Ethan, Chris, and Henry slept straight through from dusk until nearly midnight, finally dragging themselves out of bed at 11:50 p.m.
By then, Henry had fully recovered.
The three of them—plus one cat—made their way up to the rooftop.
The iron gate to the dorm's rooftop was still locked, untouched. No one else had been up here.
They pried it open with a barbell bar, slipped inside, and shut the door behind them.
Finding a clean patch of concrete, they lay down and waited for the Nine-Star Dipper to appear.
Right on cue, at exactly midnight, the constellation lit up the sky.
Having gone through this once before, they slipped into the rhythm quickly this time.
Pumpkin, curled up nearby, lifted her head and stared at the stars, eyes wide and unblinking.
That strange, pulsing energy began to seep into their bodies again, slow and steady.
Down below, thousands of zombies tilted their heads skyward in eerie unison. The night grew still.
