192

"I don't like this. Time for us to go!" you holler. At your command, the survivors move through the Sanctuary toward the Gathering. Long creaks from the wooden doors squeal through the old Gothic church. An acrid odor flows through the area as the cool August air carries the stench of the living dead. An impenetrable darkness covers the room, drifting across like a spilled can of black paint. The pounding at the front of the Sanctuary, the discordant beat of many hands, pushes you to move everyone to a safer area.

"Are you sure we should abandon this place?" Mindy says as she sprints up to you, her SMG bouncing on its strap over her shoulder.

"We'll never survive here. We should leave now while there is a chance."

You are last to the Gathering where all are assembled, worn and ragged. You lead the group through the Gathering and stop at the foot of the stairs to the second story. You will never see your room again, nor share one of Uncle Lou's meals, or sit in your office again. The realization that you are leaving the Cathedral finally sinks in like zombie teeth.

"The only way out of here is through the Alcove," Mindy says.

Each way out of the Cathedral presents unique challenges all their own, while the zombies roaming the outer walls are a persistent problem.

"The Alcove is extremely secured now. It will take a while to dig through it," you say. "But it is doable."

"I thought no one worked on securing it since the raid?" Emma says.

"In the past few days, it was worked on," you say.

"We could go over the courtyard wall," Heather says.

"My only reservation with the courtyard wall is that it leads to a wide-open area where zombies could spot us. But those are our choices—the Alcove which will take a while to dig through, or climbing over the courtyard wall."