Myrna

by Vandam, Vivian

  “There should be a back exit near the far left of the building.” Ace pointed to the first hallway, “It’s the only emergency exit they have here, other than the one in the basement.” Ace paused, giving her another look, “Is there anything else you need to get off your chest Mina?”

  She weighed the pros and cons of trusting him. He was a cop. A cop who sought after her kind…but in his eyes, she could see that he laid his trust with her as well. She took a deep breath in and sighed, “I’m a thief. I have been for the last eight years now. I’m a professional at what I do. And I know full well what your profession is—”

  “I don’t care.” He interrupted her.

  Surprise shot through her, she stared at him. “What?”

  Ace was already shaking his head, “I don’t care what you were before. In my opinion those talents could save our lives. You know how to lockpick yes?”

  “Y…yeah.” She replied dumbfounded.

  He nodded, “You know how to crack a safe right?”

  “Yeah.” She was feeling more at ease the more he asked.

  He continued, “And you know how to hot wire a car?”

  “Of course.” She narrowed her eyes slightly.

  “And you know how to walk silently.” It wasn’t a question it was an assumption. “You obviously know how to use a gun and know how to defend yourself. All of these talents will come in handy when its needed.” He handed her his hand. “Now come on. Let’s go save your sister and find Lyle.”

  She took his hand without question.

  Chapter Two

  Silently they walked, in some of the apartments on the first floor she could hear shuffling, vomiting and cries. Her instincts were telling her to help, but she knew they were already far gone. There was no point in helping those that were already dead.

  She can see that Ace was fighting the same thing, his sense of duty was lesser then his sense of survival. Which was good. Her heart felt lighter knowing that he knew what she was. She felt even better that he didn’t care. That he saw her as an asset—

  “Stop.” He held out his hand, she stopped.

  Since they used her crowbar, she had taken out her knife. The last thing she wanted to do, was to use her gun…she could still hear the undead bang against the door. The fear trickled down her spine, giving her goosebumps. She saw what he was looking at.

  Doors were open further down the hall, the lights were dim and flickering. Her hear skipped and she reached up, placing her hand on his back. Needing that slight comfort of not being alone. Knowing that she wasn’t facing this by herself—

  “There’s so many…” He whispered.

  She stepped out from behind him, and she could see, he wasn’t lying. The hallway ahead of them, was infested with them. With the dead. They were far enough away to where she couldn’t smell them completely, but it still made her stomach tighten. “We have no choice; we have to go up—” She started to whisper.

  Ace interjected, “What if the other floors are infested?” He replied.

  “We have to take our chances. We can’t go out through the front, and we sure as hell can’t go out through the back. There’s the emergency fire escape on the fourth floor, then there’s the boiler room—” She could feel herself shiver.

  The last thing she wanted was to go down into the boiler room.

  “We have no choice, let’s go to the basement.” He turned, keeping his eyes on the hoard ahead of them. They shuffled against one another, both hearing the sound of clothes rubbing against dead, wet flesh.

  Mina could feel the stomach acid touch the back of her throat. She kept swallowing back the urge to vomit. Ace went first, easily taking the stairs two at a time. She followed behind, trying to keep her steps as quiet as she could.

  The only thing Mina could hear in the stairway, was the sound of Ace huffing as he descended the stairs. Deep in her head, she could feel the giggle fit threatening to rise. Everything around her was falling apart—

  “Mina.” It was a hushed whisper, but it made her pause.

  “What?” She replied.

  Ace had stopped right before the second landing, she watched him reach down and hold out a piece of crumpled paper. It looked like the same paper from the sketch book Nadine had. She took it, and uncrumpled it.

  It was another rough drawing of Nadine, in a single cell. Looking out of a window. Men in blue were surrounding her, as she was hooked up to so many different machines—

  “What did they do to her?” Ace whispered.

  Mina’s heart skipped as she folded it up and put it in her back pocket. “Something awful…but she’s leaving these here for us to find her. We have to go.”

  “Mmuh…” It was a groan, far down the hallway.

  The area was very dimly lit, and was covered in moldy bricks, slick with slime and fungi. Mina’s stomach dropped down to her feet. They’re everywhere, aren’t they? She held the knife in her hand, she squinted.

  It was one.

  Just one.

  Dressed in overalls, covered head to toe in a thick gunk that looked like algae. Ace reached out and touched her shoulder; she gave him a quick shake of her head. “Stay here, I got this one. Just keep watching the staircase.” She kept her voice low.

  Dropping to a crouch, she slowly but surely made her way to the creature. Her hands slick with perspiration, beads of sweat popping across her upper lip. The closer she got to it, the more she could smell the deep decay surrounding it.

  The clothes were caked in the goo like substance. It dripped from its hands. The once living person had no hair, and she could easily see the top of its skull. What should’ve been bone white, was a deep green, crawling with maggots.

  She got close enough, when she started to stand, she nearly jumped out of her skin when it retched. Green and black substance plopped to the ground at its feet. Mina was stunned when she saw it eat through the cocreate floor.

  The creature just retched up acid.

  Stomach acid wasn’t strong enough to eat through concreate, that she knew of.

  Goosebumps crawled up her skin and she acted quickly; she placed her hand on its shoulder. Her fingers sinking into its mushy flesh. The feeling of the slime almost made her gag. Mina brought the knife up and slammed it deep into its temple. She was quick, stabbing once and bringing it back out.

  The creature crumpled to the cement ground without another sound. Its head striking the ground, some of its own acid eating away the already decayed skin. Mina rubbed her hand on her shirt, her heart beating so hard she could hardly breathe. Another mutation…if that had gotten on me, or Ace—

  “Mina? Is the coast clear?” Ace whispered.

  She found her voice, trying to keep it free from worry, “Uh…yeah.”

  “You, okay?” He was behind her in seconds, she couldn’t stop herself from looking at the dead thing at her feet.

  “No…” She answered truthfully for the first time, “We have to get to the station. Now.”

  Ace only took one look at the creature, “Alright let’s get going. There should be an emergency exit somewhere.”

  Mina gave a quick look over the basement, there were only three doors. The one they entered to get down here, the janitor’s closet—

  It was around the corner; she saw the emergency exit.

  "Come on." She grabbed his wrist, taking off at a sprint jumping over the dead body. Mina tried to keep her eyes away from the dead thing—

  Just say it. The zombie.

  No.

  She wouldn't say that. She refused to even think—

  It is what it is. Your parents made this mess, and now you're stuck cleaning it up. You have a cop as your partner, you’re both looking for children for Christ sakes.

  Swallowing hard, they took the turn, nearly running into the wall. The large sign above the door was bright red, singing to them this was the way out—

  She slammed into it first, the wind was knocked right out of her lungs. The door from the stairs slammed open
and Mina could feel the fear trickling through her body. They had broken down the door, they were coming…

  "Mina—" Ace breathed, he had his gun drawn and aimed at the corner. "We don't have time!"

  His worried voice brought her back, she dropped down to a knee and pulled out her lockpick kit. She grabbed the first one she saw; it was her rake pick. She would normally take her time, feel the lock…but they just didn't have time.

  Mina nearly jumped out of her skin as the sound of Ace's gun went off. Out of time Mina…make quick work. Her hands were quick, the lock turned over.

  "Mina!" Ace's voice came harsher, more filled with fear.

  "I got it." She put her picks away and pushed the door open. Another bang went off in the small corridor making her ears ring. "Come on!" She nearly screamed.

  Ace shot the last one that was almost grabbing him, it fell with a hard thud. She grabbed the back of his uniform and pulled. He nearly fell over his two feet before running out of the door. Mina closed it, listening to wet hands as it banged against the thin metal. "We don’t have much time…" She breathed.

  Ace was already at the top of the stairs, opening another door with a loud creak. She gave the door one last look before taking off at a sprint following her partner.

  The skies were roaring, the wind had picked up carrying the sickening scent of death. A storm was threatening to pour above them, a single gate separated them from the shopping district. They were almost there, so close to the police department that she could smell the cold, stale air. The door to the gate was hanging open, ready for them—

  Quiet.

  Everything went eerily silent, to the point where Mina's ears tried to make up the lack of sound with ringing. There wasn't even the sound of the dead, crying out for their hot and fresh flesh.

  Ace gave her a worried look, and she just nodded to the gate. There was no other way around it. They had to cross through the shopping district to get to the police department. If not…they would have to go back around and go through the old library.

  Too many risks.

  "Come on…" She mouthed.

  He was shaking his head, unsure, "Too quiet."

  Mina was quickly growing frustrated, she pushed passed him and went through the open gate. The sky above her head rumbled with thunder again, lightning arced across the dark sky, showing the deep smoke and red haze in the distance.

  She put her knife away and replaced it—quickly—with her gun. Ace caught up with her, and she paused in her tracks.

  The shopping district was nothing but blood.

  Many of the shops were broken, glass shone in the fire like embers. Half-eaten corpses lined the streets. Some of them hung out of the display windows of the shops. Glass sticking out of their backs.

  Some were in cars that were on fire. Mouths hanging agape in a silent scream. A few of the buildings had finally caught fire and was spreading through the nearby ones. Mina couldn't move. She watched the destruction of her city unfold around her. This…this is what my parents wanted? To watch their city, burn and collapse around them? She watched the fire spike and break a window.

  What she couldn't believe, what her eyes couldn't take in and her brain refused to see, was a woman screaming with her nightgown on fire. Standing on the ledge of her window, staring down at them. She was three stories high, close enough to where Mina could see the look on the woman's face.

  It was serenity, no more pain.

  Before she could call out to the woman, to stop her—

  She fell.

  Her entire back and hair were engulfed in flames, she didn't cry out or scream as she cascaded through the night air. Mina's trance was broken when she heard her body strike the concreate below, thudding only once.

  She had followed that woman all the way down and watched as the blood circled her head. The fire taking hold of the rest of her. Her eyes moved from one mayhem to another.

  The corpses were piling up, one after another. She pushed on, walking by the corpse of the burning woman. Her stomach was rolling, and her brain was running a million miles an hour. It just couldn't catch up to the horror she just witnessed. Ace was silent behind her, the sudden urge to protect him came over Mina. Watching that woman fall to her death, made her never want to leave his side.

  This much death, wasn't good for anyone.

  A single bus was blocking the other half of the street. Its door was open. "Mina?" Ace called out from behind her.

  She gave him a quick glance over her shoulder, "I'm alright." She lied through her teeth. She wanted to even lie to herself. She had to find her little sister, and Lyle. She had to make sure they all get out in one go. If not…

  I wouldn't be able to handle it.

  Ace didn't ask again, instead he nodded for her to continue. She stepped up the three stairs on the bus and winced at the oncoming smell of blood. She couldn't even look out the windows it was so saturated with it. The seats dripped and a few of them still had people in them.

  One, was of a child laying in the middle of the bus. Its face was on the ground, blood surrounded it's head.

  Something inside of Mina started to crack. Looking at the body of the child, all she could even think of was her little sister. It looked the same age, she couldn't even tell if it was a boy, or a girl its clothes were so drenched. The head—

  "Oh god." She had to turn away, the child's head was bashed in. She closed her eyes and could feel the waves of depression grabbing her brain and heart, squeezing it tightly.

  Ace had his arms around her, she felt one of his hands touch the back of her head and press her face against his chest. Everything from the day came crashing through and Mina felt the burning tears in her eyes, her throat tightened, and she kept her face buried against his chest. "I can't…I can't…" She heaved.

  "You can. You got this Mina." He pulled her away, she was looking into his eyes and tried wiping away her tears. "I will be right here. You can do this. We. Can do this. I'll walk in front of you alright?"

  She took in a shaky breath before nodding, "Alright. Alright."

  Mina went behind him, doing her best not to look at the dead child on the floor of the bus. Each time she even thought about it, that crippling depression grabbed her. Losing her mother hurt, but the very thought of losing her sister killed her. "I can't lose her…" She whispered.

  Ace guided her around the body, "We will find her Mina. She must be at the station. That's where your mother said your dad took her right?" He tried sounding optimistic, to try and keep her spirits up.

  "Yeah…" She did her best not to look at the frail body. She kept her eyes on his back.

  "Watch your step. It gets…it gets slick." They were at the other end of the bus; the other door of the bus was open and led them to the last part of the shopping district and the last stretch to the police department.

  He took her hand and helped her down the stairs. She was once again taken aback by the sudden silence, the wind picked up again carrying the smell of decay and shit. Mina could see this area was less…brutal as the first half.

  There were a few of the undead walking around, stuck behind waist high gates and inside stores. "We have to stay quiet…" She dropped her voice to a light whisper; Ace was more than happy to agree. Any unnecessary noise could drag them out, and a whole new hoard would be on them.

  "Mmnuh!" It was child-like, coming from behind her.

  Mina turned, and saw the child falling down the stairs from the bus. Half of its face was gone, brain leaked out of its nose and mouth—a mouth that was missing teeth, and a lower jaw that hung, broken—she backed up a scream lodged in her throat.

  It wasn't it—the child was a young girl—getting back to her feet. Swaying in place before retching. Mina replaced her gun with her knife, staring at the child zombie, coming towards her. The only eye she had left stared at her in its undead way, glazed over burning with fever. Bloody drool dripped down her chin. She tried reaching out to Mina, but she took a step back, the claw like hand
missing her by inches.

  "A…Ace…" She could hardly speak through her tightened throat. The very thought of harming a child, or striking one down made it that much worse. "Ace!" Mina called above a harsh whisper.

  "What?"

  She kept backing up from the child, staring her down. "I can't…" Her hand trembled as she held the knife.

  Ace was by her side, taking aim with his gun—

  "Grrr…" It was a low, deep growl.

  Ace turned from Mina, he let out a grumble of disbelief.

  Another long deep growl came from somewhere behind her, Mina couldn't take her eyes off the little girl—who was making sounds she had never heard before—she kept backing up.

  "Mina we have to go!"

  More growling came from behind her, and she kept shaking her head. "I can't…" It was hushed coming from her throat. Tears were choking her.

  Tip-tack

  Tip-tack

  Tip-tack

  Claws on the pavement.

  "Mina!"

  Mina kept looking at the young zombie, her hands grabbed her shirt. And Mina let out a light yelp. She didn't want to kill her…she didn't—

  "Mina!"

  She closed her eyes, "I'm sorry." Swinging her knife down, she got the young girl in her temple. The hands went slack, as the young body went limp against hers. Mina couldn't look at her. She kept her eyes away and laid the young girl down on the ground. She pulled the knife free from the girl’s temple. The sudden calmness that came over her, was surprising.

  The numbness that followed…

  Gunshots.

  Several of them.

  She got to her feet, slowly dragging her knife across her shorts cleaning the blood off it. She took hold of her gun, and went to Ace—

  His scream brought her back, a large dog was running right to him. Taking a deep breath in, Mina felt herself dip into hypersensitivity, all she saw was the large, skinned dog. She pulled the trigger twice. One bullet striking its chest while the other struck it in the eye.

  The creature fell with a single spasm.