crack.
'Funny how shit works out, isn't it?' Rooster whispered.
Marvin didn't think it was funny at all, but nodded anyway.
Rooster placed his hands on the bars of the cell, which rattled with instability. A sudden realisation hit Rooster Hill.
'You know when I asked what you would do if you weren't here?' he said.
Marvin nodded. 'Uh-huh.'
'Well how about we find out,' he said.
And with that, he threw the cell doors wide open.
*
Terry Lewis took a quick glance around the corner. There were seven of them, four on the floor and three standing. The four on the floor were picking at the bones of something unrecognisable, whilst the others meandered around the corridor, confused, hungry.
Terry made the signal of the cross against his chest.
'How many?' Jared asked. He was half-in, half-out of the laundry room.
'Seven,' Terry whispered. 'But we should be able to get by them without them noticing.'
The door which they needed to get to was a few feet away from the creatures. Terry knew that the ones feeding would be too busy to spot them as they passed, and if they were quick enough and waited until the others were facing the other way, they could make it without alerting any of them.
'I don't want to,' Jared said, fearful. His eyes were filled with tears. Terry realised that he didn't know his cellmate at all, not really .
'Do you want to stay here?' asked Terry. 'You want me to leave you to hide in there, on your own?'
Jared's eyes widened even more; his mouth fell open into a terrified O. 'What if they see us?' he managed. 'What if they see us, Terry, and we can't beat them?'
Terry knew the consequences of such a predicament, but his faith had returned somewhat. Not completely; it wasn't the same as when he'd first discovered religion all those years ago, but when you were young you believed in anything. It was, however, enough for Terry to believe that God didn't want him to die, not yet. He had once been a training servant to the Lord; that had to count for something.
'We don't have a choice,' Terry said. 'We need to get to the yard and pray that those things haven't had the same idea.'
'I trust you,' Jared said, closing his mouth. Terry knew, right then, that he was not just surviving for himself.
He had to take care of another soul, too.
'I'm going to take another look,' Terry said as he placed the flat of his hand against Jared's chest. 'I'll wait until the coast is clear, but when I go, you go. There'll be no time to piss about. We head for the door, second up on the right, and we don't stop running until we reach it. Do you understand?'
Jared nodded.
'Good.'
Terry stuck his head out again. One of the creatures that had been standing was now feeding with the others, which meant that there were only two now who could possibly get to the door before them. Those two, though, were heading down the corridor, bumping into each other and bouncing off the walls like fleshy pinballs.
'Now,' Terry whispered, and took off. Never once taking his eyes from the door, he listened to the creatures as they gnawed through bone and sucked at the flesh of the poor soul. It was enough to make vomit rise in his throat, but he quickly swallowed it down, never once faltering. He just hoped that Jared was following closely, for if he wasn't, then it would be too late for him to make it.
One of the ambling creatures had turned, and was now sliding along the corridor with teeth bared. It growled, but the five feeders didn't pay it any heed, even when it almost tripped over them and the cadaver upon which they fed.
Terry reached the door and turned to find Jared had been less than a step behind him all the way. As he turned they almost clashed heads.
'Get in!' Terry said, pulling the door open and forcing Jared through it. He followed, slamming the door shut as quickly as he could.
There was a single lock halfway down the frame, which Terry slid into place. It would be enough to keep the creatures out, for now; the sheet
'Funny how shit works out, isn't it?' Rooster whispered.
Marvin didn't think it was funny at all, but nodded anyway.
Rooster placed his hands on the bars of the cell, which rattled with instability. A sudden realisation hit Rooster Hill.
'You know when I asked what you would do if you weren't here?' he said.
Marvin nodded. 'Uh-huh.'
'Well how about we find out,' he said.
And with that, he threw the cell doors wide open.
*
Terry Lewis took a quick glance around the corner. There were seven of them, four on the floor and three standing. The four on the floor were picking at the bones of something unrecognisable, whilst the others meandered around the corridor, confused, hungry.
Terry made the signal of the cross against his chest.
'How many?' Jared asked. He was half-in, half-out of the laundry room.
'Seven,' Terry whispered. 'But we should be able to get by them without them noticing.'
The door which they needed to get to was a few feet away from the creatures. Terry knew that the ones feeding would be too busy to spot them as they passed, and if they were quick enough and waited until the others were facing the other way, they could make it without alerting any of them.
'I don't want to,' Jared said, fearful. His eyes were filled with tears. Terry realised that he didn't know his cellmate at all, not really .
'Do you want to stay here?' asked Terry. 'You want me to leave you to hide in there, on your own?'
Jared's eyes widened even more; his mouth fell open into a terrified O. 'What if they see us?' he managed. 'What if they see us, Terry, and we can't beat them?'
Terry knew the consequences of such a predicament, but his faith had returned somewhat. Not completely; it wasn't the same as when he'd first discovered religion all those years ago, but when you were young you believed in anything. It was, however, enough for Terry to believe that God didn't want him to die, not yet. He had once been a training servant to the Lord; that had to count for something.
'We don't have a choice,' Terry said. 'We need to get to the yard and pray that those things haven't had the same idea.'
'I trust you,' Jared said, closing his mouth. Terry knew, right then, that he was not just surviving for himself.
He had to take care of another soul, too.
'I'm going to take another look,' Terry said as he placed the flat of his hand against Jared's chest. 'I'll wait until the coast is clear, but when I go, you go. There'll be no time to piss about. We head for the door, second up on the right, and we don't stop running until we reach it. Do you understand?'
Jared nodded.
'Good.'
Terry stuck his head out again. One of the creatures that had been standing was now feeding with the others, which meant that there were only two now who could possibly get to the door before them. Those two, though, were heading down the corridor, bumping into each other and bouncing off the walls like fleshy pinballs.
'Now,' Terry whispered, and took off. Never once taking his eyes from the door, he listened to the creatures as they gnawed through bone and sucked at the flesh of the poor soul. It was enough to make vomit rise in his throat, but he quickly swallowed it down, never once faltering. He just hoped that Jared was following closely, for if he wasn't, then it would be too late for him to make it.
One of the ambling creatures had turned, and was now sliding along the corridor with teeth bared. It growled, but the five feeders didn't pay it any heed, even when it almost tripped over them and the cadaver upon which they fed.
Terry reached the door and turned to find Jared had been less than a step behind him all the way. As he turned they almost clashed heads.
'Get in!' Terry said, pulling the door open and forcing Jared through it. He followed, slamming the door shut as quickly as he could.
There was a single lock halfway down the frame, which Terry slid into place. It would be enough to keep the creatures out, for now; the sheet
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