Chapter 28: Shit Buddies
Rudy's cot bowed beneath his weight. Amanda watched himsnoring away as she sat up on her own cot. The cots were made of a lightweightaluminum frame covered with green nylon. It reminded her of when she had beensick at elementary school and the nurse had made her lie down until her parentscould show up.
Amanda sat up and stretched her back while she regardedRudy. She felt sorry for him and yet oddly protective. He was a ball ofself-esteem issues and poor health, but somehow, she felt responsible for him.He would be dead already if it weren't for her and, to a lesser extent, Chloe.
Amanda turned her gaze to Chloe. She too was sleeping, ascalm as the dead. Amanda shuddered at the thought. She didn't quite know whatto make of Chloe. There was something about her that was cold and almostinhuman. She seemed capable, but Amanda would rather rely on a starving tigerto watch her back than Chloe.
It was early in the morning; how early she didn't know,but the majority of people were slumbering in their cots or around the arena,bundled up in blankets. A feeling of emptiness washed over her. How many peoplehad died in the last 24 hours? How many people were still trapped out there. Ordid she have it wrong? Weren't they technically trapped in here?
At first, when they had been rescued by the army, she hadbeen happy, ecstatically happy, dodged-a-bullet happy. But as they sat on thetransport, and the medic looked at the bitten soldier, that had all changed.The medic shook his head in silence, pulled a revolver from his belt and put abullet through the man's head.
At that point, someone else had been in charge, and thencame the harrowing journey to the Coliseum. She wanted to purge the memoriesfrom her mind, but there were too many of them. Bullets flying, limbs beingblown off, and always the arms, reaching for them. If the dead ever gained theability to stretch like that guy from the Fantastic Four, they would all bedead in a matter of days.
But they couldn't stretch, so death was a slow thing.Death was coming for them in waves of plodding, unsleeping flesh. It was pausedoutside, waiting for them to tire, to let down their guard, and then it wouldall be over.
Rudy shifted on his cot, and she looked at him onceagain. So helpless. So sad. He was pathetic, but he was the only person sheknew who was currently alive. Her parents had been unreachable via her cellphone, and the signal had all but stopped registering by the time she hadpassed out. For all intents and purposes, her cell phone was now nothing morethan a glorified calculator.
The worst part was knowing that if everything werealright, she could have just hopped into a car and been in Eugene in a littleunder two hours. Now, they might as well be a world away. Was there a refugeecamp in Eugene? Were things as bleak there as they were here? Amanda hoped not.
Amanda felt pressure in her bladder, so she rose from hercot. She climbed over a metal railing and hiked her way up the concrete steps.She took a right on the concourse, and waved at a soldier as she walked to thebathroom. She undid the belt on her pants and hovered over the now-soiled toiletseat. She guessed the janitorial staff had the day off... for the rest of theirlives.
She was hovering there, urine tinkling into the toiletloudly, when she saw boot toes appear underneath the crack to the door. A senseof dread rushed through her body immediately, and she stopped urinating out ofinstinct.
"Don't stop on my account," said a voice on theother side of the door. The voice contained a sinister quality that sent aflood of adrenaline rushing through her body. Amanda stood up, and hiked herpants up around her waist. She grasped the loose ends of her belt, and that'swhen the man on the other side of the door kicked it in. It was the soldier shehad waved at. He was leering, his rifle flung over his shoulder, and his teethgleaming in the shadows of the stall. He rushed at her, his hands pawing inplaces where they had no business.
Amanda pushed and fought the man, but he was likeunbending iron, attempting to smash her into the back of the stall. She lashedout at the place where she knew the man's aggression originated from. She threwa fist at his groin, but she didn't connect. Just the attempt was enough tosend the soldier into a rage.
The man punched her across the jaw, and she tasted bloodin her mouth. Her eyes went dark, and all she could do was flail her arms in anattempt to keep the man off of her. But he was stronger, and she felt thestubble of his cheek against her own skin. She screamed, but it was cut offwith a squeak as the man placed his rough hand across her throat.
"What are you fightin' for? It's the end of theworld, baby. Live a little."
As her head spun, she saw him reach for his own belt withhis free hand. There was a sharp whistle behind the soldier. He turned around,and then he was writhing on the floor, clutching at his groin. As the starscleared from her eyes, she saw Chloe kicking the man in the face. Teethskittered across the floor, and then there was no more struggle. Chloe didn'tstop, and by the look on her face, Amanda could tell that she wouldn't stop fora while. When she was done, the soldier's face was no longer recognizable, andloose teeth gleamed at her from the filthy floor of the bathroom.
Chloe looked at her in the stall, held out her hand, andAmanda grabbed it. Chloe pulled her to her feet and then they walked quicklyand silently out of the bathroom. They ran down the stairs to the arena floor,and Amanda sat on the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging themtight.
Chloe looked around the arena, her eyes calm, and herbreathing shallow.
