After the week was up, Emma asked if it would be okay to stay with Aaron for a night.
“I’m sorry,” She began. “Aaron really wants me to stay with him and hang out. I told him no but he insisted. If you say no though, I’ll tell him you need me.”
“No, go. Have fun. You need a break from my misery.”
“I’m so sorry Cate.”
I shrugged, “It is what it is.”
“Yeah, but I knew how you felt about him. I always thought eventually you’d let your walls down and you two would get together.”
I shook my head, “The walls aren’t coming down Em. They’re here to stay.”
She looked sad and stroked my hair. “I’m so sorry sweetie.”
“Don’t worry about me tonight. Have fun.”
She hesitated but then left. I lay in the bed for a bit longer. I finally got up and took Milo for a walk before it got dark. After we got back in the apartment, I made sure the door was locked and hung up the wind chimes and made a sandwich. I didn’t eat it all but I had been trying to eat more to keep my strength up.
I gave Milo the last of my sandwich and we went into the bedroom. I closed the door behind me and locked all the locks on the door. Milo jumped up on the bed and I changed back into my pajamas.
I was asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. I had slept better in the past week than I had in the last six months which didn’t make sense. I didn’t understand why I didn’t dream about Ian. It seemed the most logical as I had often dreamed horrible dreams about Shelly though I had no way of knowing if they were accurate. The only thing I could figure is that I was finally so emotionally drained that I didn’t have the energy for the nightmares anymore.
My left side was completely healed but my heart and mind were far from it. I wasn’t sure they ever would be healed.
After what felt like ages, I woke up because Milo jumped. It was still dark outside. Milo made a weeping sound.
“What’s wrong sweetie?” I asked sitting up.
I sat and listened but I didn’t hear anything. I thought maybe it was the wind that woke him up. I lay back down and closed my eyes. They didn’t stay closed long though because I heard the wind chimes rustling.
Milo stood up on the bed and I sat up. I turned on the lantern on the nightstand. I got out of bed and pulled Milo by the collar.
“Come on buddy,” I said.
He wouldn’t come at first. He was staring in the direction of the door.
After a bit of a struggle I finally got him to move. I put him in the closet and shut the door. Whatever was happening out there, I didn’t want Milo to become a casualty.
I got my knife from the nightstand and went over to the door. I put my ear up against the door and listened. I heard a faint growling noise. Then there was a loud bang as the zombie hit the door. It began scratching at the other side and growling more intensely as it caught my scent.
I backed away from the door and tried to think of the best course of action. My mind was racing with how the damn thing got in but I couldn’t try to figure that out right then. I needed to kill it and kill it fast. I hoped it was just one.
I was debating between trying to smash its brain in the door and hiding behind the door and stabbing it with my knife when it got in the room. Deciding for the latter, I unlocked the door and opened it slowly. Well, I tried to open it slowly.
The hungry zombie barged in and knocked me down onto the bed. It got a hold of my foot but I was able to kick it away before teeth penetrated my skin. I still had my knife in hand and stood up as the zombie came towards me.
I pushed its hand away so it couldn’t grab me and stabbed it in the forehead. I pulled the knife out and pushed the body backwards so it wouldn’t land on my bed.
I grabbed my .38 with the silencer, along with my knife and lantern. I headed down the hall slowly and listened for anymore zombies. I checked in Emma’s room and bathroom. There was nothing.
I headed into the dining room and noticed that the door was unlocked. I didn’t understand it as I remembered locking the door and if Emma had stopped by she would’ve checked on me. I stood trying to figure it out when I saw the handle move.
I ran and hid behind the wall turning off the lantern when I got to my destination. I sat the lantern down as the apartment was filled with the unnatural light of a flashlight.
I heard two men laughing though they sounded young.
“Man, I bet it’s a gruesome sight,” One said.
“Shut up, this is depressing. Cate was hot,” the other interjected.
“Yeah, I would’ve hit that even though she was a damn prude. Why did Aaron want us to do this?”
“I’m not sure but I’m just following my orders. Not asking any questions that might put me in the crosshairs. He’s wanted Cate gone for a while and he didn’t like the half assed attempt of putting a possum in the trunk of that car but I thought it would attract zombies.”
“He wants that new girl done next right?
