Clifton Falls: A Zombie Story [Part 1]

by Taylor, Lee Andrew

  Karen burst out laughing. “Stop it, you funny man…You can’t even spell Fettuccini, never mind make it.”

  Blake also laughed.

  ***

  The storm hadn’t slowed down as the time reached 6:00 pm.

  Blake rose from his seat to see Karen winking at him; her hands waving him towards the kitchen as she giggled.

  “Okay, okay, I’m going,” Blake said, pulling a silly face. He looked out of a window as more rain smacked against it. “It doesn’t appear too bad outside now if you still want to go out?”

  “Are you being serious?” Karen replied still laughing. “It’s pelting it down…And anyway, I’m fine staying in now you’ve decided to go all Gordon Ramsey on me…”

  Blake smirked.

  “…No more excuses…Get in the kitchen and cook me something.”

  “Okay, I will. Just give me a moment to compose myself.”

  Karen knew Blake was a useless cook but was excited to see what he came up with. Even if it wasn’t Fettuccini.

  She rose from her seat and followed him into the kitchen, watching him approach the fridge.

  “Well, open it…It won’t hurt you.”

  Blake smirked again as he opened the fridge door; smiling pleasingly after noticing a couple of juicy beef steaks.

  “I take it those were meant for last night’s dinner?”

  “Yep. But now you can use them for tonight’s.”

  Blake removed the steaks and placed them on the table. He smiled at Karen in the hope it would convince her that he knew how to cook them, but she wasn’t convinced.

  “You do know what they are?” she asked, close to laughing again.

  “Shut up…Of course I do…I know what lamb is...”

  But, before Karen could rectify him, he was roaring with laughter in her face.

  “…Just go back inside the living room while I cook the best steak surprise you’ve ever tasted…”

  Blake placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around.

  “…Get your arse in there,” he said, pointing at the living room. “And let me impress you with my cooking skills.”

  Karen giggled over and over again as she stepped back inside the room, but the giggles stopped after concern hit her.

  “Just don’t burn them!” she shouted. “They weren’t cheap you know.”

  ***

  Karen remained seated in the living room for the next hour but had come close a few times in getting up to help. All she heard coming from the kitchen was clattering which not only annoyed her but caused her to bite her nails.

  “Is everything okay in there?” she asked, hoping Blake would call her in. “You haven’t smashed any of my good crockeries have you?”

  “Babe, everything’s brilliant. It’s all under control…And no, I haven’t broken anything.”

  “Just checking.” But the aroma of something burning floated into the living room. “Jesus Christ, Blake, what’s that smell? Have you burned the steaks?”

  Blake stared at the oven door to witness smoke appear. He held his head as thoughts of a fire-breathing dragon inside the oven spraying its deadly flames entered his mind. He knew he had fucked up.

  “Don’t panic,” he calmly said, turning the oven off and opening the door. “It’s nothing serious. Just a slight problem…So don’t worry.” He shook the oven door from side to side, sending smoke in different directions. “Just watch some television. Dinner won’t be long now.”

  “I can’t watch it. The picture’s fuzzy,” Karen replied, holding the TV remote. “Must be the weather…Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

  “No, no, no, I’m fine…Then do some knitting.”

  Karen huffed as Blake’s words soared over her head. She’d had enough of his excuses and her patience had worn thin.

  She walked towards the kitchen door, trying her best not to be heard, hoping to see what he had or hadn’t achieved in the last hour. But she almost screamed after witnessing the appalling mess he’d made.

  “Blake,” she whispered, wafting smoke away from her face. “When have you ever known me to do any knitting?”

  “Well, now’s a good time to start,” Blake said, placing on an oven glove. “You’ve got no excuses…I might be in here for some time so knit me a jumper. Christmas is only nine months away.”

  Karen tried her best to be angry with him but every time she attempted to shout, she’d stare at him in his apron and smile at how adorable he looked. She knew he was trying so hard to impress her, even if he was the worst chef she’d ever seen.

  “You’re not as good as Gordon Ramsey,” she said, sighing. “I bet Gordon the gopher can cook better than you.”

  “Come on, babe, that’s below the belt…You seriously think that?”

  “Right now I am starving so just make something edible.” Karen wafted more smoke away. “You’ve got thirty minutes.”

  Blake watched her leave. He knew she was angry with him. He cursed under his breath and opened a window, fanning the smoke with the oven glove, hoping that the steaks would be okay to eat.

  ***

  At 7.40 pm, dinner was finally completed. The smoke had cleared and Blake was at last on top of the situation.

  “Dinner’s ready. Come and get it!” he shouted, taking off the apron. “But close your eyes when you reach the kitchen.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I want you to smell what I’ve cooked, not see it.”

  “Now you think you’re the Rock.” Karen sighed as she reached the door before closing her eyes as requested. “I’m here.”

  She felt a hand touch hers, gently pulling her towards the table until her leg touched a chair.

  “You can open your eyes now.”

  She slowly did, but her reaction to the sight in front of her wasn’t what Blake had hoped for. She felt devastated after seeing what had replaced the delicious steaks she’d bought; shaking her head at the greasy chips, eggs, and beans sitting on a plate.

  “What happened to my steak surprise?”

  “You’ve got steak surprise.”

  “There’s no steak on my plate,” Karen replied, still feeling upset.

  “Well, that’s the surprise.” Blake laughed. “There is no steak.”

  “Very funny...I was looking forward to a nice bit of rump.”

  “Stop moaning love. You’ve had enough romp to last you a lifetime.”

  “I said rump, not romp…”

  Blake kept up the laughter until Karen recognised his attempt at trying to be funny. But she still wasn’t impressed.

  “Okay, you got me…You were referring to the sex we had last night.”

  Blake winked and hugged her.

  “I’m sorry for messing up the steaks and I know this isn’t what you expected, but at least the eggs came out okay…I never broke a yolk. Just the way you like it.”

  Karen calmed down and kissed him on the cheek.

  “You’re right. It’s not what I expected. But hey, at least you tried.”

  “Maybe I can try again tomorrow? I have Gordon the gopher’s recipe book.”

  Karen glared at him. “No! No! No!,” she shouted, trying not to laugh. “I don’t want you in the kitchen attempting to cook ever again unless you’re cooking eggs. At least they look good enough to eat.”

  Karen smacked Blake on the back, shaking her head as she sat down.

  SEVEN

  (WEDNESDAY)

  The crazy storm had ceased by the time it reached 9:00 am, but it had left two female visitors to Clifton Falls stranded during the night. Their vehicle had stalled on the side of a country road, forcing them to take refuge inside as the rain pelted down. They had gotten little sleep because of it, but hoped that a few hours hiking through the sodden grass forest would be enough time for the engine to dry out.

  Amy, the eldest of the women, stared awkwardly at the car, cringing to see the paintwork had been chipped away.

  “I don’t think my insurance will pay fo
r a new paint job,” she said, touching the bonnet to feel more paint slide off. “How am I going to explain this?”

  “How can anyone explain that freak rainstorm,” Paula replied, yawning into her hand. “We’ve wasted half a day’s travel because of it.”

  Amy and Paula were cousins looking for a little adventure in their lives. They were sick of their normal, daily routines, so had packed up to go on a road trip, but neither had carried a mobile phone. It was Amy’s idea to have a phone-free zone during their timeout from people they knew but right now she was regretting it.

  “Do you want me to call the AA?” Paula asked, smirking. “Oh no, I can’t can I because you wanted to live like a friggin’ cavewoman for a few days.”

  “Okay, okay, stop rubbing it in…The car will be fine once we’ve had a walk.” Amy glanced at the sky. “See, the sun’s out…Keep the bonnet up and the engine will dry in no time.”

  “But if we see anyone in the meantime, we ask for their help. Agreed?”

  Amy nodded as she opened up the boot; unzipping a small suitcase to fumble inside.

  “What are you looking for?” Paula asked, annoyed at having to wait. “I thought we were going for a walk?”

  “We are,” Amy said, retrieving a pair of trainers from the case. “Did you think I was going to walk across the wet grass in these heels?”

  Paula just sighed as she watched Amy place on the trainers, but the sound of the boot slamming shut made her jump nervously.

  “Damn!” she said, yawning again. “I could do with a few more hours sleep.”

  “No. I need you…You are my sidekick. If I’m going into the forest then so are you.”

  Paula nodded as Amy reached into the passenger seat; returning with a backpack before placing it on and smiling. She then shut the door and walked off.

  “Let’s do this.”

  “But aren’t you going to lock it?”

  Amy shook her head. “Nah…Who’s going to steal something that doesn’t start?”

  ***

  They walked for fifteen minutes before Paula stopped to rest against a tree. Her stomach was calling out for some food but Amy was too excited now to want to rest.

  “Come on. You can’t be hungry again,” she said, pulling on Paula’s arm to get her walking. “You only ate last night.”

  “Yeah! Exactly!” Paula pulled back. “Last night was ages ago. I need something to eat now.”

  “I told you to lay off the pot…You always get the munchies after smoking that stuff.”

  Paula sighed. “I’ve not taken any recently.”

  “Sure you haven’t.” Amy stared at the pockets on Paula’s jacket. “So, I won’t find any spliffs if I check those then?...”

  Paula giggled as Amy placed a hand inside one of her pockets.

  “…I bet you have a joint in here.” Amy tutted as she retrieved a spliff. “What did I say to you about taking drugs while on meds? …Paula, you need to listen to me.”

  “I know, I know, but can we please take a break and have some food now?”

  Amy glared at her. “Okay. Let’s find a spot where we can sit down, but we’re only taking time out for a few minutes…Okay?”

  Paula smiled and nodded.

  They moved towards a large log spread out across the grass, sitting on it as Paula eagerly watched Amy remove the backpack.

  “You did put food and drink inside there?” Paula asked nervously.

  Amy smiled and reached inside, pulling out sandwiches and cans of pop before handing them over.

  “We’ve still got these,” she said, watching Paula grab them. “They should stop your tummy from rumbling for a while.”

  Paula ate a sandwich whilst staring at something Amy couldn’t see.

  What are you gawping at?” Amy asked, feeling freaked out. “Are you high right now?”

  Paula choked on her food, coughing to make Amy nervous. But seconds later she stopped and took another bite of her sandwich.

  “Don’t be daft,” she said, spitting out bread. “I think someone’s watching us…Just don’t stare.”

  Amy was more freaked out after Paula pointed towards the trees.

  “Stop pointing,” she said, slapping Paula’s finger. “You’ll make it worse.”

  They listened out for a sign of movement, but whoever Paula saw wasn’t coming out into the open. This made the situation worse.

  Amy was close to losing her nerve as the silence inside the forest sent a shiver down her spine, but she slowly relaxed after noticing Paula was still eating her sandwich. She shrugged at her, feeling it was just a joke as she watched her swig from the can; becoming annoyed that Paula’s game almost caused her to wet herself.

  “Very funny,” Amy said, rising to grab Paula by her jacket. “You almost had me.”

  “But it’s true. I saw someone. I think.”

  “Just look around you,” Amy said, racing a finger in a circle. “There are loads of animals out here…Maybe you saw a squirrel, or a fox, or one of the other mammals that live here.”

  “Who are you? You’ve turned into a presenter of the Animal Planet channel.”

  “Stop being sarcastic,” Amy said, moving away to sit down again. “I’m just making a point.”

  While they bickered about whether or not a person had been seen, a repugnant looking figure was closing in, walking as if inebriated.

  His living name was Rodney Wilson. The homeless man who the robber pushed over. But Rodney had died a few weeks ago. He had collapsed on the edge of the forest, just yards away from the field that was sprayed with the new fertiliser, but no one had known. Maybe it was because most of the people had suddenly stopped noticing Rodney since he’d lived on the street - unlike when he was with his family in the large farmhouse at the edge of town, but the local police chief still did. Or he did until a few weeks ago. He’d often check up on Rodney whilst bringing food and drink to him, but he hadn’t told anyone the reason behind why the man had quit his home. He wanted Rodney to do that. But, for the past six months, he’d chosen to keep quiet about his wife taking the children away from him. He said the house never felt the same after that day so couldn’t stay there anymore.

  The police chief had checked Rodney’s home a few weeks ago to find someone had been there, so assumed the man had come to his senses and had either gone home for good or had packed up a few things before moving on.

  But the corpse of Rodney Wilson was now glaring at the women through the only eye left because the other had been eaten by a bird.

  Tattered clothing revealed decaying flesh as it dragged its left foot along the ground; its top lip missing to reveal insects crawling across infected cigarette stained teeth.

  It snapped at thin air, moaning faintly as it staggered from one tree to the next, not being noticed as it closed in on the women.

  “Paula…Did you hear that?”

  “Yes, I did…But what kind of animal makes sounds like that?” Paula smirked. “Maybe it’s a large bear that wants a good shaggin’?”

  “Don’t be stupid. I’m being serious…There are no bears out here but what if it’s another dangerous animal that’s very hungry?”

  Paula shrugged her shoulders as she desperately scanned the forest, but nothing was seen.

  “Just cool it, yeah…I can’t see anything. But, if a hungry animal was coming this way then we can give it some crisps and an apple…”

  Amy panicked to the point of sweating, wanting to pack up and go as quickly as possible.

  “…Come on. I’m kiddin’.” Paula smiled.

  “The fun’s over…It’s time we moved on,” Amy said, grabbing the backpack. “We’ve been here long enough.”

  “Are you worried that I’ll give the animal the crisps you like?”

  Amy shook her head frantically, hearing the moaning sounds closing in; turning to see the corpse appear from behind a tree as Paula bit into an apple.

  “You were right about seeing someone,” Amy said pointing, watching the
corpse slobber. “He must be the local farmer.”

  Paula gawped as the creature staggered from side to side; its moaning drilling through her, making her cringe.

  “You did say I can ask someone for help,” she said, laughing at how awkwardly it moved. “But that person looks fucked up…I can’t see him being much help.”

  “Just ask him.”

  “Hey!” Paula shouted as the zombie held out its hands. “Do you live around here?... Do you know anything about cars?...”

  She waited for a response but the thing that she thought was still a person was just walking towards her, moaning and snarling.

  “…Hey!” she shouted again. “Are you listening to me?”

  “Let’s just leave him alone,” Amy said, not wanting to upset anyone. “We’re probably on his land.”

  She placed the backpack on the grass as the zombie got closer and closer; its disfigured face spooking her to fall back over the log, but Paula burst out laughing. She walked over to help Amy, ignoring the beast, but was soon rubbing her nose once a revolting smell wafted nearby.

  “Damn, woman, have you just shit yourself?”

  “No, I haven’t!” Amy angrily replied, holding out a hand for Paula to pull her up. “That person just scared me.”

  “Smells like rotting meat.”

  But, before Paula could help, a hand gripped her shoulder, forcing her to trip over the backpack and crack her head on the log. Amy stared horrified at the skinless, weightless being growling at her until finding her voice to SCREAM. But her shouts only enraged it. She returned to her feet, shaking as drool dripped onto Paula. She was happy to see Paula rise and throw a punch, but her fist was left embedded in the zombie’s right cheek. Amy puked as Paula removed her hand to reveal maggots crawling over it. She shook them off and YELLED, but the zombie pounced on her, dragging her to the ground.

  Amy froze as the zombie snapped teeth at Paula; shedding tears because she was too scared to help. She backed away as Paula screamed again before turning to run in the opposite direction; not looking behind as she aimed for the car.

  “I will get some help!” she shouted, as her legs kept moving. “You need to fight him off.”