“No! It’s the safest place! Just keep them back!”
With no time to argue, I start to kick out at the Necs climbing the stairs, using the banister and opposite wall for support. “Hurry up!”
“Nearly got it.”
One of my kicks misses a female’s face, so I grab both her wrists and push her hard. She plummets down the stairs, taking three other rotters with her. I hear the sound of the attic hatch opening. Turning, I see a thin metal ladder materialise on the landing.
“Come on, Cath!” Amelia calls out as they race up into the ceiling. I follow closely behind. Halfway up, I feel the grip of a Nec on my ankle. I kick out wildly, managing to free my leg. But more and more are coming up the staircase, filling the landing. I race into the darkness of the attic and try to pull up the ladder, but the heft of bodies from below is too much.
“Pull it up!” Amelia shouts from behind me.
“I can’t!” I reply as I drive a boot into a female Nec as she tries to climb. “There’s too many of them!”
“Throw something at them!” Josh yells.
Reaching blindly to my side, I feel a large box. It’s heavy, so I drag it along the floor until it drops down the ladder, hitting the Nec in the face, splitting her nose like a piece of wood. Amelia slides a second box towards me, and I push it off. It slams into the chest of a Nec, propelling him off the ladder and into another rotter. With the ladder clear of bodies, I start to retract it fast. I struggle past the clutches from reaching Necs, but only for a moment. And then the groans become muffled sounds when the ladder is up, and the hatch clicks shut.
And then complete and utter darkness.
Body trembling, still in a state of shock, I breathe heavily through my nostrils, waiting, praying for some great escape plan to suddenly appear.
“Where’s the light switch?” I hear Josh whisper.
“I don’t know,” Amelia answers. “There should be a pull-string somewhere.”
I reach about in the blackness until I feel a thin string hanging just in front of me. I pull it and the attic lights up. I scan my surroundings quickly, looking to see if the floor is safe to walk on. It’s not. There are various sized boxes, filled with board games, toys, Christmas decorations, and other neglected junk, some rolled-up insulation wool, and a wedding dress, hanging from a ceiling hook, covered in a thin, protective plastic. “Stay on the wooden beams, kids,” I whisper. “Or you’ll fall through the floor. It’s not safe up here.”
Josh nods as he puts his legs completely onto a thick beam. “What do we do now?”
“We wait,” I tell him.
“For what?”
“For help to come.”
Amelia crawls along the beam to her brother. “There’s no help coming. It’s just us—and them.”
“Stop it, Amelia,” I whisper loudly. “Help is coming. We just have to be patient. Those Necs will leave when they’re hungry enough.”
“But they know we’re up here,” Josh says. “They’ll wait for us.”
“They’ll soon forget,” I reply. “As long as we stay quiet.”
“You promise?”
“I promise, buddy. We’ll be all right up here. Safest place in the house. Your sister saved us again.”
“I didn’t save anyone,” Amelia says, coldly, her eyes down on her brother’s injured hand. “I brought them here, to the house. They followed me.”
“Don’t be silly,” I reply. “None of this is anyone’s fault. We’re all just stuck in the middle of a nightmare, and we need each other to get through it. So I don’t want to hear about any blaming. Okay?”
She doesn’t answer.
“Okay?” I repeat—firmer this time—but still whispering.
After a few seconds, she looks up at me and nods. “Okay.”
“Good. Now let’s just stay together and we’ll be all right.”
“Amelia, you left the hook on the landing,” Josh points out, his tone filled with worry. “What if they use it to get the ladder down?”
“Don’t worry, bro,” she replies. “They may be fast, but they ain’t smart. Well, not that smart.”
Josh nods, grasping his sister’s arm tightly, the fear engraved in his eyes—eyes that have seen way too much horror for a lifetime, let alone a day.
There is a small hole by the hatch. I peer through it and look down onto the landing. The entire floor and stairs are teeming with the dead, some just wandering around aimlessly, while others stare up at the hatch with confused, bitter expressions. And it’s only going to get worse with the front and back doors exposed. There’s no way we’re getting out of here anytime soon. We’ll have to just sleep up here, for days if that’s what it takes. Hopefully it won’t get too cold.
I look around the attic for something soft for us to lie on. Maybe an old sleeping bag, or a sack of clothes. I stand up on the beam, holding onto the roof for balance, and then make my way over to the largest box I can see.
“Where are you going?” Josh asks.
“I’m just looking for something to sit on. These wooden beams are uncomfortable. We may be up here a while.”
“Why don’t you use the wedding dress?” he suggests, pointing over to it.
“Good idea, Josh.”
“Can I help?”
“No, it’s all right, buddy. Just stay close to your sister. We can’t have too much movement up here; it might agitate them.”
“Okay, Cath.”
Reaching the dress, I tear off the dusty, plastic cover and stare at the stunning white gown for a moment, unable to see anyone other than the infected-version of Juliet wearing it. Should I leave it here? Out of respect?
Don’t be so stupid.
She’s dead. She doesn’t need it. Her foster kids are more important.
I unhook the dress and drag it over to him. I lay it over a beam. “Here, Josh. It’s not ideal but it’s better than nothing.”
“Thanks, Cath,” he says as he climbs onto it. “It’s comfortable.”
“Great,” I reply. “I’ll find you something too, Amelia.”
“Don’t worry about me,” she says. “I don’t need anything. I’ll be fine.”
“But we don’t know how long we’ll be up here. It might get cold.”
“I’ll be all right. Don’t fret.”
She’s a stubborn little girl—I’ll give her that. “Okay, but if it gets cold—”
“Then I’ll tell you.”
I hate being up here. I know it’s the only place they can’t get to, but I just feel so trapped. I detest the thought of not having an escape route. I mean, what if they never stop coming? What if they quarantine the whole of Crandale—permanently? What then? We’ll starve to death. No, we’ll die of thirst before that. We’ll be able to go without food for months. Or is it weeks? And what about Josh? How long will he last without food or water? I can’t bear the idea of him withering away in front of me. And what about Amelia? Despite everything she’s capable of, everything she’s been through, she’s still just a kid.
Oh God, please let them be all right. Don’t let them die up here.
Shut up, Cath!
They won’t die! Not with me watching over them. Experience or not, I’ve kept them safe this far—so I’ll be damned if I’m gonna fail now.
Palms behind my head, I lie back on the beam. It’s wide enough to balance my weight, and it doesn’t hurt. At least not at the moment. I’m sure it’ll hurt like hell soon enough.
22
It’s 2:07 a.m.
Can’t quite believe I dozed off. Never thought I could, what with everything going on. Must be drained I guess, mind and body shutting down, recharging for the next horrific thing.
Josh is sleeping, half the wedding dress draped over his body, his head resting on Amelia’s thigh. She’s wide-awake, still sitting upright. Don’t know how she’s managed to stay like that without her back aching. Must be her age.
I sit up on the beam and stretch my arms up high, releasing the ten
sion in my back and shoulders. “You okay, Amelia?” I ask, softly.
She just nods.
“How long has he been out?” I ask.
“A few hours”
“Good. Let’s hope he sleeps a little longer. He needs it.”
She nods. “Yeah.”
I can tell she’s struggling to cope, despite her brave, hardened expression. She’s tough but not tough enough not to crack under such pressure. Not really sure how to deal with her. Should I leave her in silence? Or should I distract her with idle chitchat?
I don’t do silence.
“So tell me about Michael and Juliet,” I say. “What were they like?”
She shrugs. “They were all right.”
“Better than the last family?”
“I suppose,” she replies, a glint of suspicion in her eyes.
“How come?”
“Look, Cath, I know what you’re trying to do but there’s no need. I’m not a kid. I don’t need you to take my mind off anything.”
“But it’s good. For both of us. We could use the distraction.”
She shakes her head, scowling. “No, we don’t. I’d rather have my mind on the situation. The last time I took my eye off the ball, my dead foster mum took a bite out of my brother.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” I reassure her. “If anything, it was mine. I should have made sure that living-room was sealed off properly.”
“With what?”
“I don’t know. Anything. Or at least stayed downstairs, guarding it. Instead of lying on a bloody bed.”
“None of this was your doing,” Amelia says with conviction. “How could it be? You were the one who locked Juliet in the bedroom. You were the one who got the antiviral for Josh. And if it weren’t for you then those Necs down there would have been up that ladder in a second. Josh was the one who left the bedroom door unlocked—and I was the one who let the rotten bastards into the house.”
“Look, if it weren’t for you and your brother, I’d be another dead body, crawling around your garden. I owe you both my life. So whatever mistakes you think you’ve made tonight—I’m pretty sure we’re all even. All right?”
Amelia falls silent.
“How about we go back to my distracting plan,” I say with a slight smile. “You’re really beginning to put a dampener on my evening. I was in a good mood before your started bumping your gums.”
Amelia fights off a small grin, but I see it, buried beneath the dread, the horror, the claustrophobia of the attic. “You’re crazy.”
“And you’re a lunatic,” I say, lying back on the beam again, hands behind my head. “That’s why we get along so bloody well.”
I close my eyes, but I can tell she’s still smiling.
The attic has been silent for the past few minutes, apart from the weak sound of footsteps and moans below.
I hear a squeak. Opening my eyes, I turn to see Amelia walking across the wood to the far corner of the roof, using the high beams for balance. “What are you doing?” I whisper. “Get back here. It’s not safe to walk around.”
“I’m looking for a way out of this attic.”
“What are you talking about? The only way out is down through the hatch.”
“Maybe we can break through the roof, and then crawl along the tiles.”
“Are you mad? There’s no way through. And even if there were, where the hell would we go? We’ll be stuck on a bloody roof. We’d be worse off.”
She starts to pull away some of the felt lining above her. “We could crawl along the roof, maybe climb down onto the neighbour’s conservatory.” She tugs hard, and a long strip comes away, dropping dust and debris all over her hair and shoulders. “And then we could drop into the garden and get the hell out of here.”
I stand up on the beam, ready to stop her. “Amelia, come back over here. It’s a stupid idea. You’ll end up getting yourself killed.”
“What’s a stupid idea?” Josh asks as he sits up, his eyes half-shut, still not fully awake.
“Your sister thinks we should break through the roof and climb down the side of the house.”
“It’s not a stupid idea,” she says. “The house is not that big, and next door’s conservatory is not that far. We could do it.”
“Amelia, please, come back over here,” I plead. “You’re making too much noise. They’ll hear you.”
“Who cares if they do? You said yourself that they can’t get us up here.”
“Yes, but as long as they know someone’s up here, the longer they’re likely to hang around.”
“Tough. I’m doing this. My house. My rules.”
“Can I help?” Josh asks, standing up on the wedding dress.
“Stay put, Josh,” I say. “It’s not—”
But before my words of warning leave my lips, I watch in horror as he steps on the weak flooring between the beams. His entire body rips through the floor and disappears out of sight.
“Oh, fucking hell!” I shout. “Joooooosh!”
Amelia races to the gaping hole, I quickly join her, staring at the bedroom, at least three metres down. With the kitchen knife still sticking out of her eye, Juliet looks up at us, her remaining eye drawn to the sound of my voice, and then to Josh as he lies on the floor, motionless, next to the double bed, pieces of ceiling plaster and broken wood on top of him.
Without a thought, I drop down into the hole, managing to land on the bed. As soon as my feet hit the mattress I feel my knee dislocate. I cry out in agony as I plunge off the bed, onto the carpet, just inches from Josh. In a split second Juliet is on me, blood and black tar oozing from her teeth. Grabbing her wrists, I try to push her off me. But she won’t budge. All I can see is the horrid sight of her snapping jaws as they near me. And then I see Amelia, hanging from the hole in the ceiling, about to leap down to save her brother.
“No, Amelia!” I scream. “Stay up there! I need you to pull him up!” Every word that leaves my mouth brings Juliet closer.
And closer.
Amelia remains suspended for a moment, but then pulls herself back up into the attic.
Pressing my good knee into Juliet’s stomach, I manage to lift her slightly off. And then, with every ounce of strength left, I thrust her body to the side. With both wrists still secure, and with the use of just one leg, I crawl to my feet. The pain in my knee is excruciating, but I still drive my boot into her throat, and hold it there, pulling as hard as I can on her arms. First I hear her neck snap, then both her shoulders pop out of their sockets. I keep pressing my foot into her throat until the skin around her neck begins to split.
I don’t know what the plan is. I know I can’t choke her. I know if her arms come off she’s still the same threat. But I can’t stop myself. I want to hurt her somehow. I don’t care that she’s already dead—she needs to suffer.
They all need to suffer.
Every last one of the rotten fuckers!
Blood starts to pool around my foot. But Juliet’s eye is still very much open. “Why can’t you just die you fucking bitch?”
The room is spinning. I think I’m going to pass out. Need to stop.
No. Not until she’s nothing more than a stain!
Need to keep him safe.
The sound of deathly shrieks and heavy fists beating on the bedroom door pulls me out of my frenzy.
“Josh!” I hear Amelia scream. “Wake up! Please! You have to get up.”
I see movement on the floor. It’s Josh; he’s stirring. “Come on, Josh!” I hiss, knowing full well that my voice will bring about even more attention from the landing. “Wake up!”
He turns to me. There’s a large gash on his forehead and blood is running down his face. His eyes open and straightaway he sees Juliet, her throat and jaw crushed beyond recognition. Screaming in terror, he scrambles away from her, his back against the bedside cabinet.
“Josh!” Amelia cries from above. “Get on the bed and I’ll pull you up!”
Clearly disorientated, he takes
in the events of the room—his restrained foster mother, the hole in the ceiling, and the bedroom door about to come off its hinges.
“Move, Josh!” I yell. “They’re coming! Get on the fucking bed!”
Too terrified even to cry, he leaps onto the mattress and reaches up to his sister’s arm. But it’s too far, his fingers are about a foot away.
“Jump!” she yells. “Come on!”
Fragments of broken wood fly off the doorframe. The lock is seconds from shattering.
Josh jumps, but merely brushes his fingers along her open palm. He starts to panic, tears of frustration—of horror as more wood sprays onto the carpet.
I let go of Juliet’s arms, and I pull my boot away from the mush where her neck used to be. But she’s still very much alive, snapping her broken jaw with what remains of her teeth. Need to hold the door shut. I try to move but she grabs my boot with both hands. My legs give way. I cry out in pain, but I still keep crawling, using the bed to steer me.
“Come on, Josh!” Amelia shouts. “You’re nearly there!”
Each leap brings him closer and closer to his sister’s grasp.
I can’t shake my leg from Juliet’s vice-like hold, so I drag my body along the carpet towards the door, towing her behind me.
“I can’t do it!” Josh cries, failing yet another attempt. “It’s too high!”
I reach back and start to pry Juliet’s fingers from me, but her nails have clamped on too tight.
“They’re almost in!” Josh bellows as several Nec arms worm their way through the small gap between the door and the frame. “They’re gonna get me!”
“No they’re not, bro!” his sister shouts. “Forget about them! They’re just dumb cows in a field! Remember! They’re nothing! Focus on me!”
“I can’t do it!”
“Yes, you can! You’re my brother! And you can do anything! Foster kids never give up! And we’re not scared of no one!”
He tries again, managing to grab a finger, but he slips back down immediately.
I quickly untie the lace of my boot and wrench my foot out, freeing me from Juliet’s clutches.
The lock flies off and the door bursts open.
“Oh, shit!” Amelia cries. “They’re in!”
A stampede of Necs storms the bedroom, fighting to squeeze through the doorway. I crawl onto the bed, moments before they reach it. Somehow I stand, taking Josh by the waist and picking his tiny body up just as a Nec bites into my exposed foot. I don’t feel the pain as its teeth rip through my sock, sinking into my flesh, or the despair as another rotter bites into my neck, spraying blood over the quilt. All I feel is a sense of relief as I watch Amelia pull her brother up into the attic, safe, away from the monsters.
Burn The Dead Box Set [Books 1-3] Page 31