Chapter 11: Escape

The rain of fists continues to hit the stairwell door. Iñaki feels the vibrations in the soles of his shoes. Sofia is a statue in his arms and Rambo barks furiously.

Iñaki's eyes check every corner looking for an escape. Screams, barks, moans, vibrations..." think, think."

"Going down the stairs is impossible." Iñaki discards in his mind "going out the window too..."

"Shit!" he exclaimed.  "Go down, we have to go down!"

The roars of the reanimated grow louder as Rambo barks, snapping at the air, his saliva flying into the air.

"Relax," he says to himself, "breathe, breathe. How many ways are there to get down? The stairs...and the elevator. The elevator! Will it work? " Iñaki wonders, squeezing Sofia into his arms. "It is the only option."

"Rambo, get ready."

Iñaki approaches the door of the apartment. Dying groans enter his ears and run through every nerve in his body. Another step. Iñaki opens the door.

The noise is deafening but they have not yet managed to knock down the door to the stairs; their stench of death, however, consumes the air in the hallway.

Iñaki presses the elevator button with all his fingers. The lamp comes on. The mechanical engine comes back to life and produces the most beautiful sound Iñaki has ever heard.

CRACK! The door hinges absorb the force of knocks. The moans are heard closer. The elevator's not coming.

One hand goes through the opening, another...and another. Rambo growls.

"Rambo, no!"

The elevator door opens at the same time that Rambo starts running in the opposite direction. Barks and roars erupt in the hallway as more hands snake in.

"Don't move Sofia!"

Iñaki leaves Sofia in the elevator and goes after Rambo.

CRACK!

The dog moves closer and closer to the door, where entire arms are already protruding.

"Rambo!"

The door collapses. Hundreds of roars, growls and moans rumble in the hallway.

"Rambo!"

The can lift his ears and looks in Iñaki's direction with doubt in his eyes.

"Let's go!"

Rambo turns around and runs towards Iñaki. The zombies begin the chase.

"Sofia!"

The elevator door is locked and the girl is not next to him.

"Sofia! " Iñaki shouts with Rambo beside him.

The dead are coming.

"Sofia!"

Then the elevator door opens, and Sofia is inside with her finger on the button. Iñaki's eyes don't understand what they see but his legs don't care. He enters the elevator with Rambo and presses the <<0>> almost ten times per second.

The door starts to close. He lifts Claudia in his arms. The elevator trembles. A hand enters through the opening, and a gold ring captures the light and blinds Iñaki for a few seconds.

The door finally closes and the hand - without its owner - falls at his feet.