Hell

by G G Garcia

Paul raised his bottle. “I agree.”

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  An hour had passed since the gun incident, and Demi had decided to have a nap once Henry was awake and up. Maxwell and Henry were in the living room, trying to store and put away the supplies they had gathered from the supermarket and the water from the sports centre. A lot of the food had been stored away in the kitchen cupboards. A lot of the tins were placed in a spare cupboard that was situated in the kitchen, and the large water canisters were left under the window of their living room.

  Demi was in Henry’s bed. For some reason she felt safer in his bed than the one in the spare room, and her tired body managed to dose off after a few minutes.

  She was restless during her sleep. She tossed and turned, and her dreams were polluted with macabre scenarios that were purely fictional. There was no doubt that this catastrophe had affected her.

  There were two main dreams that made her body so restless. The first one was of her and Emma.

  The pair of them were both running along the Rugeley Road, and there was a horde of IOs behind them. The infected were gaining on the two girls, and Demi decided to take off her uncomfortable shoes and hoped that that would improve her running and increase her speed. It seemed to have worked, and with the crowd getting nearer she ran as fast and as hard as she could. She was so focused on getting out of this situation and hoping that her followers would give up, that she had forgotten about Emma.

  Noticing that Emma wasn’t beside her, Demi took a quick glance over her shoulder and could see that her friend was running as hard as she could, but she was struggling to keep up and was twenty yards from her friend and the crowd of the infected were almost on top of her.

  “Emma!” Demi stopped running and screamed, “Keep running! Don’t look behind you!”

  Emma did the opposite of what Demi had told her and was engulfed with bodies.

  Demi stood in shock as her friend was torn apart by the ravenous infected. And they killed her with vicious speed. Demi’s feet were like concrete and found it difficult to move. She only moved when there was hardly anything left of Emma and the hungry crowd, most of them with their chins and faces covered in blood after the frantic feed, began to turn their attention to Demi.

  She could feel the use of her feet again and turned and ran from the hungry mob. She panted and cried as she could hear the feet getting louder as they lessened the distance. She then felt a hand touch her shoulder. She screamed out and was pulled to the ground. She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable bite, but it never came.

  She opened her eyes and could see that she was back in her house. She was back and her parents were sitting in the living room, looking anxious. Both of them were slurping on hot tea and looked liked they were in shock. She called on them, but they never acknowledged her. She walked over to her dad and reached out to touch his head, but her hand went straight through. It was as if she was a ghost and they had no idea that she was in the room with them.

  They were gazing at the TV and watching the news. She guessed that this was Sunday, the day it was announced, and smiled as she stared at their faces. It was good to see them one more time.

  Demi then jumped when a banging was heard at the back door. Her parents began to head for upstairs.

  The banging continued and eventually the frosted glass of the back door caved in and the door burst open. Demi had no idea why the infected had chosen this house. The curtains were drawn, and their parents were quiet, so it didn’t make sense.

  Six of them all ran into the room and headed straight for the ground floor as if they knew where they were going. Demi tried to run upstairs, but her feet remained still. She stood helpless as the sound of her parent’s bedroom door could be heard being forced open, then they were attacked and then that was followed by horrendous screams. The individuals that had broken in all left, blood over their chins, and that was when Demi woke up.

  Her eyes opened and her breathing was rapid. She wiped her wet eyes with the back of her hand, and slowly sat up, taking her a while before she knew where she was.

  She was awake, and had no idea if the second dream was what really had happened to her parents.

  It must have been close, although her mum had been on the phone to her when the attack happened.

  The thought of her parents dying like that strangled her throat, and she began to cry. She had her knees up to her chest and her head down, and stained Henry’s quilt with her tears. She composed herself quickly when she heard a sound coming from outside.

  Her eyes widened and she gasped when she saw a shadowy figure go by. She held her breath and didn’t move for nearly a minute, and when she did, she jumped out of the bed like a piece of bread from a toaster, and felt the room spin as she was plagued by giddiness. She fell to the side and leaned against the bedroom wall. Maybe she had gotten up too quickly.

  She managed to compose herself. She placed her hand on her forehead, took in a deep breath, and the room finally stopped spinning.

  She had to tell the boys.

  There was somebody outside.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Paul, Tony and Craig were in the living room and all three young men were dosing, not because of tiredness, but the boredom was suffocating them.

  Lisa and Melvin had decided to go in one of the bedrooms for a nap ten minutes ago, but Melvin had exited the room and entered the living room, huffing and puffing. He began to pace the carpet and was making Paul tetchy.

  “What’s up with ya?” Paul snapped. “Sit down, for fuck’s sake.”

  “Can’t even have a bloody nap,” Mel growled and continued to pace the floor.

  “Can’t ya relax?” Paul enquired. “Is it with wit’s been happenin’?”

  “Nothing to do with that.” Mel grunted. “It’s the usual crap why I can’t sleep.”

  Paul was perplexed and had no idea what Mel was talking about. “Wit do ya mean?”

  “It’s her in there.” Melvin sat down in the armchair and ran his hands over his face.

  “Why don’t ya go in the other room?”

  “I’m wide awake now.”

  The men sat in silence and a succession of thuds coming from outside the living room alerted the men’s senses. Paul and Tony looked at one another, unsure what to do, and then they looked over to Mel.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Mel said. “It’s her getting up. I recognise those huge thuds anywhere.”

  Craig began to titter at Mel’s comment and could see that nobody else in the room was finding his remark funny. Tony wasn't in the mood, Paul had heard it all before from when he briefly stayed with the couple, and Mel was being serious with his comment. He wasn’t trying to crack a joke to get a laugh out of the three younger males. He meant every word.

  The bedroom door opened and Lisa Leslie walked into the living room, wearing her blue jeans and her now creased long red shirt.

  “Woke up with this friggin’ pain.” She clenched and unclenched her right hand. “Fucking arthritis, or whatever the blue fuck it is.”

  She looked around and could see all the seats were taken and decided to sit on the arm of the armchair, where Mel was sitting. She clenched and unclenched her hand again, moaning, but was getting no sympathy from her husband.

  “I’m okay, though.” She flashed her husband of nearly twenty-five years a hard glare. “Don’t worry too much about me.”

  “Jesus,” Mel moaned. “What do you want me to do, buttercup? You’ve got arthritis. You’ve had it a while. There’s nothing I can do.”

  “A little sympathy wouldn’t go amiss.”

  “And will that ease the pain?” Mel huffed. “If I react to your attention-seeking groans?”

  Lisa bit her bottom lip and decided not to respond to her husband’s remark, which was a rarity for her.

  “Why on earth are you two together in the first place?” Craig spoke up. “All you do is abuse one another.”

  “And what in blue fuck has that got to do
with you?” Lisa stood up from sitting on the uncomfortable arm of the chair, taking a step towards where Craig was sitting. “This is a domestic, so butt out, soppy bollocks.”

  “Butt out? You’re arguing right in front of us,” Craig persisted. “Why don't you take your domestic to another room?”

  Mel sighed and held his hands up. He nodded and said, “You’re right.” He then turned to Lisa and said, “And your moaning isn’t helping the situation we’re in. We are all in a safe and well-stocked place, in a terrible situation. We should be relieved and grateful, rather than whining about silly things.”

  All five were silent after Mel’s rant and Lisa stood with her arms folded, feeling silly for her groaning, but she wouldn’t let up. It wasn’t in her nature to allow her husband to have the last word, even if he did make sense.

  “Anyway,” she huffed. “Maybe I wouldn’t be so tetchy if you put out once in a while.”

  “Oh, Jesus.” Mel shook his head. “Do you have to do this in here? In front of the lads?”

  Tony remained still, with a smirk over his face, and Craig was now giggling at what was being said.

  “Maybe ya should take this argument into the bedroom,” Paul suggested.

  “That’s the only thing that’s gonna happen in there,” she huffed.

  “Is it any wonder?” said Mel. “I mean, look at the state of you.”

  “I’m not that bad.” Lisa patted her belly. “I’m fifty years old. What do you expect? You’re hardly Tom Hardy yourself.”

  “I just don't want to be near you,” Melvin confessed.

  “Well, that’s fine. You’re an ugly bugger anyway. You look like your face was on fire and somebody put it out with a wet brick. And your cock is about as much use a balloon dildo.”

  “My cock has been the smartest thing to come out of your mouth in a long time.”

  “Right, that’s enough!” Paul stood and pointed to the landing of the first floor. “Sort this out in the bedroom. I don’t wanna hear this.”

  Surprisingly, Mel and Lisa did as Paul instructed, and when they went into the room and the door was shut, Craig spoke up.

  He said to Paul, “What did you do that for? That’s the only decent bit of entertainment around here?”

  “I’ve heard it all before,” Paul sighed. “Trust me, it gets borin’ and annoyin’ after a while.”

  “Does anyone want a beer from downstairs?” Tony asked the two of them. “My throat is drier than a nun’s snatch.”

  Both Paul and Craig nodded, and Tony got to his feet and exited the living room.

  Craig leaned back, resting his head against the back of the couch. Paul flashed his friend a glance and wrestled with his conscience once more. Despite what Craig’s mother had said to him, Paul could see that the not knowing of his parent’s safety was affecting the twenty-three-year-old, and desperately wanted to tell him that they were okay. But he kept on reminding himself what Craig’s mother had said to him. If Craig was told about the good news of his parents, then there was a strong chance that he would attempt to go home once again. The result of that could possibly be Craig’s death, especially if he went back on foot.

  Tony returned with three beers and passed one each to his pals. Tony remained on his feet and walked over to the window that looked out onto Wolseley Road. He pulled the curtains back and stared out, and thankfully the long road was clear.

  “Anything?” Paul called over. “Wit can ya see?”

  “Nothing.” Tony shook his head and took a swig of his beer. “It’s all clear.”

  Craig’s head cocked to one side and his eyes narrowed. “What’s that noise?”

  “Wit noise?” Paul stood up, beer in hand, and slowly walked towards the exit of the living room.

  He stood still when he reached the end of the room and popped his head out and looked along the landing. He could hear groaning coming from the room where Mel and Lisa were, and took a few steps forwards on the landing, and paused when he reached the door.

  He placed his ear against the door and winced when he could hear the unmistakeable sounds of a couple being amorous. Tony screwed his face in revulsion and returned back to the living room, closing the door behind him.

  “What is it, mate?” Craig asked.

  Tony shook his head. “You don’t want to know.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  At first she was reluctant to open the curtain, but she did, by a fraction, and could see four infected loitering outside. She couldn’t see their eyes, but was convinced that they were infected; just the way they moved and behaved was enough for her to come to that conclusion. The four were at the side of the place, on the drive, and were near the Audi. They stood awkwardly and their necks twitched as if they were possessed.

  Demi stepped outside the room, fully-dressed, and made the short walk to the living room where Maxwell and Henry Brown were. They seemed to be discussing something important and private, because as soon as Demi’s presence was clocked by both men, they became quiet.

  “Not interrupting anything, am I?” she spoke, but both men never responded. “Anyway,” she continued. “We may have a problem.”

  “A problem?” Henry scrunched his face.

  “Outside.”

  Both men stood up and pulled their handguns from their jeans.

  “Savs?” enquired Maxwell.

  “I think so.” Demi hunched her shoulders.

  “How many?”

  “I spotted four.”

  “Tremendous.” Henry went into the kitchen and approached the main door.

  “Wait a minute,” Demi cried. “You’re not gonna go out there and gun them down. Aren’t they attracted to noise? More could come.”

  “I’m just gonna have a look out the window, Demsy,” Henry said. “The door’s locked, so don’t worry.”

  Henry peered out and could see four individuals to the left of him.

  “See anything?” Demi asked.

  Henry nodded, still peering out. “There’re four of them.”

  “How do you know it’s Savs?” Maxwell remained standing behind Henry Brown and clasped his handgun tighter with his clammy palm.

  “You can just tell.” Henry turned around and gestured for Maxwell to have a look. “Come and see for yourself.”

  Maxwell went over to his friend and both were now peering out. They were definitely infected. Their awkward movement and their non-existent chatter confirmed this. One male turned around and looked in their direction. Henry and Maxwell froze, and the bloodshot eyes of this male made their blood run cold.

  “Don’t move an inch,” Henry whispered to his friend.

  “I know.” Maxwell hissed, “I’m not stupid.”

  “What’s happening?” Demi was confused and frightened. Something was happening, but she didn’t know what.

  “We’ve been spotted,” Henry said. “Everyone remain calm, and don’t make a move.”

  A staring contest between the two men and the infected male outside ensued, but Henry was unsure if the Sav could actually see anybody. He didn’t want to move from the window in case slight movement excited the infected individual. They had put their necks on the line to make sure the place was well stocked with food and drink, and didn’t want to fuck things up and have the placed smashed up by four Savs. Sure, they could take care of them with ease. Henry and Maxwell were in a fortunate position where they had handguns, but would the sound of the weapons attract more of them from afar? He didn’t want to put that to the test.

  The infected male continued to stare, and what Henry feared the most was that the other three would begin to do the same. At the moment they were looking the other way, growling and twitching. The staring male looked away and Henry and Maxwell slowly released the curtain and took a step back from the window.

  “Now what?” asked Demi.

  Henry hunched his shoulders and began to scratch the inside of his nose with his thumb. “Just hope they fuck off.”

  As soon as those word
s left Henry’s mouth, shadows began to move by the window. They didn’t need to look out the window; they knew they were leaving. They didn’t know why, but they were, and Demi especially was glad to avoid a massacre.

  “Sorted then.” Maxwell smiled and went into the living room to peer out. He watched until they all disappeared, and then began to relax and sat back down on the sofa.

  Demi walked through the living room, prompting Henry to ask where she was going.

  “I’m gonna lie on the bed for a bit.”

  Demi opened the door and plonked herself on the bed. She lay down and gazed up at the ceiling. She didn’t know why she felt tired all the time. She slept through the night and had the odd nap during the day. She didn’t know whether it was boredom or she really was mentally exhausted.

  She could feel her eyes going and a noise could be heard outside.

  Oh, now what?

  She didn’t know whether to get up and take a look what was out there. She decided to take a peek. If her eyes couldn’t spot anything, then at least she could relax and drift away.

  She walked over to the window in the dusky room and grabbed the curtains. She pulled them apart by an inch and could see nothing. She smiled, and then was about to return to the bed, but a face suddenly appeared. She shrieked and her heart elevated. It was a man. His eyes were bloodshot and he snarled as soon as his face clocked Demi’s eyes. She released the curtains and took a step backwards, unsure what was going to happen next.

  She headed for the bedroom door to warn Henry and Maxwell, but the sound of crashing glass stole her voice. The infected man had jumped straight through and landed on the bedroom carpet. Demi screamed out once again and could see the man picking himself up from the floor, unbothered by the cuts all over his face and his torn clothes.

  As he struggled to his feet, the bedroom door flew open and two deafening gunshots penetrated the intruder’s chest, killing him instantly. The contaminated being collapsed to the floor and Demi turned around to see that Maxwell had put it down. Henry ran in with his weapon drawn, clocked the body on the floor, and then turned to Demi and asked if she was okay. He then looked at the smashed window, and could feel the draught from the outside, like the breath of a giant.