Guts (the original interactive zombie apocalypse survival story)

51 - Wait

Your mom's voice says, "Honey? Oh God, we've been so worried!"and she says your real name as she's trying to make sure it's you.

You apologize to Quinn and Lawrence. "I didn't know I could trust you."

They seem fine with that explanation.

"Yeah. I'm okay, mom, I'm fine. They didn't get me," you tell her.

You're so happy you laugh out loud. "I'm with these guys, Alpha team. I'm safe. I'll see you soon! I love you!"

At least you hope you'll see her soon. Quinn takes the radio back and smiles at you. You smile back, happy that your family is safe with Beta team for now. Who knows, they may have more members to keep a larger group safe there.

"Beta, bring your civilians and meet us at rendezvous. We're going to have to initiate plan C. Over."

"What's plan C?" you ask.

"We're gonna blow these f%^*ers up," Lawrence answers with a look of satisfaction, as if he'd been gunning for this plan from the very beginning.

-----

Lawrence twists some dials and makes some other contacts and they make plans for bombing the undead in the city. He and Quinn take a moment to have some water and gather their energy for what you were all about to do. In the meantime, they fill you in. This clearly isn't going to be a cakewalk. By the time you've got everything memorized, the undead have quadrupled outside, or so it seems. The raspy groans and bumps against the building let you know they've caught on to humans being inside. Their sense of smell is keen, even if their brains aren't.

That's fine. You want them to smell you and come. Quinn is busy throwing together a mixture of items as fast as Lawrence can find the ingredients laying around. They're making some kind of bomb. Quinn nods to you and you nod back. It's time for your part.

"Hey, you smelly creeps!" you shout loud as you can and bang on the wall. You walk and bang screaming, "Come get me!"

You hit the window. It clatters, and they go even more crazy. Glass bursts and a few rotted hands reach through. Hissing and growling grows louder than ever.

"Come on, is that the best you can do?" you scream, and you pound on the door now.

"The backs clear," Lawrence says.

"Let's go," Quinn says.

You twist the doorknob so that the door opens and the only thing holding it is the weak chain lock. Legs and arms with muscle and bone showing in places slip through. One undead even sticks his nose and mouth through and chomps at you. You don't stay to watch. Time is ticking. You take off after Quinn and Lawrence, running as fast as you can.

A few undead stragglers are outside, but Lawrence quickly slashes them with his swords and they fall. Some of them you all just pass because they're slow and you don't have time to fight them. Just as you get to where Quinn says you should be, an explosion goes off at the house you left. The bomb he made was stronger than you expected. Wood flies everywhere and the house begins to burn. Some of the living corpses nearby catch fire and stumble around until they fall. More undead are going toward the noise and the warmth. You laugh.