The Virus

by Lee, Damien

The sight that greeted them upon their return made Amy wish they’d stayed at her house. The previously empty streets were now inundated with corpses. Mutilated remains and half-eaten organs were scattered around the area like discarded waste. She stared as they drove past a procession of entrails that wound along the road. They reminded her of snakes that had been turned inside out.

  “Where did all these people come from?”

  “I have no idea.”

  The harsh truth unravelled as she glanced down at the bodies. Whilst she’d assumed Sunnymoor had been wiped out, it had never occurred to her that others could be fighting for survival. The succession of fresh corpses was evidence that more people had tried to escape.

  “They weren’t here before,” she said.

  “I know.”

  “How many people do you think are still alive?”

  “Who knows? It depends how many have found somewhere to hide.”

  “We can’t be the only people with loved ones.”

  “No, but we might be the only people brave enough to go looking for them.”

  “Brave? Or stupid?”

  Amy looked at the houses as they sped past, considering the possibility. Each building could house a range of survivors; people barricaded inside for protection. The option started to appeal to her.

  “Do you think we should do the same?”

  She looked on as an elderly man stepped out into the road. At least she guessed it was a man. It was hard to tell what gender he used to belong to as the front of his torso was missing, along with most of his face. Only the soiled trousers and short, wispy hair offered an insight.

  “Do what?” Ben asked, veering around the decrepit pensioner.

  “Barricade ourselves in somewhere.”

  “When we’ve found my sister, we can go wherever you want.”

  Once again they faced a path of destruction. Amy looked out of the side window, noticing that every storefront had been broken into. Shattered glass littered the pavement. The store’s products lay strewn across the road.

  “Jesus.”

  “Looters,” Ben muttered.

  “You think?”

  “Oh yeah, when the world ends there’s always going to be arseholes who go on a looting spree.”

  His words played on Amy’s mind as they passed another procession of undead creatures. The end of the world was something she had never even considered. But if the disease spread to neighbouring countries, what hope did they have? A young boy broke her reverie as he sprinted towards the car. He was barely ten years old. Yet, his ferocious eyes and foaming mouth still gave her goosebumps as they sped past.

  “So when we find your sister, what then?” she asked, turning to look at Ben.

  “We’ll have to find somewhere to lie low.”

  “Where?”

  “I don’t know. There doesn’t seem to be anywhere that’s safe.”

  They turned onto a side street and faced more of the undead.

  “Can’t we go another way?” Amy asked, as they drove toward the crowd.

  “No,” Ben said as he started to accelerate. “Fran lives at the bottom of this street.”

  Amy braced herself as the first body hit the car. The impact sent the corpse hurtling aside before they struck another. Soon, the dull thuds became constant as Ben ploughed through the gathering.

  “Hold on!” he yelled over the barrage of bangs and clatters.

  Amy gripped the door handle as blood spattered the windshield. The car’s acceleration slowed as the bodies piled up.

  “Get us out of here!” Amy cried.

  The undead banged on the rear of the car.

  “I’m trying.”

  The road ahead was almost clear, but the obstructions were becoming too much of a hindrance. Amy watched in horror as the car came to a stop.

  “What are you doing?”

  The crowd swarmed the car. Everywhere she looked, eager hands pounded the windows. Their bodies blocked out most of the light as the corpses climbed on top of the vehicle. Amy stared at Ben, whose gaze was fixed firmly ahead.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Waiting.”

  Amy followed his line of sight at the zombies in front of them. They too were scaling the bonnet of the car. They initially slid back off, but soon gained their footing on top of the hood. Once the last zombie had climbed aboard, Ben put the car in gear and lurched forward. Those that were atop the vehicle flew back to the ground as they sped forward. With no more obstructions blocking its path, the car could pick up speed. They raced away, leaving the crowd behind.

  “Thank god.” Amy sighed as she looked back at the crazed men and women. She glanced back to the front as Ben slowed once more.

  “Her car’s not here.”

  Amy followed his gaze. The house in question was a small detached building with its own drive. Like her mother’s, the front door was ajar.

  “Are you planning on going inside?” Amy was unable to mask the concern in her voice. They had only travelled a few hundred yards from the group of zombies. If they waited too long, they would catch up.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  “Ben!”

  She watched as he jumped out of the car and sprinted into the house. She glanced back, watching the undead shamble closer. None of them seemed capable of running. Some had legs so mangled they could only crawl. Yet, they still shuffled quickly. Amy’s heart hammered as she looked back at the house.

  “C’mon,” she whispered.

  As the agonising seconds continued to pass, she began to suspect the worst. How long does it take to check a house? She looked back at the horde. Within seconds they would reach the car. She considered getting into the driving seat until the door swung open. Amy gasped in alarm as Ben jumped behind the wheel.

  “She’s not there,” he said.

  He put the car in gear and drove to the end of the road.

  “So where are we going now?”

  “I don’t know. There’s one more place we can try, but I’m not sure if it’s wise.”

  “Where?”

  “The hospital.”

  Amy stared at him with raised eyebrows.

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah.”

  “But we’ve already been to the hospital and she wasn’t there.”

  “Yeah, but her car might be. If it’s there, then it’ll give me a better idea of where she could be.”

  Amy remained silent, but she sensed Ben’s eyes on her. Pressed for a response, she shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, let’s go.”

  They drove in silence the rest of the way. A few athletic creatures pursued them, but they soon gave up as the car sped on. Amy glanced at the buildings as they passed. The vast majority of them had been broken into and destroyed, but there were some that were barricaded. One house had a car backed up against the front door, with the windows blocked by furniture. Another had barbed wire circling the garden wall.

  Before long, they arrived back at the hospital. Once again Amy looked around at the fresh, mangled corpses and felt a wave of guilt. The corpses littering the road were not part of the initial outbreak. They had survived the first wave, only to be killed during the second. She couldn’t help but feel partly responsible for the deaths. If they had stayed close by, rather than returning to her home, they could have helped some of the survivors. Ben cast an appraising eye over the carpet of bodies.

  “We’ll have to drive over them to get to the car park.”

  Amy nodded, closing her eyes as the car trudged over the strewn bodies. A sickness rose deep within her stomach with each jolt of the vehicle. All she could imagine was their wheels crushing the corpses beneath. She longed for the grisly path to smooth over, to be out of the field of cadavers and back onto regular asphalt.

  It was a nearby scream that caused Amy to open her eyes. She looked at Ben for confirmation of the noise. The frown creasing his face was enough to tell her he had heard it too. She scanned the road ahead.

&
nbsp; “Who was that?”

  “I think it came from behind the hospital.”

  They drove around the side of the building, both scouring the area as the scream came again.

  “There!”

  Amy’s eyes fixed on a woman sprinting around the corner. They sped after her, veering around the side until she came into view again. Amy watched the woman run into the underground car park. They stopped as another scream echoed from beneath the structure.

  Amy felt her heart lurch. She dared not imagine how many zombies dwelled in the dark confines of the car park. The woman was running towards certain death. Before she could voice her concern, she flinched at Ben’s outburst.

  “I think that was Fran!”

  He pushed the car forward, chasing the woman into the gloom. The headlights of the car danced around the walls as they rolled down into the main parking lot. Amy scanned the dark confines, looking for Ben’s sister. If she was screaming, she had to be fleeing someone. Yet, there was nobody behind her when she ran beneath the hospital.

  The tyres squealed as Ben ushered the vehicle around the tight car park. The reach of the headlight’s beam was limited, but Amy couldn’t see anyone. She frowned as they veered around another pillar. The woman was nowhere in sight.

  “Where is she?”

  Ben made to reply, but stopped, his eyes wide. The car lurched to a halt as the headlights revealed a grisly spectacle. The hunched backs of the undead were evident first. The squelching sound of their feast merged with the rumbling engine. Ben looked on in horror as his sister joined the morbid banquet. She dropped to her hands and knees and reached into the bloody carcass of a shuddering woman. Fran was not the one who screamed, nor was she the one fleeing. She was drawn to the screams like the other creatures.

  “No,” Ben stammered, his unblinking eyes fixed on his sibling.

  “Ben, I’m so sorry.”

  The pair remained frozen, watching the morbid feast in a trance. Amy didn’t want to look, but the grotesque scene ensnared her. The spell was finally broken when an open palm smacked the rear window. The pair twisted in their seats as the zombie emitted an ear-splitting screech.

  “Shit.” Ben snapped as more hands joined the assault on the car. Amy looked ahead and saw that the feast was over.

  “Let’s get out of here!”

  Fran’s corpse rose to its feet. It fixed the car with wide eyes before sprinting towards them. In one swift motion, Ben reversed in a cloud of smoke and squealing tyres. The undead figures behind were sent reeling as the car made its way towards the exit. Amy gripped her seat as they swerved around a pillar. Their pursuers roared in anger as the distance between them increased. The car struck the ramp and sailed out into the open once more.

  “Thank God.”

  They were back outside, safe. Amy sighed as Ben spun the car around and drove away from the hospital. She glanced at his stony face, unsure whether to continue speaking, or allow silence to envelop them. Before long, it was Ben who spoke.

  “Where are we going now?”

  Amy watched his unblinking eyes. He didn’t return her gaze.

  “Ben, I’m sorry.”

  “I know.”

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  “Then don’t say anything. Just tell me where you want to go.” He held the steering wheel in a firm grip, his eyes still fixed ahead.

  “Do you still want to check on my grandparents with me?”

  The unyielding look on his face slackened. “Of course.” He finally looked at her. “Just lead the way and we’ll go there.”

  “You don’t mind?”

  “Not at all, I suppose I ought to visit my old man while we’re out there. It’s what Fran would have wanted.”

  Amy nodded as they left Sunnymoor behind. Although she knew it was only fair to visit his father, she couldn’t quash the feeling of dread that had formed in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t know why, but going to the slaughterhouse seemed like the worst idea imaginable.

  22

  “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Frank looked at the weary couple as they stood in the doorway. “Care to join us?”

  “Not if you’re going to make us do more jobs,” Simon muttered.

  “If you want to stay here, you have to pull your weight. And let’s face it, there’s enough of that.” He eyed the man’s midriff with disgust.

  “And what have you done?”

  “I saved your arse while you were out there,” Frank replied. He stood aside to allow the pair entry. “And you’re welcome.”

  “What do you want us to do now?” Elaine asked as they stepped into the hallway. They watched Frank lock the door before he turned back to them.

  “I told you, you’ll be sleeping upstairs. Unless you want to sleep in a pool of blood, I’d advise you get a mop and bucket.”

  “And what will everyone else be doing?” Simon demanded, following Frank as he walked back into the living room.

  “Whatever they want.”

  “So why do we have to clean?”

  “Look, do what the hell you like. If you want to sleep in a pile of shit and blood, be my guest.”

  He slumped in the seat as the pair looked on.

  “Well, perhaps we don’t want to sleep in there,” Simon continued.

  “Oh?”

  “Maybe we want to sleep in here.” He looked around at the spacious living room.

  “Not while I’m here, Tubs. I’ve already called this room.”

  “There was another bedroom up there,” Elaine said. “We could stay in there.”

  “Tina has claimed that room,” Lisa said as she entered.

  “She’s just a kid.” Simon stared incredulously. “We’ll kick her out.”

  “Good luck,” Frank said. “She’s got a mean-looking blade up there, and I doubt she’d have any qualms using it on you.”

  “Well, where else can we sleep?”

  “I told you. You have a choice; the big bedroom, or outside.”

  “What about the kitchen?”

  “Ha. You think I’d trust you fat bastards next to our food supply? Keep dreaming, Tubs.”

  He cast a grin at Lisa, who shook her head.

  “There’s a mop and bucket in there.” She motioned to the kitchen. “Use it if you wish.”

  The couple trudged back upstairs.

  “C’mon Elaine, it might not be that bad.” Simon offered as they went.

  Once they were out of earshot, Frank turned his attention to Lisa. “So how much food do we have?”

  “Not a lot,” Lisa said. “A couple of tins and a few jars, but not enough to keep us going.”

  Frank rubbed his forehead, emitting a hefty sigh as Lisa continued.

  “I think we’ve got three days.”

  “That’s if the granddaughter doesn’t turn up with her boyfriend.” He cast a distasteful glare towards the answering machine. “We’ll have less than that with two more mouths to feed.”

  “What do you think we should do?”

  “Kill Blob and Blubber upstairs. We could live off them for a good few weeks.”

  “I meant seriously.”

  “Seriously? I think we’re fucked.”

  “I was hoping for some kind of plan.”

  “Why am I the one who needs to think of a plan? Ever since I’ve got here, all you people want me to do is be the leader.”

  “You’re the one with the gun. That makes you Alpha Male, Top Dog, Billy Big Bollocks, or whatever you want to call yourself.”

  Frank shook his head.

  “And I know you’ve got a plan,” Lisa continued.

  “We’re going to have to go into a town, aren’t we,” Frank said, sitting forward in his chair. “The only problem is; who do we send?”

  “That’s the only problem? If that’s all you’re worried about, we’ll be fine. How is that a problem?”

  “We’ll have to send at least two people, right?”

  “Right.”

  “So w
ho do we send? The two whales wouldn’t survive two seconds out there, Tina will probably leave us behind the minute she finds somewhere better, and we can’t go.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because if Mr. Sensitive is left to run things, he won’t let us back in.”

  “But we need food.”

  “I know. Let’s just wait and see how we go. Three days is more than enough time for something to go wrong.”

  “Oh, stop being so pessimistic.”

  “Pessimistic? We’re in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. What’s there to be optimistic about?” He watched the woman rise to her feet. “And I’ve got a feeling that sneaky bastard upstairs is going to try something,” he continued as Lisa left the room. “He’s not gonna stand in line.”

  He waited briefly before she returned with both hands behind her back.

  “Well, maybe this will make you feel better?” She produced a large, unopened bottle of rum.

  Frank’s eyes widened and a smile crept across his face. “Now you’re talking. Where did you find that?”

  “Stashed away under the sink. Care to drown your sorrows?”

  “Definitely.”

  He reached out for the bottle, but stopped when he heard footsteps on the stairs. Lisa quickly retreated to the kitchen as Tina entered the room.

  “Those two have finally started cleaning,” she said.

  “Cleaning? But they didn’t take the mop and bucket,”

  He motioned towards the two items in the corner of the room. Tina followed his gaze, shrugging her shoulders.

  “Well, they’re doing something up there.”

  Frank watched as she stepped over to the window. She stooped down, peering through a gap in the boards.

  “It’s getting dark,” she said. “And it looks like we’ve got more company.”

  “What?” Frank leapt out of his chair and joined the teenager at the window. “Where?”

  “Over there next to that barn.”

  Frank followed her direction and found four zombies staggering towards the house.

  “Let’s not draw their attention.” He turned away as Lisa re-emerged from the kitchen.

  “Dinner is on.” She smiled.

  “What we having?”

  “Tuna and spaghetti.”

  Tina scrunched up her face as she left the room. “Not for me thanks, I’m vegan.”