Sneaky

Chapter 115

Rick looked at us and we both nodded before he quietly pulled it open, just enough to allow us inside.

I slipped in right after Daryl, looking straight ahead of myself to his right while he looked to the left.

The ceiling is high, several rows of dark bookshelves about 6 feet in front of the door. A dirty checkout counter on my right, right as we came in.

It's carpeted so we don't have to worry about boots squeaking, and there isn't any blood on it that I can see. That's a good sign.

I don't like how many rows of shelves there are though. It's just enough — and the space is just big enough — to make me a little nervous about what could be hiding in here.

I glanced at Daryl just as he looked at me and nodded. He moved left, Rick following him, and I went right, Glenn & Maggie following me.

Glenn moved up beside me, looking down the rows one by one, with Maggie watching behind us and keeping an eye on Rick & Daryl who are doing the same thing in the other direction, while I snuck around the spacious counter and carefully leaned around it.

All that greeted me was a worn, uncomfortable looking grey desk chair, several papers scattered about and a couple stacks of books under the counter, but I almost gagged at the smell coming from something over here.

It smells like something died over here, but not like rotting flesh — yeah, I know what that smells like by now, and isn't that just a little disturbing.

My face contorted as I tried not to breathe while I looked around. Right up until I found a rotting half eaten sandwich in the metal garbage can, green, grey, mushy and crawling with so many bugs I can't even name all of them.

I gagged, and flinched at how it pulled the muscles around my bruised diaphragm before scurrying back out from behind the counter; wanting to get as far away from that nastiness as possible. Lest it hurt me more than it already has.

As I went back though, I noticed a half empty plastic water bottle beside a rotting apple core on the shelf just under the counter. Someone must've been having lunch when all this happened.

Ew, I almost shivered. Almost half a year old lunch. I grabbed the water bottle, stuffing it into the pocket on the side of my backpack — whoever came up with the idea for a water bottle pocket on the outside of the bag was a genius — before heading back over to Maggie and Glenn who have reached the end of the shelves.

I gave a whistle, barely louder than just breathing and Glenn gave me a thumbs up. I nodded and looked down to where Rick and Daryl are, making eye contact with Daryl before he made a small gesture to the shelves. I nodded, understanding and went down one of the rows, quick & quiet and peaked out the back of them.

Ok, this place is bigger than it looked. There's a little area on the left for kids to play and read books — your typical story time zone — and a door to the bathroom just on the other side of the little multi-colored, animal covered, knee high fence, then what looks like some sort of office. And to the right, where Glenn & Maggie are, there's another door, and almost directly in front of me — about 12 feet — is the curved dark wood & tan cement railed staircase that heads up to the second floor, where I can see just a couple more rows of shelves and what looks like an empty space farther to the right up there.

I stood on my tip toes, stretching my neck a little to try and see more of it but when has that ever really worked? We still try though.

I glanced at Glenn & Maggie and pointed to that room, which they're already standing by, looking like they're wondering if they should open it or not, before looking down at Rick & Daryl.

Daryl stood inside the bathroom and gave me a short nod when he caught my gaze. Clear.

He and Rick poised to go into the office next and I watched Glenn and Maggie go into the other room, so I — carefully — started up the stairs. Not to come up here by myself and clear it, but just to get a better look of the whole store, and maybe see a little more of the upper floor.

I'm not stupid enough to try and clear this by myself — not in my condition anyway. No matter how fast or quiet I may be.

It only took a minute or so before Daryl was at the bottom of the stairs and almost scared the crap outta me. I thought he was a walker for half a second there.

I jerked my head a little and stepped to the wall so he could go around me and take point.

Normally in close quarters like this, I should be taking point, but I can't afford to get hit or grabbed right now even the slightest. And he told me to play it safe, so that's exactly what I'm doing. Lucky him. I don't often do what I'm told.

I followed him up the remaining steps as they curved around so we were facing back towards the front of the building. The painted cement railing next to us making it easier to see the whole floor.

The entire right side is open and just full of sitting areas; couches, chairs, even brightly colored bean bags, and the entire left side is just one giant book shelf that runs along the wall with 4 rows of smaller shelves at the very edges and a set of study tables in the center. All in all, I was wrong. We can see the entire room from right here.

Immediately on my right is another door with a uni-sex bathroom sign and judging by the dimensions I'd say it's a single stall bathroom.

I turned the handle experimentally and glanced at Daryl to see him ready with his crossbow, before giving it a fast tug.

He stepped in almost the second the door was out of the way. Fast and tense but he relaxed, lowering his crossbow. Empty.

Wow, that's unusual. I thought there would've been at least one walker in here but I guess a book store isn't a very popular place to hole up or raid or anything really.

That's good. I'll remember that in the future. Add it to my list of 'Likely safe places'. The one I've just started as of now.

I relaxed myself, and looked around the room before walking towards the large windows at the end. It's been awhile since I've been in a bookstore, sadly.

I looked outside and gave Hershel and Lori a thumbs up as they saw me. Just before Glenn and Maggie joined them back outside.

"Let's head back."

I turned, seeing Rick on the stares near Daryl and headed back over as they started down; Daryl waiting until I caught up to actually go back down and head for the doors.

As soon as we pushed the glass door open, we were greeted with Rick telling the others. "We'll set up camp on the second floor."

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I'm still sick. What is this? It's been like 3 weeks.

I did my time, let me go.