Chapter 6:
The sound of a loud bang from outside wakes a still sleep fogged Rachel. Rubbing her blood shot eyes, she waits to hear if it happens again. When no sounds comes forth she assumes a car must have backfired. Puzzled that she actually woke before her alarm yet there was sunlight streaming in her window, Rachel turns her head. Seeing a blinking number screen causes the girl to shoot straight out of bed. 'Crap! The power must have gone out and came back'. Great now she had to rush around to make it to home room on time. Rachel hated being rushed, it threw off her whole day, making her feel like she was consistently having to play catch up. Turning on then upping the volume on her Bose belting along with Sarah Brightman, she headed for her bathroom.
While shampooing her hair, the diva remembers exactly how she left school yesterday and groans to herself. Not only did she give the entire glee club a strip tease but she told off a teacher, quit, then played hookie. 'Ugh. So not looking forward to this fall out' she thought. Knowing she would most likely be harassed by her now former teammates all day and have to deal with a pompous Mr. Schue. Rachel was now guaranteed a spot in Principal Figgins office. The only times Rachel set foot in there were when she was trying to fight against all the injustice and hypocrisy at the school.
Rinsing and putting in conditioner the girl snorted to herself.
She was a well known thorn in Figgins side and he spent his time either ignoring her completely or always trying to outsmart her and find away to dismiss her from the school. After a year and three months, he had yet to make it happen. Well it looked like this time Rachel had given him a freebie and was not looking forward to the gloating sure to come her way. Hell, the singer would not be surprised if the man broke out in a jig when she told him she would be leaving the school for good.
Shutting off the water and feeling the steam of the room swirling around her, Rachel quickly dried her hair and brushed her teeth. Deciding that if this was going to be her last day at McKinley High, the girl was going to dress the way she really wanted. Black sports bra. Check. Black wife beater. Check. Worn in black, boot cut Levi's. Check. Her favorite olive green skull hoodie. Double Check. Grabbing her chain wallet and slapping her spiked bracelet on her right wrist and a black band on her left arm, Rachel grabbed her phone and shoved it in her hoodie pocket.
Sitting on the edge of her bed she continued to hum and sing along to another song while getting her socks on. 'Hm, biker or combat? Eh mine as well keep with the black theme'. Rachel quickly laced up her steel toed black biker boots loving the extra two inch height they provided. Snatching up a hair tie and her ray-bans and headed out of her room for a quick breakfast.
Just finished throwing her hair up in a messy pony tail and halfway down the stairs, a blood curdling scream sounded in the air. Rachel's heart started pounding wildly out of her chest as she barrels the rest of the way down the steps. Realizing that the sound had been coming from next door.
Throwing open her front door Rachel feels like she stepped out of her peaceful home and into a real life version of Apocalypse Now. There is chaos everywhere she turns her head. A car two houses down was crashed into a telephone pole with the driver hanging out the bloody front windshield. Bodies laying in the street. Smoke billowing from the house directly across from her own. People running in every direction shouting.
Old man Grevis from the corner appearing to stalk the lady who rents the second level of his duplex. Rachel watches as a little Bobby Cissne attacks his own mother. Suddenly another scream close by and Rachel is darting across her lawn and to Brittany's house. Just barely stopping herself from busting right in. Rachel takes a deep breath. Judging by whatever is going on around her, the diva knows she can not go in without being focused. Preparing herself for whatever lies within.
But nothing could ever prepare her for the site that she walked in on.
Cautiously opening the front door and stepping inside, somewhere deep in the back of her cranium was the good sense to know not to call out to anyone and to leave the front door slightly ajar. Ever so slowly she made her down the front hall passing the second story stairwell. The heart rate she had tried so valiantly to calm began racing again as her eye line came in contact with a bloody hand print that seemed to leave a trail on the wall beside her.
Reaching the end of the wall, Rachel turned her head, peering into the living room where she had spent so many joyous movie and game nights. Almost shouting out at the sight that awaited her.
There on the tan carpeted floor, between the couch and coffee table, in a pool of her own blood lay Mrs. Pierce. Where her loving, sweet husband had decided to make a meal out of her. The man's face buried in his wife side and stomach, while said woman twitched and gasped in pain. Rachel pressed petite body against the marred wall behind her having to slap a hand over her mouth to keep from gagging and throwing up right then and there. If there was something the girl had learned from years of martial arts training, her military father and every video game she ever played it was that silence was not only key but so was keeping a level head. Taking a moment to collect herself and her surroundings, the brunette, quietly as could be, reached out and grabbed the cast iron antique lamp on the small hallway table across from her position. Quickly unscrewing the lampshade and wrapping the cord around her hand, Rachel tightened her grip and moved as swift and silent as she could into the living room. Being cautious with every step and forcing herself not to react to the slurping, gorging and growling sounds she could hear coming from a man she once admired and looked up to. With lightening quick speed, Rachel slammed the base of her now weapon against the back of Mr. Pierce's skull. The cannibal slumped forward onto his wife, brain matter seeping from the gaping wound the singer had inflicted.
Sinking to her knees in a never ending flow of blood Rachel felt numb.
There was no way. Just no way in hell that zombies actually existed yet the proof was right in front of her. Yeah sure she goofed around with Noah once upon a time and they made a plan. But Rachel Berry never really believed it could ever happen. She pretend all their training was for zombies when her best friend was around, because the girl was nothing if not logical and precise. So when Noah would go home Rachel would put away the fake zombie plans she had made them and pulled out the real one, made for a natural disaster or and economic downfall that would be the cause of an apocalyptic world. After all, all the same basic survival rules applied. Food. Shelter. Exit Strategy. Protection and defense against threats such as looters. And many many more.
A gurgling sound brought the world around her back into a sharp focus and her eyes zeroed in on Mrs. Pierce's face. The woman was still alive, barely. Rachel grabbed the mother's hand, tears streaming down the girls face as leaned down to listen to what the dying woman was trying to say."Ke...Kel.." "Kelly? she's here? She's home?" The woman gave a slight nod. blood starting to flow from her lips. "Shh, Shh. It's okay. I'll find her" Rachel ran her fingers in the woman's hair. Still the woman would not be denied. "Where's Brit.." In that moment Rachel did what she thought was the kindest thing she could for the woman trying to bring her any comfort she could.
She lied.
"Brittany is just fine Mrs. P. She came over to my house this morning before cheerios while waiting for Santana. When the three of us heard and saw everything going on. I made Santana and Brittany hide in the basement and lock the door behind them. You know my crazy father's, plenty of rations and it's a solid titanium door Mrs. P. I'll get Kelly and then we will stay there until help comes."
The dying woman tried to give a soft smile only to cough up more blood. Rachel squeezed the woman's hand. Knowing there was something she could do to take her pain away and make sure she didn't have to suffer the fate of her husband. but not sure if she had the strength of heart to do it to this woman.
This woman who had helped her learn to embrace herself over the years. To not be afraid to stand out or be special despite the cruel world around her. This same woman who tried to see the world for it being majestic as it was and had passed that trait on to her daughters.
"I promise you, I'll do everything I can. I promise I'll protect them" The woman gave a soft pain filled sigh and Rachel watched as the light that shone in her ocean blue eyes so much like her oldest child's started to dim. Tears silently streaming down her face, Rachel moved above the mother's head. Leaning forward and placing a feather light kiss upon the woman's brow. Whispering a gentle "I love you. I'm Sorry"
The woman's neck snapped.