Immediate Survivors

by Cenz Barone

  Kenny then leant to the side and took up a map which was on a chair under the kitchen table, it was the map they had been using in the van and he placed it onto the table and began to speak over it. Grant listened and observed Kenny who was engaging Grant in Grant’s determination to get out of this situation. Grant never lost the goal of being in the present and getting to a better place in the future. Grant observed as Kenny placed out the map on the kitchen table and Kenny said “So you want to look at this map of Oxford and pretend like we know what we are doing, and where we might go if being here goes all tits up like it might possibly do?”

  Grant could not help but laugh and say “You are a very strange guy, you know that Kenny?” but Kenny smirked and said “Mate if I am strange and weird and you are normal and ordinary according to your perspective on the world then I am happy to be on this side but I ask you mate, are you happy to be on your side?”. Grant could see Kenny was serious and Kenny was as Grant had no answer for him because Grant realised all he thought was normal and ordinary was not at all what it seemed in how the world was currently. Grant then adjusted himself and said without any real answer to Kenny’s question to him “Let’s just study this map”. Kenny finding Grant’s answer amusing said “Sure mate”. And both men then overlooked the map and began to engage and discuss the situation in the solitude of the kitchen. For one, Grant was no longer thinking about the rest of the house, no longer thinking about keeping control within because right now even Grant wanted to escape the dire situation they were in by just doing what Kenny recommended, which was playing pretend and in truth they were both just wasting time until the so-called rescue would come. And so Kenny and Grant settled into their debate which both hoped would help pass time until the rescue they had longed for would arrive. Only this would not matter because something twisted was afoot and it was not from those people outside.

  Chapter 16 - Pre-emptive Friendships

  Almost an hour had passed since Claire was found and had settled back in the house with her friends Laura and Melissa. Kenny and Grant were still in the kitchen, having poured over the map but much of their conversation was switching between events outside and wondering about their own families. Grant had even taken to having a beer, no longer interested in maintaining pretence. Grant just wanted to keep himself together. It was then they heard a loud noise, a blood curdling scream of abject horror. Kenny and Grant both were frozen in fear as Kenny said “What the fuck now”. The scream was coming from upstairs and drifted across the house so everyone’s attention was centred on it.

  Then there was a heavy thudding noise of someone rushing down the stairs, that person was Billy, who was running down the stairs holding his hand which was bleeding slightly, he was screaming at the top of his lungs and this woke up many of the people in the house. Grant had left the kitchen with Kenny following suit but getting a weapon, as Billy reached the bottom of the stairs he ran into Grant. Grant noticed Billy’s slightly cut hand but what took Grant’s attention was Billy’s facial expression was hyper and stimulated. Billy looked like he had taken something.

  “What is going on?” Grant desperately asked Billy, but the screaming from upstairs was heard, it was clear to Grant the source of the painful screaming was not Billy but someone else, it was a girls scream. Billy replied frazzled at Grant’s question “She can’t be allowed in here, I won’t allow it you hear me? It is too dangerous”. Grant had no idea what Billy was saying but then Melissa was seen at the top of the stairs, Grant saw her, she was crying and screaming in a rage. Grant also noticed that Melissa was holding a blood soaked knife as she began to make her way down the stairs, her eyes rooted on Billy who she addressed in screams “You killed her, you killed Claire you murderer!”.

  Billy angrily shouted back at her Melissa “You are inviting her inside when she has been bitten, for all we know it could be contagious by the air you stupid bitch”. It suddenly dawned on Grant what Billy had done. At this point Melissa had stopped walking down the stairs, as she was holding the blood soaked knife, with Claire’s blood on it and was paralysed from moving. Mark had appeared at the top of the stairs, he himself had made peace with Laura and Melissa following his earlier on outburst mainly at Laura, and he said, ashen faced and pale as a sheet “Billy you fucking animal”. Mark walked down the stairs saying really viciously “You fucking cunt” he was heading for Billy and he brushed past Melissa who was leaning on the wall holding her head as the blood soaked knife intersected with her dark hair.

  Deeply upset Mark said with tears in his eyes “She is dead Billy, you stabbed her in the heart, you fucking monster you slit her throat”. Mark looked like he was going to pounce for Billy, Grant stood in front of Billy and the access to the stairs to prevent a fight. Grant was also conscious of the noise they were making but even Grant was blown away by the accusations levelled at Billy. Billy was pepped up and aroused almost by what he had done, his adrenaline and urge to kill Claire unexplainable to Grant as Billy shot back at Mark “We put Paul outside he was bitten, it would only be a matter of time before she turns!”.

  “We don’t know if she was bitten, her skin colour was normal she looked okay and you did it. Paul was dead, Claire was alive” Mark answered and then Mark sat on the stairs holding his head between his legs. Grant turned to Billy and asked him “You told me earlier Claire was just tipsy, not to pay attention to her” but Billy shook his head and said “I just said that to relax you, but after seeing Paul change she might have been bitten. We cannot take the chance, she isn’t right in the head, she could have opened the lane door and let those things in, we have to be careful, right”. Grant was lost for words, he did not expect this from Billy, maybe from Mark due to how Mark reacted earlier towards Laura but this was beyond Grant’s understanding. Melissa in a quiet voice stated “Claire was just tired and scared, if there was any sign her skin colour was changing I would have let you know. You fucking murderer!” Grant realised he was all alone, there was no sign of Elise, Cherie or Kenny. Why was Kenny not here with him he thought, he was worried about this situation escalating and then Grant noticed up above the landing of the stairs Laura’s cries as Laura came into view.

  Finally Kenny appeared and as Kenny came on the scene he saw Billy’s bloody hand but it was clear it was likely less a cut but blood from Billy using the knife that Melissa now held onto that was used to slaughter Claire. Grant told Kenny “They say he has murdered Claire” in reference to Billy who looked at Kenny. Kenny unsure what to say looked around at Mark sitting on the stairs, Melissa leaning on the wall of the stairs and Laura at the top of the stairs crying. Melissa irate stated “He has murdered her Grant! Don’t say we say it like we don’t know what we saw. Go look in the bedroom if you don’t believe me”. Billy replied in his defence “It was inevitable she would change”. Kenny asked Billy “Had she changed?” Billy shook his head to which Kenny was shocked about, considering he stood in between Cherie who was prepared to shoot Paul earlier on before he changed and when Paul was alive.

  Cherie who had woken up and heard the tail end of this from the dining room, she appeared in the passage way where Kenny, Billy and Grant was, she noticed the scene of the other people on the stairs. Cherie did not ask what was happening, she had overheard much of it “I am going to check” was all Cherie said and she went past Mark first, then Melissa and noticed Laura crying who pointed towards the bedroom herself, Melissa and Claire were inside. At this point Melissa had enough and she raised the knife and rushed down the stairs to attack Billy, she was so quick she almost breezed past Mark and landed on the ground, Kenny took hold of Melissa by the left wrist which held the knife and pushed her up against the wall. Grant pushed Billy back who was readying to strike Melissa and then both Billy and Melissa continued to verbally assault each other as Grant and Kenny stood in the middle of this trying to control them both but both Melissa and Billy were by their nearby presence winding each other up.

  Mark still remained sitting distraught on the sta
irs as the ruckus was occurring below him. Laura had led Cherie into the bedroom and went to cry over Claire, Laura experiencing another loss within such a short time following Paul. Cherie could hardly see the sight though due to the dark and Laura’s body blocking her. Cherie went towards the bedroom light and when she put it on she froze at how brutalised Claire looked, her throat was slit from ear to ear and blood had soaked through the bed and a small pool was developing on the bed but was also dripping onto the bedroom floor, she also noticed a large gaping hole in her chest. Cherie spent only a few seconds soaking this sight in and then put the bedroom light off. On that cue Cherie immediately went sick in the bedroom.

  Elise who had been sleeping elsewhere in the house downstairs in the front room and had just woken up appeared to see Kenny and Grant trying to control Melissa and Grant respectively. Cherie exited the room and said from atop of the stairs as everyone went quiet “She is dead”. Grant turned to Billy disgusted as Billy pushed Grant away and Billy said angrily “Don’t look at me like that”. Melissa went to try and grab Billy once more, Melissa wanted to gouge his eyes out but was held back barely by Kenny who pressed up her up against the wall, his body pressing into hers, Melissa tried to wiggle away from him, all the while cursing. Elise had to see what they were talking about and went upstairs brushing past Mark and Cherie at the top. When Elise entered the bedroom she put on the bedroom light. Laura by this time was standing over the bed looking down at Claire who was not moving, Claire’s skin was also normal, there was no sign she was changing. Elise felt the same feelings of revulsion as Cherie. Laura said with a whisper to Elise “He just came inside and snuck up to her. I was asleep, it happened so fast. When I woke up she was like this and Melissa was screaming”

  Elise was nervous about Claire’s body rising up so she went to Laura and escorted her outside, Laura did not fight against this act of kindness from Elise as Laura had tears stream down her face. Cherie was then realising the situation below the stairs was getting out of control and she opted to go down and assist Kenny and Grant with keeping Melissa and Billy from fighting each other. But the entire rational sense of what now to do concerning Claire’s body and even the noise made within the house meant those things were likely being attracted to the commotion. Billy manically laughed at Melissa and her determination to attack him. Billy taunted her “What do you expect me to do Melissa. Sit back and let her kill me, fuck you. We should have left her outside”.

  Melissa was still trying to attack him and Grant could see Kenny was losing his grip of her so Grant left Billy and went to hold Melissa back to support Kenny because Melissa was the one more dangerous in her efforts, Billy seemed reserved. Cherie made her way down the stairs and with Grant’s back turned Billy noticed a hammer near the front door which was earlier used to board up the front windows of the house. He held the hammer which was a steel top hammer, and as Melissa cursed Kenny and Grant for holding her back. Billy threateningly warned Melissa “I will bash your brains into pieces” Kenny turned to see Billy holding the hammer in a striking pose.

  Cherie stopped making her way down the stairs; she was worried about being struck by Billy. Kenny nervously studied Billy, he realised Billy was in a position to strike him with the hammer and the look in Billy’s eye told him Billy was more than prepared to do this. Kenny and Grant also had no weapon with which to defend themselves with. The hunting rifle was out of sight from Billy but the hammer in itself was more than enough of a deterrent for both Kenny and Grant to become passive. “Stop this Billy. Please put the hammer down Billy” Kenny politely asked.

  Billy’s eyes were noticeably twitching in a mixture of stress and rage, and then Billy snapped and blurted out “Why? Why should I? Who the hell are you? Thinking you can give orders around here, you’re a student Kenny. You are just like me”. Billy aggressively looked at Grant “And I am sick and tired of you bossing me around”. Both Kenny and Grant just remained quiet, Melissa to went silent, even though her eyes were still cursing at Billy. Billy ranted on “The police should be here by now. I was waiting for nearly 42 hours in the other house. They said they would be with us in 30 minutes when we first phoned. How does that work huh, and now nearly 2 days later look, look where I am. Alone here without no police, no help and nothing to show for it just waiting for those things to get in here or someone in here to go crazy and attack us. You know Paul’s body has gone. He got up and walked away despite him being dead”.

  The stress getting to Billy who lowered his head, Kenny stepped forward but Billy was alert enough to raise the hammer which made Kenny stop moving forward as Billy shouted at him “Don’t you fucking dare!”. Billy backed off a little so he could speak as Billy said “Every night I go to sleep and hear those things, now you expect me to accept they can come in here and wait to be turned. Any of you been listening to the radio? I was listening to it earlier when you were all doing your own thing, it has been confirmed now people who are sick or injured turn, they turn, am I the only one with brains. I did not believe what you said when we first got here but I do now, certainly after Paul’s body has disappeared”.

  “The police will come eventually; we have to hold out until morning” pleaded Grant but Billy viciously replied “No more waiting, you idiots can stay here and rot for all I care! I am not holding out for another morning. Nothing will fucking change just because you lot have decided to hold up in a house, doesn’t mean I fucking have to”. Grant asked him confused “Then what do you plan on doing?” Billy paused as he scrambled to think but then he immediately demanded did Billy by saying “I want the van keys now” he yelled at Grant. Grant and Kenny were stunned he would ask for this, as Grant said to him “There is hardly petrol in there”. Billy shouted aloud in reply “I don’t give a fuck. If you don’t give me the van keys I will bash your brains in”. Billy threateningly waved the hammer towards Grant, making Grant, Kenny and Melissa back off but they were up against the wall.

  Grant then said as he shook his head “That’s our van, my van, you cannot have those keys”. Even though it was not his own personal van, to Grant after having survived in the van since the start of this outbreak, he took it personally Billy was demanding it from him. Kenny could see Billy in silence at Grant’s answer was growing outraged Grant could say no to him. Kenny noticed to the corner the hunting rifle, it was segregated in the shadows and luckily Billy had overlooked this. Billy then said, bringing some degree of calm to his voice to persuade Grant “I will ask you one more time Grant. Give me the keys, or I will kill you if you don’t!” The hammer was so scary to look at, the large metallic tip, the spike rear to it and the fact Billy was serious made all their moves in reply to Billy’s erratic manner needing to be cautious. But the awareness Billy had murdered someone viciously with a knife was a cause for concern because he was capable of anything.

  Mark observed his friend and the standoff taking place at the bottom of the stairs, Elise, Cherie and Laura watched on. “One more time Grant” said Billy. Grant just shook his head and answered “I can’t give you the keys, if we need to get out of here, even if there is limited petrol it might be our only hope”. Billy shouted in aggression and swung the hammer at Grant, Grant ducked as Billy hit the wall, Melissa jumped to the floor and Grant then saw Billy swing at him once more, Cherie headed to the stairs but tripped up over herself as she fell into Mark. Kenny after Billy was focused on Grant had rolled to the side and taken the hunting rifle, Billy raised the hammer over his head about to strike down on Grant who was strewn on the bottom of the stairs when Kenny cocked back the hunting rifle and pointed it squarely at Billy’s nape from the rear, Billy felt the cold end of the gun pressing into his nape. Billy dropped the hammer as Grant stood up and took the hammer from the floor.

  Kenny moved in front of Billy still pressing the edge of the hunting rifle into his neck until he was now face to face with Billy. So the edge of the gun was pressed up against his throat. Kenny in a serious and deadly tone made Billy aware of the situation as he
said “Another step from you and ill blow your throat apart. I swear Billy, you play up again it will be you who won’t live to see morning”. Billy could see how serious Kenny was as Kenny added “You have already murdered an innocent girl and now you want to try and kill us, you want to take the van and leave us here, with no possible escape”. Billy broke down, the adrenaline from murdering Claire and the intensity and determination he had to take the van and leave had gone as he pitifully said “I have to go, please give me the van keys” he started to cry as he added “I need to go home, my mother and father will need me”.

  Coldly Kenny said “We all have families who are out there, friends to, we are all in the same situation”. Billy objected “No it’s different, it’s different...” but his words trailed off, his selfishness all too apparent but he was grief stricken. Elise had made her way downstairs watching the commotion, she passed Mark on the stairs with Cherie standing near him and when Elise reached the bottom she looked at Billy who still had his hands up with Kenny pointing the gun directly into his throat “You should not have killed her, you had no right to do that” in reference to Claire said Elise. Cherie recalling seeing Claire’s corpse in the bedroom muttered “I think I am going to be sick again” and Cherie rushed back upstairs past Laura to head to the upstairs bathroom once more, she slammed the door shut and rushed to the sink throwing up violently. Her wretches heard by one and all.