I got to the gates and punched my pin number into the keypad. The gates were always locked at night.
I quietly walked to my van. I could see the thing was still there on the ground munching away at the policeman. I just had to get rid of them if I wanted to get into the garage. So, I opened the van's boot and took out two sticks that I usually used for fishing. They had pointed ends to them. I hoped that they would protect me.
I walked quietly towards my garage, but the thing heard my footsteps and got up. I couldn't believe it! Even the policeman on the ground started to move.
I lifted both sticks up high to protect myself and shoved one of them in the back of the dead man's head as he was trying to get up. He fell to the ground. Somehow, it seemed to work. I had killed him, but I didn't know why he had suddenly died. I tried to do the same to the policeman, but the stick accidentally went through his eye as my hand was shaking. I nearly vomited, as blood squirted onto my face.
Both bodies were now silent. I felt an overwhelming relief go through me. I had done it. Now all I had to do was move these bodies, which would be more difficult to do.
I went into my garage and realised I had a wheelbarrow, so I used it. I threw the bodies into it and wheeled them into the trees at the back.
When I finished, I began to wonder if this was a disease. Perhaps, it would be on the news, so I made a mental note to myself to check it out later.
3. Lydia Brown - The Dead
I uploaded the video to my laptop the next day. I let as many people as possible watch it at work. It was decided that it would be aired on the news that day, which pleased me a great deal. At least the public could be warned. I wanted people to see what was coming.
I sat at my desk for a while and then, I was called into the boardroom for a meeting. It was an urgent meeting from what I'd been told. The Editor wanted to speak to us. I did wonder why, but in hindsight, I felt I knew the outcome of what was coming and I had a strange feeling in the centre of my gut that something was wrong. The feeling that lingered was from what I had seen last night. The awful and crazy death of seeing that police officer being eaten by another human being was enough to consider that something was definitely going wrong on today’s streets.
I sat down as the Editor and the Producer stood at the front.
"Everyone, please listen very carefully. We have had an urgent message come in about something very delicate that will be announced publicly. The Prime Minister is going to go live with a speech. We think it has something to do with what's been happening on our streets; similar to the video that Lydia captured last night. We think it might be a virus that is spreading, but we will know more soon."
I couldn't believe it. I wanted to ask questions, but another urgent message was brought in for the Editor by a courier and we all sat there quietly watching her read something on a piece of paper. What was happening? Was this for real?
I worried about this virus that she'd mentioned and I couldn't stop thinking about my family who lived miles away from London. I hoped it wasn't serious.
"I'm sorry folks, but we have to cut this meeting short right now. The broadcast will be aired in an hour so make sure you are all here for it. After that, we will decide what we should do next."
I was starting to tremble at the thought of everything going wrong. I wanted to call home and see if everything was okay there, so I went to my desk and dialled my mother's home number. No answer. I tried her mobile and then my father's mobile. Nothing.
An hour later we all sat around the office waiting for the Prime Minister to speak. Cindy, the secretary to the Editor, sat next to me with her hands in her lap. She looked worried, because she couldn’t stop fidgeting and she was constantly scratching her hands.
"Cindy, are you okay?" I asked.
"I think so. It's just that I've been trying to ring my mother in Wales and she isn't answering her phone. She's always home and answers immediately. It's just not like her. So, I'm a little nervous as to what is really going on since I saw your video." She said nervously.
"I know... I feel the same way." I touched her arm hoping to ease her nervousness. It was going to be bad news. I just knew it.
The Prime Minister started to speak on the large screen in front of me. I listened intently to what he was saying. He said a virus had spread and that it was now out of control. Things had gone badly wrong. The virus was a killer! Everyone was infected. We were told that it had spread very quickly.
Oh no! It was the end I thought. It was a virus they had no clue about. Apparently, it was turning people into crazy human beings and there was no cure. Nothing could be done. What was going on?
We were told that everyone should stay indoors and keep off the streets. It was imperative to keep safe indoors. That was it. No more information for us. He didn't know anything else. Then the screen cut out. Someone tried to get the television back on, but it wasn't working.
The entire office was shocked and everyone was talking all at once. A few people packed up their things and left without a minute's thought.
"I'm going Lydia. I'm going home to Wales. I have to see if it's okay there and I suppose it will be. My mother lives in the countryside, so it must be safer than London. What will you do?" Cindy asked.
"I don't know. My family live in Kent, so I suppose I could drive there to see if they are okay. Look why don't you come home with me first and we can go get my family, then we can all drive to Wales. They have a huge caravanette. It will be safer if a few of us stick together. Don't you think?" I was sure it would be better to have someone to travel with, because one thing I was certain about… I didn’t want to go through all of this alone.
"I suppose so." I heard Cindy answer. “I don’t have a car, so I would have to get the train, but don’t suppose those will be running.”
"No, I don’t think they will be. Let's get going." I said trying to feel determined as I looked around the office to discover that mostly everybody had disappeared.
We got into my car and drove off. Cindy didn't drive or own a car, so we didn’t have to worry about anything other than just getting away. I tried to stay calm for Cindy's sake. She seemed to be a wreck. She trembled and looked numb with fear. I wanted to help calm her, but I wasn’t sure what to say or do.
As I drove, I realised we were nearby the garage of the guy that I had met and spoke to last night. I remembered him saying his name was Tim. I decided to stop and see if he was okay. I don’t know why I stopped, but I felt I needed another person around. Perhaps, he could help. He did seem genuine.
The gates were open, so I drove in and stopped outside Tim's garage. I noticed the policeman's body was now gone.
"Why are you stopping?" Cindy asked with a trembling voice. She was shaking so much and I knew she needed to calm down quickly.
"Stay here. I won't be long. I have to see if Tim's here." I said.
"Who's Tim?" She asked curiously.
"Never mind. Just wait here. I'll only be a minute. I promise." Cindy seemed very shaky at the thought of sitting in the car on her own, but I had to see if Tim was okay.
I knocked on the garage door, but there was no answer. So, I called out to him.
"Tim? Are you there? It's Lydia. We met last night." Still no answer. He must be at work I thought.
I was about to leave when the garage door opened up.
"Oh... I thought you might not be here."
"I am... I've just got here. I went into work and they sent us home after the broadcast. Did you hear it too?" He asked as I saw him look me over.
"Yes. It's awful. Look what are you going to do? You aren't going to stay...? Are you?" I asked not sure why I asked.
"No. I'm going to see if my brother and sister are okay." He stated.
"Where do they live?" I asked.
"They both live in Kent." He said as I felt glad that I had stopped here.
"Kent? That's where my parents live. We are going there now. Why don't you come with us. It's best if we all
stick together for support. Don't you think?" I asked.
"Yes... that's a good idea, but I'll drive my van and follow you. Where abouts in Kent do they live?" He asked.
"In Maidstone. What about yours?"
"Broadstairs... It's a seaside town not far from there. We will go to Maidstone first, then to there. Who's your friend in the car?" He asked as I saw him stare at Cindy.
"Oh that's Cindy. Her family live in Wales, so we were going to collect my parents and then drive to Wales. My parents have a large motor home too... so I want to get it and travel in it. Why don't we get your brother and sister and all go together. Cindy's mother lives in the countryside, so we might all be safer there." I hoped he would say yes.
"Great... the countryside sounds like a good idea. We most probably will need to get away from large towns like London and even Kent at some point... Hey... have you tried calling anyone at home? I've been calling my brother and he isn't answering." I wondered if the phone lines were down now too.
"It's the same for me I'm afraid. And yes... I think the countryside would be a safer place to be." I said.
"We have to go to mine first to get some things and then to Cindy's. Is that okay?" I asked hoping he would follow me there.
"No problem. I'll just pack my van up with some gear. Some food and water... you know. I've been collecting it since I saw the dead the other day." He said flippantly.
"The dead? What do you mean by that?" What was he talking about? Is that what they were called now?
"You know the funny walking, biting people that look dead and they’re probably dead from the virus, which has turned them into biters." He stated.
"I hadn't thought of it like that but I suppose you could be right. Is that what you're calling them now? The biters?" I asked as my head tried to get used to this fact.
"I suppose... come on let's get cracking. We need to move." I nodded trying to keep calm. I wondered if Tim was right.
I watched him load up boxes into his van. There were quite a few of them too. As I got into the driver's seat, I saw Tim out of my rear view mirror. He was taking a long gulp from what looked like a bottle of red wine. I felt nervous at the thought of him drinking alcohol at a time like this.
I started the engine and we made our way to my flat with Tim following behind us in his van.
4. Lydia Brown - Bitten
We arrived safely at my cottage in South London. I gathered everything that I needed along with some food, and after that, we all made our way to Cindy's place. There were people everywhere getting into their cars. Everyone wanted to leave it seemed.
Cindy lived a few roads away in a flat. The building was a huge tower block, so we didn't know what to expect.
"Hey... Lydia, I think we should be careful when we get inside that building. We don't know if anything is lurking or if it's safe here." Tim said cautiously.
"I'm sure it will be fine Tim. It was okay on my street." I announced flippantly.
"Well... I just want to be ready." He said picking up a couple of sticks and a knife from his car boot.
"Why are you bringing that?" I asked.
"We have to be ready." Tim replied with a stern expression on his face.
He stood by the trunk of his van and took a swig of drink from a bottle before setting off. I was certain now that he was an alcoholic, because he just wouldn't leave the drink alone. I hoped, when it ran out, he wouldn't go crazy.
I was feeling a little anxious already. Cindy seemed quiet as usual, as we followed Tim into the building. We got into a lift and went up to the sixth floor.
The lift stopped. The doors opened. Tim was about to look out into the corridor when something came for him. It was one of those weird, biting people. A woman, limping and bashing against the doors to try and get one of us. She tried to bite us. We desperately tried to push her out of the lift. All I could see was her mouth opening and closing. Blood dripped from it, as if she'd just been eating someone else's guts. It was awful. I screamed. Cindy, frantically, screamed even louder, whilst Tim used his stick to get her out of the lift. In the end she came at us and got a hold of Cindy's arm; biting it. Blood dripped everywhere and Cindy screamed in agony. Her screams echoed loudly inside the lift. I was sure that others would be able to hear them.
The worst thing was, I felt sick at the sight of blood pouring from Cindy's arm. It had been bitten near her shoulder. Lumps of flesh had fallen from it. At that point, Cindy fell and Tim stabbed the stick into the dead biting lady's neck from behind. I could see that the stick had gone upwards into her brain. She limped to one side and we got hold of Cindy and escaped.
We entered Cindy's flat and put her on the sofa. Tim found some towels to wrap her arm in and tried to stop the bleeding. It had been bitten terribly. I wasn't sure what we were going to do now or what was going to happen to Cindy. I looked around and saw a small living area and a kitchen to one side. What was going to happen next? I thought this, as my mind felt it was about to collapse. I felt drained and out of sorts.
"Tim, do you think she will be okay?" I whispered to him quietly so Cindy wouldn't hear. She was in so much pain.
"I don't think she will... you know. She's been bitten by one of those things, so I'm not sure how things will pan out from this bite. I'm guessing that these dead walking biter people have already died before and that's why they end up this way." He explained.
"How do you know so much? I mean you stabbed that walking thing back there like you knew what to do. Where are you getting all this information from? How is it you seem to know how to deal with it?" I wanted answers from him. I was angry and upset.
"Lydia... I don't. All I know... is that... when I got to my garage last night I had to stab those people that were outside. I got this stick and went for them, and it was by chance that they died completely when I hit them in the head. It seems to work... not sure why though... but it does... doesn't it?" He said as I realised he was going to be a big help.
"Yes... it does. It seems to kill them outright." I answered.
"I suppose so..." Tim said drearily.
"Well... who would have thought that it would work... I say we get out of here soon and get on our way to Kent. What do you think Tim?"
"Good idea. Hey have you got any brothers or sisters other than your parents? You haven't mentioned any." He asked.
"No... it's just me. I have some aunts and cousins around the world, but that's it. One cousin I know of that's from my mother's side lives in the United States with his wife and son. He's a sheriff." I smiled as I thought about family on the other side of the world.
"Really? How come you have family over there?" Tim asked as he stared at her.
"Well... I think my mother's sister went travelling there years ago and married an American guy and that's how it started... I guess... My cousin, the sheriff... Rick Grimes is his name... I heard he's really tough and all that... but I've never met him at all. They never came to England to visit and we never went there. It's a shame really. I doubt that we will ever get to meet now." I said sadly, but not sure why I was talking in that way.
"Probably not... the virus might have spread, but who knows what this thing is and where it has come from or where it has gone." He stated.
"Yes, well, I hope it isn't as bad as we may think, but who knows what will happen." I answered with a slight grin as I peered into Tim's blue eyes.
"Well... family should really stick together, but I can't talk. I had troubles with my brother... that's why I moved into my garage." Tim paced the floor. I noticed how his hand shook and I wondered if the alcohol had done that to him. It looked like he needed a drink.
I thought about what he had said. I kind of wondered if Cindy would die. Was this the end of the road for her? What would she turn into now? I didn't even want to think about what was happening right now, because if I did I would start crying and give up. I knew I had to be strong. I stared at Tim and I think he understood what I was going through. I hoped it wasn’t going to
be horrible from now on. I didn’t want to live in fear. I wanted to feel safe. I didn’t want to have to look over my shoulder all the time.
Tim and I watched Cindy for a bit, but she was in and out of consciousness and we just didn't know what to do next. She looked pale and moaned in her sleep. We had given her some painkillers to ease the pain. I guess we had to wait it out to see how Cindy would be later on. In the meantime, Tim searched her flat to see what he could find to take with us in case Cindy didn't make it. We found her mother's address in Wales and some other useful stuff that we gathered together for our journey. It was a good idea to be prepared. Tim seemed to know what to do I thought and I was glad he was with me. Somehow, I felt better that he was here and even though he had the odd drink every now and then, it didn’t seem to interfere with the way he had handled things so far.
Tim went into the kitchen and I heard him opening cupboards. He was looking for stuff to bring with us... getting ready for whatever came our way. I heard him open something else, but I couldn't be bothered with what it was. For all I knew, he could have found a bottle of drink hidden in a cupboard.
It was getting dark, so I turned on a light, but it wouldn't turn on. I tried all the other switches, but nothing worked.
"Tim, the lights won't come on." I yelled.
"Really? Oh..." he said with trepidation and he appeared to quiver slightly.
"What's wrong." I said panicking.
"I think this is it... it's the end... the electricity not working amongst other things." I could hear fear in his voice, which scared me even more.
Of course, he was right. Everything had stopped working. Even my mobile couldn't get a signal. Nothing could be done about it. It must be the end I thought.
5. Lydia Brown - Trouble on the Road
We found some candles in a draw at Cindy's place. We lit a few, just in time to see Cindy open her eyes. I was sitting next to her when she grabbed my arm. I didn't realise why until I heard her growl. Her mouth gurgled with spit and her hand held tightly onto my arm. Her nails dug into me through the sweater I was wearing. She tried getting closer. I could see her mouth going crazy to try and bite me, and she had nearly succeeded.
The Biters (Book 1): Time to Run Page 2