Red Hill by Jamie McGuire Page B

sobbed.
    The first window in the sanctuary crashed, and everyone but Skeeter froze. Sounds of searching hands on the wooden boards made my skin crawl. I leaned back to see Zoe, Barb, and Ms. Kay turned around in their seats, staring at the broken glass on the floor. The boards were holding, but I could still feel my heart pounding against my rib cage. Eric stood next to the broken glass, inspecting the board, and then he nodded, assuring us that they would hold.
    â€œWait. What are we talking about here?” Reverend Mathis said, bringing my attention back to the kitchen.
    Doris was still wringing her hands. “I can’t say I . . . we shouldn’t be talking about this.”
    â€œIt’s okay,” Jill said, cupping her hand over Skeeter’s head until she had to bend over again and vomit into the bucket.
    Another window broke.
    I looked to Gary. “What is that hallway there?” I said, gesturing to the open doorway on the other side of the kitchen. There were two his and hers bathrooms, and then an open doorway leading down a dark hall. “We may need another exit.”
    â€œJust to the stairs.”
    That caught my attention. “What stairs? You boarded up windows but didn’t secure the upper level?”
    Gary shrugged. “I don’t think they can climb.”
    â€œWe’re in the house of the Lord!” Doris said. “I’m not going to let this happen! We don’t know what this is. Skeeter, Jill could get better!”
    Bob spoke for the first time. His voice was deep and raspy. “We know exactly what this is.”
    Everyone turned in the direction of Bob’s voice. He was sitting on a metal folding chair in the corner, where he’d been for the last hour. He’d perched his cane between his legs, resting his hands on the handle.
    His gray mustache twitched when he spoke. “This is nothing less than a goddamn tragedy.”
    â€œBob!” Doris said, pretending to be offended.
    â€œTruth is, she’s just going to end up like one of those things outside, only she’ll be in here with us.”
    Glass crashed to the floor again, and this time a ­bone-chilling moan floated from the sanctuary into the kitchen.
    Bob’s eyes drifted to me, and then settled beside me about waist high. That was when I noticed Zoe standing just behind me. She stared at her aunt Jill, her beautiful hazel-green eyes filling with tears for the umpteenth time that day. I wondered if she would ever know happiness after today.
    I kneeled beside my daughter, trying to think of something cathartic to say, but words wouldn’t save Jill, and Jill being okay was the only thing that was going to make this hell somewhat tolerable for Zoe.
    A heavy thud sounded above us, and we all looked to the ceiling. Skeeter kissed Jill’s forehead, and then motioned for Doris to sit next to her as he grabbed his shotgun. Gary picked up his hammer. I gently pushed Zoe toward Reverend Mathis, and then followed my brother-in-law, Gary, and Eric through the doorway, and down the hall. Skeeter stopped at the bottom of the stairs, pointing his shotgun to the closed door at the top.
    Gary flipped on the light. “Maybe someone crawled onto the roof to get away from them and made their way inside?”
    We heard slow, clumsy footsteps, and then something was knocked over.
    Eric took in a sharp breath. “They can’t climb, can they? I’ve never heard of a zombie climbing.”
    â€œWhy not? They used to be human. Humans can climb,” Gary said, resituating the toothpick in his mouth and tightening his grip on the hammer.
    I nervously ran my fingers through my hair. “We don’t really know anything about them. Assuming is going to get us all killed. I say we get some boards, take them upstairs, try to communicate with whoever is in there, and if they don’t answer, we board up the door.”
    â€œSimple enough,” Skeeter said.