Folding the map and clenching my rifle I knew I had to be ready, I hadn’t seen any creatures as of yet but I knew they would never be far away, mainly due to the recent storm but even then there would be some lingering like a bad smell. Walking through to the convenience store I kept my eyes peeled for any movement or noise but so far so good, reaching the shop I tried to peer in but the windows had been misted up with that weird paint they used on shop windows when they closed down, trying the door it opened easily. Once inside I gripped my nose the shop smelt like something had died and thrown up on itself which could be the case, the shop was a mess glass had been smashed all over the floor obviously when people looted it in a hurry knocking things over, rubbish had been piled up by the back door. There was rotting food which stunk out the shelves making me feel queasy but not that I would chuck up, my stomach had gotten used to the sight of filth it was just the smells but even then I had become accustomed to them. I then found the main reason for the stink a rotting corpse lay behind the till point, it wasn’t a creature but a human that had taken their own life, a bullet wound to the head so they would go quickly. I leant down and checked the gun but it must have been their last bullet as it was empty, guns were not so easily widespread in the United Kingdom unlike America or some other countries, which I think once our country had prided itself on but now with an apocalypse guns would have been a nice thing to have to defend ourselves. Discarding it to one side I searched the rest of the shop for anything that might help, there were some bottles of water still in an old chiller cabinet so I took them, a box of old cereal and a packet of sweets were all that was still edible. I also snatched up some cigarettes not that I smoked but sometimes stuff like this came in handy especially when I needed to bargain with other survivors.
After deciding I had taken everything I could from this place I went to walk out until I saw the shadow move across the window front from the outside, it wasn’t human it was creature I could tell by the way it stumbled. Looking around I could see the only other exit was the back door blocked by rubbish, so I could either move it and risk making noise to attract it and maybe more or go out guns blazing kill it but attract more, mulling my choices over for a moment I decided on the moving of the rubbish. Holding my breath I began to pull at the black bags, gently moving them one by one until I was almost at the point of reaching over and opening the door, suddenly something darted out from one of the bags a blur in my vision, I jumped out of my skin nearly falling back into some rusted shelving units. Breathing slowly I dropped the bag and tried to look for whatever had run out, hearing some feeble squeaks a few aisles down I spotted the largest rat I had ever seen, its fur was slimy, its beady little eyes staring at me, shaking my head I turned back to the door nearly walking into the arms of a creature! It let out a howl of menace before trying to lunge at me, its crispy fingers snatched at my clothes just tugging at the threading. The creature outside must of heard its fellow comrade and began howling too and smashing itself against the glass trying to break in. The creature before me was an old one, maybe an original victim of the acid rain although it was hard to tell as most of its flesh was gone just some random, drying, crumbs of the tips of its fingers and a large flap of decaying skin peeling from its face, the smell was so rancid that spewed from it that I now knew it wasn’t even the dead body behind the counter that stunk it was this thing. Thinking this thing must have been hiding behind the last few bags I was lucky I guess because if I had put my hand down to grab the last ones left it would have been able to take a chunk right out of me, raising my rifle I smashed it as quickly as I could, I didn’t want to give it a chance to use the new electric current from the storm to rip me apart, caving its head in I turned to the window to see that the creature outside had stopped banging. Thinking I had to decide which door again before the creature appeared, I heard it banging on the back door, it must have heard the commotion and followed the noise. Taking this as my chance I pounced for the front door and ran out into the sunlight, “Oh Crap!” I said to myself, the whole street was full of them, lurking by the gates of back gardens to the cottages, some were in the butchers shop smashing against the glass which trembled, many more scrambled up the road to find me sniffing the air for my scent. I took off at a run jumping and slaloming out of their grasps as they tried to grab me, I ran down a small alley behind the cottages which led back out to the main road, still running I tried to keep up the pace up the steep hill, my heart hammered in my chest and sweat poured from my body as the creatures cried for my blood. Taking a look back I felt a little laugh rise out my throat as they struggled to climb the steep hill but my joy was short lived, someone had the great idea of blocking the road with cars, furniture and large wooden stakes that had been stabbed into things blocking my escape from them.
Reaching it I placed my hands on it trying to find a weak spot or maybe some way that I could climb over it but the person who had arranged it was very clever, barbed wire stuck out in between the stakes preventing anyone or anything from being able to climb it without being torn to shreds first. Feeling the panic rise in me as they slowly crept up behind me. Not wanting this to be my last breath I scanned the places nearest me, one was a large gate to a walled driveway leading to a large house up a winding driveway, the gate was locked but looked climbable, the other side was a mainly solid wall with no give to manoeuvre past, with no other choice I took off at another run towards the gate, I heard a groan of dismay as the nearest creature had almost made it to me. The gate was cast iron and had points at the top, I just had to make sure I didn’t lose my footing and end up skewered, ready for them to munch away at me like we used to with food at family barbeques. Using the leather grip of the new boots I had taken last night I hauled myself over the gate, my arms using all their strength to pull me over, the first creature reached the gate throwing its body weight against it and leaving me to fall to the ground in a heap from the impact, just as I rolled over I watched as more made it to the gate and fell against it hoping it would give way but lucky for me it didn’t. The nearest one growled at me snapping its teeth together like a wild beast, it’s yellowing eyes staring into mine trying to entice me in. The fact that the creatures organs were failing gave it the yellowy jaundice glow, it was a common feature in them as they were all still alive but their organs didn’t work properly anymore, well not all of them the only ones that did were the heart and brain, still keeping them mostly alive and kicking…well biting. Its jagged, snapped, razor sharp teeth snapped again at me baying for blood, the flesh around its mouth was decomposing a little due to the mouth being bitten before it turned and then becoming infected, the meat around the infection did die in a fashion, causing it to flap about but the creature wasn’t dead. I had heard people refer to them as ‘Zombies’ but in my mind zombie meant the dead brought back to life or the walking dead but these things were not dead, I had seen some cut open when people tried to figure out what was happening to their bodies, although weak and almost useless the heart was always beating inside those rotting, stinking chests and the brain must have been working for them to know the basic impulses to feed! The virus itself was what was keeping them alive, it had altered their DNA so the body kept going when normally in that state the human body would have given up completely. The pain they felt turned them into crazy raving monsters but even with their bodies decomposing around them that heart kept pumping, you could kill them like any other normal human by shooting them down but they did take a few more bullets to stay down or a hard hit to the head or wait until they were so old you could just push them over but that rage, that fury, was still there no matter what, it was like their brains had been reset… so yes in my opinion NOT a zombie.
I felt relief flood through me, I hadn’t seen that many creatures altogether in a long time and they nearly had me. Jumping up I made my way quickly up the driveway as I didn’t know how long the gate would hold, their frustrated cries of hunger echoed behind me. The house that the driveway led to would have been ve
ry expensive, a grand manor house not too unlike the one at the base of the hill but this one had security camera’s, the windows were of the best glass and plastic around not that any of it mattered now, no one would want to buy it or be able to, to be honest people like me now just squatted in places until they were no longer safe to live in. The fancy brickwork echoed the expanse amount of money these people once had although when the war began not even they would have had electricity or gas but then would you really mind too much if your house was so grand?I had planned on looting the place until I saw the big words sprayed on the large oak front door‘DO NOT ENTER MELTER’SINSIDE!’keeping as far to the edge of the property boundaries so as not to alert the ‘Melter’s’ to my being here. I came across a small gate which had been specially designed to fit into the small sized gap between the house and the garden wall, opening it I saw it lead down some old cobble steps heading back down to the other side of the road away from the cars and the creatures. Closing it behind me I took off down the steps, being cautious as always that I didn’t run right out which had been a clever thing as over the road from me stood two creatures, their mindless souls just standing in the now warming sunlight which was cutting through some branches from the huge trees making an arched tree tunnel over the tarmac. These too looked old and charged from the storm, I knew I was running low on bullets but I thought it might be more dangerous to leave them alive, taking aim I shot them both down quickly, I wasn’t too bothered by the noise I was making as most of them knew I was around anyway. I checked them over before turning to climb the rest of the hill, they had nothing on them of any use but always best to check.
The top of the hill was still and silent, a small pond sat to the left the suns beams dancing off the ripples that small fish were making underneath, walking much further on down the main road I eventually turned another corner I came across another large hill but this one arched down towards a river that ‘S’ shaped out to the sea. About 45 minutes later as I walked at a gentle stroll I made it to the town of Seaford, or what was left of it, if you hadn’t known about the war it looked as if a bulldozer had come in and torn the town down leaving nothing but the occasional half of a building or shop front, my heart sunk as I had planned on staying here the night but it didn’t look as if there would even be a place safe enough to stay in. Treading carefully as I footed my way through all the mountains of rubble, this place had become a graveyard in its self, bones and broken bodies lay hidden under bricks, concrete and metal. Coming across what I had guessed was the old centre of the town I could see what had happened here, a large crater the size of a football field signified that a bomb had been dropped down upon them blasting them all to pieces, it must have wiped out most of the town in one blast and what it hadn’t taken out first time round the aftershock would of finished the job, no one here stood a chance. Although this had been bad for the town it was a silver lining for me as towns like this usually meant there were no creatures because everyone had perished before the acid rain. Relaxing just a little I climbed the vast crater to reach the other side, it was difficult to get my barring’s as to whether I was heading in the right direction due to all the missing street signs and the non-existent roads but I soon made it to the town border making my way to the next town. This one had a very sea port vibe to it, fishing boats lined a flooded harbour, a large bridge which had been the way in and out for the old boats was permanently rusted stuck and angled up meaning I had to find another way across to the other side. The top of the bridge looked like a railway station as it had the old square red flashing lights warning people to stop. Walking down a path to the flooded harbour I looked around for a way across, there was no way I was swimming over as the water looked deep and murky and I had no idea what dangers lay in wait, sunken boats, large scraps of metal or the occasional creature lying by a boat ready to pounce.
I searched a few boats just to see if they had anything to take and if any of them worked just to scoot me across, pressing random buttons and switches to no avail until one made me jump as it sprang to life sending a small wave of sea water over the ground behind me. I had no idea how to drive a boat so I just started pulling at things, pushing other buttons and turning the steering wheel until it slowly crawled over the harbour, the sea air here was very fragrant, I could smell the old fishing gear on the boat. Looking over the boat I saw signs that it had been used recently, an empty tin of food which smelled fresh and a half eaten fish were dumped to one side, fishing rods had been stacked up against the inside were I stood, along with a bucket full of toilet muck. Hitting the bank on the other side I turned off the engine feeling slightly guilty I had stolen someone’s ride but I was sure they would be able to retrieve it if they knew how to work boats. Leaving it mostly how I found it I took to a jog to get away just in case they came back and spotted me, most people were not too friendly when you have taken or used something of theirs, the words sharing is caring did not function in humans anymore.
As I searched through the small sea town I felt the air start to chill and the sun lower in the sky, it was time to look for somewhere to sleep tonight, I hadn’t been out all day but I knew I had travelled enough if I left it too late I could be in trouble. Looking around most of the houses looked dark, creepy and eerie like something or someone was watching me, deciding not to go for a house tonight I found an old garage at the top of the road, the garage door was wide open and empty inside other than a few random car parts and tools. Venturing inside I found a torch, winding it up I turned it on looking around, the place looked safe and the walls and roof fairly solid. Dumping my bag down on the floor I jumped up to hook the door down, the metal screeched as it swung down on its old rusty rails but it worked, someone must of stayed here before as there was a shard of metal drilled into the concrete very crudely, a matching part had been drilled to the metal of the door with a loop, there was no padlock for me to secure it with so I snatched up my penknife and slide it through the hole, that would have to do.
After setting up my makeshift camp I could hear the swarm of the night sweep through the town, I had been right not to hide in one of the houses as screams and howls echoed through the night chilling my blood. They must have all been hiding in the houses waiting for some fool to waltz in, some had congregated outside the garage sending a shiver of fear down my spine but I sensed I was ok as they weren’t banging on the garage door which they would if they knew where I was hiding. My scent must have been on the air outside confusing them, calling to them but in time it would disperse causing them to move on. Just as a precaution I huddled right at the back of the garage snuggling into an old car cover hoping the oily mechanical smell would disguise mine. Sleep was near enough impossible and I missed the cottage, the temperature had dropped rapidly, I was so cold my teeth chattered and my bones ached, no amount of rubbing my hands together would warm them and the cries of the creatures haunted me all night. Hearing them signalling to each other with their moans and groans, snapping jaws to one another and howling. Not wanting to wind the torch too much for fear they might hear it I sat in darkness, I had no sense of time, I did finally fall into a disturbed slumber which I guessed to be the early hours of the morning but when I awoke I felt so cold and more tired. Opening my bag I slowly took gulps of water and munched on the box of cereal, a few hours later I could no longer hear their howls or cries of hunger, hoping they had gone off to hide somewhere else for the day I took to packing my bag, keeping the new torch I then grabbed my knife, lifting the garage door slowly keeping the knife in my other hand ready to lash out if needed but lucky for me the blighters had gone.
The day was dismal rain lashed down from the skies drenching the streets in a flood of water, looking left then right I knew the coast was clear, normally on rainy days I would try and stay where I was waiting until the rain stopped but I didn’t want to push my luck and stay in this town a moment longer than needed. Stepping out into the cold chill I felt the splats of water wash over me soaking me in seconds, trudging a
long I splashed about in puddles watching ringlets of water cascade back down the hill, my hair dripping and clinging to my head I pushed my body to move, I shivered as the cold breeze off the sea hit me and I suddenly wished I could find a clothes shop with a nice warm coat. I had owned a coat a few months back until a large horde of creatures woke me up rudely meaning I’d had to run leaving my nice warm coat on the floor that I had slept on.
Passing through some more empty villages and small towns I soon found myself at the edge of Brighton, the view I had was wet, windy and dreary, the rain was coming down so hard I could hardly see what was in front of me but every now and then I would get a quick glance at the city, again like most places a lot of the scenery had been bombed into oblivion, I felt a pang of dread as I tried to search from where I stood, a lot of the city had been levelled and there were no solid signs that the people that took Tanya were even here. Although my lead hadn’t exactly been a solid one, I had gotten talking to another survivor and they had mentioned seeing a group matching the arm band description and the name ‘Big Guns’ in Brighton but it had been months ago they had seen them but it was my only lead on their where bouts, if they weren’t here then I had absolutely no clue what so ever and I knew then I might just collapse and give up. I felt like it now but I knew I couldn’t not without trying. All this time I had just been following one lead after another to find them but most turned up as duds or the group had been there and moved on, hopefully they hadn’t moved on yet. Taking in the buildings that were still standing I spotted an old hospital other than the windows mostly smashed it was still standing strong, the old pier still stood reaching out to the deep blue, a large block of flats in the distance and some random smaller and taller buildings but most were gone.
Alone Page 5
