PetrA

Chapter seventy-three: Joachim

Joachim looked around cautiously as they walked into the store, everything was silent, nothing moved in the semi-darkness. "We'll take a quick search and then grab everything we can, clothes, food, medicine, anything that is useful." Desiree said her eyes darting around. "Joachim and Kim you go together, I'll go with Henrik and Nigel and, you, twins go." They all scattered and moved silently around in each of their areas. All of Joachim's senses were on alert as he held the gun ready in one hand and his knife in the other. "What's that smell?" Kim asked as they moved into the middle of the store. Joachim scrunched his face, there had been some bad smells when they walked in, but this was just downright horrendous. "Go that way, I'll go this way." Kim said. Joachim moved down the aisles on the lookout for any nasty surprises. After a little while Kim yelled in alarm, Joachim spun on his heel and tore in the direction of where he was.

Out of breath and holding his gun ready, Joachim found Kim pressed up against a line of shelves staring in horror at something in front of him. It didn't look like he was in any immediate danger, slowly he turned around and jumped back letting out a cry of surprise. Straight in front of them, was a perfect line with people tied up at the ankles, wrists and wrapped in something that looked like plastic, so only their heads were visible. Each face was gaunt, rotten and very much alive. Joachim was almost afraid to lift his eyes, fearing what might meet him if he did. Slowly he looked up and backed up further. From the ceiling hung at least ten more bodies, ropes around their necks, their bodies were too wrapped in plastic, strings of ropes bound tightly in several places, like you do to a ham. The body in the middle had a sign hanging from around its neck with a message written in murky dark brown letters. THIS is what awaits us all! We must peril to the will of god. We leave ourselves as sacrifices to his wrath. We have sinned, and now it is our duty to take the punishment! The body holding the sign wriggled and growled at them.

"What'sgoing on? We heard you scream!" Desiree panted. Both Joachim and Kim liftedtheir hands and pointed in front of them. Desiree turned around and yelped, sheaccidently stepped on one of the bags and they heard a disgusting mushy sound.Desiree stumbled and fell backwards onto the floor as she scrambled away from thedead plastic wrapped person. "What is this?" She asked. "This is what awaits us all! We must peril to the will of god. We leaveourselves as sacrifices to his wrath. We have sinned, and now it is our duty totake the punishment!" Anthony read aloud just as stunned as the rest. "Holyfuck that's sick." Lewis said with wide eyes. "Let's make a wide with aroundthem and just get what we need." Nigel said backing up. They backed away fromthe sight and began to fill the sports bags, they took everything they neededand that might come in handy at one point or another. Clothes, food, medicine,vitamins, tools and other things. "Let's get out of here." Henrik muttered oncetheir bags was full to the bursting point. "Good idea." Joachim said. Theymoved quickly towards the doors, when somebody shouted. "BEND TO THE WILL OFGOD!" They all spun around to see two people running towards them, wild lookson their faces. "RUN!" They ran towards the front doors, which they'd leftunlocked. Nigel slammed into the door forcing it open. None of them was verykeen to stay and fight two crazies. Nigel turned on the car a second beforeDesiree, Joachim and Kim flung the bags into the back seat of the car whileLewis took the passenger seat with his bag still on his back. It was impossibleto make out what the two people were screaming after them, but Joachim was surehe heard the word God and Wrath mentioned several times. "We stillneed to fill more bags." Lewis said turning around in his seat looking back atthe Walmart.