"Righto," Mike said in a very certain 'ready to go' voice, as he turned to leave the master bedroom with both Moll and Tracy following him, "Just give us a few minutes, and this place'll be really fuckin' secure," he assured Nick as he exited.

Molly didn't doubt him for one moment, as he led the way down the hallway to the stairs, her behind him, and Tracy behind her. Nick had just told them to go and check the barricades... again, and Molly still wasn't feeling all that great. Why wouldn't this cold or flu or whatever the fuck it was leave me alone already? she thought nearly furiously. Hadn't this day been filled with enough shit to last a lifetime nevertheless one day? Her mother was dead, or worse, one of... them, and her father was seemingly nowhere to be found, and the world had gone straight to fuckin' hell, and it looked like it was going to stay there.

Wouldn't things ever get better? Molly asked herself, now descending the stairs behind Mike, wouldn't things eventually get better? They couldn't stay this way forever could they?..

The three teens arrived in the downstairs landing.

Mike took one look at the largest couch that was wedged between the landing and the front door, "Yeah, that one's not goin' nowhere," he said, a bright look of satisfaction evident on his face, "No way they'll get in here."

"And what if they do?" Tracy asked, annoying Molly slightly. Why couldn't the girl just trust Mike's word on this? He did happen to know what he was doing. Molly simply couldn't fathom anyone not trusting Mike.

"Well, if they do, I'll make it my job to write you a formal apology," Mike replied, cracking a smile at Tracy, who looked slightly unamused.

Mike gave a laugh at her irritated glare and added, "I'm just messin' with ya. Relax... Anyway, on to the next one."

He led the group to the next barricade which was located in the back of the family room. Molly vaguely heard Nick and...-- Ali? Was that her name?-- come down the stairs behind her, as she followed Mike into the family room.

Nick must be starting to look for those keys he had mentioned. There were apparently a couple of cars in the garage, and Nick wanted to keep the group's escape options as open as possible. Molly had asked where they would be going, and Nick truly didn't know. Where could they possibly go that was safe now? Two thirds of all the people in the world were now these things, who's sole purpose was to kill everyone else.

What kind of future did anyone have to look forward to?

Molly quickly shook her head to dislodge these thoughts from her head. She was glad that neither Mike nor Tracy had seen this move, as she imagined it made her look more than slightly ridiculous.

It was about the time when she was thinking of such ridiculous thoughts when a not so ridiculous one, one that happened just so happened to be the answer to her problem, occurred to her: Mike. Mike was what would make whatever lay in front of them not so bad. Mike would be there, and Molly realized he was all she'd need.

Molly allowed herself a small smile, as she glanced up at her boyfriend, now marching towards the back door that led out back, and it's accompanying barricade, and she knew, somehow, that no matter what lay in store, everything would be okay.

She still felt sick though.

Fuck.

"Hm," Mike said, jarring Molly out of her in mind trance, "Well, I guess we'll move whatever we find that's at all heavy," he continued, surveying the second barricade with a look of interest and thought about how best to improve it, "And then we'll see what next."

Tracy nodded her agreement, "Alright, so just keep an eye out for anything big?"

Mike nodded, "Yeah, somethin' like that... Anyway, everything looks pretty cool as is, though we'll just chill down here and keep on this bitch 'til Nick says we're good. I don't like all these windows, but if we keep all the blinds shut and keep quiet we should be okay... Hopefully."

Tracy smiled, "Lovin' the confidence"

"Me too," Mike replied, returning the smile.

He turned to Molly, "I just want you to sit down for a bit, kay? Probably do you a world of good," he said, gesturing to the lounge chair he had moved against the window earlier, "Being someone of importance and all, I'll allow you to sit in my chair."

Molly put on an expression of mock surprise and gratitude, "Sit in your chair?! Really?! Me?!" she said as sarcastically as possible.

Mike played along, with Tracy a somewhat amused spectator, "Yep. Don't get comfortable or nothin'. I may want it back at any given moment," he said smiling broadly.

He always looked so adorable with that smile, Molly thought.

"So," Mike said, clapping his hands once, as a new thought came to him, "Who's hungry?"

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Nick was once again leading his much smaller, much quieter companion down the hall, where he could barely hear Mike, Molly and Tracy. They would meet up with Mike's group mere seconds from then, and Nick was eager to see what headway they had made on the barricades, though they looked pretty good before he had told Mike to look them over again. So far, things were going pretty well. Nick and Ali had found the car keys, and Mike was doing a wonderful job of sealing the house off. They'd be pretty secure by nightfall, hopefully, though Nick was pretty sure the crazed undead would probably bust to windows of the house to get at the meat inside. Nick would have to go over everything on the downstairs floor and start closing up entire rooms if that's what it took. The dining room for instance was almost nothing but windows, and had no tactical value to speak of. The bus blocked a lot of it, but still, it was wide open to an onslaught. Nick decided to just cut off the whole dining area completely. The group would spend the majority of time upstairs anyway, so the loss of the dining room meant basically nothing.

Other downstairs rooms, like the family room, also had large windows, but it was a little more stable, and had a backyard devoid of any sort of life at the moment. Not to mention the entire backyard was fenced off, and the fence had to be nearly six feet tall at least, Nick estimated. The creatures only seemed to respond to stimulation of a real person being somewhere for them to go anywhere specific. Nick had watched enough of the news telecast, and seen enough with his own two eyes to realize that fact. The creatures would only come if they knew that someone was in this house, and Nick made a vow right then and there to make absolutely sure that that didn't happen. The barricades were only really a last resort, Nick realized making his way further down the hall, Ali in tow, and the barricades would only buy the group enough time to escape from the house using the bus or the newly acquired cars. And that was just if they were excruciatingly lucky.

Nick turned the keys over in his closed left fist once again. They made a small metal on metal grinding sound that was somewhat soothing. Now, he had to find out who else was capable of driving. Nick would greatly prefer taking the whole group in a single vehicle, but plans got fucked so fast, that a million Plan Bs were a always a good idea.

Nick was about to attempt to start a conversation with Ali, but rounded the corner to see Mike, clapping his hands, and then saying, "Who's hungry?" in his wonderfully deep voice loaded to the brim with enthusiasm and excitement, even if it was just an elaborate act. It made everyone feel about a thousand times better.

Nick took a quick breath, "Me," he said. All of a sudden, the pains of hunger hit him. They must have just been waiting for someone to mention food, and Nick hadn't eaten anything all day. He nearly laughed out loud as the vision of Chad excited about winning the puking contest popped into his head. Anyway, a bit of snacking would probably be good for him, and everyone else. And Nick was positive Mike was hungry as well.

Looked like it was back to the kitchen in just a few moments.

Mike spun around, and Nick noted that Tracy jumped slightly at his and Ali's sudden entrance. Mike smiled, "Awesome. Let's go find some munchies, or somethin'... You guys find them keys?" he asked, raising his eyebrows slightly.

Nick held up his hand, and opened it, flashing a victorious smile, "You betcha."

"Fuckin A," Mike said, nodding deeply.

"Are we gonna use the cars?" Tracy asked, looking from Mike to Nick.

"Dunno yet," Nick replied, "But I'd rather have every option open, no matter what we end up doing."

"Makes sense," Molly agreed.

"I said go sit down, dear," Mike jokingly chastised her. He turned to Nick, "If that's okay with Nick, that is."

"It is," Nick said, He turned to Molly, "As soon as we all go back upstairs, I want you to take one of the bedrooms and get some sleep. I need you a hundred percent as soon as you can manege it."

Molly nodded, which made her feel somewhat woozy to do, "Aye, captain," she turned, walked the few feet to 'Mike's' lounge chair, and plopped down with a thud.

She sighed, "Now that feels pretty good." It was indeed a comfortable chair.

"Good," Mike said, turning to Nick, "Plan?"

"Molly stays here and stays quiet, and the rest of us go to the kitchen, grab some eats, get upstairs and discuss what the hell to do next," Nick said, creating an outline of the 'plan', "Mike, go to the dining room real quick and grab a chair. Quietly..." Nick trailed off, thinking, "Actually Molly, I'm sorry, but I need you to come with us. You probably shouldnt stay here by yourself."

"Oh fuck you, Nick. I just got here," Molly said, leaning her head back and shutting her eyes.

"Yeah, my bad. But that's how it is. As soon as we get upstairs, you're gonna take a nap, I freakin' promise.

"Dammit," Molly muttered, "I hate you," she said, smiling weakly.

"I know. Now up we go," Nick said.

Mike, who hadn't yet had a chance to get a chair from the dining room, moved to Molly and helped her to her feet, "C'mon, babe. Food time."

"Well, I guess that's cool, too," Molly said, sounding almost asleep as it was.

"Never mind, Mike, I'll get that chair," Nick said, you just get everyone to the kitchen and I'll be right along."

Mike gave Nick a look of concern, "The kitchen? You sure?"

Nick knew instantly what he was asking. He was asking if the kitchen had been sufficiently cleared of the bodies, and was decent enough to actually move around in. He nodded, "Positive."

"Kay, dude," Mike said, one of his hands resting on Molly's shoulder, just in case she needed to be caught or something of the sort at any moment.

"Oh, Mike?" Nick said getting the larger teen's attention again.

"Yep?" he said

"How're the barricades?"

"I think they're good for now. I was just about to go scouting for anything heavy to add to 'em"

Nick thought about it, "I think we'll be okay for now. As long as they don't know we're here, we could open every door in the house and be fine."

"True that," Mike responded.

Nick then glanced to Ali,

"To the dining room."

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It'll go somewhere. In fact, at this point, I have a lot of plot already thought up.

Thanks for reading!