Apartment 905 by Sahin, Ned (readnow .TXT) 📕

the chest. I take another one down with the second shot. I load the weapon and hit two more. Four of them, including Reed, are on the ground. A few of them try to climb over the window. I step back while reloading. I drop one of the rounds in a hurry. I take another one from the sling.

The window on the other side of the door shatters into tiny pieces. Bernice tries to climb over inside with bloody arms cut by glass. Toshi hits her head with the hammer. She briefly loses her balance, but she holds back on to the window frame despite the dent on her head. Kathleen runs to help Toshi with an iron candle holder. She hesitates for a second when she realizes it’s Bernice, but she makes up her mind quickly and strikes her hands with the sharp edge of the holder.

As they try to stop Bernice from getting inside, a side window on the left wall of the church is broken into and two elderly men jump over it. They run toward the first human they see, which is the infected woman. She freezes for a slight second, then screams in terror.

I leave my position to help her. I fire the shotgun and take one of the elderlies down. I shoot again, but I miss it. It’s a big miss from this close distance. The guy leaps on her and punches her face, growling with hate and anger. While I load my shotgun, Harold and three other elderly males climb over the window that I had left unprotected.

I have to decide between the approaching four Ricas and the one on top of the woman. The decision becomes clear as I look at the woman's face. She is gone. Her face is covered by blood coming from her mouth, nose, and eyes. Even though she is not fighting back anymore, the Rica is on top of her still punching her face, neck, and chest.

I turn to the approaching group of savages and shoot twice. Two of them fall to the ground from the bullets that pierced through their arm and chest. Only one round remains on the sling. I place it in the chamber and fire as Harold throws me over the row behind me. The shot hit him on his left arm, but it doesn’t stop him.

I stand up and run through the row to get away from him. He comes after me.

Toshi is struggling with two Ricas on the floor while Kathleen is hitting their heads with the candle holder. There are two more elderly Ricas climbing over the front windows. We are losing it.

I run to the back of the church and step on the stage. Harold catches me and slams his forehead on my nose. His strength is too much for an elderly guy. I fight back but my punches are too weak compared to his superpower from the drug flowing through his blood.

He pushes me down and kicks my stomach several times. His boot feels like a knife ripping my belly apart. My body curves into a fetal position to cover my stomach. He goes for my head this time. My hands form a shield over my head. I see his face between my fingers. I feel like he recognizes me. I always thought Ricas’ rampageous instinct dominates all of their memories and feelings. Harold seems to pass the barrier to remember me.

“You…” he says with a monstrous voice.

Before his next kick reaches my head, I catch his foot and push it. He thrusts back. Right before he tries to kick again, an arrow penetrates his skull from one ear to the other. His eyes bulge out before he plummets to the ground.

I look inside the church and see Jason smiling at me. His friends are shooting arrows toward the Ricas who have cornered Toshi and Kathleen. I pick up my shotgun even though I know there are no rounds left. I can use it like a baseball bat. I step toward the center of the building as I hear the rear window behind me get smashed. It’s another elderly. I know this one too.

The mayor. Mr. Burke. The only elderly we get along well in their town. What happened to him? He was supposed to leave the town with his son and his son’s friends. It doesn’t matter now. He is not the Mr.Burke I know anymore. Those friendly eyes are replaced by glowing fires.

“Matt!” Toshi calls out. I turn my head and see the round I dropped earlier flying in the air toward me. I catch it and put it in the chamber. The mayor is two steps in front of me. His arms are wide open, but I know that it’s not for hugging.

I pull the trigger. He pauses on his feet looking right into my soul as blood comes out of his chest. It’s like he is disappointed in me. I am sorry, Mr. Burke.

He stumbles while still staring at me.

A mix of emotions—sadness, tension, and anger—cloud my brain while watching him fall.

“You guys… Thank you!” Kathleen sits on one of the pew chairs and removes her mask while she catches her breath.

“We figured you were in trouble… These Ricas run in your direction. They were following your tracks… It wasn’t hard to find you after those shots,” Jason says. His friends collect the arrows from the Ricas’ bodies.

“We owe you…” I say and walk toward them, clutching my torso as the pain intensifies. “Well, we want to be the first ones to have it once you find the vaccine,” Jason says chuckling.

I nod. “You will… be the first we call!”

We leave the church together. We say goodbye to each other one more time and walk away in opposite directions. Jason was too kind to give one of their bows.

I asked them to join us on our trip. We would be an unbeatable team. However, they wanted to stick with their factory home.

It’s three of