Outbreak of the Deceased (Book 1): Immediate Survivors

by Barone, Cenz

  Baxter innocently asked Laura “Did I say something wrong?” Laura shook her head at him as she then told him “Of course not, just sit down, she just needs to clear her head”. Baxter did as Laura asked and sat down and he kept his eyes on the fire, but was stealing glances at her. The experienced Laura came to sit near him and put her arm around him as he gasped, immediately stimulated by this, and she looked at him and whispered into his ear “You know, it is okay to get close to me. Not everything is about asking permission?” Baxter shrugged his shoulders and replied nervously “Oh, I am just...” as Laura interrupted him “You are too sweet for your own good, that’s what you are” as Laura lowered her head and then looked back at him and said “After what you did in the police station with the dead things by clearing that floor, and finding the camper van at the car park. And I couldn’t place you back in the rescue station when you introduced yourself to me. I do not think I will ever forget you again Baxter. It is because of you I am still alive”.

  As he turned to her and laughed nervously but this turned into a nerdy snort, he was finding this hard to believe and he shyly smiled at her feeling embarrassed, she could feel him shake before her, he was so nervous, even after all he had done, and then Laura kissed him on his lips which calmed him oddly. Laura then whispered to him “Will you forget me?” he just shook his head and he said longingly at her “Never” he wore his glasses looking into her blue eyes as she stroked his hair and then hugged him and rested her head on his shoulder. Baxter felt so proud and happy in this moment, this beautiful girl who he pined for from afar taking comfort in him and being near him, as he drew strength from her. Melissa was wandering around the woodlands, clearing her thoughts and frustrated at herself that she was so cruel and cold to Laura, even if in a joking way but she could not help it as she cursed Laura for what she saw as Laura being selfish and being too serious.

  A couple of hours had passed and by this point when Melissa returned to camp, Baxter noticed the tension between Laura and Melissa, he did not dare to ask Laura what it was about but he just kept himself as alert as possible, Melissa was hanging out in the 4x4 listening to the vehicles radio and Laura was this time on her watch duty of walking around the woodland, every sight and sound heightened to her, she found herself so stimulated by the environment around her. Baxter meanwhile was back at camp and unsure how to navigate the obvious tension between the two, Melissa was civil to him and did not take out her frustrations on Baxter, as they spoke occasionally, but Laura and Melissa kept their distance. Laura had gone back to her tent and even Baxter was giving her space, despite how close they had become he did not want to intrude, Laura remained in her tent as Baxter wandered around the campsite they had made trying to make himself useful. Inside her tent Laura was relaxing, wanting her own space.

  Chapter 35 - Hiding & Living Amongst The Dead

  An hour had passed, and Laura was within her tent napping, but then her eyes slightly opened because she heard a faint noise, it sounded like thudding. She opened her eyes fully at this point and became one with the present, she heard a faint shout, and it was followed by gunfire. Laura rushed for her weapon, which was a pistol and held it close and she heard the gunfire once more and then it stopped, she glanced outside the tent and saw the camper van was back. Laura lowered the zip further on the tent and saw the camper back reverse to its previous spot. Laura opened the tent and went outside, she watched Kenny exited the back of the camper van and he was laughing to himself. Laura was standing near her tent observed this as Cherie opened the driver’s side after parking up, followed by Nancy and Elise exiting from the back and Roy moving from the passenger’s side. Kenny kept laughing as Cherie scolded him and stated “Why would you fire your gun?”

  Kenny indifferently said “It was a success I just wanted to celebrate upon our arrival”. Kenny looked around at them all and said “Wasn’t it funny?” Nancy was looking stressed out, and this is what Laura noticed when she quietly observed the group. Kenny had obviously been acting erratic again Laura thought and Nancy did not wish to engage in an argument as she stated “Just get the stuff out of the camper van”. Nancy was struggling to stand on her feet, it must have been rough Laura thought as she observed this. Elise was near Nancy talking as Roy was watching Kenny who was relaxed and heading towards his tent, Roy said to him “You crazy fucker you!” Roy though was unconcerned. Baxter and Melissa stood near the fire and watched the group return as Cherie was exchanging words with them and as was Nancy, who was helped to sit down near the fire by Elise, their words exchanged were too low sounding for Laura to hear.

  Laura though watched as Roy with Baxter, Melissa and Cherie and then Elise moved out pallets, some fences and what looked like camouflage netting, as they unloaded all this gear onto the ground, but overall, as time went by all were chirpy, laughing and smiling. Laura could not believe it. Melissa joined them in doing so and was overcome with joy at the sight of what they brought back, as well as the tools. Laura continued to from nearby her tent observe all this and then she slowly began to realise that the groups dynamics were changing, even Nancy who was by far the most sensible in terms of her professionalism and her desire to right the wrongs being done all around her was becoming detached from her previous life and principles. The group were in many ways savouring this adventure, the excitement which Melissa was talking about characterised the rest of the group with their unflinching desire to shine and do all they could to survive, even killing and laying traps. Laura remained watching the way the group spoke amongst each other and it just appeared to be slow motion for her.

  Laura struggled with seeing this, Laura was very much an intuitive person who relied more on her feeling than anything else and hated how much people she had known for a short time, or even a long time like Melissa were changing. Kenny a fearful youngster when she met him, nervous and anxious appeared unpredictable and spontaneous, whilst Cherie and Elise who were both petrified originally seemed far more unified and confident in each other’s presence, they were once gloomy in what Laura recalled but were endowed with a fresh zeal to kill the creatures and they seemed ruthlessly confident. Even Baxter was taken by the group as he helped them unload the items they had taken and Nancy watched on just shaking her head but she could not help but smile at the sight. Roy was observed gingerly in the backdrop, helping direct them all with the items and what to move and where to move it.

  Laura felt as she looked at them all, she did not recognise herself anymore, and who she use to be, but also who they were, and it was mad for her to think like this considering it was just over a week by this time since this rise of the dead happened but so many things had altered and now for the first time Laura was noticing it amongst those she was with. Laura could not help but soak up what was taking place and it was not so much about survival anymore instead it seemed it was all about pleasure and a sick enjoyment at what was taking place, as Laura asked herself was this what was needed to be done to get through it, but she lowered her head and wiped her eyes as she focused back on the group speaking amongst each other as she whispered to herself “We are losing sight of what is real” Laura then whispered once more after a pause “We are going to get ourselves killed, even lose our identities”.

  But what Laura could not see was the people were just trying to cope as best as they could. Laura went back inside her tent and zipped it up to shut herself up from what was occurring outside, and now she felt like she was forgotten. Laura went towards her side and saw a music player that she had taken from the supermarket and she pressed play as she put in her headphones, this was such a temporary luxury because eventually the power of the music player would run out and she had no place to recharge it, but then would have to rely on batteries which nobody would accept, especially her of wasting it on music. So Laura now went towards a pen and paper near her, again random items taken from the supermarket, and she held the handbook and started to write down her experiences from the beginning as though it would help her with what wa
s happening outside the tent.

  The urge suddenly overtaking her, and she wrote from the early evening of going to that party and how the invitees arrived, and then through the party, and right across the timeline to what she endured to where she was at in this point. This small handbook on this day and in this moment was when Laura tried to cope with her feelings by jotting it down. As she wrote like she had never concentrated on any essay paper before, she thought it was so odd how dedicated she was to this moment and how the group must have taken so many random and weird things from that supermarket preceding coming to the downs to allow her to do this. “So many fucking weird things” Laura muttered to herself as the group outside continued to talk, laugh and argue amongst each other like none of what was taking place was real.

  As Laura continued to write, the group outside did not rest but instead worked hard and fast, and the hammering and nailing continued from the early afternoon well into the night as Roy helped to organise what was needed to be broken down and moved to shroud the location of the groups campsite into the most remotest of places, the idea being to make it seem like the campsite did not exist, and indeed where the group had chosen to reside did not exist as an actual campsite until they had picked it. As time wore on Laura eventually moved out of her tent and she saw how organised everyone was, even with their bickering and occasional arguing, yet there was a harmony amongst them. The food was cooking now, and she knew they had a lot of food, not just with what they had scavenged from the supermarket but a confidence with what had been caught via the fishing rods by Roy who instructed Kenny and Cherie the previous day into locating the best spot for fish in the lake, and a general consensus was that Roy knew the area so well, and his level of confidence made everyone comfortable they could sustain themselves through this entire ordeal in this place for a very long time.

  Cherie tended the barbecue and Laura quietly moved in the foreground, feeling invisible as Cherie disclosed how her parents were avid cooks and she herself had grown up in her parents restaurant so was familiar with how to cook meals, and all kinds, it appeared everyone was settling into the situation, she was learning facts and information by just listening and observing in ways she never previously had, but Laura could not help but wonder why she felt like something bad was about to happen. Kenny meanwhile was organising the barricade on the road to the campsite with Nancy who took an equally active part with Roy providing assistance and advice. Melissa still kept her distance from Laura, which eventually wore into the day and night that the rest of the group became wise to the fact Laura and Melissa had some tension between them, and this followed their argument by the lake. Laura though had taken to settling back into the group as she sat by the fireplace and was being hugged by Baxter who was resting his head on Laura’s head watching the fire burn.

  Roy stood overlooking the camp and he smoked a cigarette as he watched the bats flutter from the high tree tops heading out to feed. Elise was dragging some wood as well as some fencing. Roy kept flicking his lighter on his cigarette and saw the fences which was numerous now and encircling the campsite, touching each part just as the group had intended. The wood and the security was sufficient though it would not hold a massive invasion by those things nor would it sustain many determined human beings breaching it like Roy had warned them of the death squads, it was quite robust and fixated into the ground. Most importantly as Roy had been telling them throughout this endeavour it would leave ample warning if they were being attacked because of the obstacles the death squads for example would have to overcome. Roy now made his way towards the barbecue centre near the fire and took a piece of meat which was one of the fish he had caught, it was cooked well and he bit into it and the rest of the group sat around relaxing after their heavy and hard labours. “It did not take that long did it, we even have some fencing leftover” said Kenny.

  Kenny then ploughed his mouth into some of the meat taken from the supermarket, and everyone was now quietly eating their own meals thinking to themselves about the last few hours. Since Roy had told them of the squads as he called them, many were nervous particularly the women who had seen the family in the small country cottage. Kenny was also worried about a run in with them, if they had guns and also had more people, there was every possibility they would be helpless before them and in the event of a fire fight he and the group would probably die. It was not worth thinking about he told himself.

  Roy though encouraged them on occasion, by building up the safety of their location and how they were far from the dead things and how the death squads were just opportunists who would not come so far into the woodlands to seek out targets. Nancy asked him “How long do you think it would be until a military detachment comes through, how long do you think this place would hold us, you’ve been here a while yourself right”. All seemed to be turning to Roy for advice Laura noticed but she kept quiet, and just paid attention to him, she did not like the fact Roy occasionally said he was walking off on patrol but came back within a few minutes, yet the rest of the group she noticed seemed to not notice, but she wondered was she being paranoid, as she held onto Baxter.

  “Just keep it quiet here and be careful, maybe 9 months” Roy replied to Nancy’s question about how long he thought they could hold up in the woodlands “9 months” said a shocked Melissa as Elise added after Melissa’s exclamation “That’s an awfully long time, why don’t we just wait here for a few weeks and go” but Kenny chewing on his fish and drinking his beer in between, all noticed how much he drank as he said “After all of this work, you must be mad. A few weeks, no way, Roy is right, 9 months and more, it is plenty of time for this shit to be dealt with”. Kenny now stood up and said overlooking the group, comfortable and content as he was “Besides people” he now pulled out a back pack from the floor and went through it shuffling through differing bottles of alcohol as he said “Every single night for 9 months I am going to drink myself into oblivion, does anyone care to join me. There is after all no point in worrying about what we cannot control” he had before them all bottles of vodka, whisky, brandy and so many beer cans as he said gleefully “The joys of raiding the supermarket alcohol aisles” Kenny with a prideful smirk finished. Roy laughed and sipped his own brandy.

  Elise leaned forward and took a beer can as she opened it and said “Why the fuck not, it’s better than asking the same questions night after night” each person took some of the drinks and even Baxter did but Laura refused and asked “What if someone comes?” people were too focused on indulging in this moment, as she looked around for cooler heads to prevail, like Nancy or even Cherie who Laura thought was too cool for this nonsense but neither did. “Nobody will come Laura” Roy told her as he offered her a shot of his brandy but Laura shook her head as Roy sat back away from her and said to the rest of the group after sipping his brandy “Believe me, I have lived in here for so long and we are miles inside the forest, you keep asking yourself questions like that, you will go crazy. Just enjoy the moment, trust me, we will be able to kill so much time here”. Melissa now asked Roy “What of the other groups you have been seeing?” as Roy smiled at her and said “None of them are as cool as you people” he burst out laughing which brought forth laughter from the others, and Laura observed them all, she felt like she should join in which she did, even though in the back of her mind she felt uneasy about doing so.

  Baxter held out a beer to Laura and said to her, he whispered “Go on Laura, just have some”. Laura decided to join in sipping some and some stories were told, jokes of all kinds shared and more people engaged and disclosed information about them which quickly revealed individual fears and pains. It was a situation which breeds inhibitions being lost and the only thing that mattered was enjoying oneself until the end, whenever that was. And so the group settled into this night, with Roy’s presence and acceptance as he said he would join them by remaining with their group and so it began that after this night and into the following few weeks of working together as a team and growing more comfor
table into their surroundings, not just with each other but living almost untouched by the horrors beyond it. And working as a group together, so they went on in surviving where they had made their own home, in this campsite.

  Chapter 36 - Complacency Is Mythical

  For almost three weeks they had lived in their campsite and tensions previously felt had somewhat receded but mostly, everyone got on, as best as they could. Kenny seemed to become more unhinged but happier with the campsite, he still had spells where he had ideas to look for something else but it was just talk. Laura and Baxter became more dependent on each other, Cherie and Elise grew closer and bonded over the circumstances which had brought them together to this point, Melissa and Laura sort of patched things up and Nancy was far more easygoing than she originally was. As for Roy, well Roy was very much part of the group by this point, and an instrumental part of it.

  And on this night, a night no different from any other over the last almost three weeks they had experienced together, a small patch of the collective group had drifted outwards and become so familiar with the region around them that they became complacent, and this was partly because Roy had ingratiated himself into the group to a point he was taking lead alongside Nancy, and this shared sense of responsibility was not something Nancy shied away from. Both Nancy and Roy despite them being so different personality wise, had due to their seniority over the rest of the group had taken on a motherly and fatherly role. Roy in his 50s was accustomed to it and Nancy in her 30s, even if she was similar to Elise age wise, but her role as a policewoman could not escape her and those around her, even if Nancy had told the group and herself she no longer was that person anymore, she just could not help herself in her role of aspiring to responsibility, and the leadership qualities she had, nor her sense of justice, and none of these things fully left her.