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  rotting stench.

  "Oh god!" she yelled. "Fucking sick!"

  The corpse bucked two more times, then slumped forward on

  her upraised palms. She pushed it off of her and stood, shuddering and

  wiping her palms on her jeans.

  Park wrenched the knife from the corpse's temple with a wet

  slurping sound. "Shit. Again, fucking gun. Soon." He whipped his

  knife hand downward over and over, trying to clean the blade.

  "Are you okay?" said Ella. Maylee could see her wide eyes in

  the dark.

  "Yeah," said Maylee. "Shit."

  "What shit?" said Ella.

  "Down!" yelled Park.

  They all dropped as the mass of birds whipped overhead,

  moving the other direction this time. Maylee knelt at first, not wanting

  to lie down again. She held her forearms up to her face, curling her

  hands up inside the sleeves of her jacket. Birds buffeted her arms. They

  screeched and tiny claws pulled at her hair. "Fuckers!" she screamed

  into her arms, then gave up and fell to the ground, out of harm's way.

  After a few seconds of the deafening roar of wings, the birds

  moved past. Maylee lifted her head at the same moment Ella did.

  "So," said Park. "Who's sick to fuck of that?"

  "Here," said Ella, lifting her hand.

  With the noise of the birds gone, Maylee could hear groans

  coming from behind and to both sides.

  "We hear you. We hear you," said Maylee, standing. "We're

  going."

  "Amen to that," said Park as he stood and helped Ella up.

  "How much further?" she said, looking around.

  "I dunno," said Park. "We need to get back to the walkway. It'll

  be better than rolling around in the bushes."

  Maylee nodded, shifting her bat from one hand to the other. She

  peered into the dark until she could make out the outline of the

  walkway.

  "Everyone see it?" said Park.

  "Yeah," said Maylee and Ella together.

  "Good." Park ran, pushing Maylee and Ella out in front of him.

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  "Stop pushing!" yelled Ella.

  "Just run!" yelled Park.

  The walkway drew closer. Maylee kept glancing side to side,

  looking for any sign of corpses. Shadows moved and corpses groaned

  from somewhere unseen. The trees around them rustled but she couldn't

  pinpoint where the birds would come from next. There was no time to

  stop and figure it out.

  Ella was in front, followed by Maylee, with Park in the rear. As

  Ella drew near the walkway, a corpse emerged from a shadow and

  stumbled toward her. In the dim light, Maylee could see it was an old

  man with dried blood caked in the wrinkles covering his face. He

  hissed. Ella screamed.

  Maylee ran up behind Ella and shoved her aside. Ella stumbled

  to the left. Maylee swung her bat up and slammed the corpse across the

  face. The corpse's head snapped to the right with such force the corpse

  spun around and dropped to its knees, facing the walkway. Teeth and

  thick dark glop shot out across the metal platform.

  Maylee stopped running and moved to the kneeling corpse's

  side. She hoisted her bat above her head, preparing to slam down on the

  corpse's skull.

  "Save it!" yelled Park as he arrived. He used the momentum of

  his running to kick forward against the back of the corpse's head. The

  corpse's jaw cracked and its head split open horizontally as Park kicked

  it forward. More glop and teeth spread out across the walkway.

  Park stopped and looked down at the corpse. Most of the upper

  half of its head was on the walkway. Its body was still attached as it

  knelt on the ground. It gurgled and weakly moved its limbs. Maylee

  lifted up her bat to finish it off. Ella came up from where she had

  staggered to.

  Park held up his hand for Maylee to stop. "I said save it." He

  kicked a second time against the back of the corpse's head. The top half

  of its head snapped free and slid across the walkway. The body fell to

  the ground and was still. Park nodded at the body, then at Maylee.

  Maylee lowered the bat and shrugged.

  "Come on!" yelled Ella, running to the walkway. She moved

  farther up the walkway, avoiding the gore the corpse had left. Ella

  climbed over the rail. Maylee set her bat on the walkway and followed.

  She picked her bat up as Park joined them.

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  "Move!" said Park and they ran for the other side. Maylee felt

  exposed to both corpses and the crazed birds, but she was thankful for

  the lack of obstacles the walkway provided. She was in front this time,

  with Ella and Park behind her.

  The trees rustled, too faint and far-off to pinpoint. Groans came

  from either side of the walkway. Maylee couldn't tell exactly from

  where.

  "How much further?" yelled Ella from behind her.

  Maylee strained to see in the dark. From the outline of the

  dome over her head, she could tell they were steadily approaching the

  other side.

  The rustling grew louder. A few squawks became audible. The

  sound was focusing behind them. The groans to each side grew louder.

  A dead arm reached out across the walkway.

  "Arm!" yelled Maylee. She dodged to the far side of the

  walkway, narrowly avoiding the arm's grasping fingers as she ran past.

  Behind her, she heard Ellas and Park's footsteps change direction as

  they did the same.

  Maylee ran harder, her feet pounding on the metal walkway.

  The rustling behind them increased. A corpse's head leaned out over the

  walkway. It was a woman, her long black hair caked with dirt and

  blood.

  "Head!" yelled Maylee, moving to the other side of the

  walkway. The woman hissed and bit at her legs as Maylee raced past.

  Again, Maylee heard Ella and Park follow suit.

  The swarm of birds grew loud behind them. The birds

  screeched and squawked furiously.

  "They're getting close again!" yelled Ella.

  "Just keep running!" yelled Park.

  "Why?" yelled Ella.

  "Trust him!" yelled Maylee as she kept her legs pounding. She

  could see why Park had yelled to stay upright and moving. They were

  dim and faint, but she could clearly see the outline of corpses very near

  the walkway. On their stomachs, unable to move because of the birds,

  they would be easy prey for dead mouths and rotten teeth.

  A muscular but torn arm reached out across the walkway.

  Maylee couldnt see the rest, but the corpse that owned it must have

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  been large. The arm covered the whole of the walkway.

  "Big arm!" yelled Maylee, jumping as she ran. The arm writhed

  as it passed under her. She landed, skidding on the wet metal of the

  walkway. A surge of panic went through her as it took her half a second

  to regain her footing. She could see herself sliding off the walkway,

  into the arms of the corpses lining it. She could see them tearing her

  apart.

  Then her footing was back and she was running. She heard Ella

  jump, then Park. The birds coming from behind grew louder. They

  didn't have much time.

  The door came into view.

  "The door!" yelled Maylee.

  "Thank fuck!" yelled Park.

  The birds grew deafeningly loud behind them. Corpses groaned

  from each side of the walkway. Maylee ran harder than she thought

  possible.

  She hit the door with her shoulder. It flew open and she

  stumbled out into the zoo.

  She turned as Ella raced out, almost stumbling. The door had

  almost swung back to closed when Park hit it with such force it nearly

  broke.

  "Hold it shut!" he yelled, turning to close the door. He put his

  shoulder against it.

  Maylee ran up to help. She leaned against the door. She heard

  Ella rushing up from behind.

  The birds hit the door. Hard. Squawking and clawing at it. The

  momentum of the birds pushed the door open an inch before Ella

  reached them and pushed. The door shut again.

  "Oh shit. No," Ella cried, as bird after bird rammed against the

  door. Maylee could hear their little bodies breaking.

  "Fuck that," yelled Park. "Those crazy bastards were trying to

  kill us."

  "But why?" yelled Ella.

  The birds kept hitting the door. It shook with each blow. "How

  much longer can we keep this up?" yelled Maylee.

  "Wait!" yelled Ella excitedly. "I have an idea. I'm going to let

  go so push harder!"

  "What the fuck?" yelled Park as Ella let go.

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  Maylee and Park pushed harder. The birds slammed against the

  door. None of the blows seemed very large by itself, but the combined

  force of them all coming so fast was almost impossible to hold back.

  Maylee's back strained with effort.

  Maylee saw Ella pull a card from her pocket. She moved over

  to the side of the door. An electronic box with a green light hung there.

  She held the card up to the box and the light changed to red.

  The door clicked. The birds kept slamming against it.

  "You can let go now," said Ella.

  Maylee tried, slowly at first. Ella was right. The door stayed

  shut on its own. "She's right."

  Park followed suit, straightening and backing away from the

  door. He turned to Ella and nodded. "Shit. That'll come in handy."

  Ella put the card back in her pocket. "I stole it to help find

  Lori."

  Park looked pained for a moment. "Well, don't fucking worry

  about that. We'll find her."

  Ella nodded. Then screamed as a bird whizzed by her head,

  screeching and clawing.

  "Fuck!" yelled Park, whipping his head around as he tried to

  locate the bird. "One must have slipped out."

  It whizzed by again. Ella jumped out of the way, watching as it

  went past. "Oh god," she said. "Bill."

  "What?" said Park.

  Ella shook her head, looking embarrassed. "Nothing. I named

  all the animals. Forget it."

  Park frowned, watching the bird whip around. It screeched

  furiously.

  Maylee saw it coming at her. She readied her bat. "Sorry Bill."

  She swung as the bird drew near. The bat connected full force,

  sending the bird slamming into a nearby tree. It crumpled to the

  ground, dead.

  "Shit," said Ella, biting her lip.

  "Damn, kid," said Park to Maylee. "Home run."

  "You know it," said Maylee, smirking and nodding. Her face

  fell when she saw how sad Ella looked.

  "What's happening?" she said, looking between Maylee and

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  Park in confusion. "First all the dead people, now this."

  Maylee looked at Park. He shrugged and shook his head.

  "What's happening, you guys?" repeated Ella.

  Eleven

  Angie awoke and immediately knew she'd slept too long. After

  climbing down from the kangaroo exhibit, she and Dalton had been too

  exhausted to continue. Angie found an open shed that was thankfully

  clear. She helped Dalton, now limping worse than ever, inside and shut

  the door. She assured him they'd make it back to Maylee the next day.

  She lay down on the cold concrete floor, telling herself they'd only

  sleep a few hours. They'd get up early and find their way to the office

  where Maylee would be waiting.

  But now, as she awoke stiff and cold and aching, she could feel

  they'd slept more than a few hours. Much more. The morning was

  gone.

  "Shit," she murmured to herself, sitting and looking around.

  Her back clenched and complained at the movement.

  Dalton was curled up nearby, looking far too peaceful for the

  situation they were in. Irrational fear clenched her before she heard him

  snoring, light and soft.

  Relieved, she crawled over to him and put a hand on his side.

  He kept snoring, obviously exhausted and deeply asleep.

  She felt guilty for it but she rocked him gently. "Dalton."

  His eyes fluttered open and he lifted his head. For a moment he

  looked lost, confused. Then he seemed to remember. "What time is it?"

  "Not sure," said Angie. "But later than it should be. We gotta

  get going. How's your foot?"

  He gingerly rocked his foot back and forth. He winced. "Stiff.

  But I think it's better."

  "Good," she said, standing and helping Dalton to his feet.

  "I'm hungry," said Dalton.

  "Me too, baby," said Angie.

  She stood silently for a moment, trying to gauge where they

  were. Trying to remember the map she'd seen. Trying to dredge up her

  own memories of trips to the zoo. If she was right ...

  "I think the restaurant is near here," she said, patting Dalton on

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  the shoulder. "Maybe they'll have some food."

  * * *

  Angie topped the hill and was relieved to see the Zoo Bites

  restaurant down below. She'd taken Maylee and Dalton there several

  times, paying way too much for mediocre hamburgers that seemed

  delicious after a full day at the zoo.

  Dalton walked up beside her. He limped, but slightly less than

  he had yesterday. The sky was gray and light rain fell around them.

  He frowned down at the Zoo Bites. She followed his gaze, but

  she knew what he was frowning at. She'd seen it when they first came

  over the hill.

  Several people milled around the Zoo Bites, wet and dirty.

  Several of them had their arms wrapped around themselves from the

  cold. Angie could tell from the way they looked and moved that they

  were alive.

  A zookeeper stood in front of the Zoo Bites. It was a young

  man with short brown hair and small round glasses. He had a rifle over

  one shoulder.

  Angie frowned too. The man looked like he was standing

  guard.

  Angie watched the scene for a moment longer. It made her

  uneasy. None of the people milling around attempted to go near the

  restaurant.

  She looked side to side, then behind her. No corpses anywhere

  in sight. She heard a few animals growling from their exhibits.

  She turned back. "Okay, baby," she said, putting a hand on

  Dalton's shoulder. "Let's go see if they have some food."

  They started down the hill. Rain pattered lightly on the concrete

  path. People moved out of the way as they approached. Some eyed

  them warily.

  The zookeeper noticed them approaching and drew himself up.

  Like he was standing at attention.

  "Good morning," said Angie, smiling as they drew near.

  "Morning, ma'am," said the zookeeper. He looked a little

  nervous.

  "Is there any food?"

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  "There is, ma'am," said the zookeeper, adjusting his glasses and

  shifting the rifle strap on his shoulder. "But it's not feeding time yet."

  Angie blinked. "Excuse me?"

  "Lunchtime," the zookeeper corrected. "Sorry. I mean

  lunchtime."

  Angie looked at the people milling around, then back at the

  zookeeper. "Well," she continued, chuckling and trying to keep her

  tone light. "I think we're past regular mealtimes right now. And my

  son's really hungry so..."

  "We have to follow strict times, ma'am," said the zookeeper.

  "We have to ration what food there is."

  Even with the cold rain peppering them, Angie's cheeks grew

  hot. "Rationing I understand. But this is insane."

  "Yeah," said an older man from behind Angie.

  The zookeeper shifted from one foot to the other, looking

  increasingly uncomfortable. "We have to follow the rules, ma'am."

  "Whose rules?" said Angie, close to shouting. Several of the

  people milling around murmured in agreement.

  "Lee, ma'am," said the zookeeper.

  "Lee?" said Angie. "Who the hell's Lee?"

  "Leader of the Keepers, ma'am."

  "The what?" said Angie, looking him up and down. Part of her

  reminded herself that she addressed what was essentially a scared kid.

  But most of her was mad and didn't care.

  "The Keepers, ma'am. That's what I am. A Keeper."

  Angie stared at the young man, blinking in astonishment. She

  looked back at the people. They were no longer milling. They were

  gathering behind her and looking angry.

  Angie looked at Dalton, who looked up at her in confusion. She