by D, Hannah
“Wow, loads of them huh?” Alice said to Zoe.
“Hopefully setting these fireworks off will distract enough of them to let us escape from here. That’s what I’m praying for anyway” Zoe said.
“It should do the trick!” Alice said hopefully.
“Yeah, should do” Zoe smiled at her.
“Come on, lets get back down there and see what everyone’s up to and start making a plan” Alice said.
Zoe nodded her head and followed Alice back downstairs.
Zoe noticed that her group seemed on edge when she and Alice made it back down to them. Lewis and Mandy were pacing and Sophia seemed to be arguing with Simone and John. Everyone else seemed to be bickering at one another.
“What’s going on here?” Alice asked.
“No one knows what to do with the group” Mike told them.
“We’re stuck between killing them, leaving them here and letting them live or bringing them with us” Sarah told them.
“Why don’t we just let them live? Chances are the skin eaters will eventually get to them anyway” Michael shrugged.
“There’s a doctor in there though! We need a doctor during this skin eater shit!” Simone shouted.
“Who cares? They sure didn’t when they kept all these people for their experiment and kept Zoe hostage!” Jeff shouted.
“Enough!” One of the woman who was kept locked up shouted.
Everyone turned to look at her, shocked and surprised that she’d shouted at them. The group of prisoners had kept pretty quiet after they had gotten free and during the debate with if Sylvia and the others should be kept alive. The woman looked angry with all of them.
“We let them live. If we kill them then we are no better than they are” The woman told them.
“She has a point” Zoe said.
“Right okay then, we let them live. What happens when they do this to another group of people?” Lewis asked them.
“They can’t do much without their ringleader. I say we just kill her” Zoe told them.
“Uh Zoe, you sure about that?” Jeff asked her.
“Yes I’m sure and I’ll be the one to do it” Zoe told them with finality.
Everyone looked shocked when Zoe told them that but no one objected with her about it. They must’ve seen the fire and determination in her eyes about it and how if even they did object with her she would kill Sylvia anyway.
“Are you sure that’s what you want?” Michael asked her.
“Yes. She put me and these people through enough hell. I kill her.” Zoe said as she gestured to the group of used to be prisoners.
“I agree with her” The woman who shouted out said.
“Yeah me too!”
“Agreed!”
“Bitch should go to hell for what she done to us!” The group of used to be prisoners shouted out together.
“Alright. The rest live. Sylvia dies” Jeff announced.
Zoe didn’t have a plan yet as to how she would kill Sylvia but she at least had the rest of the night and tomorrow daytime to decide.
They all hadn’t formed a plan yet for when to set the fireworks off, where to run to and how they would get to whatever destination they chose. Zoe had time to plot how she would kill Sylvia. Zoe wanted to make Sylvia suffer a bit like she’d made everyone who was trapped suffer. It was only fair she got a taste of her own medicine. Karma was a bitch. Zoe smiled at the thought.
“We don’t free the rest of them until the last minute though. Don’t want any of them pulling tricks on us and trapping us again” Michael said as Zoe zoned back into the conversation.
“Definitely. Good thinking Michael” Mandy smiled at him.
Michael smiled back at her with glee and pride over his idea.
“So when do we leave and where do we go?” Zoe asked.
“We should take time to think clearly about it. We need to time it right and maybe this time choose somewhere where we won’t run into anymore people. We’ve had a bad run of it so far” Sue said.
“No more new people right now sounds bliss” Mark said.
“Let’s just get some sleep right now and we’ll discuss it more tomorrow” Sue said.
“I think we should still keep watch just in case. You guys deserve a rest though so off you go and try and get some sleep” Michael said to the used to be prisoners.
“Thank you” A man smiled as they walked off to find a sleeping spot.
Zoe felt her heart strings pull again at the sight of them. Zoe had managed to get a closer, longer look at them now that they had escaped and they did look beyond exhausted. Their backs were hunched over and they had massive bags under their eyes. A few of their eyes that Zoe had seen looked red raw and it looked as if they were in pain every time they blinked. Zoe also spotted the red marks from on their wrists from where the rope had been tightly tied on them. Zoe reflexively flexed and massaged her own red wrists and felt such sympathy for them. Her wrists hadn’t even been tied that long and they hurt like hell, she had no idea how these people must be feeling.
“You should get some sleep as well Zoe” Simone told her.
“I’m actually not that tired right now. I might just go back on the roof alone to try and think of a plan for us and to get some air” Zoe smiled at her.
“Sure, no problem. I’ll let everyone know you need some space” Simone said as she squeezed Zoe’s shoulder.
Zoe smiled back at Simone. Zoe could see the nurse side in Simone just now as she immediately understood that Zoe needed space away from everyone, that she needed to be in her own personal bubble for a while without having to interact with anyone.
Zoe slipped away from everyone silently and made her way to the back door and up the stairs to the roof. She heard the skin eater moans when she opened the door and went to sit just on the edge of the roof to look out. The sun was beginning to set for the night and Zoe felt a cool breeze go across her face.
‘Looks like the heatwave is beginning to disappear’ Zoe thought to herself.
Zoe looked out at the herd of skin eaters again. They were still wandering around aimlessly, occasionally bumping into each other, not even reacting to it, just continuing to wander around. Zoe spotted a few of them huddled around something on the ground. It looked like they were really tearing into it but Zoe couldn’t see what it was. She guessed it had to be a small animal they’d found for their meal because if it was human she would’ve seen it from the roof.
Zoe looked over to the patch of land she’d decided they would set the fireworks off to. It still looked very clear from skin eaters and humans. Zoe couldn’t see any movement over there. It did seem strange that there wouldn’t be any there at all considering how many skin eaters had overtaken the world now and how they had all congregated here but then again, skin eaters shouldn’t be real and here they were, nothing had to make sense anymore.
Zoe was also starting to smell the skin eaters dead flesh from the roof. She had gotten used to smelling a few skin eaters before but not this amount of them, the smell was making her want to gag but she swallowed it down. It was a smell she would have to get used to since this was her life now.
‘How exciting for me’ Zoe thought to herself, rolling her eyes.
Zoe hadn’t realised how long she had been sitting out here until she could only see specks of dark movement from below because it had gotten dark outside. Zoe saw little lamplights go on at the trolley park spaces in the car park and some of the skin eaters herding around it, trying to see if it was food or not. Eventually, after a few attempts at biting the metal post they realised that it wasn’t food and gave up and walked away from it. This took Zoe back to when she, Mike, Sue and Arthur had to escape from the house. It seemed like years ago and not just last month. Zoe let her thoughts drift back to then and how easy it had seemed then with not as many skin eaters wandering around.
“You doing okay up here?” Sophia asked as she came through the roof door.
“Yeah I’m doing fine thank
s” Zoe smiled at her.
Sophia continued to walk over to where Zoe was sitting.
“Mind if I join you?” Sophia asked her.
“Not at all” Zoe said to her.
Sophia sat down next to Zoe and let out a soft sigh. They hadn’t spent any time alone together since they joined together to fight off the skin eaters. They had always had other people with them whenever they set out on a mission or a supply run. Zoe hadn’t exactly been avoiding Sophia but she hadn’t really made an effort to get to know her or spend any real time with her.
“I’m sorry that this is our fist time actually spending time together” Zoe told her.
“Well I didn’t exactly make that easy for you to want to do what with my mental health and breakdown back at the depot” Sophia told her.
“Yeah but I don’t hold grudges. You have a condition that really affects you and you shouldn’t be held against that forever” Zoe told her.
“Thanks Zoe.”
“No problem. Well there’s no time like the present to spend time together huh?” Zoe asked her.
“I suppose you’re right. Not like we can go anywhere right now” Sophia laughed.
Zoe laughed with her as they settled into quite a comfortable conversation. They spoke about general things like likes and dislikes, relationships, who they were before the skin eater epidemic broke out. Sophia spoke about her mental health and how it even makes her do that sickening sweet talk to people by calling them hunny etc all the time.
“No offence but that makes me so happy! I can’t deal with people talking like that all the time!” Zoe laughed.
“Trust me, I hate it too!” Sophia laughed with her.
Despite them both laughing and not exactly talking the quietest when they were sitting on the edge of this roof, the skin eaters still hadn’t noticed them up here. Seems like they could smell you out better than they could hear you.
“Not the brightest of things are they?” Sophia asked as she pointed her head towards the skin eaters.
“Nah not really. Still wouldn’t want to get chomped on and made a meal out of though” Zoe replied.
“Definitely not! Looks so painful!” Sophia shuddered.
“I like my insides to stay on the inside” Zoe said.
“Agree with you there!” Sophia nodded.
Zoe and Sophia stayed on the roof and chatted for a little while longer before Zoe felt her bum begin to get numb from all the sitting she had done on the hard roof. Zoe also actually felt a little tired now and felt that she might actually be able to sleep.
“I think I’m going to head back down now. You coming?” Zoe asked Sophia.
“Yeah I suppose so. Better get back and see what Arthurs up to” Sophia smiled.
They made their way back through the roof door, Zoe blocking the door from fully closing with a pole just in case it felt like locking itself anytime soon. Zoe wasn’t taking any chances of their escape plan failing. She had to get out of here.
When Zoe and Sophia got back down to the ground floor of the costco she saw that the majority of people were sleeping. Arthur was still awake sitting guard outside the door where Sylvia and the rest were kept trapped for now. Sophia went over to join him giving Zoe a smile over her shoulder. Sarah and Michael were both sitting up closer to the main door of the costco, obviously keeping an eye on whether or not the skin eaters might try to start breaking in.
Zoe spotted Jeff lying on his back, his arm under Alex head, the both of them fast asleep. Zoe had wanted to spend some alone time with Jeff, she had missed him and wanted him to know that she no longer cared about whatever it was that they were arguing about however he and Alex looked so peaceful sleeping that she didn’t want to wake them.
‘I’ll get some time with him tomorrow’ Zoe thought as she smiled to herself.
Zoe walked over to the empty blow up bed sitting in the corner beside where Mike and Sue were sleeping. Zoe settled herself in and closed her eyes. Almost instantly she was asleep.
It felt like Zoe had only been asleep for a few mere minutes before she had woken up. Her eyes stung and her head felt a little cloudy. It took Zoe a few minutes before she could fully open her eyes and sit herself up. She saw everyone bustling around and walking back and forward in between all of the aisles.
“What’s going on?” Zoe asked Sue who was sitting next to her.
“We’re beginning to pack up some things to take with us when we leave. Food and clothes you know” Sue smiled at her.
“Has a plan been made yet about when we’re leaving and where to?” Zoe asked her.
“None yet but a few people have floated some idea’s around. Not the best in my opinion but they would do for a short while I suppose” Sue said.
“Ah okay. I better see about making a plan then. I’ll see you later Sue” Zoe said as she stood up to walk over to where Michael, Jeff and Sarah stood.
It seemed that wherever you found Michael you found Sarah and vice versa. They both seemed to be liking each other’s company quite a bit now. It was cute and a good thing Zoe thought. It was better to have someone than not Zoe supposed.
“Ah Zoe. How you feeling?” Michael asked her.
“Yeah not bad I suppose. What yous talking about?” Zoe asked them.
“Some of the plans we’ve heard and thought of about where to escape to” Sarah told her.
“Any good ones?” Zoe asked.
“The best ones we’ve got are to drive to an abandoned street, clear it out and the homes there, barricade it and settle in” Michael told her.
Zoe turned her nose up at that a one. It would be like trapping themselves and it was inviting trouble from other groups of people who might want something like that for themselves. Zoe’s mind drifted to Brian on that one.
“Yeah, I wasn’t to keen on that one either” Jeff said as he noticed Zoe’s expression.
“The other one was just to keep driving until we get to a high enough spot on a hill or something so we could see a lot more around us and set up camp there for a bit” Michael finished telling Zoe.
“Oh, I like that one” Zoe said.
Setting up camp on a high hill seemed like the best plan they could come up with right now. To Zoe it felt like it actually might give them an upper hand at first. Yes they would be subjecting themselves to a lot more skin eaters wanting to attack and eat them but they would at least be able to keep an eye on any humans coming their way and it was the humans they had had the most trouble with.
“I thought you might’ve liked that idea” Jeff smiled at her.
“We’d be able to see a lot more. Just maybe have more people on watch than usual to keep an eye out for skin eaters” Zoe said.
“And humans” Sarah said.
“Them too. Anyone know of any high hills we could go to?” Zoe asked.
“Anywhere close to here that’s not in the city centre where the herds and herds of skin eaters are? No, no idea’s of any really” Michael said glumly.
“How about the Pentland hills?” Jeff asked.
“You think there won’t be as many skin eaters up there?” Sarah asked.
“I don’t think so? It wouldn’t hurt to try there though. Plus they are so high you could see for miles and miles and walk that length over them. Seems like a good enough spot for me” Jeff said.
“I agree. We try there first and I suppose we just take it from there. We can never be sure where’s free from skin eaters and other humans right now” Zoe said.
“Yeah very true. I suppose we should go and tell the others about the new plan” Michael said.
“When do we move out though?” Jeff asked.
“I say tonight. There’s nothing keeping us here, everyone’s packing up their belongings and supplies now and this place just gives me the fear now anyway” Sarah said.
“I have no problem with tonight. I need to take care of Sylvia though before we go. She can’t live and stay here to carry out her sick games on any other survivors” Zoe s
aid angrily.
“What about that scientist woman though? Eve? She was all for the experiment as well” Michael growled.
“She’s Tom’s wife and he helped save me. He’ll keep her in check and not let her continue to do it to anyone else, I just know he won’t. I can tell he was a good doctor once” Zoe said to them.
“Hmm alright then. She lives” Michael said.
“How are you going to kill Sylvia?” Jeff asked Zoe.
“Bring her to the back corridor for me. I have a plan that suits her just right. Karma is going to bite this bitch right in the ass” Zoe laughed.
Jeff, Michael and Sarah looked confusingly at Zoe as to why she was laughing. Zoe knew they would get it eventually once they knew the plan that Zoe had in store for Sylvia.
Michael and Sarah walked a little in front of Zoe. Jeff had strayed back to walk beside her.
“Look, what we were arguing about before you got taken, I’m..” Jeff began.
“It’s already forgotten about. You don’t need to finish that apology. It’s not needed” Zoe smiled at him.
“Really? You were pretty mad at me” Jeff said to her.
“I can’t even remember what I was mad at you about” Zoe told him.
“Well you were mad because..”
“Nope don’t even tell me Jeff. Theres really no need to tell me. I don’t want to argue with you again. I don’t want things to be left like that between us again if something bad happens” Zoe said to him.
Jeff grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him before kissing her on the lips urgently. Zoe realised just how much he missed her and hated arguing with her as well. Zoe could also tell from the kiss how much he had been worried about her, she could feel his shoulders sag with relief under her hands. Zoe reluctantly puller her lips apart from his and leaned her forehead against his.
“I swear, once we’re passed getting out of here, got somewhere safer and we’re alone, I’m pouncing on you” Zoe breathed out.
