Resistance

Chapter Six

            Six

            I don’t think.

            In fact, if I took the moment to think, Cole and I would both be dead within seconds. I don’t waste any time as I raise the shotgun, pointing the barrel at the closest zombie crouching down to devour Cole and pull the trigger.

            A deafening boom sounds and then the zombie crumples to the ground, the shot getting it in the neck. With another shot left, I take the next closest monster while Cole starts crawling back and taking out his gun. As I rush towards Cole, Bullet whips towards one of the few left in the group and leaps for it, tearing off a chunk of its shoulder. He instantly spits it out and moves for another jump, the zombie too slow to even reach to bite the canine.

            I help Cole to his feet and whistle for Bullet to retreat to us. He does as he’s told and we start to jog backwards towards the doors, slowing to take shots. We’re there when we see it’s pointless. More zombies heard the noise and are slowly staggering out of alleyways and open doors in homes, looking for the human flesh to eat.

            Cole runs through the doors as someone throws them open, Bullet on his tail. But I pause, unable to believe the amount of mindless, dead people moving towards us. How can this happen? How can so many human beings be turned into corpses, hungering for blood and skin to keep them alive?

            “Come on,” Jagger says behind me. His voice makes it sound casual as he grabs the back of my jacket and yanks me inside, letting the double doors bang shut in front of me. In seconds, there’s banging on the doors from the monsters trying to get in. Jack and Emily drag things like desks and chairs to barricade the door but I don’t get to help as Jagger continues to drag me out of the room.

            He brings me to the girl’s bathroom and this time he holds the door open for Bullet, too. When we’re inside, he grabs my wrist and holds it up, moving it back and forth in the fading light to look at my cut.

            “How did this happen? Did you get bitten?” His voice is angry and full of concern at the same time. I shake my head no and he turns on the sink, thrusting my palm underneath the freezing water. I wince as he starts to scrub the cut, removing tiny pieces of glass.

            “I cut it going through the front window,” I whisper, staring at the side of Jagger’s face so I don’t have to feel the pain.

            “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

☣

            “This is crazy.” Jack shakes his head in disbelief as we peek out of one of the now barricaded windows. Hordes of zombies are lurking outside, all looking for a way inside. It’s impossible to count how many there are and I can’t help but wonder if we’re going to die in here or the dead will get us first.

            “It’s Sloane’s fault,” Cole snaps, angrily jerking away from the window. Everyone stares at him and then me. We recapped what happened but didn’t get very far before we heard the banging on every entrance and glass window. “I told you she’s going to be the death of us!”