The front of the gym is crawling with those things. This looks nearly impossible to get into without starting something. If I go in the front, those things will chase after me, and that's not taking the people inside into consideration.
It's not like they are going to let me. I examine the path leading all the way to the back. It's covered up with those shambling monsters, but there is a ladder back there that leads up to the roof. It appears to be unguarded and most of the glass within the sun roofs are still intact. Which means no one has been up there.
I take a deep breath and climb down the fire escape. Once I reach bottom, all hell is going to break loose. Some of these shambling people are still unaware of my presence as I hide behind a dumpster and check both ways. Most of these shamblers are standing still or fighting one another over human remains.
"Either I get the girl, or I don't go home…"
I grab a piece of steel pipe from the dumpster and bust into a full sprint towards the back of the gym. My footsteps are loud enough to draw unwanted attention. Several of the walking corpses try to grab me, but I weave in and out, dodging all of their attempts to grab me. I rear back with my steel pipe and swing. The threaded tip clobbers the shambler in front of me and knocks him down.
"Go away!" I scream as I round the corner and scramble up the ladder.
I vault over an air conditioner unit and look behind me. Nothing is coming. I inch back over to the edge of the building and look down. All the shamblers that were chasing me are looking up with lifted hands. I guess these things aren't smart enough to mimic human behavior. A huge plus for now. I carefully inch over to the edge of the glass windows.
There are several people walking around on the wooden basketball court. All armed with some kind of blunt weapon. The way to the archery room is blocked because there are guys trying to get in. I can't really understand what is going on, but I am guessing they want in so they can get something that fires a projectile.
The guys beat and slam up against the door, but it refuses to budge. Melissa has to be in there. If they get in before I do, then my chances of getting back in the house are as good as zero.
I creep up to the edge of the building and carefully pop my head out. Melissa is sitting in the middle of the room with a bow, and her custom quiver. Blood stains her black school uniform, and she appears to be sobbing. Dead people are sprawled out on the floor with arrows sticking out of their heads. Damn, this girl is a killer. Melissa looks up at where I am.
"Shit!" An arrow passes right by the exact location my head was. If I wouldn't have went back into hiding the moment she noticed, I'd be dead.
"GO AWAY!" Melissa screams.
"I just want to talk!"
"Forget it! I know why you are here, and it's not going to happen! I'd rather starve to death than let someone like you put hands on me!"
"I'm not here to hurt you Melissa! I swear!" I poke my head back out, and she fires another arrow. I yank my head back, and the feather fletching gently grazes my face. My heart races to the point it feels like it's going to explode. A woozy feeling takes over as I fall flat on my back.
"If you're not like the others, then go get rid of them! We will talk if they haven't killed you!"
"Okay, I'll go get rid of them! After that, I want to talk!"
Seriously? There were like seven of them! I doubt she will hold up to her end of the deal, but it's worth a shot. I back away from the window and head over to the edge of the building. Down below is the smoker's balcony. I grab the outside guard of the ladder, scale down and take cover behind the raised flowerbeds.
One of the glass panels where the entrance is has been shattered. I carefully place my steps to prevent the fragments from crackling. The gym is so quiet that a pin can drop and someone could hear it on the other side of the building. The door to the coach's office is wide open. Almost like someone went in earlier and forgot to lock up. I grab my pipe and ease towards the room. The sounds of some approaching voices bounce off the wall. Shit… I rush into the room dive behind the desk.
"Do you think they will come for us?" One guy asks.
"Of course they will. They have too. Right?" The other replies in a skeptical manner.
The footsteps stop, and the conversation drops. They must be referring to the military coming in and saving us. Them, or our parents. Provided they aren't dead. I lay my head on the floor and think about mom and dad. They have to be in the middle of all this. Especially dad. That must be why his radio was going off before he left. Damn. The thought that he could be one of those…shamblers makes me sick.
Same with mom. She was a teacher at the elementary school over in Brookhaven. Hopefully they got some kind of warning and were able to get the little kids out. It's bad enough it happened here, but a classroom full of kindergartners? That's a truly terrifying thought.
"Once we get into the archery room, we'll be able to stand a better chance against those things outside." One guy says.
"Yeah, if that crazy bitch inside doesn't kill us. It's not like we were going to do anything to her." The other replies.
"I sure as hell am now after she killed James! I'm going to start by busting her legs so she can't get away!"
The sounds of their conversation on how they are going to torture Melissa disappears. I open a desk drawer and find a pack of batteries and some pliers. There is also a case of water underneath a nearby table. I open a bottle of water and dump half of it out.
When I save Melissa, I'll have her carry the water since my pack is filled with food and material. I should have drank the water, but even if it's bottled, there is still a chance it could be contaminated by whatever is affecting these people.
Inside the janitor's closet is enough stuff to make another spear, as well as some more nails, and some mineral oil. I break the head of the broom off and fasten another kitchen knife with some duct tape. Now it's time to make something that will level the playing field. I make a few modifications and combine some of the batteries with a few things in my backpack.
"Alright. That should do." I peek out the door. Four of the students are pounding on the door where Melissa is.
"Kill her once we get in!" One of the guys shouts.
"No! I want to make her regret what she did to James!"
The other two are standing back, and the last one is out of sight. I stay low and get as close as I can. I reach the end of the bleachers and stick inside the shadow. Since the bleachers are made out of an aluminum frame completely covered in dark tinted metal, it's pitch black underneath.
I cut the power cord with some pliers to prevent getting trapped between the bleachers if someone gets wise and presses the retract button. One guy rams a steel pipe into the metal door and pries. The door warbles and cracks under the stress the pipe is inflicting.
"I'm going to make you pay for killing James! You worthless whore!" He strains.
I throw the homemade grenade and retreat since I don't know how big the blast radius is. The bomb lands right in the middle of the group and explodes, unleashing a volley of shrapnel and chemical water. Everyone caught within the radius screams as the shrapnel rips them to pieces.
"What the hell!?" Someone shouts.
"There is someone in here with us! Find them!" The other one yells as I take shelter behind an overturned table.
"Don't get separated! Otherwise we will be picked off!" One man replies.
They are both heading my way. I dive into the darkness of the bleachers and hide within the first hollow row. The pair of attackers contemplate on entering the darkness where I am hiding.
"You go first!"
"No, you go first!" They're arguing back and forth.
"Okay! Let's go together! Whoever it is can't take two of us on at the same time!"
I ready my spear and prepare to ambush. The plan is run one of them through with the spear, knock the other down and then finish them both with the pipe.
"To hell with it! I'm out of here!" One of them turns around and runs away.
"Right behind you!" The other guy adds.
This could be a trap. Although I honestly think their fear towards another human is greater than that of those things outside. At least with those shamblers, they're predictable. I listen for any noise that might cue me in on if they are really leaving. The sound of glass shattering echoes off in the distance. I ease to the edge of the shadows and keep my pipe ready just in case someone is waiting around that corner.
Chills race up and down my spine as my muscles' spasm under the sheer pressure of not knowing where these guys are at. Trying to remain calm in a situation like this is difficult. My heart can barely take this because one mistake means death, but I have to carry on if I want to save Melissa and have a chance of getting back into my house.
I wait a couple seconds and watch the corner for any type of shadow movement. Nothing. I inch forward with the pipe protecting my face. Just in case someone tries to spin around that corner and hit me.
I corner check both sides. Clear. I continue onto the basketball court and head over to the archery room. Those two guys must have left. Either that or they are waiting for me. Hopefully they left.
The bodies of the people killed by that makeshift grenade are all lined up in front of the door. Every person has nails wedged inside their necks and faces. Blood pours from their broken bodies onto the wooden floor.
The very sight makes me sick. I…killed these people… My stomach rumbles and my emotions get the better of me. I try to keep the feelings suppressed, but it isn't working. I went to class with some of these people, and I just killed them in cold blood. The thought of seeing the looks of their parent's faces is too much for me to handle.
I try to justify what I did, but it doesn't change what it is. The pressure inside my stomach percolates with enough force to reach my throat. A mixture of water and food builds up in my mouth. I cover my lips and run away from the bodies.
Brown saliva combined with the hamburger I ate yesterday pours out of my mouth and nose. This time, it's even more intense than when I killed that teacher. At least she didn't feel what I did to her, or at least I hope she didn't.
My gut stops turning and my senses clear up. I return back to the door and knock: "Hey Melissa, they are gone! Let me in now!"
There is no response.
"HEY! Are you deaf!? I held up to my end of the bargain! Now let me in!" I pound on the door with increasing force.
"MELISSA!"
She pops her head up from the other end of the door. Her eyes are stained with sorrow, "Why should I trust you!? I heard what they were going to do with me! Busting my knees so I can't run away!"
"Because I'm the one that took care of that little problem, and I'd greatly appreciate it if you upheld your end of the deal, and you can start by letting me in!"
"It's him! It's him!" She interrupts me and runs off.
Ah hell. I leap to the left. The sound of wood connecting with the metal door rings out as I try to make out what is after me. "You're going to pay for what you did!" A guy yells out.
He is wielding a baseball bat that has crooked nails driven through the end. The guy rushes at me and swings the bat, nearly hitting me in the arm. I bring up my spear and stab at him. He steps back and slams his bat against the tip of the weapon. The tip of my mop handle snaps, and the knife skids across the ground. Damn it! I throw the stick at him and bring my pipe back up.
"I was only protecting my friend in the archery room!" I swing my pipe at him, and he blocks the incoming attack.
"And those were my friends you just killed!" The both of us swing at the same time.
The baseball bat connects with my steel pipe. Wood splinters and explodes as my flimsy steel pipe bends all the way to the side. I throw the bent pipe down and tackle him to the ground. He rolls over and sits on top of me. The both of us swing at each other and try to overcome one other. I know for a fact that a kitchen knife is laying close.
I throw a punch and hit him in the jaw. He staggers as I reach for the knife. The guy must have the same idea because he strikes me right in the face and stuns me. He grabs hold of the knife first and attempts to stab me.
I grab his arms and try to keep the blade away from me. The both of us are locked in a stalemate. He is gaining no distance, but neither am I. Right now, it's just a battle of endurance. He smacks the back of his hand, and the guy gains the advantage. The guy carefully lets off and forces me to push back. Intentionally sapping the strength in my arms.
"Give it up, and I might make it quick." He says with determination in his eyes.
Something whistles through the air. The guy drops the knife and rolls off me. An arrow sticks out of his rib as he thrashes around in agony. Melissa steps over the man and draws her bow back. Another arrow flies through the air and strikes him in the eye. He gurgles and stops moving.
"Oh God Melissa!" I shout.
She tries to hold back her feelings, but she loses control and chokes on tears. Melissa grabs her face and collapses to the ground.
"Melissa…."
"He grabbed me and tried to put his mouth on my shoulder…It was an accident…It was an accident…" She whimpers.
"Listen, I don't know what's going on, but I'm getting out of here…"
"It was an accident…He was trying to attack me…" Melissa ignores me.
"Melissa? Can you hear me? I said I'm going to…"
Melissa acts like she's about to take aim at me, "It's all your fault!"
"Whoa! Okay! Calm down! Let's just talk…" I throw my hands up in submission.
"TALK!? WHY!?"
"Because I came all this way to save you!"
"You're just like everyone else! The moment I turn my back, you'll make your move!" She screams at me.
"If I wanted to make a move, I would have already done it, but if that's what you believe, why don't you just kill me!? HUH!? Do it! DO IT!" I shout back as I hop up and down.
Melissa draws her arrow all the way back and takes a deep breath. Oh my God… She's actually going to do it. I am going to die right here. However, fear isn't controlling me, it's anger that I went through all this, and she's going to strike me down.
I guess that's what good intentions get you in this world. Melissa struggles to breathe and her arm is on the verge of releasing the draw string's tension. She is hesitating to fire for some reason. Melissa sighs and gently aims down before disengaging her aim.
"I know who you are, and I know that you wouldn't hurt me. It's just…"
I slowly walk over to her with my hands behind my head. "It's okay. I'm not here to hurt you. Nor have I been bitten. Promise." Melissa drops her bow and runs toward me.
She throws herself on me and weeps uncontrollably. Her brown hair is matted with sweat and grime. The school uniform she is wearing is completely painted red and there are massive holes in her black stockings.
"What has happened Matt!?" She cries out.
"I don't know, but we need to get out of here. Are you hurt?"
Melissa shakes her head no.
"There is some water in the coach's office. Can you get it while I try and find myself another weapon?"
"I can…" She wipes her eyes and picks her bow up. Melissa has a custom thigh quiver filled with blunt tipped arrows since she has her backpack.
"There are some more bows in the archery room. Grab as many arrows as you can."
"I promise we will get out of here." I state.
Melissa nods and walks into the coach's room. I head into the archery room, trying not to pay any attention to the corpses Melissa has shot. I grab a bow and stuff two quivers full of arrows before mounting them to my backpack.
"I got all the water Matt." Melissa says.
"Great. Let's get going."
We head back out onto the smoker's balcony. Melissa jumps but is unable to grab the top of the ladder's guard.
"Here." I lock my hands together.
Melissa places her left foot into the cusp. Her legs sway back and forth as she struggles to get a firm foothold. I reach up and use my hands to offer some stability. Melissa kicks off me and climbs up to the roof. I grab hold of the ladder's guard and scale up. Melissa holds out her hand and helps me over the building's ledge.
People who haven't become shamblers yet run amuck in the courtyard. One guy gets grabbed from behind and taken to the ground. He fights with everything he has to escape but is quickly overcome by the horde. His yells of agony are quickly drowned out by a wet moan as his hand disappears within the relentless mob.
"Jesus Christ…" I sigh.
Melissa grabs a hold of her chest, "I don't… I can't…"
"Melissa, Melissa!"
I grab hold of her and sit her down. The weight of anxiety wrings all the air from her lungs. She's going to have a panic attack if she doesn't get it together. Her heart rate is throbbing so hard that she's on the verge of passing out.
"Listen to me, it's going to be okay. Forget everything around us and relax. Breathe like me. Nice and easy." I say as Melissa closes her eyes and tries to assume control. She digs her fingers into my shoulder blades and tries to relax. Her chest flexes less and her breathing slowly mimics mine.
"All you can do is push those thoughts to the back of your head. Don't think, survive." I say as I let her go.
Melissa nods up and down, "Yeah…"
We pick our bows back up and continue towards the ladder leading down from the roof. Most of the shamblers are on the other side of the fence. I make sure that it's clear, and we have enough time to get down and run. It's now or never.
"Okay Melissa, we are heading back to the school. I promised someone I'd come back."
We step down on the fire escape on the other side of the building. The smell of death is everywhere. It's worse than those decaying animal carcasses my family and I would pass on the side of the road. Melissa takes a pink bandanna out of her pocket and wraps it around her face to try and eliminate the terrible odor lingering in the wind.
"I can still smell it through the bandanna!" Melissa gags.
I use my arm to try and shield my nose, but it does nothing. The decaying flesh combined with the smell of dried iron in the blood still climbs over my arms and attacks my nose.
"Okay Melissa. I need you to stick close to me." I say as I ease up to the side of the building. Most of the shamblers are aimlessly walking around the courtyard. A quick shot up the middle is our only choice.
She puts her hand on my shoulder as I wait for the perfect opportunity. All of them are looking the other way, and I take off. Melissa follows right behind me as we enter the front courtyard. One of the shamblers growl, and the others all look in our direction. I kick it into another gear and burst into a full sprint. Melissa lets go of my shoulder and gains the lead.
She gets to the front door and notches an arrow into the draw string. I dive forward and she releases. The blunt tip punctures the eye of an incoming male shambler. His head snaps back, and he groans. However, the thing is still alive.
The arrow is buried up to the fletching as it continues walking. Melissa draws again and releases another shot. This one hits him in the heart, but he does not stagger. I crawl into the main hallway and get up as Melissa fires again.
A part of the shambler's skull caves in, and he falls backwards. He sits up and attempts to stand as we slam the door shut. The glass door won't hold long. We rush upstairs and break to the left.
"I hit that thing in the head twice and in the heart, and it was still alive!" She yells.
"Here. I'm not much of an archer." I say as I hand Melissa a handful of blunt tips so she can replenish her quiver. Melissa spent three trying to kill one shambler, and she's going to need a lot more if she is intent on using the bow.
We continue down the hallways spattered with blood stains. It's an absolute slaughter house. Countless bodies line the hallways. Some have been torn apart while others have had their throats chewed out.
"Watch your footing. These things could still be alive." I say as I hug up against the lockers and step over the bodies.
My nerves are fraying with the sting of anguish as I try to avoid looking down. This is so disturbing. People say that video games and TV are graphic. Bullshit. This is stuff that puts nightmares to shame. Melissa is trying to control her breathing as she closes her eyes.
I reach over and grab hold of her shoulder, "Keep your eyes closed. I'll lead."
"Thanks Matt." She wheezes.
The wounds on the bodies drastically change from bites and scratches on the shoulders and necks to shattered skulls, slit throats and vicious stab wounds to the chest.
At the end of the hallway is a girl sitting at the base of a wall. Her bright blonde hair is dotted with droplets of blood as she clenches a stained kitchen knife. Melissa slows her pace in an attempt to detour me, but it's not going to stop me. She steps in front of me and blocks my path.
"Matt…MATT! Stay away from her!" Melissa struggles as she presses her hands into my shoulders to try and slow me down.
"Get out of the way!" I shove Melissa out of the way and take off into a full sprint towards the girl. "Samantha!?"
The blonde looks up in my direction with a bleak face. Tears pour out of her eyes as she clenches her teeth and tries to stand. I make sure it's clear and slide down by her side. Crimson streams down her face.
"Matty? Is that you?"
"Sammy! Are you okay!?"
I touch her face and try to get her to look at me. "Sammy baby. You okay?" Samantha grabs me by the collar of my shirt and shoves me back.
Stay back!" She yells at me.
"Matt…"
"Shut up Melissa! This doesn't concern you!" I snap as I ease back to Samantha.
She points her knife at me and makes a threatening gesture. I hold up my hands and inch towards her, "Sweetie, it's me. Matty." Samantha refuses to back down though. Her defensive nature is really upsetting. I take out a medical gauze in my bag and douse it with some of the whisky.
Samantha reaches over and picks up a dented locker door that's been broken off the hinges. She lays it across her body and posts up. Samantha is absolutely terror struck right now, but she is slowly coming to the realization that it's me. The behavior in her eyes change from anger to a sense of urgent shock. However, Samantha is refusing to back down.
"Matt, don't come any closer…"
"Now when has that ever worked in the past silly?" I tease to try and relieve some of the tension.
Matt…"
"I've got it under control Melissa! Now keep a lookout!"
Samantha sighs and lets her hand fall into the puddle of blood that is soaking up underneath where she is sitting. The metallic scraping of the knife skids across the tile as I slowly reach out and take her hand.
"I thought you were Ohio visiting your grandparents?" I ask as I roll up her black sleeve and press the gauze into the spot where she's bleeding. Samantha grinds her teeth and exhales in agony, but she lets me apply some more pressure.
"I told mom… and dad I had something to… do before we left this morning. They… said I'd only have… until noon."
Samantha looks up and touches my face with her bloody hand, "I wanted to talk… to you, but that's… before… all this happened."
"Listen to me, I'm going to get you patched up, and then I'm going to get you out of here. I'll take you to my place, grab the kayaks then we'll head for the country side." I state as I hold her hand on my cheek.
"Matt, I'm not going anywhere…"
"Yes you are! It's just a couple scratches! Nothing I can't fix!"
Samantha closes her eyes and takes a deep, pain ridden breath. She grabs the fabric up around her shoulder and yanks. The uniform tears and Samantha uses her hand to move her black undershirt out of the way. My strength vanishes as I drop Samantha's hand, and the gauze. My body grows cold and achy as all the energy within me is channeled into trying to figure out what's going on.
Behind me, I can hear Melissa's sorrowful breath as she exhales. I douse a new gauze pad with whisky and press it against the wound on Samantha's shoulder. She flinches from the burning alcohol and lets out a small cry. It just needs to be cleaned. Underneath the blood is just a scratch. I wipe it clean, and what appears to be a deep bite mark rests where the blood is. I wipe the crimson off again, but the festering teeth mark continues to bleed.
"No…No, no, no…It's just a scratch, right? I mean, I'm just seeing things…" I hysterically state as I continue to clean the wound. Hoping that what I'm seeing is just a delusion caused from the Primal Effect.
"Stop Matt…I SAID STOP!" Samantha shouts as she grabs my hand.
A deep rumbling within her mouth gurgles as she vomits a wad of blood mixed with some kind of orange bile onto her legs. She throws her weight on me and tries to take me to the ground. I press her back against the wall, and she comes to her senses.
Samantha whimpers and whines as she constantly coughs up more blood and bile. A tear rolls down my left eye as I watch Samantha fight for her fleeting humanity. My eyes grow hot, and it becomes difficult to breathe.
The sound of Melissa sitting her quiver on the ground catches my attention. She takes out an arrow and unscrews the blunt tip off. Melissa opens a side pocket on her quiver and pulls out a black box with elegant, gold writing.
"No Melissa…"
Melissa screws on a helix arrowhead onto the fiberglass shaft and makes her way over, "There's nothing we can do for her Matt. She's suffering."
"She's right Matt…I'm too far gone…" Samantha coughs up another wad of blood. She reaches out towards me and touches my face. "At least, the last thing I get to see before the afterlife, is you…"
Melissa takes a deep breath and makes an arc. I reach out and gently wrap my hand around the bow. Melissa tries to yank away, but I hold on and pull it in my direction.
"Matt…"
"No, she was my responsibility, and now…this is the price I have to pay…" I say in between huffs.
Melissa lets go of the bow and nods. She steps back and turns her head. I wipe the water out of my burning eyes and take a deep breath.
"I want you to know Matt…That I forgive you. You truly are...a wonderful person…" Samantha moans as a white lens grows over her sapphire eyes. Orange liquid bleeds from her pupils, but she forces herself to smile. I slowly make an arc and take aim.
"I love you Matty…"
"Yeah. I love you too, Sammy…"
Boiling water leaks out of my eyes and onto my hand as I struggle to release. The arrow glides through the air and strikes Samantha directly between the eyes. She lands on her back and violently squirms around on the ground.
The sounds of her uniform and body dragging across the blood-soaked tile chills me to the core. She kicks her legs up and flings her hands around the arrow shaft. Melissa let's out a choked cry as I drop the bow and pick up the broken knife Samantha was wielding.
Tears drip off my cheeks onto her frail body as I press the knife into her throat and slam down with an open palm. Artillery like blood spurts out of Samantha's neck as the stainless-steel pierces her jugular. Samantha reaches up and weakly presses against me to try and resist, but the strength in her body disappears. Samantha takes one, final gasp as red fills her mouth and overflows. I pull the broken kitchen knife out of Samantha's throat and throw it as far as possible.
My head pounds with painful memories as I grab my head and try to control myself. The first time I met her, the mean girls filled her locker with trash. Mainly because Samantha was easily the most beautiful girl in the school. Everyone couldn't stop talking about her and how gentle spirited she was. As those bitches hid behind the corner, I waited for Samantha to come. Before she opened her locker, I patted Samantha's shoulder and asked her to stand back.
The mean girls were so pissed off, but I remember helping Samantha clean up the mess as I constantly looked back and flipped them the middle finger with a smug grin.
Why? Why did this have to happen!? Why couldn't this have happened to someone like Emily! Not Samantha! I want to scream out in pure rage, but my mouth feels like it's been stapled shut.
"Matt…"
"Shut up!" I sniffle as I look at Samantha's bloodstained I.D.
Her eyes were like two polished sapphires but have now been turned white with disease. Her luscious blonde hair that would illuminate and shine like gold under the sun is now matted with rot and decay.
I snap the arrow off as close to Samantha's head as possible and drag her lifeless corpse into a nearby classroom. I rip a white window curtain off the hooks and wrap Samantha's body up tightly. Around her neck rests a silver crucifix. Darkness tarnishes the shiny polish it once had.
I reach down and take it in my hand. This is the one I bought for her. The one I fought like hell to get. It was a way I wanted to show her that she really meant something to me, but now it will forever be a memento of this horrific moment. I put the necklace in my pocket and finish wrapping her up.
Blood soaks through the white material as I lay her on the teacher's desk. Tears drip from my face and spatter against Samantha's body. My lungs feel as if they are going to explode from the pressure, but that has nothing on how much my heart hurts.
I lean up against the dry erase board and look at Samantha's I.D again. Anger overrides the ability to think as I ball my fist up and slam it into the board, "GOD…FUCKING…DAMNIT!"
"Matt…I'm sorry, but Samantha is…Well…She's in a better place now." Melissa states as she tries to control her breathing.
"Yeah…At least she isn't here…" I answer.
"Oh Matt…" Melissa sniffles.
I wipe my eyes and get my breathing under control, "We have to keep moving though."
"Right…" Melissa replies as she gathers her things up and leaves the room.
I turn around and slowly shut the door. Samantha's body slowly disappears behind the shrinking crack as it completely blocks my vision from seeing her. Feelings welling up inside overcome my heart, and I open the door again.
"Just remember…Matty loves you…Goodbye Samantha." I state as I pretend to blow her a kiss like she used to…