The clang of the crowbar hitting hard against the tile floor was what made Nicholas flinch, not the fact that Mattie was now screaming in his face. Surprisingly, he kept the calmest expression, which was most in part due to the fact that he'd just had to beat his mother's undead corpse to mush. The shovel fell lightly to his side, one hand holding on to the handle. The corners of his lips tugged downward slightly in a frown. "She [i]was[/i] alone," he lied, careful to put emphasis on the second word. Then, he turned his head and looked around. "Now where is she? She has a rifle. If there's a zombie in here wielding a rifle..."