Dead World Rising

by Katerina Petrova

  'I saw mum and dads bodies being dragged out the house as we left, they really are gone,' I managed to keep myself from crying as the image passed through my mind. 'I'm sorry, lets go back to Becca and Claire,' she replied.

  We walked back to the car, now I'd found her I scolded myself for leaving the other two alone. I told Amy to run with me, she too was pretty fast on her feet. We got back about half an hour later, to my relief Becca and Claire were safe.

  'Oh thank god, your both safe,' I said with relief.

  'We did as you asked, we stayed down and quiet,' Becca smiled.

  'Good girls, now you get back in the car. We need to go,' I told Amy. Amy got in and they all buckled up, I had decided to head towards Northumberland National park. It was secluded, and I thought it would be safer than staying in the towns. I knew how to get there, and it wouldn't take long.

  As we drove down the seemingly deserted road, I saw a man. He was a tall, well built black man with a bald head and eyes as dark as the night itself. As we passed him, he tried to stop me. He waved his arms frantically, begging me to stop. I put my foot down on the accelerator, after what happened back home I wasn't taking any chances with people. I looked in my rear view mirror as he got smaller and smaller, I saw the look of anger on his face.

  'Why didn't you stop?' Amy asked.

  'Because after what happened at home, we shouldn't trust any one else,' Claire told her sharply.

  'Claire, there's no need to snap at her. But yes Amy she's right,' I said softly.

  'Sorry,' Claire mumbled.

  It was a mistake, to leave that man, to turn my head towards Amy for even a moment.

  'Oh shit!' I shouted as I tried to swerve out of the way of a small group of corpses. My efforts to avoid them were futile, the car ploughed through them, I could hear the squelch of their brains under my tires. The car came to a screeching halt, the moans from the remaining walkers grew louder.

  'Stay inside!' I told the girls. The looked upon their terrified faces, was enough to give me strength to defeat these monsters. The girls whimpered as I flung open the door and shoved a corpse to the ground, stamping on its head with such force that only one stomp was enough. I slammed the door shut, to ensure none of these fiends could get at my sisters. As I fought my way through the dead, I didn't hear Becca get out the car, or see the man who grabbed her. It wasn't until I turned, killing the last biter that I saw him holding a knife to her throat.

  'They're dead because of you!' He screamed angrily.

  'Let go of her, I didn't do anything to you,' I told him furiously as I took out a walker that lunged for me.

  'When I tried flagging you down, my wife and son and I were running from the dead. They died because of you, the dead tore them from me,' he screamed.

  'That wasn't my fault, now let her go! She's just a child,' I said angrily.

  'My son was just a child, he wasn't even ten. I lost my family because of you, now you'll lose yours.' I tried to save her, but it was too late. He slid the blade across her throat, I watched the blood spurt out. I raced to him, plunging my knife into his stomach as he dropped her on the floor. I let him bleed out, I didn't care what happened to him. I held my baby sister in my arms as she gurgled trying to speak.

  I wiped away the tears, with my bloody hand. I was covered in my sisters blood and the man lay dying on the floor, crying for his lost family.

  'No, Becca,' I cried letting the tears fall.

  Amy and Claire opened the door, whimpering as they clung to each other.

  'Is Becca going to be alright?' Amy asked quietly. 'No, baby she won't be,' I choked. I looked down at her innocent face, she was gone. My sweet, little sister. I laid her down on the floor, and marched over to the man. I felt the anger rise within me, I would not give him the satisfaction of a clean death. He would turn, but my sister wouldn't. I punched him hard in the face, then knelt down beside him.

  'You'll not be joining your wife and son in death,' I spat. Amy and Claire stayed in the car, tears running down their little faces. I'd failed Becca, but I wouldn't fail them. I kissed Becca on the head one last time, before closing my eyes and plunging my knife into her skull. I looked up to see another group of corpses coming our way, crap there were too many for me to deal with. As much as I hated leaving Becca's here, there was no time to give her a proper burial. I told the girls to buckle up, and jumped in the drivers side before the dead could surround us.

  'We can't leave Becca there,' Claire told me tearfully.

  'I don't want to leave her either, but if we stay we die,' I told her trying not to cry. Luckily for me the car still worked, it was a bit bent at the front but otherwise fine. I pulled out and drove down the long, dark road as fast as I could. I looked in the back mirror to see, the man being torn to shreds. I felt no guilt, nor sorrow at the loss of his life.

  The days turned to weeks, we grew hungry after our food ran out. I could not leave them, they clung to me like frightened mice, fearful of the cats swiping paw. We slept together, never being apart for even a moment. We hunted together, remembering what dad taught us, we filled our empty bottles with rain water, of which there was plenty this time of year. It seemed the more winter set in though, the less food we could find. As our bellies grew more empty, our hearts more broken and our souls shattered, my littlest sister could not cope. She closed herself off, even from us. This world had turned her feral, she even stopped speaking after a time.

  'Amy, please talk to me,' I begged her after months of being silent. She looked at me with those empty eyes, like I wasn't even here. I could feel that something was very wrong with her, but I didn't know how to fix it.

  'Delilah, how much longer are we going to be here?' Claire asked shivering.

  'I don't know, we can't go back to the towns. There's still people around and I don't want what happened to Becca to happen to you,' I told her gently.

  'I'm just so cold out here,' she whimpered. I pulled her in close to me, wrapping my arms around her. She smiled weakly still shivering, Amy just stared into the darkness with those wild eyes. Since leaving our home, we'd all changed. Amy and Claire were skin and bones, I feared that their bodies couldn't handle this kind of life for much longer. Amy's cheekbones stood out, her eyes now pale compared to the beautiful bluebell they had once been. She used my knife to cut her hair one night, with her lack of weight, pale eyes and short hair, she resembled a boy.

  A single tear fell as I tried to remember the girl she used to be. Claire didn't look much better, though she still kept her long hair, it helped to keep her warm she told me. She was too skinny, her bones stuck out through her now baggy clothes.

  'Umm,' Amy made noises and pointed in front of her. I gently moved Claire and went to inspect whatever it was that Amy was worried about. She kept pointing as I went, ushering me further out. If I'd known what she was planning, I never would have gone. I could hear noises, coming from afar. The rustling of the trees perhaps, I thought. I listened closely, not making a sound. I saw it, it was stuck under a fallen tree. A walker, growling, trying to get free. I saw what it was after, a hare. I had to take care of it, before it posed a threat. I crept up silently, pulling my knife out as I did. Before it could see or hear me I thrust my knife into to its head, taking care not to get any more blood on me.

  As I walked back to camp, I quickly scanned the area in case there was any more biters around. I was startled by screaming, my eyes grew wide and I fled back to my sisters as I realised it was Claire screaming. I gripped my knife as I ran, camp was barely ten minutes away. I reached my sisters to find a sight worse than I could have ever imagined, Amy was pinning Claire to the ground. I felt sick as I looked upon the scene, Amy had put a gag in Claire's mouth and tied her up. That wasn't the worst part though, I could see the blood on Claire's arms. Amy had cut away her skin, how she had done this in such a short space of time, I'll never know.

  'Amy, what are doing?' I asked trying to keep calm.

  As she turned to look at me, I saw
it. The blood round her mouth, the tiny bit of flesh stuck in her teeth. Oh god, she was eating our sister.

  'I'm hungry,' she said in a raspy voice.

  'No sweetheart, we don't eat people. Please get off your sister,' my voice broke, the tears came.

  How had she turned into this? I knew she was damaged, but I didn't think she was this far gone.

  'I'm so hungry,' she said again, as she went to take another strip of flesh from Claire.

  I wiped the tears away, I had to do it, I just had to. I walked over to her calm as anything, I looked down at Claire's terrified face. I just smiled at her, as I tried to get Amy off her.

  'No, my food,' she told me fiercely. I had no other choice, I took one last look at Amy. I should have known it, my sister was gone. She was a monster now, I grabbed her by the throat and stuck my knife in her head, wailing as I did. She slumped to the floor, I untied Claire, oh god her arms, I had no bandages, no medicine to help her. I cradled her in my arms, crying.

  'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I should have known,' I wailed.

  'It's not your fault, I told her to eat me,' she said quietly.

  'What, why, why would you do that?' I asked confused. 'She wanted to eat you, she told me. Amy had it all planned out, she was going to do it when you slept. But I didn't want you to die, so I told her to take me,' she cried.

  'Oh sweetheart, I'm so sorry. Come on, we have to get you out of here. I can find help,' I told her trying to keep my voice steady.

  I picked her up, leaving Amy's corpse to rot on the ground and fled the woods. In my haste I had forgotten, the hill we had climbed to find our camp spot. I tried to keep hold of her as I fell, but it was useless. I felt her slip from my grasp, for a second as we rolled down the rocky hill, she smiled at me and said, 'it's not your fault.' I never could agree, I kept trying to grab her, but the length of our fall and the rocks that jabbed us in the back, prevented me.

  I didn't wake until the sun was low in the sky, I was bleeding from my arms and my head. I groggily got up, clinging to a tree for balance as my vision was blurry. I felt the back of my head, it was cut but not badly. My arms were scratched, but I'd live. I felt my heart beat through my chest as I wondered where Claire was, I moved the fallen branches out of the way, I called her name but there was no response. I'd been out for some hours, if I was in this state, then what must Claire be like? I went down the path, still calling for her.

  'Claire, where are you? Please just come out,' I begged. As I neared the entrance I heard the growl, my heart plummeted. I just knew it was her, she must have known she was going to die. She didn't want to be near me, when she turned. I stumbled through the last few trees, and then I saw her. Eyes black, veins covering her body. A leg bone stuck out from her skin, the pain she must have felt, as she would have dragged herself away from me.

  'Oh Claire, no, not you too,' I cried. I slumped to my knees, watching as she came towards me. At that moment, I felt like giving up. I'd lost everything and everyone that mattered, to see my sisters like this was too much to bear. Her shredded arms, her broken leg, the look in her empty dead eyes. I knew what I had to do, but I couldn't bring myself to hurt her. I knew it wasn't my sister any more, but I just couldn't do it. It wasn't until she was upon me that I realised, she'd given up her life for me. She told Amy to eat her, so that I could carry on. I wasn't going to let her death be for nothing, I shakily got to my feet. I grabbed her by the hair, holding her her at arms length for a moment.

  'I'm sorry Claire, I love you,' I whimpered. I took my knife out of my belt, I let the tears stream down my face, as I plunged my knife into her head. I held her, instead of letting her slump to the ground. I picked her up, and carried her back to out camp. Amy's body still lay there, eyes open, an empty expression on her dead face. I placed Claire next to Amy as I went back to the truck, I remembered that there was some tools in the back. Among them was a shovel, it was my dads. He used it when burying our favourite dog when we were kids, I smiled thinking about him. I missed my family, but they were gone and I had to find a way to live without them.

  I buried my sisters, feeling lost and empty. Despite the awful memories, I couldn't bring myself to leave. It was like being there, kept them alive for me. So I stayed for months, succumbing to insanity for a while. It was only when I found Nikkita, that I had the strength to leave.

  Chapter 30

  Frankie

  After being in the mansion for nine days, Jade was finally well enough to leave. She still walked with a bit of a limp, but she insisted she was alright. We were in the small village of Wormald Green, I was beginning to miss the big cities. We'd seen so many little towns and villages on our journey, and this place was no different.

  'We need to find somewhere to stay for the night,' Jade said as she sat down on a bench.

  'Is your ankle hurting you?' I asked concernedly.

  'Yeah,' she replied in a pained voice.

  'I'm really sorry,' Delilah apologised.

  'Stop apologising, I'll be fine,' Jade told her.

  'All the houses round here have been trashed,' Troy informed us.

  'It doesn't matter, we just need four walls and a roof,' Jensen piped up.

  'That's true, but I'd rather not have to share a room,' Tessa joked.

  'What about that house over there?' Brooke said pointing to left. We all turned to look, it was plain fields ahead but in the distance we could just about see it. A house that stood alone, almost hidden within the fog that surrounded us. The weather was cold and foggy giving this village a somewhat eerie feeling. I longed to be somewhere warm, the mansion had been cosy but we couldn't stay there.

  'Do you need help walking?' Delilah asked Jade.

  'No I'm okay, honestly,' she replied smiling.

  'Well that house looks better than the ones round here, I say we go for it,' Troy said.

  We all agreed, although I had a bad feeling about it. I walked in the back with Jensen and Jade while the others scouted ahead.

  'I've got bad feeling about that house,' I whispered.

  'What kind of bad feeling?' Jade asked concernedly.

  'I don't know, but I just don't think we should go there,' I told her. 'There's no way to convince the others not to go, lets just keep an eye out,' she replied. Jensen and I nodded, the closer we got to the house the more intense my feelings of unease became. I saw no corpses as we approached it, but the fog was heavy round here. We could barely see ten feet in front of us, I held Jensen's hand and put my arm around Jade's waist.

  'God damn it,' Troy muttered.

  'What is it?' Jade asked.

  'The gates are locked, the only way in is to climb over,' he replied.

  'Can you do it?' I asked Jade.

  'I'll be fine, don't worry about me.' We each went over, Troy and Tessa first. Brooke and Delilah second, Jensen went over and I waited while Jade got over. I stared into the fog as I waited, my bad feelings weren't down to the fog or the emptiness, it was something much more. Once Jade was over I began my climb, it was then that heard the growling. I looked but couldn't see through the fog.

  'Can you hear that?' I asked the others quietly. They all stood for a moment listening, I saw their eyes grow wide as they realised, the gates were closed for a reason. I jumped back down on my side, and called to the others to hurry. They began their climb, all of them trying to get over at the same time. The gate was large, but it wasn't strong enough to hold their weight. I moved back as it fell forward, the others clung to each other. It crashed on the floor, but I had no time to check if they were okay. They scrambled to their feet, fleeing as they saw, the horde almost running towards them. Delilah and I grabbed Jade, we practically carried her away.

  'Come on, we need to get out of here!' I shouted. 'Where? There's nowhere safe nearby,' Troy yelled.

  'Just run, we'll worry about that later,' Delilah told him. We fled, running mindlessly through the fog. It seemed to have gotten thicker, we were running in a blind panic. We kept together, each of us
holding another's hand. We tried to keep running, but Jade couldn't keep up.

  'What the hell are we going to do?' Troy hissed angrily.

  'I don't know, but there's no use in getting worked up,' Jade said softly.

  'If we don't do something, we're all going to die!' He shouted.

  'Dad shut up,' Tessa told him.

  'We can't get away with Jade holding us up,' he growled.

  'Don't even think about it, we're not leaving her!' I shouted at him. 'Damn right we're not,' Jensen agreed. 'If we don't leave her we'll die, and I'm not going to let my daughter die for someone who caused all of this!'

  Troy tried to pull Tessa away but she refused to move.

  'I'm not leaving her, it isn't right!' She yelled at him.

  'Get a move on Tessa, NOW!' He screamed.

  'Fuck off dad, if you want to run then go, but I'm not leaving her!'

  'BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!' I screamed at the top of my voice. They all turned to look at me, it wasn't often I burst out like this. If we didn't work together, we'd all die. We had to be smart, while I couldn't see much in front of me I could hear the growls getting closer.

  'Troy, Tessa and Brooke, you take Jade and find us somewhere safe. The rest of us will keep the horde at bay, go now!' I told them fiercely.

  'But-,' Tessa started to say.

  'No, just do as I tell you and we'll survive,' I replied.

  They nodded, taking Jade and fleeing. The fog was so thick, but I could make use it to our advantage.

  'Stand next to me, don't break rank. We can't see too well, but neither can they,' I said.

  'Alright,' was all they said. I could see the terrified looks upon their faces, this was one fight I didn't know if we'd survive. As long as the others made it, that's all that mattered. I held my crossbow, shooting one that was getting close. It went down hard, the others simply walked over it. Each time one got close, I shot it. Good thing for us I had become a good shot with the crossbow. I knew it wouldn't hold them off for long. I watched in horror as the dead surged forward, hundreds upon hundreds of them. Through the fog I could see, the eyes as black as night, the hungry growls echoed through empty place. There was no sunshine, no escape from this.