They Call Me Daring

Chapter 19

"They're what?!" I practically shouted. I grabbed the sunglasses off Clark's face and desperately squinted at the distorted reflection of my eyes, trying to put off the discoloration as the tint of the glasses.... But my eyes had turned an unmistakable, glowering shade of red.
"No, no, nonono," I muttered. "It's only been five days... not yet, not yet... no, no, nononononono..."
"I thought you said you could control it." My father said darkly, and I shot daggers at him.
"What do you think I'm doing?" I snapped back. Clark raised an eyebrow at me in silent question, but I ignored it.
"Um, yes, well, we sort of have an agenda for today...."
"What?"
"Yes- well, Liam does, anyway." Clark added when my father looked confused. "The Doc needs you in the lab to run a few tests today, um, rooms need to be sorted out here and in the apartments, supplies needs to be transferred to the Y and the Hannafords, um, we need to break into the weapons stocks, which will be a challenge, because we've lost the key-"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," I waved my hands for him to stop. "Slow down. Where do I need to be?"
"Um..." Clark frowned. "Pretty much everywhere."
"Can I dress first?" I gestured at my blood-spattered, shredded T-shirt and jeans.
"Quickly." Clark agreed. I turned and dashed into the house.
People were just beginning to wake inside. They crawled out from under blankets and sleeping bags and even curtain, yawning, complaining, stretching. Obviously I was quite the sight, strolling through the hall with rather large gashes from zombie claws running down my shirt, my illuminated eyes shedding the dim interior with red light.
"Morning." I greeted them cheerfully, as they stared at me like I was some kind of freak. Which I was.
I stepped carefully around them, treading up the stairs and down the hall to my room. I laid my hand on the doorknob, and turned it. And then I remembered it was locked.
I swore and spun around, and jumped when somebody spoke.
"Too cool to sleep in your own room now?" Meg raised an eyebrow when she saw my clothes. "That's a good look for you."
"I locked my room last night, but now-"
"Where did you go last night?"
"Um..." I frowned. "It's kind of hard to explain."
"How did you get out if your door is locked?"
"What do you think windows are for?"
"What do you need in your room?" She asked without missing a beat.
I gave her a withering look. "Obviously not fresh clothes." I answered sarcastically.
"Want me to pick the lock?" Meg asked seriously.
I blinked. "Come again?"
"Do you want me to pick the lock to your room?" She asked again, speaking very slowly, as if to an idiot.
"Um, I guess?" I nearly asked.
"Move." She said immediately, and I pressed myself against the wall so she could get to the door. Before I could blink, she had pulled a slender metal pick out of her pocket and jammed it in the keyhole. She bit her lip in concentration as it clicked around inside, but didn't catch.
"Where did you learn to do that?" I asked after a moment.
She grinned devilishly. "How do you think we get supplies for the animals?"
"Oh, right." I blinked, remembered the meat she had brought to the gathering at the church. "Speaking of which...."
"Yeah, I'm already on it. You haven't eaten for over a day." She replied. The lock clicked, and my door creaked open. "I'm going over to my place today to feed and tend to the animals. We have some left over meat in the fridge- I'll see if I can grab some before I come back."
"Thanks. For everything." I added awkwardly.
"Yeah, whatever. Put on some new pants and get to where you need to be."
"Yeah, um, maybe later I can help you... feed your animals...." I added hopefully. She half smiled.
"Liam, you know as well as I do that wouldn't end very well." She added. "And besides... you've got more important things to do than feed on a couple of cows."
She smiled again and turned away. I turned back to my room and pushed the door.
"And Liam?" She called back, and I looked over my shoulder. "They need you. You know that, right?"
I hesitated. "Sure."