Snippet #2379925

Running up multiple flights of stairs would be really good exercise, if Claire wasn’t trying to escape from a couple of screamers and the horde of ‘normal’ zombies. (It really wasn’t good that she was beginning to think of the shamblers as normal.)

She’d yelled when Derek had been tackled out the window by the screamer. Two down, two to go, right? It was going to be her or Mariam next, and that couldn’t happen. She had to protect the older woman. Her screams and that of the screamer’s had caused the shamblers to, well, shamble up the stairs. The two women had had to scramble into a temporary safe haven: a cramped janitor’s closet. Blergh.

Claire’s fraying nerves weren’t helped by the pounding on the doors or the cramped space of the closet. She was biting down on her lip almost to the point of blood. Claire looked over at Mariam.

For some reason, that short look reassured her. Hell, if this lady wasn't flipping her lid, she could keep it under control til they got to a safer point. Claire half-smiled at Mariam and nodded, eyes scanning the room. There wasn't much, aside from a fire extinguisher and a keychain with a gazillion keys.

"What should we do?" Mariam whispered to her.

"I..." Eloquent to the last. That's Claire for you.

The sound of heavy footsteps (male's, by the sound of it) and a pair of lighter ones (a female's, of course) going up the stairs startled Claire. She jolted. They weren't an animal's and were too even to be a zombie's. "Derek?" Mariam whispered again.

God, she hoped so.

"HEY! IT'S DEREK! MARIAM? CLAIRE? ARE YOU THERE? LET US OUT!"

"The hell?" They must've thought that Claire and Mim were already out.

"Aren't roof doors usually locked?" Mim asked, then tossed the set of keys to Claire as she picked up the fire extinguisher. They shared another look, and Claire understood what she had to do. She didn't like it, but whatever. It's not like she had any plans anyways.

The fire extinguisher still worked, though. Mim took out a grown zombie with the spray, but it managed to alert a screamer on the floor below them. Not good at all. Claire'd lost her only melee weapon, and she was shit with a pistol. If it came down to it, hand-to-hand combat was her best option- and she didn't like those odds.

"Claire, hurry on up with the keys, I'll cover the rear." Mariam had a look in her eyes that said 'I'll be fine, don't worry." Claire rarely liked that look. "But-"

"Go!"

Claire bit her lip again and sprinted as fast as she could with the keys upstairs. She hated splitting up, but there were people upstairs that needed her help, and she'd be damned if they wouldn't get it.

"Note to self- do not suggest to the trainer about running up and down stairs," Claire panted as she finally hit the last flight. Derek and another woman with a wrench were pounding on the door in an attempt to get out. "Outta my way, guys, I've got keys!"

Fat lot of good those did her, though. There had to be at least fifty keys on that damn keyring, and they kept slipping out of her hands! Claire was about to go ballistic, she was so pissed. She'd only gotten through about half the keys when Mim backed into Derek with a slight squeak of alarm.

"Doin' the best I can, guys!" Claire said, putting in another key. The shamblers kept coming, and the others were doing their level best to keep the bastards away from the door.

And then the screamer sounded again.

A few things happened in quick succession. Mariam dropped the fire extinguisher and it rolled down the stairs with a clanging noise. Claire proceded to accidentally break a key in the keyhole.

...

Oh, this was going to get ugly quick.

"GRAAAAAAAH!" The keys fell to the ground as Claire angrily slammed her left shoulder into the door. The poor door was no match for Claire's brutal beating, and with a final smack the lock broke and the door flew open.

Claire fell to the ground, her shoulder in flaring pain. Gritting her teeth, she managed to get out a few words. "Everybody out! Hurry up!" She struggled to get up, the others pouring out of the building. Anytine her arm touched something, it burst into a blossom of pain. She managed to get out of the way in time for the door to be pushed closed somehow. She'd hit it hard, so it was barely standing anymore. Fuck.

"Well, we're in a pickle, huh?" Claire tried to laugh, but it ended up in a gasp of pain. She'd dislocated her shoulder again. Dammit! Things just kept getting worse. There was no way she could get across the rooftops like this, without causing further injury to herself. Not to mention her aim would be even worse in this condition. "Anybody know how to relocate a shoulder?"