She looked down at him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Look

  around here and see if you can find any trace of your sister or Park. I'll

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  go check on the crazy twins. Got it?"

  "Got it," said Dalton, nodding. He ran off to check out the

  office and Angie turned back toward the door. She nearly ran out after

  them, then thought better of it. It would be better, she realized, if she

  found a weapon first.

  * * *

  Lori snapped her head up as she heard the door shut. She'd been

  pretending to sleep, head propped on her chest as she sat upright in the

  chair. Her legs and back ached. She longed to be free.

  She looked quickly around the room to confirm what she'd

  heard. Gregory was nowhere in sight. She heard his footsteps receding

  from the door.

  As quickly as she could manage, terrified she would run out of

  time or be discovered, she fidgeted in the chair until she got her hand in

  her hip pocket. She found the phone and pulled it out. The screen lit up

  as she clicked the keypad, showing a low battery and several

  unanswered texts from Ella. Ella was worried and clearly upset, but

  Lori was relieved at the evidence she was still alive. Or at least, she

  was alive at the time the texts were sent. Lori pushed that thought down

  and opened a new text message.

  She typed furiously, hitting several wrong keys and almost

  losing the message several times. Her hands were wet and they slipped

  across the keypad, making typing harder than usual.

  She heard movement outside the door and hurriedly sent the

  message. She was hitching up one hip to slide the phone back into her

  pocket when the door opened and Gregory walked in.

  He saw her. And the phone.

  "What are you doing?" he asked.

  "Nothing," she said, closing her hand over the phone and

  pressing it against her hip. She knew it was too late. She knew he saw

  it.

  "Is that a phone?" he asked, stepping farther into the room and

  shutting the door.

  "No," said Lori. She pressed the phone further against her hip,

  trying to flatten her hand out. Trying to make it look like there was

  nothing there.

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  "Don't lie to me, Lori." He strode over to where she sat, leaned

  down and snatched the phone from her hand. He looked at the phone,

  turning it over and over again in his hand and frowning.

  Then he spun and flung it against the wall with such force it

  broke apart. The sudden violence of the motion made Lori jerk in her

  chair.

  He turned back, red spreading across his face, and looked down

  at Lori. "I thought I could trust you more than that, Lori. Not only are

  you just as flighty as your sister, you're as deceitful as your mother."

  Lori said nothing. She stared at the broken remains of the phone

  in the corner. She felt her heart draining out of her. The phone was

  gone. Ella was gone. Even if Lori could figure out where she was now,

  how could she get the information to Ella?

  Gregory knelt down like he had before. But this time there was

  nothing kind in his look. Now his kneeling looked more like a crouch.

  Like a threat.

  "That's it," he said, his voice almost a hiss. "I'm done trying to

  talk to people. Trying to explain things to them. To you. I'm done

  explaining. You don't want to understand, fine. Don't understand. But

  you will do what I say. Everyone will."

  He stood and looked down at her. Lori looked back, her breath

  ragged and her body sore.

  "Everyone will," he said.

  * * *

  Caleb ran out onto the metal stoop of the Communications

  Office, almost slipping in the rain. Tom's dead body swung back and

  forth from the tree in front of him. Caleb ignored it, looking around for

  Shelley.

  "Shelley!" he yelled, looking around.

  He felt terrible for what he'd said. He didn't know where it

  came from, what even made him think such terrible things. He loved

  Shelley, he'd loved her since they both were kids. Long before he'd

  even dreamed of going to college and being a vet. He had always

  known it would be him and Shelley. Always.

  He heard her crying to his left. Farther away than he would

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  have liked.

  "Shelley!" he yelled and ran off of the stoop, past Tom's

  swaying body. Oh god, how it smelled. Caleb continued toward the

  sound of Shelleys cries.

  The sound of Shelley crying cut into him like something

  physical. He hated to hear it. He always had. And now, now that the

  world was ending and nothing made sense anymore, he hated it more

  than ever.

  He took a few more running steps and saw her. She was up by

  the red panda exhibit. The small, fox-like creatures were one of the few

  animals at the zoo Shelley liked. She had her back to him, looking into

  the exhibit.

  He ran up to her and stopped. He knew she heard him. She had

  to. She was just ignoring him, staring out into the exhibit.

  "Shelley," he said, quietly.

  "These things are cute," she said, staring into the exhibit. "I like

  these guys."

  "I know you do," said Caleb, happy she wasn't screaming. He

  followed her gaze to the red pandas. They were clinging to the trees in

  the exhibit, baring their teeth and hissing at Caleb and Shelley. They

  growled and snarled. Caleb felt like he was losing his mind. Rain fell

  lightly around them and the adorable red pandas wanted to kill him and

  the woman he loved. The world was over. Caleb knew it.

  "I didn't mean those things I said," said Caleb.

  "Yes, you did," said Shelley, turning to him. "But its okay. We

  decided we would be together as kids. We didn't know. It doesn't mean

  we have to stay together now."

  "But I want to stay together," said Caleb, putting his hands on

  her shoulders. She tensed at first, then relaxed. "I love you. I've always

  loved you."

  She started to cry. "I'm sorry I don't love the animals like you

  do. I'm sorry I'm not like the smart girls at your school."

  "Oh sweetie, sweetie, no," said Caleb, pulling her to him. They

  hugged, clutching at each other desperately. "I love you."

  "I love you, too," said Shelley. Then she jerked and let out a

  scream that clutched at Caleb's heart.

  "What is it?" he said, jerking back and looking around.

  Then he saw it. A corpse with no legs had crawled its way to

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  Shelley and sunk its teeth into her calf. Red blood ran down her

  zookeeper pants and onto the walkway, mixing with the rain in long

  thin streaks.

  "Oh god no!" said Caleb. He kicked the corpse away from her.

  Shelley screamed as the corpse tore away from her leg, taking a large

  hunk of cloth and flesh with it. It rolled onto its back, staring dumbly

  up at the rain and chewing.

  "Oh god oh god oh god," he said, holding her close. "We've got

  to get out of here. Get you to a hospital. You'll be okay. You'll be

  okay."

  He felt her shaking her head against his shoulder and he knew

  she was right. They heard what bites meant before the radios went out.

  He knew Shelley was gone.

  "No, sweetie, I won't," she said, crying into his shoulder.

  He pulled back and put his forehead to her. Her tears were hot

  and wet against him. He couldn't help it. He started crying too.

  "I'm so sorry," she said.

  "For what?"

  "For leaving you," she said.

  "No no no," said Caleb, holding her tight. He knew they should

  be running. He knew they didn't have much time. He could feel her

  blood seeping from her leg, pulsing with heartbeat against him. But he

  knew there was nowhere to go. "Please don't say that."

  "I'm so sorry," she repeated.

  Groans came from all around them. Caleb pulled back and

  looked. A group of corpses, jerking and shuffling in the rain, were

  coming toward them. Fear gripped him briefly, but then sadness

  overwhelmed it.

  "You need to run," she said.

  "No," he said, moving back and holding her close. "I'm not

  going anywhere."

  "I'm so sorry."

  "Please stop saying that."

  He felt cold hands close on his shoulders. He jerked and let out

  a sharp cry as cold teeth bit into the back of his neck. The pain was

  worse than he could have imagined, but he felt relieved. Now he would

  die with Shelley. It was decided and he could relax.

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  Then Shelley screamed and he screamed too. The corpses tore

  into them in a slow ecstasy of feeding. Hands tore and mouths bit. He

  held Shelley tight as long as he could. Before long he grew weak and

  dizzy. Shelly's screaming grew fainter. They fell away from each other

  and onto the ground.

  Caleb's head lolled around limply. He felt things pulling on

  him, tearing at him. But the pain was duller now. He knew he was

  going into shock. He felt cold. He couldn't hear Shelley anymore. All

  he heard was groaning and chewing.

  A corpse, an old woman with dark blood matted in her blue

  hair, crawled over and looked down into his face. She hissed. Then her

  head jerked sideways as a dart embedded into it.

  More shots were fired from somewhere Caleb couldn't place.

  His head was swimming and he pawed limply at the pavement beneath

  him. No, no, he thought. Let them finish.

  The corpses he saw from where he lay each jerked and

  slumped, one by one, as darts thudded into their heads. One by one

  each groaning throat was silenced. Finally, there were no more. He

  heard footsteps approaching. Not the broken shuffling footsteps of

  corpses. The steady pace of a living human.

  The woman who had shown up earlier came into view. Was her

  name Angie? She had a tranquilizer rifle and looked around. Her son

  clung to her side.

  Angie looked around one more time, then down at him. She

  frowned.

  Please, he thought. He couldn't speak no matter how hard he

  tried. Finish it.

  "I'm sorry," she said down at him, cocking the rifle. She aimed

  it at his head.

  "Look away, baby," said Angie. The boy did. Angie fired.

  Caleb felt a sharp pressure against his forehead. Then nothing.

  * * *

  Maylee woke with a start and sat up. Her back ached from the

  cold hard floor. It was raining hard outside, making it too dark to know

  for sure, but she could tell it was late morning. Park snored from the

  other side of the alcove. Ella was nowhere in sight.

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  Then she heard Ella from outside, in the rain. She was crying.

  "Ella?" said Maylee, climbing to her feet and grabbing her bat.

  She walked out, blinking and sputtering in the rain. Ella stood, head

  down and staring at her phone.

  "What's the matter?" said Maylee. She stepped closer.

  Ella saw her coming and wiped her eyes. Even in the gray light

  and pouring rain, Maylee could see how red her eyes were. "It's Lori.

  She texted me and I missed it. I missed it and now she won't respond!"

  Ella held out the phone to show Maylee. Maylee took it and

  stared at the screen. It showed a text from Lori and several frantic ones

  sent by Ella.

  "It's okay," said Maylee. "I'm sure its okay."

  Ella shook her head, gulping down tears. "No. No it's not."

  "No, no, it is," said Maylee. She slid Ella's phone into her

  pocket. "I'm not stealing your phone, I'm just making sure it doesn't get

  any wetter, okay?"

  Ella nodded.

  "Now listen," said Maylee, stepping closer and setting her bat

  against the wall. "This way you at least know she's still alive, right?"

  Ella nodded, still sobbing but slightly less so.

  "And we'll get to the office today, right? You said we were

  close."

  Ella nodded, calming further. "Yeah," she said, gulping. "We

  could have made it last night if it weren't too dangerous in the dark. It's

  just that way." She pointed behind her, out across the bear exhibit and

  down the walkway that led past it.

  "Okay," said Maylee. "See? It's fine. We'll get there today,

  regroup with my mom, then we'll find your sister. You did a good job

  getting us there."

  "Thank you," said Ella. She sniffed and wiped her nose on the

  sleeve of her jacket. "People think I'm not good for anything."

  "I told you not to say that," said Maylee. "I think you're great.

  You're smart and funny and cool and I like you."

  Ella stared at Maylee, then rubbed her eyes and sniffed. She

  rubbed her hands on her pants. She looked like she was about to say

  something. Then Ella leaned in and kissed Maylee. Quick, awkward

  and uncertain. It was over in less than a second. Maylee didn't know

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  how to react. They both pulled back, staring at each other in shock.

  "Oh god," said Ella, stepping back. She put her hands over her

  mouth and her eyes grew wide. "Oh god, I'm sorry."

  "No, no," said Maylee, stepping back. Her mind was blank.

  "No, it's..."

  Ella backed up farther, almost to the edge of the overhang. "I'm

  sorry. I..."

  Then rotting hands reached down from the upper level and

  closed on her head. Ella screamed. A second pair of hands reached

  down and grabbed her head.

  "Ella!" yelled Maylee, rushing forward.

  It happened fast. Ella was pulled upward, her head disappearing

  from view. Maylee grabbed Ella's kicking legs and pulled. However

  many corpses had hold of her, they were too strong. Ella screamed and

  kicked.

  Then Ella shrieked and thick red blood ran down her torso. It

  ran onto Maylee's hands and arms.

  "No!" screamed Maylee. "Oh god no!"

  Ella shrieked and bucked. More blood ran downward,

  splattering onto Maylee's cheeks. Ellas screams grew softer and

  wetter. More gurgles than screams.

  "No!" Maylee screamed, pulling as hard as she could. She

  heard moaning and chewing from up above.

  "What the fuck!" came Park's voice from inside the alcove. Ella

  was pulled upward, out of Maylee's grip. She vanished from sight.

  "No!" Maylee bellowed. She ran over to the wall and grabbed

  her bat. She ran to the ladder that led to the upper level and grabbed

  hold. She swung out over the bear exhibit and climbed. She could no

  longer hear Ella screaming.

  "Ella!" came Park's voice from below her. "Kid!"

  Maylee climbed, rain pounding down around her. Her hands

  slipped on the wet rungs but she managed to hold on, even with her bat

  tucked under one of her arms. She reached the top of the hill and

  climbed over. A group of corpses surrounded a broken, bloody form on

  the ground. Maylee knew what the form was but refused to look at it.

  "Fuckers!" yelled Maylee, slamming her bat into the nearest

  corpse. It fell to one side, still clutching at the torn form of Ella. A

  second corpse turned to hiss at her. Maylee screamed at it and slammed

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  her bat into its skull.

  The rest of the corpses groaned and turned to her. She knew

  there were too many to take on herself. She didn't care. She swung like

  a crazy person, slamming into every corpse she could.

  "Kid!" came Park's voice from below, sounding closer. Maylee

  heard him grunting, heard the ladder creak, and knew he was climbing

  up after her.

  "Fuck!" yelled Park behind her, clear and unmuffled. "Fuck!

  No!" His voice sounded thick, choked, and Maylee knew he'd seen

  what was left of Ella. Maylee refused to look fully at it. She forced the

  image to remain a vague mass of red and rumpled clothing. She

  screamed and kept swinging. She knocked one corpse aside but three

  more drew close. She knocked another one down but five more took its

  place. She screamed into the pounding rain, beyond thought or caring.

  "Kid!" yelled Park, his voice still thick and hoarse. "Get out of

  there!"

  Maylee ignored him and kept swinging. Her bat thudded into

  corpse after corpse, sending jolts up her body. She refused to look at

  Ella's body.

  "Dammit kid!" yelled Park. Maylee heard him pull himself the