A pool of blood was oozing out of the dead teacher’s auburn hair and onto the floor with surprising rapidity.
Karen stepped back, shaking her head. She stuttered, “No… no, she...”
Shan dropped the weapon and grabbed Karen by the shoulders.
“She was one of them and she attacked us,” she said menacingly. “You got that?”
Karen shook her head slightly.
“You got that?” Shan asked again.
Karen could sense the anger in Shan bubbling up just like it did yesterday.
“If anyone asks when this is all over, she was one of them,” Shan said.
Karen looked her in the eyes and saw the animal ferocity barely being kept in check.“
”Okay,” Karen said softly, too terrified to say anything else.
“Good. Now dinner’s getting cold. We can deal with this mess later.”
Shan casually stepped over the body and walked back to the first aid room.
Karen gazed down at the dead teacher and the oozing blood, her appetite completely lost.
***
“Okay, what have we got?” John asked, looking at the food.
There was a pitiful selection of sandwiches spread out on one of the desks.
“Just a minute,” Sharon said.
She picked up the first sandwich and placed it running straight to the table edge. Then she picked up the next one and laid it down alongside with an inch of clearance. One by one she did this until all five of the traditional sandwiches were in a neat row. Then she lay down the tortilla wrap and the two long French-style baguettes at the end.
“Ten of us and eight sandwiches,” Sharon announced as if no one else could count.
“There’s a couple of baguettes there,” Colin noted. “We could cut them in half. They’re a bit bigger than the rest.”
“Well I’ve got my eye on the Cajun chicken wrap,” John said.
“What if I want that one?” Thomas said.
“Jeez—we’re not going to start that bullshit are we?” Colin huffed.
“Look, there’s plenty to choose from,” Sharon said.
“I don’t mind which one I get,” Liz said, trying to be conciliatory.
Mo bobbed in and took a look at the assembled sandwiches.
“I don’t mind as long as it doesn’t have pork or prawns,” he said.
“I don’t like prawns neither,” Thomas said.
“This is going to descend into chaos if we don’t come up with a pragmatic method,” Sharon said.
“Okay, so what do we do?” Colin asked. “Draw lots to decide who picks first and second and so on?”
“I have a better idea,” Sharon said.
She sat down at her desk and pulled out a notepad and pen. On the blank page she wrote out her name three times, turned the page over and then wrote out Colin three times.
“What you doing?” Billy asked.
“It’s simple,” Sharon said, still writing names in the notebook. “We bid for the sandwich we most want.”
She tugged the pages from the notebook and handed out the sheets.
She instructed, “Tear these into three strips each with your name on it. You now have three bids. If there’s a sandwich you really want, you put all three of your chits on it. If you’re not too bothered, but have a preference, you can spread your bids around.”
“What if we all put three on the Cajun wrap?” Colin asked.
“Then it won’t work,” Sharon said. “But if, say, I put three on the Cajun wrap and you only put two then I get the wrap and you get your second choice.”
“Yeah, if no one else has put three on Colin’s next favourite,” Thomas said.
“And what if me and you both put ours on the Cajun wrap?” Billy asked. “What then?”
“Then we toss for it and whoever loses has to eat the sandwich no one wanted,” Sharon said.
Colin shook his head. “It sounds overly complicated.”
“It’s market forces at work,” Sharon said confidently. “It will work, trust me.”
“Might as well give it a try,” Billy said.
“What we do?” Magda asked, puzzled by the whole situation.
“Write down on your slips of paper which sandwich you like. Remember you can spend all your chits on just one or spread them around.”
Sharon stepped over to the confused cleaners and ran through the concept again, trying to dismantle the language barrier.
“Cajun Wrap’s getting a lot of attention. I’d avoid that one,” Billy said jokingly.
There were murmurs and requests for pens as the group wrote down their preferences.
“What now?” Thomas asked.
“Now we place our chits down next to the sandwiches we want,” Sharon said.
There was some jostling as they all came up to the table and placed down their bids. Once everyone had stood back, Sharon stepped up to count the votes.
“Well, only one for the cheese and relish,” she said, lifting up the scrap of paper. “Mo, you happy with that?”
“Sure,” Mo said, stretching over to receive his winnings.
One by one Sharon counted the votes and doled out the meals until only two remained on the table.
“So what do we do now?” Thomas asked, looking at the pile of papers sitting next to the Cajun wrap.
“Well, John and you have spent all three of your chits on the one sandwich,” Sharon observed.
“I’ve said already I don’t like prawns, so John will have to take that one,” Thomas said, getting quite animated.
“I’m not going to take a prawn one just because you don’t like them,” John said firmly.
“You’re not allergic to shellfish, are you, Thomas?” Sharon asked.
“For all you know I could be,” Thomas said.
“So no then,” Billy interjected.
“All right, you can toss for it,” Colin suggested.
“As good a way to do it as any,” John agreed.
“Whoa, I don’t want the prawn sandwich,” Thomas huffed. “If I’d wanted the prawn one I would have voted for it.”
“That’s the chance you take betting on the one thing,” Sharon said.
“Okay, you call, Thomas,” Colin said, coin in hand.
“I don’t want to call. I want the wrap,” Thomas moaned.
“Oh, stop whining. You might win the wrap anyway,” Billy said.
“John then,” Colin said.
“Heads,” John said quickly before Thomas could change his mind.
Colin flipped the coin high in the air, caught it and flipped it onto the back of his hand.
“Heads it is,” Colin announced.
“Yes,”” John said triumphantly as he dipped in and lifted up the wrap.
“Oh, come on! That prawn sandwich looks awful. It’s probably off by now, too,” Thomas complained.
“Dem’s da breaks,” Billy said, smiling.
“Fuck you,” Thomas said. “It won’t be so funny if I get food poisoning and puke all over the shop, now will it?”
“Stop being a sore loser,” John said, taking a massive bite from his winnings.
Thomas turned and stomped out of the room.
“Hey you forgot your sandwich,” Sharon called after him.
“Fuck you,” Thomas replied.
Wednesday
Chapter 10
Implementation
“I say a couple of us take John and Sharon’s cars to the local supermarket and raid the place,” Thomas said.
“Not gonna work,” Billy said.
“Oh yeah? How not?”
“Cause they’ve already been looted. I passed three supermarkets and a dozen convenience stores on my way here and every one of them had their shutters ripped open and their shelves gutted. Hell, even the electrical goods were gone—useless shit like TVs and microwaves.”
“Okay,” Sharon said. “But we need food. Where will there be a stock of food that won’t have been stolen?”
“People’s houses,” John chipped in. “People tend to have a good few days’ supplies and if the stores have been looted they have even more.”
“I don’t like that idea, John,” Sharon said. “What if the occupants are still there? Are we going to fight them for it?”
“If we have to,” Thomas answered.
“Don't be so blasé, Thomas,” Billy said. “It’s one thing to sit here and say you’d bash some old couple over the head for a tin of beans. It’s a completely different thing standing in their kitchen.”
“There will be plenty of houses out there where the owners have fled or have become one of those things,” Thomas argued.
Liz pointed out, “Even if we do go to a house, there’s only going to be enough food for a few of us. We’d need to go to several houses.”
“I’m not sure we should be stealing,” Mo said.
“What do you suggest then? Cannibalism? Do we start eating each other?” Thomas gnashed his teeth for emphasis.
“No, no!” Mo protested.
“Quit it, Thomas. You're just being obnoxious,” Sharon said.
Colin slapped his hand on the desk. “School!”
“What?” Sharon asked, puzzled by the interjection.
Colin smiled, pleased at his eureka moment.
“School. It’s simple.”
Thomas snapped, “Colin, just get to the point,”
“I was on my way to the school where I teach when I got caught up in this,” Colin said.
“I thought it was the summer holidays?” John said.
“It is. Me and one of the other teachers were due to take a group of kids on a camping trip,” Colin explained. “I was on my way over there because the trip had been cancelled. The head was calling round to tell the parents not to turn up, but he wanted someone there in case some of them didn’t get the message. There’s a mini bus sitting there with a trailer full of camping supplies.”
“How’s a bunch of tents and a couple of canoes going to help us?” Thomas snipped.
“There’s camping supplies in there: Food, water purifying kit, tons of useful stuff,” Colin said.
“So how far away is the school?” Sharon asked.
“Ten minute drive?” Colin estimated.
“It may have been ten minutes last week, but I can assure you the roads out there aren’t clear,” Billy said.
“We take one of the cars.” Colin said. “I get dropped off and I can drive the mini bus straight back here.”
“What’s to say you won’t get to the bus and make a run for the hills?” Thomas asked.
Colin screwed up his eyebrows. “I wouldn’t!”
“So you say,” Thomas said.
“I hate to admit it, but Thomas has a point,” John added.
Sharon cleared her throat to attract the group’s attention.
“No one is here against their will. If anyone wants to leave, you’re welcome to as long as it doesn’t put the rest of us in danger. I think now’s the moment to ask ourselves if we want to stay or leave?” Sharon looked around the group. “Given the state of things outside, I believe our best chance is to bunker up in here if we can get the food supplies. Billy, you’ve been out there more recently than the rest of us. What’s your thoughts?”
“I’ve got to agree with Sharon,” Billy said. “It’s a mess out there. None of us would last for long on our own.”
“Now I don’t know the first thing about survival, but I do know about teamwork. We are more likely to survive this if we work together than if we pull apart,” Sharon said. “If anyone wants to leave, the ideal opportunity will be when we go foraging for food.”
Straightening herself, she summoned up all the corporate management training sessions she’d been on. She pushed the chair out from behind her and stood.
“Now’s the time to say if you want to go,” she said, looking around the faces in the group.
Everyone was uncharacteristically quiet. There were a few nervous glances across the table, but no one voiced a preference to leave.
Seeing the implied acceptance, Sharon raised a smile.
“We may not have chosen to be brought together, but it’s a fact, and if we are going to survive then we need to pool our abilities.” She sat back down and continued, “Now, if the bickering is over, let’s plan how best to go about this. The sooner we can organise a plan the sooner we can implement it.”
***
Most of the group gathered at the loading bay. The room was small and cramped and had a musty smell; it was no more than a clear space with a long set of shutters running almost the length of the back wall. A set of concrete steps led down about three feet to a sturdy metal door adjacent to the shutter. The height difference was obviously to allow large trucks to back up and be unloaded, no doubt like the one that had delivered the massive water bottles stacked against the back wall.
Thomas called out, “Where’s Billy?”
“Just coming!” Billy shouted back.
The office block had seemed quiet and abandoned until now. With almost everyone down on the first floor milling about the loading bay, it felt oppressive and overcrowded. Crammed up so close there was an unpleasant smell of sweat.
“Melissa?” Billy called.
“Yes?” the young girl replied.
Billy knelt down so that he was eye level with the girl.
“Can you do me a big favour, doll?” he asked.
Melissa looked at him a hint of suspicion in her eyes.
“What?” she asked him flatly.
“It might get a bit messed up out there and my wee doggy…” Billy paused and looked down at the dog. Blow was her usual self, skittering around her master’s feet, tail wagging. “I don’t want anything happening to her. Would you be a darling and look after her until I get back?”
A smile lifted across Melissa’s face.
“Could I?” Melissa said, looking up at her mother.
Liz nodded.
“I’ll look after her, Billy. I promise,” Melissa said, scooping the dog up in her arms.
The dog looked around, startled by the sudden affection, but didn’t try to break from the embrace.
“Thanks,” Billy said.
He picked up his shotgun and swung it over his shoulder before giving the dog a quick rub behind its ears.
“I’m ready,” he announced.
“Let’s just run through this one last time,” Sharon said.
“No thanks. We’re good,” Thomas said dismissively. “On three you hit that shutter switch.”
Sharon didn’t have time to protest at Thomas’ contempt before he started his countdown.
On the signal, she turned the switch and the shutter clattered to life. A beam of strong sunlight leapt into the loading bay through the widening crack. The metal shutter seemed to screech and clatter far louder than ever before.
Over the noise of the shutter trundling open, there came a moan, loud and harsh and raspingly dry.
Two shadows rushed at the gap, then two pairs of hands were thrust in. The loading bay being a few feet higher than the parking lot level meant that the two attackers were stopped at chest height by the ramp.
Gary and the stranger thrust their whole upper bodies into the loading bay and pawed wildly at the people inside. Their faces were grey, the skin slack under their bleached eyes, and as they drew close their foul stench completely overpowered the unpleasant smell of body odour.
“Oh God…” Sharon snatched at her mouth in an attempt to hold back the putrid aroma and the churning vomit in her guts.
Thomas dashed in and smacked Gary over the head with a heavy wrench. Gary’s skull cracked and he fell down to lie quiet and inanimate on the ground.
Colin swiped at the second creature with the length of pipe. The metal piping bounced off the side of the man’s head with a thunk.
The dishevelled attacker moaned more fervently at the indignity of the blow. It turned to Colin and tried to grab at him. As it did Billy swoope
d in and cracked its skull open with a solid smash from the butt of his shotgun.
“Thank me later,” Billy said, jumping down off the ramp.
“Okay, let's go!” Colin called.
“Um… I’ve changed my mind,” John said, holding out his car keys.
“What?” Colin asked.
John shook his head. “I’m not coming. I’m not going outside.”
Thomas moaned, “Fucking pussy.”
Colin rolled his eyes, remembering how quickly Thomas had bolted when they let Billy in.
“Let’s roll,” Billy said, snatching the keys from John.
John turned and scurried off back into the perceived safety of the office block.
Sharon turned to call after him, but thought better of it.
“Do you need me to come with you?” she asked.
“We’ll be fine,” Colin assured her.
The four men—Billy, Colin, Thomas, and Mo—moved swiftly across the car park.
Mo broke off from the group and made for the gates. He jogged lightly, hunched down low in an attempt to remain unseen. He arrived at the gates and took a long look up and down the alleyway. It looked clear. Behind him he heard the car’s engine starting. He unclasped the padlock and pulled the bolt back. Looking over his shoulder, he could see Billy in the driving seat with Thomas next to him. Colin was nowhere to be seen, but Mo guessed he was in the back seat. The car started to roll towards him. Mo pulled both gates wide open and the car trundled through.
As it left Billy made a mock salute and turned off down the alleyway.
Something on the ground caught Mo’s eye. He bent down and picked it up. It was a small pink and white quartz pebble. He looked around at all the other bits and pieces of detritus. There were plenty of other stones scattered here and there, smaller chunks of aggregate no doubt left over from building the office block or paving the parking lot. This small lump of water worn rock was out of place here.
A wave of loneliness swept over Mo.
He stood up and slipped the stone into his pocket.
The car zigzagged around the dumpsters lining the back alley and out of sight onto the street.
Demise of the Living Page 15