“Dad … Help us!” Jumping up on the man’s back Katie screamed as she wrapped her arms around the rabid attacker’s neck while Jack pushed his snapping jaws away with all his might.
Instinctively grabbing the frying pan up from the draining board Gordon smashed it into the head of the man that was attacking his children. The force of the blow sent the twins and the man sprawling across the floor towards the bedroom. Jack was first to his feet.
“What the fuck’s up with him,” screaming he pulled up his sister and dragged her away.
“Watch your mouth, boy,” Gordon said as he looked down at the unmoving man. With the frying pan still tight in his hand he got himself a little closer. “It’s Conner Hobbs; he’s the handyman around here. I’ve known him for years.”
“And what’s that all over his face and hands? He’s covered in fucking blood!”
“I said stop the swearing, Jack!” Grabbing him by the shoulder Gordon looked at his son right in the eyes, and then he lowered his voice. “Will you please get on that fancy phone of yours and call for an ambulance, and you’d better get the police over here as well.” Going over to Katie he kissed her head gently and moved her even further away from the still body. “Come and sit over here, love, there’s no need to worry about him anymore.”
“No damn signal,” Jack muttered as he slid the lid of his phone back down. “What can you expect in the arse end of civilisation?”
Before Gordon could berate him again all the lights in the caravan blinked out. Katie grabbed hold of her father, just in time to hear the moans, the low pitched moans coming from deep in the darkness. The handyman Conner was slowly getting back up on his feet.
“Get behind me Jack,” Gordon stood up and held the frying pan high and waited for Conner to get close. He found it hard to see him in the dark but he could sure hear him approach. One more swipe sent him sprawling back down to the floor, but Gordon did not stop there this time. Again and again he rained down blows onto the skull of the man who had dared to threaten his family, only stopping his attack when he heard his daughter’s screams. Spinning around he saw she’d hid her head in her hands, unable to watch her Dad as he smashed in the brains of another man.
Dropping the weapon to the floor he sat down and wrapped his arms around his girl. “I’m sorry love, but I had no choice. I couldn’t let him harm you or your brother.” Rivers of tears soaked into his t-shirt as she buried her face deep into his chest.
“Dad …” Jack was peering out of the window. “You’d better get over here and have a look at this.”
Breaking free from his daughter’s grip he joined his son. Pulling the curtains slightly open they saw two men in their thirties staggering down the gap in the caravans. Even at distance and through the heavy rain, the moonlight shone on them just enough for Gordon to see they were not quite right. Like Conner, they were soaked through in blood. A woman out walking her little terrier bumped right into them as she came hurrying around the corner, no doubt trying to escape from the rain. Pouncing on her as soon as she appeared they pulled her to the ground and tore at her flesh with their teeth and hands. The screams of her pain and desperate calls for help brought another half dozen more men to the scene. But they were not coming to her aid but to join the party, to join in on the feast. Even that yapping, little excuse for a dog was picked up and devoured by one of the eager monsters.
“We need to get the hell out of here now, Dad,” Jack whispered. “It’s like we’re stuck right in the middle of some frigging zombie movie.”
“For the last time,” Gordon snapped back. “Will you quit it with all the swearing?”
“Please tell me you’re kidding me on,” Jack just stared at his father in disbelief. “We’re watching someone being eaten alive, you’ve just brained a man with a frying pan and all you’re worried about is my shitty language?”
“What’s going on out there, Dad?” Calling out from the seat, Katie tried to break their angry eye contact. After the last couple of years of them locking horns she had become an expert at breaking them up.
“Don’t you worry honey,” he said as he pulled the curtains tightly closed. “Just stay nice and quiet please.”
“We need to go now,” Jack carried on as soon as his father turned back to face him.
“It’s not that easy son,” Gordon slumped back down on the seat and stared at his kids. “They shut the gates after dark for security; they don’t want anyone sneaking out with one of their caravans. The only way to open it is from inside the Office itself. If we drive over there we’ll never get out, you saw how quickly they appeared when there was some noise.”
“So what are we gonna do then? We can’t just stay in here.”
“You and your sister will be staying right here. I’ll sneak over to the office, open up the gates then get back so we can all drive out.”
Staring at each other; the twins could not believe what he was saying.
“I’ll only be gone for about twenty minutes,” Gordon said as he put his heavy coat back on. “Just keep quiet and out of sight and you’ll be just fine, trust me.” Opening the kitchen cupboard door he tripped out all the little circuit breakers. “Just in case the power comes back on,” his eyes glanced up the lights.
“I’ll come with you, Dad,” Jack grabbed his own coat. “You’ll need someone to watch your back.”
“No son, I need you stay here with your sister. I promise I won’t be long.”
Without another word he peered out the window and made for the door, silently opening it and soon disappearing deep into the rain and darkness.
“Where the hell is he?” Jack’s glare was still stuck on the outside. “He’s been gone for over an hour.”
“Do you think they got him?” Katie whispered.
“I don’t frigging know sis,” he snapped back. “But I do know I ain’t hanging around here just waiting for them to find us.” Standing up he grabbed his coat again. “I’ll be back in about five minutes, just gonna have a little look around and then come back.”
“No … please Jack, don’t you dare leave me alone.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t be long.”
“Yeah, that’s what Dad said.”
Katie sat alone in the darkness for nearly another hour. They had both now left her and not returned. On hearing the beasts mulling around outside with their deep moaning filling the air, she knew it would only be a matter of time before they found her. And she knew only too well how that little meeting would end. Throwing on her own coat she peered out through the frilly curtains again. The blood and rain drenched beasts still wandered up and down the lines of caravans searching out fresh victims. She would never be able to get out the door without being seen, she needed to find another way.
Squeezing herself out of her father’s little bedroom window, she gently dropped down onto the heavy mix of mud and grass. Inch by inch, yard by yard Katie worked her way through the maze of metal trying to get to the Offices while keeping out of sight of the undead. Dozens of them lumbered to and fro as they peered through the windows of the caravans and fumbled away at the doors in a usually futile attempt to get inside. The surrounding storm provided Katie with the cover of noise from the thunder and poor visibility through the rain.
Peering ahead she saw them, her father in that well worn yellow windcheater disappearing around the side of a caravan and following about a dozen feet behind was Jack. Both her heart and her legs sped up as she hurried to catch them, Katie called out but she was too loud, the old zombie inside the caravan had heard her.
Moving itself towards the girl the undead woman’s eyes seemed to widen with delight at finding some fresh meat, but it too stopped for a second as it saw its prey being grabbed.
“Keep quiet,” Jack’s voice whispered in Katie’s ear. “Just keep frigging quiet girl. I’ll deal with her.”
Marching forward he swung the lump of wood in his hand down on top of the woman’s skull. Just like he had watched his father do
earlier, he pummelled his weapon down again and again on their attacker’s head as it lay twitching on the ground.
“Where’s Dad gone?” Katie said as she joined her twin, trying not to look too closely at the mashed up brains that were gently oozing out over the ground.
Grabbing her arm he pulled her away before the noise attracted any more company. “I’d almost caught up with him when I heard you. Come on, we’ll find him again.”
“Why didn’t he come back for us?”
“How the hell do I know?”
“Is he okay … I mean is he still our Dad?”
Jack never answered.
It took another fifteen minutes of silent searching before they came across their father. Kneeling down in a huge puddle he may well have had his back to his children but they instantly knew it was him.
“Stay here,” Jack whispered. “I’ll check him out and be back in a second.”
“No way,” growling back she strode up alongside him. “I ain’t getting left alone again.”
Knowing that he could never change her mind Jack slowly carried on. As quietly as they could they got closer and closer but then they entered the deep puddle too. Both stepped into it at the exact same time, the sounds of the splash and the movement of water alerted the kneeling man before them.
Slowly standing their father turned and came face to face with his children again. All the love had long since disappeared from his widening eyes, and his silly smile had been taken over by a blood soaked snarl.
“Jack,” edging backwards Katie grabbed a hold of her brother’s arm. “We need to get out of here now.”
“Not yet,” Jack mumbled as he marched towards his dad, the lump of wood now held high above his head. “We can’t leave him like that.”
This time Katie did let Jack go on by himself, she even closed her eyes as the first blow was let free. She did not open them again until the crunching noises had ceased and the distant moaning had gotten louder.
“It’s done,” Jack grabbed a hold of her arm. “We can go now.”
Katie looked down at the lump of wood Jack still carried; little rivers of blood raced along its length and dropped down into the puddle. It was drops of her father’s blood.
“How could you do that?” she said, glancing over her brother’s shoulder. “We could have just left him be.”
“Fuck him,” he said as he pulled her away. “He was one of them, we can’t show any mercy.”
“You’re bloody enjoying this aren’t you? Eh Jack, you ain’t so frigging bored now.”
“Shut it, sis.”
“Or what?
Pulling up to a halt he turned to face his sister. “Please just be quiet, we can finish this later.”
“Jack …”
“I said shush. Now come on, we need to keep moving.” He did not have to tell her twice, she was already pulling away from his grasp.
“Jack … look behind you.”
Three of the monsters had spotted them. On seeing some fresh victims, they screamed out and raced towards them.
“Back to the van, come on,” Jack shouted, pushing his sister ahead of him.
All around them the air was now filled with the sounds of the undead, the call was being answered and the twins were being surrounded.
“Are the gates open,” Katie shouted. “Can we drive out?”
“No, but I’ve got another idea, we just need to get back to our van.”
There was no more time to be careful, no more time to peer around the corners. All they could do was run as fast as they could.
Throwing the thin door open the twins scrambled back inside their faithful old holiday home and slammed and locked the flimsy door behind them.
“We need to get up on the roof,” Jack shouted as he dragged a chair over to underneath the skylight.
The second he finished talking the window blew in as an array of hands burst through the thin glass after their prize. A snarling face pushed through the curtains as the first beast got a good look at the siblings.
“Fucking move it,” Jack screamed as he set his chunk of wood to work on the intruder. Sprays of blood shot up in the air and painted the ceiling. “I’ll be up in a second.”
Perching up on the wobbly chair Katie released the two clips and pushed open the stained hatch. This allowed a few gallons of water that had settled on the roof to rush inside. Her little arms pulled with all their might and she dragged her body up and outside. Glancing down she saw that the caravan had been completely surrounded by the hungry monsters. Scores of the undead had encircled them.
“Jack … Jack,” she hollered down into the darkness. “Come on, please, get the fuck up here now.”
Just as she was giving him up for dead his hands appeared at the opening and he pulled himself up to join her. Right behind him a forest of hands followed as they tried in vain to pull him back down.
“What the hell are we going to do now?” she sobbed as she watched her brother scramble to his feet.
His hand rose up and he pointed to the wall behind them. “Over there, the beach is right on the other side. You should be fine once you get over there.”
“What are you on about?” she said as he turned to set his weapon on the invaders again, the wood crunching into the flesh as he fought to keep them back. “Why are you talking like it’s just me?”
Turning slightly to face her, the last of the moonlight caught his face. His cheek was a bloody mess, all ripped and torn the bite mark was still clearly visible.
“I’ll watch your back, sis,” he smiled. “Looks like I’m destined to be stuck in this shithole forever. One of those fuckers got me good and we both know how that’ll end.”
“I can’t do it! I can’t go out there alone Jack. You can come with me, you’ll be fine.”
“Sorry sis,” he shouted as he went back to his wild attacks. “You know I can’t, now fucking jump over there and get the hell out of here.” Turning back again he gave her a little smile, “Yeah, and you were right as usual, I sure am enjoying myself now.”
Katie could look at her brother no longer, blowing him a little kiss she ran towards the wall and jumped. Slamming her body into the bricks she just managed to hang on as a group of the undead eagerly waited below for her fall. Scrambling up she slumped over the other side and dropped down onto a grassy dune.
She did not try to run; she just lay down and cried. All she could hear was a heady mix of those deep undead groans and the high whoops of delight as Jack defeated yet another of the beasts. The sun beginning its rise over the horizon brought her to her senses and she too rose up and headed towards the beach.
As she was almost at the sea she saw where a child must have played the day before. A slightly collapsed sand castle became sheathed in the rapidly approaching sunlight and Katie dropped to her knees beside it. She picked up the little pink bucket and spade that were carefully placed alongside it.
She never even realised that she was not alone; her mind was oblivious to the sounds of the undead as they raced towards her from both ends of the beach. The beasts were everywhere, she would never find safety.
Patting the moist sand firmly down into the bucket she set about finishing the castle. Her mind drifted away but she no longer dreamed of those fancy foreign lands.
All that she dreamed of now was those long ago but happier days with her father and brother. And how she wished they were back.
THE END
THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED
By
Joe McKinney
“But this changes everything,” Isaac Glassman said. “You see that, right? I mean you gotta see that. We can’t … I mean, Steve, you can’t … I mean, shit, he’s dead. Tommy Grind is dead! How can you say nothing’s changed?”
“Isaac,” I said. “Calm down. This isn’t that big of a deal.”
He huffed into the phone. “Great. You’re making fun of me now. I’m talking about the death of the biggest rock star since The Beatles, and you’re cra
cking jokes. I’m telling you, Steve, this is fucking tragic.”
I let out a tired sigh. I should have known Isaac was going to be a problem. Lawyers are always a problem. He’d been with us since Tommy’s first heroin possession charge back in 2002. That little imbroglio kept us in the LA courts for the better part of a year, but we got The Cells of Los Angeles album out of it, which went double platinum, so at least it hadn’t been a total disaster. And Tommy was so happy with Isaac Glassman that he added him to the payroll. I objected. I looked at Isaac and I saw a short, unkempt, Quasimodo-looking guy in a cheap suit in the midst of a school girl’s crush. ‘He’s in love with you,’ I told Tommy. ‘And I mean in the creepy way.’ But Tommy laughed it off. He said Isaac was just star struck. It’d wear off after a few months.
I knew he was wrong about Isaac even then.
Just like I knew Isaac was going to be trouble now.
Behind me, closed up behind the Plexiglas screen I had installed across the entrance to Tommy’s private bedroom after he’d overdosed and died from whatever the hell kind of mushroom it was he took, Tommy was finishing up on the arm of a groupie I’d brought him. The girl was a seventeen year old nobody, a runaway. I’d met her outside a club on Austin’s 6th Street two nights earlier. “Hey,” I asked her, “you wanna go get high with Tommy Grind?” The girl nearly beat me to my car. And now, after two days of eating on the old long pig, Tommy was almost done with her. There’d be some cleanup, femurs, a skull, a mandible, stuff like that, but nothing a couple of trash bags and some cleaning products wouldn’t be able to handle. As long as the paparazzi didn’t go through the garbage, things’d be fine.
I turned my attention back to the phone call with Isaac.
“Look,” I said. “This isn’t a tragedy, okay? Stop being such a drama queen. And secondly, The Beatles weren’t a rock star. They were four rock stars. A group, you know? It’s a totally different thing.”
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