Ella smiled back. She looked around, then nodded. "Got it. This

  way."

  She hurried off to one side. "We can cut through the bird

  sanctuary. It's faster than going around."

  They trotted through the dark, looking side to side for corpses.

  Maylee heard their groans from all sides. None came into view, but

  Maylee could tell they were close.

  "Where the fuck are they?" said Park, off to Maylee's side.

  Maylee glanced over at him. She saw his face in the dim light. He was

  frowning at Ella as he stuck the knife back into his pocket. Several

  times he looked like he was going to say something to her. He didn't.

  "Here we are," said Ella as a large dome came into view.

  Crisscrossing iron beams and thick iron mesh formed an ornate

  structure that looked old-fashioned and beautiful, even in the dark.

  Maylee tried to remember their previous trips to the zoo. The

  bird sanctuary was the pride of Ashton Memorial. It was constructed

  for the World's Fair over a hundred years ago. Later, the zoo was

  constructed around it. A walkway led through it, winding around trees

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  and bushes, all filled with exotic birds.

  As they drew near the dome, Maylee noticed the groans grew

  quieter. And they no longer seemed to be coming from all around. Now

  they came from behind.

  Park let out a sigh. "Thank fuck. I think we outran them."

  Maylee nodded to herself in the dark. They hurried along in

  silence, Ella leading the way. The groans behind them faded to nothing.

  Their own breathing and footsteps were the only sounds.

  Ella screamed as a corpse stumbled from the bushes and closed

  its arms around her. It was a young man with small round glasses. One

  lens was smashed in, and dark blood coated his cheek. He gurgled and

  leaned in to bite.

  "Ella!" yelled both Park and Maylee in unison. They ran

  forward, rushing to save her. Ella struggled in the corpse's grip.

  Park unslung the rifle from his shoulder. He gripped it by the

  barrel. "Ella!" he repeated. "Duck!"

  Ella lifted her arms over her head and dropped down. She

  slipped through the corpse's grip, falling to her knees. Park swung the

  butt of the rifle at the corpse's head. The butt snapped and chunks of it

  flew to either side. The corpse's head rocked back, and it let go of Ella.

  Park pulled the hunting knife from his jacket and shoved it into

  the corpse's forehead. It made it halfway and stopped, stuck on

  something. Blood seeped over the blade and down the corpse's face.

  The corpse leaned toward Park, hissing and biting. Park held the corpse

  back with the handle of the knife. "Fuck!" he said.

  "I got it!" said Maylee. She ran to stand behind the corpse. She

  swung her bat up at the back of the corpse's head. The bat slammed

  against the corpse's skull, driving it forward on the knife. Something

  popped and the knife went into the corpse's forehead up to the hilt. The

  corpse twitched, then slumped forward, still.

  "Shit on me," said Park. He twisted around to let the corpse fall

  to the ground. He bent down and grabbed the handle. Putting his foot

  on the corpse's chest, he wrenched the knife free. He grimaced at the

  knife and wiped it on the corpse's leg. He straightened and put the knife

  in his pocket.

  Maylee reached down and helped Ella to her feet. She shook

  and looked around frantically.

  "You okay?" said Maylee.

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  Ella nodded.

  Park stepped over. He nodded to Maylee. "Thanks."

  Maylee nodded back. Park turned to Ella, looking her up and

  down. "You hurt?"

  "I'm fine," said Ella, moving away from him.

  Groans came from behind them. Ella's eyes grew wide as she

  stared past Maylee and Park. They turned to see a mob of corpses

  stumbling down the walkway toward them.

  "Shit fucker," said Park. He turned to Ella and Maylee. "Go go

  go!"

  Maylee turned and ran, pushing Ella forward as she went. Park

  brought up the rear. The three of them ran down the walkway toward

  the sanctuary. As they pushed the door open and ran inside, Maylee

  tried not to think about how easy the door was to push. How easy it

  would be for anything to push its way inside.

  Inside was dark. The interior lights were off, and what little

  light came from outside was filtered through too much foliage to

  provide any kind of visibility.

  The path through the sanctuary was a raised metal walkway

  with guard rails on each side, more to keep people on the path than to

  protect them from the two-inch drop. Their footsteps pounded on the

  metal as they ran, clanging and echoing around the enclosure. Maylee

  heard Ella in front of her and Park behind her, but quickly lost sight of

  them.

  "Stop!" yelled Park from behind. "For shit's sake stop!"

  Maylee did. She heard Ella take a few more clanging steps in

  front of her, then stop.

  Park sighed in the dark behind Maylee. "Can either of you girls

  see shit?"

  "No," said Maylee.

  "I can't see shit or any other substance," said Ella from the

  darkness.

  "What?" said Park.

  "Never mind," said Ella.

  "Just listen to me," said Park. Maylee strained to make out Ella

  in the dark. All she saw was the outline of dark trees and mesh against

  the dim light coming from a lamppost outside. "Since none of us can

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  see fuck," Park continued, "let's slow down and try to stay together.

  Okay?"

  Maylee and Ella muttered their agreement. The three of them

  started moving, at a slower pace this time. Their footsteps creaked on

  the metal walkway.

  The trees rustled around them. They rustled again, a little

  louder than before.

  "What was that?" said Ella, stopping up ahead.

  "Just birds, Ella," said Park. "This is the bird house or some

  shit, right? It's just the birds."

  Maylee nodded to herself in the dark. He was right.

  "Oh," said Ella from up front. "Okay." They all started walking

  again.

  The rustling in the trees grew louder. They all kept walking,

  slowly moving deeper into the sanctuary.

  "Ow!" yelped Ella from up ahead. They all stopped.

  "What is it?" yelled Park, sounding angry and scared.

  "Something jabbed at my shoulder," said Ella.

  "Shit. Are you hurt?"

  "No, no. It was small. Like..." she trailed off. The rustling in

  the trees grew too loud to ignore.

  "Like what?" said Maylee, although she'd already guessed.

  "Like a bird," said Ella.

  The air around them exploded with loud squawks and a frenzy

  of flapping wings. Blurs of beaks and feathers whizzed by Maylee. She

  reflexively waved her arms in front of her face, almost smacking

  herself with her bat.

  Ella screamed and Park cursed as the mass of birds swirled

  around them. Maylee felt beaks and claws narrowly miss her face. She

  felt them scraping against the material of her jacket. She swung her bat

  side to side, screaming.

  The mass of birds moved past them, leaving them shaken and

  panting. Maylee heard the trees rustle again as the birds moved through

  the leaves and branches.

  "Anyone hurt?" said Park.

  "No," said both Maylee and Ella, at almost the same time.

  "Okay then. Still, what the fuck?"

  "I dunno," said Maylee. "It's like..." Then she was screaming as

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  cold rotting arms closed around her waist and pulled her over the

  railing.

  "Maylee!" yelled Ella.

  "Shit!" yelled Park.

  Maylee struggled against the arms as she fell off the platform

  and onto the ground of the sanctuary. She kicked at the dirt and leaves.

  A gurgling groan came from just next to her right ear.

  She felt a cold cheek brush against the back of her neck as the

  corpse moved in to bite the side of her face. The cold, spongy skin

  made her body constrict.

  Not knowing what else to do, knowing she had only seconds

  before the corpse bit, Maylee did the only thing her panicked brain

  could think of. Pushing against the ground, she slammed herself back

  against the corpse. With a groan, the corpse fell over backward, pulling

  Maylee with it.

  The corpse hit the ground first. Maylee rammed down on top of

  it, her small frame slamming into its stomach. The corpse grunted and

  its hands fell away.

  Maylee scrambled to her feet and turned, clutching her bat

  tightly. The corpse, more of a dark outline against the ground, groaned

  and scraped its limbs against the dirt. Maylee couldn't make out any

  details, but the corpse smelled awful.

  "Fuck you!" Maylee yelled, bringing her bat up over her head.

  She slammed down with all her might. The impact was loud and

  squelching. The corpse groaned, its voice now more of a wet gurgle.

  Maylee screamed and slammed down again. This time she felt

  the bat connect with skull. There was a sickening "crack," and the

  impact sent a shudder up her bat and into her arms. The corpse was

  quiet and still.

  A hand landed on her shoulder. She screamed, her voice more

  anger than fear, and spun, bat over her head and ready.

  Ella jumped back, holding up her hands. "Whoa whoa! It's me!"

  Maylee lowered the bat and sighed. "Shit. Sorry."

  Park rushed from the darkness. "Look out!" he yelled.

  Maylee darted to one side, turning to see Park punch the dark

  outline of a corpse in the face. Or, the area Maylee assumed the face

  would be if there was any light to see by.

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  Maylee moved back to guard Ella, holding her bat in front of

  her. Park pulled the knife from his pocket as the corpse groaned and

  came at him. Park put his palm on the corpse's forehead and shoved the

  blade up into the corpse's chin. He wrenched side to side and pulled the

  knife free. The corpse's head fell backward, loose on its own neck.

  Maylee heard blood patter against the leaves. Park kicked the corpse

  and it fell over, shuffling slowly side to side on the ground.

  "Shit," said Park, wiping his face with his clean hand. "I've got

  to get a new gun."

  He turned to face them. "You guys okay?"

  Maylee nodded, lowering the bat. She turned to look at Ella,

  who was nodding also.

  "Okay," said Park. "We're gonna have to..."

  Then the air exploded with squawks and beating wings as the

  mob of birds found them again. Maylee turned in time to see a huge

  black mass of bird outlines coming at them.

  "Fucking birds!" yelled Park. "Run!" He grabbed Maylee and

  Ella and pulled them along.

  The three of them ran to the side as the mass of birds sped past

  them, screeching and cawing. Maylee ran, straining to see the outlines

  of trees and bushes in the dark. She could hear the birds behind them.

  "What's the matter with the birds?" yelled Ella as they ran.

  "Fuck if I know," said Park.

  "Are they..."

  "Dead? No, they seem alive to me. Just crazy as all fuck-out."

  They rounded the dark outline of a tree, almost tripping through

  a small pond built into the exhibit. Maylee guessed they were halfway

  through the sanctuary. She could see the walkway off to their left. She

  wished they could run back to it, but didn't dare suggest anything but

  continuing to run forward. She was scared to even take the time to look

  back.

  Odd shapes loomed in front of them. Maylee thought they were

  small trees or bushes. Then they moved. And groaned.

  "Shit!" said Park, stopping so suddenly Maylee and Ella ran

  into his back.

  The dark mass of corpses moved toward them, reaching and

  writhing. Loud rustling and squawking came from behind them.

  "Oh no," said Ella, quietly.

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  Park spun. In the dim light, Maylee saw him looking up and

  over her shoulder. He moved to stand between Maylee and Ella. He

  clamped his hands on their shoulders, so hard it hurt.

  "Ow!" said Ella.

  "Down!" yelled Park. He dropped to his knees, pulling Maylee

  and Ella down with him.

  Maylee's torso slammed to the ground, the air rushing from her

  lungs. She heard Ella cry out as she hit the ground nearby.

  "What the hell?" Maylee started to yell, then understood as the

  thick mass of birds raced by overhead. Inches from their backs.

  Hundreds of tiny claws scraped against the back of Maylee's jacket. At

  her hair. She screamed into the noise, feeling like she was losing her

  mind.

  With a loud stream of "whump-whump-whump," the crazed

  birds hammered into the approaching mob of corpses. The sheer

  amount of birds pelting into the corpses slowed their approach. Then

  caused them to stagger back. Then caused them to change direction.

  The corpses, knocked off course and distracted from Maylee and the

  others, started to break up and wander in different directions.

  As the last bird careened overhead, chattering furiously at

  nothing, Park stood. "Move!" he yelled. Maylee and Ella followed.

  They ran toward the separating mob of corpses. Park drove his

  shoulder into the corpse closest to him. The corpse stumbled back,

  clearing a path for Ella to run through. Maylee swung her bat at a

  second corpse. It connected somewhere in the vicinity of the corpse's

  face. The corpse fell to one side. Maylee rushed through the opening,

  following Park and Ella.

  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

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  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