Fateful Nightmares (The Story Of A Raccoon City Survivor Pt 1)

Chapter 2 - Lucky Spades

After recovering from the recent events, my body pushed off the wooden door to the west office. Reloading my pistol, I gripped it tightly as my feet carried me forward. Eyes alert, I rounded the corner into another hall.

Continuing for a few moments, I encountered a staircase leading to the second floor. Next to the stairs, a few feet away in front of where I stood, a member of the undead club clawed at another boarded window. On the opposite side of the staircase, a closed door caught my attention.

Deciding to investigate before proceeding, I stepped through and found myself looking around the evidence room.
Above the door handle was a metal lock, an important detail I quickly noted. A desk stood in the room's center, and beyond it, an empty doorway leading to the 'dark room,' as indicated by the sign on the wall.
After a brief scan, I left; since the room held nothing useful, and the open locker against the wall was empty. The other locker, secured with a dial lock, remained inaccessible.

As I ascended the stairs, my eyes caught a zombie tumbling from the staircase railing, hitting the ground with a loud thud. Amusing as it was, I opted not to take extra risks and quickened my pace.

On the second floor, the sight of a female police officer's body laying against the wall greeted me. Having learned from past mistakes, I promptly shot her in the head. As expected, the undead woman began to rise, and I unloaded more bullets until she collapsed again. Once assured of her final death, I took a moment to survey the new area I had entered.
The floor beneath me was a gruesome canvas of dark blood. While surveying the scene, groans startled my ears, prompting me to turn and face the zombie that had fallen from the railing just moments before. Shots rang out as I distanced myself from the approaching threat, finally putting it down with one last well-aimed shot to the head just as it reached out its injured arms to grab me. Unfortunately, its lifeless form collapsed right onto me. Because of course it did.
Stumbling backward, my back met the railing the monster had descended from earlier. My hands managed to grasp the wood just in time to prevent my fall. Fortunately, the same couldn't be said for the zombie, which now lay on the rail, pressed against my side. Disgusted, I used my elbow to send it tumbling down to the first floor for the last time, where it hit the ground with a crunch.
Taking a slow breath, I glanced down at my now dirtied clothes, smeared with zombie blood. "Why do these things keep falling on me...?" I sighed with a mix of frustration and disbelief.

Swiftly recovering, I proceeded down the hall and discovered the locker room. Eight lockers lined the wall, two benches sat against each other in the room's center, a basket rested on one, and a small shelf occupied the corner next to me.
The adjoining room, the shower area, was sealed off by scalding steam, shutting down any attempt at entry.
Continuing my exploration of the locker room, I noticed the small shelf in the corner had a portable safe. It was a compact electronic rectangular box with eight buttons. Intrigued, I examined it for a few moments before stashing it in my hip pouch to inspect later.
Searching the lockers, I discovered shotgun shells in one, while a small dial lock secured another. The code required three letters, and lacking that information, I moved on to the next accessible locker. Opening it, I recoiled in surprise and fear as the lifeless body of a cold zombie tumbled toward me. Luckily I managed to push this one off quickly and it fell to the ground next to me.
Pointing my gun down, I aimed at its head, exhaling in relief as no movement followed. Just to be sure, I nudged the body with my foot, confirming its complete demise.

My breathing grew heavy as I exited the room and ascended the stairs to the third floor. In the hallway, large flattened cardboard boxes were stacked against the wall. At the top of this makeshift platform, I discovered a random box of handgun ammo, promptly stowing it away in my hip pouch for future use. Advancing to the end of the short hall, I encountered another locker with a dial lock, yet again without the code. Adjacent to it, a wall with
a large hole smashed into it.
Cautiously, I stepped through the hole into the small room beyond. Books littered the floor, and a petite desk against the opposite wall held a key adorned with a shiny blue spade on the end of it. It was the same symbol I had seen on the locked doors earlier. As I turned the cold metal artifact in my hands, a sense of relief washed over me. This one object would allow me to explore more of the police station.