AtoZ2014: Zipper

Zipper

Carmen heard Doug screaming for help at the door and ran to the entrance. She was stopped short by the armed guards who barred her from entering the small outer alcove.

“You’ve got to let him in!”

“We’ve got to make sure it’s safe first,” the man said through his face mask. He pushed Carmen aside and into the waiting arms of one of the other men. The guards opened the inner doors, stepped through clicking the lock into place behind them.

Carmen could hear them through the wood, getting reading to open the outer doors, as she played with the zipper on her sweater absentmindedly. She hoped they’d be able to get Doug inside safely…

***

Doug turned to scan the area behind him when he heard the activity on the other side of the double doors. In a state of shock he watched the horde round the church’s gates, hearing their cries of success. He was in their sites and there was nothing he could do about it.

Having thrown caution to the wind, Doug had led them right back to the church, threatening the safety of all inside.

“You’re going to have to leave!”

The voice came from beyond the pane of wood, startling Doug into turning back around.

“What?”

“You need to leave. We can’t open the doors with this many of them out there,” the voice tried to reason with him. “If you don’t lead them away, they’ll do whatever they can to get inside.”

Through his haze of panic, Doug knew what he was saying was true, but that didn’t stop him from wanting to escape the oncoming horde. “Where am I going to go? I can’t outrun them all night!”

On the opposite side of the door, the men shared a look before one answered, “You’re going to have to try. This door isn’t opening and if you want to die right there, so be it.”

Shocked at the answer, Doug whirled around again. Spying a break in the yard’s fence, he ran for it, knowing it was his only chance. He wondered if he would ever see his wife again, kiss her smiling face, but had to stow the feeling of sadness that overwhelmed him in order to run. There would be time later to think of sentimental things, but now was the time to run…