The Unlucky Ones    

[Kelly]

The scene was tense and chaotic as Kelly, Jennie, and Hilde found themselves trapped inside the PWD toilet of a mall. The sound of the undead pounding at the door reverberated throughout the cramped space, creating an atmosphere of fear and desperation.

Kylie covered her ears, her worry for her parents evident in her expression. As Kylie huddled in the corner of the cramped PWD toilet, she clutched her hands to her ears as if trying to shut out the pounding and scraping sounds coming from the outside. Her face was etched with worry and concern, her eyes darting around the small space, looking for a way out or a way to escape and went home to her family.

Her mind was racing with thoughts of her loved ones, wondering if they were safe or if they were also facing the same horrors as she and her friends. She couldn't help but imagine the worst-case scenarios, and her anxiety only grew with each passing moment.

Despite her fear, Kylie knew that she needed to stay strong, or no one would think of a way out of this Armageddon. Not when Jennie and Hilde were losing their minds.

Kelly took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, and focused on the present moment. She knew that the only way out of this situation was to remain calm and think rationally, even in the face of unimaginable danger.

Kelly's eyes went to Jennie. She couldn't seem to stop scratching at her blistered arm, adding to the sense of unease.

Jennie's hand trembled as she scratched at her blistered hand, wincing in pain with each scrape. Her skin was red and inflamed, and the blisters had burst open, leaving raw, exposed flesh that made Kelly feel even more vulnerable.

Despite the discomfort, Jennie couldn't seem to stop scratching. It was as if she was in a trance, lost in her own thoughts and fears. The scratching only added to the already tense atmosphere, making her even more uneasy.

Kelly tried to soothe Jennie, reminding her to focus on their situation and not give in to her anxiety.

"You should try and wash it over the sink," Kelly suggested, ignoring the loud pounding on the door.

"What do you know?" Jennie snapped. "Unless that water came with purification and antiseptic, I will never wash my skin over there. Who knows how dirty the waters are in this stinky place."

"The undead seemed to be attracted to blood," Kelly lied, not really sure if they were, but threat was the only thing that would work on her. Jennie wouldn't do as she said if there was no imminent danger to her life. "If you don't want us killed, at least wipe off the blood from your hands."

Jennie gave a stubborn face. At first, she didn't comply, but when the slamming intensified, she shoot to her feet and gruntingly went to the sink. The water running on her skin made Jennie's clenched jaw trembled. Relief washed over her face beyond her control.

When that was done, Kelly had to take care of Hilde next.

Gods! She swore that all the money in the world wouldn't be enough to babysit these two. She lamented.

Hilde was getting increasingly hysterical, crying and pleading for the undead to leave them alone.

"Please, please leave! Stop bothering us!" she begged, her voice cracking with emotion. "We haven't done anything to you. Just go away!"

Her pleas fell on deaf ears, and the pounding and scraping at the door only grew louder. Hilde's hysteria only intensified, and she began to hyperventilate, gasping for air between sobs.

Kelly tried to calm Hilde, but her own fear and uncertainty were making it difficult. They were all in this together, but they were each struggling to hold it together in the face of the undeads' relentless assault.

As the seconds turned into minutes, Kelly felt their hopelessness only deepened. She knew that they needed to find a way out, but with Hilde's hysteria, Jennie's injured arm, their situation seemed increasingly dire.

As the scratching continued and the undead showed no signs of leaving, their helplessness only grew. They were trapped, with no means of escape, and the sounds of the undead outside seemed to be getting louder and more frenzied with each passing moment.

Hilde was becoming increasingly frantic as the undead refused to leave their door. The claustrophobic surroundings only intensified the feeling of being trapped and helpless.

The air was thick with tension when Kelly realized that their chance of survival were uncertain at best.

"Hilde." Kylie swallowed the big lump in her throat. She had to calm down this baggage at all costs, or Hilde would be the death of them. "If you don't stop crying and shut your mouth, we will all die here."

Hilde seemed like she didn't hear her, so Kelly went ahead, grabbed her head on both sides and made her look at her.

"Hilde, look at me," Kelly said, her voice steady and reassuring. "We're going to get through this, but we need you to be calm. You can do this."

Hilde's eyes met Kelly's, and for a moment, her breathing slowed. She looked as though she was about to say something, but instead, she let out a choked sob and buried her face in her hands.

Kelly kept her hold on Hilde's head, not letting go until she felt her friend started to relax. She spoke softly, offering words of encouragement and support, and gradually, Hilde's breathing evened out, and her sobs subsided.

While threats worked for Jennie, the opposite could be said about Hilde. The latter was only going to plunge into her anxiety the more she was threatened. The slow and encouraging approach best well suited her. Kelly knew, for she had been with them for two years.

For a moment, there was a sense of calm in the cramped PWD toilet. The pounding and scraping at the door continued, but Kelly was resolved to stay alive. Her quick thinking had diffused the situation, and now they could focus on finding a way out.

"There," Kelly said, pointing to the vent on the ceiling. "It's big enough for us to fit. We can climb up and escape through the pipes."

Hilde and Jennie looked up at the vent, hesitant to follow through with the plan. "I don't know, Kelly," Hilde said, her voice trembling. "What if we get stuck up there? What if it's too dangerous?"

Jennie nodded in agreement. "I don't think I can climb up there with my arm like this," she said, wincing as she rubbed at her injured limb.

Kelly shook her head. "We don't have any other options," she said firmly. "We have to try if we want to get out of here.

"But what if I don't?" Jennie argued. "I want to wait here where it's safe until help arrives."

Hilde gave a weak nod.

"But what if help won't come? With only water to sate our hunger, we would only last a week at most," Kelly told them, trying to reason with them. "We're at the third floor and when the generators ran out of fuel, the pump would stop, and that means waters would stop as well. By then, we're dead."

'Slow and agonizing.' Kelly thought. Hunger was a scary thing. She knew because she was no stranger to it.

Jennie folded her hands in stubborn disapproval. "I'm sure things would work out in the end. My father is a powerful man. He would surely send people to save me here."

'That's it if he was still alive.' The words were in the tip of Kelly's mouth, she almost said them. Good thing she stopped herself, or she might have roused Jennie's anger.

Jennie and Hilde were born without knowing hardship. Everything was handed and solved for them with their parents' money. And that mindset would surely get them killed.

Kelly wasn't naïve to hope that help would come, not in this time and not in this chaos. She lived in reality and not in some rich girl's fantasies.

Kelly knew that they couldn't stay trapped in the toilet forever, and the vent seemed like their best chance for escape.

However . . . Kelly was scared to go alone. It was her chance to get away from the two. She knew she had to get away before they killed her with their unreasonable and questionable decisions in life . . . but she couldn't move from her spot and bear to venture outside alone and surrounded by the undead.

'Maybe they would change their mind.' Kelly thought and put a hand over her stomach.

Hunger is a strong motivation.