No Hope (Book 1): Seven Days Alone

by Williams, Elton J.

  I shine the flashlight over to the roof to make a signal, but it looks like he is long gone. I went back down and I started to begin hearing a sound of metal banging against the metal but I don’t pay any attention to it and it seems like it’s nothing, because I did look but saw no movements of any kind it must have been coming from outside on the ground. I closed the door to the locker room and went to the sleeping area and lay next to Jenny. The next day I woke up to laughter and a lick on my face by Thor and his slobbering all over me. I looked over to the bed Eric slept in and saw Jenny and him play some kind of game. I then stood up and went to go wash my face in the kitchen sink.

  Jenny came up behind me and said she made some breakfast and that I should help myself, so I grabbed a bite to eat and walk to the front door and look through the peephole to check if everything is still okay around us. I walk up to Jenny to tell her about the ladder that leads to the roof, and that I check on the roof if I could still see the man that signaled us, but saw nothing just a fire. Jenny replies, “Maybe he was asleep the time you looked or maybe he got away off the roof, he did look like someone that needed our help”. I replied, “Okay, I will go and look again to see if I can get a better look”. She hands me the binoculars I climb the ladder again to the roof. I get to the roof and walk to the edge of the roof looked down and saw a small group of the dead that's on the grounds of the fire station. I said to myself, “I wonder how did they get in, we did close the two main gates”.

  Then I looked down again and see one coming from the fence, there is a hole in the fence. How did we miss that, well to be fair we did not check around the building? I look over to the building through the binoculars it is not that far from where I’m standing, and I see some kind of self-made tent on the roof close to the fire. I then look on the ground and see a stone picked it up and throw it to the tent but I missed my target. I said to myself, “I have to work on my aim more, I’m rusty and that was the lousy throw and poor form it has been a while since I throw something”. I pick up another stone and throw it again and hits the side of the tent. I see movement inside the tent, I hope whoever is in there is okay, a figure immerges from the tent it’s the guy that was signaling us.

  He turns around and waved. I asked, “are you okay”. He says, ” Yes, but I’m struggling with water, I was in a group but got left behind we were looking for supplies and I lost my way back and got stuck on this roof, the dead surrounded me and I had to climb up here to get away from them it has been two days since I had a drink of water”. I replied, “okay just hold on I will go get you some water, and what's your name”. He replies, “I’m Holden”. I said, “I’m Eric's pleasure to meet you, friend”. I climb back down went to the supply closet and got a few bottles of water. Jenny approaches me and said, “What's going on you have been up there for a long time”. I replied, “I was talking with the guy that signaled us yesterday his name is Holden and the water is for him”. She says, “Well can Eric and I come and meet him”. I replied, “you can if you want to”. We walk to the ladder and she calls Eric, Thor runs after us I said go back and he tucks his tail between his legs and walks back to the room. I closed the locker room behind me so that he cant come in and hear the growls of the dead in the shower room and we climb the ladder to the roof. We get on the roof and I said, “Holden meet my brother Eric and our friend Jenny”. Holden replies, “Nice to meet you guys”. And I throw the bottles of water to him and he catches it. I notice that he is limping a bit and that his leg was hurt so I asked: “What happened”. He replies, “I hurt my ankle while running from the dead when I tried to get up here”. Jenny says, “If we had a way to get you over me and Peter could take a look at your leg but it is too dangerous”.

  I replied, “I could jump over, but I can't do it with a medical kit and if we try to throw it over the wind could maybe carry it away from the building and into the alleyway”. Eric says, “If we had a long enough rope he could get over”. I replied, “Good thinking little brother, firemen always use harness and climbing rope to get up to all buildings or mountains, I will go check if I can get some in the supply room just wait here”. I went back down to the supply room and check for some climbing rope and a harness, Thor waits for me as I open the door of the locker room he wags his tail and follows me around as I look. I search everywhere but can't seem to find the ropes or the harness. I think about where it could be if I was a fireman where would the perfect place be to put the climbing gear.

  Then it hits me it is in the fire trucks I close the door behind me and went back up to the roof. Eric asks, “Did you get the climbing gear Pete”. I said, “no but I think I know where it could be”. “Well, where is it” ask Jenny. I replied, “I looked everywhere but found nothing so it must be in the fire trucks and I’m going down there to get them”, as I point down the roof ladder to the fire trucks.

  Holden says, “Peter you don’t need to do it I will survive, if you could see what I see from here you would change your mind”. Jenny says, “he is right Peter the dead is pouring in through that opening in the fence”. I replied, “that's the reason I want to do it, it seems we will not be leaving out of the front gates anytime soon, so I must go get the climbing gear it is a way to help Holden and our way out, I did not want to let you and Eric panic”. Holden says, “okay, I will be your eyes from here and keep a lookout on the side of the building, and please don’t get killed on my behalf”. I start climbing down the roof ladder. Jenny says, “Peter, do it slowly, there are some of the dead, and they heading around the corner they might hear you”. I go slowly down the ladder and two of the dead are walking around meters away from where I must get down. The trucks are a yard away from where I am. I froze and think if I jump I might not make the jump and hurt myself and once I get to the ground, how many of them are lurking around waiting for me.

  Suddenly I hear Holden shouting, “Hey! You ugly ungodly creators come to me, come get me”. While he is hitting a pot against the roof of the building he is on. They move away from the trucks and going towards the sounds he is making all of them is trying to get through the hole in the fence, as they scrape against the fence and peeling off some of their flesh growling at Holden, lifting their arms to him wailing cause they can't reach him some try to climb but fall back down. I get down the ladder and run to the trucks going through them looking for the climbing gear. Finally, I see a rope hanging out behind the seats on the driver's side of the trunks and start pulling at it and it cant get free it must be hooked on something or at the harness. I trying to pull the driver side seat to the front but the lever seems to be stuck on something. I put my hand under seat and start pulling it feels like a gun with a sharp tip it finally gets loose, its a climbing harpoon gun. I hear Eric shouting, “Watch out Peter two is coming for you”. I take the climbing gear and the harpoon gun and roll under the fire truck to hide. I see blood on my hand the sharp edge of the harpoon gun could have open the wound on my hand. I see the footsteps of the two dead they walk all around the fire truck. I waited till I see a clear opening to roll out from under the fire truck they standing in front of the truck and I roll out to the side of the truck where they could not see me.

  I see them smelling in the air cause of the smell of my blood, so I press on my hand to let the blood drips to the ground and make a small puddle. I roll back under the truck cause I see they going for the smell they bend down and I roll out and run for the roof ladder and climb back up as fast as I could. Holden says “Wow! That was close don’t ever do that again”. Eric hugs me and said: “Peter I was really scared for you and fearing for your life”. I said, “Don’t worry brother I will always be careful”. I tie the rope to the harpoon gun and shoot it across the building into the ventilation shaft and told Holden to make sure it can hold his weight. I tie the other end to a chimney pipe on the roof and connect the runners and harness to the rope and slide it over to Holden, He puts on the harness and slides over to us.

  8 watched

  We help Holden to get fr
ee from the harness and he takes my hand and says thank you. He says, “I must say Peter there are not many good people left in this world, you are one of the good ones”. I said, “Yes, That's what everyone keeps on telling me”. We go down the ladder into the fire department. I called Holden to sit down on a chair and put his other leg on a small stool to take a look at his twisted ankle. He pulls up his pants by the ankle and it is swollen and looks like it could get infected. Holden asks, “Peter do you know what you're doing ?”, I replied, “Yes, I have some idea I’m not a doctor but I did a study as a male nurse”.

  Jenny went to go get water for me to clean his wound and I tried to bring the swelling down with a wet cloth. Jenny gave me the water and I cleaned around the swelling and applied some ointment that will bring the swelling down. We helped him to one of the beds and he started to tell us about his family and what happened to them. They were doing shopping in the big city and got attack by the dead in the shopping market his son was bitten and that they took him to the hospital in the city. They were at the children's ward and a doctor helped them. The doctor could not find out why his son would not wakeup but he told them he would be back and he went to go get something for his son's fever and to go get a second opinion from another doctor. His child was burning up and sweating.

  They waited for almost an hour and he was getting worsted. His child's face started to discolor and swollen lumps started to appear. Then they began to hear screams and nurses and staff was running away from their patients. He got worried and told his wife that they have to get out of the ward before it gets worst they ran down the stairs cause everyone was heading to the elevators and running each other down people running over people. They got to the waiting room near the main exit and people were fighting with the dead so they run and pushed people out of the way to get out, as they try to get out his wife got attacked as they exited the hospital by this little boy.

  He turned into one of the dead and he tried to get this son away from his wife’s neck but he was locked on her like a vicious dog and growling each time he tried to reach out his hand before he knew it a group of the dead was coming there way and they all attacked his wife. With no choice and full of fear, he had to run for his life to get away from what happened. I asked him what hospital it was he said the one at the bridge, “It's the same hospital that we were at” said Eric. I said we also lost our parents there and we had to run to. When someone you love turns into one of the dead all you can do is just run. I had to put down my mom and dad in a matter of minutes that's how quickly it spread. We alone now and I have to do whatever it takes to look after my brother.

  Holden asked, “ Don't you have other families an uncle or an aunt some you can go to”. I replied, “We do have an older brother but he is in prison and we don’t know if we ever seeing him again”. Jenny says “I will be there to help you with Eric, we all a family now and we have to look out for each other”. “Well I will help you, however, I can, I’ve been around the city and seen some stuff so whatever you need just tell me,” says Holden. I replied, “I will take you up on that offer”, as I shake his hand. I sit on the edge of the bed Holden is laying on and ask him “Tell me more about the people you were with were they good people or bad people”. He replies, “Well, It all depends on what you mean good or bad, the reason I say this is cause you have to be a little bad to survive out there”. I replied, “I meant do they hurt people for no reason or do they help people as we helped you”.

  Holden replies “I can't speak for the rest of them but I will never hurt anyone and there are those who are bad and those that are like me just trying to survive and not step out of place some can be cruel, and all I can say if you come across another one that was dressed like me it would be best if you avoid them cause as I say not all of them are good people”. Jenny calls me aside “Peter, Peter why are you asking him so many questions let Holden rest for a little while you can talk to him later he will feel like you interrogating him”. She walks in and gives him a glass of water and some pain medication. I walk to Eric and see him looking through the peephole at the front door. I ask, “What you looking at Eric”. He replies, “Something is not right here I saw some of the dead walking away as if someone lured them away somehow and when I looked again I saw someone walking past”. I ask, “How do you mean someone walked by, maybe you were just seeing things and no one can just lure them away, They would attack anything that approaches them”.

  I told Eric that Jenny called him but she did not, He walks off to go find her and I scratch my head and think, I see him go to the kitchen where he knows she will be and at the back of my mind I started to think could he have seen what he told me he saw if it is true someone could know we are here. I look through the peephole to see if Eric is telling the truth and I see none dead by the gate or fences that is odd this morning they were ready to swarm the place. I go over to the window and see someone on the roof where Holden was standing looking at the fire department, I called out to Jenny to come and see what I’m seeing but she does not answer me.

  I walk to the kitchen and see Eric drawing Thor jumps against my leg then I heard laughter coming from the room where Holden is laying in I approach the room stand in the door and Jenny stops laughing. Holden sits and smiles at Jenny, I said, “Hey! Guys, Jenny did you not hear me calling you, I want to show you something at the front side of the building”. Holden asks, “Must I come with?” Jenny says, “Sure you can”. I said, “No! it's okay, Holden you must rest your leg buddy, we will just be a few minutes”. Jenny looks at me funny and walks out of the room. I wonder what she is thinking, maybe she thinks I'm jealous, but that’s not the case.

  We walk to the front of the fire department and she asks me “what is going on what was that about”. I replied, “I just wanted to show you something, but I see what I saw is gone”. “So what did you see?” Jenny asked. I said, “Earlier, I saw Eric looking through the peephole when we talked he said the dead at the gate was lured away and when I looked through the peephole myself, I did not see any of them at the gate or the fences and it just looks a bit odd, then I saw a figure that was standing at the same place Holden was standing when we first saw him he had the same kind of clothes on that Holden had on”. Jenny says, “Maybe, The person was looking for Holden and they must know each other”. I asked Jenny not to tell Holden anything about what I told her and to keep it to herself and just act normal when she is talking to him. I need to figure things out if they know each other and maybe Holden could have followed us and watched us as Jenny did.

  I need to find Eric to tell him not to say anything of what he saw to Holden, “We do don’t know if they working together or what the deal is but now it feels to me like something is wrong” I told Jenny. I call out to Eric, He yells, “I’m in the bathroom, I will be out now Pete just hold on”. I started grabbing some paint black paint and a brush to blackout the windows so that whoever is watching us don’t see what we doing. Eric asks, “Pete were are you and why is it so dark in here”. I replied, “Up here buddy, I’m on the ladder and blacking out the skylight windows come up”. Eric climbs up and I open up the skylight to let the light come through for him to see where to climb, I get out to the room and he follows.

  I told him to come to the ventilation shaft and sit behind it with me. He asks, “What's going on Pete why do we have to talk way up here”. I said, “Talk softer they will hear you”. He asks, “Holden and Jenny?” I replied, “No! Only Holden, I want to tell you something, I believe you”. “Believe me, about what, What are you talking about Pete?” Eric ask. I replied, “You told me that something did not seem right to you and that there was no dead by the fences and that you saw that they got lured away”. He replied, “Yes, but you said I was seeing things”. “I was wrong to tell you that” I replied.

  Someone is watching us and I don’t want you to tell Holden anything, I want to check something out tonight and find out if we are being watched keep it to yourself don’t even tell Jenny. He replied, �
��I got your back, Pete”. Eric goes down the ladder and calls Thor while I'm busy blacking out every window I can find. I down the ladder while it is getting dark outside. Jenny asks, “Where have you been?, When I asked, Eric where you were he said, he did not know”. I replied, “I was on the roof ”. She said, “The whole time doing what Peter?” I ask, her “Why all the questions Jenny?”. She said, “Never mind your dinner is on the table”.

  I wait till everyone is asleep and go to the front of the fire department, to look if I can see any movement on the roof of the building and at the front gate. Everything seems quiet no movements but I see some kind of light moving side to side on the roof of the building Holden was on, it can be the wind I say to myself. Suddenly I see movement and its three figures appearing. I have to get the climbing rope loose from that side of the building, how can I be so stupid to leave it there. I hurry to the roof open the skylight climbing out and crawling on all fours on the roof to untie the rope from our side. I untie it and lay still on the ground don’t want them to see me, I see them moving on the roof and I start pulling at the rope so that the harpoon tip gets loose. I pull and pull until it falls to the ground, I hope they did not hear that. Finally, I pull it from the roof of the building and roll it up quickly and crawl back to the skylight to climb down.