As we walk I told Eric I notice that he sounds angrier and that he never was like this before And that our parents would be very disappointed, if they were here and we don't talk to people the way he did. He replied, “But Roy is bitten and he will note be a person any longer”, and I ask, him “Can Roy talk, does he hurt, does he have feelings, and does he respond when we talk to him”. He replies, “Yes so”. I said, “You treat him with respect because he is not one of the dead yet until then you will treat him the same way you treat me? and one last thing what if it would have happened to me, would you treat me like that too because if I'm gone you going to be all alone”. I can see the tears in his eyes and he starts to cry, I pull him near and hold him and said: “I still love you little brother and I will do anything to keep you safe, we are alone now”. Then he said, “James could still come home”. I said, “Yes he could”.
3 the apartments
As we walk up to the first floor of the apartments, I can't help thinking he will never come home, but I could not tell Eric what I'm thinking and how does a person escape from prison and it is probably the safest place to be in. Now, we walk up the stairs to the apartments and trying to open some of the doors, we open a door and went in we see newspaper cuttings pasted on the walls, I tell Eric, The person that lived there was probably a conspiracy theorist or he could have been a reporter or a private investigator. I just told him all those things to make him smile and to take his mind away from what we talked about.
I ask him, “What do you think the man in this apartment did judging by the paper cuttings?” Eric replied, “He probably just liked newspaper cuttings”. I started to laugh at what he said, its the first time since what happened that cracked a joke. He said, “Look a flashlight”. We took a bag that lay on the floor and took what we can and some stuff to eat, we find a bag of chips. I said, “You can have the chips, Eric”. He replied, “I am feeling a bit hungry”. I took out some can goods, Eric says, “Look a sword”. I said, “No it is a machete”. We walk out of the apartment, suddenly we hear a squeaking sound like wheels rolling. We went around to the other apartments, Eric says “Look this door is open and the sound is coming from in there”. Slowly I push open the door, it looks like an old person apartment. The once with the ceramic glass animals, like dogs, cats, and dolphins, and it is all packed on a display cabinet. I can see that it was polished about two days ago because there is no trace of dust on the cabinets. We walk in slowly and sees a gun laying on the floor, in the corner I see the body of an old man it looks like he did shoot himself.
I turn around and told Eric to go stand outside, he doesn’t need to see this and I throw a table cloth over the old man's body and pick up the gun. I check it for bullets he only used one bullet and I look through the cupboards and find a hunting knife and a box of ammo for the gun there that sound is again. I walk through the apartment checking all the rooms and open a bedroom door an old lady is sitting at the window, in a wheelchair. I said, “Ma’am are you okay?” She does not make a sound, I hear the wheels rolling and the wheelchair is moving slowly. I approach her and touch her on the shoulder and she starts to growl and look straight at me, reaching out her hands to grab at me.
I take the machete and hit her in the head, I pull the machete out of her skull and her head leans forward. A rush of sad emotion comes over me, why did the old man that's lying dead in the living room not shoot her also. I would never leave someone I love to suffer like this, I walk out and said, “Eric let’s go back down”. We walk down and we see some people running down the street again getting chased by the dead. I said, “Eric lets crouch behind this wall so that they can't see us”. We wait until it is clear to go down the stairs. We hear a lady shouting, “Help me” in one of the streets around the apartment complex and a man yelling. Eric says, “Let's go help them, Pete”. I said, “We cant if they scream like that it means one thing that they already are bitten, we cant help people not now not the way the world is now”. We go downstairs and as we go to the office a woman looks through an opening in the wall saying “help me” she is covered in blood and we can see clear bite marks. I told Eric to walk faster and I told the woman I’m sorry but we can't help you. We go inside office Roy says, “Thank god it is you have you heard all that screaming, it sounded like people getting eaten”.
I replied, “Yes and we couldn’t help them”. He replies, “Kid, you did the right thing it is better to mind your own business and not get caught in other people's affairs”. I replied, “so what are you saying is that we should not have helped you? and just put you out of your misery and that was not an affair she wanted my help and I could not risk my brothers and our safety just for one person”. Roy replies, “I did not mean it like that you twisting my words”. I replied, “I’m not twisting any words because you sound like a selfish person, what you said is it's ok to help you but not others and I don’t want to say another word on the matter”. I walk to the bathroom and let Thor out he walks around the room and he smelled at a cupboard door.
I asked Roy, “What's in there that got him so excited”. Roy replies, “It is probably food”. Eric says, “Let me see, I’m very hungry”. I open the cupboard door and some flies came out its leftover pizza and a piece of pie Roy forgot. I said, “Eric, We can't eat that you can get sick I will open a can of beans and a can of sauce and we can eat that”. Eric says, “Okay, then”. I put the pizza and pie on the floor for Thor to eat, he runs around jumping cause he knows anything that goes on the floor in a dish is his. “Guys, look through those cupboards up there it might have some food in, we stock it every few weeks so there will be food,” said Roy. I open the cupboard doors and Eric’s face immediately lights up because he sees biscuits bread and most of the things he likes, I looked at him and tells him you better say thank you to, Roy, he turns around and says thank you, Roy, says “Don’t mention it is the least I can do, you helped me if it was other people they would have kicked me out and I would have been dead by now or worst”.
I asked, “What's worst”. He said, “Those things out there that flesh-eating things, I can't imagine myself walking around like that like an animal wandering the earth until someone comes and puts me down that is worst than dead”. I told him he doesn’t have to worry about that if he does become one of them I will put him down, Eric eats and eats he is very hungry. Roy says, “I can see your brother is very hungry”. I replied, “We haven’t eaten so well since all of this happened, the last time we had something to eat was on the beach when we went out with the family”. While we eat we hear gunshots firing nearby it sounds like the city is at war, I just hope the army or anybody comes and stops this madness Thor starts to bark. I said, “Stop it, boy”. He growls at the sounds and the noises that are going on outside.
I ask, “Roy, do you have some duck tape? because I don’t want Thor’s bark to bring any unwanted company”. He says, “Look in that room it's our supply room”. I went to the room and open the door I found some tape but its not duck tape, I open my backpack and take out a pair of socks. I hold the socks on Thor's ears and tape it to his head so that he doesn’t hear the noises so loud. He scratches on the tape that's around his head and quickly gets tired of trying to get it off. He walks around, I can see he does not like it and gives up and jumps on the couch and curls up and lays down. Roy asks, “Where did you learn to do that?” I replied, “My father use to do it to him when the neighbors complained of his barking”. We hear motorcycles driving through the streets it sounds like a lot of them, maybe they also trying to get out of the city.
I see Eric sitting with a biscuit in his hand and he falls asleep next to Thor. Roy says, “Peter, I want to go to the bathroom I have to go relieve myself. I look at Roy and said, “I will untie you to go and relief yourself but don't try anything funny, this gun is loaded” as I show him that I have another gun in the side of my pants. He nods his head. I said, “I don’t want you to put me or my little brother in danger so think about that, I mean it”. I cut him loose
with the hunting knife I found upstairs in the first apartment Thor lifts his head and looks at him, as he slowly walks past him he enters the bathroom and closes the door. Thor walks to the bathroom door, I ask him, “What is it, boy? do you smell something?” He smells under the space between the floor and the bathroom door. I said, “Get away from there boy don’t make the poor man uncomfortable”.
He just stood still right in front of the door like a guard dog, I relax my head back and doze off for a bit I must have dozed off for about a half an hour Roy is still not in the seat the door is still locked, so he could not have walked out. I hear a voice coming from the bathroom like he is crying, Thor is still sitting at the door. I went over and ask him, “Are you okay Roy?” He does not answer I knock twice and ask again “Roy are you okay?” He replies, “Yes, I am”, but I can hear he was crying I ask him to open the door. He says, “For God's sake! I will be done now, cant you give me some peace?” I said, “But you have been in the bathroom for close to a half an hour, I am just worried about you”. He replies, “Okay, I will be out now”. I told him why do you think I tied you in the chair, not because I am scared but to protect you from yourself and that you don’t attack me or my little brother. I can hear a tap running but there is no sound of a flushing toilet, he opens the door I take a step back and he comes out Thor is standing next to me smelling around him as he walks to the chair. I can hear him sulking he sits down and says, “Tie me up, I don’t want to hurt you and your little brother”.
I walk over to the chair and tie him up again he speaks softly saying, “Peter please don’t let me turn into one of those things”. I said, “Let us talk about this in the morning”, it is getting dark outside and it's almost like the noises are getting louder and louder Thor jumps back on the couch and lay next to Eric he is fast asleep. I reach for one of the couch pillows and put behind Roy’s neck for him to be more comfortable. He says, “Thank you Peter your mom and dad would be proud of you, the way you handling things”. I said, “Thank you for does kind words but I had to grow up fast to protect my brother, do you have any children or a wife?”. Roy replies, “Yes, I do I have a wife and a little girl she is about your little brother's age, but I and my wife had some problems and she moved to her parent's house up north now, I will not have the chance to correct my mistakes and do right by them. I was a bad father and not a good husband I would sometimes not even go home and go to a bar and drink or pick up a random girl and spend a night with her but that's my cross to bear I just wish I had time, but time is not my friend”. He looks pale and I can see the fever is taking a hold on him and the sweat drips from his neck and face.
I feel sorry for him he seems like a nice person, even like someone I could have become friends with. I look at him as he dozed off and stood up to go to the bathroom Thor wants to stand up, but I said, “Stay boy softly to him”. I then entered the bathroom left the door open and as I look down into the toilet I see blood thick and red almost black blood. I quickly get done and went out closed the door and stared at Roy now I have to be cautious because he could turn into those things, I took a book to read to keep me awake. After all, I feel a bit worried about what if I fall asleep and he dies he could brake the chair because the dead seems to be stronger when they are in their early transitions to become one of the dead. I see a metal piping coming out of the wall and I take some more rope and tie the chair against the wall to I make sure he can’t walk with the chair and tie his legs to the chair.
4 skinny girl
Suddenly, I hear sounds coming from outside it’s a woman’s voice saying, “Hello is anybody here”, it is not the same woman that was attacked outside. I did close all of the windows and the door, so no one can come in. She says, “I saw you with a little boy earlier when you were going in and out the apartments”. I am listening to what she is saying but I keep quiet. Then she says, “I don’t want to hurt you I was on a roof when I saw you through my binoculars”. “It sounds like she has been watching us the whole time we arrived here,” I say to myself. She sounds scared but I can't just open the door it could be a trap, I waited till she knocks everyone is fast asleep.
I look through the keyhole, she looks worried. She says, “Okay then”, and turn around and walk off. I said, “Wait, stop! lift your top and turn around, I want to see if you have weapons or if you are bitten”. She lifts her top I see a knife. I said, “Place the knife on the ground and take a few steps back”. I open the door slowly and told her to stand by the office door, I picked up the knife. She says, “Thank you so much”. She says, “Everyone, is crazy out there people killing each other, the dead killing people and other people just take everything from you and some other groups of people take people and drives off with them and they are never seen again they almost took me to”. I asked, “Who are those people?” She says, “Just a group of people they look like army soldiers and some man he spoked in a funny accent, I could not even hear what he said he spoked fast and he gave the orders which people to take”. “So why do they take the people?” I asked. She replies, “I don’t know but they only took the healthy and the strong-looking people, I just ran when they pulled up in cars so I don’t know much”. I said, “It's okay, I understand so what's your name?” She replies, “I’m Jenny”. I replied, “You can come inside now Jenny, I don’t want anyone to know we here that’s why we locked the gates and to keep the dead out”.
She steps inside looked around and saw Roy tied up by the chair. She said, “What is going on, why is he tied up and who is he did you do that to him?. I said, “Sit down it is not what you think it is, that’s Roy he got bitten by one of his co-workers they were also dead one attacked him, the other one I killed is at the front gate that was Ted”. She said, “Yes I saw him when I jumped over the main gate”. I replied, “And I had to kill another one Mitchelle also his co-worker, he locked her in the bathroom, but I took care of her and dragged her body behind the office well that's my little brother Eric sleeping our dog Thor and I am Peter”. She replies, “It's nice to meet you Peter, so why are you alone with your brother in this mash, and where are your parents I assumed that you have parents?” I said, “Yes we lost our parents when all of this started my dad got bitten by the beach and he killed my mom at the hospital so we are alone and I just want to protect my brother and keep him safe as long as I can”. “And what about you where are your family?” I asked. Jenny replies, “I and my group of friends came down here because it’s summer to enjoy the beaches and the nightlife of the city but things didn’t go as planned the outbreak happened and me my friends got split up when we ran to safety we were seven I and my other two friends got away and then those guys came and take the people, they just took my friends and you know the rest”. “I am just sorry you lost your parents and you have to look after your little brother is he okay after the loss of your parents how is he taking it?” Jenny ask. I looked at Eric while he is sleeping and just replied, “He has a lot of mood swings but I don’t blame him I know he is hurting, I do to but I can't show him that I’m his big brother and he looks up to me”.
She asked, “Are you going somewhere when you are done hiding in this place?” I said, “Yes, we are but we tried to get out but the freeways are blocked”. Jenny asked, “Can I come with if it is okay?, with you and your little brother I will be safer with you two and we can help each other and share the workload”. I replied, “Yes, you can come with I would like the company it's not easy talking to your little brother all the time she laughs and says I know what you mean I have a little brother myself and he is a handful”. “I just hope where ever my parents and brother is that they are safe” Jenny replied. I then told Jenny about James my older brother and he is in prison and I hope that he would get out because we the only family we have left, he has a hot head sometimes but he means well. He had a temper of a bull he uses to be good in everything then one night he and his friends when out and he had a fallout with some guy and beat him half to death, later on, we found out the guy died so h
is sentence got extended and he has a son that he never saw, his ex-girlfriend had never taken the baby to him and she never visited him but I hope if he escapes or finds a way to get home and he comes back a better person.
“I hope so too” Jenny replied. I told her there is some food that she could eat and I would like to go find some more tomorrow. Jenny sits down next to Eric and places his head on her lap, I went out to the car to go fetch the blanked my mom was using at the beach. I went inside the office and put the blanked our Eric and our Jenny’s lap she looks up at me and smiles, she quickly falls asleep on the couch next to Eric and Thor. I take out a crossword puzzle from one of the books they have in the office to have something to do to keep me awake just in case something happens to Roy in the middle of the night. I can feel my eyelids are getting heavy as I try to focus on the crossword puzzle but I can't fight the tiredness and I fall asleep.
Suddenly, I hear muffling sounds of screaming and barking and I can feel a tugging feeling on my arm I hear a growling noise through my sleep as Roy’s decaying corps face is inches away from my head, trying to bite at me and snapping teeth sounds rings in my ears. I wake up and see Roy’s face changed into something growths like it’s been decaying for months. I jump out of the chair and I asked, “How did he get so near to me, I could have been bitten and you two are just screaming you were supposed to wake me up. I see the metal pole that was in the wall has been ripped out of the wall like a flower pull from the earth with root and stem. Jenny replies, “We only woke up now ourselves and then we tried waking you, but you did not respond and I never killed one of those things before, all I do is either run away from them or take another path if I saw them”.
No Hope (Book 1): Seven Days Alone Page 2