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.
