“Water,” Sally repeated.
Grant snapped into action. At the rear of the store, next to a small card table with two plastic chairs, was a small refrigerator. Sally and he had found bottles of water in there earlier along with a bag of apples, a jar of pickles, and some banana popsicles in the freezer. The old lady who ran the store was wise enough to keep snacks. Scooping up a couple of the water bottles, Grant made his way back to Hal, who was now lying on his side, exhausted.
“We have to get ahold of the police,” Hal said.
“We been tryin’,” Grant informed him. “Done called at least fifteen times. Ain’t nobody answerin’ that phone. If I had to guess, I’d say they’re already out on the street takin’ care of business.”
“They ain’t takin’ care of shit out there. I came all the way from Burger Bin,” Hal informed them.
Grant handed Hal a bottle of water. Hal twisted off the top and swigged the cool liquid, then winced as it ran down his throat. “Cold,” he said. “God, that tastes good.”
Sally stared out the window. “We were at the diner. I was working. Grant came in as he usually does. Then everything went crazy. I can hardly remember how it went down, yet I can’t get most of it out of my head. I know it doesn’t make sense. It’s like… my timeline is all messed up. I can see the people changing and hear the screams, but I have a hard time putting events in order.”
“I get it,” Hal said.
“Not me,” Grant replied. “I remember it all, in order, every single damn word spoken before it went down and everything that came after.”
Hal sat up. His strength seemed to be coming back to him. “I was trying to get a bite to eat and some guy walking a dog attacked me. And the dogs… they all went nuts. Wrecked my truck, crawled away, and stumbled all through town trying to get to the police station.”
“That’s a long walk,” Grant said.
It was. It had to be at least three miles between the Burger Bin and where they were now. On foot, with those creatures out there, that was a hell of a long way to travel. Grant decided he liked Hal already. He’d continue to like him as long as he didn’t try and squeeze his way in on Sally.
Stop thinking about the girl and focus on the real problem.
“You’re hurt,” Sally said.
“It ain’t that bad,” Hal replied. “Got a nasty gash on my side and hit my head pretty hard when I crashed, but I’ll be fine.”
“We need guns,” Grant announced again.
“You keep saying that,” Sally replied.
Hal set his gun on the floor. “He’s right. Or at least some ammo.”
Grant picked up the gun and found it empty. “Great.”
“I used it all out there,” Hal informed him.
“You shot people?” Sally asked, moving away from him as if repulsed. “What if they can be changed back? What if this is temporary?”
“I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, Sally, but I wasn’t going to let any of those assholes get close enough to me to find out. Out there, it’s either run faster than they can and farther than they can or hit ‘em right here.” Hal touched the center of his forehead.
“Think we can make it to Clementine’s?” Grant asked.
Hal stared at the floor and then slowly shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. The thought of going back out there scares the shit out of me.”
“It’s only about four blocks that way,” Grant said.
“Yeah, I know where it is, but those things are everywhere. That’s why I was pressed up against this building, trying to blend in with the shadows. I still can’t figure out if they got senses like humans or if they’re able to smell us, hear us, or see us better.”
Sally picked up the gun and hefted it in the palm of her hand, letting it fall slowly. She could have been playing with a feather. “I think it’s safest to assume all their senses are better. I say we stay in here ‘til the army arrives.”
“We haven’t called the army,” Grant reminded her. Then he turned his attention to Hal and said, “Any idea how we call the army?”
Hal chuckled. “No. But damn if they don’t make that look easy in all the movies, right?”
“911 doesn’t seem to do it,” Grant said with a snicker of his own.
“I’m glad you guys find this funny,” Sally said and then laughed a little herself.
Grant was still laughing when he noticed movement outside. He turned toward the big window and hesitated for a second, trying to make sense of what he was seeing. From across the street, he thought he saw somebody approaching. It was a big bull of a man rushing toward them.
Hal and Sally both followed his line of sight and tensed up as he said, “The hell is that?”
The time it took him to get those words out was all the time he had. The man coming at them launched himself at the glass.
The window exploded inward.
He roared, his face a bloody mess, as he fell through the shattered glass, arms flailing, reaching for anything he could get his hands on.
Sally screamed.
Hal yelled.
Grant let out an “oomph” as he stood too quickly and toppled backward over the desk behind him. He regained his composure and climbed to his feet in time to see Hal swing a metal lamp at the thing’s head.
Sally ran for the back door while Grant and Hal worked together, grabbed the nearest bookshelf, and shoved it down onto the man.
His growl never stopped, even as the heavy piece of furniture pinned him to the floor.
“Stay away from him!” Sally screamed from the back of the room.
“Look at his hair!” Grant said, pointing down at the tufts sticking out from under the bookshelf.
The man’s long, scraggly locks moved on their own, reminding Grant of the old tales of medusa. It seemed to slither, searching, trying to find something to attack.
“What’s wrong with his hair?” Hal asked, staring down at it with his mouth agape.
It wasn’t only moving, but it was whining in some strange insect language. Clacking and clicking to itself.
“Come on, man,” Grant said as he grabbed Hal by the arm. “Don’t get any closer.”
Hal looked back at Sally and shook his head in disbelief. “Did you see it?”
“I don’t wanna see it,” she replied.
Grant passed him and followed Sally to the back of the store. “Let’s get out of here.”
20
“Remind me why we’re the ones doing this,” Robbie whispered as they stood at the music room door, trying to get up the nerve to leave.
“Because we’re brave,” Nitsy said.
He passed her a smile and shook his head. “Yeah, that must be it. Brave Robbie and his girlfriend Nerves-of-Steel Nitsy.
Your girlfriend? Oh, she’s definitely going to notice that. No takebacks now, man. She’s your girlfriend.
“Girlfriend?” she asked, not missing a beat. “Shouldn’t you ask a girl, first?”
It was dark, but he knew if he could see her face she’d be blushing. She had an adorable grin, and he wished he could see it now. It might actually relax his nerves a little. Her face remained hidden in the darkness, refusing to step out and calm him.
“You’re trying to take my mind off this stupid plan to go get the phones, aren’t you?” she asked.
He chuckled and shook his head. “Not a chance. If we get out of here alive, I need you to be my girl.”
She leaned forward and stood up on her tiptoes. He met her halfway, putting his forehead against hers.
“I’ll be your girlfriend right now,” she said, “how about that?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “You gonna ask me first?”