by Samie Sands
“I don’t know if my wife will let me go again,” I eventually reply gravely. “She didn’t want me to go in the first place, it was only because I was so determined to help. I just can’t see her wanting to be alone any longer.”
Finally, Kelly spins around to look at me, and the intense redness of her cheeks strikes burning terror into my heart. “So, she will let you go to find some guy who might, or might not, be a threat, but she’ll be dead against you finding a cure?”
It might not be a cure, I want to scream, it could be nothing! It is nothing, I’m sure of it. I can’t vocalize that though, I still need her to stick with me. We only have to make it a little while longer and I’ll have others to back me up. I doubt anyone will want to go on a wild goose chase based on such flimsy evidence.
“Others will go with you, you won’t have to do it alone. We just need to get back now.” I try to grasp her hand while I beg her, hoping it’ll help her to see sense, but she snatches it away before my skin can even graze hers. “Just one more day, a few more hours and we’ll be with everyone else. Then you can do whatever you want.”
“Every moment I spend getting you back to your family is a waste. What if Georgie dies while we’re out here?” The passion floods her voice, raising the volume of it with every word. “What if we miss our chance to put an end to this because you were too scared?”
“It’ll end anyway…”
“No, it won’t! Not really. There will always be a threat unless we find a way to permanently eliminate it. We need this, I think you’re being incredibly short-sighted by not seeing that. You’re only focusing on one small part of this.” I want to shush her, to stop her from screaming, but I can’t seem to find my voice. “All you want is to get back to your family. I get that, but don’t you want more? Don’t you want your daughter to grow up in a world that you know is safe, or are you too much of a coward to care?”
“Of course…”
Before I can get too much of my answer out, Kelly lets out a small, guttural shriek and she stomps off loudly further down the road. I remain where I am for a few seconds as Kelly goes around the corner and out of sight, letting her words wash over me, knowing that a lot of what she’s said is right. Focus on the end goal, not the journey to get there; that’s been my mantra to get me to this point, but the end goal has been too small.
Maybe I am a coward.
“Alex, run!” Kelly’s shrill scream bursts through the air and instantly sets my body into motion once more. I’m still pretty breathless from the harsh words I’ve just had thrown at me, but luckily I’ve got just about enough energy to make it to where she’s gone…
Oh, my God.
My feet refuse to move anymore as I witness the horror spreading across the landscape like a black, disgusting sheet. Death, stench, infection everywhere. Almost as far as the eye can see. How did we not notice? Were we really so wrapped up in ourselves? Maybe we’ve become desensitized to the smell now, so it takes the image for us to take notice.
Well, I’m taking notice now!
And Kelly’s stuck right in the middle of it just because I was too stubborn to listen to her. Vomit twists and coils through my gut as I witness her becoming lost in the ocean.
I desperately reach out, wishing I was close enough to grab her but she ‘s been dragged into the middle of the large crowd. She’s surrounded, crowded, most definitely stuck. My heart stops dead in my chest as I realize what this could mean for everyone—this area is supposed to be safe, all these beasts are supposed to be gone now. They were supposed to have been dealt with. My family is here somewhere, or they’re supposed to be. How has this happened? Have they been overrun? Is everyone dead?
“Alex!” Kelly’s arm flings above the group of them and it tears a massive hole in my chest to see blood pouring down her skin. There must be a bite on her body somewhere. She’s a fighter, but she’s lost. I already knew that had to be the case, but the proof is killer. “You’re not dead yet, run. Take the notes, run.”
Damn, the notes. It hits me like a thump in the face that Kelly might’ve been right all along. Maybe there is something to this Georgie stuff, just because I can’t instantly see it, doesn’t make it a lie. Lots of things that don’t seem possible, are. This, for example. This whole damn infection shouldn’t be possible, but it is.
It’s just a shame that it’s taken something so horrific for me to stand up and listen.
“I’m coming,” I promise loudly. “I’ll get the notes, I’ll find Georgie.” I don’t know how, there’s no way in, but I at least owe her that much. “Just…wait. I’m coming.”
How can I do everything? How can I honor Kelly’s soon-to-be memory by completing the one thing she cared about, whilst also keeping myself alive for my family? I can’t lose all hope that they’re gone just yet, even if they might be I have to continue fighting.
I can’t do both, it’s impossible. Kelly is too far in. The only way I can do what she wanted is to keep myself alive.
Unfortunately, by the time I have this revelation and I spin around on my heels a wall has been created around me. Bodies cover me, the desperate, starving infected that haven’t been fed well for far too long are so desperate for my flesh that they’re clambering up over one another to touch me. I feel sharp nails grazing my skin, gnarly fingers grabbing at me, feet bashing against my legs.
My breath hitches in my throat as I turn around and around, dizzying up my brain.
No escape. There’s no escape.
An intense need to survive kicks in strong in the pit of my stomach, but it’s too late. It makes no different, there’s nothing I can do. They’re all over me; above me, below me, everywhere I turn. I can’t breathe, every time I suck in just the tiniest bit of air it’s so pungent I want to die, just to escape it.
If I die, the chance to outlive this dies with me.
If I die, the chance to warn everyone dies with me.
I need to live, it’s the only way.
I push, I shove, I fight hard with this one thought in my mind, but soon the inevitable boiling hot burst of pain radiates from my buttocks. I should’ve known that I couldn’t do it. This is impossible, there never was a chance for me.
“Argh!” I scream as the flesh pulls painfully away from my throat, leaving my head feeling ten times heavier. My blood curdles and gurgles through my windpipe, making it even more challenging to breathe. Even though I know I’m dead I can’t stop trying to fight. My vision blurs, my heart rates slows to a standstill, my body is torn to pieces but I can’t feel it anymore. My sensitivity has been shut off.
Still, I battle.
I’m sorry, I want to yell to everyone in the world that I’ve let down. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to.
Eventually, the bodies above me blur into nothing, taking the world with them. All I can see is black, and with that a cold sense of peace overcomes me. I stop the war and I succumb. It’s the end, at least for me. I tried hard, I gave it everything, and I lost. I don’t want it to be this way, but the world is on its own now.
For more, don’t forget to check out the rest of the AM13 Outbreak Series:
Lockdown
Forgotten
Extinct
Lockdown Sample
ONE
Okay, it’s official. I’m dead. I’m actually going to be killed.
Then I’ll lose my job, my super important position and my beautiful nameplate, complete with Leah Watton written across it in shiny silver print. Of course, this will cause me to get kicked out of my flat and I’ll end up living in some cardboard box on a skanky street corner, drinking cider and trading war stories around a bin fire.
Or the much worse option, I’ll be forced to move back to my parents’ house.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
All for one idiotic joke. I can’t believe it. I’ve nearly wrecked my career already, and it was only just beginning. I can really feel the panic welling up in my stomach now. After those three long years at university stud
ying journalism, the thing I was so sure I was destined to do with my life (which in the end turned out I actually hated). Those long depressing months of sending out CVs to every stupid newspaper, magazine, and supplement going—my parents had always made it very clear that they expected me to use my degree sensibly, especially as they may have helped me now and again, financially, after I got into a bit of credit card debt. I got rejected time and time again, even by a cheese periodical. Seriously, they said at the interview my lack of passion for the subject was apparent. I mean, what sort of person is passionate about cheese?
Finally I got a chance, well more like a small teeny tiny stepping stone, one that would actually go down well with my family. A news researcher. I mean, it’s for the least watched local news program ever, in a small rural part of the country where nothing exciting ever happens, but it totally counts. I was so relieved, but definitely not happy to get this job. Still, I can’t afford to lose it.
I’m such a fool. I only did this to impress Jake. Damn it. I’ve been trying to get his attention since I walked in on my first day and saw him smiling into the phone and twisting his hair in that cute way he does when he’s concentrating. He’s absolutely gorgeous—tall, dirty blond hair, blue eyes, a smile that lights up a room. I was instantly smitten, and have since spent my days catching any glimpse of him that I can.
He definitely likes to think he’s the joker in the office, so after flirting and dressing to accentuate my best features—which believe me isn’t easy if you’re five foot three, with a figure that could do with losing about ten pounds—I thought I’d try a different approach to getting his attention.
He’s one of those guys constantly emailing stupid YouTube videos to everyone, often with a fake news story attached, usually mocking one of our more recent, tedious projects. So I found a great one of a ‘zombie’ attack. It’s brilliant. It looks so realistic and although it’s in a foreign language and you can barely make out any words, the narrator sounds terrified. It made me laugh when I found it, and I knew Jake would find it funny, so I set it up.
But then came the error. I feel icy and uncomfortable even thinking about it. I accidentally sent it to Jamie King, the big boss. With a whole news story attached.
He doesn’t understand humour and I’m sure he’s never heard a joke. He seriously does not tolerate messing around in the office. This can only mean he’s either going to think I’m serious and I think this should actually go on television, on the news, like some idiot who doesn’t deserve this job, or he’s going to see it for the joke it is and instantly sack me. Oh God, I don’t know what’s worse, I can’t cope with this.
I’m such a klutz. If I hadn’t been talking to Michelle about the new blue high heels I bought over the weekend to go with my black swishy dress, and I was actually concentrating on what I was doing for a change, then none of this would have happened.
She’s still talking to me about them now, and about a night out she’s planning for someone’s birthday, but I can’t focus on a word she’s saying. I’m just filling in all the pauses with “yeah” or “oh right” which seems to be satisfying her for now. She always was the talker in the friendship.
The waiting is almost worse than the inevitable boot. I’m on the edge of my seat, tapping my fingers and shaking my legs nervously. I keep seeing Jamie pacing up and down in his office, but not once has he come into the main room. I’m so scared I could throw up. I can’t concentrate on anything. I keep logging onto Facebook just to calm down, which is actually just going to add to my telling off, I realise as I quickly shut the Internet down.
Okay this is getting ridiculous now. It’s been hours and still nothing. Maybe he just hasn’t checked his email yet, or maybe my ideas are so insignificant he deleted it without even reading it. This idea bucks me up a little bit. In fact, now I think about it, he’s been on his phone all morning, chattering away quickly and nervously. He looks really stressed out, and actually kinda sweaty. Gross, I screw my nose up in mild disgust. This man is far too important to be worried about some silly email from little old me, isn’t he? I start to chuckle to myself. I feel relieved, almost hysterical.
“What’s up?” Michelle interrupts my thoughts.
“Oh, er, nothing.” I realise I’ve been laughing quite loudly. My face flushes red and I pretend to be engrossed in a press release on my desk.
God, press releases are boring. If I worked in PR I’d attach some freebies or something eye catching with everything I sent to anyone in the media. Surely that’s a way to ensure you’d get on the news? I’d find out who worked at each news studio and send them something they’d specifically like. For example, for me I’d send a nice new bag. Or, no that might be a bit much; maybe some new bath salts or something. If someone sent me that I’d make sure their product or story got on the news, even if it was really dull.
“Leah.” Jamie’s voice makes me jump out of my seat. Damn, I’d forgotten all about that email for a minute there.
I quickly close down Facebook. How did I end up on that website again? I’m reading everyone’s gossip and not even realising it. I walk quickly to his office with my head down. Everyone is staring at me, which makes me feel awful. Mind you, if I was sat amongst them I’d be staring at me too.
“Sit.” I sit down very quickly. This is the end for me I can feel it.
The silence lasts for what feels like forever.
“I need you to explain this email you sent me.”
“Well, it was just a, um, joke really. I was just…erm.” I can’t stop babbling, my heart is pounding and my face is getting hotter and hotter.
“Where did you find the video?” he asks me as if I’m about five years old.
“Um, well, I found it on YouTube. On my own time, of course. I was only messing around during lunch, trying to get a laugh, lighten the atmosphere a bit.” I let out a strangled giggle; this could not be going worse. “I would never misuse company property. Except, well, the email. But that was just um, I didn’t mean to.”
“So, it’s not something you have been working on for a story?”
“Er no, I don’t thinks it’s, you know—” Don’t say it. Do not say it. “—real?” Damn it! Why would he need that obvious fact clarified?
“Hmmm, well, I want you to send me the video link so I can see what it is you lot are really doing when you’re supposed to be working.” The look he gives me makes me feel about two feet tall.
I’m shell-shocked as I walk back to my desk. What the hell just happened?
“What was that about?” Michelle whispers.
I shrug my shoulders as a confused reply. Jamie is furious. That much I can see. I can’t tell if he really wants the link, or if he was just messing with me, trying to freak me out more than he already has, so I’ll never do anything bad again. Well, it’s working, but I think I’d better do what he asked, just in case.
I suddenly look at Michelle’s face and realise she’s actually annoyed with the fact that I haven’t given her any details to gossip about and help pass the day quicker. I feel totally sympathetic, so I fill her in on all the details.
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