Safe Zone

by Chesla, Gary

  Shaun came back a few minutes later and closed the door.

  “Here, I got you a shirt and some shoes.” Megan said holding up the shirt.

  “Thanks.” Shaun answered as he got dressed and slipped on the shoes.

  “Did they turn off the light?” Megan asked as she watched Shaun tie his shoes.

  “No. It’s still on. Lisa stood in the light right in front of the open window to get the message. The dead saw here and their groaning went up about three decibels. Those things are never going to go away as long as they see her up there.” Shaun answered.

  When Shaun finished tying his shoes he picked up the candle, held his hand around it to lower the light it was giving off. “Come on. Let’s go check out our house.”

  “Is it Ok to take the candle?” Megan questioned.

  “I think so. I closed all the blinds and curtains last night so we could sit by the fireplace. It should be OK. Besides, if there are any of those things in the house, I want to see them before they see us. Just stay behind me.” Shaun instructed.

  Megan stood behind Shaun and held on to his shirt. They went out into the hall and closed the bedroom door behind them. Shaun started to lead them down the steps. They stood silent for a few seconds between steps to listen for any sounds. They were finally at the bottom of the stairs.

  The bottom of the stairs came down into the living room. The kitchen was to the left. The living room had two windows that were covered by heavy blackout curtains. The curtains had been closed tightly. They living room and dining room took up most of the down stairs area. There were no windows in the dining room. The kitchen only had one window and Shaun had also closed the curtains tightly there too last night.

  Shaun walked over to the dining room table and set the candle in the middle of the table. The candle sent a low glowing light through the rooms.

  Shaun and Megan stood and listened. They could hear the dead scraping against the sides of the house. When Shaun had put bars over the windows and doors, he also lined the bars with a fine heavy wire screen. Some of the dead had long arms and he wanted to be sure they didn’t break out his windows, even if they couldn’t get inside.

  Shaun led Megan over closer to the windows to listen as the dead scraped against the bars and screens.

  “I’m glad you put all that stuff over our windows.” Megan whispered.

  “I know they can’t get through those bars. I just hope they don’t rip out the screen and start busting our windows. In any case I think we will be OK in here. I’m glad we were able to get water yesterday. With as many of them as I think are out there and Lisa shinning a homing beacon for them, we could be stuck in here for a few days.” Shaun sighed.

  Megan wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

  Shaun walked back over to the dining room table and picked up the candle. “Let’s go out in the garage and get a couple of those metal poles so we have something to use as a weapon. Just in case.” Shaun said.

  As Shaun led them into the garage, the candle light lit up the windowless garage. He had Megan hold the candle while he went over to the corner of the garage and picked up three of the metal poles.

  He came back and they went back into the kitchen with their new weapons.

  “What do we do now?” Megan asked.

  Just as she finished speaking, they heard the sound of the box falling from its stand in the pulley room.

  Shaun took the candle and grabbed on to Megan’s hand. “Let’s go she what is happening over at Doug’s.”

  “I hope the dead didn’t get in their house.” Megan replied.

  “Me too. From what I can tell, there are way too many of those things out there for us to even think about trying to go over and help them.” Shaun said as they went up the steps.

  When they reached the top of the steps, Shaun set the candle down on the floor. “You wait here and I’ll go in and get the message.”

  “I want to come with you. I want to see what it looks like outside.” Megan said.

  “OK. Hang on to my shirt again. It’s really dark in there.” Shaun said and began to lead Megan over to the door to the pulley room. “We’re going to duck into the room fast so the candle light from the hall doesn’t show too much light in the room.”

  They slipped into the room and quickly closed the door. They stood for a minute to let their eyes adjust to the darkness.

  “It smells in here.” Megan said.

  She heard Shaun chuckle. She tried to ignore him, but a little smile spread across her face in the darkness.

  He led her over to the window. While Shaun retrieved the message she looked out the window at Doug’s house.

  “I can see Doug and Lisa running around in that room over there.” Megan said.

  “I wonder why they are both up there now. The dead must be in the house. Come on, let’s go read their message.” Shaun said and grabbed Megan’s arm and started back towards the door.

  When they got back out in the hall Shaun quickly went over and picked up the candle. Megan moved in close to him so she could see the letter.

  “Shaun. The dead broke into the house. I couldn’t keep them out. Lisa and I are hiding in the pulley room. They are smashing everything up down stairs. So far they haven’t tried to come up stairs. Can you help us?”

  Shaun went into the bedroom and grabbed a pen.

  “Doug. There are too many of the dead outside. We can’t come out to help you yet. Put all the furniture against the door. Keep us updated. We will wait at our window and try to think of something.”

  Shaun and Megan went back to the pulley room and sent their reply.

  “Remind me to oil this pulley tomorrow.” Shaun said as the pulley squeaked.

  “I hope we are still here tomorrow.” Megan replied softly.

  Shaun put his arm around her and hugged her.

  They sat around the window and watched Doug and Lisa push furniture by the window. They looked frantic.

  “I’m glad you thought ahead and put up all those bars over our windows and door.” Megan whispered.

  “The bars and screen should keep us safe for a while, but if you don’t lock them down, they won’t do you any good.” Shaun said. “I went over and helped Doug put metal sheets and some of the leftover bars I had, over his doors and windows but because of their carelessness, look at what happened.”

  “They have been out of it lately. Letting their water run out, not dressing right to go out around the dead and the scum, and now not locking up properly at night.” Megan sighed.

  “They haven’t had to deal with the dead much. Their basement was like a damn warehouse when the plague started. They never had to go out of the neighborhood for the first five months. They haven’t really had to deal with the mess the world is in until the last few weeks. Doug has made a few trips into the main part of Derry, but really nowhere else. I think Lisa’s first look at the world was when we took them out to the dam. I think they are feeling overwhelmed.” Shaun added.

  “I hope they live to learn from their mistakes.” Megan said.

  “Me too. This is why I always double check everything you do and tell you to always double check on me. We can’t afford any slip ups. It’s easy to get distracted and miss something or forget something small. It’s not that we shouldn’t trust each other, I look at it as helping each other. You know that, right?” Shaun asked.

  “I know. Sorry if I seem to look annoyed when you double check on me sometimes. I know we don’t have the luxury of a do over.” Megan said squeezing Shaun’s arm. “Sorry gets you killed.”

  “You do great. I don’t know how I would have made it this long without your help.” Shaun said. “You know my stinky Meg jokes are just my way of getting you to be more careful?”

  “I know. That’s why I only pretend to be mad. I’m lucky one of those ugly dead bastards hasn’t taken a bite out of me as many times as I have run into them.” Megan said softly. “Do you really think I have a sixth sense about them?”<
br />
  Shaun chuckled. “I don’t know. I do sometimes.”

  Their conversation was interrupted by a scream coming from Doug’s house.

  Shaun and Megan sat up alert and looked out the window towards Doug’s open lighted window. They saw Doug pushing against the pile of furniture stacked against the far wall and door. Lisa was frantically pulling on the rope sending Shaun and Megan another message.

  Shaun watched as the pulley turned and squeaked as Lisa tugged on the rope across the street.

  The rope stopped and Shaun reached over and took the pad off the rope.

  “Let’s go out and see what they sent.” Shaun said as he took Megan’s arm to lead her out of the room.

  When they were in the hallway Shaun picked up the candle and began to read. The writing was written in large sloppy letters like it had been quickly scribbled onto the pad.

  “The dead are upstairs. The have been throwing themselves against the door. They know we are in here and are in a frenzy trying to get through the door. They almost got in, but I was able to get the door closed. I don’t know how much longer I can keep them out. Please help us.”

  “They’re not going to make it are they?” Megan asked sadly.

  Shaun stared at the message and thought about the terror Doug and Lisa must feel. It was evident in their handwriting. He looked at the message and thought.

  After a second, he picked up the pen and wrote a fast note.

  “Meg. Send this message back to Doug. I’m going down to the garage for a minute.” Shaun said.

  Megan looked at the message.

  “Doug. I have an idea. Hang on. I’ll be back to you in a few minutes.”

  “What’s your idea?” Megan asked.

  “Just send the message. I’ll be back.” Shaun said as he picked up the candle and started down stairs, leaving Megan in the dark hallway. She went into the room and sent the message over to Doug and Lisa.

  After sending the message she stared at the frantic activity going on over at Doug’s window, then went out in the hallway to wait for Shaun to return.

  Shaun came up the stairs a few minutes later to see Megan sitting on the hallway floor in the dark. She looked up and saw Shaun coming in her direction. He carried the candle in one hand and one of his heavy duty tool belts in the other hand.

  “What are you going to do with that?” Megan asked looking at the old dirty tool belt.

  “They don’t have much longer before the dead get in that room. We can’t go over to help them. The only other thing I can think is that we have to get them out of the room. If we strap this tool belt to the rope, maybe we can pull them across the street.” Shaun said as he scribbled a message on the pad.

  “Do you think the rope will hold them?” Megan gasped.

  “It’s half inch nylon rope, it should hold them if we do one at a time.” Shaun answered.

  “How about the pulleys? Won’t their weight pull it off the wall?” She asked sounding worried.

  “I used long heavy screws. I hope so, but as I see it we don’t have a choice. They will be dead if we don’t do anything. At least we will give them a chance.” Shaun said as he finished writing on the pad.

  “Come on. Let’s send this over to them.” Shaun grabbed Megan’s arm and led her back into the room.

  He strapped the belt and message to the rope and began to pull.

  Doug had piled every piece of furniture in the room against the door. He sat with his back against the pile of furniture and had his feet planted against the opposing wall. It had been touch and go, but finally he felt he had a good wedge against the door. Even so, large cracks had started to appear on the wooden door that stood between them and the dead.

  He looked at the candle sitting on the floor next to him. Only about half an inch of candle was left. Maybe they would have light for another hour, but no more. He hoped they would live long enough to see the candle burn out.

  Lisa was at the window pulling the rope to get Shaun’s message. Doug was hoping for a miracle. He hoped Shaun had a plan to help them. Shaun had a lot of experience dealing with the dead. He had been out in this mess since it had started. If anyone would have an idea, it would be Shaun. But maybe the jam they were in just didn’t have a solution that ended with he and Lisa coming out of this alive.

  Doug’s thoughts were interrupted by Lisa’s sudden loud sobbing. Doug looked up to see her holding the note pad in front of her and looking with pure terror on her face at the tool belt hanging off the rope.

  “Lisa. What did Shaun say?” Doug asked.

  He had to repeat his question a second time to get Lisa to look at him.

  “Read Shaun’s note.” Doug said.

  Lisa slowly held up the note and began to read. Her voice shook with obvious fear.

  “Doug and Lisa. There are too many dead outside. We can’t come over to help. So we have to get you out of there. We will pull you across the pulley line one at a time. The rope is strong nylon and will hold your weight. Strap Lisa in the tool belt and have her hang on to the rope. Shake the rope hard a few times and I will pull her across. I’ll send it back over and pull you across next. Hurry! I am waiting at the window for your signal.”

  “I’m not getting in this thing!” Lisa cried. “You’re not pulling me over those dead things. If I fall they will eat me alive.”

  “Lisa. Shaun is right. We have to get out of here. We have to try. If we don’t get out, we have maybe fifteen minutes at most.” Doug said trying to convince Lisa.

  “This rope won’t hold me. It’s going to break.” Lisa sobbed.

  “It will hold you. Shaun and I tested it by sending over a full fifty gallon barrel of water when we set it up.” Doug lied. He didn’t know if the rope would hold or not. But he knew if they didn’t try they were dead anyhow. “Go on Lisa. Strap that belt around you and then hold on to the rope. Hurry! I can’t hold out much longer. Please.”

  Lisa went over to the open window and looked out. The sky was beginning to brighten. Dawn was approaching. The brightening sky gave enough light that Lisa could make out what was on the ground below. There were so many of the dead outside that if she fell, she would have been dead a long time before any parts of her would manage to find its way to the hidden ground below.

  She backed away from the window as she began to sob louder.

  Doug looked at the door, then jumped to his feet and ran over to Lisa. “You have to do this.” He said as he pulled her over to the rope and began to strap the tool belt around her waist.

  “Now lay back and hold on to the rope with your hands like this.” He took her hands and wrapped them around the rope. Next he lifted her legs and wrapped her ankles around the rope. He jerked on the rope three times.

  He looked at the pile of furniture as it began to move into the room. He ran back and wedged his back against the pile as he saw Lisa disappear out the window.

  Shaun felt the tugs on the rope and began to pull. By the low light coming from the sky over head he could now see a little what was on the ground below. He almost froze as he saw the number of dead below looking up at Doug’s window.

  He had seen a lot of the dead over the last six months, but if he would have added up every one he had seen, it wouldn’t come close to the number of the dead he saw below them now. If they were all from Latrobe, Latrobe would be a ghost town. But he knew deep down inside that there were still thousands of them in Latrobe. The other day he had seen a number of the dead passing through his yard wearing Pittsburgh Police uniforms. The dead were coming from everywhere and going everywhere or nowhere.

  “Pull Shaun. Hurry!” Megan pleaded as she saw Lisa slide out of her window and begin to dangle from the rope above the dead.

  Lisa began to scream further inciting the dead to wail and groan around them.

  Shaun struggled but began to make some progress. Lisa began to slowly move between the two houses as Shaun pulled.

  “Shaun, Lisa is starting to drop closer down to the dead. I
think the rope is stretching!” Megan shouted fearing if Lisa got much lower some of the dead would grab her.

  “Shit!” Shaun yelled. He started to pull faster. “Let’s just hope I can get her over here before she drops down too much closer to the ground.”

  Shaun pulled hand over hand. He was starting to make headway when the rope stopped and Lisa began to scream.

  Shaun looked out the window to see that Lisa had stopped dropping lower as he pulled. She had started to rise higher in the air as he pulled, but while she had been at the lowest point one of those dead bastards had grabbed a hold of her jacket.

  Shaun started pulling harder. Lisa began to rise closer to his window. She swayed back and forth as the zombie hung on to her jacket with one hand as it’s other arm flailed wildly in the air repeatedly striking Lisa’s back and legs.

  “Go get one of our metal pipes.” Shaun ordered as he began frantically pulling the rope to get Lisa up to the window. “Bring the candle so we have more light. The dead know we are up here, no use sitting in the dark.”

  Megan ran for the pipe and candle as Shaun pulled.

  Megan returned to the room as Lisa hung outside the window screaming her head off.

  “Knock that son of a bitch off her while I hold the rope!” Shaun ordered.

  Megan ran to the window and began jabbing at the dead creature hanging onto Lisa’s jacket. A lucky jab landed the pole in the creature’s mouth. It let go of Lisa and grabbed at the pipe almost pulling Megan out the window.

  Shaun caught her around the arm with one hand and helped her regain her balance as he hung on with dear life to the rope with his other hand.

  They both watched as the zombie fell to the ground, landing at an angle that drove the steel pipe out the back of its head.