The Rot

Chapter 14

 The parking lot behind the hardware store was too close to the back of the building for Cyn and I to slip out of and get away. The eaters in the lot would spot us easily. I was lucky that the dead thing lingering near the alleyway didn't see me when I opened the back door.

Cynthia started to panic. She stormed out of the back office and into the main part of the hardware store. "What the fuck are we going to do now!"

"Cyn, calm down. The eaters will hear you," I responded.

"I don't care. I have to find my family," Cyn shot right back at me. She took out a smoke and lit it. With the turn the day was taking, I thought about asking her for a cigarette myself. Then I remembered all of the running we've been doing so I opted against smoking. The lungs are sort of vital for that whole running away from the undead stuff.

I let Cynthia be for the moment and went back to the front entrance. I hoped that the dead things would be spread out enough so that her and I could at the very least, make a run for it. My hopes were dashed once I saw that the eaters were still out there. Using some duct tape and newspaper, I constructed a makeshift curtain to place over the window glass so none of the dead things outside could see in the shop.

I sat down on one of the counters and Cynthia stood there, arms folded, with her lit cigarette dangling from the right corner of her mouth. "Bullshit," I heard her mutter.

"Cynthia, there's nothing we can do about it right now," I replied.

"I know, that's why I said 'bullshit.' How is it out front?"

"Rotten. And I'm not being a smart ass here. I can tell you're pissed, that's why I'm not making any jokes."

"Thanks."

"I'm not in the mood to have a garden hose shoved up my ass."

Cynthia tried her hardest, but she couldn't help it, and she smiled.

"Ahh, I see you, Cyn. Turn around and look at me," I told her.

"Nope."

"Come on. That was funny."

"Funny and a terrifying image. Don't make me laugh, I'm angry."

"I know, Cynthia. But I say we just wait the dead things out up front. Barricade the front door as best we can and hunker down for the night. I mean, they do have camping gear in the store."

"I hate camping."

"You don't want to share a sleeping bag with me?"

Cyn snuffed out her smoke and started to stare daggers through me. I guess that was her way of saying 'maybe.' Cynthia headed over to the front door and moved the newspaper aside a little to see what was going on out there. She shook her head and sighed, "Shit."

"Told you it was bad. Cynthia, nothing about this end of the world bullshit is supposed to be easy. Did you really think that we'd make it to your mom's apartment complex in one day?"

Cynthia nodded. "Yeah. I thought we'd get lucky."

"Cynthia, I never get lucky. In more ways than one."

Cyn turned away from me and tried not to smile again. "Damn you, Reid."

"Cynthia, just take a few deep breaths and try to calm down. I know you're probably thinking about your mom and sister constantly."

"Like clockwork."

"Well, right now, just try not to. It won't get you anywhere. I say we just hunker down in here for the night and see what the outside is like first thing in the morning. We're running out of daylight as it is."