Accepting The End [Zombie Apocalypse]

Chapter 12

The first thing Laine noticed was the smell. His black and white converse hit the hot city pavement. He was the last to get out of the car, following Maddison, who coughed and covered her nose. 

It smelled rotten. Like spoiled milk, rotten flesh and pollution. Laine plugged his nose, and in his nasally voice made a Squidward impression. 

"Patrick-" Laine droned, Maddison and Phalen turned around to look at the comedian, "Mayonnaise is not an instrument." 

Maddison wrinkled her nose at the impression, which caused Laine to huff, crossing his lean arms and look down at Maddison, who glared up at him. 

"I expected a better impression, Laine, now I'm just disappointed." Maddison smirked, with a wave of her hand, she turned around. 

"Oh, you're disappointed now?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, her curly hair bouncing with every step she took. 

"Yes." She said, shrugging his arm off of her shoulders and ran up to Phalen, whispering something in his ear. They laughed together, which made Laine jealous. Maddison was obviously flirting back with Laine, but whenever he tried to kiss her, she would run away and go to Phalen. Did she like Phalen instead? 

Laine decided that once they passed the Examinations he would ask her. He walked up to Shae nonchalantly, Shae was a few centimeters taller then Laine. 

"Do you think we'll pass the exam?" Shae asked Laine. 

"I think so..." Laine said, "I forgot what the system was based off of, I know for a fact Lee is putting in a good word for us." 

Shae took a shaky breath. "Its basically a personality test." 

"Oh." Laine whispered. 

Lee led the group to the front of line, talking to the heavily armed security guard. Laine barely paid attention to what Lee was saying, but instead noticed how short she was compared to Maddison, who was standing right next to her.  

The building was a huge, dome structure, with off white panels and thick glassed windows. Laine squinted his eyes, watching the sun beam from the top of the structure. The long line of people outside of the dome started to get frustrated, yelling at Lee and the guard. 

"Oh for fucks sake!" Screamed a middle aged man, holding his toddler in his arms. The little girl was limp, barely moving or breathing, her brown hair was ratty and tangled and it dropped over her fathers shoulder like seaweed. In her dark skinned palms, she held a tattered green and yellow blanket, "My daughter is sick, and you're letting these dip shits in?" 

Laine instinctively turned toward the man, about to lose it, clenching his fists in rage fingernails digging into the soft flesh on his palms, "Listen here, asshole-" he began, before he felt a hand firmly grip his shoulder. 

He turned around to see Maddison, her eyes dark, her face showed no emotion. Shae stood next to her, looking at Laine with disappointment. 

Maddison tilted her head a little bit, her eyes softened, and she took his face in her hands. Staring at his eyes, as she wiped his bottom lip with her thumb. 

"Your drooling," she said quietly, and then swiftly brought his lips to hers, pulling away as quick as she made the decision. 

Shae's lips formed a soft O, before Maddison hit him softly on the shoulder, and Lee called them over to follow the group inside. Maddison turned around, paused as if she was going to say something, then ran toward Izabel. Laine and Shae made eye contact.

"Did she just-" Laine touched his mouth. 

Shae raised his eyebrows a couple times, indicating something. 

"I-It's not like that." Laine said quickly, still in slight shock. 

"Guys! Come one!" Lee yelled, ushering them past the line into the huge building. As they walked through the iron doors, Laine didn't quite know what to expect.

The building was crowded, with people pushing past one another, and another line leading into was was labeled an 'examination room, ages 14-61.' below that label, there was a huge iron door, with red scuffed markings on the bottom half. Laine watched as a teenage male walked through the doors, summoned by a tall security guard. The door opened to reveal a small looking room, with bright white lights. The male walked in. All Laine heard was a deep voice, before the iron door closed, blocking off his view. 

Laine felt a pang of anxiety, He watched as the rest of the group waited at the end of the line. lee, Micheal and James whispering to them. Laine walked over to join in on the conversation. 

"Here's what happens once you enter the examination room," Lee said quietly,and sternly. He could tell she was worrying.

Lee explained the first part. You walk into a small, well lit room. They examine your body, and then they begin a simulation. You're told that you have 30 seconds and three options to keep yourself alive from a simulated zombie. Every examination has different options. 

"Mine had a gun, a plastic fork and a rope." James said, eyeing Phalen with a grin, "I used a rope to strangle the simulated creature," 

"Delightful," Phalen wrinkled his nose. 

"The branch you do not want to be put in is the Labor branch. They work you until you're weak. If you're not good enough to be in the Labor branch even, they take you to detox." Micheal said as the line inched forward, faster then before.

"That sounds better then labor." Sunny whispered to herself. 

"What is it?"  asked Catherine, "What is detox?" 

Lee looked down, then back up at Catherine smiling. 

"Lets not find out, okay?" 

Laine couldn't even imagine whether or not Sunny would make it through the examination. It would devastate Maddison if Sunny was taken to detox. 

"Who's next?" a husky voice shouted, making the group jump. Laine turned to see the the security guard, gun in hand and the  entrance to the Examination room, how did they get here so fast? Lee hadn't even explained the next two steps.  

No one stepped forward. 

"If you can't decide, I'll decide for you." He warned. 

Laine felt a bony hand push him to the side. 

"I'll go first," Phalen said in his clear voice. 

Laine jumped at Phalen's sudden idea, "Phalen, don't, I'll-"

"Laine," He said smiling, "Let me do this." Phalen's dark blue eyes showed fear, but he refused to let his body language show anything but determination. As he walked towards the iron door, grabbing onto the metal handle, he gave one last look towards Laine, smiling. 

"See you on the other side, okay?"