Time seemed to stand still as Arden, Cory, and I all looked between each other trying to figure out what the hell we were supposed to do.

If those things got in here it was game over for all of us, but it wasn't as if we had many options to prevent it from happening.

The sound as one of them once again threw its body against the door seemed to pull everyone from their own  thoughts.

"We have to leave." Cory said as he eyed the door warily. "I don't know how long that door is going to hold."

Arden looked between the door and Cory with wide eyes. "Leave?! And go where exactly? If you hadn't noticed more of those things are outside. The only thing keeping us safe right now is that door."

"And what happens when they break it down? What'll be protecting us then?" Cory shot back.

Arden bit her lip nervously as she too now eyed the door warily.

The sound as it slammed its body against the door for the fourth time now was almost deafening but it wasn't loud enough to drown out the sound of the wood splintering under its weight.

Cory was right. That door wasn't going to hold for that much longer.

"How do we get out of here if our only exit is that door?" I asked the question that up until that point nobody had bothered bringing up.

"There's a window downstairs in the bathroom. It should be big enough for us to all climb out."

There was another bang and the telltale sound of the wood giving way.

"We need to move. Now."

With that we were hurrying through the store and towards the stairs. Once we reached them Cory let Arden and I pass by him first so he could close the door that led to the basement.

I didn't bother telling him that if those things broke through the first door, the second one would do very little to stop them.

Cory caught me looking at the door and shrugged his shoulders. "It'll buy us a little more time."

Yeah, but would it be enough?

Once we reached the bottom of the stairs, Arden quickly called out to the rest of the group.

"We have to leave now!"

Marie who had been laying peacefully in her sleeping bag with Danny sat up quickly and looked between all three of us with worried eyes.

"Why, what's wrong?"

"They found out we're here and they're trying to get inside." Cory said as he rushed to start gathering their belongings.

"But the door should keep them out shouldn't it?" Marie asked as she cast a worried glance up at the stairs.

Cory stopped packing long enough to look Marie directly in her eyes. "I don't know but I don't want to sit here and wait around to find out."

This seemed to spur her into action because the next thing I knew she was up and throwing both her and Danny's things into a back pack.

While everyone was busy getting their things together I rushed over to my dad.

"Dad do you think you're able to walk?" I asked as I eyed him nervously.

He had just woken up from a concussion just moments ago. Now he was going to have to run for his life.

"Don't worry about me. Whatever I have to do to stay alive and by your side, I'll do it."

I gave him a weak smile and nodded.

In no time everyone had what little they had managed to keep with them through this shit show packed and on their backs.

"Everybody ready?" Cory asked as he looked at everyone in turn.

He was met with silent head nods.

"Then let's get moving."

We all followed him into the bathroom where right above the toilet sat a small window that lead out onto the street.

Because we were in the basement in order for the window to let in sunlight from outside, it was placed near the ceiling.

Cory turned to look at us. "I'll have to climb out first and then I can help pull everybody through."

Everyone nodded once again and we watched in silence as he climbed up onto the back of the toilet, pushed the window open and started to climb out.

It was definitely a tight fit but with some effort and maneuvering he made it out.

Arden quickly passed him his bag before turning back to look at us.

"Okay, Danny you're next."

Danny, who hadn't uttered a single word throughout this whole thing quickly shook his head and held on to his mom's hand.

"I'm not going without my mom."

Marie quickly bent down so she was at eye level with him and cupped his face in her hands.

"I'll be right behind you. What I need for you to do now is be brave just like we talked about, okay?"

Danny who now looked like he was on the verge of tears nodded before taking a deep breath and stepped forward.

Arden helped him climb up so he was on the back of the toilet and as promised, Cory reached his arms down through the window and grabbed Danny's outstretched ones before pulling him up and out. Given that Danny was much smaller and weighed much less than the rest of us he had a much easier time getting out.

Arden turned and faced my dad this time.

"Okay Michael. It's your turn."

He looked at me and opened his mouth like he was ready to protest but I shook my head.

"Dad you're going next. Don't argue. It'll only waste time that we don't have."

With a resigned look on his face, he let Arden help him climb up onto the back of the toilet, grimacing as he strained the injury on his back.

Cory reached down and I watched as the veins in his arms became visible as his muscles flexed as he had to use a lot more of his strength this time to help pull my dad through.

For his part, my dad tried to climb through the window on his own but with his injury he ended up having to rely heavily on Cory's own strength to get him out.

It took a lot longer than Danny, but after one final pull my dad made it through.

That left only us three.

I gave Arden a look as soon as she turned to look at me.

"Don't even try it. You're next."

Without giving her time to argue I was pushing her up onto the back of the toilet.

Like a well oiled machine Cory had his arms through the window and waiting for Arden to grab onto.

She only cast me one worried look before she shimmied her way through.

I turned to face Marie ready to tell her she was next but she threw my own words right back at me.

"Don't even try to argue with me because I'll win. I'm a mother after all." She offered me a wry smile.

Well, I couldn't really argue with that.

I turned back towards the toilet intent on getting out as quickly as possible so we could get Marie out and be on our way.

I had just placed my foot on the back of the toilet when a significantly louder crash from upstairs was heard.

I looked at Marie with wide eyes before turning to look up at Cory who was looking down through the window with his own worried expression.

They were inside.

"Give me your hands." There was no room for argument in his voice so I quickly
reached up and let him grab my hands.

With a small jump and a pull my upper body was out of the window. Just as Cory braced himself to pull me the rest of the way through, another loud crash could be heard, this one definitely louder and definitely closer.

Against my better judgement I turned just in time to see Marie slam the bathroom door shut. It was at that time that Cory pulled me the rest of the way through.

Without uttering a word Marie quickly passed me my bag and then hers before climbing up onto the toilet herself. I could just barely see the top of her head.

Just as Cory crouched down and stuck his hands through the window another loud bang could be heard.

They were trying to get into the bathroom now.

Marie reached up and Cory quickly grabbed hold of her hands.

While Marie couldn't weigh much more than 120 pounds, Cory's strength was obviously sapped from lifting not only himself, but four other people out of a tiny window. As a result, when he tried to pull Marie through, he almost lost his footing and instead of pulling her through he dropped her back down.

"Shit!" He cursed as he reached down for her hands again.

Knowing that he wasn't going to be able to do it by himself I hurried and placed myself behind him before wrapping my arms around his waist.

Feeling my arms around him, he quickly looked over his shoulder at me but I didn't give him time to ask any questions.

We were out of time.

"Don't worry about it. I've got you, so you get Marie."

Understanding my intentions Cory turned back to Marie. Just as he gripped her hands, I felt Arden come up behind me and wrap her own arms around my waist.

Just like Cory had, I glanced over my shoulder at her in question and she offered me a determined smile.

"Team work makes the dream work and all that jazz right?" She said and shrugged her shoulders.

I turned back around and braced my feet and tensed my own muscles as I felt the ones in Cory's back do the same.

"Okay, Marie. On three." He said after a deep breath.

"One... two... three!!!"

With a harsh tug and a lot of groaning (mainly from me) half of Marie's body was up and out of the window... At the same time that the sound of the bathroom door crashing open was heard.

A terrified scream left Marie's lips and Cory used what was left of his strength to quickly pull her the rest of the way through and not a second too soon either. The moment Marie's foot has crossed the windowsill the jaws of one them appeared, snapping and frothing.

Everyone took several steps away from the window as we watched all four of them try and fight their way through the window.

"Mom!"

Realizing that his mother was safe Danny quickly rushed to her side before wrapping his arms around her lower half.

Feeling her son's arms around her she almost sagged in relief.

Marie looked up and looked at Cory, Arden, and I in turn with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you." She said, her voice just above a whisper.

"Don't thank me just yet. I don't know how long it's going to take them to realize that they can't get through that window and all they have to do is go back out the way they came, but I don't want to be here to find out."

"Agreed." Arden said as she slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Let's get moving then."

"Where are we going?" I asked as I adjusted the straps of my own bag across my back.

"Somewhere safe."

"And where is that exactly?"

Cory looked at me for a long moment
before answering.

"I don't know yet."

***