comrades,” he mumbled and then climbed the rest of the way up the ladder. He grabbed the edge of the exposed roof and using all his upper-body strength pulled himself to the black tarred surface.
“Do you see Salem?” Lucy cried out, grasping the ladder’s leg and peering up into the sky.
Clayton didn’t answer.
Mrs. Johnston took her turn next. She reached the top and swung herself up. Then she popped her head back down. “Everyone,” she started and then her voice broke. “Take care of yourselves,” she told them all and then was off. They could hear her footsteps trailing away with the creak of the ceiling and the steady thump-thump above them. They could make out every other word of Clayton’s instructions as he directed her to get down. “That way…a dumpster…you…jump.”
Purse Girl ascended next. Lucy took over holding the ladder as she wobbled upward—throwing her purse on the roof and then taking Clayton’s hand as he helped her past the lip. The girl ran across the roof toward the edge and her running shook the tiles above them.
Grant looked at Lucy and held out his hand.
“I’ll hold it steady. Promise,” he said and grabbed on to the ladder with both hands.
Lucy stared at the sky through the ceiling. She looked at Grant and patted his arm. “No, you go first,” she said.
Grant dropped his hands to his sides. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. Just go. Clayton can help you up if you’re worried. I don’t mind climbing up without someone holding the ladder. I’m a pole-vaulter,” he paused. “ Was a pole-vaulter? Look, I’m good at balancing, so I’ll go last, and I don’t mind. Let me hold it for you.” He reached up and grabbed the side, giving it a little jiggle to show that it was sturdy.
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not worried about falling. I’m not arguing chivalry. I’m just...” Lucy looked at him and her shoulders slumped. “I’m not going.”
He let his hands slide from the sides of ladder. “Not going?”
“My family knows where I am. Ethan said he’d come back for me…what if…we miss each other. What if he comes back and I’m not here? Plus, Salem.” She motioned upward, “She was scared out there and she was trying to get inside. Maybe it really is safer in here.”
“But...Spencer…?”
“He’s one guy. And this is a big school.”
Grant looked upward; Clayton popped his head back down. “Hey, are you two coming? You should see it up from the roof. The whole world is just eerie. And it’s quiet,” Clayton said to them in a hushed voice. “The world is really quiet.” He disappeared again, his long hair sliding up and out of sight.
Then they heard it.
A distinct knock against the door. Softly at first, tentative, and then more aggressive. Building, building, and escalating in intensity and loudness.
“Oh great. Just what we need,” Grant mumbled and motioned to the ladder. “Okay, no more arguments. Just get up there now.”
Lucy looked from the ladder to the door.
The knocking was growing and it sounded like flat fists against the metal door.
Grant looked torn.
“I’m not leaving you here,” he said. “It’s not chivalry...it’s like basic human kindness. But can you please climb this ladder. Right now.” He reached out to touch Lucy’s arm, but she pulled away, slid down off the table, and took tiny steps toward the door.
“Wait. If it were Spencer, he’d just open it. He has a key.”
“Lucy—” Grant banged his head against the ladder. He sounded panicked now. “It may be...there’s a possibility that it could be…”
Lucy spun and looked at him. “Please tell me you were not going to say zombies.”
“It is a very real threat and I wish you would stop thinking that it couldn’t happen,” Grant said in a long rush. He hopped down off the table and followed after her.
“Zombies knock?” She couldn’t help but smirk.
“Nothing good is on the other side of that door, I promise you,” he said
“Do you see Salem?” Lucy cried out, grasping the ladder’s leg and peering up into the sky.
Clayton didn’t answer.
Mrs. Johnston took her turn next. She reached the top and swung herself up. Then she popped her head back down. “Everyone,” she started and then her voice broke. “Take care of yourselves,” she told them all and then was off. They could hear her footsteps trailing away with the creak of the ceiling and the steady thump-thump above them. They could make out every other word of Clayton’s instructions as he directed her to get down. “That way…a dumpster…you…jump.”
Purse Girl ascended next. Lucy took over holding the ladder as she wobbled upward—throwing her purse on the roof and then taking Clayton’s hand as he helped her past the lip. The girl ran across the roof toward the edge and her running shook the tiles above them.
Grant looked at Lucy and held out his hand.
“I’ll hold it steady. Promise,” he said and grabbed on to the ladder with both hands.
Lucy stared at the sky through the ceiling. She looked at Grant and patted his arm. “No, you go first,” she said.
Grant dropped his hands to his sides. “It’s okay. I don’t mind. Just go. Clayton can help you up if you’re worried. I don’t mind climbing up without someone holding the ladder. I’m a pole-vaulter,” he paused. “ Was a pole-vaulter? Look, I’m good at balancing, so I’ll go last, and I don’t mind. Let me hold it for you.” He reached up and grabbed the side, giving it a little jiggle to show that it was sturdy.
She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not worried about falling. I’m not arguing chivalry. I’m just...” Lucy looked at him and her shoulders slumped. “I’m not going.”
He let his hands slide from the sides of ladder. “Not going?”
“My family knows where I am. Ethan said he’d come back for me…what if…we miss each other. What if he comes back and I’m not here? Plus, Salem.” She motioned upward, “She was scared out there and she was trying to get inside. Maybe it really is safer in here.”
“But...Spencer…?”
“He’s one guy. And this is a big school.”
Grant looked upward; Clayton popped his head back down. “Hey, are you two coming? You should see it up from the roof. The whole world is just eerie. And it’s quiet,” Clayton said to them in a hushed voice. “The world is really quiet.” He disappeared again, his long hair sliding up and out of sight.
Then they heard it.
A distinct knock against the door. Softly at first, tentative, and then more aggressive. Building, building, and escalating in intensity and loudness.
“Oh great. Just what we need,” Grant mumbled and motioned to the ladder. “Okay, no more arguments. Just get up there now.”
Lucy looked from the ladder to the door.
The knocking was growing and it sounded like flat fists against the metal door.
Grant looked torn.
“I’m not leaving you here,” he said. “It’s not chivalry...it’s like basic human kindness. But can you please climb this ladder. Right now.” He reached out to touch Lucy’s arm, but she pulled away, slid down off the table, and took tiny steps toward the door.
“Wait. If it were Spencer, he’d just open it. He has a key.”
“Lucy—” Grant banged his head against the ladder. He sounded panicked now. “It may be...there’s a possibility that it could be…”
Lucy spun and looked at him. “Please tell me you were not going to say zombies.”
“It is a very real threat and I wish you would stop thinking that it couldn’t happen,” Grant said in a long rush. He hopped down off the table and followed after her.
“Zombies knock?” She couldn’t help but smirk.
“Nothing good is on the other side of that door, I promise you,” he said
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