Max, Cherry, Bea, and Dani
Outpacing the shufflers behind them was no problem -- they were called shufflers for a reason. But the ones in front of them were another matter. They were slow, yes, but they had the benefit of less distance to travel. The best Dani felt she and the others could hope for was that they'd arrive at the duplex at the same time as the group of zombies. Arriving after would be a disaster.
If Dani had possessed any air in her lungs at that moment, she would have been swearing a blue streak. Instead she needed every last breath to keep going, no matter how much her lungs were burning. And when they at last reached the front yard it was just as she’d expected -- a handful of the shufflers staggered onto the grass at the same time.
“Keys,” she gasped, pawing at the bag that had been hitting her side during that whole sprint. It would just take her a few seconds to get the door unlocked, but was it time they had to spare?
Bea’s fingers felt numb as she fumbled for her keys and it was taking too long but finally they were out and she stabbed the key in. Too slow, they were moving too slow, but Bea shoved her way into the duplex all the same and yelled to the others to follow.
“Come on! Get in here!”
Max, still pulling up the rear, watched as both Bea and Dani spilled through the doorway but his relief was short lived. The zombies that had moved into the yard started approaching the open door but with Cherry a few steps ahead of him, they might make it. A shuffler lurched close to him and he juked to one side, slipping on the grass. He picked himself up and kept running.
“Go, go! I’m right behind you!” Max called to Cherry, watching her lithe frame run and weave through the mindless bodies that had invaded her home.
Cherry practically leapt over the threshold and into the front room, eyes locking briefly with her roommates who were safely inside. Behind her, she could hear Max following close behind. She allowed herself a moment to collapse onto her hands and knees on the floor as she sought to catch her breath, kneeling a few feet away from the door. But instead of the door slamming shut behind them, she heard a sickening thud.
She turned around as best as she could and screamed as she caught sight of a zombie stuck in the door, his arm horribly bent and misshapen as Max tried to get the door closed behind him. "You're not immune!" she yelled at him, instincts leading the way as she pushed herself to her feet. "I got it. Just get back!"