Frozen Flesh

Ch. 4 ~ Escape

Chapter 4 ~ Escape

Kim Foster

“Kimmy, what the hell are you doing?”

Matt’s following behind me as I rush around the house. I tried calling Jake’s phone, but he’s not answering. He’ll call me back, I know he will.

Jake’s old gym bag (it’s clean, thank god), clothes, the baseball bat I haven’t used in years. I stop in the kitchen, looking at the knife block.

“I wonder...” I trail off, and Matt moves in front of me.

“Kim! Explain. Now.” His face is pale, and even though he’s trying not to show it, I can tell he’s terrified. The noises from the front door have gotten even louder, and some of the... things are attempting to break through the windows. But they only started that when I knocked over a box of old photographs next to the big window in the living room. Maybe they’re attracted to the noise. Hmm.

“Kim!”

“What?” I blink. “Oh. I think we should bring the knives, actually. They won’t be that much heavier, right?”

He looks at me with an adorable “this-girl-has-lost-her-mind” expression, and I shove away my silly emotions impatiently. I can’t be distracted. Not now.

“Matt. There’s something wrong with the people outside. Something bad. I think they probably have rabies or something. They’re dangerous. And they want to attack us.”

His eyes widen dramatically. I’m not being very gentle, but no one ever told me my bedside manner was hospital worthy.

“So if they get in they could kill you?” he asks, horrified.

“Us.” I frown. “Both of us.”

He shrugs it off. “Whatever. What are we going to do?”

“I got supplies and stuff for us, in case you didn’t notice. We need weapons, just in case. Obviously I’d prefer not to use them, but it might come to that, I don’t know. What I do know is that we probably won’t be coming back here any time soon, so we have clothes, and-” I break off. I’m so stupid! “We need food!”

“Food?”

“Food. Who knows how widespread this rabies thing is? Most likely, we’ll get out of the neighbourhood and let the police secure the area, and we’ll be fine. But if we need to go anywhere further away, or we get stuck somewhere, we need food.”

Matt looks like he’s about to pass out. “This is really happening?”

I roll my eyes. “Obviously. Do I look like I’m joking?”

He shakes his head.

“Exactly.”

Matt takes a deep breath, I guess trying to steady himself. Good call. “I’ll get food. What do we need?” he says, and I give him a quick hug. He’s cooperating, good.

“Stuff that will last. Nothing that’s gonna go off in a few days, unless it’s light. Just use your common sense, you’ll know what to do. I trust you.” I wink at him and run up the stairs.

I can hear him moving around downstairs, and the idea that sound might be attracting the people with rabies occurs to me again. Should I  mention it? No, I don’t have time. I reach the end of the hallway, trying my best not to grab everything in sight. I have a hoarder streak in me, definitely. Dad says I get it from Mom.

My bedroom is as messy as ever, and I mentally kick myself for not doing this earlier. I run across to my closet and throw open the doors, then drop to my knees and start rummaging through the mess covering the floor.