Immediate Survivors

by Cenz Barone

  And so now a small detachment of the group entered a small town named Rote, as they explored the town, the carnage within was abhorrent. They saw before them cars flipped over, and partially severed hands and legs being the decorations around the burning vehicles, all telling signs of a past violent episode. But how fortunate and cold all had become to such a scene and situation, and they heard the moaning and groaning of people within Rote, and were stopped in their tracks by gunfire as everyone fell on their knees. Roy shouted from the front “Stop, don’t shoot” Roy then studied the scene ahead of him after dictating the required actions from those behind him, and all were trusting of Roy and all his instincts at this point.

  Then a man appeared holding a hunting rifle wearing a suit, he rushed towards Roy, the man fell before Roy holding his hunting rifle, he was taken aback by the sight of Roy pointing his machine gun at him, Roy having earned the trust to handle the group’s weapons long ago. The man asked “Are you human?” Roy just nodded nervously as the man said “I am sorry, I could not see in the light” as he approached them and he smiled, placing his weapon down and whispered “It is so good to finally see others alive”. “What happened here” demanded Nancy from behind Roy, as the man replied to her, still whispering “The convoy I was with, two of the men became excited and were fighting over the petrol tank, one of them took out a gun and shot the other. They had a gun fight over by the gasoline pump, it is ridiculous isn’t”. Nancy sighed, knowing this village, which hosted a petrol station, was something they needed to rely on, even though they had siphoned so much petrol from villages and towns far further than their camp.

  Nancy now looked back at the rest of those to the rear of her, Roy remaining poker faced and professional in front. Nancy said to those behind her “We better help the wounded. You know the drill” Nancy then went to her back pack and took out the medical kit but the man who approached them stated “Don’t bother with those I just mentioned, I have checked them, they will die eventually, you people don’t need that headache. Their wounds are untreatable, most are bleeding to death, if not bled out and you know what that means, besides if you take them and they die, you have another problem” the man holding his burnt head slightly moaned as he looked angry, his suit was charred and tarred. Why was he wearing this suit Nancy amusingly thought, but she could not help but think such things.

  “Are you the only one alive from this group” asked Nancy, who seemed to be the only one to care amongst the group she was with, as the man replied with fear “No, there are more, they are in the small building over by the satellite shaft. There are 8 of us. I am Robert by the way, people call me Rob, come on, I will show you where they are”. The group followed him but Roy placed his hand onto the man who identified himself as Rob’s shoulder and demanded “Have you seen any other groups?” to which Rob replied puzzled “No, why would I not tell you about other groups. We have been on the road for weeks. We have not gone very far mind you. Feel like we have been going around in circles. Just keeping out of the cities and towns, we needed to come here though, about 7 of the vehicles in the convoy we had, they had ran out of petrol. Arguments erupted so we lost two cars in the night, the drivers must have fallen asleep and crashed, there is nothing we can do, the lights are off on the cars, it is wise to do so, at least I think” as Rob whispered to Roy after a pause “We were using night vision, we found them in a hunting shop miles back, I know it is not a bright idea but it worked for a while, oh fuck man, I don’t know if that is why shit has hit the fan”.

  The man before them appearing to argue with himself more than they, as Roy looked at Nancy who looked behind her to see who was with her on this mission, and all before her was Laura and Kenny, both of them eager for differing reasons to come out on these foolhardy missions, Kenny for his own personal reasons which he did not want to disclose and Laura, because she wanted to see what was going on beyond the madness as she saw it of the campsite they were at. Rob now moved and led them across the street, as Roy was behind him, and Nancy and Laura and Kenny followed behind. They could only trust Rob was knowledgably taking them to where he said he was leading them to.

  Roy and Nancy entered the room where the others from Rob’s group were situated in first, and as they entered, they saw people hunched and cowering, Laura and Kenny followed suit by entering, as Kenny closed the door behind him, and Laura made sure it was slammed shut as she pressed up against it. All four of them had their guns held outwards, and heard the coughing and crying of Rob’s group. Roy put on his torch, followed by Nancy as Kenny and Laura watched in the background. They saw an even mixture of men and women, with some children amongst them. Rob now told them all to relax it was okay, as they became alert to Rob’s appearance, and it was clear some had weapons, guns of some kind but it was hard to discern in the darkness what calibre they were. Rob said to them all “It’s me Rob. Look I found some people”.

  And so the natural replies were had, such as “Are they the police or military” asked a woman in her 40s “No, we are not” Roy told them, taking command over from Nancy, Roy having a habit of doing this and he had done so many times over the last few weeks since he had become part of their group. The woman now replied angrily “Then I don’t care who they are, it’s no good picking up people like us Rob. We cannot spare food”. Rob now approached her and said with concern “Martha we will get help eventually”. Laura listened, finding this interaction such a reflection on how she saw her own situation as being part of the group back at their central base camp in the downs. Rob now tried to reason with this woman called Martha, as Martha said with disgust, her voice rising and falling between words “Eventually Rob. You keep saying it! But look at us Rob, we were almost 50 strong and now we are reduced to what 8. It’s getting less likely we will escape from here. Less likely my friend, so forgive me for saying fuck you and fuck the eventuality. Go and patronise someone else. I am done with you” and now Rob heard other voices in his group, voices he was too familiar with, voices which said “Why did those assholes shoot at each other” they argued amongst themselves did the small group of 8.

  Kenny leaned into Roy and he said did Kenny “There is nothing we can do for them”, as Roy turned to Kenny and replied “I know mate”. As the voices around then argued on, they seemed almost oblivious or uncaring to the threat of the dead things outside as they went on saying such things as “What are we going to do now?” a random reply came “Get another vehicle, there has to be some around here, it’s seems like a resourceful town. I am sure it has something we can use to assist us” the voices came thick and fast as Roy seemed overwhelmed as he was trying to reason with them all. Nancy took an eager backseat, and like Nancy, Laura and Kenny watched on. But Roy was fighting for reason as words which seemed intelligible were heard such as “Where are you based anyways?” but before Roy could reply a person amongst the unknown 8 said “The safest place is in the woods” and another amongst the 8 said “The woods, you nutcases that sounds scary, fuck that, and fuck you. Are you not trying to find a rescue centre or not?”

  Rob was himself trying to keep some kind of control amongst the group as he shouted “Friends, we must try and consider what is in front of us!” but this did not wash well as a voice said “We tried your way Rob. We must get out of here, I am done with searching out what might not exist” Rob argued back and said “We cannot move without fuel, please listen to me”. And so the 8 of Rob’s group argued, Rob then turned to Roy and said “You are the first group of people we have seen in many days, and our numbers are getting less and less, have you heard about the London resistance?” asked Rob to Roy who answered “No, what London resistance” as Nancy, Laura and Kenny listened on to the arguing group.

  A voice amongst the eight said “Forget London, we have to double back but listen to the radio guys, in London it said an uprising against the government was taking place and a new government is in power and have started to fight back against those things from there, we have to join but it is not i
n London” and now Laura demanded of the group of 8 “An uprising, when did this happen?” but Rob hearing Laura’s word replied “I am unsure of the details, we only heard of it a couple of nights ago, but the radio is going on and off the air so it is hard to tell” as the arguments occurred in the background, Laura pressed Rob and demanded “How did you manage to survive so long?”, but Roy stepped in and pressed Rob, repeating Laura’s question to Rob as Nancy’s attention was drawn to Rob as all Nancy heard was Roy’s repeating question to Rob, by Roy asking “How did you survive so long Rob?”. Rob nervously spoke, as his group argued around him “I don’t know mate. Safety in numbers, we linked up with a military outfit about one week ago, but they were forced to leave us and wouldn’t allow us to join them. I am unsure why, for the most part, we have been driving non-stop, and it has been the only way to be sure, to be safe to keep driving, those fuckers could have saved so many lives if they let us join them”.

  Rob became broken momentarily as he now spoke up and said “But the moment we stopped, I personally felt vulnerable”. As Rob took hold of Roy’s neck via his clothes and said, pleadingly “When we find another car we should be fine, have you got a car?” but Roy just nodded and replied “We do” as Rob pressed him which made those around Rob quiet, and Laura, Kenny and Nancy by contrast became aware of how quiet Rob’s group became, it was threatening to them. As Rob demanded of Roy “Can we have it, where is it?” but Roy honestly told him “It is not around here mate. I am sorry, it is impossible, that’s our only chance of escaping if anything happens to us” as Rob pushed Roy away from him and turned back to his group and shouted “Are you fuckers happy, asking me to risk myself, fuck you. Next time you do it!” and the group broke down into argument. Roy watched them all verbally abuse each other. Kenny and Nancy found this telling as Roy turned to them and whispered “We should leave” but Laura watched on, she still, even after all this did not trust Roy despite the others trusting him.

  Nancy seeking to help Roy deal with Rob but also Nancy wanting to offer some practical advice to Rob’s group said “About quarter of a mile from here is a supermarket, if you people want to get some food, there is tinned food in there and in the back freezers, some meat, you can warm them up in ovens and grills. They are located in the appliances store opposite” despite Nancy’s best intentions to offer this advice it did not sit well. Rob turned to his companions and said aloud “Everyone here wants to do it but they…” nobody answered as they continued to argue amongst themselves, more words were shared and then they heard the following “No, we will go out and look for a car or something, there is only a few of us now so we can draw a short straw or something” a voice of a person came back to counter this “Fuck your short straw, we have to take charge”.

  Nancy turned towards Kenny and Roy and whispered “We have to try and do something” as Roy went into his pocket and presented it to Rob as Roy said “Here is a key to the car garage, Spinsters it’s called, it’s a small one by the fishery, you will see signs for it near the roundabout from the direction you came into Newmarket. Use the key, there are plenty of cars” Rob took hold of the key and smiled thankfully “Your kindness is appreciated” but then Rob was swamped by those he was with who fought for the key. Laura now said angrily to Nancy and Kenny “We should be leaving!” as Nancy took hold of Rob and said to him “Good luck” but before Rob could say anything he was tackled to the ground. Kenny backed off watching them but felt Laura hold the scruff of his neck as she dragged him away, and Roy had the same impulse as he forced Nancy away from the crazy group and they were now back in the back alleys of this random town.

  The group now took cover as they heard the dead things coming closer, but the dead things were attracted to the noise Rob and his group were making. Laura felt angry at this point because they were still hanging around the downs and why she tried to reason with herself. What was the point but she then followed the lead of Roy who led them away from the town they were at, as they jogged. Nancy jogging far better on her injured leg and the exercises having paid off, alongside the pain killers and medicine the doctor gave her those weeks ago now meant she was much better. Laura herself was also better with her own injured arm.

  They had long since left the town and Roy walked in front of them, leading as always the way, which made Laura quietly uncomfortable but she persisted with it. Roy took out of his pocket a bottle of whisky and took a gulp as she kept walking and passed it around, Kenny took a gulp and then did Nancy who passed it to Laura who shook her head, uninterested. The bottle then found its way back to Roy who took a heavy gulp. The group ideally using the alcohol to numb their senses to what was happening around them, to drown their sorrow in a big bottle of whisky and to wash away those feelings of reality because in truth, those feeling had to go. Why stay and remain in this incessant and utter deplorable façade of keeping the calmness and stillness of the impressionable fright which was lurking amongst the strange dark shadows alive. A fright that they passed along the moon tree glazed road and waving around lamp posts alive in stillness that offered a foundation like the entire earth had been challenged to channel this madness into a semblance of understanding and had failed so miserably to produce comfort within.

  Nancy quietly gazed at the concrete, watching her shadow, following it along the road, as the moon stood proudly behind them in the sky. Kenny spoke “Do you think they will make it?” he was referring to Rob and his group, as Nancy answered “Maybe they will be fortunate, there is a reason those people survived and the other people they were with did not survive, just like there is a reason we have survived and others have not”. Nancy pulled out a cigarette from her pocket, drawing it from a packet as she lit it up and blew the smoke into the air. Nancy having taken to smoking recently as Nancy added “Does anyone else think the uprising will work, it could be talk though”. Laura turned to her and whispered “I hope it works, we are just waiting for the end out here after all, so why not hope”.

  Roy felt like this was a slight on him, which Laura intended it as being and Roy turned around to face her as he said “I am sick and tired of hearing this, you are always being negative. Why are you doing so? What will it achieve Laura, what is your fucking issue!” Laura was taken aback by his forwardness and met it equally by stating “Negative you say Roy, of course I am being negative. What the fuck do you expect for fucks sake, we are vulnerable out here! My God you people must be blind to think we are not” as Roy shouted back at her “Then why do you stay?” feeling defensive and never having been seduced by Roy and his whims, the way the other’s seemed to have been Laura replied “It’s far safer in numbers than being out here roaming around freely alone, when God only knows what is out there. So fuck you for asking me that”.

  As Roy aggressively told her “You think you are special, everyone is going through the same hell as you Laura, you think you are special, why don’t you stop being a bitch, and stop bringing bad morale to us” Roy was forceful in tone. Kenny agreed with Roy in trying to keep morale but he did not agree with the way he was going about trying to achieve it as Kenny said to Roy “Come on mate, there is no need to be like...” but before he could finish his sentence Laura shouted “You just do the same thing every night, all of you drink yourselves into an early grave by making yourselves vulnerable. Why not make a break for the London resistance like those other people” Laura referring to Rob and his group as she added “You think staying here in the woodlands and drinking yourselves to death will solve it? When will you wake up and realise it will not just change overnight and suddenly be okay. It will be safer with the resistance obviously. What happens if we are attacked in the night by those things, or the death squads, none of you have thought about that have you?” she was putting them on blast. Nancy looked at her annoyed but Laura was having none of it as they continued to walk back to their camp.

  Laura stated again “You are all pissed and unable to do nothing but slur your words and fall over yourselves, you’re just running
away from things mentally and making yourselves too vulnerable and by contrast me!” Laura realising how much risk she was being put in then stated forcefully “To survive this everyone needs to be alert and aware enough to be on top of things. Christ, why the fuck am I the only one thinking like this. You use to say this all the time Nancy” but before Nancy could say anything, and Nancy sympathised with Laura’s point but things had changed over the last three weeks since they arrived in the downs and made up camp, and all were content with their lot

  It was now Roy who replied angrily “We are dealing with it in our own way, if you want to go to the fucking resistance why don’t you join those people and make your own way” as Laura angrily answered “Maybe I will!” but Roy shot back “Why the fuck don’t you!”. But Laura was apathetic to this conversation but needed to make her point as she stated “So what if I do, what will that matter. You act so important Roy, like you expect us to owe you something but you came into our domain and acted like you had something to give, I don’t see what you have given other than anything that we could have given ourselves, so what the fuck is your problem?”

  At this point Roy stared towards Nancy and Kenny as he said “Why the fuck is she running her mouth like this!” but Laura stated aggressively “I am dealing with it on my own way to, it is not fair to even contemplate that I, for one am standing here and listening to the slurs of a alcoholic when out there, in those woods and back at that town are monsters. And as for going to London I would prefer to stay with the people I am familiar with than you Roy. And let me remind you Roy despite you being with us for around three weeks now, I am still not very familiar with you at all, even if others in this group are. I am not! And if I am being totally honest with you and with everyone else just so you all know, I don’t trust you Roy. I have always had a bad feeling about you”.