Fighting to Survive (As the World Dies #2)(28)

“Gawdammit,” Jenni screamed at him as he managed to hold on.

Picking up one of the heavy metal chairs, she struggled forward toward the monster. She began to bash his hands as hard as she could. She was screaming as loud as he was growling. As he struggled to pull himself up, she hit his huge hands with the leg of the metal chair. It was heavy and it was hard to wield, but she used it the best she could to batter the damn thing.

“I’m gonna f*cking bash your gawddamn skull in,” she hissed at him.

Lloyd’s voice was quiet inside of her head now.

“I choose when to die,” she screamed at the top of her lungs. “And it's not now!”

The zombie kept trying to pull himself up, but she kept smashing him as hard as she could.

Davey appeared on the balcony. His face was completely stripped away and his bloodied, fleshless face stared toward her. Only his eyes remained and, comically, his ears and a flap of his skull. With a desperate hiss, he ran toward her as well.

“Bring it on, f*cker,” Jenni shouted at him, and kept bashing the other zombie.

Davey flung himself over the rail and didn’t get very far at all. He managed to grab onto the other zombie and they both hung suspended over the street far below. Davey began to rip at the other zombie’s arms as he tried to pull himself upwards. The assault from above and below was too much. With a hungry growl of rage, the large zombie lost his hold and slipped out of sight.

Holding the chair tight in her hands, Jenni stood with her chest heaving, listening intently, and didn’t relax until she heard the impact of their fall. Looking over the edge, she saw both of them on the pavement below. Davey was trying to crawl away with only one good arm. The other zombie was impaled on an old fashioned street light, its arms and legs pumping in vain to escape it.

It was the other zombies gathering before the hotel that gave Jenni pause. They were looking around, as if sensing that there was flesh to consume nearby. One of them looked up and reached toward her. About ten of them began to screech at her. Backing away, she looked toward the doors behind her. She had no gun and no idea if anything lay beyond that door.

Taking a deep breath, she began to reach out to open the door when the doors began to shake under the pounding of fists on the other side.

Jenni looked back at the other balcony she had come from. Her gun lay that way as did the other zombie.

Looking back at the door quivering before her, she made a choice.





2. Nightmares Realized

Katie came running down the hall with Travis and Felix close behind. They had heard the screams and had immediately charged down the hall. Roger huffed and puffed behind them as they rounded the corner.

Curtis and Jimmy stood out in the hall shouting at each other as screams came from beyond the door.

“Where is Jenni?” Katie shouted at them.

Jimmy desperately checked his pockets as Curtis cursed at him.

“Jimmy flipped out and shoved me out of the room and shut the gawddamn door. Jenni is in there. She has a set of keys and Jimmy can’t find his,” Curtis responded, his face red with anger.

Jimmy continued desperately checking his pockets as Katie whirled on him. “Jenni is in there? Screaming? What the f*ck were you thinking leaving her alone?”

“I got it.” Roger unlocked the door with their set of keys.

Next to Roger, Travis steadied himself, ready to fire.

“That f*cking zombie had a metal plate in his head,” Jimmy screamed at Katie. “Our shots didn’t even phase him!”

“You don’t leave people behind,” Katie shouted angrily. For a moment, Lydia flickered in her mind. She fought back the image. “We don’t leave people behind.”

“Ready?” Roger asked.

Katie nodded collected herself and readied herself.

Roger flung the door open.

Something that had been human was on the floor crawling toward the balcony. When the door banged opened, it slid around, opened its mouth and hissed. Katie felt her stomach flip-flop but managed to keep it under control as she raised her gun and shot the thing in the head.

“Jenni,” she called out cautiously. That thing on the floor could not be Jenni. Jenni had to still be in here, somewhere, alive.

But if she wasn’t…

Entering first, Travis right behind her, Katie held her gun up and ready.

If Jenni were turned, she would have to kill her. Jenni was her friend and she loved her. It would be only right for her to be the one. But it was a task she didn't want.

Jenni couldn’t be gone…

A shape loomed in the doorway.

It took a second for her to take in the long black hair. The form limped into the room and raised its head. Blood poured out of its mouth.

It was Jenni.

Katie felt like screaming.

Travis raised his gun higher. “I’ll do it.”

“Fuck no,” Jenni choked out.

Katie hit Travis' arm and the gun went off, the bullet hitting the chandelier over the bed and sending it swinging.

“Gawddamn.” Jenni spit blood out of her mouth.

Katie moved slowly toward her.

“I thought-” Travis started.

“Are you bit?” Katie had tears burning her eyes. Jenni looked bad. She could feel chills sliding up and down her spine and her stomach getting tighter.

“No,” Jenni spat again. “I busted my lip jumping to the balcony. Twisted my ankle climbing over.” She shoved her hair back from her face and licked her lips with a bloodied tongue. “Bit my tongue, too. Juan is so not going to like that.”