She let out a sob that she’d clearly been repressing for the sake of the conversation.
Nancy’s heart softened, though just a little. “Terri, what’s wrong?” she asked.
Marshall had finally caught up. Greg gave him a meaningful look while shaking his head. They stayed outside the door but couldn’t help listening in.
“Not long after you left the power went out,” Terri-Lynn said through the sobs. “I couldn’t stand to be there alone in the dark, so I left the kitchen. I was trying to decide what to do when these bikers came by and smashed in the front windows. They wanted the alcohol. They were crazy, Nancy! It almost seemed like they were having fun!” She let out a strange, strangled laugh. “They saw me and grabbed me and took me with them, and I was sure they were going to rape me, but when we got back to their garage some zombies had gotten through the door and they decided that they were going to fight.”
Nancy’s could almost see it in her mind’s eye; a gang of gruff guys on choppers riding through a hoard, guns blazing, chains whipping.
“I ran into the building,” Terri-Lynn continued. “I managed to kill one with a knife I grabbed off one of the bikers’ belts.” She let out one sharp laugh. “You’d have been proud, I bet.”
The picture she’d been imagining left her mind and Nancy felt her vision going funny. There was something very wrong with this story, and she didn’t think she wanted to hear the rest of it.
“He got me good, Nan... I’ve been bleeding, quite a lot. I don’t think 911 even exists anymore because I can’t get through, and I don’t even know where I am to ask them to come for me anyway. The bikers, I think they’re all dead, and I can hear the zombies downstairs. I can’t get out. I just... I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, before...before I can’t talk anymore.”
Nancy couldn’t hold in the sob that rose up her throat. Memories of better times with her friend were rolling through her mind. She desperately wished that she could turn back time, fix this stupid mistake. Greg looked away from her sorrow. He slid down the door frame of the office until he was sitting on the floor with his head in his arms. Marshall put a hand on the boy’s head and stared stubbornly at the ceiling.
“I forgive you...” Nancy whispered into the phone. Her voice cracked a little on the last word.
There was a long silence during which Nancy was scared that Terri-Lynn hadn’t heard her, and then the reply came: “Thank you Nan... Thank you so much...” There was a crash over the line as the receiver fell to the floor.
“Terri?” Nancy asked. Then, with more panic, “Terri?! Terri! Terri!!” She screamed the name again and again until Marshall appeared at her side and took the receiver out of her hand. Nancy’s face was covered in tears that she couldn’t remember crying. In her desperation she pounded her fists on the desk, over and over until her skin was red and numb. Eventually, while Greg listened miserably from the doorway, she collapsed on the desk and sobbed until her eyes went dry.
For the next two days Nancy was inconsolable. Marshall and Greg allowed her to be alone in the office for a while before attempting to talk with her, but she wouldn’t have any of it. She ate in silence from the plates they brought her and spent most of her time laying on her cot in the nurse’s station, staring blankly at the wall, unable or unwilling to talk about what had happened.
On the third night Marshall awoke sometime past midnight and noticed that she was missing. He quickly woke Greg and they began searching the school in a panic, trying not to fear the worst. Eventually they noticed an open maintenance exit and found her on the roof.
It was a windy night. A shining three-quarter moon was hanging in the sky, blocked only partially by the smoke from a few fires smoldering somewhere in the distance. Nancy was laying down on her stomach near the edge
Nancy’s heart softened, though just a little. “Terri, what’s wrong?” she asked.
Marshall had finally caught up. Greg gave him a meaningful look while shaking his head. They stayed outside the door but couldn’t help listening in.
“Not long after you left the power went out,” Terri-Lynn said through the sobs. “I couldn’t stand to be there alone in the dark, so I left the kitchen. I was trying to decide what to do when these bikers came by and smashed in the front windows. They wanted the alcohol. They were crazy, Nancy! It almost seemed like they were having fun!” She let out a strange, strangled laugh. “They saw me and grabbed me and took me with them, and I was sure they were going to rape me, but when we got back to their garage some zombies had gotten through the door and they decided that they were going to fight.”
Nancy’s could almost see it in her mind’s eye; a gang of gruff guys on choppers riding through a hoard, guns blazing, chains whipping.
“I ran into the building,” Terri-Lynn continued. “I managed to kill one with a knife I grabbed off one of the bikers’ belts.” She let out one sharp laugh. “You’d have been proud, I bet.”
The picture she’d been imagining left her mind and Nancy felt her vision going funny. There was something very wrong with this story, and she didn’t think she wanted to hear the rest of it.
“He got me good, Nan... I’ve been bleeding, quite a lot. I don’t think 911 even exists anymore because I can’t get through, and I don’t even know where I am to ask them to come for me anyway. The bikers, I think they’re all dead, and I can hear the zombies downstairs. I can’t get out. I just... I just wanted to say that I’m sorry, before...before I can’t talk anymore.”
Nancy couldn’t hold in the sob that rose up her throat. Memories of better times with her friend were rolling through her mind. She desperately wished that she could turn back time, fix this stupid mistake. Greg looked away from her sorrow. He slid down the door frame of the office until he was sitting on the floor with his head in his arms. Marshall put a hand on the boy’s head and stared stubbornly at the ceiling.
“I forgive you...” Nancy whispered into the phone. Her voice cracked a little on the last word.
There was a long silence during which Nancy was scared that Terri-Lynn hadn’t heard her, and then the reply came: “Thank you Nan... Thank you so much...” There was a crash over the line as the receiver fell to the floor.
“Terri?” Nancy asked. Then, with more panic, “Terri?! Terri! Terri!!” She screamed the name again and again until Marshall appeared at her side and took the receiver out of her hand. Nancy’s face was covered in tears that she couldn’t remember crying. In her desperation she pounded her fists on the desk, over and over until her skin was red and numb. Eventually, while Greg listened miserably from the doorway, she collapsed on the desk and sobbed until her eyes went dry.
For the next two days Nancy was inconsolable. Marshall and Greg allowed her to be alone in the office for a while before attempting to talk with her, but she wouldn’t have any of it. She ate in silence from the plates they brought her and spent most of her time laying on her cot in the nurse’s station, staring blankly at the wall, unable or unwilling to talk about what had happened.
On the third night Marshall awoke sometime past midnight and noticed that she was missing. He quickly woke Greg and they began searching the school in a panic, trying not to fear the worst. Eventually they noticed an open maintenance exit and found her on the roof.
It was a windy night. A shining three-quarter moon was hanging in the sky, blocked only partially by the smoke from a few fires smoldering somewhere in the distance. Nancy was laying down on her stomach near the edge
Similar Books
