Chapter 2
He heard several growls near him and his heart quickened. Carefully, he turned towards the sound.
More than 100 zombies were standing in a crowd, waiting.
"Oh, shit!"
He turned the opposite way and forced his already tired body to run. Goddammit!
He kept running along the sidewalks, occasionally, dodging a zombie or two.
Their growls were the most grossest thing he'd ever heard. And to know they were once people was just sick.
He didn't need to turn around to know that the zombies were on his heels.
It was a miracle that he was actually still running from them. Zombies were abnormal in the weirdest ways.
Their top speed was 100 mph and their strength, well he has seen them lift cars and he definitely didn't want to see what else they could pick up.
One zombie ran up, alongside him and swiped at him. It caught him by suprise and he had to move to the side to narrowly dodge it.
He forced himself to keep running the rest of the way because he wasn't about to get eaten by a bunch of half-clothed crude Zombies.
He took a left turn and started down a street, the Zombies close behind.
He had to get to his destination. And he had to get there quick. Parker could be in danger.
When he finally lost most of the Zombies he rounded a corner and stood against the wall, trying to catch his breath.
God!! He panted then made sure there weren't anymore Zombies after him before jogging the rest of the way.
An hour had passed when he had finally arrived at Parker's home.
Really, it was just an old apartment complex that she managed to get into.
Quickly, he climbed the stairs and rushed into one of the apartments. There was no more people in Portland. Everyone had fled to other countries hoping to get away from the Zombies.
If they only knew, he thought, that there was even more Zombies where they were headed...
He shook his head sadly as he climbed yet another flight of stairs.
When he finally reached the top of the apartment complex a good thirty minutes had passed.
"Parker!" He shouted, careful not to be too loud. He didn't know if there were an Zombies still inside.
"Parker!?" He shouted a little louder as he walked through the house that was once someone's dwelling.
He knocked on the door, leading to Parker's "house".
"Parker!" He knocked again. No answer. He put his hand on the door knob, his heart pounding furociously in his chest.
"Parker!" One last time. And still no answer. He took a deep breath and swung the door wide open.
The room was no longer than five feet wide with no windows.
He groped against the wall for a light switch but found none. He fumbled for his flashlight in his back pocket and quickly turned it on, illuminating the small room. He hated being in the dark.
"Parker?!" He rasped. He hadn't realized that his voice had gone dry since the last time he shouted Parker's name.
He turned the flashlight to either side of the room, scoping the area.
"Parker?! Are you here?"
A loud bang made him turn around in fear. His flashlight illuminating the closed door. His flashlight now the only source of light in the tiny room.
How'd the door close? Was his initial thought. His second: I'm gonna die!
"Parker?!" He couldn't stop his hands from trembling. He absolutely hated the dark.
Then, all of a sudden, he felt someone right behind him. He tried to still his breathing in case it was a Zombie.
But if it was a Zombie wouldn't it have already attacked?
He couldn't know for sure.
"Parker?" He rasped again, refusing to let anyone know that he was scared. Even if it was a Zombie.
He was about to call out her name again when he felt the thing behind him brush against his shoulder blade and he completely froze.
Time seemed to go on forever, the room was so tense. He hoped the thing didn't see him in the dark.
Okay, come on! You gotta think! Think of a way out of here!
Before he could try to think of some way to escape the light turned on.
The light was brighter than the sun: it felt like. He groaned as he clutched his eyes in pain. "Ahh!"
Then he felt strong arms pull his hands away from his face. "Parker?" He was looking right into the thiefs eyes.
"Shh. Hold still..." he felt something prickly in his wrist then relaxation flooded through his whole body.
"There...looks like you got a nasty cut there..." He heard Parker's voice above his. "Parker..." he sighed. Relief filled his heart as he realized that Parker wasn't dead.
"You're okay..." Parker smiled and hugged him. And, suprisingly he returned the hug.
She pulled away, fear replacing the joy in her eyes. "Is Eliot, Hardison, and Sophie okay?" He sighed, drowsily.
"Sophie is okay, I'm sure but I can't say the same for Eliot and Hardison..." Determination replaced the fear in Parker's eyes and she began pulling him by the hand out the door.
"Wait, wait, wait! What was that? What did you give me, Parker?" He asked running a hand through his hair.
"It's a sedative. It'll kick in about four or five hours-" Parker smiled before grabbing her backpack.
"But I didn't! I-I didn't want a-a sedative." He complained but never the less he still followed Parker.
"You're gonna need to be sedated with a gash that big!" She gave a smirk as she started walking down the stairs, backpack slung over her shoulder.
"Gash?" He freneticly searches his body for a cut, that somehow he hadn't noticed.
"Ahh..." he gritted his teeth in pain as he felt the ginger spot. A flashback flooded his memory.
He was running and dodging Zombies then all of a sudden a Zombie comes up to the side then swipes at him.
Oh, he thinks, that's how I got it...
"Thanks, Parker..." Parker shrugged like it was no big deal and continued to walk down the stairs.
"No, Parker-" he caught the thiefs elbow. "Thanks..." he gave a genuine smile and the thief returned it.
"Okay, lets go. Zombies will be more hungry during the evening. We should get a move on." Parker jogged the rest of the stairs. He was right behind her.
"Shh!" His overactive brain heard growling and movement alongside them.
He pointed in the general direction. Parker turned and whispered. "Run!" They both started running across the street and along the sidewalk.
Zombies were following them. Parker was right. They did look more hungry during the evening. "This way!" He shouted as he turned towards the right and crossed the street.
"They're gaining!" Parker shouted as she risked a quick glance behind them.
"Just keep running!" He shouted back. "We're almost there!" They both sprinted across the streets, trying their best to avoid Zombies coming their way.
"There's more!" Parker risked another glance. He turned around to see hundreds of Zombies all running towards them.
It was a sight he never wanted to see again.
"This way!" He took a short cut and Parker followed. "Were a block away!"
The Zombies were gaining on them.
Crash! Parker turned towards the left to see a car, that had been hurdled at them, against a building.
"Uh, we need to hurry! I think they're getting mad!" She continues to run down the sidewalk and enters the apartment complex door.
They both race up the many flights of stairs as they hear the Zombies' feet pounding on the stairs they had just stepped on a couple seconds ago,
When they finally came to a long hall with a door at the end, Parker wasted no time.
"Sophie!!" She shouted as she banged against the door.
"Sophie! Open up!! Open up! It's me Parker!" She continued to bang on the door.
The Zombies were at the end of the hall, racing towards them, foam spilling from their mouths.
He banged on the door. "Sophie! Open up! Open up!"
The Zombies were getting nearer, they could smell their foul breath.
"Sophie!" Parker cried out as she banged several times in the door.
The Zombies were a couple feet away from them when the door swung wide open and the two ran inside to see Sophie, Hardison, and Eliot all standing near the door.
Hardison and Eliot immediately replaced the couch by the door which served as a barrier between them and the Zombies.
They heard the thump of the Zombies hitting against the door and it wasn't pleasant.