Surviving Us

The Drive

We skid out of the car park and onto the main road that takes us back to Ann’s and mine. We live across the street from each other. I wonder if our homes are there. Our families.

The dead is what I’m going to call them. The monsters that are attacking people, eating them. The ones that have been ripped apart only to rise again and continue the circle.

Ann’s too tense. She’s shaking slightly. I reach for her small hand and entangle my fingers with hers and place them down on my lap. I can feel her relax and her first breath come out of her small and delicate lips. We drive in silence.

Bang! Crash!

Right in front of us a bus has just crashed, ending our path to our homes. The dead had infected the bus and attacked the driver who now lays lifeless before his transition.

I reverse right up but there are too many of them to avoid. It’ll be useless. We can get out and squeeze between the bus and the building, but I can’t expect us to go on the other side without knowing what’s there.

They are getting closer. Ann is crying once more still in shock. She jumps out of the car, grabs my door and throws it open. “We need to get through there,” she points to the gap between the bus and the building. “Quick!”

We squeeze uncomfortably between the bus. The other side was worse. There was more. The street was nearly full of them, and barely any human life remained. Fires had over taken cars and buildings that once were restaurants full of smoke and falling in its debris. Blood was painted on the streets.

Ann drags me along the edge of the street in haste and stealth. She’s only small which always works in her advantage because she can never be heard. But me I’m bigger. Stronger and stealth is into my strength. I kick debris with my feet, hit into walls with my arms, drawing attention.

Just as we near the corner for the next street we can hear the blood curdling screams. We peer around the corner just for a gaze. Mandy. Mandy who now looks small and fragile, and scared against the six crowding her. Now lurching for her. I can sense Ann shuddering in fear and repulsion as she watches Mandy get torn apart. I know Ann didn’t like her but this was nothing she would imagine on anyone. Not even Mandy. I push Ann back around the corner to stop her from watching the gruesomeness of Mandy’s death. However her screams can be still be heard and they’re drawing to much attention. To much noise. The dead are starting to follow the noise. We need to move.

James pushes me into the door behind us. I’m blinded by the changes of light. It takes me a moment to recognise where I am. We’re in Pats grocery’s store. Now of course abandoned.

“We need to move, the dead are coming for Mandy’s screams.”

“The dead?” I question.

“Yeah, the dead. They certainly aren’t alive. I just impaled one and it kept coming at me,” He pants out.

“Okay, but how do you know they are dead?”

“Do they look alive to you, Ann?” He points it out. He’s right. They wouldn’t be alive. Some have decapitated arms or legs. Some are crawling on the ground with only half there bodies. Trying to get at people. It’s there only mission. There only desire. Us. One by one picking us off. Turning us. Eating us.

“Where to? Where?”

“Pat had a back door didn’t he? One that lead into the alley behind?” He doesn’t sound convinced. We haven’t been in Pats since we were about twelve.

“But isn’t there a fence?” I remember the locked fence that separates the alley from the street. It was tall.

“We can jump it if necessary. Plus it will provide us with some protection.” James is brushing his hair out of his face. He was due for a hair cut. But even though it was messy it still defined his jaw line and cheek bones and matched well with his brown eyes.

“What about stuff here?” I don’t exactly specify anything particular. But if this is happening then we might need food or water.

“Now’s not the time. We don’t have anything to carry it with. Plus it’ll slow us down. We need to get back.” He puts his hand through his hair again and roughly scratches his hair in frustration.

“Okay let’s go,” I say slowly approaching the back of the shop. Hesitant of what my jump out around the corner or behind the cashiers desk. James follows close behind.

I slowly pry the door open. I peek around the corner of the door catching glimpses of what’s behind. The possible threats. But the alley was clear. Clear as day. No one. Dead or alive. We step out. Once again affected by the light differences but this time the alley was dull. We stood in the middle of the alley deciding which way to go. James marches off to the left heading to the street that would lead us to a side road that would take about fifteen minutes to get back home. It was our only option.

He hoists me up onto the top of the fence with one easy motion. It was easy for him. He had broad shoulders that had strength from working out. It was evident that he did. As he hoisted me up my fingers wrapped around his shoulder blades feeling his muscular tones. Get it together.

I peer out from on top of the fence to see what resides on the road. Nothing. It was completely deserted.

“Come on. It’s clear,” I wave my hand motioning to hurry up. James jumps up onto the fence next to me and jumps back onto the ground landing in a squatting position. He rises and turns to me ready to catch me as I jump down. The small embrace when he catches me electrifies my body. I take his full sweaty but sweet smell in. Ann. Stop.

At the end of the road is a red sedan fully functioning and the door open. We slowly creep to the car. Hoping that nothing is in the street with us. As we draw closer to the door we see the keys are still in the ignition. Thank the lord. There’s a baby seat in the back, but empty. The car is abandoned only the baby seat and a few water bottles remain.

James jumps into the front seat after fully checking the car. He said “better to be safe and check there’s no threats in the car with us,” he was right most of the cars looked as if the threat was in the car. The dead that was left in the street were strapped into the seats of the car. I follow and take the passenger seat clicking the best in as I rest into the cushioned fabricated seat.

The engine is soft but still makes a loud enough noise to draw attention to us. James takes the road drawing closer to our homes. Homes are alight. Fences torn down, cars toppling homes leaving large holes in beautifully built homes. The dead walking stiffly and slow. The dead every where we look. Bodies lay on the paths waiting to transition into more monsters. I realise that I’m shaking once more and James entangled his hand in mind, thumb caressing the top of my hand gently trying to comfort me.

There. There is my little pale blue house still standing in one piece. I look at James and it’s on fire, with red blazing flames, smoke coming out of the top floor windows. Door wide open.