Rising of the Dead

Chapter 6: Welcome

"Let's go, Jaidyn!" I urgently whispered as I held the girl we'd rescued from the truck. The broken door behind us suddenly exploded open, unleashing a horde of about ten infected sprinting toward us.

Jaidyn gripped the handgun, but it stubbornly refused to fire. "YOU IDIOT!" I hissed in frustration.

"Sorry!" Jaidyn stammered.

I carefully set the girl down on the floor. "Throw me the gun!" I called out.

Jaidyn tossed the gun towards me, instantly grabbing his axe and swinging it at an approaching infected. The axe struck with a gruesome impact, splattering blood everywhere.

I clicked the safety off the gun and aimed at an infected's head, but to my dismay, all I heard was 'click click.' "SHIT," I muttered. We were out of ammo.

I stowed the useless gun and drew my Bowie knife from its sheath. Then, with a swift move, I leaped onto an infected, taking it down to the ground. I stabbed its head repeatedly, and its eyes rolled back as its body dissolved into a gruesome puddle.

Jaidyn and I were taken aback by the bizarre sight, but we had no time to dwell on it. Another infected leaped onto me, pinning me to the floor, teeth gnashing as it tried to devour me.

Jaidyn lunged to help, but an infected grabbed him, dragging him toward the broken door. "HELP!" he screamed.

Suddenly, the infected on top of me convulsed and died, its body dissolving into nothingness. I was left bewildered, sprawled on the floor.

It was then that I realized the girl we had rescued was standing over me, holding a gun. Without hesitation, she sprinted toward the broken door where Jaidyn had been dragged.

Gunshots echoed down the hallway. Moments later, Jaidyn and the girl emerged, miraculously unharmed. I remained seated on the floor, stunned by the surreal turn of events.

"You okay?" Jaidyn asked, extending a hand to help me up.

"I should be asking you that," I replied, still bewildered by the girl's intervention.

Jaidyn grinned as if it were just another day in this nightmarish world.

I turned to the girl. "What's your name?"

"Lindley... Lindley Dlamini," she introduced herself. "Let's go! Your friends need some help!"

"Let's go!" I agreed, clutching my Bowie knife. Together, the three of us exited the hallway, leading us back into the main store of Walmart.

We arrived in the main shop in a matter of seconds, and the surroundings remained unchanged, as eerie as ever. Lindley took a step away from us, her eyes scanning the area cautiously.

"There," she pointed to a door next to the checkout counter. Above it, a glowing sign read "Janitors only," and beneath it, a message in small letters read, "DO NOT ENTER, SUPPLIES AHEAD BUT YOU HAVE TO RISK YOUR LIVES."

"This is where Rose and Carrie went," I said. Lindley proceeded to open the door slowly without waiting for our permission. I attempted to stop her by grabbing her shoulder, but she brushed me off, preoccupied with checking her gun's ammo.

"Three," she reported. "We've got your back," I assured her. "Where's Lex?" Jaidyn inquired.

I shrugged. We cautiously entered the room, Lindley leading the way, Jaidyn covering our rear with his axe, and me scanning both sides. The room was pristine, with white tiles on the floor, matching white walls, and bright overhead lights that lent an air of cleanliness to the hallway.

"H—HELP MEEE!!!" The desperate cry reverberated through the corridor, causing Jaidyn to momentarily lower his guard. I sprinted toward the sound, only to find a floor stained with blood. Lindley helped me back onto my feet, and we continued running toward Rose and Carrie.

"Guys, thank God," Carrie exclaimed as we arrived. Rose was nestled in her lap, looking disheveled and emotionally drained. Her eyes were swollen from crying.

"What happened?" I asked, concerned.

"It's Rose," Carrie explained. "She... hit..." *BOOM* Lindley's gunshot interrupted her. The infected that had been menacing Rose instantly dropped to its knees and disintegrated into a grotesque puddle.

We heard more infected approaching, and it was clear that we were on the verge of being trapped.

"SAWYER!!" Lex's desperate cry echoed through the store.

"LEX! HOLD ON A SEC!" I called back, my heart racing. I grabbed my bag and Bowie knife, then turned to Lindley. "WELCOME TO OUR GROUP," I said, before sprinting down the hallway toward the source of Lex's voice.