When The Light Goes Out (14 page)

The sight made his skin crawl. "We've got to fix it."

"Why do you have to?" "Well.."

The three younger of the group exchanged looks, until Billy nodded his head. They looked at each other one last time before sitting down in a tight line. Looking only a little awkward. Not knowing what to say. How to explain. What were they going to explain?

"Well.."

"Yes, I've heard this part already." "Let's explain from the beginning." "The very beginning."

"I'm listening."

"Well, we were a bit late on a chemistry assignment"

"It was a week overdue!" Serena loudly cut off Luke's statement, gaining a glare from everyone. But she only pouted, "Well it's true!"

"So we were making extra hours. Putting this, that and the next thing together." Jared continued the explanation as the others had a glaring contest. Serena still pouting regardless of the anger. "It was a major grade, according to the teacher. And we really didn't want to fail"

"That grade meant everything. You need to understand this" "All I've ever wanted was to be a"

"All any of us have ever wanted was to work with medicines and stuff. But we needed this assignment." "We got a little.. careless as we rushed."

"Careless is an understatement, Luke."

"What happened?" The pained boy interjected, loudly, quickly grabbing hold of his face for the effort. It didn't seem worth it at all. "We spilled a vile."

"An important vile."

"You can say that again."

"Well, what does that have anything to do with this? With me?"

All four looked at the boy, but it was Billy who stepped forward. Having kept as quiet as possible during the exchange. He had a look of concentration on his face. Like he was about to request that this innocent boy, given he'd just made a group of the undead and living alike, dead with a bullet between the eyes, take a risk that he probably didn't want to take.

"Well, here's the thing.."

CHAPTER NINE

"Excel?!" I heard Dustin sort of shout through the door. "You alive in there?" The way the question was worded almost made me laugh. I had half a mind to groan like a zombie, just to see his reaction, but I wasn't so sure I wanted to risk the chance of getting shot.

"I'm fine." I slid the shirt over my arms, not even bothering to button it as I rubbed water over my face. "Just fine." I called over the low roar of the sink, hating myself only a little. I was such a pitiful person if you thought about it. Such a pitiful person. Standing there, loathing who I was, when I could have been doing something productive. I was trying to rationalize exactly how pitiful I was.

Damn.

Damn, that
is
pitiful.

"I'll be right out." I tried to reassure, trying to wipe away all evidence of the tears I'd shed. I didn't want to appear weak. I didn't know why I was crying. I didn't think of myself as a crier. I could get down a dirty with the best of them, and not shed a tear. But there I was, wiping my eyes. It was bothersome, having to really reign in my emotions. Normally there wasn't anything to worry about.

Normally there weren't zombies out for my brains. And various other vital body parts for that matter.

It took me four tries to button up the shirt correctly. A glance in the mirror told me that I look like a fool, though I pulled the door open behind me, and grinned at the man. Dustin really did look worried. As if he knew I'd been crying. Considering he had a child back home, he probably did realize it. He put an arm around my shoulders, and I knew that he knew. He probably knew that I knew that he knew. But I won't go down that rode, it can last a lifetime.

"You know, when Duke's upset he hides in the throne room." Green eyes sparkled at me as he spoke; probably catching the thought that no one calls it the 'throne room' anymore. But he cracked a grin. "Duke's my son, by the way. He always washes his face, and comes out with a smile after he's been crying because he's a big boy. And, the fact that he is a boy, and crying is frowned upon in our gender."

I just chuckled a bit, ducking my head down. "It's okay to cry, Excel."

That simple phrase, I'd heard from everyone. My parents, my brother, my friends at school all told me. From grammar to college, I'd heard it. But from him. From this stranger

who I didn't know outside of a massive cannibalistic eat out, I choked on this watery little noise, and covered both my mouth, and my nose. Wanting to die the moment that Ian and

Blaz both turned to look at us.

Both sets of eyes sparkled with something akin to sympathy. "You okay, Excel?"

Does it look like I'm okay, Ian? "I'm fine."

"You sure?"

No, I'm not sure.

"I'm
fine
. Jeeze. What, you don't trust me?!" Say no.

Please say no.

"Sorry, sorry. Okay, you're fine." "Exactly."

"Yer jus' a big fat liar ain't ye kiddo?" "Excuse me?!"

A single blue eye winked at me, leaving me standing there. Gaping. In complete disbelief as he went off to go do whatever it is that annoying, nosy old Irish men do when they're not calling innocent kids liars. I really wanted to box his ears, but I just stared. Unable to move. Unable to do anything except watch him, and ignore Ian questioning what had just happened.

"Excel?"

"Smile and nod, Ian."

He did so obediently, and I outright grinned. If he wasn't just becoming my very own chess nerd. I'd always known him. Always been polite to him. But I hadn't always considered him a friend. He was just one of those people. Wonderful. I make a new friend when death is imminent. I didn't really like thinking that way, but I didn't have much faith in my survival. I didn't have much faith in his survival.

I was sure we were all going to die. I just hoped it was quick.

I didn't really want to linger.

Damn, I definitely wouldn't have made a good zombie. "Stop thinking so negative."

"Huh?"

"Nothing, Ian. Nothing." I spoke quickly; surprised I'd been caught speaking to myself. "All righty then. They're starting to cook up some food, so if you want.."

"You're hungry aren't you?" "A little."

"We sure the door isn't coming open?"

"No way on Gods green Earth is that door opening." "Lets go then."

The two of us walked, silently, toward the food. I could smell it. It smelled good. Made my mouth water, considering one could tell it was hamburgers. I figured I go vegan with the problems we were facing. But the smell was too much for me. A bit of a skip added to my sudden speed walk, and Ian laughed beside me.

"I see you're convinced now."

"My stomach was lying to me before. Those burgers smell too good for their own well being." We both laughed and nearly raced to the group, not above playing dirty to get there first. I was surprised neither of us pulled the 'rotten egg' gag, but we hadn't. But went about pulling on each others arms and shirts regardless.

I felt normal. Like a kid. Not worried. Then bang.

It all ended.

There was silence.

"What was that?" Cathy questioned in a low voice. But she didn't receive an answer anymore then several 'I dunno's. Because we
didn't
know. None of us did. If we did know we wouldn't all be standing there, wide eyes searching for the source of the sound in all directions.

Bam.

I jumped a bit, moving forward, closer to the group. Wondering where the hell the noises were coming from. The door maybe? I took a quick glance back, maneuvering specifically so I could see it, and so it safely closed. So I looked to other areas of concern.

Like the storage rooms. "Dammit."

"Excel?" "
Dammit
." "Excel? What's" "
Dammit!
"

It was the door to the storage rooms, I could see, opening. Barely. Slowly. Something was slamming up against it from the inside, making the door swing out, rather unnaturally. It was a pocket door as I recalled from the few times I'd seen it being opened. It went into the wall, not into either room. But sure as the sun would shine whether I lived or died it was bending at the point of impact.

Several pairs of eyes followed mine. Several voices echoed mine.

Several people followed me as I moronically ran to the door. Hoping to do something, anything. I didn't want whatever was there, to get in. It had to have been mutated to do so much damage. There was no way it was just a regular zombie. They weren't that strong. They had brittle bones.

They had resilience. "Dammit. Dammit. Dammit."

Where was Malachi when you needed him? I couldn't help but figure that he would have been at the door in a flash, guns blazing. He was just that sort of person. He'd have taken out whatever was there
through
the door. Not necessarily to protect us. Maybe to protect himself. Maybe just for the sake of killing it. Blood-lust, perhaps. But I wouldn't think of him as a bad person, as mean as he could be at times.

I could be mean too, you know. Just as mean as the next person. Dammit.

Dammit.

The smallest thoughts brought about a burning need to see that the damned boy was okay. As far as I knew, he was dead. He died saving all of us. As far as I knew he was slowly bleeding to death of all things. But, at the same time, he could have easily been completely safe, being taken care of. He could be doing something productive, unlike me.

Running to my God forsaken death.

In a moment of horror, as the door splinted into a million little pieces, I almost didn't get my hand wrapped around a novelty baseball bat. It was donned with one fake signature or another. I didn't get a chance to see who "signed" it, I didn't even bother to look, before I swung at the creature emerging from the opening. I swung with all the force I could muster, hitting it in the face. Noting that it looked no different then a regular zombie.

There had to be something about it. Anything about it.

Something.

I heard feet slipping on the floor beside me as several of the boys caught up, bats in their own hands. Together, we spent the next five minutes beating the creature over the head until it stopped moving. There was screaming coming from where the rest of the group still was. I pinned the voice as Pixie's, being too high pitched, too youthful, to be any of the other girls.

I'd broken out in a cold sweat. The boys were sweating as well. Dammit.

"How did it get back there?" "Is there a back door?"

"Please don't let there be a back door." I sighed.

I looked back at the group.

"Well, we're about to find out, aren't we?"

And I stepped over the body, bat ready to swing at the smallest sign of movement. I didn't know why I was going in. Logically, I should have gone back to the group, and figured out a way to get out of the warehouse, and to a safer place. But a little voice in my head told me that we were surrounded, and doing that meant death. Especially when there was a chance to secure the place we were in.

My death wouldn't slow them down. If anything, it would protect them.

Offer them a couple extra seconds to try something. Anything.

I was willing to die for that.

"Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?.."

I barely recognized my own voice, small and shaking as it was. Barely recalled the lyrics of an age old happy song. The song of safety, offered to me by my brother when I was all of four.

"..The big bad wolf.."

It had been a bad time then. The two of us had wandered into a bad neighborhood. No, I hadn't witnessed anyone die. I wasn't that lucky, so to speak. I wasn't one who ever really saw such things. However I did see a rather violent beating.

"..The big bad wolf.."

I swore to never wander too far from my parents ever again once we got back. My brother seconded that thought, agreeing it was for the best. He didn't admit it, because he was my big brother, but he was scared too. I could tell. But he tried to be strong for me.

"..Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?.." That didn't stop me from being afraid. "..Dodo.. Dodo.. Dodo.."

Very afraid. It had taken forever for me to admit it though. Forever to ask, 'mommy, is that mean man going to come after me next?' "..I'm afraid of the big bad wolf.."