hand. You got that?”
She nodded again, the color draining from her face as she realized what they were about to do.
“One. Two. Three!” He kicked the door as hard as he could. It connected with several biters that had piled up against it and they were knocked back out into the parking lot, bowling down several more that had been drawn in by the ruckus. Adam had a clear path, but he knew it would soon vanish. He rushed out, dragging the little girl by the hand so hard that, for a moment, he thought her feet might come off the ground. He managed to break clear of the most immediate biters, racing along the left side of the building until they hit the concrete, then bolting left again, narrowly ducking under the flailing arms and gnashing teeth of a heavyset former construction worker missing half his face and one of his eyes.
Fuck, they stink when they turn , Adam thought, holding his breath and trying not to throw up. The smell reminded him of a decomposing opossum he'd found in his backyard as a kid. It had rotted in the sun for three days before they discovered it. These things smell like that times a hundred, and no matter how many times you encounter 'em, you never get used to it.
Adam and Sarah ran down Cadillac Boulevard towards the large emerald green hospital building. Sarah didn't question why they were running toward a small cluster of zombies ambling in their direction; not out loud, anyway. She did squeeze Adam's hand as hard as she could twice in a row, prompting him to shout out.
“Don't worry. I see 'em,” he grunted as they sharply turned and darted off to the left again, rounding the Del Taco as they circled into the parking lot. There was a low brick wall obscured by a row of hedges between the hospital and the fast food place that turned into a full wall where the drive through window was. Adam knew if they cut through the side gate and made another left over the waist-high wall they'd be able to double back and cross over La Cienega before most of the angry corpses following them even had a chance to figure out where they'd gone. In all likelihood, he knew they'd probably have to take on a few stragglers if they were going to make it back to the safety of his shelter, but the odds of them surviving a full on zombie horde would go up a thousand percent if his plan worked.
The small cluster of zombies was now swelling in size as the two groups of undead pooled into the hospital driveway forming a large parade of gruesome animated corpses, looking like a nightmarish version of a ghoulish Rose Parade, rapidly moving in their direction. Adam was able to pick out a couple from outside the bathroom who were working their way to the front of the buffet line; the agitated ones moving the quickest while the rest followed steadily along, a swarm of decaying bodies with garish open wounds, broken bones, and shredded, bloodstained clothing.
“What the fuck have I gotten myself into?” he asked out loud. He looked at the girl and she gave him a terrified nod in reply, her eyes wide with fear. “Here goes nothing.”
Adam cupped his hands to his mouth and began to shout.
“HEY! OVER HERE! DINNER IS SERVED! COME AND GET IT!”
The last thing Adam saw before turning and grabbing the girl's hand again was the zombies closest to him charging and the ones behind rushing into the walled off area. The pit of his stomach felt like it had fallen out as a sharp wave of fear and adrenaline shot through his system. He realized at once that he'd have a perilously narrow window to execute his plan, otherwise they'd both die an agonizing death as a mob of rotting corpses tore chucks out of their living bodies.
Just keep running , he thought. Don't stop until you're both safe—and don't let her go!
They bolted past the gate that cut off arriving visitors from the Emergency Room. Adam could see the angry corpses inside beating on the glass doors as he quickly glanced in their direction, making sure a fresh flood
She nodded again, the color draining from her face as she realized what they were about to do.
“One. Two. Three!” He kicked the door as hard as he could. It connected with several biters that had piled up against it and they were knocked back out into the parking lot, bowling down several more that had been drawn in by the ruckus. Adam had a clear path, but he knew it would soon vanish. He rushed out, dragging the little girl by the hand so hard that, for a moment, he thought her feet might come off the ground. He managed to break clear of the most immediate biters, racing along the left side of the building until they hit the concrete, then bolting left again, narrowly ducking under the flailing arms and gnashing teeth of a heavyset former construction worker missing half his face and one of his eyes.
Fuck, they stink when they turn , Adam thought, holding his breath and trying not to throw up. The smell reminded him of a decomposing opossum he'd found in his backyard as a kid. It had rotted in the sun for three days before they discovered it. These things smell like that times a hundred, and no matter how many times you encounter 'em, you never get used to it.
Adam and Sarah ran down Cadillac Boulevard towards the large emerald green hospital building. Sarah didn't question why they were running toward a small cluster of zombies ambling in their direction; not out loud, anyway. She did squeeze Adam's hand as hard as she could twice in a row, prompting him to shout out.
“Don't worry. I see 'em,” he grunted as they sharply turned and darted off to the left again, rounding the Del Taco as they circled into the parking lot. There was a low brick wall obscured by a row of hedges between the hospital and the fast food place that turned into a full wall where the drive through window was. Adam knew if they cut through the side gate and made another left over the waist-high wall they'd be able to double back and cross over La Cienega before most of the angry corpses following them even had a chance to figure out where they'd gone. In all likelihood, he knew they'd probably have to take on a few stragglers if they were going to make it back to the safety of his shelter, but the odds of them surviving a full on zombie horde would go up a thousand percent if his plan worked.
The small cluster of zombies was now swelling in size as the two groups of undead pooled into the hospital driveway forming a large parade of gruesome animated corpses, looking like a nightmarish version of a ghoulish Rose Parade, rapidly moving in their direction. Adam was able to pick out a couple from outside the bathroom who were working their way to the front of the buffet line; the agitated ones moving the quickest while the rest followed steadily along, a swarm of decaying bodies with garish open wounds, broken bones, and shredded, bloodstained clothing.
“What the fuck have I gotten myself into?” he asked out loud. He looked at the girl and she gave him a terrified nod in reply, her eyes wide with fear. “Here goes nothing.”
Adam cupped his hands to his mouth and began to shout.
“HEY! OVER HERE! DINNER IS SERVED! COME AND GET IT!”
The last thing Adam saw before turning and grabbing the girl's hand again was the zombies closest to him charging and the ones behind rushing into the walled off area. The pit of his stomach felt like it had fallen out as a sharp wave of fear and adrenaline shot through his system. He realized at once that he'd have a perilously narrow window to execute his plan, otherwise they'd both die an agonizing death as a mob of rotting corpses tore chucks out of their living bodies.
Just keep running , he thought. Don't stop until you're both safe—and don't let her go!
They bolted past the gate that cut off arriving visitors from the Emergency Room. Adam could see the angry corpses inside beating on the glass doors as he quickly glanced in their direction, making sure a fresh flood
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