I gaze out the windows of the shop, my friends and I are staying in. I hear people shout in the distance. The loud noise continued to screech out. I didn’t dare go out and investigate. I wanted to fight, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. I held my Katana in my hands, ready to fight if I had to. If the sound I heard came from a beast as big as the Cerberus, this Katana wouldn’t stand a chance.

The loud screeching sound was getting closer. Jill and the others woke up.

“What’s going on?” Mr. Sanders asked, looking towards me.
“Shh… Don’t talk,” I whispered.

I spotted a shadowy figure from a distance. It was huge. Appearing to be about six feet tall with tentacles or something. I couldn’t tell what it was, but I slowly backed away from the window and hid behind the counter in the middle of the room. As I looked over towards the window from the counter-top, I could see it advancing closer to the doors.

I could hear Jill whispering to the others from the bed. “Stay quiet,” I whisper back at them. I continued staring at the door as the creature stepped closer, and then turned the other direction, sauntering past our doorway, and kept going down the hall of the mall. My eyes were glossy as I spotted the creature. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it, but it looked like a panther of some sort, but with six legs and two tentacles sprouting from its shoulders. What a strange creature it was. Almost like it came from a scary movie or something.

“Why isn’t there anyone stopping this monster?” I thought.

Still hiding behind the counter, I start thinking of the Jackson’s next-door and what Hunter and Madison are doing in the other room.

When I figure the creature was far enough away, I moved quickly, but quietly over to the door and knocked on it softly. I waited for Hunter or Madison to open the door. I was certain they heard the noise. As I stood there, I looked toward the front windows and back at the door. I wonder why they aren’t answering the door. I did promise not to open it.

After about a minute, the door opened and Hunter came out. “My sister is freaking out,” Hunter whispered, “What is going on out here?”

“We’re not doing anything,” I whisper. “There’s a creature outside, in the halls.”

We heard the screeching sound again, but this time it sounded farther away. This is going to be a long night of not being able to sleep.

I held my Katana in my arms. I was ready to fight at any minute if that monster somehow got into the room.

“You know for a six-year-old, you sure are a bad ass with that, Katana,” Hunter told me.

“I’m not a five-year-old, I'm a sixteen-year-old, in a six-year-old body,” I complained.

Hunter looked confused. “What do you mean sixteen? You look like you're five.”

“She and I were originally sixteen, a week ago, around the time this whole zombie apocalypse began,” Jill mentioned, trying to help me out.

“I don’t get it,” Hunter laughed. “What do you mean?”

“It’s hard to explain,” I said. “But the whole zombie apocalypse all started, by one man.” I glance over at the whole group. “His name is George Russell. He’s a scientist from Mantri, Kansas. He created a formula that he believed would help a plague in Argentina. The people there were really sick. At first, it helped out, but eventually, it stopped and everyone that had the formula started dying. George was devastated about the whole thing. He was hoping to make millions for a cure.”

Hunter looked a little confused. “What’s this have to do with you being five...”

“Six,” I barked.

“Okay six,” Hunter grumbled. “What you're saying makes no sense on how you changed from sixteen to six.”

“I’m getting there. Just let me explain,” I argued. “George is my mom’s boyfriend. The day we moved into his house, I drank what I thought was a soda from his fridge. What I didn’t know was it was the formula.”

“Wait, you drank the formula that turns people into zombies?” Madison cried out, stepping out of their room. “Wouldn’t you also be infected?”

“No, the Isisraxtosa formula only caused those with that unknown plague, which caused them to turn into zombies when taken. Jill and I only got younger and turned into girls. It didn’t affect us.”

Wait,” Hunter laughed. “You two were boys?”

“That’s an amusing story, you were talking about,” said someone in the shadows.

“Whose there?” I yelled, glancing towards the sound.

The person in the shadows stepped forward and revealed who they were.

“Jamie?” I said in surprise. “How’d you get in here without us knowing?”

“Easy, when you were talking to Hunter, I just slipped in quietly through the door quietly. I only came here to talk about the creature you saw, but decided to listen to your story first. It’s amusing as I said.” She glanced over at the others and then back at me.

“It’s all true,” I said.

“I believe you,” Jamie smiled. “You said Isisraxtosa. I have heard of that name before. It was used for a cure here in Minnesota for a disease a while back.

“The formula came way up here as well?” I was confused. “I was told it only made it to Argentina.”

“Possibly George tried it here first, and it worked out well, that he tried it there as well.” Jamie laughed. “But I’m not surprised it turned people into zombies, because instead of being used on people, it was used in a vet.” Jamie stopped for a second and stared out the window. “Animals that took the vaccine died a few days later. But they didn’t really die, they came back to life, grew larger and mutated.”

“So that explains the Cerberus the other day and that creature a few minutes ago,” I said, stepping towards Jamie, and started looking out the window as well.

“That’s the whole point I came here,” Jamie stated. “I forgot to tell you our secret weapon.”

“Your secret weapon?” I yelled and then toned my voice. “You mean that thing is...”

“Yes,” Jamie interrupted, “She helps us out, especially at night, when everyone is asleep.”

“What sort of creature is that?” Jill asked, walking over to us.

A Dirlagraun,” replied Jamie, “Also known to those who play Dungeons and Dragons as the Displacer Beast.”

“Displacer what?” I laughed.

“Displacer Beast” Jamie looks at us angrily. We all look confused. “She’s my cat, okay!” Jamie cried.

“Oh,” I looked to the ground. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, she still knows who I am, and likes to sleep next to me at night, when she feels everything is safe.” She starts to laugh. “Although, she hogs the whole bed now. She used to only take a small spot.

Everyone laughs at her joke.

“I’m guessing everything is not safe since she is out.” Mr. Sanders clarified.

“No,” Jamie pointed out. “You heard that screeching noise earlier?” We all nodded. “That was not my cat… The noise you heard came from a small mutated bird which I call a Cockatrice, or what I believe used to be a cockatiel.”

“Is that another one of those creatures from the Dungeons and Dragons?” I asked.

“Yes,’ Jamie smiled. “We use the names from the game because we actually have no idea what they are. In fact, the Cockatrice appears almost identical to the ones from the game, which is told to be a dragon or possibly serpent-like creature with a rooster's head. That’s why we chose that name.

“I’ve always wanted to play that game,” I pouted. “But my mom would say no.”

“Wow really?” Jamie gasped. “You would have learned a lot, cause according to the game, the Cockatrice is supposed to kill its victims, bite them and turn them into stone.” We all looked scared. “Don’t worry, that doesn’t happen. Their bites just paralyze their attackers just enough, so they can eat them alive.”

Madison shivered.

“The first time I ever saw one, was just a few days ago. “Jamie continued. “I was walking with one of our soldiers when one came out of nowhere. He started attacking the beast and was bitten. He froze in his place. I was so terrified and hid from it. I saw the Cockatrice start devouring him. It was ripping him to shreds, piece by piece. There was a lot of blood and...”

“Please Jamie, children are listening,” Beverly scolded.

“I don’t mind, I like this type of stories, Jill giggled. I also agreed.

“Well, I sure don’t,” Madison argued.

“Oh, um… Well, I don’t know how they get in, but soon enough, we can fix that problem.”

“How did you get away?” I asked.

“My cat came to the rescue. For me, not for my soldier, he was already eaten.

“Oh no,” Madison cried.

“Don’t worry,” Jamie laughed, the Displacer Beast, is immune to its bite.”

“I was worried about your kitty, and now I am afraid of getting eaten alive.” Madison cried.

“Don’t worry, we will protect you,” Jamie promised. “We got better protection for the soldiers.”

“How do you know your cat is immune?” He asked.

“I had her test it out.” I was terrified that she would have died as well, but she was okay. Her tentacles are also very fast and were able to smash it to pieces.”

“Wow!” everyone said at once.

Jamie glanced at her watch. “It’s almost two in the morning, you better get some sleep. Breakfast is at eight” She leaves the room and heads off to her place.

“We might as well try to sleep.” Mr. Sanders said, gazing at me, Jill, Madison, Hunter, and even Beverly. “As Jamie said, that Displacer Beast will protect us.”

I watched everyone head to their beds, and then looked out the window, making sure nothing was nearby. I walked slowly to my bed and eventually fell asleep.

I wake up in the morning to the smell of sausage in the air, which I haven’t smelt since mom made it at the McDonald’s a week ago back in Mantri. It made me a little depressed thinking of that. I sit up in the bed, accidentally waking up Jill.

“Sorry,” I whisper.

“That’s okay,” Jill quietly replied. “I have got to get up anyway. I have to use the little girls' room.”

“So do I?” I said. “Where is it anyway?”

“I don’t know.” Jill mumbled, “This is a mall. Most likely in the halls, like they are usually.”

I got up and headed out the doors. As I look both ways, I could tell it was safe to leave the room. There was noise everywhere, as if the mall was active and ready for stores to open up. I giggle at the thought of that. Maybe someday the zombie apocalypse will be over, and this place would be a mall again.

As I walk down the hall, I could see stores. I could tell people lived in them. They decorated their windows for privacy. I could tell that some had kids by the way they painted the windows with hand prints. I think of our place. People can see inside it at the moment. I may have to find something to cover the windows.

As I walk further down the hall, I saw the washroom. Jill was right, there was the Men’s and Women’s washroom. I wonder where we could go for a shower. I sure could use one.

After I did my business, I noticed a bunch of people going down the hall. As curious as I was, I followed them. They went past our room and headed to what looked like a dining area. Some people were setting tables with cups and silverware. I guess this is where we go for meals. I wondered why they weren't setting out plates as well.

I walk over to the tables. A woman looks up at me and smiles.

“Where’s your mommy or daddy, little girl?” she asks me. I start to cry. Why did she have to bring up my mom? “Are you okay, little one?” She tries to comfort me.

About that time, Jill and the rest of my friends come over.

“There you are, Natalie,” Beverly says, heading towards me.

“This must be your daughter…um… granddaughter?” The lady said, getting up.

“She’s more of an adopted granddaughter,” Beverly says.

“My name is Martha.”

“Beverly.”

I’m Mr. Sanders, but you can call me The Colonel.”

“The Colonel?” Martha questioned. “As in Colonel Sanders, the chicken guy?”

We all laugh.

“I may almost look like him” Mr. Sanders laughed, “And I do make excellent chicken, but I’m not the real Colonel Sanders. He died way over One Hundred and Fifty Years ago.”

We all finished introduce ourselves and sat down at one of the tables.

People were starting to come in and stood in line. A man walks up to us.

“You must be new here,” he says. “You have to stand in line to get a meal.” We thanked the man and got up and head over to everyone else. By the time we do, the line is long. Why didn’t someone tell us this earlier?

By the time we got to the front, I was starved. For breakfast, they gave out bacon, eggs, and toast with our choice of jam. I chose raspberry. They also gave out grits, which was a treat for me, because I am used to having grits with my breakfast. Not many people got grits. I guess it’s not popular up here.

I sit down at the table and start to eat. A lady came along and asked us if we wanted milk or orange juice. I asked for milk and started looking out the window at all the zombies walking around the area.

It makes me wonder, with all the noise happening in the building, I am surprised by how they aren’t swarming. Can’t they hear us? I guess the zombies aren’t like the walkers on the Walking Dead after all.