Dead End

by Monroe, Kady

  “Oh, tea would be lovely, thank you, but I must go use the facilities first.” He smiled, and went into the small room.

  Carefully, she poured the boiling water into three mugs, two of which had coffee granules inside, and the third a tea-bag. Jenny had noticed, in her shop, how Matt liked his coffee, so she spooned in sugar and powdered milk. She left her coffee and the tea to sit while she went to deliver the other drink and biscuits. She asked Matt if he wanted to join Clive and her in the storeroom, but he declined, saying he would stand guard. He wasn’t likely to be seeing anything outside, she thought, as it was pitch black. But concluded it might be his way of saying he wanted time to himself.

  When Jenny arrived back at the storeroom, Clive was spooning milk into his drink. He stirred the liquid slowly as Jenny asked him,

  “Are you feeling more rested now?”

  “Yes, much better. I’m a little achy from all that running though. Not in the shape I used to be in my younger days.”

  “Well, you still outran the zombies, so you’re doing Ok,” Jenny replied, smiling at him as she picked up her own coffee mug and added the necessaries to it.

  “What about you?” Clive asked.

  “I’m fine,”

  The man took a sip of his tea, before continuing,

  “I noticed Jack didn’t mention going to your house when he was telling me about the escape.”

  “I lived alone,” Jenny told him, sipping her drink, “there was nothing there to go back for, plus, it was near where the outbreak happened, so wasn’t worth the risk.”

  Clive nodded, then asked,

  “What about the rest of your family? Where are they?”

  This wasn’t a subject Jenny liked to talk about, but she answered anyway,

  “I was orphaned young.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. You grew up in the care system then?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you didn’t get adopted,” he stated, then asked,

  “What about foster care? Wasn’t there a nice family you lived with?”

  “No. I moved around a lot. Difficult was the words they used for me.”

  “Were you difficult?” Clive asked.

  Jenny paused before answering,

  “Only when I had to be.”

  “You had some bad experiences then?”

  “Yes, you could say that.”

  “I’m a good listener if you want to talk about it,” Clive offered.

  “Thanks, but I’m Ok.”

  “I know I’m a stranger, but if you change your mind, I’m here.”

  “Thanks. And my shoulder is yours if you ever want to talk too,” Jenny replied.

  “Thank you kindly,” he said with a smile.

  They continued to enjoy their drinks for a little while, then Clive asked another question,

  “What about Jack? He didn’t mention his family either.”

  Jenny didn’t feel it was her place to tell Jack’s story, so she replied,

  “No, he didn’t.”

  Clive sighed, “Ah, I see. He lost someone.”

  Jenny remained silent for a few seconds, taking another drink.

  “Are you trying to get home to someone, Clive?”

  He shook his head,

  “No. Unfortunately, I can’t even say I have a cat to go back to.”

  Jenny picked up the packet of chocolate biscuits and offered them to Clive. He took one and handed the pack back. She procured one for herself and took a bite.

  “So you’re from the Lake District?” she asked, “I’ve heard it’s nice there but never been.”

  “Oh yes, it’s lovely. Or at least, it was. I can’t imagine the mess it might be in now though.”

  “Are you near any of the lakes?”

  “Well, the nearest big lake is Derwent Water, but I’m a little ways away from that. I live in the Kirkland area.”

  “Kirkland?”

  “It’s a small village to the west of the Lake District, but nearer the coast.”

  “Sounds nice,” Jenny said, “What will you do when you get home?”

  “To be honest, I haven’t really thought about it. But since I didn’t have anywhere else to go, it seemed home was best.”

  Jenny nodded, but now she could see she had started Clive wondering about what his future might hold. She finished her drink and said,

  “I’m going to freshen up, then maybe get another hour or two of sleep before we have to leave.”

  “Alright,” Clive said, “I think I’ll go see if Matt wants some company.”

  She did get an hours sleep before waking again. She noticed Clive was back in his space, snoring lightly. Everyone was present except for Matt. He must still be at the window she thought and went to see.

  He was in the same place, leaning against the window wall and fast asleep. It was still dark outside. Jenny pressed her face to the glass and tried to ascertain if anything was moving. It was pointless though. She couldn’t hardly even see the van.

  With her early morning cleaning jobs, Jenny was used to getting up in the wee small hours. She was wide awake now amidst the majority of the group as they slept. The noise of the storm had died, and she could hear the peaceful breathing of the people around her. She found comfort in that sound, realising how glad she was that she wasn’t alone.

  At the first hint of light in the sky, Jenny went back to the window. Matt was still asleep. She didn’t disturb him as she placed her cushion on the floor, wrapped her blanket around herself and began guard duty.

  In the next forty-five minutes, the rest of the group woke up. All except Maggie. Jenny heard Sophie say vehemently to Jack,

  “I bet she popped a pill last night.”

  When Matt woke, he seemed surprised to see Jenny sitting not far from him. He wiped his eyes and peered out the window while asking,

  “Is everything Ok?”

  “Yes, nothing to report.”

  “Good,” he said sniffing the air, “Coffee.”

  “Yes, I think Sophie’s making some.”

  He got to his feet, placed a hand on his back and rolled his head. A yawn escaped him.

  “You want coffee?” he asked her.

  “Yes, if you wouldn’t mind bringing me one. I’ll keep watch here.”

  “Your wish is my command,” he said bowing slightly, “how many sugars?”

  Matt had reappeared with a cup of coffee, a stale buttered roll and a bowl with tinned orange segments and pear slices for her.

  She was halfway through her breakfast when she heard Sophie waking her Mum up.

  “What time is it?” Maggie asked drowsily,

  “Nearly time to go, so if you want breakfast you better get a move on,” her daughter told her.

  “Ok jeez, why didn’t you wake me earlier, if we’re all in such a rush.”

  Jenny couldn’t see them because of the shelves, but she heard one of them let out a long sigh.

  “Did you take a pill last night Mum?”

  There was a pause before Maggie answered,

  “No, I left them at home, but yesterday was so tiring, I slept like a log last night.”

  “Are you lying to me?”

  “Sophie, don’t be disrespectful. I’m your mother and I would appreciate you remembering that.”

  Sophie persevered,

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “And I’m not going to because it sounded more like an accusation, so you mind your tone young lady. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to use the bathroom.”

  Jack came from around the back of the shelves and hobbled to Jenny. He was using his foot.

  “You’re ankle’s getting better then?” she asked.

  “Uh-huh, can put some weight on it today. How're things outside?”

  “Ok. I didn’t see anything to worry about.”

  “Great. It’d be brilliant if it stayed like that all day.”

  “We can only hope,”

  He nodded and asked,

 
; “Do you think we’ll manage to get any fuel here?”

  “I don’t know, aren’t the fuel tanks underground in petrol stations? You’ll have to ask Matt, maybe he’s got a clever plan to get at it.”

  “Yeah, I’ll go talk to him,” he replied and went on his way.

  Jenny finished up her coffee and breakfast, and went past Matt and Jack in conversation as she carried her dishes to the storeroom. Sophie and Clive were sitting down on the mattress, chatting.

  Maggie was in the small room, finishing up a bowl of fruit segments that had been left for her. She looked at Jenny with hooded eyes. Jenny turned around and went to close the door, only to find Matt approaching the room. She put a hand up to his chest level and asked him,

  “Would you mind giving Maggie and me a few minutes privacy? Girl talk.”

  “Um, yeah, Ok,” he replied with a frown. As he turned away Jenny closed the door and turned to face Maggie.

  “Ok, what now?” Maggie asked.

  Jenny’s stomach flipped. She’d hoped to start the conversation off on a better note, but Maggie already had her hackles up. Jenny kept her breathing even as she crossed the room and came to a stop in front of the woman.

  “I’m sorry Maggie, but I have to ask, are you still taking sleeping pills?”

  “No. I don’t have them anymore.”

  “You understand why I’m asking, don’t you? It’s a worry for the group if we have someone who’s drugged up.”

  “You’re talking crap,” Maggie spat back, “I was tired. I fell asleep. End of story, and I didn’t take any bloody pills.”

  Jenny took a deep breath, watching Maggie’s jawline tighten. She didn’t believe the woman, and told her so,

  “I wish I could believe that Maggie, but I don’t. I think you’re putting us all at risk.”

  “Who do you think you are? Miss high and mighty. What I have or don’t have is none of your damn business.”

  Jenny kept her voice calm and steady,

  “Maggie, please, if you have pills, will you just hand them over to me? I won’t say anything to the group. I promise.”

  “I’m not handing anything over to you, so stop asking.”

  “So you do have some then?”

  Every muscle in Maggie’s face was tight. Her angry eyes stared into Jenny’s. But her silence told Jenny the truth. Maggie was afraid to say anything else in-case she tripped herself up.

  Jenny held out her open palm and said,

  “Please, just hand them over and we’ll say nothing more about it.”

  Maggie stabbed a finger towards Jenny,

  “You can take a run and jump.”

  Jenny took a deep disappointed breath, and keeping her emotions in check, said,

  “You know, Sophie was right about you. You’re a liability. What would have happened if this place came under attack and we had to get out fast?”

  “But it didn’t, did it?” Maggie retorted.

  “No, it didn’t. Lucky for us we didn’t have to find out if any of us might have got hurt or killed because we slowed down trying to drag you to safety.”

  “Oh please! Stop being so dramatic.”

  “Maggie, can you please try to see it from our point of view? Even Sophie’s worried about the pills.”

  “Don’t you bring my daughter into this, and if you think you can emotionally blackmail me, then think again, so go stick your nose somewhere else.”

  Jenny was furious but pushed it down, knowing Maggie wouldn’t hand over the pills, so she said,

  “Fine, obviously you’d rather get a good night’s sleep than worry about the rest of the group. Must be nice, but I have to admit, I thought you cared more for Sophie.”

  “You little bitch, how dare you judge me!”

  With difficulty, Jenny thought better of rising to the bait, so continued,

  “If you’re not going to hand over the pills, then there’s another thing we need to discuss,”

  “Oh give me a break,” Maggie interrupted. Jenny ignored her and continued,

  “From now on, we stop for the night, when Matt says we stop. Not when you start whining.”

  Maggie’s face was getting redder, she looked like she might explode soon. Jenny hurried on,

  “You know your daughter’s fine and you have that man to thank for it. But he doesn’t know what’s happened to his dad. He’s worried sick and wants to get there. So if you have any decency, stop thinking about yourself and get onboard with the plan. But if not, nobody’s stopping you going your own way.”

  Maggie let rip, “It probably would be better if Sophie and I left, ever since she met that boy and you lot, she’s developed a serious attitude problem. Just like you!”

  “That. Boy. Saved your daughter’s life just before they got to the shop. She was about to be bitten when he knocked the guy away from her. I saw it with my own eyes.”

  “Tsk, why would I believe anything you say. You just want to keep your merry little band of devotees together.”

  Jenny got in the woman’s face again, quietly saying,

  “I want to keep everyone here safe, which seems to be a hell of a lot more than you. But I’ll tell you this Maggie, if you decide to go, I won’t let Sophie leave with you because she’d probably end up dead trying to take care of you. She needs someone to watch her back too. And you’re not that person.”

  Jenny didn’t actually mean she would force Sophie to come with them, but her anger had gotten the better of her. Annoyed at herself for saying it, she turned and left the room.

  The others all had their eyes on the closed door and quickly averted them elsewhere when Jenny came out. She headed towards them saying,

  “Maybe it’s time we thought about heading out.”

  “Yeah, good idea,” Matt said, then with a smile, “remind me never to get on your bad side.”

  Jenny felt her face flush but didn’t have time to think about it for long as Sophie came to her and gave her a tight hug.

  “Thanks for trying,” she whispered into Jenny’s ear, “and just so the record’s clear, I’m going with you guys. She has nowhere else to go, so she’ll come with us.”

  Maggie didn’t say a word when she stomped out of the room to rejoined the others. Everyone else made themselves busy.

  CHAPTER 17

  The group gathered everything they needed and were ready to leave. Jenny’s eyes scoured outside before she unlocked the door and leaned out.

  A brisk breeze blew, but the day was clear and dry. And apart from the trees swaying, she detected no other movement. Jenny raised the tyre iron and stepped out. Matt wasted no time joining her. He moved to check one side of the building while she checked the other. But, the surroundings held no surprises.

  Matt had forgone a fuel run at the station because he didn't know how to go about it. No one suggested any other ideas, so they proceeded, in silence, to deposit their belongings into the vehicles.

  Sophie, giving Jenny a wink, decided to travel with her mother. As a result, much to Maggie’s dismay, Jack squeezed between the new supplies on the back seat.

  Everyone was loaded and ready to roll when Jenny realised she had forgotten to lock the petrol station door.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Matt said as she undid her seatbelt. Jenny countered,

  “We know this place is safe. If we need to come back, it will save us time if we can establish that no one else has been here.”

  She opened the door and jumped out. She got the key and turned it in the lock. Meanwhile, the bloated body of a young boy appeared from around the nearest corner to the door. On seeing Jenny, it moaned loudly and surged forward, reaching for her. Without thinking, she raised the iron and slammed it into the skull of her attacker. Horrified, she stumbled backwards and watched him sway on his feet. His clouded eyes showed no emotion as he staggered forward, albeit much slower than before. Shocked, she stepped back a few paces and was vaguely aware of shouting, an engine whining, and the movement of the car.

&n
bsp; The next thing she knew, Matt appeared at her side and swung the tyre iron into the zombie’s forehead. The boy stopped moving and fell face first in front of Jenny’s boots. Matt brought the iron down again on the back of the boy’s head. The body lay still. His head oozing a mess of black blood and white mucus.

  “Are you Ok?” Matt was asking.

  Jenny was staring at the kid on the ground, becoming more aware of the shouting that was still going on. She looked up and saw the car coming to a halt near the forecourt entrance. Maggie had hit reverse as soon as the trouble started and Sophie and Jack were the ones shouting at her to stop.

  The breeze blew the smell of the body into Jenny’s face. She put her hand over her nose and mouth as the pungency of decay and soiling caused her to feel nauseous.

  Clive arrived by Matt’s side,

  “Is she okay? Jenny, are you hurt?”

  “No, I’m fine, just shaken,” she replied.

  Surveying the kid again, she went on,

  “So young. He couldn’t have been more than eleven or twelve.”

  “Come on,” Matt said, grabbing her arm and hauling her to the passenger side of the van,

  “There could be more, get in.”

  She didn’t argue as he opened the door for her. She climbed in and dropped the tyre iron on the foot-well floor. Her stomach churned, and she couldn’t stop shivering as Matt and Clive hurried back around to the other side, and once inside, secured the doors.

  The van rolled to the exit. Jenny saw Matt glaring in his wing-mirror when Maggie’s car caught up behind them.

  “She’s scared,” Jenny said, not knowing why she was making excuses for the woman.

  “We’re all scared,” Matt replied, “if I had my way, we’d ditch her.”

  “You don’t mean that,” Jenny said, genuinely surprised.

  “Then maybe you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”