30 minutes ago. . .
After Tom had sent a plea for help to whoever was watching, he turned around and asked everyone to help him move the news counter table. He was pushing as best as his 50-year-old body would allow, and eventually, with the help of others, they were able to push it closer to the barricaded door to reinforce it.
After moving the desk, Tom looked at Jay who was being held by two other crewmen. "Jay, that is enough! Do you want us all to die here? Get it together now!" Tom's commanding tone helped Jay get his fear under control, until a sinister laugh came from beneath them, as if the floors had come alive. "Yes... hahahaha, everyone has to die; we are hungry!"
Jay's eyes widened with pure fear. "It's going to kill us; we have to escape now! The door! Open the door!" Taken aback by the sinister laugh, Tom said, "Jay, I'm scared too. But through that door is certain death. We have to get to the roof; help will come! We have to believe!" Lisa, gasping, lowered her hands. "Jay, believe in us. We'll all get out of here! Come help us get to the roof; we need everyone's strength."
"Okay, get off me. Let's get out of here," Jay said with determination. The two crewmen got up and helped Jay to his feet. Everyone made their way to the exit door that led to the rooftop. Jay and others began removing their makeshift barricade as they had done before. As they finally removed the last piece, they carefully opened the door to make sure nothing was in the stairwell.
Everyone began to make their way calmly to the stairwell while Lisa, Tom, Jay, and two others were the last. "JJ, Phil, let's use a few pieces of wood to block the door from the stairwell. That should slow them down, and maybe bring something to the roof to block the door up there too," Jay said while looking at Lisa and Tom, who were already in the stairwell.
"JJ, Phil, do you hear me?" Jay asked again, this time turning around. When he turned toward the door, he saw JJ lifted two feet off the ground with fingers through his throat and a thumb grasping the rest of his neck. Unable to speak, only fear was in his eyes before they went dim and his body went limp.
Phil was trying to fight the hand that grasped his neck, which was slowly crushing him. Unable to breathe properly, he kept throwing his elbow against the forearm of what was holding him until he too went limp and a crushing sound overtook a popping sound.
Between the bodies, Jay could see a pair of sinister glowing red eyes which only enhanced the large, inhuman smile below it. Jay was terrified. "R-Run... RUN!" he stammered.
"Not happy to see me? I am happy to see you!" it said, dropping the two bodies to the ground. Its eyes never left Jay's, but all Jay could see was the smile that seemed to say, "Wanna play?"
Tom and Lisa, unable to see what Jay had seen but believing the fear in his voice, started running up the stairwell while shouting, "Run! Faster!" to everyone above them.
Jay picked up a piece of scrap wood and ran up the stairs as best as he could. "Don't run; you may trip," the monstrously human-looking zombie spoke in pure sarcasm. It licked its fingers as if savoring the taste, its smile deepening as it began moving forward.
Jay had nearly caught up to Lisa and Tom, running up the stairs. They were only a floor away from the rooftop door. Jay thought to himself, "We're going to make it!" "Faster! Run!" he shouted. Lisa stopped and turned around, startled at the sudden shout. "Huh?" Jay came to a full stop to avoid running over Lisa. "Wha... why did you stop?... Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
Suddenly, Jay was pulled backward by the leg. His face slammed against the concrete step. His hands flailed until they grabbed the stairwell guardrail. "Help!" he shouted.
Lisa, unsure what to do, just looked at him. Tom, turning back, was able to see what was happening more clearly. Jay no longer had a leg. Tom grabbed Lisa's arm and pulled her up the stairwell while her face was fixated on Jay.
Jay looked at Lisa. "You said we'll be saved! You said so! You liar! Are you going to leave me? I'll kill you, Lisa... I'll kill y---"
Jay's voice was cut off, and suddenly a thumping sound, as if a ball were bouncing down the stairs, echoed all the way down the stairwell. Then a cackle of laughter erupted from where Jay had been. Tom, going through the rooftop door entrance with Lisa dragging behind him, turned around and slammed the doors shut, bracing against it.
The sound of the helicopter filled the air as Tom held fast against the door with others.