The Death in a Northern Town Trilogy (Books 1-3): Welcome To Dead Town

by Peter Mckeirnon

  Still no sign of Emily but we have acquired another addition to our merry band of survivors. Steven his name is and by all accounts he’s a bit of a mess. He’s mostly slept since we found him standing in the road and if it had been up to me, that’s where we would have left him. But John and Dave are soft touches so now we have another misfit amongst our ranks.

  Steven told us about a small group of men that murdered his friends and that they were driving a large transit van. It has to be the same people we’re looking for. Steven wants revenge also. Maybe he isn’t as much of a misfit as I had first thought.

  Talking of misfits, we are currently taking shelter in a house and the owner is an agoraphobic traveller called Brittain! Only in Runcorn does this shit happen. He’s currently in his kitchen having a drink with Dave who is trying to cure him of his phobia. I’m keeping look out whilst Steven sleeps off his concussion and John is moaning on the couch that it’s too noisy to sleep. Maybe I should tell him about the 5 minute power nap experiment and have some fun watching him slowly lose his marbles? I’ll think on it for a bit.

  The sun should be up in a few hours then we will be on the move again. If Emily has remembered what I’ve been telling her for years about apocalypse survival, she too will be taking shelter and will also be on the move at first light. She can’t be too far away.

  Thursday

  Another mental day in Zombie infested Runcorn. I am currently sat in an old ladies apartment catching my breath before I have to head out again. We’ve found the fucker and I have a plan to make him pay. I’ll recap all the crazy shit from this morning and bring you up to date whilst I’ve got a few minutes.

  It would appear that Dr Dave, the apocalyptic psychiatrist did the impossible and managed to convince Brittain, who has never stepped foot outside his front door, to go outside. I was sat in the window looking out for zombies and watching the sun come up when I heard the front door open and the young lad stepped outside, albeit gingerly but with a huge smile on his face. I didn’t think much of it at first as I was more concerned with us getting back on the road so I didn’t mention it to the others. I wish I had done now because by the time I remembered to tell John and Dave, we ran to the door just in time to see a zombie take a huge bite out of him. Poor bastard. How unlucky can you be that the only time you go outside in your entire life you end up getting bit by a zombie? So I did the right thing and ended his life before he turned. The kid had, albeit reluctantly at first, let us stay at his place for the night; we owed it to him not to let him become the undead. See, I do have a heart.

  As I wrenched the crowbar out of his mashed up, skull cracked, bloodied, brain oozing head, we heard a loud scraping noise coming from down the road. Then we saw Dave’s Thunderbird struggle past, followed by a shit load of zombies. There was a chance it could be Emily, we had to follow it. Plus Dave was beside himself that someone was destroying his beloved car by driving it on four punctured tyres.

  We followed the Thunderbird through Weston Point, keeping a safe distance behind the zombies when suddenly the car stopped and hundreds of rotters crowded around it. Well there was only one thing we could do. Drive into as many of the bastards as we could and take them out! As we prepared to ram the fuckers a little red Mini zoomed passed and ploughed into them. Then it reversed back and did it again. I was struggling to see who was driving it and from what I could make out it looked like a cross between Supergirl, a Klingon and The Incredible Hulk! Then she pulled up beside us and asked when we were going to join in!

  So we all drove forward and slammed into the horde. As I had feared, Dave’s Volvo wasn’t up to the task and both he and Steven had to climb out of the window and on to the top of the car. They held the zombies off for a short while but there was just too many of them. Dave managed to jump onto my Land Rover and get inside but Steven didn’t make it. We had to watch whilst he was ripped apart by the horde.

  With the help of the Hulk fisted girl we continued to ram into the dead until numbers were low enough for us to attack on foot.

  It was hard work killing them all but with John, Dave and the girl with the cape, who appeared to be using a sword and a Klingon Bat’Leth, we did it. And when the blood settled and the dead carpeted the road, there she was, our Emily. She was surrounded by dead zombies whilst holding a bloodied hammer. I knew she’d be ok!

  Driving the Thunderbird was a fella, Nick he said his name is and with him were a young girl and a baby. He said he had come looking for me because Trust No One told him that when the shit hit the fan, I would know what to do. Unfortunately, Trust No One didn’t make it. If only the stubborn old sod had listened to me and not stayed put. Actually, even if he had made it to my place he’d probably be dead anyway. Jonathon, Steven, Brittain, everyone we meet seems to end up dead and now Nick and these kids had turned up. I really didn’t want them with us for any longer than they had to be.

  Emily took Nick and the kids into an apartment she had been hiding out in whilst Dave, John and I discussed our next move. Then two motorbikes and that transit van we had been looking for appeared, pulling out of the grounds of the Pavilions. We dove for cover, hiding in plain sight amongst the dead zombies. I’m not sure what my brother was playing at but he’d jumped right on top of female zombie. The saucy devil!

  Anyway, as it turns out, not only had we found Emily but we had located the prick that killed Jonathon; he was hiding out in The Pavilions. What’s more we now have a name for the bastard. Ged he’s called and he’s teamed up with a bunch of crazies we had encountered yesterday.

  With the revelation that the bastard we had been searching for was just around the corner, the girl with the cape that enjoys killing zombies more than I do, disappeared. As quickly as she had turned up she was gone again.

  Hopefully we will bump into each other again soon. I’ve said a few times that adding people to our group isn’t a good idea but she is one person whose skills would be an asset to anyone.

  Now we knew where he was, we needed a plan to flush him and with the fields surrounding the Pavilions coated in dead zombies, my first thought was to cover ourselves in zombie splodge so that we could pass as rotters, sneak up on him then take him out. John had a moan though and Dave said he would but there was no way he was ruining his clothes. Ruin his clothes? He looks like he’s just stepped out of a Dexys Midnight Runners video as it is. Some blood and guts would be an improvement if you asked me.

  I do have another plan but I’ll have to head down to Mersey road and find a bigger vehicle, maybe a large van or a bus. There’s no way I’ll get enough ducks up here otherwise.

  Also, I need to take Nick and the kids somewhere safe. Enough people have died in our company these last few days, I’m not about to put anyone else at risk. Sky Watcher has said she’ll take them in and then, once we have taken care of Ged, we have a place to go to.

  I don’t know what I’m more nervous about, herding zombie ducks or meeting Sky Watcher for the first time!

  Time to move, fingers crossed everything goes to plan.

  Update –

  Well fuck my hat! We did it! Ged got what was coming to him and Runcorn is a slightly safer place now that the sick bastard and his murderous cronies have been taken care of. My plan worked and with a little help from an ex-employee of Ged’s we got him; setting dozens of flesh hungry ducks loose to kill the prick. I got there just in time too as he had found our John and Emily. I hate to think what might have happened if I hadn’t turned up when I did.

  But it’s all over now and we can start the long process of rebuilding, here with Sky Watcher.

  I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw her. Dressed head to toe in tight clothing, hard hat, heavy boots and porno mags strapped to her limbs she was a vision of beauty. She was everything I had ever hoped she’d be and more. What’s more, she likes me! Normally when I talk to girls they run for the hills screaming or tell the police they think I’ve escaped from a mental institution but not Sky Watcher.

  I thi
nk she’s the one!

  Sky Watcher has done a great job securing her home. Following my instructions she has set traps and nailed zombie limbs to the house too. She lives in a small cul-de-sac next to a large water tower and she is the only survivor left in the street.

  Starting tomorrow everything is going to change for us. We have a lot to do but I strongly believe we can secure this street and make it a safe place for us to live. Me and Sky Watcher are going to spend the night drawing up plans whilst the others get some rest, John and Emily in particular. Emily is strong but she has been through a lot these last few days and my brother, well. For a man that jumps at his own shadow and nearly pukes at the thought of mayonnaise, I have to say he’s come a long way. Not that I would ever tell him to his face but I’m proud of him. He deserves a little down time.

  So tonight, everyone rests so that tomorrow we can get to work building our future.

  Building Apocalypse Street.

  Table of Contents

  The Beginning

  Journal entry 1

  Read all about it

  Journal entry 2

  The Battle for Poundland

  Journal Entry 3

  Duck for Cover

  Journal Entry 4

  Tatts for the Memories

  Journal Entry 5

  Race for Life

  Journal Entry 5 – Continued

  Supermarket Sweep

  Journal Entry 6

  Avenging Angel

  Journal Entry 7

  Irregular Urban Survivors

  Journal Entry 8

  Scabby Heads & 80s Threads

  Journal Entry 9

  Revenge

  Journal Entry 10

  Drink Till They Die

  Journal Entry 11

  Emily

  Journal Entry 12

  The Taking of the Pavilions

  Journal Entry 13

  Inside The Wolfs Lair

  Emily 2

  Journal Entry 15

  Better Off Dead

  Journal Entry 16

  Devil At Your Door

  Journal Entry 17

  Mission Improbable

  Journal Entry 18

  My Diary By Butty, age 39 ½