rest of the way up the ladder. She felt his hand close on her jacket.

  "No!" she yelled, swinging blindly. "Let me kill these fuckers!"

  "Don't get your goddamn stupid self killed! Get out of there

  now!"

  Park pulled her toward the ladder. Maylee stumbled backward,

  still swinging. She didn't pay any attention to where she was going. She

  swung as she staggered backward, Park's hand still clutching her jacket.

  Then the ground vanished from under her feet.

  "Fuck, kid!" yelled Park. "Look out!"

  Maylee screamed and fell backward off of the ledge. Park, still

  holding her jacket, fell as she pulled him off the ladder. He followed

  her down. They both plummeted through the pounding rain, past the

  alcove and toward the bear exhibit. Maylee braced herself for impact.

  Then, with a tremendous crash, water engulfed her. For a

  second she was confused, gasping and sputtering before she sunk. The

  bat slipped from her hand and Park let go. Then she realized. They'd

  fallen into the pool.

  Robert R. Best

  234

  Maylee kicked herself to the surface. She broke through the

  water, coughing into the rain. Park burst through several feet away.

  "Kid!" he yelled.

  "Here!" said Maylee, swimming to where her bat had bobbed to

  the surface. She grabbed the bat then swam to Park.

  "Fuck, kid, that was stupid."

  "I'm sorry," Maylee said, then before she knew it she was

  crying. Sobbing. "I'm sorry! I tried to save her! I tried!"

  "Kid, kid," said Park, grabbing her by the shoulders and

  shaking. "It's not your fault. It's not your fault."

  A loud snorting and growling came from Maylee's left. Getting

  closer. Maylee gasped as she remembered.

  "The bear!" she yelled.

  She heard the bear race to the edge of the pool and leap. The

  water around her and Park grew dark.

  "Shit!" said Park.

  Maylee put her feet on Park's torso and pushed away from him.

  Park swam backward as Maylee shot back through the water.

  They got roughly ten feet away from each other when the bear

  slammed into the water between them. It thrashed around, enraged and

  looking for them.

  "Get to the edge!" yelled Park, his voice obscured by the

  furious thrashing of the bear.

  The bear growled and swiped a wet paw at Maylee. She

  screamed and swam backward, swinging the bat as best she could. The

  water slowed her down and made swinging too awkward to do any

  good. The bear lunged for her. Maylee swam to one side, the bear

  passing her so close she could see its hair glistening as it went by.

  "Get to the fucking edge!" yelled Park. With a grunt, Park

  kicked the bear in the side. The bear growled and turned to face him.

  "That's right asshole," yelled Park. "This way!" He backed up

  in the water and the bear followed. The bear lunged and Park swam

  away. The bear turned in the water to growl at Park.

  Park looked at Maylee. "What the fuck are you staring at? Get

  to the edge!"

  Maylee nodded and swam for the edge of the pool. She heard

  Park taunting the bear and the bear lunging. She heard splashing as

  Park stayed out of the way. Mostly she heard her own breathing and the

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  splashing of her own limbs in the water. She wondered how long Park

  could keep away from the bear. She wondered if he wanted to. She told

  herself the craziness that seemed to grip all the animals also made them

  make stupid decisions. She hoped that would help Park. She hoped

  Park wanted the help.

  Maylee reached the edge and threw her bat onto the dirt of the

  exhibit. She pulled herself up, panting as the rain slammed down

  around her. She heard Park shouting, splashing in the water and

  taunting the bear. She snatched up her bat and turned to face the pool.

  Park was close to the far edge of the pool. The bear growled at

  him and thrashed around in the water. "Come on, asshole!" yelled Park,

  splashing water into the bear's face. The bear sputtered and snorted in

  fury. "What the fuck are you waiting for?"

  "Park!" yelled Maylee. She ran along the edge of the pool,

  around to the far end where Park was. The bear was about to lunge.

  Park wasn't moving. Oh shit, Maylee realized. He waited until I was

  out of the pool and now he's letting the bear kill him.

  Screaming, Maylee ran to the edge and slammed her bat down

  onto the skull of the bear. The bear stopped mid-lunge. It whined and

  fell back, still snarling and looking at Park.

  "Get back you motherfucker!" yelled Maylee. She swung the

  bat underhand at the bear, catching it on the chin. The bear's head

  whipped back and it fell backward into the water. It floated there,

  stunned.

  "Hurry!" Maylee yelled to Park. "Now you get to the edge!"

  Park swam to the edge and climbed up. "You should have let

  him kill me, kid."

  "Nothing doing," said Maylee. "We gotta get to my mom and

  brother. And we gotta save Ella's sister."

  Park stared at her. Then he nodded. "Fuck yeah we do."

  "So let's go," said Maylee. "Ella told me the way."

  Fifteen

  Maylee stomped through the rain in silence, bat tightly gripped

  in her right hand. Park plodded along next to her. They both were quiet,

  determined. Maylee had lost track of how long they walked. Of how

  long they'd gone without speaking. It felt like she would never speak

  again.

  The death of Ella ate away at her heart with a ferocity that

  surprised her. But she felt too guilty to say so. As bad as she felt, she

  was certain Park felt worse.

  No corpses had attacked during the last hour. Maylee wished

  some would. She wanted to beat some to a pulp. She could tell Park felt

  the same.

  Ella had been her friend.

  Ella had kissed her.

  Then Ella was dead.

  They rounded a corner in silence, then stopped. A small

  building sat on the other end of a paved walkway. A sign next to it read

  Communications Office.

  "Fuck," said Park, his voice sounding odd after hours of

  silence. "Finally."

  "I hope Mom and Dalton are there," said Maylee.

  Park said nothing, then nodded.

  "Sorry," said Maylee.

  "Don't," said Park. "Fucking don't."

  Maylee said nothing. They both stared out at the opening in

  silence. Maylee wanted to make a run for it, rush to the office, throw

  open the door and embrace Dalton and her mother. But she knew they

  couldn't take the risk. They had to be smart. The events of the morning

  had proven that.

  "At least the rain's let up a little," she said. And it had. It still

  came down, but not as heavy as before. Visibility was better. They'd be

  able to see the corpses coming. Hopefully.

  Park nodded. "Yep. Let's go."

  Maylee nodded and they stepped out into the area. Groans

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  237

  erupted all around them.

  "Fuck-a-doodle-do," said Maylee, gripping the bat.

  "Well said," said Park, pulling out his knife.

  Several corpses stumbled from the surrounding trees and

  bushes. Rain pelted on their rotting heads, running down the folds and

  tears in their ruined flesh. They hissed and worked their jaws. They

  reached for Park and Maylee.

  "Come get some," said Maylee, quietly. She brought the bat up

  and swung for the nearest corpse, a large man wearing a sports jersey

  and with part of his face burned away. The bat whacked into his skull,

  sending him stumbling into a small elderly woman with her throat torn

  out. They both fell over onto the pavement, groaning and grasping at

  each other. Maylee ran up to them and beat both their heads to pulp

  with short, sharp whacks. Part of her was troubled at how easy it was.

  Most of her didn't care.

  To her left, she saw Park rush up to a fat man missing both

  eyes. Park shoved the knife into the top of the fat man's head. The fat

  man hissed and bit at Park, seemingly oblivious to the blade in his

  skull.

  "Shit!" said Park. "This guys got a thick skull or a small

  brain!"

  "Let go!" yelled Maylee, rushing toward Park and the fat man.

  "What?"

  "I said let go!" yelled Maylee. As she drew near, she brought

  the bat up over her head.

  Park nodded, seeming to realize what she had in mind. He let

  go of the knife and stepped back. Then, at the last moment, he kicked at

  the fat man's legs. The fat man fell to his knees, sending a horrible

  cracking noise across the pavement. The fat man gurgled and reached

  for Park, knife sticking out of the top of his head.

  Maylee reached the corpse and, letting out a loud scream,

  slammed the bat down on the handle of the knife. The knife was driven

  down so deep part of the handle disappeared into the fat man's skull.

  The fat man jerked, gurgled, and fell forward. He crashed onto the

  pavement with a wet squelching noise and was still.

  "Thanks, I think," said Park.

  Maylee turned to him, frowning. "You think?"

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  238

  "You think you could get that fucking knife out of there now?"

  Maylee frowned down at the knife handle buried deep in the fat

  man's skull. "Oh yeah. Sorry."

  "I told you to stop saying that."

  Five more corpses drew close. Maylee yelled and rushed the

  closest one. It was a thin man with no pants and blood covering where

  his privates should have been.

  "Sure wish I had a goddamn knife right now," said Park, to

  Maylee's right. She saw him stoop down to pick up a rock and fling it at

  a teenage girl in a fast-food uniform. The rock caved in the front of the

  girl's skull and she fell over backward.

  "I bet you do," said Maylee, smirking as she reached the thin

  man with the missing privates. She whipped her bat down and across,

  connecting with his stomach. He doubled over, groaning and vomiting

  black blood. Maylee brought the bat up and slammed down on the back

  of his head. He fell forward, smacking into the wet pavement. Maylee

  slammed down on his skull, cracking it. The man flopped and was still.

  Maylee turned. Three corpses left. They staggered and lurched

  through the rain. The one closest to Maylee, a withered old man

  covered in dirt that had turned to mud in the rain, grabbed at her,

  chattering his rotten teeth.

  "How many rocks left?" she yelled to Park.

  "One," said Park, kneeling with a grunt to pick up the rock.

  "Thanks so much for asking."

  "No problem," said Maylee, twirling her bat round and round as

  the old man approached her. When he was close enough, Maylee

  whacked him across the temple with the bat. The old man's long-rotted

  skull exploded, sending bone and thick muck across the wet pavement.

  Rain pelted the muck, splattering it onto Maylee's shoes. Maylee was

  past caring. The old man was still but locked in midstep, balanced in

  front of Maylee mid-grab.

  "Just fall already," said Maylee, whacking the corpse across the

  chest. It fell and stayed there.

  She turned to see Park brandishing a rock as the second corpse,

  a man with mutton chops and a wet gaping wound in his chest, reached

  for him. Park dodged the man's grasp and rammed the rock into his

  skull. The man fell back, dark blood seeping from a split in his

  forehead. Park grunted and threw the rock. It smashed into the man's

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  239

  forehead. The crack spread and the man fell down. He hit the pavement

  and did not get up.

  "One left," said Maylee, nodding at the remaining corpse. It

  was a chubby lady with a Baby On Board T-shirt. Maylee's stomach

  fell when she realized the woman wasn't chubby. She was pregnant.

  "Fuck me," said Park. "You take that one."

  "Gee, thanks."

  "Just kidding. Give me the bat."

  "No," said Maylee, gripping the bat and watching the pregnant

  woman hiss and stagger around. "I've got it."

  "Just give me the damn bat."

  "No!" said Maylee with a force that surprised her.

  Apparently it surprised Park too. "Fine. Have at it, kid."

  Maylee readied herself, watching the pregnant corpse stumble.

  Then a sharp "crack" rang out. Like a gunshot. The pregnant

  woman jerked and drew back, stiff. She fell forward, revealing a dart

  embedded in the back of her head. The woman was still.

  Maylee looked around, confused. Then saw figures standing on

  the stoop of the office. One was holding a rifle.

  It was Mom.

  * * *

  Angie lowered the gun, watching the pregnant corpse fall. Her

  heart leapt. Dalton was right about what he'd seen out the window.

  "Maylee!" yelled Angie, slinging the rifle over her shoulder and

  rushing off the stoop.

  Maylee, standing across the walkway over the bodies of several

  corpses, lowered her bat. She looked like she could cry. "Mom!"

  Angie and Maylee ran for each other. Park was there too. He

  stuck his hands into the pockets of his hunting jacket and slowly

  walked over, behind Maylee.

  Angie grabbed Maylee and hugged her tight. She held her as

  long as she dared and Maylee didn't resist. Then she pushed her back

  and held her by the shoulders, looking her up and down. "Are you hurt?

  Were you bitten?"

  "No, Mom, no," said Maylee, looking relieved and exhausted

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  and somehow sad. "I'm fine. I'm fine."

  "Maylee!" yelled Dalton from the stoop of the office. Angie let

  go of Maylee and turned to see Dalton standing on the stoop, covering

  his nose from the stench of the dead body hanging from the tree. He

  started down the stoop.

  "Wait, Dalton," said Angie. "Stay there. We're coming." She

  trotted back toward the office, motioning for Maylee and Park to

  follow. They did.

  Dalton backed up, back into the office. Maylee rushed along

  with Angie. Park walked slowly, quickly falling behind them.

  They reached the stoop and Maylee jerked back, bringing up

  her bat and looking so determined it frightened Angie. Angie followed

  Maylee's eyes to the body hanging from the tree.

  "Wait, honey, no," said Angie, turning back to Maylee. Maylee

  was already lowering the bat, looking relieved.

  "Someone got that one already," said Maylee.

  "Yeah," said Angie, not knowing what to make of the

  comment. Maylee sounded disappointed.

  Maylee wrinkled her nose and brought her jacket sleeve to her

  face. "God it smells."

  "Been there a while," said Angie. Park reached the stoop, silent

  and looking down. Angie opened the door and motioned Maylee and

  Park inside. "It was there when we got here."

  "How long have you been here?" said Park. It was the first

  thing he'd said since they arrived.

  "Just since this morning," said Angie, shutting the door. Maylee

  and Park looked wet, dirty and beaten. Angie realized there were only

  two of them.

  "Where's Ella?" said Angie.

  Park shook his head. Maylee looked down. Angie realized why

  Maylee looked so sad.

  "Fuck," said Angie, quietly. "I'm sorry, Park."

  "Everyone really needs to stop saying that," said Park.

  Angie said nothing for a moment. Dalton crossed his arms and

  looked down. Angie looked at Park, then Maylee, then back at Park.

  She tried to think of what to say. Finally she decided there was nothing

  to say. She nodded to herself and turned.

  She briskly walked to a gun case set along the far wall of the

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  241

  office. Several rifles hung inside. She grabbed one, then grabbed a box

  of darts from the shelf above the rifles. She turned and strode back to

  Park.

  "Here," she said, handing the rifle and box to Park. "They're

  just tranquilizers but the dart tips are long enough to puncture the

  brain."

  Park nodded and took the rifle and box. He slung the rifle over

  his shoulder and put the box in his jacket pocket. "Miles better than

  what I've been using."

  "I'm hungry," said Dalton.

  "Me too," said Maylee, already looking more like Angie's

  daughter than the killer Angie saw earlier.

  "Yeah," said Angie, sighing. "That's a common theme around

  here. No food in the office, either. Vending machines broken open and