Rainfall


"Quick, seal the door," Jared screams as he dives through.

I push the steel door back into the groove and watch it slide into place. I apply each of the locks precisely and make sure it doesn't budge. My heart shivers when I hear the hundreds of footsteps marching outside. It drops when I hear the hollow echos of banging on the door. I know they can't get in. They've tried over and over again. My only fear is that the acid rain eats through the door at some point.

When the toxic rain came everyone thought things were great. Sure, a few little burns, but it wasn't anything humanity hadn't handled before. Then people started to change, transform. They became cannibals. They aren't zombies. They still speak. Sometimes their words can be a little slurred, time in the rain breaks down their bodies. It isn't strange to see one without a jaw being frustrate because they can't explain themselves. Our only saving grace is most of them can't use tools because the rain usually takes fingers and toes first.

"I got some of those cupcakes you really like," Jared said tossing me one of the plastic wrapped packages. "Got some other food too, it's getting messy out there. The military isn't letting anyone else into the refugee camps but we knew that."

"Crazy how we're refugees in our own country."

"True enough, but these are some crazy times," Jared removes his protective gear and takes a seat on the couch.

He's been taking this way better than I have. He's confident that a cure will be developed soon and all this will be over. I'm not so sure. I think this is going to be our new life. Perhaps we can carve out some sort of society in this new world, but I doubt it. He won't admit it but I know he has to go further and further from our hiding hole every time he wants to get more food. He's probably missing his family. He gave up a spot in the camps to let his wife and kids get through safely.

I didn't have anyone before all of this. I would have taken the easy way out a long time ago. I'm just afraid to die. I could walk out there and be torn to pieces. Not a single person other than Jared would know I've died and not a single person would care. I know he takes pity on me. A weakling, who can't really do much. I was great with computers, but computers don't do much in this world. I've never fired a gun and can't swing a bat very hard so I'm not much for defending myself. That's why Jared is always the one going out for supplied. I'm just a housekeeper.

"Hey Eric, you think we'll ever get out of this," he calls over to me.

"I honestly can't tell you."

"Well, hopefully I can round up some ladies on one of these runs," he laughs and walks out the room.

He makes that joke every time he comes back from a run. Still, I know he'd rather be trapped here with someone that had any skills. My cooking has gotten better but it isn't like he couldn't cook for himself if needed. The banging at the door is replaced by thunder. More rain is on the way. There'll probably be more of them out there. Fresh talkative zombies.