of brown hair on his chin.  He had ambled away from the doors as Evan entered, but still gawked from nearby in a winter coat.  "Where do you think they all came from?"

"Lots of people were trapped in the convention center."  Evan exhaled a warm, misty breath.  He gazed tensely at the moving shapes.  Some were making weak motions to climb upon the gate and one another, but inelegant, uncoordinated movement forbade any success.  "Maybe some of them were left behind like we were when the rescuers withdrew."

"Dang.  I guess they tried to escape on their own and it didn't work.  That sucks."

"Yes, Ryan.  That does suck."  Evan suppressed an impulse to audibly sigh, inhaling chilly air.  The victims were probably desperate to find food and water before low stocks and bitter winter nights weakened them to the point an escape attempt would be impossible.  All the more reason for them to enact their own exodus.

Gazing out beyond the glass at the mob, Evan steeled his nerves.  If they were going to retrieve the vehicle, he knew there would be no choice but to slice a sanguine trail.  Any such effort to reach that end needed to be before the clumsy, grasping figures became numerous enough to use each other as a grisly ladder to surmount the restraining barricade.

If they became numerous enough, Evan corrected his thoughts.  That single word felt critical.

While waiting for the others to rouse, he set out to gather what he would need for the task ahead.  The nearby rooms had more than enough clothing.  Ryan followed Evan and provided assistance, a signal he at least had some semblance of understanding the situation.  There were plenty of coats, gloves and knit masks available, so quickly building a protective outfit was trivial.

While adorning himself in heavy layers, Ryan spoke to Evan with an uncharacteristic tone of concern.  "You sure you don't want to just wait here until things settle down?"

Evan pulled a knit face mask and overlaid it with an abandoned pair of thick-rimmed glasses as he replied.  "So far, it looks like things out there have been getting worse, not better."  The large lenses of the frame distorted his vision only marginally.

"Huh."  From his tone, Ryan seemed unconvinced of the inherent plight of staying put indefinitely, but didn't press the issue.  A brief silence lingered as Evan finished wrapping himself in protective garments, then retrieved the fire axe he had used the previous day.  Examining the edge briefly, it had been blunted and scored; he could only hope it held as long as necessary.

Ryan spoke again.  "So do you think the zombied guy we have locked up brought them here?"

"I don't know."

"Are we going to- you know- put him down at some point?"

"I don't know."  Evan replied as he unlocked the front doors.  The room containing Robert's hazardous corpse had been meticulously sealed the previous night.  A sturdy wooden table propped on its side obstructed the hallway.  Pinned in place with an assortment of heavy objects, it provided an obstacle for the zombie that it should not be capable of circumventing.  Although the body was also restrained inside, it was wiser to not rely upon a single point of failure.  "Maybe before we leave."

Evan turned and strode through the gaping doors, frigid air spilling over him.  The unpleasant wailing death- held back with an iron lattice- awaited his focus.  A rapid cascade of swift, but careful strikes numbed his mind as heavy cracking and icy thumps resonated disturbingly.  Evan tried not to let his mind linger upon the handful of smaller figures amidst the clustering, reaching throng.  All amidst the crowd were an equal threat.

As undead bodies fell into a growing mass of reeking viscera, those remaining did not hesitate to step onto the corpses of their fallen peers.  Once the final target had been slain, an unpleasant heap blocked the entryway.  Eerie semi-silence reigned the desolate city streets; broken only by the distant wail of other monsters.  The bloodied implement clattered to the ground as Evan stumbled back, abruptly hitting the wall.

Damp clothing had been rumpled, but clean.  Despite an unhealthy pallor and a few minor scrapes, almost every zombie had shown no serious injuries.  Disposing of one or two pristine looking dead was one thing, but to mutilate so many human bodies in rapid succession had been exhausting in an intangible sense.  Echoes of the actions replayed in his mind, the way the vibrations travelled down the handle of the implement and into his arms.  The heavy thud as cleaving metal struck its target soundly.  What was necessary had been done, but lingered.

Exhaling harshly, Evan redrew his focus: his task was incomplete.  The next step would be to clear the gate.  Faint sounds echoed from an unknown distance, prompting nervous vigilance.  Moving closer, he looked about before wrenching the gate and slipping through for a better survey.  Finally satisfied the immediate vicinity was presently clear, he moved the mutilated corpses with heavily gloved hands.

The small one-way street was lined on the near side with an allotment of parking spaces.  Only a couple cars were still here, but not wanting to leave the inhuman detritus in plain sight, Evan opted to drag the horrific slaughter slightly up the street and deposit it on the far side of a two door junker with cracking blue paint.  Skin exposed to the hard pavement tore, leaving a grinding trail of red flecks and torn clothing to the accumulating pile.  Larger chunks of flesh were unceremoniously flung on top last.

Heavy quilts carefully placed would cover the worst of the carnage at the gate.  Though the lingering vile odor was probably impossible to mask.  Once finished, he sealed the portal and peeled away the slapdash hazard suit.  Cold air rushed against bare skin, seeping warmth.  New and old rust-spattered garments now laid along the corridor's side.  Laying the quilts afterwords only took a moment.

Jennifer parted the door with a heavy white coat ready as Evan strode inside.  The few inhabitants of the building were gathered together in uncomfortable silence.  "We're ready to go."  Nobody quite made eye contact as he spoke, or lifted their heads to see the results.

With great trepidation, Minoko moved forwards and spoke with an uneven voice.  "I am ready."  She was zipped tightly in a dark blue coat with the hood concealing her long hair.  Somewhere, she had found some tight fitting jeans to replace her black skirt.  It wasn't the most ideal of clothing, but the heavy materials and long sleeves should at least help resist a bite attack if they had to.  Keys jingled mutely in her clasped hands.

"Me too."  Leon took a deep breath.  "Another set of eyes, just in case."

"Dude, you don't have to go."  The light danced as Ryan moved closer to touch Leon's shoulder.  "Evan is a total badass.  He can handle it."

Disregarding Ryan, Evan directed an evaluating gaze to the slightly older man.  Leon appeared fit and had been able to keep a steady pace the previous day.  He was wearing a thick black sweater and heavy brown slacks.  Gloves adorned his hands so not much of his dark skin was exposed.  "Okay.  Let's go then."

Evan paused to give Jennifer a parting kiss, then departed, leading the way outside for the small party.  He briefly halted by the gate for a moment, then faced Leon.  "If you had to, could you- do you think you could kill one of them?"

Leon nodded wordlessly after a deep breath, a determined look on his face.  Evan hefted the bloodied axe, offering it.  Shaky hands gripped the handle, but settled into a tight grip after a moment.

Evan turned to check the gate's immediate proximity.  Faint wailing was audible, echoing from some unseen point.  Satisfied the immediate vicinity was clear, he pushed the gate open a crack and slipped through.  His companions ventured after him, Minoko trailing.  "It's not too far away", she whispered tensely.

"Okay", Evan motioned in reply as Minoko and Leon gazed around.  "Lead the way.  If you see something coming, let us know but keep going."

Minoko led them along the side walk beside the building and out of the university grounds.  There was a moment of hesitation before they crossed into the open corridor of the intersection, glancing around nervously for any moving figures in the distance before proceeding.

Onwards they trekked, walking in the street and into the open green space sweeping through the downtown blocks.  Wailing echoed from some distant place.  The echo of their own footfalls added to the surreality of lonesome emptiness.  Occasional motionless forms littered the area; remaining as vague, distant shapes.

As they proceeded hastily across another street, Evan noticed a heap of rubble and twisted metal on the sidewalk.  Scorch markings lined the near surfaces.  At the top of the building, a sizeable section of brickwork was missing.  Along another street, a bus was partly embedded into another building.  Luckily, the damage appeared superficial in both cases.  Few vehicles remained left abandoned on the road.  A moving figure was walking in the road a long way off, but didn't seem to notice them.

Minoko led them away from the park after traversing along them a few blocks.  Pausing just before entering the next intersection, she motioned towards the corner.  "Almost there."  She glanced at Evan and Leon only briefly, then advanced into the middle of the intersection.

Something just out of sight began a mad dash.  Minoko screamed out as she jerked back and almost stumbled in her haste to retreat.  A distinctive wail pierced the silence with the thumping feet.

Leaping forwards into the intersection, Evan moved to intercept whatever was coming.  A charging figure came into view; barrelling towards him, hands ready to grasp.  "Get behind me!"  A moment later, Evan kicked out and hopped away perpendicularly, connecting with a thump just hard enough to topple the attacker.  The momentum of its charge left it rolling onto the pavement, limbs flailing.  "Go!"  Evan shouted and waved as Minoko broke into a dash.  Leon hesitated, but moved quickly afterwards, keeping his distance.

Circling around carefully and walking backwards, Evan watched the zombie tensely.  Its frail form was wreathed in a heavily abused coat, its white, cold skin littered with cuts from the tumble.  It used to be a man, but its overall frame seemed small enough to not give it much reach.  Its messy, short dark hair was missing a patch.

It rose again and came for Evan in its mindless dash, both of them moving in the direction of their arrival.  Leading it away gave it plenty of time to gain speed, then once again Evan jumped aside, this time a strong kick down at one knee produced a wet crack.  A tense feeling gripped Evan's heart as he felt grasping at the arm of his coat, but fingers slipped away without purchase.  The figure tumbled once again.

Moving to catch up with his peers, Evan took a moment to quickly survey the environment.  One figure stalked in the far distance, but thankfully the immediate area seemed clear.  Nobody but them was running, in any case.  With luck, the figure behind them would no longer be able to run with the blow just inflicted.

Ahead, Minoko swung open the driver's door and unlocked the vehicle's other doors with an audible click.  A moment after, the engine flared harshly to life.  Leon opened the back and stepped closer to Evan, raising the axe as Evan ran.  Footsteps behind Evan came closer as he heard the unsteady moaning grow louder.  His leg ached as he moved with a faltering gait, the blows he had dealt taking a greater toll on his body than he had first realized.

Moving just past Leon, Evan halted to face his pursuer.  Leon's arms swung down, the axe just missing the skull and slamming blade down into the attacker's shoulder.  The strike met, sending the figure crashing to the ground.  Leon released his grip as the blade wrenched downwards, jammed deep in the monster's shoulder.

Leon hesitated as the zombie struggled in its efforts to rise again, its limbs hardly able to bear its weight.  Evan could see Leon's intent to retrieve the blade and pulled him away forcefully.  "Leave it!"  Together they piled into the back of the vehicle.  Minoko tore off, leaving the solitary straggling figure behind a corner after only a moment.

The engine idled as the three recovered their breath.  Each door was secured, but eyes still darted around nervously.  There was nothing moving again on the streets.  Only the scattered remnants of the city's former residents.

"So what do we do now?"  Minoko whispered.