They ran, mostly blindly, through the underbrush of the sanctuary. Maylee strained her eyes, trying to see more clearly. Shapes were all around, most likely trees or bushes. Hopefully.
The shadows in front of them began to join together. Rustling came from everywhere. Birds squawked as the mass of shadows rushed toward them.
“Dammit!” yelled Park. “Down!”
The three of them dropped to the ground, laying flat on their stomachs. The swarm of birds raced overhead, screeching and clawing at them. Maylee put her hands over the back of her head and pushed her face as far down as she could. She heard the dull “whump-whump” as the birds pummeled the corpses behind them, but not as many as before. A chill ran through her as she realized the corpses could be anywhere now.
The last of the birds raced overhead. Maylee lifted her head and looked around. She brushed off a leaf that was stuck to her cheek and blinked in the dark. As far as she could tell, it was clear.
“Go!” yelled Park from up ahead. He pushed himself up. “Fucking go!”
Maylee put her palms in the dirt and pushed herself up. A hand closed on her calf. Groaning came from behind her.
“Shit!” she yelled. “One's got me!” She kicked backward but couldn't find the corpse's head. She slammed her foot down on the hand gripping her calf. The grip held.
She twisted around in the dirt, trying to sit up. She heard Park and Ella rushing up behind her. She managed to sit up just in time to see the dark outline of the corpse crawling up her leg. She struggled but could not wiggle free. The corpse reached out its other hand and grabbed her shirt. This one was fresh, she realized, and stronger than she expected.
The corpse crawled up her, knocking her back against the dirt. Maylee pushed upward on the corpse's shoulders, keeping it away from her face. She tried to get her legs up under it, tried to do the same trick that saved her from the corpse in Uncle Bobby's closet. The corpse whose clothes she was wearing. She couldn't get any traction on the wet ground.
Suddenly Park was above her. Ella's hands closed on her shoulders. “Maylee!” yelled Ella.
Park grabbed the corpse by the head and pulled it to one side. “Lean!” Park yelled.
“What?” said Maylee, too panicked to understand.
“Fucking lean your fucking head the other fucking way!”
Maylee did, leaning her head in the opposite direction from how Park was pulling the corpse's head.
Park grunted and, using his free hand, shoved the hunting knife into the corpse's temple. The corpse groaned and bucked. Blood and other foul-smelling fluid poured from the corpse's mouth, pooling next to Maylee's shoulder. She could hear it splatter and smell its thick rotting stench.
“Oh god!” she yelled. “Fucking sick!”
The corpse bucked two more times, then slumped forward on her upraised palms. She pushed it off of her and stood, shuddering and wiping her palms on her jeans.
Park wrenched the knife from the corpse's temple with a wet slurping sound. “Shit. Again, fucking gun. Soon.” He whipped his knife hand downward over and over, trying to clean the blade.
“Are you okay?” said Ella. Maylee could see her wide eyes in the dark.
“Yeah,” said Maylee. “Shit.”
“What shit?” said Ella.
“Down!” yelled Park.
They all dropped as the mass of birds whipped overhead, moving the other direction this time. Maylee knelt at first, not wanting to lie down again. She held her forearms up to her face, curling her hands up inside the sleeves of her jacket. Birds buffeted her arms. They screeched and tiny claws pulled at her hair. “Fuckers!” she screamed into her arms, then gave up and fell to the ground, out of harm's way.
After a few seconds of the deafening roar of wings, the birds moved past. Maylee lifted her head at the same moment Ella did.
“So,” said Park. “Who's sick to fuck of that?”
“Here,” said Ella, lifting her hand.
With the noise of the birds gone, Maylee could hear groans coming from behind and to both sides.
“We hear you. We hear you,” said Maylee, standing. “We're going.”
“Amen to that,” said Park as he stood and helped Ella up.
“How much further?” she said, looking around.
“I dunno,” said Park. “We need to get back to the walkway. It'll be better than rolling around in the bushes.”
Maylee nodded, shifting her bat from one hand to the other. She peered into the dark until she could make out the outline of the walkway.
“Everyone see it?” said Park.
“Yeah,” said Maylee and Ella together.
“Good.” Park ran, pushing Maylee and Ella out in front of him.
“Stop pushing!” yelled Ella.
“Just run!” yelled Park.
The walkway drew closer. Maylee kept glancing side to side, looking for any sign of corpses. Shadows moved and corpses groaned from somewhere unseen. The trees around them rustled but she couldn't pinpoint where the birds would come from next. There was no time to stop and figure it out.
Ella was in front, followed by Maylee, with Park in the rear. As Ella drew near the walkway, a corpse emerged from a shadow and stumbled toward her. In the dim light, Maylee could see it was an old man with dried blood caked in the wrinkles covering his face. He hissed. Ella screamed.
Maylee ran up behind Ella and shoved her aside. Ella stumbled to the left. Maylee swung her bat up and slammed the corpse across the face. The corpse's head snapped to the right with such force the corpse spun around and dropped to its knees, facing the walkway. Teeth and thick dark glop shot out across the metal platform.
Maylee stopped running and moved to the kneeling corpse's side. She hoisted her bat above her head, preparing to slam down on the corpse's skull.
“Save it!” yelled Park as he arrived. He used the momentum of his running to kick forward against the back of the corpse's head. The corpse's jaw cracked and its head split open horizontally as Park kicked it forward. More glop and teeth spread out across the walkway.
Park stopped and looked down at the corpse. Most of the upper half of its head was on the walkway. Its body was still attached as it knelt on the ground. It gurgled and weakly moved its limbs. Maylee lifted up her bat to finish it off. Ella came up from where she had staggered to.
Park held up his hand for Maylee to stop. “I said save it.” He kicked a second time against the back of the corpse's head. The top half of its head snapped free and slid across the walkway. The body fell to the ground and was still. Park nodded at the body, then at Maylee. Maylee lowered the bat and shrugged.
“Come on!” yelled Ella, running to the walkway. She moved farther up the walkway, avoiding the gore the corpse had left. Ella climbed over the rail. Maylee set her bat on the walkway and followed. She picked her bat up as Park joined them.
“Move!” said Park and they ran for the other side. Maylee felt exposed to both corpses and the crazed birds, but she was thankful for the lack of obstacles the walkway provided. She was in front this time, with Ella and Park behind her.
The trees rustled, too faint and far-off to pinpoint. Groans came from either side of the walkway. Maylee couldn't tell exactly from where.
“How much further?” yelled Ella from behind her.
Maylee strained to see in the dark. From the outline of the dome over her head, she could tell they were steadily approaching the other side.
The rustling grew louder. A few squawks became audible. The sound was focusing behind them. The groans to each side grew louder.
A dead arm reached out across the walkway.
“Arm!” yelled Maylee. She dodged to the far side of the walkway, narrowly avoiding the arm's grasping fingers as she ran past. Behind her, she heard Ella’s and Park's footsteps change direction as they did the same.
Maylee ran harder, her feet pounding on the metal walkway. The rustling behind them increased. A corpse's head leaned out over the walkway. It was a woman, he
r long black hair caked with dirt and blood.
“Head!” yelled Maylee, moving to the other side of the walkway. The woman hissed and bit at her legs as Maylee raced past. Again, Maylee heard Ella and Park follow suit.
The swarm of birds grew loud behind them. The birds screeched and squawked furiously.
“They're getting close again!” yelled Ella.
“Just keep running!” yelled Park.
“Why?” yelled Ella.
“Trust him!” yelled Maylee as she kept her legs pounding. She could see why Park had yelled to stay upright and moving. They were dim and faint, but she could clearly see the outline of corpses very near the walkway. On their stomachs, unable to move because of the birds, they would be easy prey for dead mouths and rotten teeth.
A muscular but torn arm reached out across the walkway. Maylee couldn’t see the rest, but the corpse that owned it must have been large. The arm covered the whole of the walkway.
“Big arm!” yelled Maylee, jumping as she ran. The arm writhed as it passed under her. She landed, skidding on the wet metal of the walkway. A surge of panic went through her as it took her half a second to regain her footing. She could see herself sliding off the walkway, into the arms of the corpses lining it. She could see them tearing her apart.
Then her footing was back and she was running. She heard Ella jump, then Park. The birds coming from behind grew louder. They didn't have much time.
The door came into view.
“The door!” yelled Maylee.
“Thank fuck!” yelled Park.
The birds grew deafeningly loud behind them. Corpses groaned from each side of the walkway. Maylee ran harder than she thought possible.
She hit the door with her shoulder. It flew open and she stumbled out into the zoo.
She turned as Ella raced out, almost stumbling. The door had almost swung back to closed when Park hit it with such force it nearly broke.
“Hold it shut!” he yelled, turning to close the door. He put his shoulder against it.
Maylee ran up to help. She leaned against the door. She heard Ella rushing up from behind.
The birds hit the door. Hard. Squawking and clawing at it. The momentum of the birds pushed the door open an inch before Ella reached them and pushed. The door shut again.
“Oh shit. No,” Ella cried, as bird after bird rammed against the door. Maylee could hear their little bodies breaking.
“Fuck that,” yelled Park. “Those crazy bastards were trying to kill us.”
“But why?” yelled Ella.
The birds kept hitting the door. It shook with each blow. “How much longer can we keep this up?” yelled Maylee.
“Wait!” yelled Ella excitedly. “I have an idea. I'm going to let go so push harder!”
“What the fuck?” yelled Park as Ella let go.
Maylee and Park pushed harder. The birds slammed against the door. None of the blows seemed very large by itself, but the combined force of them all coming so fast was almost impossible to hold back. Maylee's back strained with effort.
Maylee saw Ella pull a card from her pocket. She moved over to the side of the door. An electronic box with a green light hung there. She held the card up to the box and the light changed to red.
The door clicked. The birds kept slamming against it.
“You can let go now,” said Ella.
Maylee tried, slowly at first. Ella was right. The door stayed shut on its own. “She's right.”
Park followed suit, straightening and backing away from the door. He turned to Ella and nodded. “Shit. That'll come in handy.”
Ella put the card back in her pocket. “I stole it to help find Lori.”
Park looked pained for a moment. “Well, don't fucking worry about that. We'll find her.”
Ella nodded. Then screamed as a bird whizzed by her head, screeching and clawing.
“Fuck!” yelled Park, whipping his head around as he tried to locate the bird. “One must have slipped out.”
It whizzed by again. Ella jumped out of the way, watching as it went past. “Oh god,” she said. “Bill.”
“What?” said Park.
Ella shook her head, looking embarrassed. “Nothing. I named all the animals. Forget it.”
Park frowned, watching the bird whip around. It screeched furiously.
Maylee saw it coming at her. She readied her bat. “Sorry Bill.”
She swung as the bird drew near. The bat connected full force, sending the bird slamming into a nearby tree. It crumpled to the ground, dead.
“Shit,” said Ella, biting her lip.
“Damn, kid,” said Park to Maylee. “Home run.”
“You know it,” said Maylee, smirking and nodding. Her face fell when she saw how sad Ella looked.
“What's happening?” she said, looking between Maylee and Park in confusion. “First all the dead people, now this.”
Maylee looked at Park. He shrugged and shook his head.
“What's happening, you guys?” repeated Ella.
Eleven
Angie awoke and immediately knew she'd slept too long. After climbing down from the kangaroo exhibit, she and Dalton had been too exhausted to continue. Angie found an open shed that was thankfully clear. She helped Dalton, now limping worse than ever, inside and shut the door. She assured him they'd make it back to Maylee the next day. She lay down on the cold concrete floor, telling herself they'd only sleep a few hours. They'd get up early and find their way to the office where Maylee would be waiting.
But now, as she awoke stiff and cold and aching, she could feel they'd slept more than a few hours. Much more. The morning was gone.
“Shit,” she murmured to herself, sitting and looking around. Her back clenched and complained at the movement.
Dalton was curled up nearby, looking far too peaceful for the situation they were in. Irrational fear clenched her before she heard him snoring, light and soft.
Relieved, she crawled over to him and put a hand on his side. He kept snoring, obviously exhausted and deeply asleep.
She felt guilty for it but she rocked him gently. “Dalton.”
His eyes fluttered open and he lifted his head. For a moment he looked lost, confused. Then he seemed to remember. “What time is it?”
“Not sure,” said Angie. “But later than it should be. We gotta get going. How's your foot?”
He gingerly rocked his foot back and forth. He winced. “Stiff. But I think it's better.”
“Good,” she said, standing and helping Dalton to his feet.
“I'm hungry,” said Dalton.
“Me too, baby,” said Angie.
She stood silently for a moment, trying to gauge where they were. Trying to remember the map she'd seen. Trying to dredge up her own memories of trips to the zoo. If she was right ...
“I think the restaurant is near here,” she said, patting Dalton on the shoulder. “Maybe they'll have some food.”
* * *
Angie topped the hill and was relieved to see the Zoo Bites restaurant down below. She'd taken Maylee and Dalton there several times, paying way too much for mediocre hamburgers that seemed delicious after a full day at the zoo.
Dalton walked up beside her. He limped, but slightly less than he had yesterday. The sky was gray and light rain fell around them.
He frowned down at the Zoo Bites. She followed his gaze, but she knew what he was frowning at. She'd seen it when they first came over the hill.
Several people milled around the Zoo Bites, wet and dirty. Several of them had their arms wrapped around themselves from the cold. Angie could tell from the way they looked and moved that they were alive.
A zookeeper stood in front of the Zoo Bites. It was a young man with short brown hair and small round glasses. He had a rifle over one shoulder.
Angie frowned too. The man looked like he was standing guard.
Angie watched the scene for a moment longer. It made her uneasy. None of the people milling around attempted to go near the r
estaurant.
She looked side to side, then behind her. No corpses anywhere in sight. She heard a few animals growling from their exhibits.
She turned back. “Okay, baby,” she said, putting a hand on Dalton's shoulder. “Let's go see if they have some food.”
They started down the hill. Rain pattered lightly on the concrete path. People moved out of the way as they approached. Some eyed them warily.
The zookeeper noticed them approaching and drew himself up. Like he was standing at attention.
“Good morning,” said Angie, smiling as they drew near.
“Morning, ma'am,” said the zookeeper. He looked a little nervous.
“Is there any food?”
“There is, ma'am,” said the zookeeper, adjusting his glasses and shifting the rifle strap on his shoulder. “But it's not feeding time yet.”
Angie blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Lunchtime,” the zookeeper corrected. “Sorry. I mean lunchtime.”
Angie looked at the people milling around, then back at the zookeeper. “Well,” she continued, chuckling and trying to keep her tone light. “I think we're past regular mealtimes right now. And my son's really hungry so...”
“We have to follow strict times, ma'am,” said the zookeeper. “We have to ration what food there is.”
Even with the cold rain peppering them, Angie's cheeks grew hot. “Rationing I understand. But this is insane.”
“Yeah,” said an older man from behind Angie.
The zookeeper shifted from one foot to the other, looking increasingly uncomfortable. “We have to follow the rules, ma'am.”
“Whose rules?” said Angie, close to shouting. Several of the people milling around murmured in agreement.
“Lee, ma'am,” said the zookeeper.
“Lee?” said Angie. “Who the hell's Lee?”
“Leader of the Keepers, ma'am.”
“The what?” said Angie, looking him up and down. Part of her reminded herself that she addressed what was essentially a scared kid. But most of her was mad and didn't care.
“The Keepers, ma'am. That's what I am. A Keeper.”
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