The chapel’s a war zone. Overturned pews, scattered hymnals, blood sprayed across the walls like abstract art. The big wooden crucifix still stands behind the altar, watching over carnage it couldn’t prevent.
A lone figure shuffles between the pews, dragging one leg behind it. Female, gray suit, half her face torn away, exposing teeth and jawbone. I move forward silently, stepping?—
Crack.
Broken glass crunches beneath my shoe.
Shit.
A wet gurgle reaches my ears. I look up, and the zombie starts toward us, faster than her damaged leg should allow.
I circle left, keeping a pew between us. She follows, fingers grasping, teeth clicking. I dart in, duck under her grasping arms, and drive the letter opener through her eye socket with force. Her body spasms, then goes limp, and I push forward, letting her drop to the floor.
“Clear.” I wipe the blade on my pants.
Cameron and Sienna appear, faces pale as they scan the chapel.
A thud from a side door freezes us all in place. I move toward the sound. A small storage room, probably for choir robes or supplies. The door’s ajar, blood smeared on the handle.
I nudge it open with my foot.
The stench of raw meat left too long in summer heat hits first. A man in a suit kneels over a woman’s body, face buried in her abdomen. Cameron makes a choked sound behind me, and the thing’s head snaps up, blood and viscera dripping from its chin. It lunges, faster than the one in the chapel, catching me off guard.
I sidestep, but its fingers graze my arm, leaving bloody streaks. Before I can counter, Sienna’s there, smashing the paperweight into its temple. It staggers but doesn’t fall.
“The eyes!” I regain my balance.
The thing whirls on Sienna, who backpedals to the side, paperweight raised for another strike. Cameron rushes it from behind, driving the fire poker into its back.
Wrong move. It barely notices, still advancing on Sienna.
I grab it by the hair, yanking its head back, and drive the letter opener through its eye socket in one fluid motion. This time, I twist, making sure. The body goes rigid, then crumples.
It’s odd. These things have different reaction times, speeds, and levels of strength. I need to be more careful.
I check Sienna, scanning for bites or scratches. “You okay?”
She nods, breathing hard. “That was?—”
“Don’t think about it,” I say. “Just focus on what we’re doing. Cam?”
My brother’s leaning against the wall, eyes closed. “I’m fine. Just—give me a second.”
After they both calm down, we go back into the chapel, and I close the storage room door. Some things are better left unseen.
“We need to secure this area,” I say. “Block any entrances to the outside.”
“What about the windows?” Sienna asks.
“Only the ones that are too low. Doors have priority.”
We work methodically, bracing pews against the chapel’s side entrances, using a wooden cross to barricade a fire exit. Cameron regains his focus, hefting a heavy donation box in front of a small window that is too narrow for anything to crawl through.
Better safe than dead.
“Main area’s clear.” I survey our work. “Both entrances secured.”
“What next?” Sienna wipes sweat from her brow, smearing blood across her forehead without noticing.
