Infection Z

by Beswick, Rebecca L.

  We seemingly go unnoticed, it slowly drags its feet deeper into the shop, we rush out too fast making the bell chime, realising we’ve been noticed, we run as fast as our legs will allow, until there’s a scream, my mother has been grabbed, engulfed by pale bloody arms of those things, she struggles screaming, we attempt to run over to help her, its teeth sink into her bare skin, she shakes her head “go!” she demands “we can’t leave you!” I shout, “I’ve been bitten, it’s too late you all have to get home and survive" we continue to protest which brings a gathering of more of those things, Damon grabs me and Sam and runs with us, “I’m sorry, we love you" he shouts to our mother before ushering us away, I can’t see through my tears having refused to leave Damon has to throw me over his shoulder while I scream my protests.

  After narrowly escaping the clutches of those things we arrive back inside, Damon closes the door and piles items in front of it once again to block out any unwanted visitors, my tears are still wet on my face as I wonder up to my room, “April-" Sam attempts to call out but is cut off by Damon, “just give her some space" he suggests with a smile, I slump onto my bed feeling numb from having screamed and cried the whole way back, yet anger creeps up on me, anger at that thing for taking my mother away, did I ever tell her I loved her? Anger at her giving up so easily, anger at Damon for leaving so easily when we could’ve saved her, I could’ve saved her, I turn to face the wall suddenly exhausted, my eyes grow heavy and I’m engulfed by a deep sleep.

  The next morning, I lie in bed longer than usual not wishing to leave its comforting embrace, “April are you coming to breakfast?” Sam asks gingerly, I don’t reply wishing her away, “I guess you’re still tired, I’ll leave you be” she states, I listen to her footsteps as they leave the room and descend the stairs, from the thin walls I can hear her whispered conversation to Damon, the worry in her voice is apparent, in response Damon’s frustrated voice, I decide to block them out and replay yesterday on a loop until my eyes once again grow heavy and sleep engulfs me once again.

  Damon’s POV

  I awake with a sigh acknowledging the emptiness in my chest, my mother’s absence makes the house feel too quiet, without her the joyful light in our home is gone and replaced with a shallow cold feeling, I began to think over yesterday’s events, that monster that grabbed her out of nowhere, which happened too quickly for any of us to react, I wanted nothing more than to beat that thing to a bloody pulp but after it sunk its teeth into her, it was too late, from what I witnessed at the school it’s clear the disease is transferred through bite or scratch, I so wanted to bring her home but I knew that would be more cruel than letting her go, and I couldn’t risk April and Sam getting in danger from my selfishness, and from the look in my mother’s eyes I knew she believed that too.

  I decide to get up and start on breakfast, and found April was nowhere to be seen which disappointed me and frustrated me, she’s not the only one that has experienced loss and in this new world we are living in we can’t afford to give into our emotions, if we want to survive we have to keep strong and carry on no matter what the circumstance, “is she still asleep?” Sam asks, her question snaps me back to reality, “I didn’t see you there" I laugh nervously, “sorry you seemed lost in thought and I didn’t want to disturb you" she smiles, “how are you doing?” she asks empathy showing in her eyes, “I’m okay considered what happened, well I’m not okay but I can’t afford to just mope, she wouldn’t want that and I’ve got to care for you guys so" I shrug, “I get that, if there’s anything I can do let me know" she smiles brightly, “actually could you see if you can get April to come down?” I ask, she nods and promptly disappears, Sam’s presence makes the house feel less cold, it’s a comfort to have some positivity left.

  Moments later she comes back and shakes her head with a sigh, “I asked her but she didn’t say anything, I don’t know what to do" I sigh in annoyance, “she can’t stay up there forever, she’s got to just get on with it like everyone else, the world doesn’t revolve around her!” I exclaim angrily, “she’s not like you, she can’t just be okay she needs time to adjust, it is a different world now but it will take her time to get over this" I nod slowly, “I know, I don’t mean to be a jerk I’m just angry I guess, and I’m going to have to replace my mum and that’s hard, I’m nothing like her, I’m angry like my dad".

  “You’re nothing like your dad" Sam reassures and pulls me into a hug, I lean into her embrace for a while, I suddenly pull back feeling heat in my face “um thanks I’m fine though" I shrug and turn back to the breakfast, after a few moments I’m able to serve it, Sam and I sit at the table in silence enjoying each other’s company and the food, “you’re a good cook" she says with a smile, “my mum taught me, she said I had to learn how to do these things so when I move out I can take care of myself" I reply remembering the memory well, she taught me many important things such as how to use a dish washer, a washing machine, and how to drive.

  “She must have been a good teacher" I nod in response, “she actually was a teacher for a while, she left to take care of us and decided to just work a few part time jobs to spend time with us", I avoid her eyes as we speak not wishing to seem vulnerable, “that must have been difficult" she replies, “she was almost always stressed, we weren’t rich but she always made sure we had enough money for everything we needed, she started saving for university for us both from the day we were born" a silence now follows as we both just sit and remember her.

  For the next few days only myself and Sam are active in the house, April stays in her room, we leave food for her but have no other contact than that with April, it soon becomes the normal routine until Sam becomes worried, “this really isn’t healthy, we can’t just leave her to be holed up in her room forever" I sigh, “you’re right, and we need to leave soon as we’re running low on food again, she needs to be prepared to go back out there again".

  “Is she really ready for that yet? Shouldn’t she stay behind this time, do we all really need to go?” Sam asks, “I would leave her behind but who knows if one of those things figures out how to get in here, plus we’re stronger out there together especially with her with us, she’s got a strong swing", after glancing at the stairs for a while I decide to head up there, I arrive at April’s door and slowly pull it open, she’s lying on her bed in the same position as always, “April?” I call out to her, she doesn’t reply “you need to get up now, I’ve given you time and your times up, it’s time to come back to reality" she still doesn’t reply, I roll her over, she still doesn’t respond with only a blank expression on her face as though she's not all there, “the whole world doesn’t revolve around you, I’m sad too but I’ve just got on with things like you need to, we need to go out there again and you need to come” I tell her, “I’m not going out there again" she says quietly.

  “So, you’ve given up? You’re just going to sit here forever and leave me to do everything?!” I shout my blood boiling, “what’s the point if mums not here?” she asks finally making eye contact with me, “there’s always a point in continuing to live, even when the ones you love leave you behind, Sam's still here, I'm still here, we need you to be with us" I plead, she just watches me silently for a while, “if we’re going back out there, we’re doing it my way, the first sign of danger we go, if someone is in trouble we save them, no one left behind" I nod in agreement, my guilt eating at me for leaving mum behind, she definitely said that as a dig, “I’ll be downstairs" I reply and swiftly leave the room.

  “So?” Sam asks when I arrive downstairs again, “we’re going, she’s just getting ready" I force a smile, “I’ll just go grab my stuff I’ll be right back” I disappear into my room closing the door behind me, all the built up sadness, guilt and anger finally seep out all at once, my tears fall down my face and I cry silently cupping my hands over my mouth so the others don’t hear me, I slide down my door until I’m sat on the floor, my mother’s face flashes in my mind telling me to leave her behind, running home with A
pril screaming at me and those monsters closing in on us, and a faraway memory of a man in his late 20’s “you’ll be okay, your mothers strong and so are you, you’ll take of each other, you don’t need me with you" his face leaves and is replaced by my mother’s tears, I don’t remember that man well but I know I loved him.

  Chapter 3

  April’s POV

  With a deep sigh I leave my room for the first time in days and descend the stairs to a beaming Sam, “are you ready?” she asks, I just nod in response Damon nods at us and we leave the house together, a sense of Deja vu washes over me with only an absence of my mother, we walk in silence in the eerily quiet street, weapons in hand and ready for the danger ahead of us, my mother’s face flashes in my mind begging us to leave her behind, I shake my head ridding myself of the image and grip my bat a little tighter, I breath in and out deeply to calm myself.

  One of the monsters is all alone and spots us, it hurriedly drags its limbs towards us with a growl, with a gulp and my blood pumping fast in my veins I grip my weapon, before it has a chance to reach us I charge towards it, “April!” Sam yells in panic, I ignore her and deliver a strong smack to the monsters head splitting it open, it falls to the ground in a heap, I don’t stop like, it’s like I’m no longer in my body, I swing and hit it roughly creating a disgusting squelching sound from the soft body being hit again and again, blood splatters all over my face and through the air, I hit it until there’s organs and blood being splattered, “stop!” Damon demands but I drown out his authoritative voice, he grabs me as I scream for him to let me go, “it’s dead already!” he yells, I breath heavily and he holds me tightly until I’m calm again, “we don’t have time for this, we’re here to get food and leave" Damon lets me go and marches off, “April are you okay?” Sam asks in a timid voice, “I don’t think I am" I answer quietly, she offers her hand and I gladly take it, glad for something kind.

  I don’t remember much of the trip after that, I was in flight mode until we arrived home again and the noise of the door closing jolted me back to reality, “what are we going to do?” Sam asks, I feel very confused and just listen “well with the food gone we don’t have much choice but to move on" Damon says, “but this is our home" I state feeling angry he would even suggest leaving, “we have no choice, we can’t survive without food, we’ll leave first thing tomorrow with the food we have, we’ll have to find somewhere new to live with food nearby” I sigh and decide it’s better not to argue, I’m too tired to protest further and decide to call it a night.

  “I don’t think she’s okay" Sam says as I’ve left the room, I linger on the stairs to listen “none of us are okay" Damon says, “I know but did you see her with that monster, it was dead and she just kept hitting it until was nothing but goo, she’s really not handled your mother’s death well" Sam says I can hear the concern in her voice and feel guilty for making her worry, “well what are we supposed to do, she needs tough love or she’ll just be stuck being depressed, she needs to just get over it and move on like I have" I can imagine Damon crossing his arms as though trying to make a point, “but are you though?” Sam asks, “I heard you earlier, you were crying in your room, I know you’re not okay and you’re just pretending because you think you have to" it’s quiet for a moment, “I don’t uh...” he trails off not quite sure what he should say.

  “You’ve not handling your grief, you need to accept what’s happened, to grieve and understand April is grieving too, you guys need to be there for each other now more than ever and not pushing each other away", I decide to not listen any longer and head upstairs to bed, the sooner I can sleep the sooner this nightmare is closer to being over.

  Damon’s POV

  Sam corners me in the kitchen looking at me with her kind pleading eyes "you’re not handling your grief, you need to accept what’s happened, to grieve and understand April is grieving too, you guys need to be there for each other now more than ever and not pushing each other away" she tells me stepping closer, I try to avoid her eyes, her presence makes my face heat up in embarrassment, “you’re very close" I mumble, “does that make you uncomfortable?” she asks I can sense her smile before I see it, “a little" I respond quietly sliding away from her as far as allowed, “why is that?” she asks, knowing how awkward she’s making me I push my feelings to the back of my mind and move closer to her “because you’re like 12 and it’s weird" I smirk, she laughs in response and shakes her head, “see this is the side of you I love" she smiles, “I uh I love to see I mean" she coughs awkwardly, “why can’t you be like this with April, she probably needs your humour right now" she sighs, “well April’s my sister and it would be weird to flirt with her" I blurt out and immediately cover my mouth with my hand stepping back, “oh this is flirting?” she smirks, “wow would you look at the time it’s so late, I’m so tired” I fake yawn and run into my room slamming the door behind me, hearing her laughter echo from the kitchen.

  Once in my room I breath heavily and try to suppress my smile, “shit" I whisper laughing quietly, “I’m so busted" I sigh and for the first time for the past few days feel an emotion aside anger and sadness.

  The next morning I wake early and start packing a few items from my room to take on our journey, and look around my room with a sigh knowing I may not come back here again, I throw on some black jeans, a plain black shirt and a hoodie with a pair of black converse and leave my room, noticing how quiet the house is I decide to pack up the food we have left and leave a few things for breakfast, “hey" April says quietly, I turn to find her with her backpack ready to go.

  “Sleep okay?” I ask unsure of really what to say, “yeah not too bad, look I’m sorry about yesterday I know that was weird" she says referring to the incident with the monster, the anger on her face as she splattered its blood flashes through my mind, “it was weird but I get it, we lost mum and I know it’s been hard on you, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you more" I admit struggling to look her in the eye, “yeah it was hard, and you weren’t there, but I know you were having a hard time so I get it" she smiles, I grab her and pull her into a hug, she stiffened at first not used to my affection, then wraps her arms around me and burrows her head in my shoulder, we stay like that for a while.

  I pull back and sigh “I won’t leave you alone again" I say, she finally smiles “I know" she says in reply, feeling a weight lifted from my chest I turn and continue with breakfast, “where are we going?” April asks sounding sad, “I am not entirely sure yet, we’ll just have to travel in one direction and find somewhere to stay and try and get food on the way if we can" I shrug, she becomes quiet now.

  “Morning!” Sam announces cheerily, “morning" I reply not turning to face her, “morning" April says quietly, I bring the food to the table and we eat in silence as normal, I glance at the empty seat beside me feeling sadness wash over me at my mother’s absence, I feel a hand touch mine and look to find Sam’s hand on top of mine squeezing it reassuringly, I smile as we continue in silence.

  Once done with breakfast we all check we have everything we need and leave the house for possibly the last time, “I still can’t believe we probably won’t be back" April sighs, “remember when mum tried to teach you to ride your bike in the garden and you crashed straight into the fence" I laugh, she giggles “and remember when you tried to make pasta for the first time and nearly burnt the house down?” April laughs, we enjoy the memories of the house and our mother as we start walking away from the house, it soon vanishes into the distance as though we only imagined it there in the first place.

  For once the roads are quiet with no monsters roaming, I think about how we call them things and monsters, there must be a better word for them, I think of the zombie films I’ve watched and think how they resemble them, “why do we call those things monsters?” I ask, “because that’s what they are" April replies in a snarky tone, “don’t you think they’re like zombies?” I ask, “zombies aren’t real Damon" Sam laughs, “they behave exactly like zombies, they e
at people, they look like the undead, and turn into them when they’ve been bitten" they become quiet for a moment, “so do you think we should call them zombies?” Sam asks, “it’s better than not knowing what to call them and saying whatever word you think of first" I reply, they both quietly agree, and we continue the walk in silence.

  “A shop!” April announces in excitement, I grab her wrist “whoa slow down, we still need to be cautious you never know when one of the zombies might be lurking around" she sighs and nods slowing her pace, we arrive at the shop door that is open ajar, I slowly peek my head through and see no zombie in sight, “okay it seems clear tread carefully" I whisper, we slowly walk through the door checking the shelves and the floor for any viable food or medicine, I spot some feminine products and place them in my bag for the girls, thankfully this shop is still fairly stocked, we grab bandages, medicines, tinned and non-perishable food.

  “I think we’ve got enough let’s go" I whisper, just as we start heading back to the door I see a zombie shuffling through, I grab the girls and pull them behind a shelf gesturing my finger to my lips to keep them quiet, they nod fear in their eyes, it sniffs the air and approaches our hiding place Sam squeezes her eyes shut in fear, I pull her close in an attempt to reassure her, I shuffle forwards until I’m a few steps away from the zombie, “don’t" April mouthed, I stand and swing my piece of wood at its head, it falls back but soon approaches again more ferociously making a groaning noise grabbing at me with its long arms, I swing again splitting its head open, its blood gushes all over me and its lifeless body slumps to the ground, I breath heavily adrenaline pumping inside me.

  “Are you okay?” Sam asks, I nod “I’ll never get used to how gross that is" I gag at its blood all over my face, I wipe it away on my sleeve and gesture for them to follow me out, once outside again I see a crowd of the zombies, we hide behind some skips waiting for them to leave but that doesn’t happen, I lean around and see them just lingering only occasionally moving at any noises, I find a brick and decided to test a theory, I throw it into the street away from the direction we want to go, it smacks onto the floor causing all the zombies to head that way groaning and swinging their arms back and forth, once the coast is clear we quickly continue on our walk.