The Collapse - Beginning (6 page)

The first day went by quietly, and the second day looked like it would turn out the same. Justin and Amy packed some of the canned goods and packaged meals into separate backpacks, along with medical kits and personal items. Justin paused as he held up his wallet.

“Do you think we’ll need money and credit cards?” he asked with a sudden grin.

Amy shrugged. “Who knows? Some people might still want cash. I know I’m definitely not leaving my ID card, passport, and credit cards behind. They go where I go.”

Justin tossed his wallet into his bag. “What else? We’ll need a spare change of clothes and shoes. Maybe a thick jacket. We’ll definitely need bottled water. And a Swiss Army knife. What else?” He paused to drum his fingers on his thigh. “Hmm. Oh, yes. A flashlight and a box of matches.”

Amy raised her brows. “Wow, you’ve really thought this through. But we won’t need most of them in the campervan.”

“Maybe,” he agreed. “But I’d feel safer knowing that I have these items nearby. You never know when we might need them.”

Regarding weapons, Justin had taking a great liking to his baseball bat. Amy decided to take Justin’s old golf club and use that as her weapon. She’d never played golf before, but she liked the way it felt in her hands.

Next, they cut up thick boxes to make their “protective gear.” Amy wondered if they were wasting their time. After all, these things couldn’t protect them from a Runner’s bite. She grumbled this out as she used both hands to cut through the thick paper with her small scissors.

“That’s true,” Justin concurred. “But think about it. A Runner will claw at you first before biting you. I think the cardboard will save us from getting eviscerated. Even those few precious seconds will give us time to fight back or stab them in the eye.” He nodded to himself. “Garrett’s right. It really is better than nothing at all.”

By the time they were done, Justin and Amy had cardboard wrapped around their lower and upper arms, thighs and calves, and a long, thick piece around their chest. They had left their elbows and knees exposed for better flexibility.

“We look like idiots,” Amy complained as Justin laughed heartily beside her. He insisted that she should twirl around so that he could inspect their handiwork. She rolled her eyes and did a dramatic pirouette.

“You look fine to me,” he said, still chuckling. They took the cardboard off and decided to have lunch. Deciding on beef and chili, they sat down at the kitchen counter and scarfed down their meal.

“We mustn’t leave any food behind,” Amy said between bites. To be honest, after dividing the food into eight equal portions, there hadn’t been that much food per person. If they rationed it well, it would probably last for four days. Justin and Amy had been subsisting on two meals a day each to make sure they would have some food to put into their backpacks.

“We’ll take everything, even the old gum in my schoolbag,” Justin answered. They shared a bottle of water, making sure to rinse their mouths and swallow the water. Back then, it would have grossed Amy out. Now, they had no choice. Drinkable water was precious.

They settled on the sofa, leaning against each other for comfort. In the next apartment, Daniel and Marie were probably busy as well, packing their bags while Garrett and Benson made their protective gears. Earlier in the morning, Garrett had asked Patrick to pull up the food sack for the campervan, along with his backpack. Holding the rifle in one hand, he had climbed up and crossed over to Daniel’s apartment to help Benson with the preparations. By the looks of it, he would be staying there until the next day, when it was time for all of them to leave for good. Amy briefly wondered if Benson was having fun making those cardboard outfits. The poor kid deserved to be happy, even if it was only for a short period of time. He’d lost his dad, and he was among strangers. But at least Marie had taken a maternal liking to him.

Amy must have dozed off on the sofa. Something startled her awake, and she jumped. Beside her, Justin mumbled incoherently under his breath, his head thrown back, his neck exposed. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed.

“What time is it?” he groaned.

“What was that?” Amy whispered. Something had startled her awake. Silence, and then there was another loud, thumping noise. And then another one. It was coming from next door.

“It’s coming from your apartment, Justin,” Amy said.

Justin paused, thinking. “Maybe it’s just Patrick. He’s probably doing something about that barricade.” He winced slightly. “But does he have to be so loud?”

There was a muffled scream. “How dare you steal my food! That’s my ration!”

“Lower your voice, you old bag!” A pause. “You don’t need all this food. It’s wasted on you. Now stand back, or I’ll kick you after I’m done kicking this cabinet door.”

The thumping continued as Ms. Wentworth continued to rail at Patrick.

“They’re causing too much noise,” Amy fumed. “They’re going to bring the Runners into our hallway.”

They hurried over to the balcony and saw Garrett, Daniel, and Marie standing in the next balcony, wide-eyed.

“What’s going on over there?” Garrett barked.

“They’re arguing about the food,” Justin replied. “Don’t worry. We’ll go over there now to sort this out.”

The noise had also attracted the Runners below. The hissing and snarling grew louder, and Amy saw several of them leaping for the first-floor railing. Two of them managed to grab hold, and one eventually pulled itself up and into the balcony.

“Oh, c-c-crap,” Amy stuttered as she crawled over the board and landed in Justin’s balcony. Justin followed several seconds behind.

Patrick and Ms. Wentworth had left the sliding door wide open. Justin shook his head in disbelief. Just as they stepped into the living room, there was another pounding noise. This time, it came from the outside.

The Runners in the hallway were attacking the door. The wooden door shook with each hit, and Amy noticed a crack starting to form down the middle.

“Ms. Wentworth! Patrick! We have to get out of here!” Justin shouted.

The thumping noise in the study room stopped, and Patrick ran out. He looked semi-crazed.

“He’s trying to take my food!” Ms. Wentworth cried as she followed him out. “He ate all of his, and –”

“Not now! We have to go!” Amy shouted, and she grabbed Justin’s hand. Both ran out to the balcony.

A strange sound filled the apartment, and Amy realized it was the sound of splintering wood. She looked over her shoulder and gasped.

There was a jagged, gaping hole in the door. Several Runners, bleeding from their heads, poked their heads in, snarling.

They began to squeeze their way in.

“Go. Go, go, go!” Justin yelled, pushing Amy forward. She quickly crawled over and landed in the other balcony. She reached out for Justin.

“What are you waiting for?” she cried. Justin stalled, looked frustrated, and then crawled over to join her. He leaned over the railing.

“Patrick! Ms. Wentworth!” he shouted. “You need to get out. Now!”

Garrett and Daniel were still standing in their balcony. “What the hell’s going on?” Garrett shouted angrily.

“They got in. The Runners got in,” Amy babbled as she felt Justin push her from behind.

“Go get our backpacks and weapons, and then go to Daniel’s apartment.” Justin’s face was ashen. “I’ll join you there shortly.”

With a nod, she hurried into the apartment. Moments later, she stepped out to see Patrick burst out into the balcony, his eyes wild and crazed as Ms. Wentworth clung to him. With great force, he pushed her away and scrabbled over the railing.

“Let go of me!” he yelled when Ms. Wentworth pulled at the hem of his shirt.

“Don’t leave me!” she bawled. “Help me, help me, help –”

“Ms. Wentworth!” Justin shouted, reaching out a hand. “You have to climb over. You must!”

In a bid to free himself, Patrick gave a vicious back kick that knocked the elderly woman breathless. She stumbled back, her mouth a perfect O, before losing her balance and toppling over the railing.

She fell all the way down, screaming.

Her screams were abruptly cut short by the sounds of rending material and something wet and squishy. The Runners were in a frenzy, pulling and biting and clawing.

Patrick reached the balcony and immediately climbed over again to reach Daniel’s apartment. Justin leaned over the railing, shocked as he stared at the Runners ravaging Ms. Wentworth’s bloodied remains.

“Get a move on!” Garrett barked at Justin, even as the others all screamed for him to climb over.

Three Runners were now standing in the balcony of Justin’s apartment. With a snarl, the tallest one climbed up on the railing and leaped.

An ear-splitting shot crackled in the air, causing the Runner’s head to whip back. Its legs hit the third-floor balcony before its body fell to the ground.

All of this had happened in mere seconds, but it was enough to snap Justin back to attention. He hurriedly climbed over to Daniel’s place just as two more shots rang out above them. Garrett pushed them all inside.

“Time to go,” he said.

“What? Now?” Patrick asked, his tone incredulous.

“Yes, now!” Garrett snapped. “Those things are going to keep coming through Justin’s broken door. You saw that thing trying to jump over, didn’t you?” He grabbed Patrick’s collar and shook him hard. “I’ve half a mind to leave you here for what you just did, but we don’t have time for this. So do as I say and
move
!”

Amy and Justin quickly slung their backpacks over their shoulders. Beside them, Garrett, Daniel, and Marie did the same. Garrett’s and Daniel’s bags bulged with extra weight from the food sack. There was no time to put on their cardboard armor. Benson stuffed a whining Walter into his small backpack and zipped the top, leaving it slightly open for air.

“Stay quiet, boy,” he whispered. “No barking, okay?” He looked up at Patrick with a curious gaze. “Where’s your bag? Don’t you have a weapon?”

Patrick fumbled to speak as all eyes landed on him. “I . . . I left them behind,” he finished lamely.

With a snort, Garrett moved to the door and began removing the barricade. “Stay in the middle, and try not to get yourself killed.”

When they opened the door, the hallway was empty. Garrett and Daniel stepped out first.

“Let’s go,” Garrett whispered.

He led them down to the end of the hallway. Pausing, he pressed the butt of his rifle against the exit door and pushed it open.

“It’s pitch black in here,” he said as he turned on his flashlight. “Keep your eyes open, and don’t fall down the stairs.”

A snarl sounded behind Amy, and she turned around, gasping. A bloated Runner with curlers on her head was stumbling toward them.

Her heart pumping with fear and adrenalin, Amy swung her golf club down and watched as the club head smashed into the Runner’s head. The heavy body slumped against the wall and slid down.

There was no time to make sure it was dead. They immediately began their descent down the dark stairs. Their path was surprisingly clear down to the second floor, but here was where their luck ended. Garrett’s flashlight revealed two Runners slumped on the stairs. Snarling, they got up with startling speed and began climbing toward them when Daniel reached down and rammed his fire poker into one Runner’s head. The other one managed to reach in and grab Benson’s shoulder, causing the boy to yelp in fright. Marie released a thin scream and pulled the boy back, but the Runner’s grip tightened. Just as it leaned down to take a bite, Justin smashed his bat over its head, splitting the skull open. It fell down the stairs and landed in a crumpled heap against the wall.

“Let us hurry,” Marie said, wrapping an arm around the shaking boy. They made their way down to the basement floor, where Garrett’s campervan was hopefully waiting for them. Daniel paused at the door, hesitant, then pushed it slightly open. Everyone peeked out.

There were about nine or ten Runners shuffling around the semi-full car park.

Daniel quietly closed the door. “There are too many,” he whispered. “What do we do?”

“We have to make a run for it,” Amy answered. “We don’t have a choice.”

Garrett peeked out again. “The campervan’s right behind the red sports car. But we need a plan.” His lips thinned. “We need to split up.”

“No!” Patrick managed to cry out before Garrett slammed a large hand against the younger man’s mouth.

“Stay quiet! You’re going to get us all killed,” he whispered fiercely. He leaned in. “Can you stay quiet? Can you do that?” When Patrick nodded, he removed his hand. “Now listen. We need to split them up. To do that,
we
need to do the same. Amy and Justin will go one way. Daniel, Marie, and Patrick will go in the other direction. I’ll take Benson and go for the campervan. Once we get in, wait for us on the street. But you have to be in a place where I can see you. I can’t waste time searching for you, understand?”

Everyone peeked out once more. “Okay, let’s do this,” Garrett said, and he stepped out, pushing Benson behind him.

Justin reached for Amy’s hand. “Don’t let go,” he said with a strained smile. She nodded and squeezed his hand. Taking a deep breath, they ran out, heading for the parking entrance. Daniel and Marie ran toward the parking exit.

Several shots rang out behind them, but Amy’s attention was only on their escape. She could hear the Runners coming after them, their snarls growing louder by the second. She pumped her legs, forcing herself to go faster, but her limbs struggled with the weight she was carrying. Justin’s grip on her tightened, not letting go.

They stumbled out into the late afternoon light. Twilight would soon be upon them. They had to leave before nightfall.

“Let’s hide over there,” Justin said, pointing at a green dumpster next to a fruit and vegetable shop. They ran over and hid behind it, trying to quiet down their heavy breathing. They huddled together as rapid footsteps ran past them, and remained that way until they could hear nothing.

Justin raised his bat and peered around the dumpster bin. “Clear,” he whispered. ‘They’re gone.”

They crouched down and waited. A moment later, Daniel, Marie, and Patrick sprinted out from the exit. Amy stepped out and waved frantically at them.

Luckily, Marie saw her. They ran toward them and immediately squatted down behind the dumpster, trying to catch their breaths. Patrick was shaking like a leaf.

Three Runners ran past them, their hisses and snarls fading into the distance. When Amy was sure the coast was clear, she stood up and peered over the bin, hoping to catch a glimpse of the campervan. Where was Garrett?

She heard it before she saw it. The van burst out of the exit and weaved onto the street. To her horror, there was a Runner on the roof, slamming its head against the roof vent. Another had smashed its head into the passenger seat window and was trying to climb through.

Garrett braked suddenly, violently tossing the Runner that’d been on the roof. He aimed his rifle at the one reaching for him through the window and blew a chunk of its brains out.

“Get in!” he shouted.

They sprinted toward the campervan. Benson opened the door to let them in, but the Runner that’d been thrown to the ground leaped up and grabbed the flimsy door.

“Garrett!” Benson screamed. “It’s got the door! It-It won’t let go!”

The noise had attracted a considerable crowd of Runners. Justin and Daniel ran to help Benson, but stopped in their tracks when a Runner that had been inside the fruit shop stumbled out from the storage room and blocked their path. It snarled and ran at them.

Daniel ran his fire poker through its torso as Justin took a vicious swing, hitting the Runner on the side of its head. It wasn’t enough to kill it. The Runner grabbed Justin’s shoulders and bent down to bite his cheek when Daniel pulled out his poker from its torso and rammed it through its eye. The force caused the pointed end to exit through the back of its skull.

“Are you all right?” Daniel breathed, and Justin nodded, dazed. The others joined them.

“Where’s the campervan?” Patrick asked, his eyes bulging with fear.

It was gone.

“That bastard left us out here to die!” he shouted. “He took our food and now –”

“Shut up,” Marie said angrily, and everyone turned to stare at her, surprised. She was usually so mild mannered. Then again, Amy was certain that not even a saint could put up with a jerk like Patrick. He was a burden to them all.

“Garrett has his own problems,” she said, worrying. “I hope he managed to throw off that Runner.” She darted a quick glance at Marie. “I hope Benson’s okay.”

“We have to find shelter,” Justin said, wiping his face with his sleeve. He looked up at the sky. “It’s going to get dark soon. We can’t stay out here.”

“Maybe we should go back to our apartments.” Daniel shrugged helplessly. “They are safe.”

Amy shook her head. “We’ll die before we reach them. There’re too many Runners between us and the building.” Her face turned grim. “Besides, we have to leave the city. We have to get to that farm somehow. It’s the only way we can survive long-term.”

Justin peered into the storage room. “I think this place is empty. Let’s stay here for tonight. Tomorrow morning, I’ll return to the car park and get my jeep. It’s parked close to the entrance, so it won’t be too bad.” He took out his flashlight and smiled at the group. “We’ll be okay. C’mon, let’s go in.”

The group trailed behind him, ignoring the stink of rotting fruit and the sound of flies buzzing everywhere. Amy was the last person to go through. Pausing, she locked the door and pressed her forehead against it, praying that morning would come soon.

End of Part One