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

Chapter 33:Unknown

The three of us walked through the unlocked glass doors of the Woodland Market. Cain led us, his head on a constant swivel. The place felt empty. Nothing moved or stirred; the only sound amplified by the place's thick walls was our breathing. The atmosphere was oppressive and dusty, making me sticky with grime and sweat.

Light from our flashlights and the windows illuminated the murky space. The main room held a stoned fountain that sat idle. The fountain's stagnant water filled the air with the heavy smell of mildew.

The building seemed to be made mostly of wood, giving it a rustic edge. Shops and small stores lined both sides of the building. It reminded me of a small mall. Farther down, a clear tarp hung from the ceiling and acted as a divider for the part of the building that was unfinished. The wall beside it held a sign that said, DO NOT ENTER! Under Construction!, in bold red lettering.

We made our way to a shop called Mama's Canned Goods. It seemed as good a place to start as any.

The door to the shop was a push door that moved on silent hinges. We entered in a straight line. The action reminded me of my days in kindergarten when line leaders were a thing.

Our flashlight beams danced across the rows of food in quick succession. We had hit the jackpot. This was more than enough to hold us over until we reached the Compound. Mama's Canned Goods had shelves full of canned items, including assorted fruits, mixed vegetables, and various types of beans.

Cain and Paul walked ahead of me as I scanned the shelves holding the fruit. Needing to free my hands, I set my bat on the floor before placing my flashlight in an open space between some cans on the shelf. Reaching out, I grabbed a can of peaches and moved to pull my backpack off. I paused when I heard a sudden bustle of commotion.

"Wait, we're not infected!" A rugged voice cried out. It wasn't anyone I knew.

Having the presence of mind to grab my flashlight, I sped to the last place I'd seen Cain, peaches still in hand. I found him and Paul looking behind the register counter. They aimed their lights down at something beyond my line of vision. Stepping closer, I finally made out the figures of two people.

It was a man and a woman.

"Who are ya'll," Cain said. "And what are you doing here?"

"My name's uh Flin, and this here's my girl, Ava." The man raised his hands as if in surrender, his southern twang prominent. "Look, we don't want any trouble."

The guy was probably in his mid-twenties. He had matted brown hair and a little stubble. His clothes were raggy and oversized. Either that was his style or he had lost a lot of weight. I was willing to bet on the latter.

The woman was around his age. She had honey-blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked like a model, her pretty features striking even in the faint light. Her cheeks held a natural blush, and she was very well-kept for someone in the middle of chaos. Her bubblegum pink nails drew my attention, they weren't chipped at all. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought them freshly done.

The couple was like night and day.

"What are you doing here?" Cain repeated. He held his sledgehammer in a defensive position.

Flin scrabbled for words. "Please, don't hurt us. We were with another guy, Phyllis, and his lady. But they left us when one of those things got in. We've been in here since."

"We're just trying to hide," the woman, Ava, echoed.

Cain nodded in understanding. "Well, I think now's as good a time as any to leave."