If Tomorrow Never Comes

Chapter 5

     Slowly but surely the demon corpse edged it's way out of the vent. The child in my arms once again started crying. The zombies must've stopped crowding the vent and are now able to climb through. This is it. Even if I manage to somehow fight this one off more would come to replace it from the vent. The door to this room wont last much longer either. I crept backwards as the dead approached me eager to sink their teeth into the child and I. I clutched the child to my chest determined to protect him at all costs as the monsters approached.

    I looked down at the wailing child in my arms. I no longer just have to fight for my life but for his as well. A tall filing cabinet stood by the door, it's just tall enough to be out of reach from the dead. I had no time to think it through when I skirted passed the soulless creatures and advanced toward the door. It will definitely be difficult to pull the both of us up there, but I have to try. More and more creatures appeared from out of the vent as I hopped onto a swivel chair and reached my arm to the top of the cabinet griping it, while my other arm held a wailing toddler. Pulling myself up was proving to be nearly impossible. Suddenly the swivel chair was thrown from under me, and I was left dangling from the cabinet. The zombies were reaching for my legs as I flailed around trying to pull myself up with one hand. I felt myself losing my grip quickly as sweat coated my palm. With my other hand I used all my might to pounce the child safely onto the cabinet. I felt a painful burn in my arms as I continued to try and pull myself up on the cabinet. The door to the room suddenly bursted open unleashing at a dozen more of the dead into the room. In one fluid motion I launched myself up on the cabinet nearly on top of the crying toddler. I crouched down pulling the boy into my arms as I looked down at the many zombies the flooded the room.

   All of the walking corpses in the room were beginning to attack the cabinet beneath me. I can feel the old, rusty cabinet nearly giving out at the aggressive blows. My heart is beating fast as I try to catch my breath. I'm not ready to give up just yet. The floor is congested with bodies but above me lies a series of ceiling panels. Reaching up to feel their strength I noticed that I might be able to break through them. Laying my back with the child on my stomach I began to use my legs to try to kick though the ceiling in hopes that I can wiggle through a break in the infrastructure. Again and again I kicked at the panel weakening it. The cabinet is now being rocked back and forth making it harder to stay focused and still. Finally I managed to disengage a panel, but not without hurting my legs. Jumping to my feet on the unsteady base of the cabinet I raised the child above me and rested him on a wooden beam in the ceiling. Just as the cabinet rocked forward and onto the floor I am able to lift myself onto the beam as well.

  The sound of the cabinet crashing down onto the floor echoed as the creeps jumped on top of it. Staring at the little crying boy, I know that at least for now we are safe out of reach. Softly I sat up hearing the beam creak under my weight . I know for sure that if I accidentally manage to offstep the beam I'd fall through the floor. The child stared at me in tears as I slowly crawled to him. Upon taking him into my arms I began to cradle him to my chest trying to get him to calm down. Not only is he being held by a stranger, but he's just witnessed the most frightening thing I myself have ever seen. "Shhh you're safe now."

    Minutes passed by and with us out of sight I knew the zombies were growing curious as to where the crying is coming from. The boy began to quiet down as he once again clung to my chest. With one arm cradling him I used the other to balance me on the beam as I crawled further into the dark. A small window on the other end allowed a small amount of light to illuminate part of the ceiling. The growling beneath me remained angry as I settled into a beam crease in the ceiling. The child remained contempt as I held him just a little tighter knowing that I'm all he has in this moment. For all I know his parents could be a couple of the monsters down below that have devoted themselves to eating us. I'm still trying to catch my breath as little Asher Howe begins to fall asleep stunning me at how a child could rest in the wake of what's happening. There has to be a way out of here.