arianin: Thanks for your comment! Eventually once things quieten down in the story I can get into character backgrounds and stuff, I know that I like reading about people's histories and stuff like that, so I'll definitely be working on it. "As The World Dies" is a fantastic story, Gothgoddessrhia is the best fanfiction writer I've ever had the pleasure to read! That story should be turned into a book, that would be awesome. Anyway, hope you like this chapter! Let me know what you think.
CritchtonFan: Yep, cliffhanger! I'm getting used to them now and, ashamedly, I've done one for this chapter. I can't help myself! So Leah's reaction was good in response to Ruby being slightly, well, dead? Thanks :) Hope you like!
miss-scarlett1: Thanks Nat! And once MSN works for us, we'll definitely catch up on everything that's happened. And thanks for reading my story as well.
Author's Note: Sorry about taking my time with this next chapter, I haven't had a spare moment to breathe this week let alone write another one! And yet somehow I've churned it out, hopefully it's good, I'm not sure at this stage, and seriously, after this I have NO CLUE what's going on with the story. I'm waiting for that little spark of inspiration to hit me! Anyway, onto the chapter - please review!
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Seth threw aside his plank and pulled on the door handle. It wouldn't budge. "Shit!" He looked at the door, noticing the lock. "We need a key!"
Luke raced behind the counter, checking the drawers hurriedly. He paused for a moment, his eyes widening, but then he recovered."Here!" He pulled out a key chain that had several keys on it. He threw the chain at Seth, and removed two other things from the drawer and put them in his pocket. Leah couldn't make out what they were.
Roger attempted to get the thing to fall over by throwing stuff at it. He launched an entire box of beer at the thing, and it fell down heavily. "Hurry, Seth!" Leah cried.
Seth's hands shook as he tried the different keys. "Fuck. Which one?"
Leah looked around frantically for anything that could help. She was contemplating breaking the glass with something when Luke started walking away and along the aisle of refridgerators. He quickly gestured for Leah to follow him. "Keep trying the keys," he said to Seth.
"What are you doing?" Leah didn't understand why walking away from the freezer would get Roger out of it.
"The refridgerators where the frozen food and shit is kept are connected to the walk-in freezer," Luke explained, opening one of the fridge doors. "When you go into the freezer, you can walk behind these fridges - there's a small walkway." He dropped his plank onto the floor and hastily began pulling out frozen boxes of food. "If we remove the shelves, Roger can get out of there by leaving the freezer and coming through here."
"Good thinking," Leah agreed, and immediately helped him clear the top shelf. Boxes of food fell haphazardly on the floor, and they yanked out the top shelf. Two more shelves to go.
"Shit, none of these work!" Seth called, throwing the keys down in frustration. Roger was now backed into a corner, armed with only a glass bottle. They were running out of time. Seth looked at what Leah and Luke were doing, and caught on. "Roger!" he yelled, hoping his voice penetrated the thick glass. "Get into the passageway and you can get out through one of the fridge doors!"
Roger's face didn't register any comprehension. He was too busy staring at the frozen person slowly but surely getting up off the floor.
"Roger!" Seth tried again. Roger finally looked at him, as if just noticing he was there. "Go into the passageway!"
Roger nodded, and gripped the bottle neck tighter.
Luke successfully pulled out the second shelf after a bit of a struggle. "One more and he can get through," he said to Leah, slightly breathless from the effort. "Seth, what's Roger doing?" he called.
"I think he's going to make a run for it, so get ready," Seth answered, watching Roger carefully. The thing was still lurching towards him, and Roger smashed it over the head with the bottle and ran. "Hurry, he's coming now!"
Leah and Luke cleared the last shelf in a hurry, and pulled on it. The shelf resisted. "Shit," Luke muttered. They tugged harder. It started to give, and eventually slid free. Roger barrelled through the fridge doorway, with the thing still pursuing.
Luke slammed the fridge door shut. "Hold it!" he said to Leah.
She pressed her hands hard against the glass, trying not to retch at the sight of the horrible thing she faced. Half of its face was missing, and Leah could see the frozen tendons in its cheek working as it growled at her. It pushed against the door; Leah almost fell backwards but managed to keep balanced, and shoved the door closed again. Seth raced over to help. Roger was breathing heavily, and collapsed onto the floor, pale and shaking.
Luke picked up his discarded plank and slid it through the fridge door handle. He then pushed it until the end of the plank went through the next fridge's handle. Wedging the plank in the door handles kept the door secure, but not fully closed. Its arm reached out of the gap and clawed at them. Leah flinched and moved back.
"That won't hold it for long," Luke panted.
Leah ran over to the trolley and wheeled it closer. "Quick, put your stuff in and let's go." Seth and Luke dropped their bags in it, and scooped various boxes of food from the floor and threw them in as well.
"Rog, are you all right?" Seth asked, shaking Roger's shoulder.
"Yeah," Roger replied, breathless. Seth helped him get up, and Roger stood a little shakily.
Luke was staring at the thing, which had squeezed its head through the gap, snarling and gnashing its teeth. "I found this in the drawer with the keys," he said quietly, and pulled a handgun from his pocket.
Leah's eyes widened. She'd never seen a real gun before.
"There was a pack of bullets as well," Luke added. "I guess Ruby wanted a little firepower."
"Do us a favor and use it on that fuckin' thing," Roger spat, still trying to catch his breath.
"Don't shoot it, man," Seth disagreed. "The sound'll draw every one of them right here, and that's the last thing we need."
"Fuck that!" Roger stood up straighter, his face flushed. "That asshole came this close to ripping me into pieces." He held his thumb and forefinger an inch apart. "Take its fucking head off."
The thing lunged and grabbed the back of Luke's shirt, yanking him against the fridge.
"Shit!" Seth swore, too stunned to do anything.
The thing opened its icy mouth and aimed for Luke's exposed neck. Luke pressed the gun to the thing's head and pulled the trigger. Brains and blood sprayed everywhere, all over Luke and everything within a four foot radius.
Luke leaned against the fridge door for support. "Jesus, what else needs to go wrong?"
Muffled thumps came from the convenience store entrance, and they all turned to see the last thing they wanted to. At least a dozen of them, banging on the glass, bloody handprints everywhere. Snarling, wailing, screeching. Hungry for those within.
And then one of the windows shattered.
