Science Fiction Smackdown II Entry (Zombie-Fun-Excitement-Spectacular!!!!)

Chapter 2: Filling and Noisy

David, Amy, and Chloe followed the bearded archer into the hotel. Amy and Chloe chatted quietly as they walked, occasionally giggling over some private joke. They seemed to be pleased at the prospect of spending a night in what had once been a rather nice hotel. David was less pleased; he was disappointed to see that there were no lights on. It was also a pity that the space was so cool – David's damp clothing clung to his body unpleasantly, leaving his arms moist and itchy. He wondered if the building even had emergency generators.

 They walked into the hotel lobby, past the bar and lounge, and into what had been a restaurant. The air here was redolent with the smells of freshly cooked food. An electric lamp – plugged neatly into a wall socket, no less - shone brightly on a tabletop. Despite the months since the disaster, the round tables and their chairs were arranged neatly on the cream-coloured carpet, ready for diners to arrive. In fact, there was a small group of diners already present – four men, and a woman in her late twenties or early thirties. There was also a child, a boy of four or five. The woman looked up as they walked in, her eyes locking momentarily with David's own. The archer approached the table and began to speak.

David couldn't follow most of the ensuing conversation. He was too damp, and too hungry, the smell of food bringing a rush of saliva into his mouth and rousing a quiet, insistent growl from his stomach. He did pick up a few things; the woman was in favour of them staying, especially the two young girls - “They're just children,” she had said. The archer, apparently named George, had agreed, and the two of them convinced the remainder of the little group.

It turned out that the woman's name was Jenna, and the little boy's name was Oliver. Jenna and Oliver didn't look at all alike – she had rich, auburn hair, while his was mousy and lank – but David noticed that the boy clung to her as if she were his whole world.

There was food, warm food – vegetable soup that had been made from powder, boiled potatoes, chicken curry from a tin. It tasted like heaven. David ate his so quickly that it very nearly all came back up on him. He watched the two girls wolf down their portions, Amy scraping the last of the curry off of her plate hungrily, Chloe tipping her bowl to drink her soup. He noted that Jenna had smiled at this before disappearing, hand-in-hand with little Oliver. Then he finished his own food, and George offered to lead them to their rooms.

They climbed two flights of stairs. It was clear that the rooms on these levels were unused; the hallways were dusty, extending until they disappeared into impenetrable darkness. The stairs, however, were lit, the electric light cheerful and reassuring. Finally, they reached the third level of the hotel. Here there was a barricade made of desks, chairs, and scraps of wood. There was a narrow entrance in the centre, flanked by a man and woman, each holding an axe. The man nodded companionably at George; the woman watched them warily. Neither guard spoke. David did not ask why it was worthwhile to continue to guard this corridor when the hotel appeared to be zombie-free.

Chloe and Amy were sent to a room with two single beds. David was given a room with a queen bed, which floated on a carpet the red-orange colour of tomato soup. The furniture was covered in a layer of dust, but someone had placed a neat pile of sheets and blankets, clean and fresh-smelling, at the foot of the bed. In the bathroom, he discovered that the water was not running. Still, he hung his wet clothes over the towel-rod, and vigorously dried himself. As the last of the damp disappeared, warmth flowed back into his arms and legs, and his muscles relaxed. He was almost too exhausted to make the bed.

~*~

David was woken by noisy banging on his door. It took a huge effort to force himself to his feet and wrap himself in a blanket. He approached the door warily, and opened it slowly.

George – fully dressed in a jacket and broad-brimmed straw hat – stood in the hallway, glaring at David.

“Get yourself dressed,” the bearded man barked. “If you expect to stay here, you're going to have to do your share of the work. Meet me at the barricade in five minutes.”