'It was Reece and the others, wasn't it?' My mum said fearfully.
Ugh, they were all just little children playing at being survivor's. None of them, including the mighty Taylor would last out there in the real world.
'It has to be, no one else would have reason to do this,' Taylor replied.
My sister clung to me like the little baby she was, crying her eyes out. If I could feel bad about killing people, I'd let my sister live.
'What should we do about it?' My dad asked angrily.
'What can we do?' Asked John our other watch guy.
'We can't just go out there and find them, there isn't enough of us,' Tasha told them.
'She's right, all we can do is keep an extra watch. Dan is still asleep on the roof with a bottle by his side, I think some of us need to take shifts,' my mum said sternly.
'I agree,' Francine replied. They were all in agreement, my mum and dad would take first watch tonight. John and Francine would takeover after them, I smiled to myself thinking how easy they were making this. Dan slept in the cellar by himself when he wasn't on watch, Tasha and her brother slept in the room just up from the cellar. I could take those three out tonight, and if I was quick enough I could deal with John and Francine as well. They weren't a couple but they slept in a room together just down the hall from where my family and I slept.
The day passed in a blur, we buried Mr Cornell and his family, there were tears, anger and a promise of revenge from Taylor. I cried along with Isaac and my sister, pretending I was just as distraught, just as traumatised by what had happened. Inside I was jumping for joy, I had made this happen, the reactions of people, the pain they felt, was felt because of me. After the funeral I heard shouting, Taylor and Tasha were giving Dan a right mouthful about being passed out last night. They partly blamed him for the deaths, to which he denied being asleep on watch but we all knew better than to believe him.
'I swear I was awake!' He cried as Taylor held him by the scruff of his t-shirt. Dan was an older man, in his late fifties. He was skinny as hell and weak as anything. All he could do was be a watch guy, he useless in fight and was too clumsy to go out on runs as he had caused more than one death with his idiocy.
'Fucking twat, you're a useless, stupid piece of crap. You do nothing but drain our food supply and get people killed,' Taylor roared.
'Taylor don't! We don't hurt each other, we're not monsters,' Francine told her softly.
Taylor dropped Dan and he fell on his drunken arse, sobbing like the little baby he was.
'Dan, go and get some sleep. You need it,' Francine said sternly.
He nodded and drunkenly walked to the cellar, I wanted to laugh at how pathetic he was but instead I stared looking sad and afraid like Lila and Isaac. Later that evening, I laid down to sleep next to my sister just as my parents went to start their watch. I waited until I was sure Lila was asleep before getting up. I stared down at her for a moment thinking how peaceful she looked, like a little angel. I crept slowly out of our room while thinking who should I kill first. Dan, Tasha and Isaac were all right next to each other, though they were furthest away from my room. John and Francine were nearest to me, I crept along the halls as I thought about it, in the end I decided to take out Dan, Tasha and Isaac. There were more of them and the more people I could take out at once, the better. I heard not a peep from anyone as I neared their rooms, I snuck down the stairs and peeked round the door to find as I expected Dan passed out in puddle of his own piss. I looked upon his wrinkly, tanned face to see that even in his sleep he looked sad and pathetic. I thought nothing as I plunged my knife into his head.
I walked quietly back up the stairs to Tasha and Isaac's room, once again I peered round the door, they were both face asleep in each others arms. Little Isaac was the mirror image of his sister, with the same dark red hair that fell over his his face, with the same tanned skin made him look older than he was and those whinny, sad looking midnight eyes that so often wanted to gauge out. I stood over them feeling the rush of knowing I had the power of life and death in my hands, I didn't tremble or feel nervous as I swiftly ended their lives. I looked down as the blood trickled out of their heads, I smiled knowing that more people had unknowingly fallen victim to me. I saw the blood drip from my knife and felt mesmerised by it, the colour, the feel of it's wetness on my fingers. There was no greater satisfaction, to hold such power in my hands, there were no words to explain the euphoric feeling. I wiped the blood from my knife and fingers on their corpses as I left the room.
I thought about going back to my room, but the excitement was coursing through my veins. I crept down the hall to where Taylor slept, taking her out would be the best thing. Taylor was the strongest person, and if I could end her life then I would be truly unstoppable. She slept not far from where Tasha and Isaac slept, but unlike the others she kept her door shut tight. It would still be easy though, I was going to feign being scared and I'd ask if I could sleep next to her. As I approached her room, I heard a muffled noise. It sounded like there was more than one person in there. I found her door to be open slightly, I peeked inside to find that I was right, Taylor was not alone. John was in there as well, and they were- screwing. Eww I thought as I turned away, I could not kill her tonight but as John was in here that would mean that Francine was alone. I smiled thinking how easy it would be for me to take out Francine, she slept like the dead and didn't wake for much.
I wondered down the hall way, looking at all the familiar sights. The photographs of the students that had gone to school here, the pictures they'd all made. I recognized one of them as my own, it was a simple crayon drawing of a cat in a field chasing a ball of yarn. Little did anyone know, I drew that picture the day after I killed our cat Sam. I smiled at the memory, that had been my first proper kill. The walls were painted a pale green colour, though after all these years there was quite a lot of blood smeared on the walls from where we'd killed the undead. Francine and John's room was just ahead, I opened the door so quietly to find her sleeping peacefully, her long wavy blond hair strewn across her pretty face.
I felt nothing for her as I quickly ended her life, I didn't dawdle this time as I knew I needed to get back. They wouldn't discover her body until the morning, as when John took over from watch duty he would just assume that she hadn't woken up in time, and given the kind man John was he would just do the watch himself.
Just like yesterday, I was awoken by the sound of screaming. I bolted up right accidentally hitting my sister as I did.
'Are you alright?' I asked with fake concern.
'Yeah, I'm more worried about the screams. You don't think- have more people been killed?' She asked, scared.
'I don't know Lila, I hope not,' I told her.
'Their dead, they're all dead!' I heard John shout.
'Stay here,' I ordered my sister as I got up to see the results of my work.
'Okay,' she mumbled fearfully. I wondered over to the door, I looked out to see the adults gathered round John and Francine's room. The looks of utter fear made me shiver in a pleasant way, I walked over to them adjusting my face so that it bore the same disheartened looks as theirs did.
'Who's dead?' I asked sounding afraid.
My parents looked at me, I could tell they wanted to conceal the truth, but in this world ignorance was never bliss.
'Francine, Dan, Tasha and even Isaac. Their all dead,' my mother answered sadly.
'We've got to find Reece and the others, and put an end to this,' Taylor shouted with so much anger that the vein on her forehead looked as though it would explode.
'How, how can we put an end to this, by killing them?' My mum asked in shock.
'How else Anita, we've got no choice. At this rate, there'll be none of us left alive including your children!'
'Taylor's right love, we've got to stop them,' my dad agreed.
'Where would we even begin to look for them? We've kept an eye on runs but we've not seen them since we banished them a month ago,' my mum repl
ied.
'She's got a point Taylor,' John interjected.
They stood discussing it, leaving me to be invisible. I wondered back to our room, to tell my sister the grisly news.
'How can they all be gone?' She cried, tears falling down her little face.
'I truly don't know little sister,' I replied as I wrapped my arms around her. She clung to me crying, for what felt like an eternity. It wasn't until our parents came in, that she lifted her little head up to look at them with the same pleading, tearful expression that I had seen all my life.
'Come on you two, it's time for breakfast,' mum told us softly.
My sister followed her like a little lost sheep, while I revelled in the destruction that I had caused. While we sat and ate the adults talked about who would go and search for Reece and the others.
'I think John and I should go, you two have children and they can't afford to lose either of you,' Taylor told them gently.
'I can't just let you two go out there and risk your lives,' my dad replied fiercely.
'They're right Steve, the kids need us.' My dad looked as though he wanted to argue, but in the end he knew they were right. After breakfast Taylor and John went to get ready while I decided to have a nap, I felt so tired from my late nights that I needed rest.
Along the way I passed John's room, he and Taylor were talking in hushed voices.
'I think we should leave,' John said fearfully.
'How can we just go, those kids need people to protect them,' Taylor argued. 'I know that, but think about us, about our lives. You know Anita and Steve will never leave this place, we've talked about it before. Are you really willing to risk your life for them, when they won't even see sense?' John asked.
There was silence for a few minutes, if they left it would make my job so much easier. I would only have to kill my family, as I listened outside the door I prayed for Taylor to agree with him.
'But their just children John, how can we abandon them?'
'Because if we don't we'll die and we'll never get to have our lives together,' he pleaded with her.
Taylor sighed, but after a moment she said, 'You're right John, but I won't take food from their mouths. We'll find more food or we'll hunt.'
'Alright, come on lets go before you change your mind.'
I quickly walked back to my room, I felt triumphant to know that this time tomorrow I'd be free of all those who would hold me back. By the time the sun set, my parents were manic. 'Their not back yet, what if something's happened to them? What if Reece and the others got hold of them?' She fretted.
'I'm sure their fine, Taylor is the strongest person I've ever met. There's no way Reece and the others could take her in a fight. Don't worry love, I'm sure they just want to find them before they come back,' my dad reasoned.
I didn't tell them what I overheard, it would only cause more panic and I wanted them to sleep as soundly as possible.
'We'll not take watch tonight, we'll all sleep together. I'll even barricade the door, so anyone tries to get in, we'll know about it,' my dad told us calmly.
'Okay daddy,' my sister replied.
I nodded in agreement and even helped them reinforce the door, not that it would them much good of course not when the real danger was inside this very room. I woke in the night, to find my family fast asleep. Tonight would be it, I'd finally be free. I got up without making a sound, not even the fierce howling wind could wake my family up. I stood above their sleeping bodies, looking down like an angel of death. I closed my eyes and took a breath, preparing myself for the release their deaths would bring me. I plunged knife into my fathers head first, neither my mother or sister moved as his heart stopped beating. Next I killed my mother, she did not wake as my knife penetrated her skull.
As I looked upon my sweet sisters face, I found that I felt not guilt or remorse for my crimes, but a longing to not want to be completely alone. So I decided, not to stab my sister in the head but in the heart instead, I would chain her up in Dan's old room so that if I ever felt lonely or just in need of someone to talk to I would always have my sister there.
I felt her bones crack as my knife pierced her skin, for a brief second before her death her eyes fluttered open. The look of terror as she saw it was me, I still felt nothing as she took her last breath. I laughed as I looked upon the corpses of my family, though I knew I had no time to waste. The reanimation process could be as quick as ten minutes or as long as eight hours. I quickly got up and dismantled the barricade, I raced down to the cellar and found some rope. As I went to my room, I heard my sister begin to rise. I'd never actually seen anyone turn, it was a sight indeed.
She flailed about, her body twisted into unnatural positions and her eyes, they were now black as night. Her body was covered from head to toe in those black veins I saw on all the other corpses. I quickly raced to her, I tied one part of the rope round her neck, another round her left hand and the last piece round her right hand. I pulled the rope back so that her arms were behind her back, I tied them all together leaving enough spare rope for me to hold on to as I took her down to the cellar.
'It's alright little sister, I'm taking you to your new home,' I said happily.
She growled as I led her down the hall way.
'Don't worry, I'll get you some nice people to eat,' I laughed. Anyone who dared come near this place, would fall victim to me. As I woke the next morning it didn't dawn on me that I was alone until I went for breakfast. When neither of my parents came into the lunch room that was when I realised, I was truly free. I finished my breakfast then decided to move the bodies outside of the walls, it took some doing but I just about managed it.
I spent the day searching the school, looking for more weapons and things I would need. I had enough food to last a few months at least, I checked on my sister in the cellar at dusk and fed her a rat that I had found. I watched smiling as she tore it to shreds, her skin already beginning to decay. I fell soundly asleep that night, knowing that all who held me back were now either gone or dead.
After breakfast the next day I chose to go for a walk, most of corpses round here had been dealt with and I could take out a few if I had to. I had not got far, when I heard voices. I hid behind a thick bush in someone's garden and listened, I could hear a mixture of men and women as they neared me. I didn't recognize any of them, and when I caught a glimpse of the people I saw a woman a tall woman with shoulder length golden blond hair and sparkling blue eyes. I smiled to myself as I realised, I had new toys to play with.
Chapter 4
Jade
The herd was miles long, there were a few thousand walkers at least. The trees shook as they walked past, I looked over at the other trees but I couldn't see the others properly. We held on tight as the corpses passed us by, relief washed over me when the last of them passed us. Troy was the first to climb down, he told Tessa to stay put while he looked around. Brooke still looked petrified, but she said nothing as I smiled at her comfortingly.
Dom who was sat on the branch next to me held on to me, I could tell he was just as afraid as I was. Though I had only known him a short time, he was proving to be someone who could make me laugh. I needed to laugh, after losing Tamara and Maggie I felt like all hope was lost. I had only two children left, though I was thankful that Frankie and Jensen were still alive they could not fill the hole that Tamara and Maggie had left.
I watched as Troy walked around searching for leftover walkers, to my relief there was none. I climbed down and went to join him as he opened the door to a camper van that was parked nearby, before I could call to him to wait he opened the door and three walkers had descended upon him. Everything happened so fast, none of us could get there in time. We all raced to his side but it was too late, they had all taken chunks out of him, I cursed Troy silently for not waiting for us.
We all took care of the dead ones, Tessa being far more aggressive with them than she usually was. Tessa ran to her dad's side after we'd killed them, she looked at his wo
unds but we all knew in our hearts that it was too late. He had sustained two shoulder bites and one bite to the upper arm, there was nothing we could do for him.
If it was just the bite on his arm we could have had a chance to save him, though I had never been fond of Troy I hadn't wanted him to die.
'Dad no, please don't leave me,' cried Tessa into his shoulder. Dom looked at his friend in horror, this must be horrific for him to have found his friend after so many years apart only to lose him now. Troy's wounds were bleeding furiously, I got out some bandages from my bag to wrap round them but he pushed them away.
'I'm dying, there's no point in wasting any bandages on me,' he already looked tired and sweaty. We all sat there in shock, Tessa was in bits; we all knew what had to be done but that didn't make it any easier. The black veins were already starting to spread, I touched his head and could tell that the fever had already set in.
'Dad, please don't go. We can get you to the lab, Morgan is close to finding a cure please just hold on,' she cried, clinging to him. 'I won't make it sweetheart, you have to let me go,' his voice was quiet and weak, I was sad to lose him but there was nothing we could do.
Despite that fact that he had only just been bitten the virus was spreading quite quickly, my guess was that as he'd been bitten by more that one walker it made the process of dying and turning that much quicker.
'No, please just try dad. I need you,' by this point Tessa was hysterical, tears streamed down her face and her voice was so high pitched that I was worried she would alert any nearby walkers.
'I know you think that, but you are a strong and capable woman, you'll be just fine,' he stroked her hair and kissed her on the forehead then turned to Dom.
Dead World Rising (Book 3): The Cure Page 4