J. Knoll - Zoe, Undead

Half turning, she knocked on the door again and barked, "Guys, I really need more bullets out here!" She aimed and pulled the trigger, but her weapon made an empty click. Looking down at it, she gulped a breath and fumbled to swing the cylinder out, and once she had it open she found a speed loader in her vest, dumped out the spent brass and shoved the new rounds into place. Closing the cylinder quickly, she looked up to see the zombie only a few feet away and she barked a scream and raised her weapon, firing right into its nose. As it went down and took more with it, she turned her attention to the one that was descending the stairs as it stepped onto the landing with her. With her free hand, she grabbed onto its sleeve and turned it toward the descending stairs, pointing that way as she ordered, "Down that way." To her amazement, it just went!

Others followed it and she turned them in the same way, redirecting them down the stairs. "Yeah, right this way. Just follow that guy. Everybody just go downstairs, don't push. Come on, neat, orderly line."

She backed up to watch the procession. As those trying to come up met them, many of them turned and started going down with the rest, and those that did not were redirected by the half zombie girl when they got to the landing.

In a few minutes, the last of them came down from the sixth floor and were on their way back down, and Zoe shook her head as she looked over the rail and watched the last of them just keep going. Holstering her gun, she turned to the door and knocked three times with her knuckles, saying in a lower voice than a yell, "Okay, guys. They're gone. You can let me in now." She tried the door again but could not push it open and finally turned around to go back to the fourth floor, only to hear the door handle turn. Looking over her shoulder, she saw the door open toward her and a soldier peered into the stairwell, and she turned back around, declaring, "Oh. It opens in."

The soldier, who she recognized as Corporal Baker, stepped into the stairwell and looked around, up the stairs and finally down.

"I sent them all downstairs," she reported. "It was a lot easier than I thought it would be."

He nodded, then looked to her and reported, "I heard you were dead, Princess."

She shrugged. "Well, I'm a zombie so I guess I kind of am. I don't know, really."

"Did you see the doctors?" he asked.

"I came up here with them," she replied. "They're in the nurse's station lounge on the fourth floor. That door locks and I thought they would be safe there until… We should go get them." Zoe turned and bounded down the stairs, watching her feet as she held her arms out for balance.

Once at the fourth floor, she turned around to see the Corporal and one more soldier following him, then she raised her finger to her lips and whispered, "Shh. They come when they hear a lot of noise."

As quietly as possible, they entered the fourth floor and made their way cautiously to the nurse's lounge, and Zoe knocked three times as she had said she would. She stepped back as the door handle clicked, and greeted in a whisper, "Hi," as Doctor Kavorski peered out.

"Come on," Corporal Baker ordered. "Let's get you up to the secure area. Smith, go make sure it's still clear."

A sinister growl drew their attention and they all turned to see a mad-dog zombie halfway down the corridor, crouched down and staring at them. Another, this one a female, emerged from behind the nurse's station and turned its attention to them, its lips sliding away from its yellow and black stained teeth as it growled as well.

"Those weren't here a few minutes ago," Zoe insisted. When the private raised his weapon, she barked, "Don't shoot at them! The noise will bring the other ones!"

"What are we supposed to do?" the private barked back.

"You guys go on," she replied, her eyes on the closest zombie as she slowly advanced. "I'll keep them busy and catch up when you are upstairs."

"Zoe!" Rachel hissed.

"Just go," the girl ordered as she slowly reached for her gun. "You guys get upstairs and I'll keep them from getting you." She noticed that the zombies had their attention on the people behind her. "You need to go."

"Come on," Baker insisted, ushering the doctors toward the door. "We'll get them to safety and then come back for you, Princess."

"Don't," she countered. "I'll just hold them off and then go upstairs when you guys are okay."

Slowly, and under the watchful eyes of the zombies, the four people made their way to the door, exiting as the private held the door open.

One of the zombies started to charge, and Zoe stomped toward him and shouted, "No!"

The zombie stopped and looked at her with wide, almost solid black eyes.

"You got this, Princess?" the private asked.

"Yeah," she assured. "Just get upstairs."

He nodded to her, then slipped into the stairwell and allowed the door to close behind him.

The far zombie moved abreast of the female zombie, and both looked to the girl before them. Zoe seemed to know to stand her ground, and her hand wrapping around the handle of the revolver fed her courage.

The female zombie's eyes flitted behind Zoe, and the girl's heart jumped!

Drawing her weapon, she swung around, too slow to avoid the big, mad-dog zombie man that slammed into her and knocked her down. Zoe managed to keep her hand on her weapon and directed it to him as best she could as he pinned her to the floor, and she pulled the trigger over and over, spending four rounds as her other hand pushed against his chest. He grasped at her hair, yanking her head over as he roared with some inhuman voice that fed the terror that exploded from her in a scream. Responding to the gunshots, the zombie leapt from her and swung around, hurling her across the hallway and into the wall. She hit hard enough to shatter the sheetrock and break many pieces loose, and they rained down on her as she crumpled face down to the floor.

With a pitiful whimper, Zoe pushed herself up and looked to the big zombie, grateful that he was just crouched there and looking back at her. Between her and him was her gun, and she drew a loud gasp as she realized that it was just out of reach.

The other two moved in on her and she cringed and shrank away, pressing herself against the wall as she rose up on all fours.

Roaring, the big one charged and raised his hands, and Zoe covered her head as he brought both fists down hard on her back and head, sending her down to the floor. Curling herself up, she covered her head as he pummeled her mercilessly like an angry ape. He would jump up slightly as he raised his arms, putting all of his weight into his swings as he brought his fists down onto her over and over, and her body flinched each time he hit her. The blows did not hurt, but the shock radiated out from each impact and she felt them all over.

The attack ended abruptly and he crouched on all fours nearby breathing loudly through his nose.

Slowly, Zoe withdrew her arms and looked up at him.

He roared at her again and she screamed and covered her head. The other male zombie charged forward and brought his fist down on her head, roaring with a more human voice, but inhuman at the same time.

Zoe found herself crying and kept herself balled up on her side with both arms covering her head for long seconds after she was hit the last time. With a little whimper, she hesitantly lowered her arms and looked up at the big one again, and she cringed as he bared his teeth and growled at her. She turned her attention to the other, and he growled at her as well. The female zombie was staying back, just glaring at her as she watched.

The big one lowered his head and sniffed her, and Zoe shrank away as best she could. Clearly he did not like what he smelled and roared again, grabbing her arm and ankle and standing as he spun around, hurling her to the other side of the hallway and slamming her into the wall about four feet up.