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

Chapter 18:Assemble

I awoke alone in the room Will had given me last night. 

Either he or someone else had carried me here. Just the thought of it caused me embarrassment. It was practically the end of the world and I was acting like a baby, crying and fainting everywhere.

I stood slowly off the makeshift bed. My body ached. Sleeping on the floor wasn't that comfortable. I slowly rotated my head trying to rid of the crick in my neck.

 I wonder where everyone else is? 

I walk out of the room and towards the space with many cubicles. I enter the room to find everyone there. By the looks of it, they had brought most of the food from the cafeteria up here and stored it in this room. Beth noticed me and tried her best attempt at a smile. Parkson was asleep in a corner, his head was propped up by a bag. 

"Oh, you're up now honey? Will told us how you were tired and went to bed early." Beth spoke in her butter-smooth voice. She walked towards me and placed a hand on my back, guiding me towards an open bag of tortilla chips and canned cheese sauce.

I looked towards Will but he was busy conversing with Leo and Sofia. So I focused on eating a few chips, dipping them in the room-temperature cheese sauce.

"Did anything happen while I was sleeping?" I look towards the open window as I say this. It seemed to be around dusk now, the outside light dimly lighting the rest of the room.

"Well actually Bri, the power went off." Beth's face completely fell as she told me about this new development. Her false smile was nowhere to be found. 

I couldn't really believe it, Cain had said if the power went off that could mean for weeks, months, or even for good. But the last option was one I wouldn't even allow myself to dwell on. Living without power in an age that relied on electronics was unimaginable. 

But this could only be temporary, right?

 We can make it through this, right?

Cain's voice broke through my thoughts. "The food in the freezers will most likely spoil. And that was a huge chunk of our food supply. And now we have no means or ways to cook it before that happens since the stove won't turn on and we can't make a fire inside of this building. Which means we may have to go on food runs."

He paused looking at all of our faces. "I know it's a lot to ask of you guys to go on food runs. I personally wouldn't ask you guys to do something I wouldn't do, so I will be on the first run. We have enough food for a few days so we don't have to worry about that now. But I just want to be direct with you guys about what's going on."

The thought of going outside now made me want to hide away in the corners of my mind and not come out. But I knew if I did that I would go crazy. I sat on the floor by the window, looking out at the sky. It reminded me of the sky the last day I went to school when I gave Mark my pencil. 

But I noticed it wasn't as enjoyable now, in comparison it looked dark and gray. The colors only added to its ugliness.

"Hi! Whatcha doin'?"

I turn to find Leo's dark brown eyes plowing right through my wall of grief. He sat next to me, and his little sister Sofia and Will followed him over. Will didn't look at me. Or even acknowledge my existence for that matter. But then again, if the roles were reversed and some girl cried and then fainted at my feet I wouldn't want to have much to do with them either. 

Leo was again drumming out a rhythm with his fingers on his lap, humming a song I didn't know. He radiated energy and spirit. Something that seemed to agitate his sister. She kept giving him exasperated looks and continuously rolled her eyes at him.