The End of Us

by D, Hannah

  “Thank you for letting me stay” Colleen said as she followed Simone to the shower.

  Nobody spoke for a few minutes after Simone and Colleen had left the room. Nobody knew what to do and Zoe thought that no one wanted to take responsibility on making the tough decision.

  “What do we do then?” Mike asked them.

  “Do we stay and fight or do we run?” Alice asked.

  “Where do we even run to? This place was a steal, where else could there be that has no skin eaters crawling all over the place?” Sue asked.

  “Literally nowhere I’m guessing. I’m stuck for ideas” John said.

  “This is such a nightmare. I thought we only had skin eaters to worry about, not other humans. The world really does seem to be ending” Mike said.

  “Jeff, I’m scared” Alex said.

  “It’s okay bud, no one is going to hurt you or any of us” Jeff said.

  Zoe knew that Jeff wanted to believe that what he said to Alex was true but Zoe could see in his eyes that he didn’t believe it. Jeff was also a little frightened. It was easy enough to kill skin eaters, they moved in the one direction, they just needed to be stabbed in the head to kill the brain once and for all and yes, they were dead, no longer human. However, to go and actively kill a live person was saying something else. Zoe didn’t know if they were capable of doing that, no matter how evil the person was.

  “Do we vote on it?” Mike had asked.

  Zoe had zoned out of the conversation everyone else was having. Apparently it seemed that everyone was split on what to do.

  “We’re just going to vote on our lives?” Sue asked.

  “There’s no other way, we’re all split on what to do” Mike said.

  “This is ridiculous” Sue said.

  “Mum, dad, please sop arguing. We should vote and see what everyone thinks” Arthur said to them.

  By this point Simone was back, Colleen was taking a shower.

  “We vote as a group, this one Colleen can stay out of since she’s just here” Jeff said.

  “Agreed so hands up if you want to stay” Mike asked.

  Mike, Sue, Sarah, Simone and Alex put their hands up.

  ‘Looks like little Alex is involved in a decision he doesn’t know much about, how diplomatic’ Zoe thought to herself.

  “Well there’s no point in asking hands up if you want to leave since it’s be the five of you which makes it equal amounts on each side. That vote didn’t exactly work then” Mike said.

  “Why would you all want to leave? It’s safe here” Sue said.

  “Not going to be safe for long with Brian and his group wanting to take over it mum” Arthur said.

  “I don’t want to be back out there with the skin eaters” Sue said.

  “I know mum but they’re easier to run from and kill than humans” Arthur told her.

  “I’m not leaving” Sue said firmly.

  This was not going to end on a decision anytime soon. They would be discussing and arguing about this for more than just today. They would probably be arguing about it when Brian and his group came to attack them.

  They were all trying to speak over each other when Colleen voice rang out in the room.

  “You should stay here and invite more people to come stay here. Build your own army against Brian” Colleen said.

  “Invite more people? We haven’t seen any other living people except for you and Brian and his little posey” Alice said.

  “I know were there might be people hiding. They’re hiding from Brian. Those are the ones that successfully got away from him without being followed like I did” Colleen said.

  “If you knew were they might be hiding then why didn’t you go to where they were?” Sarah asked.

  “I’m not one hundred percent sure that they are there, I only heard them speaking about going to this place, I don’t know if they went there. I didn’t go there because of that and because I didn’t want Brian to find them, I don’t want them dead and he would kill them for betraying him and running” Colleen said.

  “So we stay and fight?” Jeff asked.

  “Yes, I suppose that’s what we do. Colleen, tomorrow you lead us to were this other group of people might be. Only four of us should go and two of us is already me and Colleen. Who else wants to sign up?” Zoe asked them.

  “I’m going this time” Jeff said.

  “Okay, who else?” Zoe asked.

  “Me, I want to come and help” Sophia said.

  Everyone turned around and looked at Sophia in surprise.

  “I want to do something to make up for my actions” Sophia said.

  “Sophia, no one is holding that against you, you don’t need to make up for anything” Sarah said to her.

  “I want to though so please let me go. I can handle it” Sophia said.

  “Okay, you can come as well. We leave as soon as the sun rises tomorrow. We sneak out the back of the building and over the fence. Brian will have his followers watching the front I’d assume” Zoe said.

  “Yeah, he probably does have them watching the front” Colleen said.

  “Okay, we rest up and take the rest of the day easy and leave first thing in the morning” Jeff said.

  Zoe, Colleen and Sophia all nodded their heads in agreement.

  ‘Looks like we’re getting ready for a fight’ Zoe thought.

  Chapter 9

  Jeff slept beside Zoe again that night. Zoe was happy that Jeff had decided to sleep beside her tonight. They had a busy day tomorrow and a dangerous day at that. Zoe was worried about how they would get through the threat of Brian and his group. Zoe didn’t think they would manage someone else in the group dying, it would be too much for them.

  Jeff hadn’t really said much to Zoe hen he came into her room. He just smiled at her, a silent question asking if it was okay that he came in here. Zoe had smiled back letting him know it was fine. They had both gotten into Zoe’s makeshift bed and both lay on their sides, back to back. They hadn’t said anything. Zoe could feel the attraction they both had for each other but still not one of them made the first move to take whatever this was they were feeling for each other to the next level.

  ‘This is getting ridiculous’ Zoe had thought as she lay there.

  Surely one of them would make a move soon and end this should we or shouldn’t we cycle. It was beginning to be like one of those boring love story books, she just wanted to know what they were. Really all Zoe wanted was to kiss him, to be in his arms and feel wanted. That wasn’t too much to ask from Jeff was it?

  Zoe had listened to Jeff’s breathing and knew he was asleep when his breathing evened out. She turned round and faced his back. Zoe was disappointed that he was wearing a t shirt in bed, she wouldn’t have minded if he had decided against wearing one.

  Zoe admired the muscles she could see in his back through his t shirt and the way his body was. She wanted to reach out and touch him but she restrained herself from doing that, she didn’t want to wake him.

  Zoe noticed that Jeff had a scar just underneath his hairline on his neck. It was pretty faint so it must’ve been there for a while. Zoe wondered what had happened for him to get a scar here, it went up into his hairline so it was on his head as well Zoe noticed.

  ‘I wonder if it was from a fight or from surgery from something serious’ Zoe thought.

  Zoe might ask Jeff about it but she would wait and see, she didn’t want to sound too nosey.

  Zoe felt herself feeling drowsy and fell asleep facing Jeff’s back dreaming of his scar and skin eaters.

  “Zoe, hey wake up, it’s time for us to get ready” Jeff said shaking Zoe’s shoulder.

  “Huh? Oh yeah, okay” Zoe said.

  Zoe felt like she had only been sleeping for minutes. She had no idea what the time was when she fell asleep but it can’t have been that long ago. She felt her eyes stinging already from lack of sleep.

  ‘I’ll owe myself a full nights sleep if we can successfully get these other people Colle
en knows to join us’ Zoe thought.

  Zoe felt it was good to reward herself if she succeeded at this as it meant more people to protect this safe place and it meant more people to take their turns on watch and to go out on food and supplies runs. More people was a very good thing to have.

  Zoe got dressed and left the room, grabbing her hockey stick and knife as she went.

  “Here, have something to eat, better than fainting from hunger in the heat later on” Jeff said to her as he handed her a bowl of porridge.

  “Yeah, thanks” Zoe said as she took the bowl.

  Zoe started to eat her food and saw Colleen and Sophia emerging from the kitchen area wiping their mouths. They had already eaten. Colleen and Sophia were laughing as they approached Zoe and Jeff.

  “Hi guys, you nearly ready to head out?” Colleen asked them.

  “Yeah nearly, just having a quick bite to eat, be done in a second” Jeff said.

  Sophia smiled at Zoe and Zoe gave her a smile back. Sophia had Arthurs baseball bat in her hand. Arthur must be trying to protect Sophia going out with them as much as he could. She was more appropriately dressed this time heading out as she had on three quarter length shorts and a long sleeved t shirt with hikers boots on compared to what she usually had on which was next to nothing.

  “I haven’t glimpsed anyone from Brian’s group out there as I walked the perimeter. Here’s hoping they don’t see you all sneaking out the back” Mike said as he walked in the door.

  “Thanks Mike, remember to have everyone act as normal as possible” Jeff said to him.

  “And if Brians group break their way in here when we’re gone remember to have everyone run and meet at the McDonalds not far from here” Zoe said to him.

  “We will do, don’t worry about us” Mike said to them.

  “I know you’ll take care of Alex” Jeff said to Mike.

  “Of course we will, he’ll be safe, don’t worry” Mike told Jeff.

  “Thanks” Jeff replied.

  Zoe put down her now empty bowl, picked up her weapons she put down on the ground so she could eat and smiled to Jeff who was doing the same.

  “We ready?” Jeff asked them.

  “Yeah, we’re ready, lets go do this” Zoe said.

  Zoe, Jeff, Colleen and Sophia turned and headed towards the back door.

  “Good luck” Mike said to them.

  “Thanks Mike” Zoe replied as they headed out the back door.

  The sun wasn’t fully in the sky yet but it wouldn’t be long before it was fully set. It was already too warm and it was only five thirty in the morning.

  ‘God I hope we find this group quick before I might melt’ Zoe thought.

  Jeff walked up to the fence first and climbed over. It wasn’t too hard to climb the fence, you just had to watch the drop at the other side when you jumped off the fence.

  Zoe went last to climb over the fence, Colleen and Sophia were watching out for any signs of skin eaters or Brians posey, Jeff was watching Zoe, making sure she didn’t hurt herself climbing the fence.

  Jeff helped Zoe stand up as after she jumped down. Zoe felt a tingle go down her spine as she grabbed his hand. Jeff felt that too.

  “Okay, it seems we’re all clear, can’t see any of Brian’s posey” Colleen said.

  “Okay, lets get moving but keep your eyes peeled for any sign of Brian’s posey and the skin eaters” Jeff said.

  “Colleen, you go in front since you know we’re going” Zoe said to her.

  “No problem” Colleen replied.

  “Lets get going” Zoe said.

  They set of, watching every direction as they did. They didn’t speak to each other, they were keeping as quiet as they could be. Colleen leading the way. Zoe hoped that this group were actually where Colleen said they would be, if they weren’t then Zoe had no other ideas of where to find more people. Even if they did find more people, they were basically asking if they would want to join in a possible fight against other living humans. Zoe didn’t think many people would be up for that.

  About twenty minutes into their journey they met their first bunch of skin eaters. They were enjoying a nice human meal.

  There were only four skin eaters so it was easy enough for them to take them out, one skin eater each they had to kill. Colleen was good at handling her own and killing the skin eaters, Zoe knew she would be no problem in a sticky situation if it ever came to it. Sophia also handled herself well, two beatings on the head she gave the skin eater and down it went.

  ‘Sophia probably has a bit of anger to get out’ Zoe thought and she wasn’t wrong.

  They walked over to the body that the skin eaters were eating to find barely anything of that person left. A little bit of a face, chest and shoulders but the majority of the body was gone, all chewed up.

  Zoe walked up to the left over body and put a knife into it’s head.

  “You don’t think that it would’ve came back as a skin eater do you?” Colleen asked.

  “You can never be too sure, better to put it out of it’s misery before it came back” Zoe replied.

  “I suppose” Colleen said.

  “Lets keep moving” Jeff told them.

  They continued walking, the sun now sat high in the sky. They had to shield their eyes to see were they were walking and to see what they could walk into.

  “This is when I wished I had brought my sunglasses” Sophia said.

  “You know what Sophia, you’re right, it would make life that little bit easier right now” Zoe said.

  “Maybe we can scavenge some on the next supplies run?” Sophia asked.

  “We will see if we can, I’ll remember the next scavenge we go on to keep an eye out” Zoe said.

  “You’re going on the next scavenge as well?” Jeff asked Zoe.

  “Yeah, I like going out. Staying at the bus depot all the time would drive me mad” Zoe said to him.

  “You need to rest Zoe so you don’t burn yourself out” Jeff told her.

  “I know and I will rest in between when we need to scavenge” Zoe told him.

  Jeff just gave a disapproving grunt. He couldn’t keep Zoe safe all the time and she wasn’t about to do what someone told her to do. She was always independent doing what she wanted when she wanted and Jeff would have to deal with that.

  “Guys, we have a problem” Colleen said to them.

  Colleen and Sophia were crouched behind a hedge that was before a car park to a local co-op. Zoe and Jeff approached the hedge and glanced over. There was a heard of skin eaters shuffling around the car park. There were too many fo only the four of them to take on without the risk of someone being bitten or dying.

  “We can’t risk going through them or trying to kill them all” Zoe said.

  “Yeah, plus more noise would probably attract more of them to appear” Jeff said.

  “So what do we do? Is there another way to get to these other people or is it only this way we can go?” Sophia asked Colleen.

  “There’s another way, just longer. Through schemes of houses so I don’t know how many skin eaters there may be” Colleen said.

  “We should go that way and at least try” Zoe said.

  “Okay but be ready to fight, busy place this, right beside Murrayfield” Colleen said.

  Zoe knew were she was now, she had done bar shifts at Murrayfield every now and then, plus every Scottish person knew were Murrayfield was.

  They walked around the car park, careful too keep low and quiet behind the hedge so the skin eaters wouldn’t see or hear them. They could hear the skin eaters shuffling and moaning from over the hedge in the car park. Zoe felt nervous that they would be caught out by the skin eaters.

  ‘They might smell us’ Zoe thought as she remembered the school and how the skin eaters had smelled them.

  They moved fast, well as fast as they could in a crouch, Colleen up front. They came to a gap where the hedge was and a house began. There were a group of skin eaters wandering outside the house, however t
here was a skin eater blocking their path to run between the gaps. The skin eater hadn’t noticed them yet, it’s back was to them.

  “I’ll go over first, someone come straight after me after I kill this skin eater to help me kill that group of them over the other side” Jeff whispered to them.

  “I’ll follow” Colleen said.

  Jeff nodded, took a deep breath and sneaked up behind the skin eater and put a knife in it’s skull quietly, sliding the skin eater down to the ground so it didn’t thud when it hit the ground. Jeff made his way over to the other side with Colleen now not far behind him. Zoe was watching over the hedge to make sure the skin eaters in the car park hadn’t taken notice of them. They hadn’t yet. They had to move fast. Jeff and Colleen were now fighting the skin eaters on the other side, Zoe couldn’t hear them which was a bonus.

  “Right Sophia you go over now” Zoe whispered to Sophia.

  Sophia nodded and ran over to help Jeff and Colleen. Sill the skin eaters hadn’t noticed them. Zoe took a deep breath and made her way over to join Jeff, Colleen and Sophia. When she got over she glanced back to the car park and noticed they had managed to get across unnoticed.

  Zoe only needed to kill one skin eater when she got across. Jeff and Colleen had managed to kill the majority of the skin eaters.

  “All good?” Zoe asked them.

  “Yeah, There’s only a few lingering up this street we can take out as we go past. Best we stay hidden behind the cars lining this street” Jeff said.

  “I think the majority of the skin eaters who may have been on this street have made their way to that car park so we may be lucky not to run into any” Colleen said.

  “Here’s hoping, Sophia you ready to get going?” Zoe asked.

  Sophia was sitting on the ground looking like she was catching her breath.

  “Yeah, I’m ready, lets go” Sophia said.

  They started crouch-walking again behind the line of cars on the street. They didn’t bother killing the skin eaters that were on the opposite side of the street or on the middle of the road. There was no point. The more energy they wasted trying to kill the skin eaters, the more they risked attracting more skin eaters and dying. Zoe would’ve loved to put them out of their misery but she wasn’t risking their lives to do that. There were a few skin eaters in their path but they got taken care of quickly and quietly again.