Daisies for the Dying (boyxboy)

Chapter 3: Open, Close, Lock

The view from up here was wide. From where I was standing, I could see all the way into the edge of the city, the buildings here were low up until where the skyscrapers covered the other side.

Dad's station was just on the edge before you enter the city. From here, it was hard to make out anything from the roof (which is the only thing we could see and the large police station sign), which means there are no way to know if there are people on the building. But there had to be survivors that inhabit the building... or zombies. I hoped that it was the former and Dad was one of them.

If we start to walk toward it now, we could make it tomorrow before dark, but a problem was still at hand. The street we need to pass in order to make the short and currently the only available option, was blocked by a barricade and beyond that barrier, I could just make out a couple of hundred of zombies.

Even if we found a way to pass the barrier, the zombies would be a big problem. It's not like we could fight our way through the horde. It would end us in no time. Even if we do have a good amount of fire power.

Jess and I scanned another possible passage but the available ones are on another street that was also blocked with a barrier and a thicker horde of zombies and a makeshift bridge. The makeshift bridge had a guard from Brett's group (I know because the smaller guy from earlier went up to him), so it was out of question.

So the problem we had to face was how to pass the barrier without getting noticed by the watchmen and few patrollers that passed the barricade every now and then, and if we do pass, how will we fight off the number of zombies on the vicinity?

I sighed as I ran out of ideas on how we could leave as fast and silent as possible. I ran my hands through my dark hair and rubbed my eyes, feeling the exhaustion from the earlier ruckus.

I was still a little beat up with the early encounter and the bruise on my jaw was throbbing quite painfully now. The encounter with Brett and his group was our first interaction with humans after a long time. We decided that long ago that people were not good and Brett just proved my point correct.

Everything happened so fast. A week without nothing then boom! Gun chase, combat and stealing food from kids. Not that we knew that they were for kids, and it's not like we could just come to them and say 'Hey, we stole food that you will feed your children and we intentionally killed one of your men because he tried to take it from us. Oh, and we also beat up the hot guy quite badly.'

I rolled my eyes at the thought and plopped on the recliner seat. It was already midday and I was getting hungry and so is Jess. I rummaged my bag and took out two cans of fruit and tossed one to Jess, who muttered a 'thanks' while she continued to watch the outside.

I finished my can and stood beside her. I noted that the buildings on the other side are low and quite near each other that you can jump from one roof to the next. That's when the idea came to be. I felt stupid that we didn't notice that earlier.

"Jess, I think I know how could pass." I said enthusiastically as I shook her arm. Her head snapped to face me and gave me a skeptical look.

"How?" Jess asked.

"See those buildings." I pointed at the buildings that I noted. "See how close they are to each other? Maybe we could jump from one rooftop to the next. That way we could get to the other side of the barricade and also not have to face the horde on the ground. And the building goes a little long way so we could just continue until we need to walk by ground. It would give us more time to reach the station!"

She looked at the buildings that was said and nodded her head, considering the plan.

"Yeah you're right." Jess said and added a moment later, "Pick up your bags and let's go now."

I followed her orders and followed behind her as we went down the building. We were almost on the bottom of the first floor of the stairs when I heard a voice.

I grabbed for Jess' hand before she opened the door that leaded to the lobby.

"Wait. I think I heard somebody." I whispered to her and she nodded in understanding

I cautiously opened the door a wedge and peeked. I saw Brett with the guy who caught up with him earlier. They were walking tentatively trying their best to keep quiet but the other guy was muttering words of protest and tried to pull Brett out of the building. Brett shushed him every time he did so.

"Brett, c'mon. They're probably not here. Tanya is six for God's sake, never believe words that come out of a six year olds mouths." The guy pleaded to Brett and Brett just waved him off.

"Listen Riley, you don't have to be here so you can go or you can be quiet." Brett told the annoying Riley guy.

"But like you said, they took your guns and that means they're twice the danger and look what that little shit did to your face!" Riley snapped at Brett like a mother hen and I couldn't help but notice the forming black and blue on Brett's cheekbone.

"Tanya only said that she saw two people in front the barrier. That means they're probably gone here by now and on the other side." Riley said. "Whatever they need on that side." The guy added a moment later and I couldn't help but wonder why he made an emphasis when he mentioned the other side.

"Tanya told me that she saw the guy sitting on the couch when she peeked after Dad and Benjamin went back to their post." Brett informed and I remembered the rustling that I heard from outside.

Brett and the guy had a gun on their hand prepared for the worst.

"What are you gonna do if we catch them? You're not gonna kill them are you?" Riley said and Brett gave him a skeptical look.

"You're the one who almost shot them earlier. Besides, our camp is against killing the living." So they weren't gonna kill us earlier after all. "But nobody said anything about beating the shit out of the living." Brett later added and I gulped the forming lump on my throat.

They were silent for a moment, scanning the area until Riley broke the eerie silence.

"They killed Joseph." Riley deadpanned and Brett just shrugged.

"He was dying anyway, he had been infected since last week and he would've probably turned into a zombie by tomorrow or the next day." I remembered the guys look, wide red rimmed eyes, crazy foaming mouth. So that explains it. Ew.

Brett and Riley opened a few doors that leaded to the rooms on the first floor and Brett grunted in annoyance as he opened the last empty room.

"See they're not here." Riley muttered for the hundredth time. Brett snapped to look at him. Brett gave Riley an icy glare and told him to, I quote, 'Fuck off if you don't want to help.'

Riley gulped as Brett shoved his way pass Riley.

"Where are you going?" Riley asked Brett.

"Upstairs."

I started to panic as Brett crossed the lobby on his way to the door we were hiding in. I felt Jess nudging me, looking as overwrought as me. She motioned for us to go upstairs and out of nervousness, I pushed the door shut and I heard Blondie say something inaudible from outside the door. We rushed up the stairs as the door flew open, brandishing a grinning Brett.

We charged to the second floor door open, closed and locked it, and blocked the door with the nearest table. Both Jess and I flinched as the door was charged but didn't open. I looked at Jess in time to catch her looking at me. One thing was running on my mind as we tried to look for a place to hide. 'Fuck'.