Jamie, Ian’s older brother, opened the door. “Holy Christ, Layla! Is the Army out there or what?” he said looking over my shoulder. Seeing nothing, he looked me over, weapons hanging from every part of my body. “Jesus Christ,” he said aghast and pulled me into a hug, dragging me inside. I suddenly felt overcome by everything that had just happened. I leaned heavily on Jamie. My body shook. I closed my eyes, but then realized everyone must have been looking at me. I took a deep breath and stepped back.
I recognized most of the faces in the room. Neighbors, teachers, the Ladies Auxiliary, the firemen, all faces I knew though some names I did not quite remember. Several people were injured. The school nurse, Mrs. Finch—how white her hair had become—was going from person to person trying to stop blood loss and mend wounds.
My eyes scanned the room for Ian. He was kneeling on the floor beside Kristie who was bleeding profusely from a shoulder wound. She appeared to be in intense pain.
“Jamie, more will be drawn in by the noise. They are scattered everywhere, all over the town,” I said, forcing myself to look away, to focus on something else.
Jamie nodded. “Alright guys, we need to post a watch until we get ourselves together. Everyone with a gun muster up,” Jamie called and then turned to organize the group
Several of the men came up to me.
“Was that you out there, Layla?” Tom, one of the firefighters, asked. Tom had been in Jamie’s class in school. Too shy to ask himself, he once sent his younger sister to ask me if I would go to a dance with him. Unfortunately for both Tom and me, I said no. I had a crush on a boy named Ian Campbell. As I looked up at Tom, however, I remembered that I’d always found his hazel eyes striking.
I nodded.
“Nice shooting,” Gary, a squeaky little man with thick glasses, added. I remembered Gary somewhat. He used to come to Grandma’s cabin to help her with her taxes. Gary shook my hand and then followed Jamie’s band of armed men outside.
“Thank you, oh, thank you, Layla,” Ethel said, coming to kiss my cheeks. “Layla, where is Grandma Petrovich?”
I looked down and fought back my tears. Unable to speak, I just shook my head.
“Oh no,” Ethel cried out, and turned, putting her head on Summer’s shoulder.
“Sorry, Layla,” Summer said and set her hand on my shoulder, “but thank you all the same. Good lord, Layla, where did you get those guns?” she asked absently as she guided her mother toward a seat.
I looked back into the room. Ian was calling for water. Kristie’s cousin, April, was hovering over them. Kristie had gone into a seizure.
I followed the armed group outside. A couple of gunshots rang out as they took down a few of the approaching undead.
“Man, that’s Mr. Corson. Here you go, asshole. Thanks for failing me in Chemistry,” Jeff, Kristie’s cousin, said with a laugh as he fired at the approaching man.
“Not cool, brother,” Will, a high school aged relative of Summer and Ethel, chided him.
I leaned against the handicapped railing and looked at the bodies lying under the collapsed roof. Their arms and legs stuck out. To my horror, I thought I recognized some of them. I felt like I might be sick.
Jamie came and stood beside me. He eyed me over. “What are you doing here, Layla?”
I opened my mouth to explain when April came to the door. “Jamie, we can’t talk any sense into Ian. Kristie’s gone. We gotta put her down before she turns. He won’t listen. Please, come help.”
Jamie turned. I half followed but then heard Jeff.
“Someone ask Layla to do it. I’m sure she’d have no problem,” he said.
Jamie stopped. “Can that shit right now, man. That’s your cousin dying in there,” he said, silencing Jeff. Then, casting an apologetic glance toward me, he went inside.
I turned back. Overhead, a hawk shrilled and flew out toward the lake. It was almost like the creature had no idea anything was happening, like it had no idea the world was ending.
Then I heard grunting behind me. I turned to find a young child, perhaps seven or so years old, running toward me. Her mouth was dripping with bloody saliva. My hands shook. I pulled out the Magnum. I raised the gun and aimed. I could not pull the trigger. The little girl kept getting closer.
“Layla,” I heard Tom call in warning behind me.
The girl got closer. I couldn’t do it.
“Layla,” Tom called again, panic filling his voice. A second later, a shot rang out. The girl fell with a thud.
I turned to look. Ian was standing on the collapsed roof, gun in his hand.
His eyes met mine. He cast me a knowing glance and then went inside. Moments later, another shot—inside the building—was fired. I knew then that Kristie was dead.
Chapter 7
It took about two hours before the undead who had been drawn to the community center were dispatched. Inside, discussion and then argument began about what to do next.
I stood by the door and listened. Tom, Mr. Jones who owned the local gas station, Jamie who had done two tours in Iraq as a medic, Pastor Frank from the Baptist Church, and Mrs. Finch seemed to be leading the discussion. Many of the others looked too scared or too shell shocked to think let alone talk. Ian, who was red-eyed, sat on the floor in the corner.
“What the hell are we gonna do now?” Jeff asked as he removed his hat and rubbed his sweaty forehead with his forearm.