Post by lighthouse on Nov 21, 2011 18:32:04 GMT -5
Kathy was tied and gagged like a baby bull in a rodeo. Coralee and I put down our weapons and immediately began to undo the dirty red bandana that someone had used for a mouth gag. Kathy took a deep breath as soon as it was released.
“Thank God, you found me.” She sputtered. Coralee searched around the area had found a giant pair of kitchen scissors in the drawer next to the grill. I picked up the giant knife and began hacking away at the rope that tied Kathy‘s hands together. Coralee began cutting the ropes that bound her feet. Coralee finished first and gave me the scissors to finish off the job. Finally Kathy was free.
“What happened to you?” Coralee asked her. “Its not like you to take off like that, and without a weapon either!”
“Oh, I know. I just couldn’t handle all that blood at Wayne’s place. And the smell reminded me of the farm my dad had when I was younger. Whenever he butchered the animals, there was this distinct stench of death and old blood. It lasted for days in the barn and I used to get violently ill whenever I got around it. I had to get some fresh air.”
“ We knew it was bothering you by the moaning, but what happened after that? Why didn’t you come back in?” I asked.
Kathy tried to stand, but was a little off balance. Coralee and I helped her up and sat her in one of the chairs by the bar.
Kathy sat up straight and stretched her back. Then she pulled her arms over her head and proceeded to stretch them out too. We could hear her back crack and the rest of her bones and joints coming into place again.
“I’m sorry Kathy. I didn’t even think about how uncomfortable you must feel right now. If you want to wait until we get back, you can tell us the whole story then.”
Kathy shook her head at me. “No, I’m fine now. But I could really use something to drink and get the taste of that dirty rag out of my mouth.”
Coralee looked in the cooler. “What do you want? There’s a diet drink, a ginger ale, and some sort of purple sports drink.”
“Oh,” Kathy answered, “The ginger ale would be perfect.” Coralee passed her the drink and Kathy immediately popped it open and took a big sip.
“You know, this is what got me into trouble in the first place.” Kathy indicated the drink in her hand. “I used to shop in this place all the time. I knew there was a café up here and I needed something soothing for my stomach.” She took another taste and told us what happened.
“ I went outside to get some fresh air. You already know that part. Well, I decided to walk up to the corner and back to shake off the smell and the fact that Wayne was gone. We were good friends and when I saw him and all the blood in the backroom, I couldn’t handle it. So I decided I would just walk back and forth outside for a bit and regain my composure. I saw Mary and Tom bring out something long and wrapped and put it in the truck. I assumed it was Wayne and that made my stomach up heave one more time. They didn’t see me at all. Probably because they were too busy and I was up at the corner. I just stayed there - in shock. I don’t know how long I just stood there and stared, but when I turned around to come back into the shop, I saw this pack of dogs or wolves sniffing at the back of the truck. There was no way I was going anywhere near them. Dogs that are wild are bad enough, but they were zombie dogs, I couldn’t handle that. Plus, I didn’t have any weapons on me. How stupid was that?! I quietly turned from the corner and began running down this street. I stopped in the front of the store to catch my breath and found out the door was open. I came inside figuring the dogs wouldn’t smell me in here and I was safe. I scanned the store and it seemed okay. That’s when I decided to come upstairs and get a drink. I was feeling pretty nauseous and woozy by then, so I came to the café. I was reaching into the cooler for a ginger ale when someone clunked me over the head and knocked me out. When I woke up, I found myself hogtied and stuck in the kitchen.” Kathy felt the back of her head. “Yup, there’s a huge bump there.”
“Well, we wondered how you got tied up. We weren’t expecting that at all.” Coralee patted Kathy’s arm. “At least it wasn’t a zombie. You would have been eaten already.”
Kathy looked at Coralee and rolled her eyes. “Leave it to you Coralee to find the good in this situation too.” She laughed.
“So you didn’t hear anything when you came up here? Didn’t hear anyone sneak up on you?” I asked Kathy.
“To tell the truth, I was feeling so miserable that I didn’t pay attention to anything.”
“We heard a loud sound up here.” Coralee mentioned. “Could that have been them?” She looked all around and then realized she left her gun in the kitchen. She brought both mine and hers out.
“Nope, it was probably me. When I woke up, I tried to break free, but the way they tied me up I couldn’t move very well. I half crawled and pushed my way to the stove to get some leverage. I tried to pull up on the door, but only made it crash. I was petrified that my attacker might have heard it too, so I stopped trying. Then I saw the shiny knife half on and half off the top of the counter. I wriggled my head underneath it to try to slide it off. It was slow moving, but I actually did it! I was attempting to cut the ropes on my feet, when I heard someone in the café area. That’s when I scooted back and tried to hide the knife and you found me.
Coralee and I looked at each other and then looked at Kathy.
“We need to get out of here.” I said. “We don’t know who it was who hit Kathy and he may still be here. Obviously its not one of the undead, so he’s got his wits about him and he’s dangerous. Can you walk yet, Kathy?”
Kathy stood up and took a deep breath. “Oh yeah. I’m ready to go for sure! But first, lets see what we can take with us for supplies. There’s a whole hunting section up here. I’m sure we can find something of use. Just follow me. “
“Thank God, you found me.” She sputtered. Coralee searched around the area had found a giant pair of kitchen scissors in the drawer next to the grill. I picked up the giant knife and began hacking away at the rope that tied Kathy‘s hands together. Coralee began cutting the ropes that bound her feet. Coralee finished first and gave me the scissors to finish off the job. Finally Kathy was free.
“What happened to you?” Coralee asked her. “Its not like you to take off like that, and without a weapon either!”
“Oh, I know. I just couldn’t handle all that blood at Wayne’s place. And the smell reminded me of the farm my dad had when I was younger. Whenever he butchered the animals, there was this distinct stench of death and old blood. It lasted for days in the barn and I used to get violently ill whenever I got around it. I had to get some fresh air.”
“ We knew it was bothering you by the moaning, but what happened after that? Why didn’t you come back in?” I asked.
Kathy tried to stand, but was a little off balance. Coralee and I helped her up and sat her in one of the chairs by the bar.
Kathy sat up straight and stretched her back. Then she pulled her arms over her head and proceeded to stretch them out too. We could hear her back crack and the rest of her bones and joints coming into place again.
“I’m sorry Kathy. I didn’t even think about how uncomfortable you must feel right now. If you want to wait until we get back, you can tell us the whole story then.”
Kathy shook her head at me. “No, I’m fine now. But I could really use something to drink and get the taste of that dirty rag out of my mouth.”
Coralee looked in the cooler. “What do you want? There’s a diet drink, a ginger ale, and some sort of purple sports drink.”
“Oh,” Kathy answered, “The ginger ale would be perfect.” Coralee passed her the drink and Kathy immediately popped it open and took a big sip.
“You know, this is what got me into trouble in the first place.” Kathy indicated the drink in her hand. “I used to shop in this place all the time. I knew there was a café up here and I needed something soothing for my stomach.” She took another taste and told us what happened.
“ I went outside to get some fresh air. You already know that part. Well, I decided to walk up to the corner and back to shake off the smell and the fact that Wayne was gone. We were good friends and when I saw him and all the blood in the backroom, I couldn’t handle it. So I decided I would just walk back and forth outside for a bit and regain my composure. I saw Mary and Tom bring out something long and wrapped and put it in the truck. I assumed it was Wayne and that made my stomach up heave one more time. They didn’t see me at all. Probably because they were too busy and I was up at the corner. I just stayed there - in shock. I don’t know how long I just stood there and stared, but when I turned around to come back into the shop, I saw this pack of dogs or wolves sniffing at the back of the truck. There was no way I was going anywhere near them. Dogs that are wild are bad enough, but they were zombie dogs, I couldn’t handle that. Plus, I didn’t have any weapons on me. How stupid was that?! I quietly turned from the corner and began running down this street. I stopped in the front of the store to catch my breath and found out the door was open. I came inside figuring the dogs wouldn’t smell me in here and I was safe. I scanned the store and it seemed okay. That’s when I decided to come upstairs and get a drink. I was feeling pretty nauseous and woozy by then, so I came to the café. I was reaching into the cooler for a ginger ale when someone clunked me over the head and knocked me out. When I woke up, I found myself hogtied and stuck in the kitchen.” Kathy felt the back of her head. “Yup, there’s a huge bump there.”
“Well, we wondered how you got tied up. We weren’t expecting that at all.” Coralee patted Kathy’s arm. “At least it wasn’t a zombie. You would have been eaten already.”
Kathy looked at Coralee and rolled her eyes. “Leave it to you Coralee to find the good in this situation too.” She laughed.
“So you didn’t hear anything when you came up here? Didn’t hear anyone sneak up on you?” I asked Kathy.
“To tell the truth, I was feeling so miserable that I didn’t pay attention to anything.”
“We heard a loud sound up here.” Coralee mentioned. “Could that have been them?” She looked all around and then realized she left her gun in the kitchen. She brought both mine and hers out.
“Nope, it was probably me. When I woke up, I tried to break free, but the way they tied me up I couldn’t move very well. I half crawled and pushed my way to the stove to get some leverage. I tried to pull up on the door, but only made it crash. I was petrified that my attacker might have heard it too, so I stopped trying. Then I saw the shiny knife half on and half off the top of the counter. I wriggled my head underneath it to try to slide it off. It was slow moving, but I actually did it! I was attempting to cut the ropes on my feet, when I heard someone in the café area. That’s when I scooted back and tried to hide the knife and you found me.
Coralee and I looked at each other and then looked at Kathy.
“We need to get out of here.” I said. “We don’t know who it was who hit Kathy and he may still be here. Obviously its not one of the undead, so he’s got his wits about him and he’s dangerous. Can you walk yet, Kathy?”
Kathy stood up and took a deep breath. “Oh yeah. I’m ready to go for sure! But first, lets see what we can take with us for supplies. There’s a whole hunting section up here. I’m sure we can find something of use. Just follow me. “