The Cleansing

Supplies

--Supplies--

About two hours later the power went out. The lights went out and the TV turned off. A couple women yelped in surprise. The room was bathed in darkness the only light coming from sunbeams piercing the gaps in the barricaded windows. Bruce gathered everyone up in the congregation room and attempted to calm everyone again. They were in the dark and the doors were being continuously pounded on by the ravenous corpses of the people outside that obviously wanted to kill everyone inside. Morale was not good. Bruce did his best but it was to little avail. They spent the whole day huddled inside the church hoping the zombies would go away. They did not.

It was soon evening and it was getting dark inside the church. Nobody had anything that could emit a light save the occasional cell phone but people were reluctant to use them for light as they were all repeatedly calling everyone they'd ever met. Mostly without success. Nick still had his cell phone but he'd turned it off when the power went out. He'd save the battery as much as he could he figured it'd be useful later when everyone else's was dead.

Most of the people gathered had their belongings outside in their cars, many of which would have been useful, but nobody had brought them inside because they did not plan to stay at the church. There was very little food also. The Fridge in the kitchen was without power and the only food inside it was a bit of ham left over from one of the churches recent pot lucks.

“Well we can't just stay here” Said Marie to some of the other women near her but loudly enough to be heard by everyone. “We may as well just open the doors and let them get us now if we're just going to starve.” She had black hair and her forehead was wrinkled in a permanent worried expression. Though Nick had just met her he had the impression that she was far from an optimist. She was at the church with her husband, a short stocky bearded man, and her two children a young boy of six and a girl of fourteen. She went back to using her indoor voice with the other women all of whom had worried expressions on their faces.

“Why'd she do that shes gotta know its just going to depress everyone” Nick said to Cassie who was sitting next to him on one of the pews in the congregation room. “Ugh I hate her. She's always so damn depressing.” Nick was surprised to hear Cassie Swear. Not expecting such language from someone who went to church as much as he assumed she did. “She does have a point though, I mean what are we supposed to do without food and stuff?” Cassie Reasoned. “We'll die in here eventually without any.” “Not all at once though!” Said a boy who was sitting behind them who'd obviously been listening to their conversation. He hoped over the pew and sat next to Cassie. “You ever hear of the Donner party?” He asked. “Ugh god Davie not now I really don't want to hear your stupid stories.” “The Donner party?” asked Nick. “Oh good now you've got him started.” Davie delighted that someone had taken interest in something he had to say. He was a short kid fairly overweight but not excessively so. He looked to be about Cassie's age Nick guessed about sixteen.

“They were a group of family's that got stuck in a snow storm and stranded without supplies. In the end they drew straws and whoever had the shortest straw... they ate!” Nick recoiled with disgust. “Stuff like that really happens?” he asked. “Thats wrong on so many levels.” Nick concluded. “Where do you even learn these stupid stories anyway?” Cassie asked. “history channel... I like history and stuff Its just interesting to me.” “Well not to me I don't really want to think about eating people right now. Thats what the news was saying those... things were doing” Cassie said as she scooched away from Davie some and looked in the other direction.

Nick leaned back in the pew and thought as he stared up at the ceiling. They had to get some food or they really would die in their. “Hey, how do you get up into that bell tower?” Nick asked Cassie. “Why?” She asked suspiciously. “So we can look around see how many of those things are outside between us and the cars full of stuff.” “Your not actually thinking of going out there are you? You saw the news the military couldn't even handle those things what are you gonna do!?” “Well I'm not gonna become a cannibal because we can't get at the food in the cars just outside.” Nick said with more resolve then he'd expected. Cassie eyed him suspiciously for a moment then shrugged. Alright its this way.

They walked out of the congregation room into the gym and up a staircase at the edge of it. Davie followed them. “Are you sure we can go up here without an adult?” he asked. “I'm 20 that makes me an adult right?” Nick replied. “Besides its not like we're taking a stroll out the front door we're just going up the tower to look outside.” They reached the top of the staircase to find the door to the outside open. The climbed into the bell tower to find Bruce already their. “Come to check the odds too?” Bruce asked without taking his eyes off the zombies in the parking lot. “Those two keep at the door constantly. The other two just circle the building over and over. Sometimes they stop at the windows but they haven't attacked em yet.” “I wonder why not.” Said Nick. “I don't know but I'm glad. Those barricades won't hold up nearly as well as the metal doors they're pounding on.” “The news said they'd try other stuff eventually though. We've gotta do something soon.” said Cassie

“The news also said they could be killed.” Said Nick. “They can't get to us so long as we stay on the roof. Lets just get some heavy stuff from inside and see if we can kill them from up here. Then we could get to the cars and see about bringing stuff inside. Or maybe even leave for somewhere better.” “I don't know” Said Bruce contemplatively. “Look its not like their human right? Or not live ones anyway and besides they'd kill us if they got half a chance just look.” Bruce looked down at the door and the two zombies still throwing themselves at it. Ones shoulder had been badly broken in the onslaught and the bone was showing through. Still it hit the door again and again. Then he turned and looked at Cassie. “Alright we'll have to tell the others though.”



“We can't Just kill people!” Marie exclaimed incredulous. “Those things aren't people didn't you see the newscast?” Said Bruce. “I'm not sure whats going on here but they aren't dead they can't be. They're running around walking that means they aren't dead! So their people... crazy people and so murdering them would be a sin!” “Even if they were people” Said Nick from his pew across the congregation room. “and they aren't. We'd just be defending ourselves thats not murder I'm sure god would be okay with it.” She glared at Nick for a long moment. “Who are you anyway why are you even here?” She asked loudly growing more angry. “I'd never seen you at church before.” “He's with me Marie and thats really not the point of this conversation.” Said Bruce. “Maybe we should hear them out.” said Marie's husband sitting next to her on the pew. She looked at him with a disgusted expression on her face. “You too? Well I'm certainly not going to be a part of this Sin!” With that she stood up in a huff grabbed her children by the hands and took them out of the room. Marie's husband sighed and put his head in his hands. “Assuming you do manage to kill the ones outside who's gonna go out to the cars?” The room was silent for a moment. “I'll do it.” Nick said before really thinking about it. “My plan I'll go.” Bruce frowned. It looked as though he'd been expecting that. “Alright then lets look around for anything heavy.”

CRASH! The glass shattered in the stained glass window to the front of the congregation room beside the giant cross. The barricade was holding but the zombie had started screaming and tearing at the wood. A few people screamed and most ran out of the room. Bruce pushed the podium over to the window and leaned it up against the largest piece of wood making up the bulk of the barricaded bracing it. “That won't hold forever we need to kill these things soon” Said Nick as he walked up to Bruce. “Agreed” He said CRASH! Another window across the congregation room another zombie tearing up a barricade. They ran out of the congregation room the frenzied screams of the dead the only thing they left in it. They closed the doors that led to that half of the church and turned to find the gym full of terrified people.

Cassie and Davie pushed their way through the crowd. “Here!” she said as she heaved a 30lb dumbbell into Nicks hands. “We've got all the weights from when John started that fitness group” “Good!” Said Bruce. “That'll be useful good job you two” Davie was overjoyed at being helpful. “Have you got any rope?” Asked Nick. “Otherwise we'll only get one shot with each weight.” “Rope... rope... rope....” Cassie thought out loud. “Rope!” With that she ran into one of the Sunday school rooms. She came back out with a tether ball rope and a regulation volleyball net. “Wow you guys really like your sports here.” Said Nick not remembering anything that extracurricular at his old church. “Lets get started before they get inside!” Said Nick. Several people grabbed the various weights and they all climbed the stairs. Once on the roof they climbed out of the Bell tower and onto the roof itself.

“Its fairly steep so be careful not to fall off” Said Bruce as he set foot onto the slanted, shingled roof of the church. Nick imagined himself rolling down the roof and falling onto the ground before getting mauled to death by zombies. He walked down to the edge of the roof very carefully. Cassie and Davie stayed in the tower and tied ropes (parts of the volleyball net they'd taken apart.) to various weights.