As Mateo ran from the creatures, he slammed into the side of a car to force himself to a sudden stop, then dropped to the ground and slid underneath. He moved so fast that his knees scraped on the hard asphalt. As he lay on his back, he squeezed himself deeper underneath, away from the edges of the vehicle. The metal undercarriage was just inches above his face and his chest, and the gritty, oily ground scraped his elbows as he continued to wiggle himself farther away from the creature's hands.
Above him, he felt the impact as two other creatures slammed their heavy bodies into the car, making the whole frame shudder. As he looked to his left from underneath the car, he saw the creature's feet shuffling and scraping on the asphalt. Their snarls and growls got louder, echoing through the car, and their fists pounded on the doors and sides, making the whole vehicle shake above Mateo as he lay underneath.
As Mateo shifted his focus to his feet, he saw one of the creatures dropping to its knees and starting to reach towards the bottom of the car. Its dirty hand clawed at the space beneath the bumper, but couldn't grab anything. Its wild eyes were locked on him, and for a second, it looked like it might try to crawl under the car too.
To keep himself from the creature's grasp, Mateo tried to bring his knees to his chest, but there was no space, so he bumped his knees into the vehicle's undercarriage. Instead, he spread his legs out wide, kind of like a frog on his back, and tried to wiggle himself farther away from the creature's hand. Every time he moved, his back scraped against the gritty ground. The pounding and the creatures clawing for him filled Mateo with so much fear that his whole body became tense. His chest tightened with panic, and every breath felt shaky and thin, like he couldn't get enough air no matter how hard he tried. He wanted to scream, but all that came out was a shaky and scared whimper he couldn't hold in. His hands were shaking so bad he almost lost his grip on the ground, and his mind kept spinning with one thought: I can't let it grab me. I can't. Tears filled his eyes, and before he could stop himself, he whispered, "Mom, help me. Please."
Then, out of the corner of his eye, Mateo saw another creature drop to its knees. Its face pressed up against the bottom of the car, trying to get to him. He watched as its mouth opened and closed, with its teeth snapping together. It kept clawing at the ground, trying to drag itself closer. Another one followed, and their fingers almost brushed his left arm.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed the opposite shoulder of his jacket. For a second, Mateo panicked. He was sure one of the creatures had him. He yanked his arm away and let out a short, panicked scream before he could stop himself. His heart was pounding as he whipped his head around and saw Isabella's face on the other side of the car, with her eyes wide and scared. Still, she was reaching for him, trying to pull him away from the creatures.
"Mat," she uttered, barely making a sound. "Come on. Now."
Mateo's whole body trembled. He tried to crawl toward Isabella, but the creatures' hands kept getting closer, almost grabbing him. His scraped knees burned as he dragged himself over the asphalt, while Isabella's grip tightened and she yanked him out just in time.
He slid free as the creatures howled and thrashed. Their arms are still trying to reach under the car. Mateo's face twisted in pain, with tears streaking his cheeks, but he clamped his mouth shut and bit down on his fist to keep himself from making a sound.
Isabella pulled him to his feet. While she was breathing hard and her hands were shaking from pulling him from the car, she crouched down and looked straight at Mateo. Then, after taking a quick breath, she whispered, "I got you." He didn't say anything. His eyes were glassy, like he wasn't all there.
Isabella gave him a slight shake to snap him out of it and repeated herself. "I got you." Still, no answer and no reaction. Isabella becomes perplexed, as if she is dealing with a puzzle she cannot solve. She felt lost, like she was facing a puzzle she couldn't solve. The creatures kept growling under the car, snapping her back to the moment. She stood up fast, squeezed Mateo's hand, and pulled him into a quiet trot, trying to move quickly and silently so they wouldn't draw the attention of the other creatures.
They moved in a crouched run, weaving between parked cars. Every time they stopped to catch their breath behind a bumper or door, Isabella glanced back at Mateo, still holding his hand tight. She kept searching his face, hoping to see something change in his eyes, but he just stared ahead, lost. Each time, she squeezed his hand a little harder, trying to bring him back.
They ducked behind the last car between them and the entrance to Bullseye Mart. Isabella crouched low and looked around, checking for any creatures nearby. She stared at the Mart's broken doors, trying to see as much as she could inside, searching for any sign of danger. All I have to do is cross the street, she told herself. Just get across, and we'll be inside.
She looked at Mateo again. He still seemed completely blank, his face empty and his eyes glazed over. What's wrong with him? Isabella wondered. Why isn't he saying anything? Why won't he even look at me? She caught herself, gave her head a quick slap on the side, and forced herself to focus. "Get us inside first," she told herself. Figure out Mateo after. Right now, just get inside.
Just as Isabella was about to move, she heard a sudden scraping sound getting closer. As she looked a few cars behind them, she spotted a crawler. It was growling and dragging itself across the pavement, heading straight for them. She turned to get ready to dash toward the entrance of Bullseye Mart and saw two more creatures wandering near the doors, slowly dragging their feet in what looked more like habit than purpose. She looked back at Mateo, who still wasn't moving, just staring at nothing, then pressed her back against the car, holding onto him, with her mind racing.
The crawler was still dragging itself closer. If she waited, the crawler would get to them. If she moves out, the ones by the entrance might spot them. She needed a plan, and she needed it now.
Isabella led Mateo in a circle around the cars, staying on the far side away from the crawler and the Mart entrance. Just as they pressed their backs against the window of another car, a creature suddenly sat up from the inside and smashed its face against the glass. It started banging on the window, making both kids jump and let out a startled scream. The loud noise drew the crawler's attention, and now the couple of creatures that were by the entrance turned their way. Isabella had to think fast. Either use the chaos to slip past while the creatures are distracted by the sound, or double back and find new cover before they're spotted.
As the creatures crowded around the car and continued pounding, Isabella spotted an opening. She leaned down to Mateo and whispered, "Stay close." Keeping low, she grabbed his hand and pulled him along. They dashed across the open space, with their hearts racing, trying to stay as quiet as possible. Just as the creatures by the entrance were shuffling towards the noise, Isabella and Mateo slipped through the broken doors of Bullseye Mart, barely making it inside before anyone noticed.
As the kids entered the Bullseye Mart, the silence inside was so deep that Isabella could hear her own heartbeat. The air was thick and sour, with the smell of rotten milk, spoiled meat, and something much worse. It was so strong, she could taste it in the back of her throat.
To her right, the shopping cart corals were jammed with carts, with some overturned and in the middle of the way. Further right, the grocery section looked like a war zone: fruits and vegetables were knocked over by the shelves, boxes and cans were scattered everywhere, and there were puddles of various liquids. Not sure if it was milk, soda, or blood. Some of the freezers stood open, with their contents melted and reeking. To her left, the checkout lanes were trashed, with some cash registers on the floor, conveyor belts covered in some dry liquid, and abandoned shopping bags full of items on them and around on the floor.
There were bodies all over the store. Some were whole, but most were not. To her left, there was a man in a red vest slumped against a checkout lane, with his head caved in, and brains and bone splattered across the floor. Further in, a woman's arm stuck out from under a pile of boxes, her hand was twisted, and its fingers seemed to be broken. Blood trails led everywhere; some looked dried, while others looked fresher and almost black. Parts of people, such as feet, a chunk of scalp, and a piece of a jaw, were scattered like trash.
Every step she took crunched on dirt, broken glass, and bits of rubble. She had to step over a stuffed animal, a little bear, with its fur matted and crusted with dried blood. Nearby, she saw a baby bottle rolled on its side. The formula inside had most likely gone sour. And close by, she saw a stroller flipped over on its side, with a baby blanket draped across it, stained in dark red. The sight made Isabella's stomach twist.
Up in the ceiling, the lights flickered, buzzing and popping.
Isabella crouched down to Mateo's level, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mat, we need to get some supplies. Food, water, anything we can carry. Then we're getting out of here and going back to the van. I promise. Together. Okay?"
Mateo looked up at her, his eyes clearing for the first time. His jaw tightened, and in a hoarse, angry whisper, he said, "You left me."
Isabella shook her head, reaching for him. "Mat, I—"
"You left me!" he said again, louder this time. "You left me!" His voice rose with each word, echoing off the empty shelves. He yanked his arm out of Isabella's grip and took off running, his footsteps slapping the dirty floor as he disappeared deeper into the Mart. Towards the back, through the clothing section.
"Mat!" Isabella called with a sharp, but desperate whisper that bounced off the walls.
Suddenly, somewhere deeper in the Mart, Isabella heard things shuffling and bumping around, like shelves rattling and carts scraping the floor. Then came a low, angry growl and the sound of heavy footsteps getting faster, coming straight toward her. Whatever it was, it was moving from a slow jog to a full-on sprint, crashing into anything in its way.
The realization sent a chill up Isabella's spine. Mateo was gone, and now she was truly alone, with one or more creatures running right towards her location.