The End of Us

by D, Hannah

  They all agreed with Zoe on that.

  Truthfully, Zoe had no idea where they could go next that would be safe. They had thought that the costco would be safe and now they were stuck living with crazy people who were conducting an already failed experiment. Zoe had wished that she’d thought of somewhere different for them to go when they were leaving the bus depot instead of coming to the costco but unfortunately they had now landed here.

  Everyone was getting more riled up and angry the more they were talking and thinking about poor Ben. Michael hand ended up going to the back doors with Mark and Lewis and they were pacing outside the doors and looking in through the glass, getting themselves more angry because they couldn’t see anything.

  Others in the group were making a plan to fight, gathering up their weapons and discussing a strategy. Arthur and Sophia had walked over to the main doors to see if they would manage to escape quicker than they had before.

  Zoe looked down at her arms and saw they were still covered in blood. Zoe didn’t know if it was from the skin eaters or from Ben, she felt sick. Zoe stood and told Alice, John and Mandy that she had to go have a shower to wipe the blood off. They all nodded at her.

  As Zoe entered the staff rooms were the showers were she ran into Simone.

  “Had the same thinking as me. I had to get the blood off, couldn’t stand looking at it anymore” Simone said.

  “Yeah, it’s making me want to throw up” Zoe said.

  “I’ll bring you in a change of clothes” Simone said.

  “Oh thanks, forgot to bring a clean set in with me” Zoe smiled.

  Simone left as Zoe started to undress and jumped straight into the hot water of the shower. Zoe looked down and saw the shower floor was covered in the blood coming off of Zoe. She shouldn’t have looked down and bit back the sick rising up in her throat again.

  “Clothes are lying out for you Zoe” Simone shouted to her.

  “Thanks Simone.”

  Zoe had managed to wash her hair and body but stood under the water for a few more minutes, enjoying the warm water fall over her and closed her mind off from everything that had happened and was currently happening out there. Eventually Zoe knew it was time to get out the shower and see what was going on out there.

  Zoe got dressed and stepped out the door and saw everything as she’d just left it. There had been no further developments or news of Ben.

  ‘Surely the longer they’re taking telling us about Ben could mean good news and they haven’t just killed him?’ Zoe asked herself.

  Zoe knew she was probably just being too hopeful but she held onto it anyway, hoping for a benefit of the doubt.

  Zoe didn’t want to face going back to her group just yet to face more questions and be amongst more tension and anger. Zoe felt a little drained and tired at the days events. Really, all Zoe wanted to do was sleep but she knew that couldn’t happen with everything going on, plus she might have nightmares about Ben. Zoe shuddered at that.

  Zoe decided to wander off down beside all of the staff room changing area’s. She noticed the men’s changing area/shower room and the break room. Zoe had a nosey in the break room and found a very old kit kat and a very questionable yoghurt.

  “How yummy” Zoe said to herself.

  Zoe found a store room where they kept the stationary and some toilet paper and paper towels and another door which had been locked. This door also had no windows on it so Zoe couldn’t see what was behind it. Zoe took a pencil and a paper clip from the stationary cupboard to see if she’d be able to pick the lock and get inside.

  Zoe had no idea if using a pencil and paper clip would even work to unlock it but she bent down, got her eyes level with the lock and keyhole and tried, shifting them this way and that. At one point the pencil snapped so Zoe had to get a pen and start all over again.

  “Come on, almost there..” Zoe said aloud.

  “What are you doing?” A voice came from behind Zoe.

  Zoe jumped and spun around to find herself face to face with Liam. Zoe had been caught red handed and thought to herself that there was n point in lying.

  “I wanted to see what is behind that door and why it’s locked” Zoe said.

  “Can’t let you do that” Liam said.

  “Why?”

  “Bosses orders.”

  “You know you have a mind of your own and can do what you want without asking for permission? There’s no more need for a boss anymore in a world full of skin eaters” Zoe said to Liam.

  “She’s the boss of our survival group and we’ll keep on following her orders now please, move away from the door” Liam said to her.

  “Can you tell me what’s behind the door?” Zoe asked.

  “Nope.”

  “Fine” Zoe sighed and walked away.

  Zoe knew she would be back and try and get into the locked room to see what was there. She had kept the pen and paper clip up her sleeve since she knew they’d probably lock that stationary cupboard now.

  Zoe thought about how everyone in Sylvia’s group seemed like they were in the army with the way they spoke about ‘the boss and bosses orders’ and always had their back rim rod straight when speaking of Sylvia.

  ‘How strange’ Zoe thought.

  Zoe made her way back over to her group and saw that Jeff hasn’t been for a shower yet to wash off the blood stained on him.

  “Jeff, do you want to go have a wash to get the blood off of you? I can go get you some clean clothes?” Zoe asked him.

  “Nah Zoe it’s fine. Why bother washing and getting clean when we’re about to get into another fight.”

  “You don’t know that we will yet” Zoe told him.

  Jeff turned around and looked at her like she had just grown another two heads.

  “You are kidding right? We know what’s happening back there with Ben and it’s not them saving his life!” Jeff said to her.

  “I know Jeff, I just wanted a benefit of the doubt.”

  “Well there won’t be and you need to wrap your head around it getting ugly and us fighting our way out of here” Jeff said to her angrily.

  Zoe widened her eyes at Jeff. She couldn’t believe that Jeff had just told her off like a child practically and was getting angry at her. Zoe couldn’t help but feel that he blamed her for getting them all into this mess. Zoe stared into his yes and found them hard and unblinking and glaring at her. All romance and wanting each other this morning had gone right out of the window.

  “Okay. Whatever you say Jeff” Zoe said angrily back to him.

  Zoe spun on her heels and walked away from him, not even wanting to look at him anymore. She knew she was acting a bit childish but right now she didn’t even care. Zoe had never let a man walk all over her and she wasn’t about to let it start, no matter what kind of situation they were in.

  “Zoe, mind giving me hand?” Arthur asked.

  “Sure, what with?” Zoe asked, anything to get her away from angrily thinking about Jeff.

  “Just to give me a boost up so I can reach that wrench up there” Arthur told her.

  Zoe nodded her head and went and stooped down for Arthur to get on her shoulders. They could’ve used a ladder but neither of them had been thinking too clearly to go and get one, this seemed like the quicker option.

  “Got it! You can let me down Zoe” Arthur told her.

  “What’s the wrench for?” Zoe asked as she let Arthur down.

  “I think I’ll be able to use it to open that shutter” Arthur told her.

  “Huh well, hopefully it works!” Zoe smiled to him.

  “It’s my idea so of course it’ll work!” Arthur laughed as he went back to work on the shutters.

  Zoe shook her head laughing as Arthur bounded off. At least he had managed to cheer her up a little after her spat with Jeff. Zoe caught Jeff huddled together with Mandy, Alice and John and could see him still shaking with anger.

  ‘He’s really not one to just let things go’ Zoe thought sadly.

&nb
sp; Zoe started thinking about she didn’t really know who Jeff really was and wasn’t sure if she could be with someone who could just let their anger take over them. Clearly, Zoe had a lot of thinking to do over a relationship that had barely just begun. She had stress over Jeff, stress over the skin eaters taking over the world and stress over being stuck in this costco with this crazy group. Zoe felt herself beginning to crash as she went and sat beside Simone.

  “You okay?” Zoe asked Simone.

  “Just worried over Ben. I wish I’d been able to help” Simone said.

  “I know, I get it” Zoe said.

  They both sat and enjoyed each other’s silence and saw Sylvia walking towards them. Michael, mark and Lewis following behind her. Zoe stood up with Simone following her. Everyone else seemed to already be standing behind and beside them.

  “I have some good news to tell you all” Sylvia smiled.

  “Yes?” Zoe asked.

  “Ben has survived and is now under close observation with Tom. He is in critical condition however so we’re not out of the woods yet” Sylvia said.

  “She said we can’t go in to see him” Michael said.

  “Why?” Simone asked.

  “He needs as much quiet as possible and Tom needs room to work and look after him as well. If Ben makes it out of the woods and is stable then we’ll let you all in to see him” Sylvia said and walked off again.

  “I don’t believe her” Jeff said.

  “Me neither. What do we do? Do we fight?” Michael asked.

  Everyone started to agree but then Zoe had an idea pop into her head.

  “I have an idea that’s better than going barging through that door” Zoe said.

  “What is it?” Michael asked her.

  “Theres a locked room beside the staff changing rooms that I think is where the CCTV screens are kept. We can get in there and look at them to maybe find another way into that back corridor to get to Ben” Zoe suggested.

  “How will we get into the room if it’s locked?” Mandy asked.

  “I almost managed to get in there earlier before Liam caught me. I still have the pen and paper clip I was using. I can get it unlocked and get us in” Zoe told them.

  “That’s it then. We have a plan. We do it tonight” Michael said.

  “Tonight” Zoe agreed.

  Chapter 18

  Nighttime seemed to take forever to come around. After they had planned out what they were going to do and who was doing what they were left twiddling their thumbs, waiting for the lights in costco to go out. Zoe had barely been able to eat her dinner with all the nerves in her stomach.

  Zoe had sat away from Jeff, not wanting to speak to him after he had told her off like a child. She didn’t need an argument or any drama before tonight. She had to remain focused.

  Jeff had looked over to Zoe a few times and once made a move to come over to her before Zoe shook her head no at him. He did look like he was sorry but Zoe was in no mood for him and his anger.

  “Seems like it’s taking a day and an age for night to come around” Michael said.

  “Oh I know, just want it done and for us to finally know the truth” Mandy said.

  “We will soon and then we’ll get out of here” Zoe told them.

  “You sure you can get into that locked room?” Mark asked her.

  “I’m sure. I’m pretty good at picking locks you know” Zoe smiled at them.

  “Where did you learn to do it?” Mandy asked her.

  “From my teenage years. Got involved in some bad shit to earn money. Learned my lesson after that but the picking lock skill has at least came in handy for good this time” Zoe told them.

  “You’ll have to teach us one day, it’s a skill we could all use I suppose” Michael said.

  “Once we’re out of here I’ll hold a picking lock workshop for everyone who’d like to attend. You can pay me with any alcohol you might have” Zoe laughed.

  “Deal!” Michael laughed as well.

  Zoe was actually being pretty serious about being paid in alcohol, she could really use a strong drink of vodka or whiskey. She knew there was tons of this alcohol in the costco but she had to keep her wits around her right now, no way was she risking being drunk in here.

  “I think they’re getting ready to turn the lights off for nighttime, Jack is over standing guard at the main doors now” Jeff came over to tell them.

  “Great, lets get ready to do this thing!” Mark said.

  Everyone stood up to go take their positions. Zoe felt like she was in a movie, plotting a demise on a enemy or to steal from a bank or something. It all felt surreal. Zoe had had more problems with humans than she had had with the skin eaters. Zoe would take a fight with the skin eaters over fellow humans any day at the moment.

  “Zoe, can you give me a second to say I’m sorry for how I acted and for us to talk?” Jeff asked her.

  “Not right now Jeff, it’s not the right time” Zoe told him.

  “I don’t want to keep on not talking to you Zoe.”

  “We have to get this done tonight and if we start to have any kind of conversation then we both won’t be able to concentrate and we can’t have that.”

  “I won’t be able to concentrate anyway with us not speaking.”

  “Jeff please, wait until it’s all done then we’ll have a talk about things.”

  “Yeah sure, okay” Jeff said sadly.

  Zoe did feel a little bad about being tough on Jeff and not letting him apologise to her but she wasn’t dealing with it right now. They all had too much on their plates and she didn’t want her and Jeff to ruin this plan for everyone.

  “I feel so nervous” Sue said.

  “You’ll be fine, just keep a hold of Alex and stay hidden love, I’ll come and get you when it’s all done” Mike kissed her hand.

  “Just stay safe please” Sue asked Mike.

  “Always love” Mike kissed her.

  Sue had decided to stay with Alice to look after Alex and make sure he remained as safe possible. Sophia wanted to stay with him but she had her role to play to flirt with Jack and distract him, not that Arthur was very happy about that.

  The lights in the costco switched off and plunged them all into darkness.

  “Okay people, it’s go time” Zoe whispered.

  Zoe saw Sophia walk off and turn on her light to go and distract Jack. Mike, Mark, Mandy, John and Lewis made their way up to the back doors to stand there and wait to see if they could sneak in or if Zoe would manage to get into the back corridor and let them in.

  Zoe watched as Sophia made her way over to Jack and saw Jack turn his full attention to her. Sophia made sure to have Jack turn his back to them sneaking into the staff changing rooms area.

  Zoe, Jeff, Michael, Sarah, Simone and Arthur made their way over to the staff changing rooms. It was easy enough for them to slip inside without being noticed at least with Jack being distracted. Zoe could hear him laugh from in here.

  There was no one standing in this corridor at least and they made sure to look in all of he empty rooms with open doors to make sure no one was inside there. Zoe had been right about them locking the stationary cupboard door though. They were a smart group indeed.

  Zoe went up to the door and kneeled down to start picking the lock whilst the rest of them kept look out for anyone coming. Zoe had told them before that they all had to be very quiet so that she could concentrate and hear for the door clicking open. They had listened to what she had said to them as Zoe could barely hear them breathing, a few times she had to glance out of the corner of her eye to make sure that they were still there.

  “Come one, nearly there.. Got it!” Zoe whispered.

  “You’re amazing you are” Sarah smiled at her.

  Zoe let herself be proud of what she’d accomplished for a brief second before snapping back into stealth mode and slowly opening the door.

  When Zoe opened the door, still on her hands and knees, she saw someone sitting at the desk with ear
phones on. The person hadn’t even noticed the door was opened. Zoe tilted her head up and saw exactly what she thought was hidden in this room, the CCTV camera live footage. Zoe stopped herself from squeezing in glee and lightly closed the door back shut.

  “It’s definitely where they’ve been watching the CCTV” Zoe whispered to everyone.

  “Who’s in there?” Sarah asked her.

  “I don’t know, I only seen the top of the head” Zoe told them.

  “Is it only one person?” Jeff asked.

  “Yeah, only one” Zoe said.

  “Right, lets go take over of whoever it is and see what we can find on this CCTV” Michal said moving forward.

  “I think we still need to be quiet, if this person screams or shouts Jack will hear and the plan will be done for” Zoe said.

  “Alright, how do you want to handle it then?” Michael asked.

  “Only one of us goes in and knocks out the person on there before that person can make a sound” Zoe said.

  “I’ll do it, I trained in this shit at karate believe it or not” Arthur said.

  “What kind of weird ass shit karate did you learn?” Jeff asked him.

  “Oh mate, it was unbelievable!” Arthur said.

  Arthur moved forward and got onto his hands and knees beside Zoe and slowly opened the door and popped his head in first to make sure the person in there wasn’t staring right at him before moving further into the room. Zoe thought for sure that the person would see the door opening further but nope, completely unnoticed.

  Zoe popped her head into the room to look out for Arthur and saw him crawling up behind the person sitting in the chair. Zoe bit back a laugh as she thought about how ridiculous this had become, sneaking around like some secret spies for the government or something.

  Arthur crouched and then went onto his feet, putting the person in the chair into a headlock and holding until, what it turned out to be man, had passed out and Arthur placed him quietly on the floor.

  “All clear” Arthur whispered to Zoe.

  Zoe stood up signalled for the rest of them to follow her into the room. Michael went straight to the man and tied up his hands and feet and duck taped his mouth.