The End of Us

by D, Hannah

  “Money doesn’t mean a thing now, feels good not to worry about rent for the time being, the only good thing to come from this epidemic mess” Zoe whispered to herself.

  Zoe walked a little around the corner of the wall from the door and slid herself down. So far, it seemed, no skin eater had seen her come out here. They were too busy chewing at the fence or wandering aimlessly around it, clanking their teeth together.

  From this distance some of the skin eaters still look like they were human. They still had their normal clothes on only a little torn if you looked closely and their hair only looked like they hadn’t brushed it yet. It wasn’t until you got up close to those ones that you seen they were a skin eater. It was the black eyes, bite marks or chunks of missing flesh that eventually gave them away.

  Other skin eaters were a lot more obvious they were skin eaters. These ones looked horrifying. They had missing limbs or they were walking around with their intensities dragging behind them from their cut open stomach. Some of them had flesh torn from their faces, arms or legs where you could see the muscle from underneath or even the bone. It was enough to make anyone want to vomit.

  “So this is the new world now for the moment huh?” Zoe spoke to herself.

  “Yeah, seems like it is” a voice came from beside Zoe.

  Zoe jumped back, she didn’t even hear that door opening she was so lost in her thoughts. It turned out to be Sue that was standing there.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you. I just saw you speaking to Jeff and then leaving the gym hall so I asked him where you went he told me you came outside for some sun. I could do with some sun as well” Sue said to Zoe.

  “No it’s fine, here come sit” Zoe patted the ground next to her

  “Thanks, you think those skin eaters can see us sitting here?” Sue asked.

  “Nah, as long as we don’t make a lot of noise or move around a lot, I think we’re pretty much invisible to them” Zoe told Sue

  “Oh that’s good, I want to enjoy this sun for a bit” Sue said as she began to lean back into the grass with a sigh.

  Zoe didn’t expect much conversation to come from Sue, she was quite happy sitting in silence in this sunshine. Sue seemed like she didn’t want a lot of conversation either, her eyes were closed and she seemed too peaceful to speak.

  Zoe leaned more into the wall and closed here eyes herself, only for a few minutes. It felt good. So much had happened in the past one and a half days. Zoe couldn’t quite believe it. It all seemed like a dream and she would wake up any minute now. Zoe began to pinch herself and felt the sharp pain when she done it and then she opened her eyes and found herself in the same situation, looking across at those skin eaters.

  ‘Nope, looks like it’s not a dream’ Zoe thought.

  Pretty soon Zoe’s thoughts turned toward Jeff. Zoe hadn’t meant to think of him, he just jumped right into her head. Zoe started thinking about those eyes of his and how she could get lost in the blue of them. Zoe felt like she wanted to get to know him a little bit more. This was strange territory for her but she wanted to take a jump into it and see where she might end up.

  “Oh I do love the sun” Sue piped up from where she was lying.

  This snapped Zoe back into reality and away from thoughts of Jeff.

  “Yeah, it feels good on the skin and makes everyone relax” Zoe said.

  “Typical that Scotland gets their best summer ever and then this happens, the world becomes overrun with skin eaters. Scotland just can’t catch a break!” Sue said and started to chuckle.

  Zoe was a little shocked. She hadn’t heard Sue let out a laugh since she met her. Zoe started to laugh along with Sue. It felt good to laugh. It felt normal.

  “Someone in one of the constantly warm countries in the world must’ve been jealous of Scotland getting some sun and heat, they must’ve started this epidemic!” Sue exclaimed.

  ‘You know something, I think you’re right! They better watch themselves when the world goes back to normal as they will have a bunch of pissed off scottish people coming after them” Zoe said.

  This made them both start to laugh. They were doing that quiet laugh were you try so hard not to be loud that it makes what you’re laughing about ten times funnier and you begin snorting.

  Zoe knew that they wouldn’t find this funny in a few hours and that no one would get why they found what they were speaking about as funny as they did but for the moment it was good to laugh.

  After about five minutes their laughter stopped and they both looked at each other. A silent understand and acceptance going between them.

  “I’m glad that Mike saved you you know, even if I don’t show it” Sue said to Zoe, “You’ve saved us all more than you know.”

  “I’m glad he saved me too. I’m glad I was given this opportunity to live, I’ll be forever grateful to you all” Zoe said to Sue.

  Sue smiled as Zoe said this.

  “I know I came off cold and unwanting but I was worried for my family. I don’t want them to die” Sue told Zoe.

  “Don’t worry about it, I understand. This whole skin eater thing is new to everyone, we’re all scared” Zoe told her.

  “Yes that’s true but at least we all have each other” Sue said as she smiled at Zoe.

  Zoe smiled back at Sue and Sue went back to lying on the grass.

  Zoe had lied to Sue about understanding how it felt about not wanting your family to die. Zoe just kept on lying to them. The thing was, Zoe didn’t want any sympathy from anyone. She knew she was dealt a shitty hand at life but she accepted that.

  Zoe and Sue sat outside in the sun for a while longer. Time just seemed to run by past them. It wasn’t until Mike came outside that they both realised it had been quite a while they had been out here.

  “Hey you two, Sophia has went up to the lunch hall to cook us all some dinner, she feels very thankful that we’re all here together. Big ball of energy that one. Seems like a good match for our Arthur I suppose.” Mike said to them.

  “Well we’ll see, I haven’t made my mind up about her. Something doesn’t sit right with me about her” Sue said as she took Mikes hand to stand up.

  ‘I’m beginning to like Sue more each day” Zoe thought.

  “How long have we been out here?” Zoe asked Mike.

  “A good few hours, it’s already five thirty” Mike told them.

  “You see that, sunshine just makes the day go by faster” Sue said.

  As Mike, Sue and Zoe made their way through the door and Zoe turned to close the door she saw just how many skin eaters had gathered around the fence. There was double the amount now than there had been when Zoe came out around midday.

  ‘Good god, this isn’t good for us’ Zoe thought. ‘It’s like they can smell that living humans are in here.’

  Zoe closed the door and locked it and followed Mike and Sue back to the gym hall. Mike and Sue seemed like that perfect, loving couple as they were walking back hand in hand with Sue’s head resting on Mike’s shoulder. Zoe smiled but felt a pang in her chest, like she wanted that too.

  As they walked back into the gym hall everyone was there apart from Sophia who was cooking their meal and Arthur who must be helping her.

  Jeff, Alex, Chris and Sarah were all sitting together. Mike, Sue and Zoe went over to join them.

  “I wonder what Sophia is cooking for us, it better be yummy, I’m starving!” Alex was saying.

  He was a cute little boy Zoe realised and he looked the spitting image of Jeff.

  “Let’s just hope she doesn’t burn the food. I remember the first time Sophia cooked..Ugh I’ll never be able to get that burnt fish smell out of my nose” Jeff said as he pulled a disgusted face.

  Alex laughed at his brother and everyone else joined in.

  Before long Sophia and Arthur came into the gym hall, the smell of food hitting all their nostrils and they all turned around to face them.

  “Voila! Spaghetti Bolognese!” Sophia said as she placed a pot down
in the middle of them all.

  Arthur followed carrying plates and cutlery.

  “Well done sis, actually looks and smells edible” Jeff told Sophia.

  Sophia hit Jeff on the arm.

  “You are so opinionated, don’t embarrass me! I made this out of the goodness of my heart Jeff!” Sophia pouted back at him.

  ‘Yeah, she is really going to get on my nerves’ Zoe thought.

  Zoe didn’t really think too much about how Sophia was going to annoy the living daylights out of her because soon she had saliva drooling from her mouth. Zoe couldn’t remember the last time she had actually ate anything. She hadn’t really thought about it as she was too busy fighting off skin eaters and trying to be safe. Zoe even forgot to tell them about how many skin eaters were gathering outside the fence now. She was too busy filling her mouth with spaghetti bolognese.

  All of their eating noises was drowning out the noises coming from the skin eaters, every one of them in the gym hall forgot about them. Before long they were all finished their food and left sitting satisfied.

  “Well, that was really nice Sophia, I think we all enjoyed that” Sarah said to Sophia.

  “Aww thank you sweetie!” Sophia said giving her a hug.

  ‘Oh great, she’s a hugger’ Zoe thought rolling her eyes.

  Zoe turned and caught Jeff looking at her again smiling.

  ‘He always catches me rolling my eyes at Sophia’ Zoe started to think as she began to turn red again.

  “I’ll start collecting these dishes and take them back upstairs, Chris man you want to give me hand?” Arthur said.

  “Sure mate, no problem” Chris said as they stood up and started collecting all the dishes in.

  Zoe stood up to stretch her legs and walked over to her backpack. She realised she hadn’t changed after she’d fought the skin eaters this morning and had spots of blood on her. Zoe found a pair of leggings and a lose fit t shirt in her bag along with some underwear. She picked these up and went to get changed behind a big mat that was leaning against the wall. Her own little changing room. Once Zoe was dressed she walked back out and found Jeff standing by her backpack.

  “You’re an interesting one Zoe” Jeff said to her.

  “What do you mean?” Zoe asked him.

  “There’s a lot to learn about you, I’m curious and want to know more.”

  “Well, like I said, you’d have to kill me first”

  “We shall see, I’ll get it out of you eventually Zoe” Jeff winked at her.

  Zoe shook her head but gave him a smile.

  “We’re still strangers, may be best if we left it that way, just in case, you know, things go horribly wrong with the skin eaters and one of us dies” Zoe said to Jeff.

  “Nah, not possible. We won’t die. We’re tough you know”

  “Well, you never really know, there are more of them gathering out there, they could end up getting in” Zoe said to Jeff.

  “What do you mean there are more of them out there? Did you notice when you were outside?” Jeff asked her.

  ‘Shit. I forgot to tell him when I came back in. I’m such an idiot’ Zoe thought to herself.

  “God sorry I meant to say when I came back in here, yes there are more gathering at the fence, about double the amount there now than when I first went out” Zoe told him.

  “I have to go see this, come with me?” Jeff asked her.

  “Of course.”

  “Guys, we’re just going for a walk, we’ll back soon” Jeff told the rest of them.

  “Can I come?” Alex asked Jeff.

  “No bud, you stay here, I won’t be long” Jeff told Alex.

  “Okay” Alex said with a pout.

  ‘Now he looks like Sophia’ Zoe thought as Alex was pouting.

  Zoe and Jeff made their way out the gym hall. They could hear Arthur and Chris talking and laughing from up the corridor. Sounded like they were having a great time.

  Jeff got to the door first and went into his pockets for the key and then turned to face Zoe.

  “I guess you still have the key?” Jeff asked her.

  “Oh yeah, I forgot to give it back to you” Zoe said as she fished the key out of her pocket and went to open the door.

  They both took their knives out their pockets as Zoe opened the door. The sun was just setting so as the door opened they were blinded for a minute and had to put their hands over their eyes so they could see. The sight they saw was chilling.

  The skin eaters were focusing on the fence, clawing their fingers round it. So far the fence wasn’t budging which was a good thing, but who knew how long that fence would stay standing.

  “I keep thinking to myself it’s like they can smell we’re in here” Zoe whispered to Jeff.

  “It is like that, maybe they can? I don’t know” Jeff answered her.

  “You know, so far they can’t get in, that fence is still holding. We can stay here a couple more days until we have a plan to go elsewhere” Zoe said to Jeff.

  “Yeah true, we’ll go back and tell the others. We have to be more quiet though and no lights on at night. The less we attract more skin eaters the better and I’m sorry but that means no going outside either” Jeff said as he turned to look at Zoe.

  “No problem, I burn when I get too much sun anyway” Zoe said shrugging as she and Jeff made their way back into the school.

  “Me and you, we’re going to get on great” Jeff said as Zoe locked the door.

  “Yeah maybe, still not telling you my life story though” Zoe said to him.

  “Again, I will get it out of you” Jeff said as he gave Zoe a little shove.

  “Who’s going to tell the group about having to leave here?” Zoe asked him.

  “I’ll tell them, I just hope someone comes up with an idea of where we can go” Jeff said to her.

  ‘Yeah, I hope so too’ Zoe thought.

  Together they made their way into the gym hall to tell the group and hoped that they would take it well.

  Chapter 5

  Two days later

  “Oh, how about the block of flats thirty minutes from here? Loads of space!”Arthur was saying.

  “Really? A block of flats? Think how many of the skin eaters will be in there!” Sarah said to him.

  “Oh sweetie, I thought it was a good idea, loads of space for everyone and we could all have our own flat, surely we can clear a flat building out no problem?” Sophia asked.

  “Not. Happening.” Sarah argued with her.

  In two days no one had managed to come up with anywhere safe that they could go. It was mostly just everyone arguing and coming to no conclusions. Zoe had been keeping an eye on the fence around the school, there were more skin eaters gathering there. They had all been so quiet, whispering to each other instead of talking. They had put no lights on at night and hadn’t even cooked anything since the spaghetti bolognese, they just ate what they could cold.

  ‘Those skin eaters must be able to smell us, it’s the only explanation as to how they know we’re in here’ Zoe had been thinking to herself.

  “Maybe we should find a car? Drive ourselves somewhere?” Mike asked.

  “We’d have to try and hot wire it and find a car big enough to take us all, it would have to be either a van, minibus or a caravan. Not looking likely we could even do that” Jeff said.

  “Ugh! This is hopeless! We’re all just going to die here!” Sophia punted.

  “Enough of that talk! Especially in front of your little brother! We will think of something” Sue said to Sophia.

  Over the past few days, Zoe could feel rather than see Sue’s annoyance at Sophia. In fact, Sue wasn’t the only one getting annoyed at Sophia. All Sophia had done was complain and only agree with Arthur and then take offence when no one agreed with Arthurs idea. She wasn’t being helpful in the slightest. The only people Zoe thought weren’t getting annoyed at Sophia were Arthur, Alex and Jeff. Alec and Jeff must’ve been used to this since she was their sister.

  “
Jeff, I’m scared” Zoe heard Alex whisper to Jeff.

  “I know bud, but we’ll think of something and get out of here” Jeff said to Alex as he hugged him.

  Zoe felt like she was getting closer to Jeff over the past few days. They had spent a lot of time talking to each other. It turned out, they had a lot of the same interests in music, in what they enjoyed doing, even in working more than one job to keep themselves alive. There was only one difference though, Jeff had more than one job to support his brother and sister, Zoe had more than one job to look after herself. Zoe felt a pang of guilt at this.

  “Look, we’re out getting any closer to an idea, maybe we should just leave and see where we end up?” Sarah suggested.

  “That’s crazy! That’s just asking to be eaten alive! How stupid do you need to be to suggest that! Arthur, hunny bunny, back me up here?” Sophia said.

  “I.. um.. well..Sophia’s got a .. well..” Arthur was stuttering.

  Sophia was giving Arthur a cold look. Honestly, if looks could kill then Arthur would be dead right about now.

  “Look, even Arthur can’t agree with you or back you up” Sarah said.

  “Why you little..” but Sophia never got to finish her sentence.

  “Enough of this! We have to work together not against each other! Lets table this and go to sleep, it’s getting late now. I’ll take first watch” Jeff said to them.

  Everyone walked over to their own spaces they’d made for themselves. Zoe walked over beside Jeff and Alex. Zoe still wasn’t really sleeping at night so she was doing majority of the night watches. Jeff was finding a bit easier to sleep now so he slept about two hours more than Zoe but they stayed up together, talking. As Zoe went over Jeff was starting to read Alex his bedtime story. Alex didn’t really talk much, he only mostly spoke to Jeff, Sophia or Arthur.

  ‘He knows them much better, he’s just a nervous kid’ Zoe thought.

  “Oh, the lion king, I loved that book and movie, it’s so good” Zoe commented when she saw what Jeff was going to read to Alex.

  “It’s our favourite too, right bud?” Jeff said.

  Alex just nodded his head and curled more into Jeff.