by Birch, S. C.
His time was running out, and all he wanted to do in that moment was find Emily and hold her. Then he wanted to call his mad mum and dad and tell them all about his mad day. He felt like he was drowning, more than anything he wanted someone to reach out and pull him back.
He looked around the room, soaking in the view as much as he could. Savouring these final moments. Then his eyes found Grace. She was hiding under her shawl, looking at the floor.
“Huh.” Jack said to himself.
Grace. Where did that thought come from? She was stunning. No, thought Jack, she was blindingly beautiful. The most gorgeous person he had ever met. And everything about her was perfect. Even her eccentricities. Jack relished them. He realised then that he always looked forward to her being around her. Acting out of place, and whenever she spoke with that lovely little voice of hers, she either said things of astounding weight or utter madness. Grace.
Jack laughed to himself. He’d fucked the timing perfectly.
“Wow.” Jack said, unable to believe how dumb he’d been.
Owen darted his head up and wiped away the few tears that found him before croaking: “Wow?”
“Wow!” Cameron said.
“Wow?” Jack asked.
“Wow!” Cameron said again as he pulled away from his phone and stared at Jack with his jaw slack.
“Wait. What’s going on?” asked Daniel.
But before anyone responded to him, Cameron dropped his phone and scrambled towards Jack. He landed hard on the floor and held Jack tight.
“You’re gonna be okay!” he shouted.
Jack was a few things by this point. He was drunk, exhausted, losing his mind, and fucking terrified. But more than that, he was confused.
“What?” he asked, smothered under Cameron and his own confusion.
“Fucking hell! You’re not going to turn!” Cameron shouted.
Jack held Cameron tightly. His mind couldn’t quite process it. “How?”
Cameron pulled away, “The fucking scientist guys worked it out. Eighty hours after drinking that Moonshine shit. After that you’re safe.”
“Are you serious?”
“Fuck yes I am!”
Jack yelled out in joy, “Oh thank holy fuck.”
The whole room shook as everyone’s screams and yells bounced throughout it. They ran to Jack, causing the happiest pileup of living bodies that had ever existed. And Jack, buried at the bottom, crying and smiling, loved each of them more in that moment than ever before.
In the Fort Room, Emily was collapsed on the floor, crying into the back of her hands when the noise stabbed her. She could feel her ribs slipping inside of her. Although her sobs became silent, her pain was doubled beyond what she could live through. Each cry sent a stream of pain rushing through her. Her brother was gone now. Emily sat there. Her world was gone. There was no way out for her now.
Below, she could hear her name being shouted by Cameron and Owen. Emily slipped further into the floor. Her body contorted, and her cries painful. Still, she continued to ignore her name being called.
“Emily Vivienne Brooker?” yelled her brother, “Get your scrawny ass down here right now!”
Emily spun her head towards the door. Then she whipped round and hurled herself through the hall. Her heart had never thumped so hard or fast. She skidded on the carpet as she stopped at the top of the stairs.
“’Sup!” shouted her brother from below. He was grinning like a moron, waving his whole arm towards her, and her friends were surrounding him. Emily couldn’t comprehend this. She was still crying.
“Awww, don’t cry.” said Jack with such a wide smile, “I’m okay. Promise. Now come give me a hug.”
Emily tripped down the stairs to her brother. She threw her arms around Jack and held him so tight that she winded them both.
Jack held his sister close and felt relief swim through him. “Turns out, right, I’m a superhuman. You jealous?”
Emily chuckled and said, “I don’t even care right now!”
And now that Emily was with them all, everyone dove back on top of Jack and they all became a giant muddle of bodies.
“Oh God, Jack! Don’t do that ever again!” ordered Lucy who was somewhere inside the group-hug.
Jack laughed hard. “Promise.”
“My Christ,” Owen said, “I could fucking kiss you!”
“I’m too much man for you, mate. You wouldn’t be able to handle it.” said Jack.
“Jack, I don’t think I’ve ever been so relieved in all my life!” Daniel said, his thick arms wrapped around Jack’s neck.
“Don’t think you’re more relieved than I am.” Jack said, laughing.
“But, I don’t – how do you know?” Emily screeched.
“I dunno!” Jack screeched back, “Cam found it out!”
Emily pulled away and beamed up at the cheering, crying group. Her brother was okay. She still had him. Emily rubbed away her tears while giggling in undiluted euphoria. But then she did something a little mad. Emily dove back inside the muddle, grabbed Cameron, hauled him out, and kissed him wildly. Then Cameron did something a little mad. He kissed her back.
Everyone spread away from Jack and examined his still breathing, non-rotting body.
“Jack?” asked the little voice of Grace.
Jack smiled at her, “Hey.” he said. Then he grabbed the back of her head, pulled her in, and did something a little mad with Grace.
“Well!” Lucy shouted. “That’s a hell of a way to celebrate being alive!”
Owen looked at them bewildered. What’s going on? And why? What? “What the actual fuck is happening right now?” he asked.
“Not a whole lot, mate.” Jack said as he pulled away from Grace, “Just really fucking happy to be alive.” Then he dove back in again.
***
It was an interesting morning for them all. There was clearly a lot that needed to be said, but it never was.
Jack had endured something truly horrendous, and utterly wonderful all at the same time. He needed to be alone for a while so had a long bath. The steam floated in the air gently. Condensation drops lingered on the tiles. As he lay there, sprawled out, listening to the rhythmic drop from the tap to the water, he started crying.
“Fucking hell, stop it, man” he said to himself, and slid back, plunging his head under the warm water.
As he climbed out the bath he felt this oppressive tiredness weigh down on him. He could have easily just slept right there. But he knew he couldn’t. So he got dressed in the comfiest, shaggiest clothes he owned and started travelling along the hall.
As he approached the Fort Room and heard his friends chatter, he felt an anxiety he hadn’t experienced before. He didn’t know where it had come from, or why. But he recognised this emotion. Taking a deep breath in and holding it, he opened the Fort Room door, and as the light and their smiling faces greeted him, he released his breath, and his anxiety with it.
“We set up your camera for you.” said Emily with a stupid looking grin. She was sitting beside Cameron, her fingers laced in his.
“Aww, you guys! Shucks!” said Jack. But that’s what they did. They all crowded into the fort, Mortimer included, and Jack started the recording.
“Hello, everyone!” Jack said with a broad smile. He reached for Grace’s hand and held it tight in his, “So guess what? I didn’t turn! Yeah, turns out I’m one of those superhuman types. Sorry if I worried you all -”
Emily flung her body forwards, “Wait! You made a video of you dying? Fucking when?”
Jack shot her a grin, “When you were trying to stab Owen.”
“Oh.” said Emily as she stumbled back to her starting position.
“So, as I was saying,” said Jack, turning back to the camera, “I’m alive! Turns out that eighty hours after drinking Moonshine shit, if you’re alright, you’re immune! Yay!”
The herd of happy people behind him cheered and clapped.
Jack laughed hard. “Yep. Guess I’m s
pecial. Anyway, that’s it. Don’t really have anything else to say. Will be back soon but for just now, I’m off to bed. Till next time!” Jack crawled forwards and turned off the camera.
“How are you doing, Jack?” asked Daniel. His face filled with a smile.
“Honestly, mate? I’m fucking exhausted. But before I sleep there’s something I really need to do.” he said, then swept Grace into his arms and kissed her again.
Day Thirteen
“So, yeah, like, what we gonna do now?” Emily asked once she had finished chewing her lip.
“Eh, not really for me to decide,” said Cameron.
Jack’s eyes lit up, “Oh, I know.”
“…Well?” asked Emily.
“We’re going for a race.” said Jack with a grin so large his teeth took up most of his face.
“Oh Christ, do we have to?” asked Owen.
Jack nodded, “Yep! It’s my not-death-day so I get to choose! We’re going to the track that Cam goes to.”
Jack bounced up and out of the book fort, lifted Grace to her feet, and got suited up. As did everyone else. They picked up their weapons and headed out the front door.
“I’m driving.” said Emily as she tried to snatch the keys from her brother’s hand.
“Not a chance.” Jack said and hid the keys behind his back.
“Awww, but for why?” Emily whined and rocked between her heels and the balls of her feet.
“Meh,” shrugged Jack who was loving the fact that it was his day and that everyone did as he said, “because I feel like it.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but Jack really should drive.” said Cameron.
“Cam!” Emily whined, “You’re supposed to be on my side!”
“I am, Emily.” said Cameron with a cocked smile, “You’re a fucking terrible driver. I’m trying to keep you alive.”
Lucy let out a loud cackle then she threw herself in the Impala, which Daniel also climbed into. Owen collected the last two walkie-talkies and handed one to Grace before climbing into his Beloved and putting his in the glove box. Owen didn’t really know why he had done it, but figured it was better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Jack and Grace got in the red car and the last two got in the white one. Cameron texted them all the address which they put into their sat-navs and then they drove off.
Cameron led the way, naturally. He knew how to get there without the need for directions and he was the best driver. Every motion Cameron made as he drove was controlled and deliberate. The engines roared with glee as Cameron pushed the car to its maximum and drove it how it was intended; fast and fierce. He was concentrating on the road ahead as he hurtled forwards. Now his secret was out he was at liberty to show off. Emily linked her phone to the car, then blared her music as they flew past trees, houses, and zombies. Emily thrashed her head and flailed her arms as she sang along to the tunes drowning the car. And Cameron smiled and laughed the whole drive.
The Mustang was not too dissimilar. It careered and skidded all over the road, second in their caravan. Jack was having a great day. He sped along the roads and played music he knew Grace would enjoy too. It was all very dangerous. But Jack didn’t care. He had just cheated death – and quite spectacularly. What the hell could you care about after that? He danced along, singing and smiling. And Grace was having just as much fun as her driver. She watched the world blur around her and joined in the dancing, just with a little less energy than Jack.
The Impala took the rear. And drove safely. Owen concentrated as he drove and lost a fair distance from his other two cars. It distressed him to say the least. To know that there was a Brooker in each car, he didn’t want to think about it. Daniel was sat in the front examining his rifle. Which distressed Owen even further. And Lucy was no less calm. She sat in the back and drew in her breath every time the barrel of the gun pointed near someone.
And after nearly two hours of driving, the Impala drove along deserted roads surrounded by fields before turning a corner and driving up to a track. The other two cars were waiting, intact and unscathed. Owen sighed at the sight. Thank Christ for that.
They drove through the warehouse-like building and onto the tracks where they all got out of their cars.
“I’m begging you, please don’t scratch my cars…” said Owen.
“No promises.” said Jack who had fully found his old self following his not-quite-so near-death experience.
“Grace?” said Cameron, “You coming with me?”
Grace nodded and the pair started to walk away.
“You’re not joining in?” asked Daniel.
Cameron shook his head, “Nope.” he said then wandered off with Grace and they both sat down on the stalls so they could spectate.
And an hour or so later, five out of the seven had run the course. Obviously, Owen had a mini nervous breakdown every time a Brooker skidded away. He buried his face in his hands and waited for the whole ordeal to be over. And when they all sat on the stalls and ate some sandwiches that Lucy had made that morning, Owen noticed two things. Firstly, he felt good. Really good. A stark contrast from yesterday. It was nice. Secondly, where in the hell were the zombies? Owen couldn’t work it out. He hadn’t seen many in a few days now, and only spotted a few on the drive here. The world seemed dead. But there was hardly anything on the roads. Strange.
Owen thought about how this whole zombie outbreak had been for them so far. Admittedly the last week had been the worst of his life. But as far as apocalypses go, this was rather disappointing. They had more troubles living out with the undead than from the threat posed by the undead themselves.
Daniel swallowed his mouthful and said, “Oooh, I have a plan.”
“Another plan?” asked Lucy. “You sure about that? Our plans haven’t always been great.”
Daniel nodded and smiled, “No, this one’s good.”
“What’s that then, mate?” asked Jack.
“We’re all going to go home and grab some stuff. Then we’re going to take it back home.” Daniel twisted his body and picked up his resting club.
“This is confusing.” Owen said, “So you’re going to go to your flat, then go back to my house?”
“Our house.” Daniel said.
“Yeah, but our house like my our house or our house like you and Cameron’s house?”
“Yes.”
“No, but which one?”
“Both.”
“But when you say our house, do you mean our house, or our house.”
“Our house.”
“But which our house?”
“Fuck me,” Jack said, grinning, “why don’t we all just go to oooouuur house.”
Lucy had been laughing so hard it had been silent, but a little hic burst out of her. She had tears in her eyes and her face was bright red.
Twenty minutes later after working out whose “our” house to go to first (Daniel and Cameron’s) and typing in the address, they were off. Cameron (who had Daniel as his passenger this time) skidded to a halt outside their tower block flat. They didn’t wait for the others. Instead they walked inside and started climbing the stairs.
And it wasn’t until they opened their door that Daniel remembered he had left someone behind.
“Oh yeah. Forgot about her.” Daniel said as a half-naked zombie started inching towards them.
Cameron looked at Daniel in more horror than at the rotting corpse flailing towards them. “How in the hell did you forget you left someone here? And where was she? I didn’t even know there was someone in the house!”
“Hhhuuuuuuwwaaaaaaaaahhhh.”
“Yeah…” started Daniel.
The zombie walked into their sofa and although her front half kept moving, her legs stayed behind and she fell flat on her face, whereby her skull burst open.
“Oh. Well, that was easy.” Daniel said as he watched her final twitches.
Cameron jerked his arms, “Seriously! How was she even in here?”
“Oh, err, well I asked her to let herself out after we left. You know, out of respect.”
Cameron’s jaw dropped, “Respect? How is asking someone to sneak out of a stranger’s house respectful?”
“So she didn’t have to do the walk of shame.”
Cameron rolled his eyes, said “Oh my God.” and wandered into his room.
Daniel looked at the splatted Lady. It was a shame really, she was nice.
Daniel shrugged his shoulders and starting walking towards his room when he noticed another dead thing. “Nooo!” he wailed out.
Cameron hurtled out his room with his rifle ready, “What is it?”
Daniel tapped the glass of his little, round bowl, “Eric died.” he said and stared at his upside-down goldfish.
“Aww, shame.” then Cameron turned on his heels and went back to his bedroom.
Daniel again shrugged his shoulders and walked into his room.
“Oh my God! It stinks in here!” said Lucy from behind her sleeve as she, Jack and, Grace walked into the house.
“Yeah,” shouted Cameron from his room, “sorry about that. Over by the sofa.”
Jack walked forwards and noticed the smelly corpse, “Nice! You do this?”
“Daniel did her first, and then she killed herself. So, you know, an average Saturday night for him.” an invisible Cameron said.
“Mate,” said Jack as he examined the body, “you’ve really lowered your standards.”
“No!” Daniel said from his room, “I forgot she was here! She’s been here for like two weeks or whatever it is.”
“Thirteen days.” Grace corrected from behind her shawl.
“Daniel! How do you forget you left someone in your house? And for thirteen days!” Lucy shrieked. She was in that moment mightily glad she had met Daniel when she was still with Owen and hadn’t suffered the same fate the poor, oozing girl had.
Cameron shook his head as he left his room with a rucksack and large duffel bag, “Please don’t ask.”
“What in the fuck is that smell?” asked Emily as she covered her face with her hand and also entered the house.
“Oh! Christ, that’s foul.” confirmed Owen, not that it needed confirmed.