No turning back
André's eyes shifted from the body to the weapon and back again, not knowing what to do or think. He killed a man. Not a walker, a person, a human being who still acted and thought of his own free will. A human being who could have killed his girlfriend. He had to do this, it was the right thing. If it really was right why did he feel like a…
- André? - Amanda grabbed her brother's face and made him look at her.
- …Huh?
- You did what you had to do, ok? - She saw the man nod slowly. - I'm sorry, but we'll have to talk about it later, this building is not safe.
- …Yeah, right. - He said looking one last time at the body. - Let's go. Are you okay? - He asked Ana.
She just nodded and held the boy's hand following him out of the room. Amanda was walking past the lieutenant's body when she remembered something. She pulled the knife from her belt, crouched down and stuck the blade in the dead man's eye, startling everyone.
- Damn Amanda! What was thast for? - Guilherme asked shocked with the girl's doing.
- So he doesn't come back. - Danilo replied.
- What do you mean? - Murilo asked, but before anyone answered they heard the familiar grunting sound echoing down the hall.
- They can explain later, we have to go! - André said making everyone run to the exit.
Unfortunately, nothing has come too easy lately. The walkers were already climbing the floor's ramp.
- Shit! Help me block the way! - André yelled pushing a wooden cabinet.
- It's too heavy! - Murilo said trying to push the furniture that barely moved.
- We just need time! Danilo and Gui, use the rifles to keep them at bay! - He said to the boys with glasses, one of them receiving Murilo's gun.
- I have never shot before. - Bill said leaning the gun on his shoulder and trying to aim.
- You can start by changing the safety switch. - Rodrigo commented.
- What- Was it like this all this time?! - Danilo said unlocking the weapon.
- Just shoot!
As André ordered they squeezed the trigger without worrying too much about aiming for the head, they just needed to hold them until the locker fell. As pieces of their rotting bodies fell as they were thrown back by the force of bullets Amanda and Ana also helped push, the closet moved inch by inch towards the destination, the noise of the shots that resembled fireworks deafening them.
- Shit! Out of bullets! - Danilo yelled pulling the empty magazine from his gun.
- It's enough! Help us give it another push!
The two boys helped to tip the cupboard that fell sideways, perfectly blocking the entrance, its height hitting the walker's chests preventing them from passing.
- Great, but… now what? - Danilo asked. - They will get through this at some point, how do we get down?
- Guys? We forgot a detail… - They heard Igor say from the middle of the hall, his face buried inside a room.
As they approached, they noticed that the boy was not near a room but an elevator.
- I don't think it's a good idea, we don't know what's gonna come inside. - Ana said.
- I wasn't going to suggest that we go down with the elevator, but by the stairs next door. - He said pointing to the metal stairs beside the opening of the doors.
- B-but it's too dangerous. - Sasha said.
- But it's the only way, luckily the elevator is above us, on the top floor. - André said seeing the number of them going up the ramp increase. - Let me go and let me know if it's safe.
- Be careful. - The sister asked.
The boy held on to the side of the door and with his other hand grabbed the ladder, after glancing at the dark immensity below him he took a foot to lean on the ladder, quickly taking his hand right thereafter. After trampling the steel bars and testing whether it was wobbly or not, but soon he told the others they could go down. Amanda went after her brother followed by Ana, then Murilo, Danilo, Guilherme, Isa, Rodrigo, Igor and then Sasha. They were descending with as little noise as they could, reaching the second floor when Sasha broke the silence with a scream. When everyone looked up they understood why. One of the walkers seemed to have fallen through the open door and passed them like a shadow until they heard it hit the ground.
- Let's go faster. We can stop underground and look for a car. - André said climbing down faster.
When they reached the last level, they saw the contorted body of the walker, who luckily fell head first, and the metal door that opened onto the parking lot.
- Help me open it. - André asked Murilo.
Suddenly they heard a loud noise and felt a rush of air near their feet. Another walker had fallen through the hole, this time he had broken part of his spine and could only swing his arms towards them.
- Faster. Faster! - Danilo yelled seeing more of them falling.
When the doors were open, everyone tried to run outside, but along with the sound of the third corpse falling into the elevator shaft, another came.
- Sasha!
The walker landed right on top of the girl, taking them both to the ground and causing a small cut on her forehead. Igor tried to go in again to help her, but as soon as his foot crossed the door the creature sank its teeth into the girl's shoulder.
- NO! - He yelled trying to continue, but Murilo held him back.
- No Igor! She was bitten!
- I can't leave her!
The parking lot was unfortunately not empty and the girl's screams of pain and despair began to attract more of them.
- If we don't go we'll die!
- But she- she still-
- I'm sorry but we have to go! - He yelled pushing the boy away hard enough to make him fall to the ground.
André looked at the girl and in her desperate eyes he saw a silent request. Her eyes stared at his waist where the pistol, the only object that could stop her pain, was. André understood and, taking a deep breath, pulled the gun and once again took a life.