To The Grave

Chapter 25. Randall. Day 135.

I sat in the backseat of the car, staring at the welcome sign for Oregon. They pulled over, in a large parking lot. "We've been scoping this place out for a while. We set up a radio to a car battery to lure any corpses to one section of the mall."

"We'll go in over here, and stick to our knives the whole time. No guns." I listened to the words, focusing on the large machete in my hands. I touched my fingertip against the blade, feeling the metal split my skin.

"Trying to cut off your finger?" Marty whispered to me. He opened his car door, climbing out quickly.

I followed him out, watching as Ferris and the others climbed out of the car. The twins, Holden and Jackson, held a large hand drawn map of the mall. Another body stood against the truck, looking around the parking lot. He held a long sword, ready to kill.

"Groups of two. Ferris, come with me." Jackson said to the group. Holden moved to my side.

"That's Kennon, he doesn't speak." Holden said to Marty. I followed everyone inside, holding the machete closely. The glass on the doors was shattered, lying in bloody pieces on the floor. I carefully stepped over it, into the large department store.

Women's clothing was stacked on display tables and hung neatly on racks. I walked past the dusty clothing, watching as the others found shopping carts, walking ahead. I walked slowly with Holden, looking at the empty musty mall.

I turned into a smaller store, grabbing the pair of wire cutters from my back pocket. I cut some racks, pulling large batteries off the shelves. I moved to the front counter, digging around the shelves below, I pulled out a water bottle, half full. I stood up turning to Holden, setting the stuff into the basket of the cart.

He turned around into the main section of the mall. "I can hear the music from here, so they're probably still fumbling around the bait."

"How'd you do it?" I turned around checking the area behind us.

He laughed a little. "A radio, and a new car battery. Put it inside a dog crate with a deer, something to draw their attention and something else to keep it."

We turned into another store."Was it alive?" I looked at the swords behind the counter, hanging against the wall in nice sheaths.

"No, found a corpse eating it, figured there could be a better use than one dead assholes last meal." I looked at the glass display counter, noticing the glass pipes within. I smirked, crouching to look at them. I moved, looking at the other trinkets the store had to offer.

Marty and Kennon entered the store looking around. Marty kneeled beside me, looking at the glass. "He doesn't speak." He whispered.

"So I heard." I stood up, kicking in the glass display. Kennon moved around the counter quickly, grabbing as many swords as he could.

I moved my arm around the glass grabbing as many knives as I could. "Grab the tasers." Marty pointed, grabbing the Bic lighter display case, dumping them into a small backpack.

I moved my arm back, feeling glass slice the top of my arm. I yanked my arm back, looking at the blood starting to bubble. I stood up, smearing the blood with my hands. I followed Holden out into the mall again, across to the shoe store. I grabbed socks off the shelves, dumping them into the cart. "What do we need?"

"Food, weapons, more clothes, water, medicine. Anything that will help." He walked through a door, ignoring the 'employees only' sign. He reemerged, holding a few backpacks and a water bottle.

"How long has it been?" I asked, pushing the cart back into the mall. I could see him and Marty silently jumping over the counter to a pretzel kitchen.