Dead End

by Monroe, Kady

  Just then, Jenny heard two sets of feet coming down the staircase. She went out into the hall and saw Sophie and her mum carrying bundles of bedding. Maggie, in full make-up, had gotten dressed in black jeans and a black chunky roll-neck jumper. With her dark hair and black ankle boots, she looked like a ninja. It would be nice if she had the skills to go with the look, Jenny thought wryly.

  She went forward to help them, but Maggie saw her and said, “We’ve got it.”

  “Ok,” Jenny replied, trailing them back into the room she had just exited.

  In the next few minutes, bedding was divided out amongst the guests. Sophie confirmed she would sleep in her own room.

  Jenny took her share to the back room, dumped the items on a sofa and went through another set of French doors, into the conservatory, to close the blinds there.

  Maggie made her jump when she said,

  “Why are you doing that? It will stop light getting into the kitchen.”

  “It’s to prevent prying eyes,” Jenny said, “if they can’t see us and we’re quiet, then we’re safer.”

  “I still think this is all nonsense. But for my daughter’s sake, I’m going to give you all the benefit of the doubt... for now.”

  Jenny was too tired to get into another debate with the woman, so she replied,

  “Thank you.”

  “Well, I’ll leave you to it,” the woman said and turned to leave the room.

  “Maggie,” Jenny said, “Thanks for letting us stay, but please, be careful if you go near any of the windows. If they see you...”

  “Yes, yes. Don’t tease the monsters, right?” Maggie quipped and left the room.

  Some time later, Jenny was startled awake by a shrill noise. She sat bolt upright and for a few seconds had no idea where she was. Then it all came rushing back to her. She glanced to her right which was where the sound was coming from.

  The phone was ringing.

  She heard running footsteps before the door burst open and Maggie raced across the room, grabbing for the handset.

  “Hello,” she said breathlessly into the receiver.

  Matt was next to enter the room, his eyes were wide and his dark hair standing up on one side.

  Maggie’s shoulders slumped as she dropped the receiver down to her chest level.

  “What is it?” Jenny asked.

  The woman pressed the speaker button and the three of them listened to a recorded message offering the householder an opportunity to have a free quote on new double-glazed windows.

  For a few moments, Jenny was disappointed, but the irony of it hit her and she burst out laughing,

  “The world goes to Hell, but don’t worry, you can still order beautiful new windows. Of course, it’s unlikely the job will ever get finished because the zombies are likely to eat the workmen.”

  Matt seemed amused by her joke, but Maggie definitely wasn’t.

  After the excitement of the phone call, Jenny drifted back to sleep. When she awoke, it was to the sound of quiet conversation somewhere nearby and the smell of food. She looked at her watch and was surprised to find it was already well into the afternoon. Then dread filled her at the thought of another early sunset.

  Getting up, she noticed her headache had gone, and put her coat and boots back on before tidying up the bedding and going into the hall. She located the voices to the kitchen and went in there. It appeared she was late to the party. Everyone else sat at the kitchen table. Ignoring the breakfast bar this time.

  “Afternoon sleepyhead,” Jack said.

  Maggie got up from her seat, saying

  “Sit down, I’ll get you a plate of spaghetti Bolognese.”

  “Thanks,” Jenny replied, realising the room was actually warm. She noticed the oven door was open as Maggie retrieved a prepared plate from it using a dish-towel to protect her hand.

  She left the door open and put the food in front of Jenny, telling her to “tuck in.”

  “Thanks,” Jenny repeated, “It smells delicious.”

  Maggie sat back down at the table. Meanwhile, Jenny got up and removed her coat before taking her seat again and devouring the food.

  “My Mum’s seen the zombies now, and we’ve filled her in on all the details about them,” Sophie told her.

  “Oh, when was that?”

  “About an hour ago. There were three of them shuffling about out front, saw none of the runners though.”

  Jenny looked at Maggie who was on the opposite side of the table. The woman glanced quickly at Jenny and then away again as she mumbled,

  “Yes, I saw them.”

  Jenny directed her next question back to Sophie,

  “Are they still there?”

  “One of them has gone, but two are still hanging about.”

  “They didn’t come near the house did they?”

  “No. Not yet anyway.”

  “Let’s hope it stays that way,” Jenny replied.

  The group used some of the time after their meal to collect supplies for the next day’s journey. And since the kitchen was the only room that had any warmth, they planned to stay in there for the rest of the day. Jenny and Matt brought the conservatory seating into the room, and some of the sofa cushions from the other rooms were also piled up near the French-doors, along with the bedding.

  By four o’clock the daylight was fading. Maggie had collected all the candles she could find so they wouldn’t have to spend the whole night in darkness. Jenny was glad to see that Sophie’s mum seemed to have accepted the idea of leaving her home. She didn’t say much, but occasionally Jenny saw her add an item or two to the pile of things set aside for loading into the van. Including all the cans of food that could be eaten straight from the tin. They were stored in a cardboard box that was sitting by the front door.

  Throughout the remaining hours of daylight, they kept an eye on the street. The two dead people were still out there but didn’t seem particularly interested in exploring their environment. They mostly seemed to lumber around in erratic circles. Jenny had seen a few others at the end of the road, but they had shuffled away and she had lost sight of them.

  By five o’clock the Winter’s evening was dark. The mood in the kitchen was sombre, with everyone lost in their own thoughts. It stayed that way until around 6 pm when Maggie got up to prepare a suggested meal of frozen pizza and garlic bread.

  “We might as well use them up,” Maggie said. “They’ll only defrost and spoil if we don’t.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Jack replied.

  “I’ll set the table,” Matt said.

  “Then Sophie and me will wash up afterwards,” Jenny added.

  Sophie nodded.

  It was much later in the evening when they heard the first howls.

  “What was that?” Maggie whispered.

  “That’s them, the infected ones,” Jack replied.

  “Maybe they only come out at night,” Sophie said.

  “Those are the ones that run,” Jack told Maggie, “much worse than the dead. Faster.”

  Maggie moved closer to her daughter and put an arm around her.

  Some minutes later, the sound came again, but it was distant. Jenny tensed up, fearing the noise would get closer. She noticed Matt had put his hand in his jacket pocket, and got the impression he was holding the van keys in his grip.

  It was another hour before the sound came again, but it still sounded further away.

  “I’m going to take a look out one of the front windows,” Jenny told the others as she quietly got up.

  “Is that a good idea?” Maggie whispered.

  “I’m hoping that the noise has drawn the other ones away, I’ll be careful. Stay here, I’ll just be a minute.”

  Jenny crept through the dim dining room, trying to remember where the furniture was, so she wouldn’t bump into anything. Her memory was good, and she arrived at the window without making any noise. She crouched down and inched the blind slats apart. She raised her head and scanned outside. The sky was
cloudless, and the moon was out in full, making it much easier to see than the night before.

  Jenny looked in all directions and sighed with relief when she couldn’t see anyone. She turned away intent on returning to the others to give them the good news, but she had only taken a few steps when she heard what sounded like a pack of the howlers screeching. Straight after, another noise chilled her to the bone. People shouting and screaming. Uninfected people, whose cries were of fear and pain. Jenny’s stomach lurched and churned as she returned to the window. She still couldn’t see anybody, and she wished she couldn’t hear anyone either. However, the screams continued somewhere out of sight.

  Less than a minute later, the night was quiet again.

  CHAPTER 10

  In the early hours of the morning, the group decided they were sticking to Matt’s plan to head North. And, as well as the van, they would take Maggie’s car for backup. It seemed like a good idea to have another vehicle, especially if they found somewhere that might be set up as a safe and protected space for the region’s general population. That would be the point when the group split up.

  Jenny still had no idea what she would do if that situation arose, and although she couldn’t say she knew any of these people well, she didn’t like the thought of saying goodbye to them either, even Maggie. She also didn’t like the notion of Matt travelling north on his own. She decided not to worry about it until it happened.

  Daylight arrived, overcast and drizzly. Since the screaming incident in the night, everyone was on edge, and none of them had slept much. The grey light of morning did nothing to cheer them, plus the fact that some of the shufflers were back outside, albeit, further up the street.

  As they were getting ready to leave, Matt said,

  “Looks like I’m playing Pied Piper again. While I’m gone, get some supplies in Maggie’s car if you can.”

  There was general muttered agreement from everyone.

  “Do you want someone to go with you?” Jenny asked.

  “No, I’m fine,” he replied, heading for the front door.

  “Ok, be careful then,”

  Sophie locked the door after Matt left. They watched from the window to see he made it safely into the van. Once he started driving, the dead shambled after him. When they could no longer see any stragglers, the girls began to shift supplies to the car boot, leaving Jack to rest his ankle on the front room sofa.

  Sophie and her Mum both carried small bags of personal belongings. The girl left hers sitting by the front door.

  “Aren’t you going to put that in the car?” Maggie asked.

  “No. I’ll keep it in the van,”

  “Don’t you want it close by when we leave?”

  “It will be. I’m going in the van.”

  “Why are you doing that?” Maggie asked, “I thought you would travel with me.”

  “Because I want to stay with the group...” she looked guiltily at her mum, then quickly down to her feet as she continued “and I’m not sure you’ll stick to the plan if we’re together.”

  Maggie was quiet for a few moments, staring at Sophie.

  When she spoke again, it was quietly,

  “I’m not sure what I’ve done to lose your trust, but I promise we’ll go with the others,” she paused, looking at her daughter,

  “I’d really like it if you came in the car with me.”

  Sophie was keeping her eyes down and scuffing her feet on the ground as she replied just as quietly as her mother,

  “No. Sorry Mum, I’ve made up my mind.”

  As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she turned away and made herself busy.

  Jenny felt awkward at witnessing the conversation and she also felt a little sorry for Maggie. The woman was hurt by Sophie’s declaration. Jenny thought Sophie would travel with her mum, but now she knew both the teenagers were going with Matt. She realised that unless she joined Maggie, then the woman would make the journey on her own.

  “I’ll take the passenger seat in the car,” she said.

  Maggie glanced at her for a moment but didn’t reply, instead, she went back to the task of moving some of the supply of bedding onto the back seat of the vehicle.

  By the time Matt returned, they had loaded the car with approximately half of the total supplies. They decided it was best to split things up between the two vehicles. So if they had to forfeit one set of wheels with supplies, at least they wouldn’t have lost everything.

  Matt backed the van into the drive and jumping out he said,

  “Let’s get this done. There’s a lot more of them wandering about than there was yesterday. I don’t think we have much time before some of them get here.”

  No one doubted his word. They all grabbed items to store in the van. Jenny was surprised when Matt opened the back-doors to reveal a single-bed mattress already in there.

  “Where did that come from?” she asked.

  “The house,” Maggie replied. “We loaded it yesterday while you were still asleep.”

  Matt jumped into the back of the transit and the women started handing things up to him. He didn’t bother to store them neatly. Time was of the essence.

  When they completed the supply task, Matt went back to the house and helped Jack out. Jenny kept watch on the street.

  Maggie asked Sophie,

  “Will you change your mind and come in the car with me?”

  “No Mum. It will be more comfortable for Jack to lie on the mattress, so I’m going with him.”

  Her mum looked crestfallen.

  “Sorry,” Sophie said, as she went into the van.

  Looking back out she said,

  “Drive carefully Mum.”

  “I will,” Maggie replied then went over to the van, looking up at her daughter, she added,

  “Sophie, no matter what you think of me. I love you, Ok.”

  The girl jumped back down out of the van and hugged her mum.

  “I love you too.”

  Just as Matt was helping Jack hop out the door, Jenny warned,

  “I can see a few at the top of the road, and they’re heading this way. We should get moving.”

  Maggie gave her daughter another hug,

  “You be careful too my girl, Ok.”

  “Ok Mum, be safe.”

  They let go of each other and went their separate ways.

  Matt got Jack into the van and helped him sit down on the mattress. Jenny was still watching the lurching people coming towards them.

  “Time to go, Jenny,” he said, going to the passenger door to open it for her.

  She nodded and told him she would be keeping Maggie company in the car. He hesitated for a moment, leaving the door alone, before saying,

  “I hope she won’t panic, she hasn’t really seen what it’s like out there. Are you sure you don’t want to get in the van?”

  “Yes, I’m sure. If she’s going to panic, she’s more likely to do it if she’s on her own. I’ll try to keep her straight.”

  “Ok. See you when we next stop then,” he replied.

  Jenny got in the car and told Maggie to lock the doors while she fastened her seat belt. The van had already moved forward. Maggie started the engine and drove after it.

  Matt went in the opposite direction from the crowd gathering at the top of the road. Jenny presumed Sophie was navigating again. She glanced at Maggie and could see the woman was chewing her lower lip.

  “Just keep following and stay close. Ignore everything else,”

  “Ok,” Maggie replied as she observed her house receding in the rear-view mirror,

  “Do you think we’ll ever be able to come back home?”

  “I honestly don’t know,” Jenny replied. “I guess it depends on how far the virus has spread, and if anyone is doing anything about it.”

  “You don’t think the government is trying to sort this out?” Maggie asked with surprise.

  “No. I don’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because someone s
witched the power off and disabled communications.”

  “Maybe it was terrorists,” Maggie ventured.

  “Perhaps; but if that was the case why haven’t we seen any police or army. Surely the government would send people to protect or evacuate civilians.”

  Maggie lapsed into silence.

  Matt wasn’t joking about the larger numbers of zombies. The amount of shuffling dead made it harder to get out of the estate, than when they had entered. It didn’t seem to matter which route they took, bodies and bins in the road had the two vehicles swerving like drunks.

  On more than one occasion, Maggie gave a yelp of fear when people stumbled towards the car. At one T-junction she nearly ran over a small child but swerved out of the way in time. Neither one of the women could have said with certainty whether the little one had been a boy or a girl, due to the amount of congealed dark blood covering the child’s head and upper body. Jenny watched a tear slip down Maggie’s cheek.

  Jenny noticed a different variety of clothing from the day before. The people they had observed in the housing scheme had been mostly in night-clothes. Now, however, she observed many in outdoor wear. It appeared they had either travelled outwards from the town centre or were coming into town from the outer areas. Jenny hoped it was the former.

  Looking over her shoulder, Jenny saw a large crowd behind them. Ahead, the van moved left or right to avoid the dead stumbling into their path. Maggie kept pace with the van’s speed and manoeuvres, but she was becoming more worried about the corpses who were closing in on the sides of the vehicles. Her knuckles were white ridges gripping the steering wheel. Jenny tried to distracted her,

  “They can’t get in, so stay focused. How long till we reach the main road?”

  “We’re nearly there,” Maggie replied.