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kitchen.<br />
Doris was still wringing her hands. “I can’t say I . . . we shouldn’t be talking about this.”<br />
“It’s okay,” Jill said, cupping her hand over Skeeter’s head until she had to bend over again and<br />
vomit into the bucket.<br />
Another window broke.<br />
I looked to Gary. “What is that hallway there” I said, gesturing to the open doorway on the other<br />
side of the kitchen. There were two his and hers bathrooms, and then an open doorway leading down<br />
a dark hall. “We may need another exit.”<br />
“Just to the stairs.”<br />
That caught my attention. “What stairs You boarded up windows but didn’t secure the upper<br />
level”<br />
Gary shrugged. “I don’t think they can climb.”<br />
“We’re in the house of the Lord!” Doris said. “I’m not going to let this happen! We don’t know<br />
what this is. Skeeter, Jill could get better!”<br />
Bob spoke for the first time. His voice was deep and raspy. “We know exactly what this is.”<br />
Everyone turned in the direction of Bob’s voice. He was sitting on a metal folding chair in the<br />
corner, where he’d been for the last hour. He’d perched his cane between his legs, resting his hands<br />
on the handle.<br />
His gray mustache twitched when he spoke. “This is nothing less than a goddamn tragedy.”<br />
“Bob!” Doris said, pretending to be offended.<br />
“Truth is, she’s just going to end up like one of those things outside, only she’ll be in here with<br />
us.”<br />
Glass crashed to the floor again, and this time a bone-c<strong>hill</strong>ing moan floated from the sanctuary into<br />
the kitchen.<br />
Bob’s eyes drifted to me, and then settled beside me about waist high. That was when I noticed<br />
Zoe standing just behind me. She sta<strong>red</strong> at her aunt Jill, her beautiful hazel-green eyes filling with<br />
tears for the umpteenth time that day. I wonde<strong>red</strong> if she would ever know happiness after today.<br />
I kneeled beside my daughter, trying to think of something cathartic to say, but words wouldn’t<br />
save Jill, and Jill being okay was the only thing that was going to make this hell somewhat tolerable<br />
for Zoe.<br />
A heavy thud sounded above us, and we all looked to the ceiling. Skeeter kissed Jill’s forehead,<br />
and then motioned for Doris to sit next to her as he grabbed his shotgun. Gary picked up his hammer. I<br />
gently pushed Zoe toward Reverend Mathis, and then followed my brother-in-law, Gary, and Eric<br />
through the doorway, and down the hall. Skeeter stopped at the bottom of the stairs, pointing his<br />
shotgun to the closed door at the top.<br />
Gary flipped on the light. “Maybe someone crawled onto the roof to get away from them and made<br />
their way inside”<br />
We heard slow, clumsy footsteps, and then something was knocked over.<br />
Eric took in a sharp breath. “They can’t climb, can they I’ve never heard of a zombie climbing.”<br />
“Why not They used to be human. Humans can climb,” Gary said, resituating the toothpick in his