by Birch, S. C.
“What?” Owen sighed.
“Well, I was wondering, right, if I could -”
Owen cut him off and chuckled. “You sound so much like Em when she wants a favour done. What is it?”
Jack smiled and looked at the ground, “Yeah. Look, mate, I was wondering if I could take one of your cars.”
“Why?”
“Because, err…”
“Oh for Christ’s sake, Jack. Just fucking answer me.” Owen demanded.
“Me and Em…we need to go.” said Jack and dropped his arm to his side.
Owen was incredibly fucking stunned to say the least, and all he managed to say was: “Eh?”
Jack swayed a little more, “Well, just about everyone in the fucking country’ll know by now that I’m not turning any time soon. And you are kind of famous. I don’t think it’ll be hard for anyone to work out where you live. And how long do you reckon after that till whoever the fuck’s in charge comes after the both of us?”
Owen was still incredibly fucking stunned. And again, all he managed to say was: “Eh?”
Jack breathed a laugh. “Yeah. That’s how it always ends up happening. Either that or they go after our parents. So I’m going to take Em, grab my parents, and fuck off, basically. It’s kind of why I need a car.”
Owen finally was able to say something cohesive, “Not a fucking chance. You even think about leaving and I will break your legs.”
And this time all Jack could say was: “Eh?”
Owen groaned, “Look, you might be right. They might figure out that we’re still alive and where we live. But I swear to God, I did not just go through the last four days of hell or whatever it’s been to give up now we’ve finally made it home.” Owen sighed. “Right, assuming there’s even a fucking government left, nobody here is ever going to let them take either of you. And to be honest, I don’t think Emily would let you leave.”
Jack didn’t know what to say. He clasped his hands over his eyes in an attempt to keep manliness intact.
“Right, this is what we’ll do.” said Owen, “As soon as Em’s on her feet, we’ll get your parents and bring them here. And I know it’s shit, but you know it’ll kill them to see her like this, so we need to wait till she’s at least a little less gory looking.” Owen looked at Jack who was still hiding behind his hand, “Oh Christ. Four fucking Brookers in my house? I’m going to kill myself.”
Jack laughed a little. “Fair enough, mate.”
“Now get back to it,” said Owen, “and help me take out these zombies.”
Jack smiled somewhat and pulled up a machete he had claimed as his own.
Owen smiled a little harder and brought up his bat.
Although neither actually used any force to kill dead. All Owen had to do was push their heads through the bars whereby they fell back twice dead. Jack had a little more difficulty because after the things had stopped moving, he had to actually touch them to free their heads from the bars. Luckily though, he only needed to free two of them. But their skin mushed under his pointed fingers and Jack felt them squelch. It was not a pleasant experience.
And once they were done, Owen started to head back inside, thinking about what living with four Brookers would be like. A thought hit him, and he groaned.
“The fuck’s wrong with you?” asked Jack.
“Christ. We can’t just get your parents. I mean, that will literally make us the scum of the earth if we leave everyone else’s out there.”
Jack nodded, “Yeah, that’s true. How we going to do this then? Your parents live in the back end of Fucksville. It’s not going to be easy getting them down here safely.”
“Nah, they’re fine where they are. They don’t have neighbours for miles and said that there’s next to no zombies up there. And they’re all that stupid state of death. So they’re good. But it’s everyone else’s…” and then the thought of living with six of friends, two somewhat strangers, six parents, and two siblings just about punched Owen in the face. Sixteen people, all living in his house. It was far too large for just him and Mortimer. But sixteen? Owen didn’t think he could take it.
“Christ.” Owen said as he ran his hand down his face, “Right, new plan. We’re going to find out if there’s a house nearby and we can split it so half live there and half here.”
“Why?”
“Because otherwise there’s going to be sixteen of us living here.”
“Oh, just fuck right off!” shouted Jack as he threw his arms around his head, “No! I refuse to live with that many people. Get suited the fuck up! We’re going to kill your neighbours.”
Owen laughed as he watched a livid looking Jack flee back into the house. Owen was already suited, so he jumped into his once glorious Impala. Now the car was caked in rancid sludge and the sight and smell churned his stomach. He drove the car up the driveway and under some sprinkler shower. That was about as much of a wash as the car was going to get.
Both doors on the passenger’s side opened and Lucy and Jack climbed into the car.
“Why you here?” Owen asked as he craned his body round to Lucy who was sitting in the rear seats with the ammunition bag on her back and a gun in her hand.
“Is there a problem?” Lucy said as she lifted her gun a little.
“No!” said Owen, “Just, err, thought you would want to stay here is all.”
“Daniel’s going to stay and watch the house and I figured you two could use the help. You know, considering.” Lucy smirked at him.
“She has a point.” said Jack.
“Just fuck off the pair of you.” said Owen with the largest smile he had worn in more days than he could remember.
The three left the driveway and into the streets of the undead. As he drove, Owen looked at his two passengers. One was smoking out the window, looking at god only knows what, and the other was examining her gun and counting their ammunition. Owen noticed then just how large his grin was. In that moment Owen knew that he was completely ready to shoot, slice, maim, blow the shit out of, decimate, stomp, and generally just go a little bit frenzied to keep his second family alive through the end of the fucking world.
End Note
Congratulations! You’ve reached the end and survived to Day Twenty, a feat not achieved by many.
This book, much like most books, has been an intense labour of love. I have adored writing every second of it over the years and am saddened that my journey with this story has ended.
If you’ve liked this story, then you can help be a part of its future.
You can support this book by recommending it to a friend, leaving a review, or talking about it on social media. Any support you can offer will be immensely appreciated and go a long way to continuing this series.
But more than any of that, I just hope you’ve enjoyed it.
Till next time.