Zombies

Chapter 2-Lonely

Night had begun to fall again. I noticed an upside-down metal trash can. The top of the flipped side was full of unburnt newspapers. If I lit the fire, would the zombies more readily come? Or stay away? I shouldn't risk it.

But it was cold. I knew that zombies hated anything that would harm them. That burning building was probably the reason I was so safe by my house. And I did have a gun. What was the worst they could do? If any of them approached I would draw the gun and they would act just like the one before.

That one was different. It was one zombie that could barely crawl. I barely handled that one. I couldn't take care of two, or ten, or fifty.

But it was so cold. A fire would help. I just had to start it. I could hide, just to see if any came to it. I started to pull out the matchbox. I had seldom used them but it was simple. I pulled the box open. The contents of the box looked irresistible. I took one match out and readied to strike it. The fire wouldn't last long, enough to warm me up a bit.

I took a second look at the match. A few days ago I would never have even stolen these matches. A few days ago I would never have dreamed of being the last person alive in Manhattan, maybe even New York. That was different now. I would never have thought I would risk my life just to get warm for five minutes.

What was I doing? Risking my life just so I can have a fire? No, I couldn't do that. I looked around. A sudden fire in the darkening sky? I would just invite them to come to eat me. Then I would be one of them. No. That would be a terrible idea. I shoved them match back into the box and closed them back into the case.

I moved the trash can down to its side and laid the newspapers to where I planned on sleeping. Then I gingerly placed myself onto the ground and closed my eyes.

What now?

Was I really about to have another conversation with myself?
Who else would keep me company?
I could go back home, beats wandering around.
That sounded alright.

I blinked and sat up. My head was a faint buzz, A headache began to sprout. Why was I sleeping in alleyways when I could be in a building?

I got out of the newspapers and walked toward a building. It looked like an attorney firm. I made sure no zombies were there and I walked up to the second floor and found a piece of intact furniture. I laid on it and though it was only a little warmer than outside, I found sleep quickly.

I smelt smoke. The buzzing in my head was tightening. I opened my eyes and sat up. The room smelled of smoke. I ran to the door. I tested the handle to make sure it wasn't hot. It seemed cool. I opened the door and heard a crackling. I ran down the stairs where it got warm. The lobby was ablaze. There were two zombies they were running to me. 

I loaded the gun and discharged it towards the closest zombie. It slammed to the ground writhing. I ran down the stairs and moved before the other could strike. I shot again but missed. It turned to me and the screeches hurt my head. It bared its teeth then ran upstairs. I ran out the door and jumped over the fire. I patted off any flames that caught me and I fled the scene.
After I continued to run for about ten minutes I heard a boom behind me. I turned to see the building ascend to flames. Then I continued to run.

As the day came to an end I reached my street. I avoided the shop with the zombie inside it. I walked by the gun shop and considered getting more ammo but my purse was full. I had a lot already. I slipped into the alley. 

I shuddered then but when I exited the alleyway my stomach dropped. Instead of the apartment complex, there was rubble. Now what?

I walked the streets of Manhattan. I had to get out of here. I ran. Then I slowed and then I walked. Then I ran again. Rinse. Lather. Repeat.

I was being careless I should have just hidden in one of the stores and cried it all out. But I had to get out of this town first. I teared up. I held back a hundred sobs. But one escaped. Then two. I fell to the ground. Let them have me. I don't care. At least I won't be alone anymore. I'll have them. My tears ran from my hands and onto the ground.

I cared very much about them not eating me. Being as empty as they were would be terrible. Nothing but a terrible screeching and a thirst for human blood. 

I stopped crying. I could hear the buzzing screech right now. 

I stood up and looked around. Emerging from the misty shadow was about ten or fifteen zombies limping or crawling towards me. Their screeches pained me.
One of them yelled.

I froze momentarily when I heard the eerie call. I shook myself out of it and ran to the closest building, a run-down studio. The first floor was clear of anything sufficient to hide in, just a large stage. I had no time to look around. I ran up the flight of stairs and paused to hear glass break nearby the zombie that gave the call had spotted me. It screeched again and gave chase. I ran up the next flight of stairs to the third and final room. I shoved anything I could in front of the door to keep it open. I ran to a room over and shoved everything in front of the door. I didn't trust that in this makeup room I would be able to hide. 

I tied some worn clothes together in an attempt to create a rope to get from the third floor to the outside ground in case my chances became better outside than in here. I tied the fifth piece of clothing to the makeshift rope when I heard the door from the stairs burst open. Dread filled me. 

There were too many zombies outsides of this room for the door to hold. I worked faster. I added several more shirts to the growing rope before I heard the first bust at the door in front of me. And then more busts. The door began to inch open. The humming screeches grew louder. The door burst open and several zombies piled in. They got their footing and fought each other. Each tore the other apart right before my eyes. 

One seemed unstoppable, it beat all the others and began to crawl towards me. I backed to the window and began to throw the sheets down the window. 

"Wait!" the zombie spoke in a male toned whisper. 

I turned back. And pulled out my gun. I leveled it to its head. The zombie turned back to the door picked it off the ground and placed it over the doorway. Then took all the furniture one at a time with miraculous ease and shoved it up against the door. 

He turned back."What are you doing? Keep tying up those clothes together! We don't have much time!"

I've cracked. I am insane, I can hear them speak now. I tied up the rest of the clothes together. 

It turned to me. "Ready?"I pointed the edge of the gun to his head once more. "Why can you talk?" 

"Why do you think?" it rubbed its face and the bite marks and skin smudged. 

"It's makeup. I'm human. And we need to get out of here!"

I nodded and put the gun back in my satchel. I tied the clothes rope to the window. That wouldn't work. I got something better to tie the rope to, then I climbed down it. The rope ran out near the bottom I dropped myself down and looked to see if the fake zombie made it. He climbed down but before he reached two floors the rope started to give. 

The guy punched a hole in the wall with one of his feet and then with his hands. He kept punching holes in them all until he was able to jump down and meet me. His knuckles were bloody. 

He looked down at his hands. "Yeah, I would rather have not done that. But it sure beats breaking a leg on the way down." He held up his hands the back facing me, then chuckled. "Do you have any bandages?"