The Days Are Tired (Book #1 of the Dark Skies series) - A Zombie story

Chapter 16:Perishable

I was so hungry that I could cry.

Beth and I still have the bookbags filled with sweet goodies. I bit down on a chocolate bar and my hand flew up to my cheek. The sweetness of the candy made one of my back teeth ache in pain. I had a cavity. But how would I get that seen about in my current situation?

Maybe eating candy wasn't the best idea right now. I lifted my gaze to find Cain walking confidently towards me. He's a very tall man with a thickish beard. He looks like he could be a lumberjack. His man bun slightly bounced with his forward assault, like it was giving a tiny wave. I actually think the man bun is cute in a weird sort of way.

"Brianna right," Cain asks in his deep gruff voice. I nod my head in agreement. "We have some food down in the cafeteria. That has to be way better and more healthier for you."

"Sir, healthier. Maybe. But better I think not. Nothing tastes better than snickers." I find myself saying.

I find it funny how easy it is to talk to Cain. He seemed like a man who really wanted to help others and put them at ease. His gruff voice and exterior contrasted greatly with his actual personality it seems.

"Okay, you got me there. You don't have to call me 'Sir', Cain is just fine."

Everyone followed as Cain led us all downstairs to the cafeteria. He said we shouldn't use the elevators and should get used to walking up and down the stairs in case of an emergency. Like if - when the power goes out. He had heard about the military being close too. But we hadn't seen or heard anyone outside that wasn't already infected.

The cafeteria was pretty big with lots of tables and chairs. The tables were a pretty dark marble color. Leo turned on the lights in the cafeteria, everyone agreed that it was fine now that it was daytime. All the windows were covered with curtains and also paper was taped tactfully on the glass. Diana said it was important so that the infected couldn't see us. She informed me that they had tried to break through the glass before.

Cain walks over to a counter, jumping over it with the athleticism I didn't have. He rummaged around the back cabinets of the counter before reemerging with a bag of tortilla chips. I watched as Frank's puffy pink face grew from a frown to an almost smile, consisting of lots of painful face scrunching. His eyes seemed to light up at the sight of food.

"Those were supposed to be for Nacho Tuesday. I was looking forward to it!" Frank said this with the eagerness of a child getting a whiff of a toy they wanted. I watched as his gut bounced up and down with his uneven breaths. The stairs had done us all bad, but some were worse off than others.

"There's not much here but we'll have to make due. The freezers down here are basically empty. And there aren't many canned goods in here." Dianna spoke with a solidity that weakened my knees. "It says here on the food chart we were supposed to get a shipment on Monday. But I'm pretty sure those plans have been delayed."

"But this will all blow over in a few more days. This isn't like it's a permanent arrangement Di -anna." Frank broke Dianna's name apart looking at her like she was the stupidest person he's ever met. But I'm pretty sure he holds that title.

"Please Frank, if you believe that then you're even more delusional than I thought you were. Do you see any un-sick people coming to save us? I want to keep up hope, but we have to be realistic and make plans for-."

"What does that mean for us? We can't hide out in here forever! Surly people have to be coming here soon... you're making things sound so final." Frank looked unsettled as his hand flew up to clench at where his heart would be.

"Because it is!" At that, the room fell silent. Dianna's expression was withdrawn as she avoided all of our eyes. She had given us all a reality check... this wasn't something that would just be handled in a few days.

Dianna and Frank's argument made my heart freeze. The little glimmer of hope Beth had given me extinguished itself at that very moment. The weight of the situation kicked me while I was already down and rolling in the dirt.

A bang on the glass window beside me made me let out an involuntary scream.

I turned to see a single eye peering at me from a break in the paper covering the window. It looked at me - through me, taking my soul in its intensity and shredding it. My spine prickled with coiled-up fear. My last thread of sanity snapping.

"Oh no! We were too loud. Let's head back upstairs." Cain's voice cut through the fog of uneasiness that wrapped us all in its embrace. Everyone began to walk quickly towards the stairs. But I still stood watching the unblinking eye. 

My mind knew that the thing staring at me was dangerous, something to run away from.

 A predator.

But my body stood there paralyzed. It chose to ignore any semblance of flight or fight, leaving me with nothing but general acceptance of my inevitable doom.

Do you want to kill me? Do you need help? Are you sane? My mind tried to compartmentalize and rationalize the irrational. It left me feeling light-headed and unfocused. 

Run! Run! Run!

But no - there I stood. The thin barrier of glass was unable to cover the destruction outside. The demons had followed me into this building. And no amount of windows or doors could keep them out.

Thanks for reading!!!