Broken Silence

Stranger Things

I wake up in a haze. My mind is foggy and slow. My head is pounding like a drum and my side burns like fire.

I try and sit up, but the pain holds me back. It's better though, the pain. It was way worse when I jumped onto the roof of city hall. Before, it was like someone was carving my skin with a knife and hen stabbing me repeatedly. Now, it's. Ore of a dull ache, but it's still enough to keep me down.

I bring my hand down and touch where the pain is, which is just above my hip. It tingles slightly when my fingers meet the skin, but otherwise it's okay.

I slowly roll onto my side, cringing as I hear a popping noise. I carefully prop myself up on my elbow and peer around at my surroundings.

I'm laying on a cot, the blankets are made of patchwork and quilt. The pillow doesn't have a pillow case, but is super comfy.

To my right is a wall, a plain, white brick wall. To my left, is a big, open room with a high ceiling. A bunch of tables are pushed up against a door across the room and there are thick boards covering all the windows.

The far corner of the room is stashed with food; canned goods; cracker boxes; granola bars; I think I even see a jar of pickles.

Water bottles are scattered among the hoard of food, some empty and some full. Wrappers and garbage line the mahogany carpeted floor around the pile.

A ton of survival gear lies beside the food and water. There are knives, blankets, ammunition, small handguns, extra clothing.

Another door right beside my makeshift bed is ajar. A cool breeze sends shivers down my spine.

I crane my neck painfully, trying to peek inside. All I see is a staircase, presumably the one that leads to the roof.

I try to push myself up again, but it hurts. The pain is weird, only hurting when I move.

I roll over, gasping as something in my side cracks. One thing that's been bothering me the entire time I've been lying here is that there aren't any other people. I don't even see the boy...Leo, I think his name is. Where could everyone be?

I grit my teeth and slowly push myself to a sitting position. I honestly don't remember the pain being this bad.

I clench my fists and cry out as I force myself to stand up.

My legs are wobbly and I'm in pain, but I manage to stagger to the barricaded door.

I push over the upside down tables and open the door slightly. Outside, it's night. The sky is black and little pinpricks of stars stand out like boats in an ocean.

Tons of flesh eaters, or zombies, lurk menacingly around the lot. The little chain link fence provides no support whatsoever.

I scan the area for living people, not dead ones, and something catches my eye. Off in the parking lot to my left, something catches the moonlight and sends a shimmer in my direction.

I know it's risky, seeing that there's zombies out, but I just can't help it.

I hobble over to the thing that is shining and gasp when I see it. I cover my mouth to stifle a scream.

It's a wedding ring. Made of a beautiful, expensive diamond. And it's on a hand. Just a hand. No arm. No body. Just a bloody hand.

I back away quickly, but trip over something. A leg. A human leg.

"Oh my god." I whisper as pain ripples up my body.

Footsteps approach from behind me.

"Cassie?" Someone says. Leo.

I turn my head around and stare at him with shock.

"What are you doing out here? It's dangerous!" He says in a hushed whisper, pointing to the flesh eaters,

"I...I don't..." I can't form a coherent sentence. I just point at the leg.

Leo stares at me for a second, deciding on something.

"C'mere." He says, pulling me up to my feet. I wince slightly but he doesn't notice.

He leads me back inside and re-barricades the door. Then he turns to me.

"Cassie..." He starts, trailing off, "You saw the leg, didn't you?"

I nod, "The hand too." I whisper.

"You...Umm...you want an explanation?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay, well..." He sighs, "There was this...attack. A few days ago. Someone forgot to barricade the door. A bunch of zombies got in and...well...killed a bunch if people."

I nod at him, so he continues.

"I managed to get rid of the zombies, but some people couldn't be saved. We had a group here of about twenty people. Now, counting you, we have five."

I bite my lip as the thought sinks in. They lost fifteen people because someone forgot to lock the door.

I look up at Leo. "Where are the other three? You said that there are five people. Me, you and three others. Where are they?"

"They went out to scavenge some stuff. They'll be back any minute." He says.

I nod and glance around the room. I look at the walls, noticing blood stains which I didn't see before. Dark patches are stained into the carpets and there's a hole in the wall by the door.

My eyes fall on my bed. My duffle bag is gone.

"Where's my bag?" I say quickly.

Leo looks at me and says carefully, "I tossed it in the supplies pile. You can get it of you want."

I rush over to the pile, but slow down because my side jolts me with pain.

I spot my bag on top of the pile and snatch it down. I drag it to my bed and open it. Leo sits beside me.

I pull out all my food and hesitantly bring it over and drop it in the food pile. I come back and empty my photo albums. My throat closes when I see the pictures of my parents so I bury them at the bottom of he bag. Leo doesn't say anything.

I pull out my knives next. All five of them, including he bloodied one. I drop four if them into the weapon pile but keep the sharpest one in the bag.

I reach in to the bottom of the bag and pull out my clothes. I blush as I drop a pair of underwear on the ground. It's pink. And has polka dots.

I see from the corner if my eye that Leo smiles and cleverly stifles a laugh.

I bend down to grab the clothing, but stop half way. My knees collapse and I gasp as I hit the ground.

"Cassie?" Leo says, alarm in his voice.

"I'm...fine." I spit out, grasping my side. I bite my tongue and take a deep breath.

Leo pulls me up carefully. "What happened?" He asks.

"My side," I explain, "I had to jump from my window to escape some...zombies I think I cracked a rib."

Leo thinks about this for a second. "Let me see." He says.

I hesitate but slowly pull my shirt up slightly, just enough to see my rib cage.

Leo laughs, causing me to to blush.

"What?" I demand. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Cassie!" He smiles, "Your rib isn't cracked! You have a piece of wood stuck to your shirt,"

He reaches over and removes a small wood chip. That might explain why I only felt pain when I moved.

"Oh," I say shyly, "thanks."

"No problem," he says smiling. He tosses the wood to the floor and looks at me, an amused look on his face.

I open my mouth to say something, but the door beside my bed swings open.