Zombie Exodus: Side Stories, Brody & Madison, scene 14 (Patreon)

continued from scene 13

Madison sees her brother hesitating, so she makes the call. "Downstairs, now!"

The twins run through the open doorway, and Brody turns to slam the door shut with an ominous thud. He flips the lock on the doorknob and slides a metal bolt across the middle of the door. Only a few moments passed before a hard pounding came through the door, followed by deafening growls from the other side.

Madison's eyes remain fixed on the reinforced steel and wood barrier between them and the hungry horde. She traces the edges with her fingers, gauging their strength.

"They're not getting through that anytime soon," Brody says, his grip on the doorknob tight.

A breath she didn't know she was holding escapes Madison's lips, her heart still racing from the close call. "Let's hope so," she murmurs, her fingers lingering on the door as if to anchor herself to its protection.

They descend the stairs, but Madison's gaze flickers to the door, half-expecting it to buckle under the relentless assault. Brody's reassuring hand finds her shoulder, a silent promise of solidarity in the face of danger.

As they reach the basement's bottom, Madison's attention is drawn to her uncle's computer on a nearby desk. While the zombies continue relentlessly pounding on the door, she moves to the desk and hits the power button. The screen springs to life, revealing a network of interconnected cameras stationed throughout the house.

"Cameras," she says, her fingers dancing across the keyboard as she navigates the system.

Brody leans in, his eyes scanning the array of monitors. "Can you see if there are more of those... things lurking around?"

Madison's fingers move deftly over the keys, bringing up the view of the kitchen. Her breath catches as the image resolves on the screen, revealing a haunting scene. Six figures stand amidst the familiar setting, their grotesque features illuminated by the faint glow of the monitors. They all fight to pound against the door, trying to get in.

"Some of them... I recognize," Madison says, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maria, Henry...they were part of the staff."

Brody's expression shifts, a mix of emotions crossing his features. "I recognize them."

Madison nods. "Yeah, part of the maid staff. They must have...turned."

Brody's hand tightens on her shoulder, a reassuring grip that grounds her in the moment. "Are you okay?"

Breaking her gaze from the screen, Madison meets Brody's eyes. "I'm fine. I didn't know them very well. They just work here. I guess I should be sad, but I'm more worried about our family. Maybe that makes me a bad person…"

He shakes his head. "We can only feel what we feel. It's not right or wrong."

She steps away from the computer screen and sits on a chair, bringing her feet up and wrapping her arms around her knees.

Minutes stretch into an hour as they remain locked in the basement. The pounding eventually subsides, replaced by an eerie silence. Madison's gaze shifts between the monitor and the door, uncertainty etched across her features.

"It's been quiet for a while," Brody notes cautiously.

Madison nods, her focus on the monitor. "Yeah. They gave up." She points to the screen, where they can see the zombies standing idly in the kitchen, unmoving.

Brody walks to the refrigerator and opens it. He gazes at the shelves holding a wide assortment of food, though most are packaged and preserved. He pulls out a drawer of pickles and starts to eat them. "How long do you think we should be here? Uncle Nate must have a generator hooked up to this place, but it will only last for a few days."

Madison shrugs. "Even if the power goes out, we can stay here for a while. There's lots of food on the shelves that could last weeks or even months. We have lots of water and juices. I bet we could stay here for at least three months if we had to."

"I doubt we need to be here that long. I'm sure the government or whatever is working on a cure to stop the virus," Brody says.

"You mean a vaccine. But I don't know. You could be right, but I'm guessing this thing will go on for a while," Madison says.

continue to scene 15