Sorrow's Gift

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Noah

The moans of dozens of rotters echoed through the hall behind him.

Noah spun around, but without the lights, he couldn't see where they were coming from.

"Crash, we could really use some electricity right about now," he said.

"I'm working on it," Crash said. "I'm not feeling so good."

Noah tore off his backpack and searched inside for his flashlight. When he flipped it on, Crash was dusting ashes off his jacket. His arm was bleeding pretty badly.

"Here," Noah said. He handed Crash the flashlight and placed his hand on top of the wound. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, letting a healing energy pass from him to his friend. Crash's arm frosted over slightly, and the bleeding slowed.

"Wow, you weren't kidding about that," Crash said. He flexed his hand and nodded his head. "Thanks."

"The lights? We need to find the others, and I think we've got some zombies on our tail."

Crash reached out to place his hand flat against the wall. A few seconds later, the lights flickered on, but went back off.

Noah reloaded his shotgun, the moans growing louder around the corner.

"Come on, man, we gotta hurry."

"I'm doing the best I can," Crash said.

Noah blasted the head off a rotter as it turned the corner. It fell in a bloody mess on the floor, but more followed. He shot again, taking four more out before he had to stop and reload. He could just barely see them in the dim light, but it was enough.

Crash finally pulled through and the lights came on.

Noah unloaded the shotgun again, and the dead bodies seemed to slow the rest down for a second. "Let's keep moving. Maybe we can brace these doors closed and keep them back."

Crash nodded and pushed through the double-doors, but what they found inside was ten times more terrifying than a group of rotters.

A towering beast of a man stood at the other end of the hallway, its hand on the doors leading into the ER. Noah pumped his shotgun and aimed directly for the man's head. The pellets ricocheted off the zombie's skin and embedded into the drywall.

Noah's heart skipped a beat. If bullets wouldn't touch this thing, what the hell were they going to do? He had a feeling the girls were on the other side of that door, and he wasn't about to turn and run, but they were going to have to go through this beast to get to them.

The zombie turned toward them. He balled his hands into fists and lifted his foot to stomp hard against the tile floor.

The ground beneath them shook. A picture fell off the wall and shattered, scattering glass across the floor. Noah crouched and pressed his hand against the wall for balance until the earthquake subsided.

"Pile the dead bodies against the door to keep the others from getting through," he said. "I'll see if I can handle this guy."

Crash got to work, dragging bodies and piling them up in front of the door.

Noah dropped his shotgun and peeled the backpack off his back. He didn't need anything slowing him down right now.

The giant zombie walked toward him. It was slow, but the ground shook slightly with every step it took. Noah had no idea how to fight something like this, but he had to try. He had to get to Parrish and make sure she was okay.

He took in a deep breath and focused everything he had on summoning his strength. If he was strong enough to lift a car, he could deal with this guy. Maybe. Fear tightened in his chest.