Outbreak

Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Marlowe

I sit at the opening of the truck, where I gaze out at the smaller town. The road is covered in trash and abandoned cars. A lone red bike, rusted over in different places, lies in the middle of the road.

Bones of some unidentified species are picked clean just past it, and are left to decay.

We pull into down town and Jon radios us that it would probably be safer if we pull down the door, in case we slow up. Toni attempts to first, but can hardly reach the handle. He is like a human pitbull, muscular but short.

I snort, amused with him.

It's funny how someone who acts so tough can't even shut a door without help.

Easton walks over to assist him, and pulls it down with ease. Toni stalks off, without appreciation, probably embarrassed. I turn to Avi and we snicker softly, although she is shorter than him by write a bit.

We slow down quite a bit, until we come to a stop, and Easton walks over to open the door again.

I stop him with my outstretched arm, and radio Jon. "Are we clear?" No answer.

"Jon?

I am temporarily blinded when the door slides up, and open, revealing the hot sun's bright rays.

When my eyes adjust, I see Jon, clutching little Nikki's hand.

"We've run out of gas, we will have to walk the rest of the way. Toni, how far is this place from here?"

Toni jumps out and looks around. "Not far, but we need to get there before sundown. Bandits are a frequent in this town, and biters even more. We can't afford to be stranded in his building without any way out."

"What's the plan?" Easton asks.

I hesitate, then propose my idea.

"Is that it?" I point to the taller building towards the downtown area, that has several balconies hanging off it.

Toni nods.

"Alright, Toni and Easton will take Avi to his apartment, there." I point at the building. "Jon, Nikki, and I will go to the top of that building, diagonally across the street from there." Jon looks at me in confusion. "It's the old looking brick one. A little shorter than the apartment." Jon nods. "I will pick off any stray zeke and warn you about any bad guys in the area. Jon will watch my back."

Easton sighs, and his brow furrows. "What?" I ask him.

"I think I should stay with you." he suggests.

"I'll be fine."

He leans in close to me and his whisper ticked my ear. "I can't even think of you being alone. I don't think he's good enough protection."

His dark eyes look into mine, and his expression is serious. I look at his lips and something takes me over. I kiss him, trying to reassure him.

It was meant to be a quick kiss, but it is longer when he pulls me into him.

"Now I definitely can't let you go." He almost whines, looking at me worriedly.

"Easton..."

"Cmon, why can't Jon go with them?"

"Because Nikki." I answer.

Easton sighs, defeated.

"C'mon, just decide so we can go." Toni says impatiently.

"I'll see you soon." I grin at him, and turn to Jon. "We need to get there fast if you want to avoid the infected."

The ones who have them put their back packs on.

"Guess I'll just wait here then." Avi says sarcastically.

"Right." I mutter. I help Avi up. She sits down at the end of the truck, and Easton lifts her down with ease.

Easton holds out his hand to help me out. I take it and slide out.

Avi groans when I hand her the crutches, but Toni looks at her sternly, making her take them with a sigh.

Jon, Nikki, and I take off. Easton hands me the walkie-talkie hesitantly. "If you ever need help..."

I cut him off with a peck on the cheek and smile.

Jon, Nikki, and I walk on the left side of the street, while Easton, Toni and Avi walk on the right.

We don't get far before the first of the infected shows up.

She walks toward us, twitching, and calling out harshly, signaling the others. Her neck hangs to the side at an unnatural angle, and her mouth is stained with blood.

Several others follow her, belting out groans.

Easton doesn't hesitate before coming at the first with his baseball bat. She falls to the ground after two blows. I get the other two with my pistol, without flinching.

It's hard to believe how desensitized a person can become, even when they've just shot two other people.

But I guess they really aren't people anymore, right?

Jon breaks the glass door of the front of the building with a crow bar he's been carrying around ever since Vanessa turned. I hold Nikki's hand as she steps over the broken glass. She is wearing white sandals and a pink dress. The sandals used to light up at some point, but they don't anymore.

Jon goes first, holding the crow bar out in front of him. I follow close behind, and Nikki is sandwiched between us.

The bottom level seems to have been a pet store of some type. Rubber toys are hung perfectly in place on shelves, along with bright collars and leashes.

However, the once bustling pet store is devoid of life. The cages are empty, not an animal or even carcass to be seen.

The stair well is dark.

Perfect for an ambush, infected or living, I think to myself.

I walk with my pistol in front of me. my rifle is slung over my shoulder, along with my back pack.

I turn the corner of the stair landing quickly, expecting an attack.

There is nothing.

I walk up the stairs slowly again, and turn the corner, ready for an attack.

Nothing.

The second level of the pet store seems to be dedicated to fish only. The tanks are a disgusting green color, and mostly decomposed fish lay at the bottom, lifeless: mere fleshy blobs.

I remember when I bought a gold fish for my first pet. I saved up for the bowl and fish and food and everything.

I picked out the brightest orange fish I could find. I named him Bubbles.

After about a week, Bubbles started swimming slower, and on his side. Eventually, exhausted, he floated to the top of the tank, dead.

I was convinced he was only taking a break, resting. My mom humored me, and we left him there for a few days. One day I came home and he was just swimming again.

She told me that he just got up and whispered, "I feel a lot better, is Marlowe home yet? I want to play with her!"

Later I found out that she had flushed Bubbles and bought a similar one.

I walk past the fleshy blobs in the tank and onto the balcony.

Huge bird cages line the wall. Most have been chewed open, from the inside out. Probably large parrots were here once. I read something once about a parrot who learned to identify shapes and colors, not just copy. Lucky they knew how to escape.

The smaller birds were less lucky. Their once fluffy, warm bodies are now just skeletons within a pile of brightly colored feathers. Some of the smaller ones have shriveled up and are mummified, forever still in the bottom of their cages.

I can almost hear their whistles and tweets echo through the empty town.