She sniffed back more tears; tears of gratitude toward her brother mixing with her tears of sorrow. But still, she had to tell him the truth. “Back in the tunnel—”
“You got us out. Just like you’ll get us out of this. I know it. I believe in you.”
She would have to be the strong one after all. David deserved it. They all deserved it. She deserved it. All she had to do was hold back her guilt, and they would all believe she could save them.
She hoped she could.
DAY 11: THE LAST NIGHT
ALEX
That night was their coldest in the community centre, though it might have been fear that made them shiver. But they stayed huddled together under the blankets they had found in Bob and Florence’s house. They had to get a good sleep before heading out in the morning. Alex and Nicole had volunteered to take shifts staying awake—keeping watch in case someone or something came for them during the storm. Despite their sentry-like vigil and the barricaded doors downstairs, no one slept.
The autumn wind howled, making the building creak and moan. Leaves, twigs, and branches flew up and hit their windows, making them jump each time. Debris rolled down the street and hit the building, causing even more noise. At one point, after a loud creak from the roof above them, Alex wondered how much wind it would take to drop the SMASHER! If it fell now, the recoil could throw it through the wall below them, making their barricades and locks pointless. No one could do anything about it now, so he said nothing.
Just another thought to keep him awake.
Their bags were all packed with as many supplies as they could take, ready at the door of the supply room. After suiting up—they found enough pieces of armour so that they’d each have something to wear for protection. They would make one last check out the front door and from each of the upstairs windows. There would be no chance of an ambush, either from Jared or from mudmen. Once they were certain the coast was clear, they would quickly move to Bob and Florence’s house.
This would only be a decoy, in case anyone was watching or following them. Once inside, they would dart through to Hannah’s house. After a quick search for any more vital supplies, they would head out from there. Their goals were simple: head one-by-one to their own houses and search others for more supplies as they went. Though none of their homes were that far away—a quick walk on any normal day—they were no longer working with normal days and decided to make the trips slowly and carefully. One destination each day, resting somewhere safe at night.
All of that seemed so distant as the night slowly ticked by.
Alex checked his watch frequently. His look-out shift was supposed to last two hours, so he wanted to make sure he stuck to the plan. He would duck his head under the blanket to check the time almost every three minutes. Noises became regular as the storm progressed. They almost became comforting.
PLINK—drip hitting the window.
TAP, TAP, TAP—a branch stuck in the fence hitting the side of the building.
PLINK—drip hitting the window.
CREEEEAK—the roof getting a tug from the wind.
BUMP, BUMP, CLANK—the SMASHER! rolling away, then back against its guard.
PLINK, PLINK—two big drips hitting the window.
Over and over. He started making a rhythm of it in his head.
PLINK; TAP, TAP, TAP; PLINK; CREEEEAK; BUMP, BUMP, CLANK; PLINK, PLINK.
PLINK; TAP, TAP, TAP; PLINK; CREEEEAK; BUMP, BUMP, CLANK; PLINK, PLINK.
PLINK; TAP, TAP, TAP; PLINK; CREEEEAK; BUMP, BUMP, CLANK; PLINK, PLINK.
SMASH!
Though it was a muffled smash, he almost jumped to his feet; he would have if he weren’t pinned down by those who were pretending to sleep around him. Two gasps erupted in unison from Hannah and David, and everyone’s breathing became very loud. Someone needed to say something comforting.
“It’s probably just the wind,” David finally said.
“David!” Alex said. “Why would you say that? You’re never supposed to say that!”
“Why not?”
Alex could not believe he had to explain this to someone his own age. “Because, it’s from every horror—”
He was cut off suddenly by a more disturbing noise.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG-BOOM!
It came from downstairs.
“Hey, everybody!” a voice called, from the downstairs door that had just been smashed open.
Jared was back.
“Be quiet!” Nicole whispered, jumping to her feet. “Just ... stay quiet!”
Everyone had started to scramble up, but then slowed, despite their instinct to run out screaming. Nicole was right. They might be okay if they were quiet. Maybe he wouldn’t find them.
His footsteps came, walking up the stairs. Wind howled through the open door that he had somehow smashed inward, through the frame and locks. It banged limply against the wall in rhythm with his loud steps.
He stopped at the top of the stairs and began jumping loudly and screaming. Evidently, since he couldn’t use stealth, he’d decided to scare them as much as he could.
It was working. They piled into one another, throwing themselves into the arms of whoever they could find in the dark, wrapping their own arms around the others and squeezing tightly.
Jared called again, as loudly as he could “Why didn’t you just leave? Are you all scared of the outside, or are you all just fucking retarded?”
The sound of his footsteps intensified. A flicker of light shone under the door. Then: a splashing noise.
“Doesn’t matter now!” he yelled, answering his own question as he began kicking the bedroom door, throwing his weight behind his boot each time it made contact.
The thick wooden door wouldn’t last forever. In the dark, Alex pictured its frame buckling with each kick, bulging around the lock until it finally snapped,
