Stumptown Survival: The Complete Collection

by Noah Porter

  Paige smiled at his profile. Mason was intent on watching the world around him and seemed largely oblivious to everything else. As soon as they were gone, Mason picked up his bag and scaled down the building. He had bolts to retrieve and did not feel like dealing with any more interruptions. Clearly, the only way he was going to get alone time was with the zombies. Still, after the past few hours of relative peace, he felt much better than he had in years, finally feeling as young as he looked.

  *****

  The rest of the daylight hours went by with more activity than Dylan thought was healthy. He was glad he had taken Mason’s recommendation. He had split up from the rest of the group, found a little area with a door and had locked himself in for some peaceful sleep. He had been woken several hours later by the sound of gunshots. He rushed out to find that most of the group had gone to the roof and left the door open. They were chatting on the roof and picking off zombies. Dylan was furious at the amount of noise they were making. Had they learned nothing in Hood River? Karen and Austin had been very defensive while the rest of the group apologized. Dylan had stormed back downstairs unable to deal with the utter stupidity. No one else had heard because it was harder to hear the noise two stories down in the main part of the small museum.

  Dylan asked Andrew to go make sure the idiots on the roof kept it down as he tried to calm down. He walked around the different floors, trying to ease the anger out of his system. It was a horrible way to be woken up and he knew that improving his mood was going to be a significant challenge. Dylan walked around the empty floors. No one was on the first or second floors. He found Claire and Paige taking items from the Native American exhibit. Dylan simply turned around and walked out of the Rodin as soon as he saw Mason.

  Dylan wasn’t about to do anything to attract attention. He gently laughed as he walked down the hall from the exhibit. So much about their group was predictable, but he observed that not all of it was bad. Dylan carefully slipped through the glass hall to the stairs where he found the remainder of the group. They had taken to playing with chess sets they had found downstairs. They were being much quieter, enjoying some peace and quiet. Dylan watched different boards before finally slipping in for a game himself.

  An hour passed and Dylan had become the undisputed chess champion. He realized that the sun was setting and that they needed to start thinking about getting set up for the night, before it got too dark. They rounded up some more food and drinks and headed upstairs. Lily went to the roof to bring the delinquents down for some food, but not before mercilessly making fun of them.

  The only person missing from dinner was Mason, who refused to leave the artwork. Well, Dylan thought, he’s finally getting the peace and quiet he wanted. The man wouldn’t even allow food in the room. And by now, everyone was well acquainted with Rule #1 – Follow Mason’s Rules, which were best to follow by avoiding the room, and the man, all together. Lily told them not to worry about it, that when he got hungry enough to eat, Mason would. As long as he got some quality alone time with his art, they would find Mason a much better companion over the coming days, she promised. Andrew had already passed along word to her that they would need to get moving soon, news that she took without a hint of surprise. From the moment she had seen the grounds sprawling with zombies, Lily knew it was only a matter of time before everyone else realized they couldn’t stay. It was fine by her. She loved boats and welcomed a place where she might actually feel safe from the undead.

  Paige had pulled Kyle and Ben aside and told them of the plan to move on. Kyle threw his hands in the air while Ben laughed uncontrollably. They both understood and knew it was for the best, but Kyle couldn’t help suggesting that they throw the next person to do something recklessly stupid out to remind everyone that the safety of all was to be taken seriously. Ben did a little dance and sang The Entertainer and mimicked throwing someone out and their “timely” demise. Kyle couldn’t help but put a foot out, tripping Ben as he finished his macabre dance. It soon devolved into a sparring match. Paige laughed, then reminded them that this was exactly the type of behavior they had been talking about. She thought it was odd that every time the group was allowed a moment to relax, the pair seemed to regress into horseplay. This was certainly not the norm before things went wrong, but then, it is hard to know how people would be affected in such stressful times. She was far more somber than she had been a few months back. Were the shifts a part of the burden or was it just that it had been so long since they had been allowed to relax, that they were all coping in a different way?

  Paige shook off these thoughts and convinced the guys that they needed to get some sleep while they still had a chance. Since they would be moving on soon, it was important that they took the time now to relax. Ben gave her a “Yes, mom” before hugging her and dragging a muttering Kyle off to make a couple of beds. She followed them and helped them get setup. She even rested with them for a few moments as they settled in.

  With all of the people who needed to know aware of what was to come, the survivors began to settle down. When the time came, the rest of the group would follow the lead of Dylan. His advice and level head had kept them going, so even if they weren’t always happy with the directions he took them, he had succeeded in keeping them alive through some very difficult situations.

  Everyone was brought into the main area of the museum to sleep that night. It was the closest to both bathrooms without being on the same floor as the glass walls, as well as being the most open space, easily accommodating the group. Mason was the only one absent from the party as he refused to leave the exhibit. Several people had objected to someone in the group being treated differently, but they were quickly silenced when they were told they could go inform Mason of their complaint if it was really that important.

  Dylan and Kyle volunteered to take the first guard shift that night, and when it was time for them to rest, Dylan refused. He knew he would not be able to sleep because tomorrow they might be back on the move. Dylan knew that his nap earlier was the last time he would sleep until they were safe. The responsibility of what was to come would ensure he could not sleep peacefully.

  Paige and Seth were to take the next shift, but Dylan insisted they let Seth sleep. Those who did not know that they were going to be on the move again soon would have a far easier time of sleeping, so they might as well get rest while they could. With any luck they would be safely on the barge tomorrow or the day after, but it was going to be a difficult journey. Claire and Seth had volunteered for the next shift. Paige chose to wake Claire before returning to her spot. As the new guard rubbed her eyes and tried to wake up for the shift, Dylan looked toward the stairs. It seemed so eerie at night. With a moment of clarity, Dylan realized that there was probably more than one reason for Mason’s remaining downstairs. For a second he wondered if Mason was sleeping, and silently hoped that was not the case.

  *****

  As the early morning progressed, and with dawn only an hour or two away, all was quiet inside the museum. Claire and Dylan had passed several hours in complete silence. Most of the group had slept some during the day, but the trek to the museum had left most of the group weary, and the apparent safety of the museum lulled most of them into a sense of security and peace. No one was supposed to leave to room except to use the restroom, and then they were supposed to go in pairs.

  Claire noticed that Dylan was having trouble staying awake. She headed towards him, ready to suggest Seth be allowed to take his shift. Reluctantly, Dylan agreed. As he walked over to Seth, Claire noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. A couple of people had slipped out of the room, heading for the east wing of the building, the side opposite of where Mason was. The faint sound of giggles made her quicken her pace, and she thought she saw the dim beam of a flashlight reflected off of the walls at the stairs. At first she wanted to believe it was people heading to the bathroom. Night was almost over and they would be able to resume more normal activities, surely everyone knew that. Just a littl
e longer and they would be free to roam like yesterday, as long as everyone avoided the glass hallway.

  Out of caution, Claire neared the stairs where she again thought she heard giggles, a little louder than before, or maybe the stairway just allowed for a better echo. She tried to get Dylan’s attention, but failed. He had apparently given up on waking Seth and had moved over to Seth or Ben - Claire could not tell for sure from where she was. Quietly and carefully she walked among the sleeping figures to tell him where she was going and why. At first he tried to go instead, but she refused, saying he needed to stay with the group. She could deal with a couple of giggling women better than he could, especially because Claire suspected the sounds were coming from Karen, something she neglected to mention. Claire finally convinced him that she should go alone by telling him she needed to use the bathroom anyway, which was true.

  Claire headed for the stairs, making sure to keep the sounds of her steps quiet. She did not want to wake anyone in the group, nor did she want to upset the pair who had run off, in case they were innocent of her suspicions. In all, nearly fifteen minutes had passed since she saw the figures slip out of the room.

  Also taking the east flight of stairs, Claire moved cautiously down the stairs. She did not have a flashlight, so her progress was considerably slower. At the bottom of the stairs she heard sounds that could not be mistaken, and she blushed furiously as she went to try to quiet the pair. Karen must have finally gotten someone to agree to make Dylan happy. Honestly, was the girl really that thick?

  Most of the guys had avoided her on purpose, some being nice out of need, others ignoring her entirely. Several people had hoped that the down time in the museum would help settle the girl; however, this turn of events was going to add some complications. No doubt Karen was going to try to use this to upset Dylan, which would work even if it wasn’t for the reasons she wanted. Claire began to move faster when she saw a dark figure turn the corner from the other side, and she knew exactly who it was. For a split second she considered letting them face his ire, when the sound of breaking glass interrupted her thoughts. She froze.

  *****

  Mason had not been this furious since Hood River. His muscles were tensed and his hands were twitching, but he fought down the urge to draw weapons as he rounded the corner. He saw the beam of a flashlight bouncing off of the glass, took in the zombies pressing against the glass, and he realized there was nothing anyone could do now. Mason was near the stairs when he knew he needed to be heading back the other way. One of the figures let out a squeak as he caught her eye, a squeak that was followed by the sound of glass breaking.

  Mason turned his back on the couple ready to leave them to their fate. The zombies had begun to make their way in, the first few getting caught on the glass and tearing themselves to pieces in their struggle to get in. Mason knew this bottleneck would not be a problem long, as the ones behind pressed through, knocking down more glass and widening the hole. Dozens had collected trying to get at the light and the moans of living humans that had started to reverberate through the hall had no doubt further attracted zombies on the other side of the hallway.

  Karen’s scream pierced his ears as Mason raced back to warn the people upstairs. “Mason help! You can’t just leave us here!” The lovemaking session had been between two walls jutting out near the end of the hall at the furthest end from safety. Neither of the couple had moved away from their place, too embarrassed by their nakedness to move into the open.

  “If you really wanted to survive you would have fucked him in the bathroom,” was the only response she got as he reached the end of the hallway.

  She shouted, “You can’t!” Torn between getting away from the creature moving toward them and wanting to cover herself, Karen and her man had made little progress in getting out of their strategically horrific position.

  Mason stopped and turned, pure fury on his face. Suddenly his handed extended. At first Karen thought it was meant for her, but the closest zombie fell over. “There. I helped.” His arm shot out again, giving Karen hope that maybe he was going to cover them while they got to safety, but it was another figure he was stopping. The zombies were closing in on the couple and still neither had done a thing to escape.

  Mason grabbed Claire as she raced around the corner, “You have to warn the others. We cannot stem the flow of those things. There are no doors between here and the upstairs and we have no barricades ready to stop them.”

  Claire struggled against him, “You can’t just leave them!”

  Mason tried to force her back, but she refused to retreat. Claire broke from his grip and tried to move forward. “You can’t. I can’t!”

  “Claire, you can’t do anything.” Mason grabbed her arms as Karen screamed. The only way they had to go was entirely blocked. “Look they are moving this way. There is nothing we can do for them now.”

  “They are people! How can you just let them die?” She was struggling, unable to accept what was happening.

  “Please, Mason!” three voices echoed through the glass hall as the zombies found their first victims.

  Mason was able to accurately place each voice, “Hmm, Austin. He was basically a nonentity anyway.”

  Such a cold reaction as Austin screamed, then gurgled, then was silent. Claire spun around. “How could you?”

  While she was distracted, Mason picked her up, “Sorry Claire, but we’re next,” and he rushed toward the stairs on the western side of the museum. She immediately began to struggle against him, kicking him in the stomach and temporarily winding him.

  She tried to go back to the hallway, but the zombies had already reached the end of the hall and were heading right towards them.

  Grabbing his stomach, Mason screamed, “Get out. Everyone upstairs, get out. NOW. Everyone downstairs is dead.”

  The sounds from upstairs were unmistakable as they heard people beginning to react to Mason’s words.

  Satisfied that they had started moving, Mason shouted again, “Do not come downstairs. Someone block the eastern stairs so that you can make it out of the front door.” Still he could hear someone moving toward the west stairs. “NOOO. Do not come down, I have three dead people down here. I will be fine. There is NOTHING you can do. Now GET OUT.”

  It was what they needed to hear to make the right decision. He knew it was Dylan debating at the top of the stairs trying to decide how to react, but the debate ended and he heard Dylan’s voice stirring the sleepers, “Move it everyone. We have to get out. Kyle, don’t let anything up the stairs. Everyone else, out!” Mason knew that Dylan would have the head count he needed to focus on getting out of the building.

  The zombies were swarming forward. With horror, Claire realized what she had done. Mason was still doubled over and she was unarmed. She grabbed his arm and pulled him toward the western stairs. He pushed her hard, knocking her to the floor. Second later two pistols were in his hands and he was firing into the zombies. Claire turned to run, but she went too far. Mason looked over his shoulder, “Where are you going?”

  Too late, Claire saw her mistake. The zombies were closing in, Mason kept backing up, but he would not be able to go up the stairs as he had planned, not unless he left Claire. As he passed the short hall to the stairs, Mason shouted, “Get away from the western stairs! I can’t keep them back any longer. I’ll meet up with you outside!” before turning and dashing into the room with Claire. His voice bounced around the floor, repeating his instructions. “Doors!” He yelled at her as he spun around.

  Claire looked and saw two doors, a way to shut out the zombies that she hadn’t even noticed. They forced the doors closed, shutting out the zombies, along with their only way of escape.

  Caught between disbelief that Mason had left two people to die and shock that she had hurt him, Claire didn’t know what to say. Mason held his hands against the door and let his head drop.

  Her reaction was instinctive, “I am so sorry, Mason. Oh my God, I am so sorry! What have I done? What are
we going to do?”

  A heavy sigh shut her up. Too afraid to speak again, Claire waited for Mason to say or do anything. Several minutes passed where they listened to gunshots upstairs, the sound of screams, and running. They could vaguely hear orders, but she could not make out what they were. It was her fault wasn’t it? She was supposed to keep the people upstairs safe. She should have warned them as soon as the zombies got in. They had trusted her to protect them while they slept, and she had tried to save the two people who put them in jeopardy. It was all her fault. She fell to the floor, shock and shame making her feel nauseous. She was totally immersed in her own thoughts, paralyzed by what had happened.

  “Yes, you have to learn when to give up. You cannot save everyone, and you cannot expect everyone to survive.” Mason was watching her.

  “I-I-I” she wanted to be furious, but she was afraid. Afraid of her actions, afraid of their predicament, and afraid of what Mason would do now. She dropped her head into her hands.

  She felt a hand on her shoulder, placed there gently, just like her brother used to do, “Get it out of your system. Feel sorry for yourself, hate me for making what you thought should have been a hard choice, and hate yourself for having been wrong. Do it now because you will not have that luxury again when we open those doors.”