Surviving

by Kady Monroe

  After another quick glance outside, she could see the dead weren’t going away. She didn’t like the idea of rowing out towards the sea but she couldn’t just sit there waiting. The bottom of the craft was insulated but she could still feel the chill of the water beneath it. Being stuck in the raft all day and night didn’t appeal, what if she fell asleep and it drifted near the stairs? Therefore, she picked up the oars and turned the craft until it faced out towards open water. Jenny rowed and hoped the tide wouldn’t sweep her out to sea.

  She put her back into paddling and soon cleared the harbour entrance. The zombies stopped moaning and didn’t seem to pay any attention to the raft. Jenny scanned the area to the left and saw only marshy scrubland. Not a single boat or building was in sight. To the right lay the area she’d come from the day before. There could still be zombies stuck on the beach. However, that direction seemed to offer more hope of finding transport.

  The beach was unoccupied. Jenny couldn’t tell yet if the remains of Gary were lying there. But she didn’t care. The thought of retrieving her rucksack and gaining a vehicle were more important. She rowed again and prayed nobody else had come along and pinched her bag.

  The tide was coming in. She could feel it grab the raft and push it towards land. And now the surf line wasn’t far off. She figured once she beached, she would tie the raft down so it would still be there if she needed to make a retreat.

  CHAPTER NINE

  There wasn’t much left of Gary. If she hadn’t known the remains were human, she might have thought they were the innards of an animal. His skull was missing and most of the bones appeared chewed. Jenny didn’t linger to make a proper examination. Her stomach turned, so she avoided dark patches of bloody sand and headed for the loose panel in the fence.

  She climbed back up the weed strewn bank with an oar in hand. On reaching the fence, she noticed the gap no longer contained the sheet metal; it lay on the other side with foul smelling black goo staining one side. Hearing no sound, she crept forward.

  Peeking through to the derelict street, she saw the welcome sight of her rucksack. Jenny crossed the distance and picked it up. The canvas fabric was scuffed and dusty. She guessed the stumbling corpses were to blame. Feeling much better, she put her collection of new items in the bag.

  Next Jenny investigated the gate Gary entered through. On the other side lay a tarmacked road with a row of boarded up terraced houses along the opposite side of the street. Graffiti and litter added to the urban decay vibe the place conveyed. Nothing obstructed her view to the left, but to the right a solo female zombie stood motionless with its back to her. Jenny’s position lay close to the end of the row of houses. The corrugated fence from the beach ran along the lower end of the buildings. If she kept quiet, she reckoned she could sneak past the zombie, but worried about what might lurk around the corner. And if the rest of the area mirrored the current sight, then finding a decent car seemed unlikely.

  Weighing her options she decided to return to the beach and drag the raft along to where the outcropped rocks were. She still feared being dragged out to sea but if she could get around, then there was more chance of finding a vehicle further up the coast.

  It turned out, pulling the raft was a pain in the butt. Every time she floated it, the tide pushed it ashore again. She gave up with the idea, and jumped into it then used the oars to push off. Keeping to the shallows, she rowed towards the other end of the beach. As she neared the outcropping, Jenny put a little more distance between the shore and herself. She realised with the tide coming in, she couldn’t be in much danger of being dragged out into deep water, or at least she hoped not.

  Going around the rocks became hair raising. She underestimated the swell of the waves in the area and on a few occasions the raft surged near the outcrop. Rowing like crazy, the muscles in her arms burned. But with luck, she averted catastrophe and found herself back in calmer waters, clear of the obstacle. On seeing the next beach, Jenny spotted a main road running along the coast, and rowed closer to investigate.

  After tying down the raft, and making sure the beach was deserted, she hurried to an embankment. She climbed up on all fours and kept low. A metal crash barrier lined the beach side highway. She scrutinised the view from under it and saw no vehicles or bodies.

  Jenny followed the road from the embankment side. At any signs of trouble, she could duck down out of sight. Taking a last look at the raft she knew if she was gone for a while the tide would steal it away. But if things went her way, then she wouldn’t need the raft anymore. Still, for a short time, it represented security to her so she loathed to leave it. However, taking a deep breath, she started walking.

  When she found a signpost, Jenny discovered she was back on the A584. The same road she’d been on when the Mini broke down, and also realised she was on the south side of Lytham St Anne’s.

  The road took a curve and to her left. Jenny saw the long expanse of the golden sandy beach which drew tourist in the summer. She saw no zombies yet, but with buildings not far ahead of her, the odds of it staying that way dwindled. She crossed her fingers and hoped to find a vehicle as soon as possible.

  The beach offered a great view of the seafront town, which meant her presence wasn’t hidden anymore. She wondered how far ahead could a corpse see? But of course, their prey would be long gone before any of them made it from over there to her current location.

  But now she worried about running into survivors too. She wanted to steer clear of trouble just as much as she wanted to avoid the zombies and infected. Thinking about it reminded her of Gary and she realised she wasn’t sorry about what happened to him. For once the dead did the world a favour. It also occurred to her she wasn’t fretting about destroying zombies either. That part of her now cold. She remembered the bikers, and although she might not regret ending the dead, still recalled they used to be people just like her. Most of them didn’t deserve their fate and certainly shouldn’t be used for some idiot’s amusement. She wasn’t frozen yet.

  The view ahead became more urbanised with residential buildings, guest houses, and small gift shops. The town was damaged, just like everywhere else she’d visited.

  Jenny moved from doorway to doorway. As she walked, she constantly glanced around and also examined vehicles for keys. So far though, all she saw were streets lined with parked, locked vehicles. No cars abandoned? What was wrong with the people of this town, hadn’t any of them tried to run for their lives? Jenny sighed. The frustration made her mean, and she felt guilty for hoping someone else lost their vehicle during an escape attempt, just so she could claim it.

  The area became saturated with more small hotels and bed-and-breakfast guest houses. Jenny studied each one, keeping well clear of any premises with open doors or damage. At one, she ducked down behind a privet hedge when she heard feet scraping across a floor and a strong stench of death emanated from the property. She got down on hands and knees and crawled past the low wall and entrance gate of the place.

  Up ahead she noticed another signpost. It stated directions towards Blackpool and looked like it led to a country road. She considered following the beach but it would take her the length of Lytham St Anne’s and into the larger expanse of Blackpool. She really didn’t want to be on foot in a populated tourist trap. Therefore, she opted for the quiet road.

  She walked for five minutes before she spied a group of three zombies which were oblivious to the human nearby. Jenny entered a residential garden and knelt down in the flower border nearest to a three-feet high wooden fence. The slats were spaced about an inch apart. She would observe the zombies for there and hope it wouldn’t take them long to move. An hour later, and with her jeans soaked at the knees, the coast was clear. The trio took their time, but slowly shuffled away into another street. She took the chance to move on.

  When she reached the area where the gathering had been she scanned her surroundings. The streets were clear, so she hurried across a T-junction and was grateful when no moans of alert s
ounded. At the end of the road Jenny noticed something that made her heart race with excitement. Directly opposite, on the corner stood a car dealership. Only it wasn’t cars they were selling. Some parking bays to the side, displayed motor homes similar in size to Matt’s van. Having a camper van to travel in was enticing to her. If she got one of those, she could sleep overnight in the countryside. However, a camper might prove more difficult to manoeuvre than a car, but she felt she’d done okay with driving the Mini, so why not a van? Feeling much more positive, Jenny looked around then hurried to the business lot.

  “Well Hello my beautiful friend,” she whispered to a van in her favourite colour of Teal.

  “Aren’t you a beauty.”

  All the motor homes were manufactured by the one company and shared the same body design. She took a quick look inside the windows, smiled and rubbed her hands together at the interior view. It looked cosy and comfortable. She even saw a stove and a cubicle which might be a toilet and shower combo. She saw no bed, but Jenny assumed the seating must convert in some manner to make a sleeping area. Her heart was now set on securing one of these vans for herself. Besides, she needed a vehicle and right now, any vehicle she could potentially drive would do.

  Jenny crossed the silent parking lot, using the vans as cover. She safely reached the modern plate glass building where more vans were proudly displayed inside. On reaching her goal she tried pushing the swing door but concluded she needed to find another way in.

  The business premises appeared undamaged from recent events. The place was on the edge of town with quiet, empty countryside behind the lot. She made her way to the back of the building. More shiny new motor homes were parked there too.

  She followed the brick wall to the service bay area. The big roller door was closed up tight. Next to it stood a normal door and a small window with frosted glass. The door wouldn’t open so she examined the window. The type of glass used suggested it belonged to a toilet. It didn’t look toughened and in normal circumstances breaking it would probably have resulted in an alarm going off. Jenny figured she could fit through the space, but knew she was going to have to be quick. The sound the glass made might attract attention. So, having decided her course of action, she raised the oar, turned her head away, and slammed the tool into the glass. The noise sounded really loud to her, but she didn’t stop to think about it further. Jenny used the oar to clear any sharp fragments from around the frame, then took off the trawler coat and draped it over the lower window sill.

  She hauled herself up and slipped through while the coat stopped her from being cut. Once inside she retrieved it, gave it a shake, then put it back on. She looked around a small wash room, searching for anything she could use to block the window. But the room offered nothing. She consoled herself with the thought of not having ever seen a zombie open a door, let alone climb through windows. Plus she hadn’t heard any infected since leaving Bamber Bridge. The infected ones could probably climb. The thought made her shudder, so she pushed it aside and got back to the task at hand. All she could do at the moment, would be to shut the door when she left the room.

  After the washroom, she discovered the service bay. A camper van sat facing the roller door. She ignored it and took a tour of the area’s facilities instead. A number of tools were stored in metal drawers and Jenny was delighted when she found a set of long bolt cutters, an item which would definitely come in handy. Next, she went to a small office. Its furnishings were standard fare. She noticed a small key holder board screwed onto the nearest wall. Two sets of keys hung on hooks, she grabbed them both. One appeared to be a door key and the other most certainly belonged to the camper van. She put the latter in her pocket. Before exploring further, Jenny stood outside the washroom and listened. On hearing nothing, she moved on.

  The key from the desk, fitted the showroom door. Jenny entered the spacious room and stayed low. Six vehicles were on display inside. One had an expandable roof up and a sliding side door open for potential buyers to hop in and have a look. For the moment, Jenny wasn’t interested in discovering the joys of the vehicle’s interior. Keys were the thing she wanted to find, and noticing a plush seating area near two white doors she surmised she’d have better luck there.

  The first door showed a WC sign on it, therefore Jenny ignored it. The next housed the sales office. The door opened when she tried the handle. This office was more upmarket from the one the mechanics used. White painted walls were decorated with scenic prints of the countryside showing off beautiful lakes and green pastures. Just right for swaying the customers to the joys of the open road. A teak desk and grey padded chair were provided for the sales staff and two comfortable arm chairs sat in front of the desk for clients to use. A water dispenser occupied one corner of the room with the familiar blue bottle and cone shaped disposable cups. In the other corner stood a teak cabinet which matched the desk. Keys, Jenny thought and walked towards it.

  It was locked, so Jenny helped herself to a cup of water before inspecting the desk. She opened drawers full of pens, paper-clips and the usual small paraphernalia of an office. It didn’t take long to find a door key and then a small silver key which should fit the cabinet. Returning to it, she inserted the key and turned. One click gave her access.

  Inside were four big bottles of water for the dispenser. If possible, Jenny would be taking those. On hooks, hung an assortment of keys. Six were separated on the upper row, so presumably they fitted the display vans. The rest included registration tabs. She hadn’t remembered to look at the number plate of the teal van. So taking a handful, she went to make her way to the plate glass window. She stopped and ducked down when she noticed two zombies wandering about out front. She hid behind one of the vans and when their backs were to her, scooted across the floor to the next one.

  She reached the side window and got a good view of the parked vans while still able to keep an eye on the corpses in the road. Jenny read number plates and key fob information. She noticed a camper parked three up from the teal van, which was a glossy bronze colour. It made her think of autumn and now when she thought about it, the teal would stand out, whereas the other one would blend in more with the countryside. She needed every advantage she could get. So changed her mind and decided on that one instead. Finding the right keys to match the van, she made her way back to the office and deposited the rest of the keys on the desk. She took another drink of water, then sneaked back into the service bay.

  Checking the WC room door again and hearing nothing to worry about, she went to investigate the parked van. The central locking disengaged. Jenny opened the driver’s door and got in. With the zombies outside, she might as well use some time to familiarise herself with the functions of the dashboard and van.

  In one of the glove box compartments, she procured an instruction book detailing all the features of the interior. The stove top needed bottled gas to work. On checking, she found a canister already stowed away in a floor cupboard. The windows were dressed with blackout blinds which fitted like the shutters in aeroplanes. The shower needed electricity, but the toilet was of the chemical variety so at least that was something. Jenny was impressed. And also discovered that whoever owned the vehicle had left some of their belongings onboard. The cupboards held crockery, pots and pans along with cutlery. And when she went to see how to rearrange the seats into a sleeping area, she discovered bedding and pillows. Jenny wasn’t sure what would be included in the van she wanted to take, therefore she might be stealing some items from this one if the opportunity arose. It depended whether the zombies cleared out of the area. The van in the service bay might be an option. But since she didn’t know why it was there, she decided against it.

  She sat in the driver’s seat and examined the controls. It was a bit more up to date than the Mini, but at least the gears were the same basic arrangement. Having inspected everything, Jenny returned to the showroom office. On taking another look outside she could still see the zombies but they had wandered a little further away. T
hat’s it. Good zombies, just keep going.

  For the first time, she noticed a clock on the wall. It told her the time was much later than the daylight suggested. Darkness would fall in another hour. She wondered if perhaps it was best to make camp in the van for the night and start out in the morning.

  With little light remaining, Jenny moved the water bottles back to the service bay. Earlier, she noticed another key in the sales office drawer. It must fit the single glass door of the showroom. That exit would serve her better for moving supplies out to the van as she didn’t want to try hauling everything through the broken washroom window. And thinking about that, she went in search of something to cover it up.

  The corpses faced away from the building and were even further down the road now. This gave her some breathing space to move at the rear of the showroom; an area out of the zombies’ line of sight.

  In the far corner, behind a large potted fern, Jenny found an advertising board which she guessed normally stood outside when the business was open. It looked like it would do the trick, so she manhandled it to the service bay and successfully got it wedged in front of the window.

  Having done all she could for the time being, Jenny retreated to the van and locked herself in. Then, with the luxury of cooking facilities, she decided to make a hot drink. Unfortunately, the only thing she possessed was the cup-a-soup from the trawler. Tomato and vegetable flavour. She’d never been a fan of instant soup but it would do for now. While she waited for the water to boil, she rummaged in the rucksack and pulled out the last can of tuna. A few tea bags and some coffee, remained too, but no milk powder. Therefore, getting some food supplies would be a priority once she got back on the road.