As the Light Dies

by M. D. Woodham

  Dean and Gavin glanced at each other while David rushed to the counter and started rummaging around. Seconds later he stood up again.

  “Here,”he said, and he laid two long black sheaths on the counter top. The sheaths were flat and wide, and the blade handles were ornately engraved in steel.“They’re both replicas from, uh, I think he said they were from the Gladiator movie, or at least one is and the other ones from Highlander I think. I’m not sure.”

  The brothers leaned in closer and lifted one each.“Heavy!”said Gavin, Dean nodded in agreement and pulled his one open a little and looked at the blade. It reflected what little light there was along its edges. Gavin copied him as David continued talking like he was stuck on fast forward.“The guy’s a regular. He’s always bringing in bizarre things. Said he’s got a new girlfriend and she wouldn’t move in with him until he got rid of these, because they’ve both been sharpened. At least he’s tried to sharpen them for some fucked up reason, don’t ask me why!”

  Dean looked closely at the blade. It had been sharpened, not very well. It was a crude job. He thought it looked like someone had taken an angle grinder to the blade. But crude or not one thing was for sure, it was sharp. Dean re-sheathed the sword and as he did he noticed that there was a name embossed in to the steel around the elaborate hand guard. He looked at it quickly and read the name MacLeod.Highlander then,he thought as Gavin said,“Mine’s from Gladiator.”

  “Highlander,”said Dean and slung it over his shoulder then said,“Now let’s go.”

  They checked the backyard and were relieved to find it abandoned, they crept out.

  Sarah needed some persuading to leave. Even David struggled to get her to move, but then Sam trotted over beside her and gave her a gentle nudge with his snout, and with Sam by her side she walked out in to the yard clinging to a clump of his pelt.

  Before closing the back door David grabbed the doormat and used it to cover the jagged shards of glass along the top of the wall, it saved using someone’s jacket again. Then using the plastic chairs from earlier, Dean looked over the wall. The steps were clear as far as he could see, and one by one they climbed over as quickly and as quietly as they could. Crouching in the stepped alleyway between the pawn shop and the next building along the group started up the steps wanting to put ground between them and the mass of infected. As they reached the third landing between sets of steps, the back door of the pawn shop crashed open! With no lock on the outside, the door swung open unhindered and smacked off the wall making a loud metallic crashing sound. Then, what sounded like dozens of infected people, poured in to the shop’s little back yard croaking and gurgling.

  Dean stopped to look back ushering the others passed him. Leaving Gavin to take the lead and keep them on the move. Gavin didn’t like it, he didn’t like the responsibility but he lead on anyway, what other options were there.

  David passed by last, taking up the rear of the group. He stopped when he reached Dean wondering why he’d stopped.

  “What’s up?”he asked.

  “Keep moving,”said Dean,“I’m just coming.”

  David nodded and carried on after the others. They still had a way to go to reach the top and the thick black snow made it hard going, the steps were completely buried making it more like mountain climbing.A mountain of coal dust, thought Gavin pushing onwards.

  As Dean watched from his vantage point he could see the tops of heads and the odd outstretched arm buzzing around over the wall. They were going absolutely crazy, climbing over each other, forcing each other out the way!

  Dean felt that they were safe for now. None of them were trying to climb over the wall, and there was no movement from the bottom of the steps where the steps fed on to the street.

  Too busy with the shop, he thought, and he turned around starting back up the steps after the others. As he passed another landing where the snow slope levelled out a little he heard something that made him stop and look back reaching for his cleaver.

  A shiver ran down his spine and he held his breath, but he couldn’t see anything.

  He couldn’t even see the backyard now.

  He glanced up at the others. He could only just make out David’s silhouette as he took up the rear of the group. He needed to catch up with them. He looked back once more before setting off again and that’s when he saw it as the ash cleared just enough for him to see.

  Lying there in the middle of the snowbound steps he saw the doormat they’d used to cover the top of the wall as they climbed over. He breathed easy.Must’ve been knocked by a stray arm, he thought.

  And then a discoloured figure fell down beside it!

  Dean froze! He prayed for the ash to thicken again. He daren’t move in case he gave himself away.

  The figure stood up. It was tall, over six feet, and wide.

  Big guy, thought Dean. Then another figure fell beside it and then another. And that one knocked the first one as it landed and sent it stumbling against the opposite wall.

  That’s when it saw him!

  Before the big guy even regained his balance he raised one arm and pointed at Dean and called out louder than all the others combined. It sounded like a tornado of water being sucked through a void at high speed. It made Dean jump, and his head hurt. Infected people followed the call to arms and started pouring over the wall like a river of bodies all screeching in unison. Suddenly they had a target. The ash closed in again answering Dean’s prayers although it made no difference if he moved or not now that they’d seen him. But his body was rigid. It had turned to stone!

  The horde started running towards him. Dean broke from his trance. He turned and ran as hard as he could. He could make out the others ahead of him and he figured that they were at the top because their silhouettes weren’t moving. Then their calls reached his ears and he heard them screaming at him to hurry, to run as fast as he could. He slipped and stumbled as he scrambled up the rise. He dropped down when he slipped and used his hands and knees, desperately trying to keep his forward momentum, trying to build some distance. His lungs were burning, screaming for more oxygen and his shins throbbed like mad where he banged them off the unforgiving concrete steps where they stuck out of the dirty snow. But he kept on pushing. Pumping his arms and legs as fast as he possibly could. He didn’t have any other choice!

  He stole a glance back when he was all but ten feet from the others. Gavin was screaming at him to hurry up and Sam barked and howled. There was a black wave of continuously overlapping ash rushing towards him. A darkness within the darkness!

  As the others screamed, frantically hopping up and down with adrenalin, the rolling black cloud started to separate as figures emerged through the murk. The wave of darkness was the leading edge of the infected horde rushing up towards him like a legion of demons breaking free from hell to collect as many human souls as they could!

  Some of them slipped and fell. They were trampled by the ones behind who ran straight over the top of them without a thought. They formed a human steam-roller, grinding up the incline towards him and the others at speed. Gavin bounded towards Dean breaking away from the group and grabbed him. Dean was yanked along by his collar as Gavin pulled, hard.“FUCKING RUN!” he screamed.

  David skidded to a stop beside them both. He levelled the pump action primed it making that muscular sound and fired a shot straight in to the rolling mass! The muzzle flare flashed blindingly bright in the darkness, stretching out almost ten feet from the end of the barrel and the realisation of what he’d just done hit David instantly.

  He couldn’t believe that he’d just fired a live cartridge in to a crowd of people. Vomit rose up his throat, his heart raced, he felt faint and his legs felt weak.

  He looked up in to the wave of hatred rushing up the snowbound steps. There was no telling what damage he’d done there was no obvious change in the rolling mass of infected people, but he knew for certain that his baby had caused at least one infected to slow down, most likely permanently!

  Th
e thought made his head swirl for a second before suddenly he came to. His senses came rushing back as he watched the infected coming up the steps. He saw their wounds and their discoloured skin, and he heard there gurgles and he remembered Iain and Samantha.

  He remembered what had happened to them, what these freaks had done to them and most likely countless others. He remembered the countless screams he’d heard since the darkness fell. He remembered Gavin’s story about the bus driver and Dean’s story about his workmate.

  He thought about his nowexneighbours and then he thought about Sarah and how he didn’t think she’d see her parents again, his sister and her boyfriend, and then he thought,one down isn’t fucking nearly enough! Then he turned and ran.

  Dean and Gavin reached the very top of the snowbound steps with David close behind them. Ann was already moving across the deserted car park at the top, holding Sarah’s hand.

  “Keep going,”called Dean,“we’re right behind you.”

  Dean knew exactly where Ann was heading. They were on higher ground now and once they crossed the car park they’d join a road that ran almost parallel to the High Street below.

  They’d follow it a short distance until they came to an old cobbled road on their left that branched off and lead back down to the High Street. Part way down the cobbled hill there was a pedestrian walkway on the right that fed in to the upper floor of the Eastgate Shopping Centre passing over a road below. David panted heavily keeping pace with the brothers as they ran after Ann and Sarah. Sam bounded along beside them pausing occasionally to look back. Dean was glad Sam hadn’t stopped and erupted in to hysterical barking yet; it meant that the infected hadn’t reached the top of the steps - yet!

  The three men joined the road moments behind Ann and Sarah. David called out to Sarah,“Keep running Sarah, keep going I’m right behind you ok, don’t stop.”

  Sarah responded with a whimper that sounded like an“ok!”

  Then Sam’s whine rose up to a high pitched howl. Dean and Gavin both knew what it meant and tried to put on a new burst of speed. David stuttered attempting to say something but couldn’t manage as he struggled for breath.“Just run!” said Dean, and he did.

  The sound from the infected grew louder and clearer as they reached the top of the steps and began to spread out across the car park.

  The sound of them drawing closer sent shivers racing down spines and Dean called ahead again out of reflex,“Ann, don’t let up ok. Just run. Get to the Eastgate Centre anyway you can.”

  A wheezy“Yep,”was all she could manage in response, but it was enough.

  Sam’s growl was permanent now, and every time he looked back he let out a long tormented howl that seemed to get harsher and higher pitched every time. He sounded like he was in pain.

  Dean knew by Sam’s reactions that things weren’t good, and that the infected were gaining. But he was grateful that he wasn’t trying to hold his ground yet. The fact that he wasn’t told Dean that they still had a little distance between themselves and the infected. Distance they had to keep. Distance he hoped would be enough for them to get to safety.

  David was gasping for air trying to keep pace with the others. His windpipe was in agony as he sucked in the frozen air, and his heart beat at a thunderous pace as he pushed on, running as fast as his body would let him. He kept thinking about Sarah. How he’d keep her safe at all costs. No matter what. Nothing else mattered.

  His eyes stayed focused on her just ahead of him the whole time while his mind whirled as he tried to figure out what the next step was going to be. How they were going to survive?

  One singular gurgle started to stand apart from the others!

  One’s getting close,thought Dean. Then sure enough Sam spun around and dug in to the snow with all four paws. His hackles were up on end all the way along his back, and he started barking wildly! Dean’s heart missed a beat, he knew Sam didn’t have a chance against the horde chasing them. He had even less of a chance with his muzzle on.

  “SAM RUN!” he yelled. Then David slid to a stop, he knew all too well what the dog’s actions meant. He spun around priming the shotgun by pumping the chunky wooden grip under the long barrel and fired aimlessly in to crowd of murderous silhouettes without a second thought.

  The muzzle flare stretched out from the end of the barrel again, lighting up dozens of mutilated faces bearing down on them.

  Sam was barking so loud that his whole body shook.

  Suddenly a figure lunged through the murkiness towards them.

  David skipped back a step pumping the shotgun and fired again swinging the barrel towards the lunging figure while Sam held his ground barking like crazy. The figure belly flopped on the ground a fraction of a second after its insides erupted out through its back, and it slid through the black snow and came to a stop right in front of David. He stepped back staring at the figure. A short thin man, missing most of his fingers, one ear and a lot of his neck. And now all of his stomach.

  David’s stomach turned to lead as he realised he’d actually killed a person. Infected or not!

  He stood motionless just staring at the fallen man by his feet. He could hear Dean calling for him and Sam going ballistic but he couldn’t move.

  I’ve seen them kill. I’ve seen them ‘eat’ a person! he tried to reason with himself.

  Survival of the fittest,he told himself. That’s what it is now. Kill or be killed!

  But he still didn’t move. Despite the calls from the others for him to run, despiteeverything,he just couldn’t let himself off with what he’d just done.

  Suddenly Sam was beside him. He rubbed his muzzle against David’s thigh pushing against him, pushing him back away from the body. Back towards the others. Then he whined, spun around and started barking at the fallen body. David took a step back knowing he had to move, and fast, if he wanted to protect Sarah. This one was obviously much faster than the others, ahead of the wave. Looking up he saw the wave of mottled figures rushing towards him like an enormous black squall.“Sam,”he said, taking another step back. He primed the gun again out of instinct and took another step back. Then his heart completely stopped!

  He nearly died of shock right where he stood. The man he’d killed pulled his arms in by his sides and started to push himself up off the ground and he looked straight at David!

  Gobsmacked and with no time to think about what was happening David raised the gun and fired at near point blank range hitting the man in the chest and flipped him over on to his back as his lungs and most of his ribcage spewed out behind him.

  David watched astonished and unable to believe what his eyes saw as the man who was now missing most of his torso thrashed his arms around on the ground still making that awful sound. He started rocking from side to side. His legs were dead to him now, connected to what was left of his upper body by thin tethers of flesh that remained down either side of the shotgun blasts. He quickly gained enough momentum to roll back on to his front. Once over he started to crawl towards David and Sam. David spun on his heels gasping Sam’s name in an attempt to call him, and he put every bit of energy he had left in to a sprint. He forced his shaky legs to work faster than before, faster than ever before! And Sam bounded along by his side practically pushing him along as the mottled tide closed in behind them....

  CHAPTER 34

  Leann fastened the waist strap securing her rucksack in place. It felt good. It was tight and snug. She looked across at Collin as he folded down the blade of a blue ice-axe that he’d fastened to the strap on his rucksack. He flicked his head up and looked up at her with wide eyes.

  “What!What is it?”she said.

  He opened his mouth to speak but before he could say anything they heard footfalls racing along the aisle towards them.

  “GUNSHOT!” yelled Andy.“C’mon, hurry!”

  Collin handed Leann an ice-axe with a blade and handle that matched her neon pink hair and they both took off after him, sprinting along the empty shopping centre aisles until th
ey managed to catch up with him half way across the overpass. He was jumping from side to side, peering out, looking for any sign of life.

  “I’m sure it was a gunshot,”he said seeing them.

  “I thought I heard shouting for a second,”he told them.“I’m sure I did. Then there was a barking dog, and I mean really barking. The thing was going crazy! So I listened and thenBANG!I heard the shot. It was a shotgun, I’m certain of it!”

  “Yea, I thought I heard shouting.”said Collin approaching.

  Andy crossed back over to the other side that looked out of town and passed the supermarket.

  It was bleak, dirty and still.

  Visibility came and went like before and he made good use of the lightning scanning as much of the terrain as he could with each new flash. Wind rushed passed the overpass moaning at them as they peered through the dirty glass. The supermarket car park was deserted. The abandoned cars sat idle slowly being buried under a thick blanket of black snow. Some of the smaller cars even looked like molehills from their perch. Open doors and bonnets swung in the wind, one bonnet slammed shut and another was forced back and slammed against the windscreen shattered the glass.

  “Maybe it was just one of the bonnets that you heard,”said Leann.

  Andy shook his head.“No. I heard a gunshot, one of my foster dads used to shoot at the weekends when I was little. I know a shotgun when I hear one.”

  Leann nodded.

  Collin asked,“Do you think they got away?”

  “No idea,”said Andy.“I hope so.”

  “Me too,”said Leann, as she fiddled with her axe. She was trying to get it to sit right as it hung from her waist strap.

  “In one way its good,”said Andy.“It lets us know that other people are surviving out there, or at least trying to.”

  Leann nodded.“Maybe it’s the army?”she said, and before anyone answered all of them heard the next gunshot. There was no mistaking what it was.