by Cenz Barone
At this point Nancy took charge, as she hurriedly instructed the group to load up the 4x4 with other items from the supermarket, and everyone worked quickly in doing this. Once this was done, it took no more than 1 minute, the group were split up, with Nancy directing between those who would go in the camper van and those going into the 4x4. Everyone settled into their designated spots and as the dead things came closer the group all got into their vehicles and began to drive away, with the camper van leading the way. They were now heading towards the deepest parts of the rural woodland forestry area known as the downs. The terrain changed in the crisp winter early hours, as the group passed the endless trees and everyone as always remained in their own thoughts, apart from Kenny who was directing in the camper van by driving. They passed some abandoned cars by going out of the small village they had recently entered with the blood on the sides. Even an upturned bus was seen as the group progressed further.
Kenny pulled over in the camper van and turned to Nancy as he said “We should not be too far Nancy from a good place to settle up tonight, how’s everyone in the jeep”. Nancy who had allocated radios to those in the 4x4 jeep with the radios from her own back pack and had been speaking to them, as she said “How is the situation over there?” the voice came across on the radio from Cherie who was driving the jeep as she said “We are okay, I still think we should go further into the forest” Kenny replied by picking up the radio from Nancy and answered Cherie “We will be okay don’t worry, it is just a little longer now”. Kenny placed down the radio and knew this area was located deep in the woods as it was best place to be, no cities, no villages and no towns. He imagined it was just trees and woodlands and on the map from where he was heading it was a small little watery area of a lake. And now all they had to do was find a spot and hold on until the critical situation throughout the country was contained, if it ever would be but that was their plan, almost one week into this as they sought to hold up and wait, to endure it all as best as they could.
Chapter 29 - The Downs
The camper van had taken to moving off road, going deeper inside the woodlands and using the means to navigate via the roadmap but also signs around then. The 4x4 behind them continued to follow from the rear and Cherie drove the 4x4, they were conscious of the uneven and harsh road, the last thing anyone wanted was to breakdown but luckily both vehicles were robust and designed for harsh terrain, meaning Laura and Baxter picking the perfect secondary vehicle.
Kenny remarked as he held the steering wheel “I am sure this camper van has been through worse terrain than this”. Kenny turned to the left and began moving further and further inside. Cherie peered from the back as she handled the 4x4 wondering how long it would be until they stopped but she could tell the road they were on had a purpose in its direction. “What if we get lost” asked Elise who was near Nancy in the back of the camper van, Nancy though was more interested in finding the remotest hideaway she could hope to get to, but Elise’s question was perfectly logical to consider.
Everyone was determined to make their way deeper and deeper within and had been driving for maybe 3 hours since the hospital having gone into the large woodland called “The Downs”. With it being still dark down below around the trees which were thick and numerous, yet up above the shades of darkened blue skies were fighting as dawn was soon to come, the view provided a haunting feel, one that teased dread and forbearing, the woods were so quiet and so untouched that it was impossible to ignore the quietly menacing atmosphere. After about 42 miles of driving around they finally reach a spot as Kenny noticed up ahead a small lake with a tiny field near it that was covered in woodlands. He brought the camper van before the small lake.
As Kenny parked the vehicle up, he had not even turned the key off when Nancy and her group in the back of the camper van were already out outside. Cherie had also brought the 4x4 to a stop and everyone within those vehicles was outside on the grass, taking in the sight of the large woodland. They were shrouded under the large tall and spacious trees up above and all around them there was no sign of anything for miles, it was just endless trees and foliage bar the narrow and small road to get to this point, which was a very uneven and gravelly road that had grass over. Everything about this spot was isolated and remote and it was like nothing around them had been touched for years. Baxter, Cherie, Melissa, Laura and Elise stood on the bank of the lake.
“This is perfect” remarked Melissa as she added looking at Laura with a smile “It is so far away” Laura replied. Kenny was still sitting in the driver’s side of the camper van and was trying foolishly to try and get the GPS which was within the camper van to work, but he could not manage to do so, all their driving to this point had just been by working out between them the road map they had, but it paid off with how they calculated the direction and roads to go along. Nancy knocked the window of the driver’s side of the camper van, as Kenny lowered the window and looked at Nancy who said to him “You’ll never get a signal down here! I think everything is down now. I have had no hit on my phone either for a while. Forget the GPS for now”. Nancy observing what Kenny was trying to do.
Kenny opened the door as he stood near Nancy and asked her questioningly “Is this good enough Nancy for us to make camp?” Nancy overlooked the rest of the scene and she saw Baxter, Cherie, Melissa, Elise and Laura near the lake edge talking amongst themselves and Baxter was near the side of the area they were parked at holding his machine gun, surveying and listening out for any sign of those things. After much thought Nancy nodded and turned to him “It is Kenny. I will tell the others and you begin taking things out of the camper. We can set up camp here, use those tents we swiped from the supermarket, and set them up to give us space, we will set them up in a circle. Trust me, I have an idea how to set up camp in the best possible way” as Kenny just nodded and went to open the back door of the camper van to begin unloading things. Nancy watched Kenny go to begin unloading, almost robotically, she then decided to approach him once more before going to inform the others, Nancy when she reached him asked “What about a rota, we need to have a couple of us on lookout around the...” Kenny interrupted her and replied “I don’t think I care much for that. I just want to set up camp and hopefully get some sleep”. Nancy shook her head and said seriously “We should have a look out” as Kenny argued his point and replied “We are so deep inside the woods, even if we bump into those things, there will only be a few of them wouldn’t there, nothing too challenging, that’s why we have come here. All we need to do is make sure the road is covered up and any of those things that try and get in, we can blast them. I’ve not seen any sign of those things for hours. And look up above”. Nancy glanced up to the skies as Kenny said “It will be morning soon, when the light comes we can get a better idea about where we are, it will help us consider the environment more”. Nancy though protested again as she said “Still though Kenny, we don’t want to be unprepared. You are right though, let’s just set up camp first. I am so hungry and then we can worry about everything else later”.
“Look at them” Kenny said in reference to the group staring at the beauty of the lake up ahead, who stood beside the edge of the lake and were slowly finding sanctuary in this spot. Nancy was following his gaze as Kenny added “Can you believe we have all gotten this far? Since this all started. I thought I’d never get out of any place that was not a city or town but here I am. I am just happy to be alive, and in one piece” Nancy smiled feeling the same as she answered with a sigh of relief “You and me both”. Nancy feeling a little more looser following the events since the escape from the university, she was slowly letting go of her highly strung self and ways to do with her role as a policewoman, but the miracle as she saw it of being able to have her leg treated following being shot, really made her think about things differently. Nancy was about to move away from Kenny to inform the group that this would be their camp, when she felt Kenny grab her arm, Nancy stopped herself from walking further and looked at Kenny with his hand
on her arm and she was wondering what he was doing. He then said to her “I don’t think I have personally thanked you for what you did for me after the dog bit me back in the station. From what I remember you not only calmed me down but you trusted I was not infected, even when I was unsure and others thought I was” his mark was still obvious on his throat, the bandage he had since taken off which Nancy made for him long gone. Nancy listened on as he added “I just want you to know I appreciate it”.
Nancy found this expression of thanks unexpected yet she was touched and said “You’re not the only one who has things to thank for Kenny. If we did not find that doctor, I don’t know how worse off I would be. My leg still hurts but I am getting better, you helped make that possible to” she then placed her hand on his shoulder and said with a smirk “We all have a lot of things to be thankful for”. Kenny nodded respecting what she said as she said jokingly “Doesn’t mean I won’t put you in a cell again” Kenny laughed at her comment and then went back to unloading the items from the camper van. Nancy thus began to walk towards the lake side to tell the group this would be their camp, and to issue out instructions.
Kenny went back to throwing out bags onto the floor from the camper, as the torch Nancy had with her was put on and she reached those near the lake. They were by the lakeside in an open spot which had no trees above them so the light from the changing skies into the dawn was coming, providing some light. After Nancy had informed the group of the plan, Cherie had taken herself to the 4x4 and bypassed Kenny who was unloading the items from the camper van, and so Cherie went to do the same to the 4x4 by unloading the items from within it. The 4x4 by comparison had obviously lesser items within it. The rest of the group settled into assisting the unloading of the items and the creating of their camp.
Overtime all the items were brought outside, with the tents, food tins, drinks of both non-alcoholic and alcoholic in taste, wind breakers, and everything else they saw of value when they raided the supermarket. They had many guns between them all also placed around the area and again the benefits of the security station within the university rescue station presenting to them those benefits. The numerous weaponry items and the bullets were all stored in their back packs during the breakout from the university rescue station. Only this did not mean they had free range or unlimited bullets so each had to be mindful of how they would use their weapons and in what circumstances. So Nancy was taking stock of each weapon, and every bullet as she overlooked them. Time went on and so they all worked as a unit.
Baxter turned to Laura and he was admiring her and how well she looked in the morning light which had now finally come out by this time. As the sun was rising higher into the sky so too did it brought a sense of accomplishment for the group, at just how lucky they were to still be alive on the outside, without a building surrounding them, in the daylight. Elise sat on the ground and wiggled her fingers in the water near the lakes edge. Melissa who was usually a party girl, and never liked the outdoors started to appreciate the slender beauty of the great outdoors as when the light came over them, each could tell where they were was a really good choice, all around them was safety and security that was provided by the natural barriers of trees and rocks. With an off the road track, being the one they took which was the right road they settled on following and one that could be defended if it came to it, from those dead things.
Nancy was joined by Cherie who helped her with sorting out the tents, and Kenny and the others negotiated where to put the camp. “Near the lake, we can have an escape into the water if we get surrounded. I don’t think that will happen though” said Kenny as Baxter replied and said “To go into the water” as Melissa said “The water is a good defensive spot for us to set up camp around. We should focus on having the vehicles pointing outside, right”. And so they worked after having much discussion in what to do and how to position their camp. Nancy who despite having ideas listened to the group and everyone worked on a consensus. The group worked into the latter morning, and all the while the sun continued to rise and it was refreshing for the fresh air to whisk by them all which despite being winter was oddly heating up the area through the foliage and tall trees.
After a few hours the camp was more or less finished. There were four large tents set up, split between the groups. The tents were set up in a circle, with the vehicles pointing out towards the road, ready for a speedy exit in case of an emergency and the backdrop of the camp was the lake, allowing for a natural defence to the rear. Furthermore, between the tents and the vehicles were the windbreakers and some hammocks that had been set up in order to prevent anyone seeing the goings on inside the main area of the camp, there was also a large over top roof covering at points. It was designed to be as snug as possible. Already the group had gathered much firewood and in the middle of the camp a fire was raging, with the food they had collected from the supermarket nearby was being cooked by. These were noodles, tinned food and some meat. As they sat around the fire they kept warm and stayed together. Huddled and united they were, and although strangers they were now all they had left, and needed each other to survive. Each of them had their weapons by their side and it was quite quiet as each settled. The birds chirped giving off such a normal atmosphere and it was like friends camping out as opposed to strangers seeking sanctuary from the mayhem taking place beyond them, the chaos they wished to escape and had in this moment successfully escaped from.
Nancy stirred a camping mess tray, there were five with differing types of food in them, and everyone had their own mess tray and were eating, using all the brand new items they had stolen from the supermarket. There was also a tray with water which was boiling and this provided the tea and coffee, which was beside the fire. All had either eaten or were still eating. Kenny asked Nancy “How many laws have we broken so far Nancy?” Nancy hesitated, and after some thought, Nancy outlined each law as she said “Assault, breaking and entering, theft, speeding” she then paused and said overlooking them all “What have I left out?” there was some light laughter from some of the group because Nancy said it so dryly and Kenny was joking around by asking her this question. The group settled into eating and watching the fire.
After some silence Elise asked “Do any of you think the government has everything under control, I know we have only been here for a few hours but I can’t help but wonder. What with daylight. Being outside with daylight is something that seems quite alien to me, so I can’t help but ask”. Cherie now stood up as she looked around the woodland and checking out their camp as she replied to Elise by saying “We have not even been here a day. I would say Elise that there is no chance it is under control. After what happened in the city and towns we were at, the escalating situation from the news, as we last heard it. Well I doubt it has improved. In fact it has probably gotten worse. Unless of course there has been some miracle, I wouldn’t get my hopes up though Elise”.
Elise disappointed as she knew it was true but she could not help but say to Cherie “I bet when you were a little girl you use to run on beaches and destroy people’s sandcastles” this brought some laughter from the group, including Cherie who smiled at Elise. Baxter now reached across the numerous cooking materials and held a pot as he noticed Nancy had laid out stones on top of an area near the fire which had charcoal underneath to provide the heat necessary to boil the trays. So Baxter asked “How did you learn to do this?” Nancy replied to him “It is just camping outside, I grew up doing things like this, camping in the woods was my childhood”. Kenny himself had also semi-assisted and replied “It is fun to go camping. You ever tried it before Baxter?” Baxter shrugged his shoulders and sat back on the tree stump and answered “Does today count?”
As the group continued to engage in partial small-talk and it was light-hearted on occasion and also reserved at points, Kenny randomly impact this when he said “Gage didn’t deserve what happened to him” his seriousness breaking through the casual remarks exchanged. All went quiet before Kenny who looked troubled as he sai
d looking at Baxter “They came out of nowhere mate, I should have done more” Baxter with shame replied to Kenny “At least you tried Kenny. I had to run. I was swamped by them”. Both Kenny and Baxter who were the only ones privy to what happened to Gage remained looking each other, the girls around them listening on, and then Kenny reassuringly said “Like you said, you were surrounded mate, but at least I had the access to a vehicle to get out of there. Without Gage, we never would have gotten through, bless that guy, whoever he was” Kenny laughed thinking about the stranger who was Gage whose sacrifice and bravery had led everyone to this point.
Baxter now stood up and walked away from the fire as some looked his way as he shook his head, wiping his eyes from the tears, he recalled how brave and dedicated Gage was, Baxter recalling how Gage a stranger to them all tried to do the right thing before he was cut down. Nancy wanted to keep everyone as comfortable as possible, and she poured some boiling water into an aluminium mug and placed some coffee within, with some long-lasting milk and Nancy called at him “Come on Baxter. Drink this”. Baxter remained a few paces from the fire, turned around and heeding Nancy’s invite did so and took the coffee in his hands, he made a sound of temporary pain, as it was hot but handled it well and he drank some. Baxter said looking at Kenny “To Gage huh” and Kenny nodded, and replied “To him and all the other people pal”. All now all reflected on all the death they had seen. Silence overtook the group once more and this sombre affair was getting ever more so real.
After some time Melissa became teary eyed as she randomly said “I am scared to think what it’s like in other parts of the country” mainly thinking about her family, like the others were conscious of their own family, but all were aware that if they tried to get to their loved ones they would risk themselves. And besides the fact everyone was from all over the country, so the only way anyone could try to reach their loved ones would be if they went alone, and after everything they individually and collectively experienced, all of them wanted to stay put.