at her body as hard and as fast as she could.
This wasn’t time for a relaxing shower, no, this was time to get in
and get out. She didn’t know this Jim guy at all and had no reason
to trust he wouldn’t barge in and try anything but she needed to
get clean. She was done in under four minutes and dry in less than
one. She wrapped herself tightly in the towel and stared at her
dirty clothes. She didn’t want to put them back on, and she didn’t
want to step out in a towel.
She bit her lip in indecision for a
few moments and then opened the door a crack and whispered,
“Jim.”
No reply, so she did it again, “Hey
Jim!”
Jim came running, “What’s the
matter?”
“ I…uh, just wanted to know
if you had any extra clothes you could lend me. I decided to shower
off.”
“ I doubt any of my pants
will fit you but let me take a look I’m sure I can find
something.”
He returned a few minutes later with
an old black t-shirt that read Arson on it red, a pair of
sweatpants and a pair of socks.
“ Here you go. This stuff
doesn’t really fit me to well anymore,” he said, patting his slight
beer belly, “but it should do the trick for ya. Probably going to
be big, but it’s all I got.”
“ Thanks, I’m sure they’ll
be fine.”
She put the clothes on and sure enough
they were big on her. The shirt would’ve been something she
might’ve worn to bed, but she was swimming in the pants. She pulled
the string as tight as it would go and double knotted it. The socks
were loose too and dropped down past her ankles. It was better than
nothing, she thought, and stepped out of the bathroom.
She walked over to Jim who returned to
the window. “Any new developments,” she asked softly.
“ Nope. Looks okay out
there.”
“ Good. Thanks again for
opening the door. I’d probably be dead right now…walking around
like those things.”
“ Your welcome. How do the
clothes fit?”
“ They’re a little big, but
they’ll do.”
“ So, ummm, what do we do
now, how does this work?”
“ What do you
mean?”
“ Well, do you have a plan?
Have you thought about what you’re going to do?”
“ Not really. If you want me
to take off, I’ll go--”
“ Sorry, I didn’t mean it
like that. I just—I haven’t seen anybody in days, if you’re part of
a larger group it makes sense to stay with them. I’ve been too
scared to leave and didn’t know what to do.”
“ You’re from around here,
right? If you know where the school is maybe we can drive over
there in the morning and see what’s going on.”
“ Yeah, yeah we can do that.
You don’t mind me coming along with you?”
“ Not at all. The more the
merrier.”
“ Good maybe we should rest
up and get some sleep? I have a futon you can sleep on in my
computer room next to the bathroom.”
“ Doubt I’ll be able to
sleep much.”
“ Do you want to try getting
to your group now, then?”
“ I’m not sure. I’m…I don’t
want to see that bastard again.”
“ I understand, but maybe
some of your friends have found out what’s happened—or maybe
someone else is in danger.”
“ I thought of that, but I
don’t see how we can get back into the school. The place is
surrounded by them—mostly.”
“ What do you mean
mostly?”
“ They aren’t around the
fence—at least they weren’t. They were mostly just around the
building.”
“ So we could climb the
fence and get inside then?”
“ I dunno,
maybe.”
“ Do you want to try for it
or do you want to rest?”
“ I guess we can try for it,
but if you’re going to stick with us you might want to pack as much
of your shit as you can. And any food and water you have
left.”
“ Okay, I’ll start packing
up my stuff. Why don’t you rest up in the meantime—give me an hour
or so.”
With that, Jim went into his closet
and found an old backpack, a gym bag, and the only suitcase he
owned—which was so busted up it didn’t look like it would survive
another trip, even
This wasn’t time for a relaxing shower, no, this was time to get in
and get out. She didn’t know this Jim guy at all and had no reason
to trust he wouldn’t barge in and try anything but she needed to
get clean. She was done in under four minutes and dry in less than
one. She wrapped herself tightly in the towel and stared at her
dirty clothes. She didn’t want to put them back on, and she didn’t
want to step out in a towel.
She bit her lip in indecision for a
few moments and then opened the door a crack and whispered,
“Jim.”
No reply, so she did it again, “Hey
Jim!”
Jim came running, “What’s the
matter?”
“ I…uh, just wanted to know
if you had any extra clothes you could lend me. I decided to shower
off.”
“ I doubt any of my pants
will fit you but let me take a look I’m sure I can find
something.”
He returned a few minutes later with
an old black t-shirt that read Arson on it red, a pair of
sweatpants and a pair of socks.
“ Here you go. This stuff
doesn’t really fit me to well anymore,” he said, patting his slight
beer belly, “but it should do the trick for ya. Probably going to
be big, but it’s all I got.”
“ Thanks, I’m sure they’ll
be fine.”
She put the clothes on and sure enough
they were big on her. The shirt would’ve been something she
might’ve worn to bed, but she was swimming in the pants. She pulled
the string as tight as it would go and double knotted it. The socks
were loose too and dropped down past her ankles. It was better than
nothing, she thought, and stepped out of the bathroom.
She walked over to Jim who returned to
the window. “Any new developments,” she asked softly.
“ Nope. Looks okay out
there.”
“ Good. Thanks again for
opening the door. I’d probably be dead right now…walking around
like those things.”
“ Your welcome. How do the
clothes fit?”
“ They’re a little big, but
they’ll do.”
“ So, ummm, what do we do
now, how does this work?”
“ What do you
mean?”
“ Well, do you have a plan?
Have you thought about what you’re going to do?”
“ Not really. If you want me
to take off, I’ll go--”
“ Sorry, I didn’t mean it
like that. I just—I haven’t seen anybody in days, if you’re part of
a larger group it makes sense to stay with them. I’ve been too
scared to leave and didn’t know what to do.”
“ You’re from around here,
right? If you know where the school is maybe we can drive over
there in the morning and see what’s going on.”
“ Yeah, yeah we can do that.
You don’t mind me coming along with you?”
“ Not at all. The more the
merrier.”
“ Good maybe we should rest
up and get some sleep? I have a futon you can sleep on in my
computer room next to the bathroom.”
“ Doubt I’ll be able to
sleep much.”
“ Do you want to try getting
to your group now, then?”
“ I’m not sure. I’m…I don’t
want to see that bastard again.”
“ I understand, but maybe
some of your friends have found out what’s happened—or maybe
someone else is in danger.”
“ I thought of that, but I
don’t see how we can get back into the school. The place is
surrounded by them—mostly.”
“ What do you mean
mostly?”
“ They aren’t around the
fence—at least they weren’t. They were mostly just around the
building.”
“ So we could climb the
fence and get inside then?”
“ I dunno,
maybe.”
“ Do you want to try for it
or do you want to rest?”
“ I guess we can try for it,
but if you’re going to stick with us you might want to pack as much
of your shit as you can. And any food and water you have
left.”
“ Okay, I’ll start packing
up my stuff. Why don’t you rest up in the meantime—give me an hour
or so.”
With that, Jim went into his closet
and found an old backpack, a gym bag, and the only suitcase he
owned—which was so busted up it didn’t look like it would survive
another trip, even
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