One by one, we get inside, fighting, and we wait for our turn. Bucky pulls me in as soon as it’s my turn. The bus shakes as the bloodies hit their bodies into it, and Finn operates the bus, pulling out some wires and connecting them together. As its engine starts, there’s a little excitement on his face.
“Get inside now!” he shouts.
Nathalie comes in and we both help Gwen and the other girls. Then, Mark and Bucky follow, offering a hand to the other ones. We help them take a seat each, now slightly aware of our surroundings. Yet I do notice the thickness of the bloodies is now.
“No! Wait!” I hear a familiar voice cry for help.
“I’m sorry, man.” I see Josh walking backward and pushing a button that closes the door.
“No. No! What are you doing? Ivan! Ivan!” Gwen screams, rushing toward the exit, hitting the door as she bawls.
My eyes bulge as I find her brother now part of the horde, tears in his eyes, his cries aches my chest. I gasp, in terror at what I’m seeing. I rush to Gwen as I demand, “Open the door!”
“Help! Gwen!” Ivan yells as he gets bitten on his shoulder, being dragged away from us. “Riley!”
“Open the door, Finn!”
“No, don’t!” Bucky yells across the vehicle, halting us from abusing the door. “It’s too late. They got him. I’m sorry, Gwen.”
“No,” Gwen mumbles, her mouth shivering as more tears come out of her eyes. She screams, “No! No! You can’t do this! It’s not too late! We have to get him! Riley, do something! Please! No!”
She continues hysterically slamming the door as she keeps saying the same words. Nathalie and Stephen pull her from it, forcing her to sit to calm down. Nathalie instructs her to take a deep breath which she does subtly. Her breathing remains irregular because of the sobbing.
Nathalie sits beside her and lets her put her head on her shoulder. She pacifies Gwen with teary eyes. Everyone is in tears.
I drop my head down, unable to do or say something. I’m sorry, I whisper to myself—for you and Ivan.
I look around, finding Josh wiping his eyes as he looks at me. His mouth moves as he speaks in no tone. I read his lips saying, I’m sorry.
No other voices are heard at the moment, now feeling the shaking and slamming the bloodies around the bus make. They know we’re inside. Finn hits the accelerator but our movement is slow. The thick horde stops the vehicle from running, and the wheels are fighting against the cemented ground as they roll.
Finn changes the gear and yet nothing is happening. “They’re too thick and strong! we can’t pass through.”
The shaking of the bus gets stronger, almost flipping onto its side. We yelp, struggling to stay balanced. A windowpane breaks from the back, and bloody arms make it inside. Katy screams as a hand almost grabs her, making her flee to the other side. The dog barks furiously, ready to jump over the window to attack. Mark strikes the bloodies’ hands off with a golf stick.
I thought that was it, but more glasses are cracking to break in any second, and the bloodies begin to climb onto each other.
“Hurry up, Finn!” Edward yells.
“I’m trying my best here!” He replies. Then another breaking sound. The window beside him opens, and more hands come through.
He pulls himself to the other side to avoid them as he tries to run the bus again. He growls in frustration.
Until we hear a roaring sound of an engine that comes out from the back of the bloodies.
“Is that… Patrick?” Ysa utters as she looks past the infected.
As it gets clear to my vision, Patrick makes the chainsaw make another rattling sound. The bloodies’ attention diverts to him and they start running away from us.
“Come and get me you leapin’ lizards! I’ve been waiting for this!” He shouts.
The bloodies roar, leaving the bus. Patrick murders them with his ultimate weapon.
“In the name of Betty the chainsaw, all you must perish with your bodies halved!”
We watch in awe, blood spurting out, staining his face, and yet he seems to enjoy it. I wonder why he’s got the spirit to sacrifice himself yet he always seemed to be the one who wanted to stay alive. I want to help him, yet the bloodies are too thick for me—or even him—to kill. I know what’s going to happen then, yet I’d always hate to know it. I can’t lose another friend today, but he’s made his choice. And his choice is to become a hero.
The bus finally runs, making notice there are no bloodies in our way anymore. They’re all around Patrick now. As we finally make our way out, we move to the windows to watch him make his montage, but what we see is the face of our friend with a fading smile, dropping the chainsaw from his hand, and then in the blink of an eye, he’s nowhere to be seen.