# 58

I hobbled down the makeshift stairs that supposedly move out automatically when the door is opened but these were only opening half way, leaving you with half the step to use. On a normal day it would be a piece of cake but with my knee being ground beef it was extremely hard to get down without looking slightly drunk. I looked back and watched to make sure I was locked out and then gave Leeya the signal to duck down. If whatever happened here was still going on I wanted whatever it or they were to think I was alone. I started to limp towards the gaping hole of a doorway and with a gun at the ready and my head mounted on a swivel so to speak I was prepared for anything. The entrance was pretty shelled out and I had to make my way through quite a bit of debris to get inside. There were chunks of drywall , pieces of what looked like cement blocks and glass everywhere. Just past it was the reverse side of the lobby and it looked somewhat untouched , if I wasn't previously here I would hardly notice it but the light over the front desk was hanging and flickering on and off. I looked around and for a second thought to call out for anyone but stopped myself. No telling if there is unfriendly's here and no telling how many if there are.

I made my way to the hall leading to the rooms we had all taken and walked very slow and deliberate. I didn't want there to be any accidental shootings in my direction if someone hiding from whatever did this thinks I'm the perpetrator. I leaned into the first room and whispered "Rusty, Fish, Fred, anyone ? " But nothing, not a peep. I walked into the room and looked for any sign of life but got nothing. Moving on to the next two rooms was the same thing. I then moved slowly back to the room that Fred and Unice had shared thinking they would still be here one way or the other he came here to be at peace and Unice wasn't in a traveling condition. I made my way behind the lobby desk and into the back room where they were staying. That was when I found Unice in bed wheezing desperately for a breath. I leaned down " Unice it's me what happened here ? " she looked over at me and faintly smiled and whispered in a failing voice "almost done here". I looked around for Fred but didn't see him and asked her again and she said "They took them and left me here, they didn't have the heart to kill me and didn't have the heart to take me." I looked down she was much like Leeya now with hazed silver eyes that were pupiless and pale skin that shown dark veins. I asked if she needed anything and she nodded no. She was making peace with the end and Fred wasn't here for her, whatever happened and whoever took them was going to pay for it. I didn't know Unice that well but I knew what was right.

I told her I would be right back and looked around a bit and found Fred in the bathtub tied up with what looked like injuries sustained from a beating. I pulled the rag from his mouth and gave him some water and he asked about Unice. I untied him and helped him over to her and watched them embrace. It was sad to watch and sweet at the same time, these two had found each other decades ago and were saying good bye after all that has happened. I patted Fred on the shoulder and got up and headed out to the lobby to look around and give them some privacy. I went to the pool area and found Brent floating face down in a pool of murk that lead me to believe he was bleeding from somewhere when he went for a dip. I hate to say it but I didn't miss that prick. I took the net for fishing things out and dragged him to the side and used it to roll him on his back while he floated. He had a sizable gunshot wound to the chest and was purple, a day at least I imagined he had been here. I leaned over and closed his eyes and pushed him back out into the pool. "Prick , you had to ruin the pool didn't ya" I muttered to myself.

I headed back to the opening and limped over to the RV to get Leeya. She opened the door when I was halfway there and came towards me holding a shotgun. "They all dead ?" she asked in a Dirty Harry sort of way. "Fred and Unice are inside , Brent is dead and the rest are missing from what I can tell". She smirked "Brent's dead huh, funny I didn't hear you shoot him". I leered at her "wasn't me he was offed a day ago at least, thanks for that" I shook my head. Leeya walked past me and into the Hotel's new entrance like it was fine. " Wait , Unice is dying in there we should leave Fred to his privacy with her". Leeya looked at me and smiled " Relax that bitch can't die she's like me, she only dies from a head shot now". And she continues to walk inside. I stood there for a moment and said " Wait you cant die?" And ran after her through the maze of debris. Leeya had two good legs despite the bite mark that looked to be 4 years old already even tho it was just a day or so ago.

"Wait up, when did you learn all of this?" I asked her. Leeya looked at me coldly and said "shoot me and see, why do you think my wrists didn't work? Do you think you saved me? You can't save me , no one can I'm half dead and waiting to be finished, like Unice". I looked at her and said " But Unice was so weak and tired she looked to be on her death bed". She said in a dry voice " she isn't on her death bed she is just hungry, hope for Fred's sake he isn't too close." My face fell and I rushed past her to the lobby to get to the front desk. I made my way around it and to the back room that lead to their apartment. I opened the door to their room and heard Fred screaming for his life with what little voice he had left. As soon as they came into view I could see Unice with a huge chunk of Fred hanging out of her mouth and Fred holding his throat while blood streamed from between his fingers. He only struggled a little then stopped and went limp. Unice ignored me and headed right for Fred and started to feast on him. "Unice what the fuck are you doing ?" I yelled and she turned to me and started to move at me with an old ladies walk and a demonic hunch that creeps me out just remembering it.

She got as close a foot from me and I apologized to her , making her stop for a moment and give a look of confusion while blood was drooling from her mouth. "BOOM i let the round fly out of my barrel and Unice swung backwards into a heap next to Fred's legs. Most of her face was stuck now to the wall behind her and she stopped moving instantly. "Told you she wasn't dead" Leeya murmured from behind me as she stood there with her gun fixed on Unice. " Wait tho she isn't done yet" she announced. Unice started to move again , holy crap Leeya was right. "You didn't hit her in the brain that won't do" she said matter of factly and blew Unices head clean off, all that was left was a neck with a water bubbler of blood coming out of it. "Now shes good" Leeya said and walked off. Where am I?

I moved to Fred and he was done as done but had a note in his hand. I pulled the note out of his hand and unraveled it while keeping my eyes fixed on him "Sorry we will try and get back" is what the note said , it was in Fish's hand writing , he could barely spell. They left why would they leave? This makes less sense. I asked Leeya to come back but she was no where to be found. I got up and started to search for her and then I found her, she was in the pool up to her waist walking towards Brent's body. "Leeya what the hell are you doing?" I asked. She looked at me and said "If you don't want us to end up like Fred and Unice your going to have to accept this about me baby, I'm just too hungry and your so warm". With that statement she leaned over and took a bite out of Brent's arm. I aimed my gun at her "Leeya stop don't do this please don't" I said in desperation. She calmly looked back at me with blood on her lips " don't do what be me? I thought you had my back? I thought you would never give up on me? Is this it? you giving up already?" I looked into her hazed eyes and lowered my gun while she took another bite. I leaned back to a chair and fell into it. Can she be saved? Is it too late? Is what Unice just did to Fred the end of us in the short term future? I couldn't shoot Leeya she was still there somewhat, just not herself. I cringed at the thought of her realization that she ate part of Brent she seems to be aware of what she is doing just unable to stop it. She is gonna be so sick later. Sicker than I was now.

I sat and held my head in my hands with my gun at my side and just tried to not look. About ten minutes later I felt a cold hand on my neck and opened my eyes while facing down between my hands to see two pale feet dripping with water in front of me. "If your going to kill me do it now Leeya because I can't kill you" I said. She kneeled down next to me and started to lean into my neck, then I could feel her Brent breath on me and waited for her to sink in and she said "I would never kill you baby , why do you think I just had lunch".