Sanctuary

by Blake Brown

  CHAPTER 5

  ​Byark walked out of the bathroom in the back of his shop and looked around the storage room he was standing in. Along with back stock of swords, axes, shields, and other medieval weaponry, he had shelves filled with food, water, and other beverages. He even had a small kitchenette set up next to the shelves, given the fact that he spent nearly his entire life in the shop. He imagined with his new group of guests however, that the food and drink wouldn’t last long.

  He left the backroom and stepped out behind the counter, glancing to his left at the infected that still waited outside of the storefront, the creatures watching him and his guests hungrily. It had been three days since the outbreak, and only a few of the infected that lingered outside had moved on. Those that remained were frantic and aggressive the first day, trying desperately to force their way through the steel shutter that held them out. As the days went on, however, they grew calm, watching the survivors inside patiently. Byark had been watching them as well, seeing their features and bodies morph and mutate after every cannibalized meal. Their fingers seemed to grow longer and their ears pointier. Their facial features started contorting and shifting while their teeth grew sharper and began to poke out of their mouths. Some of them even started growing tumor like lumps under their skin. The changes had been very minor at first, but they still had Byark on edge. Some of them even seemed to be trying to communicate, lightly shrieking and gasping at one another, as it became clear that they could no longer form words. Luckily however, the few that did so were ignored by the masses, most of the creatures just concentrating on the food inside the store.

  ​Byark hadn’t really talked to anyone, none of them seemed in the mood to make conversation. Today though, he decided he needed to get to know his guests, considering their rescue was nowhere in sight. He started with Alejandro, the one person he had talked to briefly. The somewhat short, Mexican man was sitting on a small, wooden bench in front of a display case of a great axe, cutting pieces off an apple with his knife and eating them while watching the infected outside. “Hello friend.” Byark said as he approached.

  ​Alejandro looked up at the big man and forced a smile. “Take a seat.” He said, gesturing to the bench.

  ​Byark sat down. “How are you doing?”

  ​“I’m alright, just watching these bastards. They’re changing.” Alejandro stared at the creatures. His short, black hair was messy from not having showered in days and his thick, black stubble was already growing to form a beard.

  ​“I’ve noticed, I don’t think they plan on leaving us alone anytime soon either.”

  ​“And considering no one’s come to rescue us, it looks like we’re on our own with these fuckers.”

  ​“We’re going to have to fight our way out eventually” Byark stated what both men were thinking.

  ​“Most of us won’t make it.” Alejandro said.

  ​“When I got here, the morning of the attack, I saw a few dozen ravens flying above the mall.” Byark said, waving his hand in the air like a flying bird. “I knew people were going to die this day, I never see the ravens, and for Odin to send that many… A lot of souls entered Valhalla that day. I was curious to see if I was going to be one of them.”

  ​“Personally, I’m glad you weren’t brother. Without you we’d all be dead right now.” Alejandro fiddled with the silver cross hanging around his neck.

  ​“You saved just as many as I did friend, don’t forget that.” Byark stood and clapped Alejandro on the shoulder. “I’ll leave you to your snack.” Alejandro nodded and Byark walked away.

  ​Next, he approached the three women that Alejandro had brought into the shop. “Hello ladies, how are we?”

  ​“We’re alright, just still a little shook up.” The overweight, middle-aged woman played with her youngest daughter’s hair, her head resting on her mother’s lap while she slept.

  ​“I think we all are, I’m Byark.” He extended a hand.

  ​The woman shook it. “I’m Maggie, this is Tara,” she pointed to the young, brown haired girl. “and this is Sarah, her big sister.” She pointed to the sleeping teenage girl who had short, black hair with streaks of hot pink trailing through it.

  ​“Is there anything you three need? Anything I can do for you?” Byark offered, playing the good host.

  ​“No sir, we’re just so grateful that you’re letting us stay here and keeping us safe.” Maggie replied with a huge smile. Byark could tell she was a kind woman.

  ​“Alright, I’ll let you get back to your rest now.” Maggie mouthed the words "thank you" and Byark turned, walking towards the middle-aged man and his teenage son that were sitting in the back corner of the shop.

  ​The man stood as Byark approached, apparently noticing that his host was finally introducing himself to everyone. He held out a hand. “I’m Greg.” Byark shook the kind of bulky and hairy, brown haired man’s hand.

  ​“Byark, good to meet you.”

  ​The somewhat thin, but tall for his age, teenage boy stood up and removed his Braves baseball cap. He stuck out his hand. “I’m Matt.”

  ​Byark shook the boy’s hand. “How’re you two holding up?” He could see that both of their eyes were red and puffy, as if they’d been crying.

  ​“We uh… lost Matt’s mother that first day. It’s been hard, but we’re happy to be alive and have each other. Thanks for letting us crash here.” Greg replied. Matt’s head sank and he sat back down, putting his baseball cap on low so that it covered his tear-filled eyes.

  ​“I’m sorry for your loss. If you two need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” Byark shook the man’s hand again before walking away, feeling rude for having made the young man cry.

  ​He approached the final group, almost dreading the interaction. Unlike everyone else, the four men had been loud and taking up more than their share of supplies. They had even been dipping into Byark’s liquor stocks and making jokes about their friend who was killed by the infected on the first day. Byark considered confronting them about their actions, but decided it was too soon. Everyone needed their time to process what had happened in their own way. “How’s it going gentlemen?”

  ​What appeared to be their self-proclaimed leader, or alpha, responded. “Not too bad thanks to your generous booze donations.” The man slurred. He was about average height and skinny, except for a small beer gut. He had long, strawberry blonde hair and a thin, reddish goatee.

  ​“I’m Byark.” He held out his hand.

  ​“Randy!” The man slapped Byark’s hand instead of shaking it. “This here’s Nathan,” He pointed to a short black man with buzzed hair. Nathan nodded to Byark drunkenly. “and these two passed out pussies that can’t hold their liquor are Travis and Larry.” Randy pointed to two men that were sprawled out on the floor, one thin and one fat.

  ​“Well, it’s good to meet you two. I just wanted to introduce myself to everyone now that they’ve had time to calm down and relax. Let me know if you need anything.” Byark turned to walk away, not wanting to talk to either of them any longer.

  ​“We’ll need more liquor soon!” Randy called out with a laugh. Byark didn’t bother to respond. I must remember to hide my mushrooms and good ale from these drunks.

  Byark walked towards the backroom, interested in getting something to eat now that his introductions were over. On his way, he saw something that chilled him to his core. Outside the metal gate, he could see two infected practically face to face, shrieking and groaning at each other. They seemed to understand one another’s noises, and one of them, nodded to the other.

  ***

  ​It had been almost a month since the outbreak, and still no help came. The food stored in Byark's shop had run out quickly, and the group had to use the mall catacombs to sneak around and collect snacks and candy from other stores to sustain themselves. Most of the infected vanished after the corpses near the storefront had been picked clean. A few however, remained at the front of the shop, not
giving up on their pursuit of the survivors inside, and Alejandro assumed that many other infected were patrolling through the mall, still feasting on rotting corpses. Almost all the food and water was gone, even with the addition of what they had scavenged, and the group decided it was time to move, before they were too weak from hunger and thirst to fight their way out.

  They packed everything useful that they could carry into three different backpacks, that the three female members of their group now wore. The women were all armed with shields similar to Byark’s, but much smaller, and were tasked with staying in the center of the group, using the shields to block infected as a last resort. Byark would take up the front, wearing a full chainmail covering, minus the headpiece. He had a handmade bow and a quiver filled with arrows strapped to his back, and his axe and shield were in hand. Randy would also be in the front, beside Byark, armed with a sword and shield. Randy's thick friend Larry would be positioned on the other side of Byark, wielding a double-sided great axe that Byark voiced would be too much for the man to use effectively, however, Larry ignored his advice. Matt and Greg were to take up the middle of the group with the instruction to protect the girls at all costs, both wielding wooden clubs due to their similarity to baseball bats, which they had both been using their entire lives. Behind them were Travis and Nathan, both wielding one-handed axes. And lastly, Alejandro would take up the rear, armed with a small shield and the Beretta that had nine rounds left in the magazine. He would be the last resort, shooting only when absolutely necessary to save one of the group.

  ​“You all know the plan. Byark will have the keys to the back of the van and he should be the first one to reach it, that way he can unlock the doors and get everyone inside. I’ll move around to the front, start her up, and get us the hell out of here. If the van's not there, we keep moving until we find another vehicle or somewhere safe to hold up. Never break formation and watch out for each other. Even if the van is gone, don’t panic. Stick together and we’ll be alright.” Alejandro went over the plan one last time as the group gathered around the entrance, getting ready to leave. The few infected still in front started to rile at the sight of all the movement, bumping into each other in an attempt to be first in the chow line.

  ​“Yeah, yeah, we heard it already. Let’s just get going.” Randy said, irritated with the fact that he hadn’t had a drink in some time.

  ​“Stay on me, let’s do this.” Byark said as he unlocked the double glass doors and metal shutter.

  ​He pulled the metal shutter up partially and the three infected in front immediately tried to climb underneath. Byark disposed of the first by severing its head from its body with one quick blow of the axe. Blood poured from the open neck, soaking the floor and causing the little girl, Tara to scream. Randy plunged his sword down into the skull of the infected in front of him and then struggled for a moment to free the blade, working it back and forth until it released from its wet suction. Larry hefted the heavy axe up and brought it down on the skull of the third infected, the weapon turning from a lack of control as he did so, causing the side of the axe head to make contact and not the blade. The weight of the axe was still enough to crack in the creature’s skull however, causing it to go limp except for a few minor twitches. The big man was already out of breath from his first swing of the heavy weapon, looking pained as he gazed upon the crushed-in head of the creature and the pink goo that was leaking out of its cracked skull.

  Byark threw up the metal shutter and called out, “let’s go!” just as another infected sprinted towards him. He swatted the creature into the wall with his shield and then chopped a chunk of its head off with the axe, killing it instantly as blood sprayed across the wall. As they made their way through the mall, they could hear infected shrieking and calling out from every direction, the beasts realizing there was fresh meat for them to hunt.

  A group of four ran at them head on, and Byark was able to take down the first two easily enough. The second and third however, made their way past the Viking, heading for Larry and Randy. Randy held out his sword just as the infected ran into it, impaling itself through the mid-section. It continued slashing out with its meaty claws as it impaled itself further and further, pushing forward in an attempt to get to the man. Randy struggled to get his sword free, falling back from the group as blood and entrails spewed from the impaled creature. Once he realized that he couldn’t free the blade, he slammed his shield into the creature’s head. Letting the sword pull from his hand as the unconscious infected fell, leaving the weapon behind. Larry tried to swing the huge axe he held at the infected closing in on him much too soon, just managing to hit the glass paneling under the second-floor railing and shattering it. The creature leapt onto him and dragged him over the railing, sending them both plummeting to the first floor. Matt took up Larry’s place in the front for a moment, braining an infected man that made its way past Byark, killing it instantly. “Atta boy!” Greg called out, proud of his son’s bravery.

  ​They made their way into the second story of the JC Penny’s, the exit on the first floor being their way out of the mall. Infected covered the store's interior, one of which ran at Randy, who now felt less confident without his sword. Braking rank, Randy ran from the infected, leading it right to the women in the center of their formation. Greg stepped in the creature’s way and swung out with his club. The infected man avoided the blow and grabbed his arm during the follow through of the swing, biting deep into his right forearm, and causing a cry of pain to burst from the man. Greg used the club with just his left hand now and began cracking it into the creature’s skull. After three hits, the infected went limp, dropping to the floor and taking a nice chunk of Greg’s arm with it. Another infected rushed at Greg, and he had no time to recover. Alejandro turned just in time and dropped the infected woman with a single shot to the head. Randy rejoined the ranks with a scornful look from Greg, and they began moving down the obsolete escalator, heading directly for the exit right in front of them.

  An infected child climbed onto the side of the escalator as they made their way down and blindsided Travis, digging its teeth into his neck and its claws into his chest as it started pulling him over the edge. Nathan swung his axe at the creature, aiming for its arm in an attempt to free his friend, but it yanked the man further down, and the axe planted itself into Travis’s sternum. Both men looked at the axe in shock for a moment, and then the creature pulled Travis over the edge with it still sticking out of his chest.

  Byark made his way off the escalator and started clearing out the infected by the entrance, receiving no further help from Randy. Matt covered the warrior's back and clubbed one of the infected closing in on him, just as another infected rushed down the escalator, closing in on Alejandro. Alejandro unloaded three rounds, two in the chest and one in the head. The lifeless, mutated corpse crashed into him from the momentum, drenching him in blood and sending him and the few others still on the escalator tumbling down to the floor. Byark, Greg, and Matt took out the rest of the infected near them as the others got to their feet, and they all sprinted out of the exit.

  Just as they got outside more of the creatures surrounded them. One sprinted into the side of Maggie and ripped the shield from her hands before digging its claws into her belly and starting to rip her open. Another infected rushed over and sunk its teeth into the screaming woman’s neck. Maggie’s screams turned to a gurgled cry as blood started to fill her throat and both her daughters froze, dropping their shields as they screamed for their mother. Alejandro unloaded the last five shots from his pistol into the trio of bodies, one headshot to kill the first infected, three body shots to kill the second, and he used the last to put the poor woman out of her misery.

  He tucked the now empty pistol into his waistband and dropped his shield, picking up Tara and grabbing her sister’s hand before starting back towards the others. The rest of the group was already approaching the van, oblivious to what had just happened to the two girls’ poor mother. He dropped the g
irls off next to Greg as Byark unlocked the back of the armored van, ushering everyone inside. He then made his way to the front, seeing his other partner Craig's corpse lying half way out of the van's cab. He had been torn apart and eaten alive. Alejandro quickly grabbed the man’s 9mm and extra magazines, throwing them into the cab before dumping his body onto the ground. “Sorry brother.” He said to his friend before climbing in and starting the van.

  Alejandro peeled away from the curb just as two infected grabbed onto the back of the van, and another slammed onto the hood. He swerved back and forth, trying to knock the creatures off as he made his way out of the mall parking lot and onto the deserted street, but their grips were too strong. More infected chased after them, and a few were able to climb onto the vehicle as well as Alejandro slowly maneuvered around wrecked and abandoned vehicles that littered the road.

  ​“We gotta get these fuckers off of us!” Randy called out from the back, stating the obvious. Alejandro turned onto a side street after a mile or so, making his way into a large, residential neighborhood. The infected creature on the hood started pounding its spare fist into the windshield in an attempt to get inside, but Alejandro knew the bulletproof glass would be unfazed. He drove past a few dozen houses before turning a corner and seeing an infected running right towards the vehicle. He sped up to hit the creature head on, and it was sucked into one of the wheel wells, causing the armored van to fishtail out of control and swerve into a large oak in one house’s front yard. The engine block smashed in from the blow, causing the vehicle to sputter and die. The oak tree snapped in half and fell across the van, further pinning it in place as it splattered an infected creature riding on top of the vehicle into a gory puddle. “Good fucking driving. Now what the fuck are we supposed to do?” Randy called out again as the infected gathered around the vehicle, slamming their claws into it as they tried to find a way inside.