Outbreak

Chapter 9

Taylor

I'm putting away the refrigerated food and medicines the boys brought back when Eric comes to sit on a stool at the bar and grabs a bag of Doritos. I ignore him and continue unpacking. I haven't spoken to him casually since he killed my brother, I won't stop now.

"You, um, up to go forage for warmer clothes?" Eric says awkwardly, and I shrug. He thinks for a moment. "You'll go with Ivy and Ezran, if that sounds good." I hold back the urge to strangle him; he can't tell me what to do. He doesn't have that right. I turn to him, and glare into his eyes with as much venom and hate as I can. His eyes widen in surprise at my outburst. "Fine," I snarl. 

Then I storm over to the master bedroom to get ready.

I push open the door and walk into the room. The bed's covers are tightly stretched across the mattress and neatly tucked into the corners. I grab my backpack, stuffing a spare hoodie, a magnum and my phone into it, then run back upstairs to the balcony, where Ivy and Ezran are waiting. 

"You guys ready?" I ask cheerfully, brushing away the anger. It won't be taken out on anyone else, only Eric. Ivy nods, and the three of us climb out the window. After leaping to the adjacent roof, we gather speed and begin the rhythmic sequence of step-step-step-leap across suburbia. 

"So..." Ezran pants. "Do we know where the clothes shops are?" I think for a minute. If we're following the trail Eric left, then there's a grocery store at the end of it. "We'll follow to the end of the path, and see if there are any other stores near the grocery store." They nod and surge ahead. 

Soon we reach what I assume must be the grocery store, judging by the big, flat roof with fans poking out of it every few meters. I crouch and sneak to the edge of the roof, careful to remain undetected by zombies. Ivy and Ezran crouch beside me, and I sweep my gaze over the street.

Various shops line the road, with overturned chairs, benches, and cars littered everywhere. The other unidentifiable shops have broken windows and ripped signs so faded I can't distinguish the words.

"Looks like we'll have to get closer to find what we're looking for."

Ivy

"So are we gonna go down there?" Ezran asks. I turn to him, shock plastered on my face. "Are you serious? It'll be hell down there." He shrugs. "But will we be able to see what's in the shops from the roofs? It might be better to get a view from a closer angle." Taylor nods. "He has a point. We should see if we can see inside from the roofs, then quickly and quietly sneak into whichever shop has clothes in it." Ezran and I agree, and we proceed.

I leap to the adjacent roof, and shift to lying on my stomach. I hang my head cautiously over the edge of the roof, and peer through the dusty glass. "I can make out turned over shelves, with... empty cages? There's a few glass cases too, and..." I trail off. Mangled animal bodies lie in small heaps inside the cages, flies buzzing everywhere. Fish float dead in murky water inside terrariums and tanks, with green algae growing freely in the stagnant water. This was a pet shop.

Tears fill my eyes. "Those poor animals... when the disease broke out, the humans must have fled, leaving them to starve..." I wipe my eyes and haul myself back onto the roof, clearing my throat. I can't show weakness, not when I'm the youngest in the group. 

"No clothes here. Let's keep looking."

We continue searching for fifteen minutes, spreading out across the roofs. We locate a butchery, a bakery, a florist, and a barber shop. Soon, I'm on the verge on giving up when someone finally finds what we're looking for. "Here!" Ezran yells out, on a roof across the road and about a hundred meters away from the one I stand on. Taylor and I reach him by leaping from roof to roof until we've reached the end of the road and crossed to the other side. We approach him, and land on the final roof, atop a squat, red building. I swing my head down to peer into the shop, and see racks of clothes through the dusty air. 

I turn to Ezran. "Nice job. How are we going to get in?" 

Taylor exhales. "This is going to be the hard part. We'll need to be quick and quiet to remain undetected, so we'll jump down and break in through the door. Then we'll take what we need and get out. Remember, be quick. We can't afford for the zombies to notice." 

I raise my hand. Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Taylor picks on me. "Yes, Ivy?" "How do we know what size clothes to get?" "Just go with what feels right. Everyone will grab a couple bags. Ezran, you grab clothes for the guys, and Ivy and I will get socks, beanies, gloves, and girls clothing. Let's go!"

We leap down and land softly on the pavement. I try the glass door, and thankfully it's unlocked. It silently swings open, and after Taylor and Ezran rush through I close and lock it behind them.

I grab two tote bags from behind the counter, and begin to throw in leggings, rain jackets, hiking boots, sneakers - anything useful. Taylor and Ezran follow suit, and soon we have six tote bags stuffed with shoes and clothing. 

Ezran nods, and gestures to the door. "Great," he whispers. "Now all we need to do is get out of here." We sneak back out the door, and begin to climb the walls. I hardly notice that a bag slips off my shoulder, but the soft thud startles me. I look back down, and groan inwardly. I look back up to Taylor. "Wait a sec." I hand her my second bag, then hop back down to the ground. I shoulder my bag and am about to climb back up when the zombie jumps on me. 

I scream and pull out my hangun, just managing to shoot the zombie in the shoulder. The crack of the gunshot echoes around the abandoned shopfront, and I get chills. There's no way any zombie within a kilometer radius didn't here that.

It groans, unfazed by the unexpected wound, and continues to advance. 

"Ivy!" I turn and grab Ezran's outstretched hand, and he pulls me onto the roof. I breath heavily for a minute. 

"That was close," Taylor sighs. "Come on, let's get back. And good job, guys. These clothes will keep us from freezing to death this winter."