Among the Dead: Part Two: Fear No Evil

by Ryan Colley

  After setting the boat on a steady course, and ensuring they were far enough out to avoid any hazards, such as rocks, Gary took to searching the cabin he was in. He found lots of things which were of no use, such as old parts that had been replaced over the years. It wasn’t the cabin of an organised man. But when searching a drawer full of letters, maps, and other personal mementoes, Gary found something that would make their life much easier.

  ****

  Sam

  “You’ll never guess what I found,” Gary said, surprising me as he walked into the room. He had dragged me from my deep thoughts about the path ahead.

  “What is it?” I stroked Thundy.

  “This!” Gary held up a small black device. Tracey came to investigate the conversation.

  “What is it?” I said again, reiterating my interest.

  “A marine GPS. Basically a satnav for boats. We can find out where we’re going and have a course made for us, too. Mixed with other things I found, we can find our way to a dock, or somewhere else to refuel,” Gary beamed. I didn’t entirely understand the importance, but Gary was pleased, so it had to be good.

  “Nice find, man,” I smiled. “We can decide what we need to do from here, then!”

  “Tomorrow,” Gary nodded. “I need to make sure everything is calibrated before anything else.”

  He turned and left.

  Tracey stood there, staring at my hand.

  “What’s up?” I asked, uncomfortably.

  “Your fingers … I think they’re broken,” Tracey said. I looked down at the hand I was instinctively keeping closer to my body. Two fingers were twisted at an angle, and they were an angry purple.

  “Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. It happened when we were waiting for Gary,” I said dumbly. I touched them with my other hand and winced at the pain. How had my body kept that at bay all that time?

  “Let me fix that for you,” Tracey said before leaving to get some medical supplies to set the bones.

  “Great,” I sighed, ready for the upcoming pain.

  CHAPTER 28

  Looking back on my life, I can only remember one other time I went on a boat. No, make that two times. Although, they were both ferries and not the sort of boat I had escaped on. Neither time would be considered a success. The first of which was abroad, on a ferry trip around the island of Crete. The second was on a ferry to Germany for a school trip.

  Nothing of interest happened on the first trip. I’m sure it was an amazing trip, but I was too young to appreciate the sightseeing tour. As a result, I spent most of my time in the playroom. Basically an unsupervised nursery for kids too young to be on the tour. But I was also probably too old for that playroom. Seconds passed to minutes, passed to hours. I was bored, so I devised a little game. I set up a fort made of toys and cushions on either side of the room, then proceeded to unleash all-out warfare on both forts, destroying them as best as I could by throwing various things at them.

  Unfortunately, the forts weren’t the only thing destroyed. What I didn’t realise was that every time something hit the ceiling in my attack, it shook loose a tile. I threw one final thing, grazing the ceiling as it soared. Suddenly, the ceiling collapsed! Tile after tile fell in a cascade. Thunk! Thunk! Thunk! It sounded like a huge deck of cards hitting the floor. I ran from the falling ceiling like a hero in an adventure film of old escaping an advancing boulder. I stood in the doorway, panting and looking back at the destruction. I had singlehandedly destroyed a room on a ferry. I left after removing any evidence that I was there. When I later saw streams of staff heading towards that area, I made sure I was nowhere to be found.

  The second occasion wasn’t fantastic either, but it was also the time I discovered I was immune to seasickness on rough seas. A trait not all my friends possessed. It was a school trip, not that I remembered where we were going. The ferry’s journey was, for lack of a better term, mental. The ship was going up and down, left and right. On several occasions, I felt like I was launched into the air. It wasn’t a safe journey. The souvenir shop had to close due to items being thrown from the shelves. The restaurant had to close for similar reasons. The only thing that stayed opened was the arcade since every machine had been bolted down. I and the majority of my friends, the ones who could actually stand the bucking of the ship, were in the arcade playing away. While so absorbed in a game, we barely noticed we were almost falling over. About an hour into our arcade session, we heard a voice behind us.

  “Guys, I don’t feel too good,” one friend said.

  He had previously stayed in the lounge room due to not being able to handle the motion of the ocean. He must’ve gotten bored and found his way to us, because he stumbled through the door, doubled over, clutching his stomach. He opened his mouth to speak again, and that’s when the most fantastical arc of vomit I had ever seen erupted from his mouth. Well, second most fantastical, but that’s a story for another day. I swear he could’ve done two forward flips had he been capable before even touching everything he’d uneaten. Not only did he have distance, but the volume. Had he bowed to the porcelain throne instead, I’m sure he would’ve filled it up and then some. Horrific … and amazing.

  We all stared at him in disbelief, our silence broken when the owner spoke.

  “Get out, you filthy pig!” he screamed, shooing my friend away. He then turned and looked at us with the rage of a man who knew he was going to be wrist-deep in vomit. He snarled, “Are you with him?!”

  My friends and I all looked at each other before I answered for the group. “No. No, we’re not.”

  With that, our friend left and we returned to playing our games.

  CHAPTER 29

  Although life on a boat wasn’t bad, it wasn’t something I wanted to do again sooner than I had to. What was truly difficult was having broken fingers. Every time I forgot, I was quickly reminded by the blinding pain.

  We were on the boat for three days, not including our first day of getting on and setting sail or our final day of leaving the boat and being forced to land.

  During our first day at sea, Gary taught me valuable skills which would help me survive the apocalypse. How to set up a fishing rod, how to fish, and general maintenance skills. Unfortunately, we didn’t catch a thing. As far as I knew, his fishing skills were all a bluff to show off. The way Tracey rolled her eyes at his fishing was enough to make me think that was the case, but he definitely acted like he knew what he was doing.

  Images floated across my mind of society reverting back to the hunter-gatherer way of life. Maybe kids would cast their line off of London Bridge and into the Thames when life returned to those waters. We would all become soldiers to survive and farmers to live. Maybe not soon, but eventually.

  Tracey also felt she had skills to pass on, and I was her student. She taught me to, as she called it, cook properly, and it really was properly. I never knew you could turn one meal into something so different depending on the spices used. Her cooking was amazing. Tracey was a superwoman, having a full-time career and she was also a fantastic cook. Gary was a lucky man.

  It was nice having the escapism of cooking – proper kitchen cooking – even if the kitchen we were using was just a poor imitation of one. I doubted I would ever need those skills if the world carried on the way it was going. The only skills I would need was how to eat pork and beans out of a can around a campfire without wanting to blow my brains out.

  Gary, not to be outdone by Tracey, decided to show me the basics of boating. Useful, although I don’t understand the need for so many nautical terms. Maybe one day I would travel to a new land by boat. Just me and Alice on a lonely island where we could finally be away from all the death. Idyllic? Yes. Impractical? Incredibly. There was no way we could sustain ourselves on an island forever. Who knows, maybe we could simply wait for the undead to finally pass before returning to society, or die on the island, waiting. So many wonderful options for my future.

  Night came and we planned our journey onward. We knew fuel wa
s limited, and the small amount we had wouldn’t last long. We weren’t sure how far what we had would get us, and we didn’t want to run out before it was too late to do anything about it. So we needed to go to the nearest dock, which we were sure would have fuel. A dock somewhere north. We found one on the navigation system that was a couple of days sailing depending on the weather. After that, who knew. We would just keep heading north I supposed, looking for signs of Alice and her family.

  The second day gave me the direction I was looking for. Like everything in the apocalypse, it came in the way of a radio broadcast. What made it stand out was that it wasn’t a repeated and automated broadcast, but an actual person talking. I didn’t catch the whole broadcast, but what I heard of it said:

  … Forthside Barracks and Redford Barracks. I repeat, Forthside Barracks and Redford Barracks is the destination for all existing military. They are both taking in civilians and military personnel. That means head to Scotland. If you spot our convoy, do not approach us directly or we will open fire. You must group together at various locations so that we can approach you. I repeat. Do not approach us directly. Remember to tune in every day at twelve hundred hours, and twenty-four hundred hours for confirmation of a checkpoint …

  And that’s when he would list the next lot of locations to wait for the convoy. We weren’t near any of the checkpoints, but we could get to one eventually. I assumed there would be new checkpoints the further along the convoy made it. That’s where Alice would be heading, if she wasn’t part of the convoy already. I would meet her on the convoy or at their final destination.

  What remained of the military had their act together, and they knew what they were doing. They may not operate under the British Army moniker, but they were still an organised group. The first bit of hope and the chance of meeting Alice again had become a reality. I smiled. When I told Tracey and Gary the news, they smiled too. We had a destination, and we had a path to follow. We were no longer lost. We not only had a destination, but a purpose as well. It was exhilarating.

  “You hear that?!” I asked Thundy, picking him up and hugging him. “You’re going home!”

  Thundy just stared at me, glassy-eyed, but I swore he smiled.

  ****

  Tracey and Gary

  “Now that’s love,” Tracey beamed, putting her arm around Gary.

  “What? With the bear?” Gary joked. Tracey dug him in the side with her elbow, and they both laughed. “He is so full of life when it comes to Alice.”

  “She’ll save him from the dark places he goes,” Tracey watched Sam’s smile grow bigger and bigger the more he talked to the silly bear.

  “I love you, Tracey,” Gary kissed his wife passionately. She didn’t need to say anything to express her love for her husband, she just kissed him back and pulled him close. If Sam wasn’t there, Tracey would’ve taken Gary to the bedroom. Unfortunately, they would have to wait until they were on land again to show how much they loved each other. They smiled at the other, lost in the haze of the same love they’d had for each other since the day they met. Gary thought about how Tracey got more and more beautiful with each year, and how their love never dimmed, not even once.

  If Alice is even half of what Tracey is, Sam’s a lucky man, Gary thought with a smile. He made his way to the cabin so that he could make a few adjustments to keep them on track.

  ****

  Sam

  On the third day, fuel was running a lot lower than expected. The water and winds had been rougher than we’d planned for, and our stop for fuel was coming up fast. We worried if we would even make it at all. So Gary decided that we should start heading more towards the coast, in case we needed to make a split-second decision to return to land. The boat engine drew undead towards the waterfront, and they wandered straight into the water in an attempt to get at us. Like the stereotypical idea of lemmings following each other off a cliff, to their death – not true, I might add.

  We agreed that when we reached our final destination, we would wait further out and have to swim in. We couldn’t risk the engine drawing undead attention which would make it difficult to get on land.

  There was a lot of waiting around, and everyone was anxious. We all agreed to go to land on the off-chance we found more stuff or extra fuel to carry back. Plus, we didn’t want to risk getting separated. It wasn’t the best plan, and we had debated it to the point that Gary stormed out of the room. The debate being, Tracey should stay behind on the boat to keep an eye on everything, while Gary and I went to land. Tracey’s response was that Gary should stay behind since he knows how to use the boat. The counter to this being that Gary and I could carry the most, so we were the most valuable on land. Tracey was happy to go to land. Gary didn’t want her to. I suggested we all go. We couldn’t bring the boat in anyway, and there’s safety in numbers. Finally, we agreed that getting more fuel earlier meant fewer land visits later. It was the lesser of two evils. I didn’t like either option, but I felt we’d picked the safest option. Anchoring the boat would keep it in place for our return. We all wanted an early night and an early rise, but I doubted any of us would be able to sleep if Gary and Tracey felt the same pit of nerves that I did.

  “Gather ‘round boys!” Tracey dished out our meal. A mixture of tinned vegetables and corned beef. I hated corned beef. I couldn’t complain, though. Cooked food was cooked food. She placed the food in front of me, but I knew better than to just dig in. We had to say grace first. We linked hands and closed our eyes.

  “God,” Gary began, “for what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful.”

  I loosened my grip, but Gary held on. That was unusual. I opened my eyes to look around.

  “I would also like to thank you for bringing Sam into our lives. Without him, we would be lost,” Gary said. Tracey smiled.

  They both said, “Amen.”

  “We mean it, you know,” Tracey looked at me. “We would never have gotten this far without you.”

  “Thanks,” I said. I hated being the centre of attention. “You guys saved me, too. With my leg and your food.”

  We all shared a laugh and ate. We were safe. We were content. The only worry was the following day. I miss days like that.

  When we turned in for the night, we were merry and didn’t even need any alcohol to reach that level of happiness. I laid down on the sofa, Thundy looking intensely at me.

  “I haven’t forgot about her,” I muttered to him, turning away from his judgmental stare. Then I closed my eyes and instantly fell into another dreamless sleep.

  Broadcast Three: Shaun, Frank, and Barbara 2

  Barbara: It’s one in the afternoon! Time to check in! How’s everyone doing?

  Shaun: Still living but wish I wasn’t. Finished the last of my Oreos earlier. Pretty damn depressed about it.

  Barbara: Well, that sucks. I wouldn’t know your suffering, of course, because I swiped a whole crate from a supermarket.

  Shaun: Why rub it in? That’s like rubbing salt in my wound.

  Barbara: I’m trying to prove a point. You’re gonna have to leave eventually. You’ll run out of food and fresh water soon, or the power will go.

  Shaun: I’ll cross that bridge when the time comes.

  Barbara: We’ll see. Where’s Frank? Did his raid go okay?

  Shaun: Not sure. Haven’t heard anything either.

  Frank: Well, well, well. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

  Barbara: Making me worry, Frank. Not cool!

  Frank: I had to deal with some unwelcome guests. Could say they were drop-dead gorgeous.

  Shaun: Not funny. What happened?

  Frank: Not sure why, but the dead have started gathering outside my apartment block. Always one or two to begin with, but by the morning there’s always about twenty or so. Like they’re drawn here.

  Barbara: Maybe you should start using your vibrator on a quieter setting. I’m sure your massive flappy lady parts could do with a break. Maybe man-up and you won’t n
eed it anymore.

  A bark of laughter from Shaun and Frank.

  Frank: Why are we friends with her again? She’s disgusting.

  Shaun: I’m only friends with her so that when you die and are out of my way, me and her can repopulate the Earth. I’ll name the firstborn after you, Frank, don’t worry.

  Frank: And if it’s a girl?

  Barbara: Same name. Perfectly acceptable if we’re naming her after you.

  Frank: If I’m the only thing stopping you from finally getting laid, I’m willing to take one for the team and kill myself. I’ll go head first out my window – for you, Shaun.

  More laughter from all three of them before Barbara interrupted with a serious tone.

  Barbara: Guy’s, I’m leaving.

  Shaun: Your house?

  Barbara: No … the country.

  Shaun: What?

  Frank: Is this another joke?

  Barbara: No, guys. I heard it’s safe in America. A guy has a boat, and he’s taking a few people with him.

  Frank: You do realise how suspicious that sounds, right? Besides, who told you it’s safe?

  Shaun: Yeah, was it the same guy as the aliens?

  Barbara: Don’t say it so mockingly. I’m certain I saw one as well. Anyway, it was the boat guy who told me America was safe. I know how dangerous and stupid it sounds, but why would he risk a voyage to America if he didn’t believe it himself?

  Frank: In what way is it safe?

  Barbara: He told me there was a man fighting a war against the dead. I have to believe something more is out there.

  Shaun: Barb … please don’t go.

  Barbara: I don’t want to go, but the reason I’m telling you two this is because I want you both to come with me. It could be an adventure.

  Frank: I’m so sorry, but I can’t go, Barbara. I need to wait here in case my kids find their way home. That’s what I have to believe is out there.

  Barbara: Shaun?

  Shaun: I’m sorry, Barb, but I’m safe here. I don’t want to leave.