[ WP ] Life after the zombie apocalypse

I felt a thin ray of sunlight hit my face. It was dawn. I was comfortable, and content to lie in place. I probably could all day. We were safe, all the way up here. The past three weeks our hideout had been the top floor of an office building. Looked like it could have been a software firm or something from all the computers, but there's no telling. There was no power to any of them, or anywhere for that matter. Last time I used anything electric was about a year ago. Found a `` cell phone'' that Mike managed to get running for a few minutes. Nothing big, but interesting to think that people could just talk whenever. When you go days at a time without saying a word, it actually seems kind of ridiculous. 
 
 I opened my eyes. Everyone was here. One big, happy `` family.'' Mike was in a corner, scribbling some stuff on some old paper we found. I guess he found some math books as a kid and just stuck to it. He's always thinking of stuff he could build to help `` if we had materials.'' Whatever that means. He's a good kid, so I guess I do n't have a problem with him. 
 
 Tammy was standing, looking out the window. Looking down at them. `` There still down there, Brie. How much longer are we going to have to wait?'' Like she'd know. Tammy just liked to talk, and it got irritating. I felt like she wanted us to stay `` positive,'' I guess. She always seemed so optimistic and sad at the same time. I knew she lost someone recently. Parents, boyfriend, girlfriend, I do n't know. We do n't talk about these things. I do n't see a point. She was pretty, though. We were always sweaty, dirty, and tired, covered in bandages and wearing the same clothes for months. But somehow, whenever I looked at Tammy, I just had to stop and think about it. How she was still pretty. 
 
 `` You know I do n't know that,'' replied Brie, without another word. She was training. Brie must have come from a military family or something. She was always so determined and focused. Always training, rarely talking to anyone unless to tell them to do something. I sat up and to see what she was doing. Push-ups, pull-ups, dips, all the usual. She was strong. Not really big, but really strong. Me and her were the only ones who could really 
 get anything physical done. Tammy was small, and Mike was a scrawny guy. That's really all I knew about Brie. That she was about my age, did n't like to talk, and was strong. 
 
 Tammy saw me. `` Vaughan! You're up!'' 
 
 `` Yeah.'' I did n't want to talk. I wanted to go back to sleep. Maybe I did n't want to wake up. I do n't know. I just did n't want to talk. 
 
 After a few minutes, Mike chimes in, `` So... What are we doing?'' His accent was thick. I do n't really know what it was. Took me a while to figure out what he said every time he talked. `` Are we going to move? What if they get in?'' 
 
 `` I do n't think they will,'' Tammy quickly replied. `` They have to break down the doors, and come up the stairs, and get past those bookshelves Brie and Vaughan put in front of the door.'' 
 
 `` Do n't assume. You do n't know what they can do. And if they do get in here, there's nothing you can do to stop them.'' Brie says, in the middle of a few pullups. I think Brie scared Tammy. Tammy was really small, probably 
 about half my size, and short too. Up to my chest, about. Brie was probably somewhere between me and Tammy, and Mike was bigger than Tammy, but skinny. The guy looked like he just did n't eat. Maybe he did n't. 
 
 `` Oh, well... I...'' 
 
 `` Tammy, just listen. We're not leaving here until those things are out of the area. I do n't care if we run out of food, or if someone gets sick. We're here.'' 
 
 `` Brie, calm down,'' I decided to say. `` So she wants to plan ahead. Let her talk.'' I did n't want her to talk. 
 
 `` Vaughan, you know as well as I do that these two ca n't fight. I'm not sure even we could make it onto the street.'' 
 
 `` Fight? I do n't even want to talk right now. Just leave Tammy alone.'' 
 
 `` Shut up.'' 
 
 `` Gladly.'' 
 
 So I shut up. So did Brie. So did Mike, and so did Tammy. A few hours passed. I ate some old bread, Brie and Tammy had something. I do n't know what. Mike wandered off somewhere. After a while, he came back. 
 
 `` I found something,'' he said, I think. `` A... Ladder. Something that can get us to the next building.'' 
 
 `` Why would we do that, Mike?'' Answered Brie swiftly. 
 
 `` There looks like there's power... Maybe we can... contact.'' 
 
 That sounded nice. 
 
 `` If anything comes of this, it your fault.'' We went to check it out. 
 
 What he found was a black metal platform hanging from under a window. There was a ladder-like set of stairs on a hinge heading down. Looked like it could extend. It was rusted on the hinges. 
 
 I began `` Brie? You know the drill.'' I started towards it. 
 
 `` I think I've got it.'' She waved me back. She gripped the edges, and after a pull, she broke it off. 
 
 `` You're a freak.'' I said. Moving to extend the ladder. 
 
 It seemed almost sturdy. It could close the gap between the two buildings, definitely. Mike, Tammy, and Brie could cross easily, but I wondered if I could. 
 
 After a few minutes setting the ladder in place, Brie decided to go first. She hung from the ladder, and swung across, reach by reach. The ladder shook and cracked a bit. Tammy was next. She took her time, crawling over the top. She got over eventually. Mike did the same, and took forever doing it. 
 
 I was up. They were over there. I was bigger than them, and I did n't think it could hold me for long. So I ran. I ran over the top of it. The steps were cracking and falling out behind me. Looking down, seeing a of of those things staring up. It felt like forever. I do n't know how long it really was. The whole thing fell out from under me as I reached the window. I though I was going down, but oddly, I did n't care. I did n't reach for the window. 
 
 I hit the ground, I stood up. 
 

