Godead

LII

Claude gave Abby an awkward smile.

"Of course not. Truth be told, I wish you'd play the good guy more often, Abby!" Claude said.

"Well I would, but it's just so boring. Not in this case, though! These four are at a disadvantage. Let's even the scales, shall we?" Abby asked. "Where is this grocery store, anyway?"

"On Blueberry Lane next to Main Street four blocks west of here," Jake said.

"Splendid! Let's hope there's some food left in that place. I'm feeling a bit peckish, today...!" Abby said. "Let's go, Claude." As Abby and the others prepared to leave, Caroline stepped forward.

"Wait," she said. "Before you go, there's something you should know. It's not just Toby and the others who are a threat. There's also a little girl called Debra running rampant around town. She's extremely dangerous, and seems to have a similar appearance to Abby." Suddenly, Abby and Claude paused.

"Wait...," Claude said.

"Did you say... Debra?" Abby asked.

"Yes. Why? Do you know her?" Caroline asked. Claude and Abby looked to each other, recalling Debra as the child who killed Michelle, Stacy, and kidnapped Misty.

"I think so. She grabbed a friend of ours and took her away with her, assuming we're talking about the same Debra, here," Claude said.

"She was about eleven years old and had a small red dress and black loafers," Jodie said. Abby smiled.

"That's her, alright!" she replied. "So, the little runt who stole Misty found her way here, did she?"

"If Debra's around, Misty could be nearby, as well!" Claude said.

"I don't care about that, but I have a score to settle with that brat Debra. She ran away from me back then, and I ever so wanted to tear her limb from limb!" Abby said wickedly.

"That kid's dangerous! We saw her kill half a dozen zombies with them weird wings of hers!" Ryan said.

"She has wings, too?" Elsa asked.

"Yeah. When we first saw Abby from a distance, we thought she was Debra," Jake said.

"You can see why we've been stuck in this library for so long. The dangers are twofold: Debra wandering the streets, and Toby and the others hoarding all the food. If things go on this way, we're done for," Caroline explained.

"What kind of guns do Toby and the others have?" Elsa asked.

"Just some rickety old pistols. Old man Caleb had a hunting rifle, though," Jodie said.

"I see. Well don't worry. We'll do our best to help you," Claude said. Caroline smiled at him.

"Thank you, sugar," she said, somewhat flirty.

"Hey! Watch who you're callin' 'sugar', skank! I'll knock your head off and kick it out the window if you're not careful! Claude is mine! Right, baby?" Abby asked, swirling a finger across the boy's chest.

"Oh...! R—Right," Claude replied nervously.

"We should head to the grocery store. I'm feeling rather hungry, myself," Reuben said.

"Right. You guys stay here. We'll be back, hopefully with good news," Claude replied.

He and the others left the library, Jake and the rest watching from the window as they took their leave. Abby lead the group, floating high above as the others followed behind. The four looked around, noticing the town in surprisingly good condition. While Calbury and Fort Lauderdale were a mess, Berkfield was still more or less intact. That wasn't to say there weren't destroyed buildings, but for the most part, the town looked fairly in order.

Its citizens were a different story, however. They mindlessly roamed the streets, their chilling moans echoing through the town. The four continued through the streets, killing several zombies before spotting the grocery store.

"There it is," Elsa said, looking to the store from a distance.

"It's probably not safe to approach from the front. I imagine those inside are keeping watch near the front window," Claude said.

"Pah! I'm not scared of those punks!" Abby exclaimed.

"Me neither. We should head around back, though, just to be safe," Reuben said.

The four carefully approached the building, using the cars in the parking lot as cover as they snuck around back. As they reached the rear entrance, they realized it was locked.

"Stand clear," Abby said. As the others stepped back, Abby suddenly raised her wings. She quickly fluttered them, the door bursting open as it flew off its hinges.

Just then, those inside suddenly tensed up.

"What the hell was that?!" Hannah asked from the front of the store.

"Sounds like it came from the back of the building!" George replied.

"Ya'll settle down. It's prolly jes' some more o' them critters wanderin' around," Toby said, revolver in hand as he chewed some tobacco. "One of 'em prolly knocked against the back door. It's barred up tight, though, and Caleb and Liz are keepin' watch back there. They can handle it."

Just then, Liz's shrill scream tore through the building. Toby and the others sat up, looking to each other before quickly getting up and running to the back of the store. As they arrived, they noticed Abby standing over Caleb's corpse, holding Liz's dismembered head as her body bled out on the ground. As Claude, Elsa, and Reuben stood nearby, Toby, George, and Hannah cringed at them.

"Intruders! Kill 'em!" Toby exclaimed, opening fire at the four.

As Claude and Elsa took cover, Abby and Reuben sprang into action. Toby and George fired their guns as Hannah stood petrified with fright. Several shots hit Abby and Reuben, the bullets not even penetrating their skin as they rushed toward Toby and George. Reuben suddenly raised his palm, firing countless sharp quills, filling George's body like a pin cushion. As the portly man's body fell to the ground, Abby smirked, rushing at Toby as the grizzled man watched in shock. Abby raised her wings, creating an oscillation as Toby's body broke into a thousand pieces, quickly flying backward and filling the aisle with a long, bloody streak of gore.

"Heh. Clean up on aisle four!" Abby said.

As the scene settled down, Hannah was the only member of the militia left standing. She gave a weak frown, dropping her weapon as she fell to her knees.

"Please... please... spare me!" she pleaded, tears in her eyes as Abby cruelly smiled at her. As Claude, Elsa, and Reuben approached, Abby tilted her head.

"And why should we possibly keep a weak little maggot like you around?" she asked, folding her arms as Hannah trembled in fright.

"That's enough, Abby," Claude said, picking up Hannah's gun before looking it over. "She's the only one left, and she's unarmed. There's no need to kill her."

"Oh, come on, Claude! Can't I kill her? Please?" Abby asked. Claude shook his head.

"Abby. You're supposed to be playing the good guy this time. Remember?" he asked with a smile.