Artefact 299: Accounts of the Zombie Apocalypse

by Binley, L. A.

  Days 16, 17, and 18

  Daily updates are not my forte. Am I the person who should be trying to record what's going on? Even missing some days, I think I've done a good job. Honestly, time doesn't seem to be registering much anymore. Even with Rachel and Daniel joining me, days aren't standing out. The world and surviving are falling into one long blur of abandoned villages, towns, and cities. We don't rest for long, but we stop often. This is the main problem. We don't have set times to show the passing of the day. A break is called by any of us when we are feeling like we need some time to stop.

  “Where are we going?” Rachel asked.

  I pushed myself into the groove of the tree we were resting by. “I'm not sure. I was aiming for Bournemouth to see if I could find my mum and brother. But I'm starting to think they won't be there anymore, and I don't know where else to look.” My body tensed, waiting for the pain to wash over it.

  Her arm reached across to comfort me. “We'll help you look for them.” She stared earnestly at me. “I promise.”

  “Thank you.” I whispered. I didn't trust myself to speak louder. I could already feel my voice breaking. “Aren't you going to look for your family though?”

  Rachel shrugged. “We already went home and they didn't tell us where they were going. They might not have made it out of there at all. I don't want you to feel like you don't have anyone. At least I have Daniel to annoy me.”

  “What are you two conspiring about?” Daniel asked as he flopped down between us.

  “We're going to help Anna look for her family.” Rachel beamed at him. “She needs someone other than us two.”

  Daniel began to groan but Rachel kicked his outstretched arm. “No, none of that. What else are we going to do?”

  “Find a safe haven.”

  She scoffed. “We don't even know that's real.”

  “You mean there's a real safe haven?” I asked. “You were looking for a real place.”

  Daniel rubbed the mark on his arm. “Maybe. I'm just assuming. Some people might have built up a secure location. If they have, we'll find it.”

  His eyes flared with the conviction of this haven being something tangible. My hope rose with that look. The possibility of somewhere safe to go. Somewhere where we might survive this? I couldn't help sinking into that feeling of warmth and comfort. But reality soon set in. How many radios had I turned on only to hear static? If there was a haven, wouldn't they have tried to send out word somehow? The UK isn't that big, it couldn't be too difficult to let people know. My lips parted, the cynicism ready to leap out and squash his hope. I stopped them. What right did I have to cut someone down like that?

  “We can all try and find it together.” I heard my voice, more strained than it had been minutes before.

  Daniel looked at me. His hope was still there, but there was also confusion swirled and muddying his eyes. “Even if we can't find your family, you can help us look for it.”

  I've been struggling to get over his hope all day. His belief in finding somewhere safe seemed almost childlike. Was it holding onto something like that which was pushing him forward each day? Is that what it looked like to want to survive this? Is that why I am struggling to keep going?

  Day 19

  All thoughts of a haven have been pushed from our thoughts today. Our food supplies are low, and we've been wandering too close to a motorway for too many days. I don't know how far I am from where I started, from where I lived for the past few years. It is probably a lot further than I could guess at. Miles of walking, and now I'm going to let us starve because I don't know which way to stray from this road.

  I've been distant today. I don't know if it's the realisation that I have no idea what I'm doing, or if it's the darkness that has started to linger at the edges of my thoughts. I'm struggling more and more to keep my optimism up and now I feel like I have to force it out. Travelling on my own meant I didn't have to worry about people talking to me, or asking me questions. Now, I don't feel that I can be myself without causing them to worry. I need to be strong. I'm only 27, not much older, but I have this feeling that I need to be strong for them. I need them to know that this is something we can get through.

  I wish I could steal some of Daniel's faith. Even with a small sliver of it, I could ward this off. Ward off whatever this darkness is that wants to dominate me.

  Day 19 Continued

  Say what you want about power naps, but they help. I've read through my thoughts from earlier today and almost ripped the page out. What was going through my mind? Although I've left it now, I'm still tempted to get rid of it. My fingers twitch, waiting for the command to pull the page from the seam and throw it into the grass. I'll resist. I said I would be truthful here, give a full representation. I suppose I should be happy it's the first time I've fallen so low. Don't get me wrong, despair is eating at my thoughts. Reminding me that we still don't have enough food to last longer than a day at most.

  I pulled us from the road. I wanted to find somewhere I could sit quietly, without too much worry, and I wanted to see if I could find our way back to the ruins of civilisation. I don't know what god, or goddess, of luck is smiling down on me. Or maybe it's not me, but I will be sending up thanks for as long as I survive this.

  I stumbled us into a retail park. Eerie is probably not explaining it enough, but it felt creepy. I'd have to guess it was around midday, maybe a little later. All the shops had been left with all their shutters up.

  “Let's see if there's anything left worth taking from here.” I whispered to the twins.

  They nodded before falling in step behind me. Rachel closed the distance between her and her brother until they were almost touching. What I wouldn't give for that feeling of safety. We headed for the discount shop first, they used to sell food. If we were lucky, there might still be something we could take.

  The harsh metal of the door sent tingles through my body. The cold seeping through my fingers. I pulled my jacket down to bury my palms and shoved against the door with my covered shoulders. The stagnant air swirled around us. The area was still, quiet.

  “How long do you think it's been since anyone was in here?” Daniel asked as he plucked his way through the ransacked mess.

  My fingertips skimmed across the top of a shelf. The dust felt furry, but it hadn't reached the grimy stage. The stage where the grease covered you as well. “Maybe a month. Hopefully, long enough that's it's safe.”

  After so long hiding from civilisation, walking into a shop felt weirdly normal. Okay, having to sidestep over discarded items and trashed shelves wasn't normal. It might have even hit home how doomsday-esque the world was, but it gave me an odd comfort. Like the broken mobile phone snug in my pocket.

  “These could be useful.” Rachel said as she picked up a couple of bags. She dusted them down eyeing them over for any breaks. “What d’you think, Anna?”

  She thrust the bags in my direction. I didn't spend much time looking over them. They would be fine for what we needed them for. “They look perfect. We might struggle to get much in them, but between us, we should be able to last longer between food trips.”

  Rachel beamed at me, slinging one of the bags over her shoulder before heading up to Daniel.

  I scanned the shelves. As I thought, there wasn't much that we'd be able to take from here. I picked up the packets of jelly, noodles, anything that might not be the most nutritious but would keep us going. I stopped my pacing through the shop. My eyes mesmerised by the item strewn along the floor. Face wipes. Unopened packets of face wipes. My vision blurred as I reached out to pick one up. I wiped the tears on the back of my arm. How long had it been since I'd been able to clean any of the grime off my face? Too long. They would take up some space I might need for food, but a couple of packets might be the luxury I needed to keep me going.

  “You found anything?” I asked Rachel and Daniel as I caught up to them.

  “Apart from the bags, not much.” Rachel responded.

  “This bla
nket.” Daniel said holding it out. “With it being the end of September, we might want something to keep us warm when we rest.”

  “I'd not thought of that, good thinking. Were there any more of them?”

  He shrugged at me as he stuffed it into the bag Rachel had given him.

  “I'll have a look. It's not an obvious thing to take.”

  “Okay.” I turned to Daniel. “Want to help me find some food?”

  “Sure, I guess.”

  “We might as well find something that you'd want.”

  I headed down another aisle, hoping Daniel was following. Rachel had opened up to me easily, but Daniel was more reluctant. I didn't want to overstep. Not everyone would want to open up with worry and death around the corner. It wouldn't stop me from trying to get to know him. If we could speak to the people we were travelling with, we might as well travel alone.

  “I hope chocolate wasn't on your list. These shelves don't look like they've been filled for a while.”

  “I'm not much of a sweet tooth. Rachel might be disappointed.”

  “Do you think cocoa powder would help?” I said grabbing a tin.

  I turned to see Daniel pulling a face, “what would you use that with?”

  “Water? On its own?” I glanced at the label. “Not baking, that's for sure. It might hit a spot.”

  He didn't look convinced, but he took the tin from me and placed it in his bag.

  “Do you think we'll be able to survive this?” He asked quietly.

  I paused. Is it okay to lie to children, well teenagers, in an apocalypse? “I don't know. I try not to get my hopes up, but if I give in then I know I won't survive. I have to push myself to keep living. Finding my family, or some traces of them helps.” I smiled at him. “But knowing I have to look out for you two helps as well.”

  “I'm guessing you've never had to comfort someone before?”

  “Was it that bad?”

  “Not the greatest, Anna.” He smiled wryly. “But with this, I guess it was better than nothing. Thanks for at least being honest.”

  “Any time. Now, let's see if there are any other weird things we can eat”

  Day 20

  It might not have been a bed, but sleeping with four walls surrounding you has been something I'd forgotten. We decided to set up a mini-camp in the shop. Don't worry, we barricaded the doors so we would at least be alerted if anything tried to get in through the front. I don't think I've felt so refreshed in a long while. No wind whistling past my ear. No unbroken sleep from crunches and crackles from the world around us. Today feels like a better day. A day where hope might be able to pull us through.

  Day 20 Continued

  Why do my bouts of optimism always end up short-lived? I wonder if the universe can sense it. “Oh, it looks like Anna might be feeling too good about the state of the world, here you go. A nice little present to remind yourself of how things work now.” We'd not long set off out on our quest to Bournemouth when Daniel stilled.

  “Did you hear that?”

  I shook my head as Rachel edged closer to him. He cocked his head to one side.

  “I'm sure there was something, but maybe.” He paused, his eyes distant. “No, I must have been imagining it.”

  “Let's be careful anyway.”

  They nodded at me before continuing. After a few more steps, I heard it. A low rumbling growl vibrated through my body. I fell still. Rachel's eyes widened and Daniel pushed his hand over her face. I slowly turned to face the way we came. The path behind us seemed empty, but there was no mistaking the noise. I motioned for the twins to carry on as I pulled the bat from behind my back. Would I be able to use this properly? Maybe not, I thought, but it would be better than nothing. I drifted behind them, keeping watch around me.

  The nerves shook my hands. Fear seeping into every step I took. The growl rumbled again. I spun on my heel and spotted the lumbering figure. It lurched forward, unsure of itself. If we ran, would we be able to get out of the way? Would it follow us? Or would it give us the time we needed to get away?

  I jogged, catching up to Rachel and Daniel within a few seconds.

  “It's behind us.” I whispered, jabbing back the way we'd came. “We can run, you two go first and I'll keep an eye on it following us.”

  “Are, are you sure?” Rachel whispered. “What if we lose you?”

  “Don't worry, there's something off about this one. I'm not sure what, but it doesn't seem as focused. Trust me, I'll catch up with you when I can.”

  “Okay,” Daniel said as he grabbed Rachel's hand. “We'll see you soon.”

  I turned my back on them as they sped off. The zombie paused at the sudden noise, but it didn't pick up any pace. I backed away from it, heading in the same direction as the twins but keeping my eye on the danger behind us. Its feet scuffed the floor as it shuffled along. The clothes it had died in were torn and shredded like every other one I'd seen. You'd think there was a class on how to perfect the zombie dress code. As I continued my journey back, I noticed something. There wasn't as much dirt on this one. Or at least the clothes didn't look to be in as much of a need of a clean. I don't know what that means.

  When I was sure the zombie wouldn't chase after us, I turned and ran in the direction Daniel had pulled Rachel. Hopefully, they wouldn't have been able to get too far without me.

  Days 21, 22, 23, and 24

  Even keeping an eye on two other people hasn't upped what I can talk about. Ever since the encounter last week, my coward levels have spiked. Sure, I could mention I've barely slept for the past few days, or the worsening condition of my breakfast as I try to ration my food, or mention how the weather is slowly turning worse. Those are my reality, but is it the reality I should be sharing? Aren't apocalypses supposed to be recorded by the perky, feisty protagonists? Every day that passes, I feel like I'm not the one who should be doing this. I've almost thrown this diary away so many times. If only I could bring myself to do it one day. To give up. To not be burdened with this choice I've made.

  Alright, Anna you've had your moment of sorrow. Don't wallow too much.

  I should be showing how society has collapsed. How the world broke all around us. We watched it fracture and split. There was nothing we could do to stop it. Nothing we can do now to stick it back together. The problem was the panic. As soon as the panic set in, and the fear began to spread, society collapsed completely. There's nothing left to show of civilisation except ransacked houses, and abandoned cars. The ruins of the modern era. Maybe hundreds of years from now, when we deal with the danger in front of us, tourists will come here to see what the world was once like.

  As we walk, I keep these thoughts to myself. Let them churn and twist through my mind. It is not the happy type of conversation I think a couple of teenagers want to have. Does anyone want to be confronted with an idea so bleak? They both seem so young, they should be thinking about how they will spend the rest of their lives. Not worrying if their lives will only last until tomorrow. It's why I don't want to make it harder on them.

  We've rested more than usual since the zombie coming after us the other day. It seems counter-intuitive. Stay in one place for longer than you usually would. I'm still reasoning it out myself. Rachel argued for it.

  “I don't think we're rested enough to escape them.” She mentioned as we walked.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “If Danny hadn't been pulling me along, I wouldn't have gotten out of there. I don't know if it's not having enough rest, or if it's the lack of food. But I'm worried. What if it had been closer?” Her eyebrows drew together, scrunching up her face.

  “We would have made it.” I said, forcing the optimism into my words. “Or at least, I'd have helped you two get far enough away.”

  “That's not what I mean. No one should have to sacrifice themselves to keep the others safe. We need to get stronger. We need to be less tired. I don't want to lose anyone else.”

  “I agree with Rachel. We all need to find
a way to survive this, or at least find a way to not use one of us as bait.”

  “We could take longer rest breaks. But unless one of you knows how to catch an animal and turn it into food, or which berries aren't poisonous, I don't think there's much we can do about that.”

  “I think you can eat acorns.” Rachel volunteered. “But they might not taste the greatest. And I'm not sure if you need to cook them first.” Her voice trailed off as her mind tried to find the information.

  “It's a start.” I smiled encouragingly at her. “So, what are you suggesting? How long should we give it between rests? I'm not going to lie, I prefer to be moving. I hate the stillness of sitting and waiting around, but I know when I'm outvoted.”

  “Maybe we try doing hour and a half rest stops, or as close to as we can guess?” Daniel said. “If we do that five or six times, we might feel better. What would that be? Around eight hours. Not quite the prescribed amount of sleep.”

  I nodded. “Good idea. I still dislike the overall plan, but if we're able to move around and find new places to rest, it might work out better. Want to start now?”

  Rachel and Daniel looked around themselves. The road we were on was open. Too open to find anywhere to rest without someone, or something, being able to see us.

  “Okay, maybe we could find somewhere to give us some shelter first.”

  “Shelter sounds like the better option.”

  It didn't take long to stumble across an estate. The detour will take us some time to make up, but it also gives us somewhere to hide. I let Rachel and Daniel find somewhere to bunker down while I searched the building. A few packets of bandages and half-empty boxes of painkillers were all I managed to ferret out. A lucky score in the wilds of the zombie ravaged world.