Harrowed Halls

GM: Mike Byrd

Harry Babcock, lawyer (Steve)
Bill O’Malley, fireman (Mike)
Luke “Channel 8” Deering, news anchorman (Ben)
Vladimir Vasilevich, car mechanic (Owen)

Like so many pre-zombie apocalypse movies about the zombie apocalypse, we awoke in a hospital with no one around. Each in our own room. Each unknown to the others. And just like those movies, the hospital was infested with the undead. This area that had, at my last memory, been a safe zone was now a deathtrap. For the life of me I can’t remember where I am–some island off the coast of Maine I think. I quickly got dressed in my street clothes and began eating a jell-o cup I found nearby. Then I peeked outside. Several zombies were aimlessly walking around in the hallways. I could see the elevator, but couldn’t reach it without encountering one or more of the undead.

Suddenly a man pushed his way into my room. He was well-dressed and well-groomed. I figured him for a drug salesman. It was worse. He said his name was Luke Deering from channel 8 news. My new partner was an anchorman. Not exactly survivor material if you ask me, but here we were thrown together by fate. Channel 8 grabbed a chair like it was the only thing keeping him alive. Good thing too as the zombies nearly broke their way in. I made a brake for the elevator only to realize that by the time it reached our floor we’d both be brain sucking zombies ourselves. I made for the stairs. Channel 8 followed me.

On the stairs I ran past another man, still in his hospital gown. He was holding a fire extinguisher. He looked competent enough, but I was in a hurry to find a weapon and to get out of there. I ran out into the zombie filled lobby. I’m pretty sure Channel 8 was following me—still holding on to the chair. Once outside of the hospital, I spotted some parked cars. I was lucky enough to salvage a tire iron out of one of the car’s trunk. That’s when I see this guy walking on a window ledge three flights up. As he gets to the corner of the building, he begins to climb down the downspout. I realize this guy has the kind of balls it takes to survive in this new world. Just then his luck ran out. The downspout broke away from the building and he landed hard on the ground. He popped right up, but the undead had already smelled him. They closed in and the guy was surrounded. I wanted to help, but I doubted my tire iron could take out three zombies. Besides, I had a zombie of my own to worry about.

I was sick of running, so I hit the poor bastard in the head with my tire iron. The zombie’s head split like a melon. It was very satisfying. I heard the sound of a helicopter and saw it pass overhead. I thought we might be saved, but all they did was open up on the zombies surrounding the poor guy from the third floor. He made a run for it and we both jumped into a nearby car. He hot-wired the car and we both discovered the car had been drained of gas. Crap.

I heard of the sound of glass breaking. Not long after we see Channel 8 running around the corner of the hospital, still holding his chair. Behind him lumbered a few bullet ridden zombies. Those suckers are hard to put down for long. My new friend in the car said his name was Vlad and I caught of hint of his Russian accent. I also noticed the bite on his shoulder. That could mean trouble later. We both leaped from the car and decided to hightail it to the police station. We were going to need some serious firepower to survive for long here.

About that time I see the guy in the hospital gown come out from behind the far corner of the hospital. He was running too. He was still carrying his fire extinguisher, but had also picked up a knife. I knew that guy would find a way to survive. As we all ran to the police station, I found out his name was Bill O’Malley. Looks like the lot of us are going to try to make out of here together.

One thing is for sure though. I’m going to make it.

Harry Babcock