If Tomorrow Never Comes

Chapter 4

The yelling, the screaming, the groans, and moans they all coincided with the hysterical tears that fell down my cheeks as I pushed myself deeper into the closet. There's no way out and more and more ghouls joined in the pursuit of my body to make a meal out of it. The news anchors on the television just drew more attention to the room I'm trapped in. By the sounds of all the hissing and growls there are more bodies in the room than the maximum capacity would allow. Nothing but soiled linen and extra cotton balls, tounge depressers, and such were in here with me. Upon trying to move the soiled linen cart infront of the door to defer their attacks a little, I spotted a small air vent. It was very little but I could probably squeeze through it but just barely. This would lead me to the next room and God only knows what lies in wait for me there. Whatever it is it has to be better than this.

  Two small screws stuck the white vent to the wall. My fingers burned as I tried to pry the cover off with all my might. The door wouldn't hold for much longer and if I don't get this cover off I'm dead. Looking around the closet I surched for anything I could get my hands on to pry the cover off. I finally found a small pair of scissors in one of the drawers. My hands are shaking violently as I began to try and unscrew the vent screws with the scissors. I screamed in fright as the door started to give way to the intruders. Little by little they clawed away at the door until I could see their faces. One of the screws came loose and as I started in the next one as a zombie stumbled into the room only to get caught by the soiled linen cart causing it to tumble to the ground. Just as he got back up and more zombies entered the closet I got the screw off and I flung myself into the open vent. With all the strength in me I pushed myself further and further as they reached the vent. A strong hold on my sneaker lached onto me pulling me back little by little. As I tried to fight it off by kicking rapidly, I began finding it difficult because of the slick metal beside me with nothing to grab hold of. The sweat on my hands allowed me to create a little friction on the cold metal beneath me as I kicked and pulled. The grip suddenly unlatched itself thankfully and I continued on trying to pull forward.

  I kept fighting to pull myself further and further away, when I was finally in inches from the end of the vent. As I was about to pull myself to freedom I'm met with two demonic eyes sunk into a swollen face. I screamed as it snapped it's teeth at me reaching out to grab me. Pushing myself further away I realized that no matter what I do I get myself into a bigger and more dire situation. Before me and behind me are demonic beings risen from the dead that posses and horrifying craving for human flesh.

   The growls become more and more aggressive as the creatures continued to reach out for me, but to my surprise and delight they are unable to grasp crawling inside the vent. So many of them fought to break through that they were blocking the entrance thankfully. I stayed lodged into the middle of the vent as they clawed and groaned aggressively. Breathing is getting harder to do as either ends of the vent are being blocked by dead bodies that emitted a horrid stench. To the right of me are small slits in the metal where air would be released but there's no latch to pry off. There's no where to go.

Though there is only one freakish being on the side I'm facing, more would be attracted by that loud ruckus in motion. Suddenly from behind where the single zombie stood I heard a loud cry of child. The zombie was immediately drawn away as if began to search for the source. I'd be greatful for this if it wasn't new prey he was after. My eyes adapted tunnel vision as fear and worry pulsates throughout my body. I don't know what I'm going to do but I have to do something. I wasn't able to save those girls but I'm going to save this child from the grasp of a demon. I didn't think before springing into action.

The thick sludge I'm caked in made it easier to glide along the vent. Popping myself out of the tunnel I looked around rapidly to see that the zombie was reaching inside a glass casing that housed a small infant that was wailing. Doing the only thing I could think to do I ran and pushed it harshly from the side, what used to be a handsome man stumbled back a little from the force. It growled and completely focused on me as it advanced with it's saggy limbs flailing around. I jumped back and looked around for something to attack it with. The once living man was relentless as he came at me with feverish force. The child continued to cry and I was glad the door was shut closed but attention would be brought to us soon enough. I opted for my earlier weapon of an I.V. stand and picked it up like a spear. Here goes nothing. I ran forward as fast as I could and stabbed the stand through the zombie's abdomen. It fell to the floor on its side but it was still very much alive. I need to quiet this infant but killing this thing in the room with us is my first priority. It's head, I need to crush it's head; that's how most evil things die in the movies. The thought made me shiver in disgust. I could never crush a human head, but this thing isn't human anymore. A metal food tray laid beside the baby boy's glass confinement. Picking it up I fell to my knees by the monster's head and I closed my eyes as I rammed it through the side of it's head with force repeatedly. The squishing and thrashing almost covered up the groans and growls of the still moving corpse. I kept going with angry force until the snarls stopped and even a few more times after that. I fell back in tears as I analyzed my results. The metal tray remained lodged inside the zombie man's head and blood and gore seeped out of it and onto the floor.

My hands were even more soiled with blood and slime as I made my way to the crying child. "Shhhh shhh it's okay I'm here," I said as if he could understand me. The child couldn't be more than 2 years old and he showed no signs of the infection. He must be in the hospital for other reasons. I want to grab him and rock him but I am completely covered filth. I can tell the child's cries were attracting more attention as the zombies on the other side of the vent grew more agressive. I spotted a sink and a cover gown that you'd use to visit patients in the ICU. I need to solve his problem quick.

Throwing off my soiled scrubs I was left in my slightly less soiled yoga pants and long sleeved shirt. I need to get the child and I to safety but I'll be damned if I infect him with all this blood on me. Washing as much of it away as I could on my arms I threw on the gown over my clothes and rushed back to the child. I carefully scooped him up in my arms as I rocked him gently, watching as he looked up at me with fear in his eyes. "You're safe now," I whispered as he clung to my chest. He seemed to calm down a little as I rocked him around and stroked his light brown hair. I looked around the room for a way out when I spotted a white board on the wall. It says his name is Asher Howe and he's 15 months old. His release date was supposed to be in three days. I'm not sure what he's sick with but I can only hope it's not whatever virus that's killing people and bringing them back with a hankering for humans.

That's when I spotted a window hidden behind thick drapes. This could be a way out. If it's not then we're as good as dead because the door is being attacked and we know how that ends. Suddenly a loud hiss could be heard closer than it should've been. Ever so slowly and horrifically the head of a zombie poked out of the vent focusing it's evil eyes on me and the child and in my arms. They're crawling through the vents.