"Okay, what do we do now?" Matt asked, as he watched Tom pace around the room back and forth. It had been at least half an hour when they first entered the room. "I mean, there's nothing to-!" But he was quickly interrupted by the sound of banging. Constant, loud banging from the back door that led outside.
"What do we do?" Katie asked frantically. "What do we do?"
"Is it them?" Hailey asked quietly. Then she asked louder in a more frantic tone, "It's not them, right?"
"Now, now," Maia said. She put a finger to her lips, gesturing for them to be quiet. "Shh..." Maia walked over to the door and stomped her foot on the ground angrily. She said out loud to no one, "If there was a little window hole we would be able to see what's banging on the other side!"
"Wait," Tom said, standing next to her. He looked inside the little hole that was right under the doorknob. He squinted his eyes and tried to get a better view. Tom backed up and told Maia, "I see pants. That's all." He shrugged, and Maia grabbed the doorknob.
"Ready?" she asked Tom. He nodded and she opened the door at least an inch.
"HELP!" they heard. "Please let us in!"
"Let 'em in!" Matt cried, uncrossing his arms. He got off from the counter and ran over to Tom and Maia. He looked outside to see a man and, by the looks of it, his wife or sister. Maia opened the door wider and let them in hurriedly. The man collapsed on the ground, obviously tired.
"How'd you get here?" Tom asked, rushing over to the man's side.
"Are any of you two bitten?" Maia asked, looking at the woman, then at the man, then back at the woman.
"Nah," the woman said, shaking her head. "We don't live to far from here. One of the apartments next to this building is ours. We used to come here a lot to get food and other things. Oh, and I'm Kate, and this is my brother, Donald."
"HELLO?" Matt asked, panting heavily. Tom and Maia, who had paid no attention of the door, looked back at Matt and gasped. "T-The door! Help! It won't close. Something on t-the other side is trying to open it...!"
"Whoa," Tom said, and put both of his hands on the door and started to push with all his might. Maia also helped by putting her shoulder against the door and pushing.
"Why won't it close?" Maia asked frantically. "What's on the other side?"
"Believe me," Tom said, looking outside. His eyes widened. "I-I don't think you want to know..."
"Stop crying," Katie begged Hailey. But Hailey wouldn't stop. "C'mon, please, just stop..."
"Okay, uh, wait," Tom said, backing away from the door. Maia shot him a confused glance. But then Tom rushed to the door, doing the same thing as he did earlier, and hit the door with his right arm. This time he wouldn't make the mistake of hitting the door with his injured arm. The door abruptly slammed shut. Tom felt a smile tug at the side of his lips.
"Well, we could've done that...," Matt mumbled.
"What do we do now?" Donald asked. "We're stuck. Their outside the kitchen, and their also outside the building. And you know what? There's no way of getting out of here, is there! Every place you turn to you expect peace and quietness, but NO, now you see hordes of - things!"
"Okay, okay," Matt muttered. "Stop complaining! Jeez. Everybody has something to complain about, not just you. So just... shut up!"
"This, apparently, has all gone to our heads," Tom said, rolling his eyes. Then he saw the glares that everybody but Hailey, Katie, and Maia gave him. He rose his hands up in defense. "Okay, okay. Sorry." That's when they all heard it. The constant, slow banging on both sides of the doors.
"Uh... You don't think that it's other people, you suppose?" Matt asked, shooting worried glances at everyone.
"I don't think so," Maia said. She walked over to Katie and Hailey, then picked them up one by one and placed them on the counter. She realized that they were both light... Wait, she thought. Who cares about that right now?
"What do we do?" Katie asked. "Someone has to know what to do now, right? Right!"
"Katie!" Tom cried, putting his head in his hands. "Just...please. We're thinking."
"Well, think faster," Matt said, as he looked at the bolts on the door. "I don't think we have all eternity anymore, Tom." Then he stumbled backwards as he saw a bolt that was starting to be removed. "Tom!"
"I-I'm thinking!" Tom cried hesitantly.
"Oh no," Maia said, as one of the bolts fell to the ground with a clank. She shut her eyes tightly, then looked at Tom, who was still deep in thought. C'mon, Tom..., she silently chanted. He had to think of something. She looked up in frustration then her eyes widened at what she saw.
"I have an idea!" she suddenly cried, not taking her eyes off the ceiling. "Katie, Hailey you two are going in first."
"Huh?" Tom said, as he looked up to where Maia was looking. "The attic! Yes!" He walked over to Katie and Hailey, picking them up one by one and placing them on the floor. He shot Maia a thankful smile, then leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She seemed flustered at first, then shook her head it. She stood on the counter and told Katie and Maia that they were going to go in right after them.
"What's up there?" Hailey asked.
"Nothing," Maia said, as she picked Hailey up and held her up to the attic entrance. "Climb in, Hailey!" Hailey did as told. She disappeared into the attic and Maia felt like celebrating. She picked Katie up with Tom's help and they all started climbing in.