Surviving

by Kady Monroe

  When she attempted to go forward, the engine stalled. Her second try got the same result. Fretting and looking around anxiously, Jenny gave it a third go. This time the car moved slowly to her gentle touch. She turned the wheel away from the direction the bikers and zombies went. Driving at a snail’s pace along the street, she soon felt a little more confident and pressed the accelerator more. The engine whined needing a gear change. Then it revved as she fumbled to change them, eventually getting it into second without stalling.

  The street layout of the town remained a mystery to her, and the only signpost she saw pointed left, in the direction of the town centre. Exactly where she didn’t want to go. Straight ahead seemed a better choice at the moment.

  Jenny kept the car in second gear. She could learn how to keep control at a greater speed when she found a safer area to practice in. Either that or when her life depended on it, which she prayed wouldn’t happen.

  Finally, she saw a signpost for the A675 which named the towns of Hoghton, Pleasington and Blackburn. Jenny only recognised the latter and wondered if the road led west. But right now, getting out of this town remained her priority, and she could deal with finding the right way later. When the turnoff came, zombies started to appear here and there, but they weren’t close enough for her to worry about. She continued down the road, successfully navigating a roundabout and ignored two sets of dead traffic lights.

  A small pile-up of crashed vehicles gave her some cause to worry, especially since it slowed the car down. She struggled with another gear change as the dead ambled closer. However, no harm came to her. When she achieved getting past with no damage to the Mini, she gave herself a little cheer.

  The town thinned out around her. Jenny decided the outskirts were nearby, and so far, no roadblock delayed her progress. She crossed her fingers on the steering wheel and continued towards the A675. Five minutes later and with a clear road ahead of her, Jenny drew to a stop. She left the engine running and searched the glove compartment hoping to find a map. The Mini contained a GPS unit on the dashboard but it wasn’t functioning. The car’s owner must have known the area well or had relied on the GPS because Jenny failed to acquire a map. Maybe she would find somewhere to get a road atlas later or see signs for towns she knew were close to Lancashire.

  She took a swig of water and checked the car’s fuel gauge. It attested to having a little over a quarter of a tank of petrol. Jenny sighed at the thought of having to get more, and there was no one to watch her back this time. Thinking of her lost companions made her feel sad and lonely, and once again, she hoped Matt, Sophie, Maggie, and Clive were okay.

  Following the road again, and having completed a smooth gear change, Jenny dared to speed up, mastering both third and fourth gears. She left Bamber Bridge behind and found herself on a quiet country road devoid of any moving bodies. She had just relaxed when she saw the unmanned roadblock ahead.

  Three large concrete blocks barred the way, identical to the ones previously seen on her journey from Lillington. Not having the confidence to try a three-point turn, Jenny put the car in reverse and backed away slowly. It wasn’t long before a layby came into view. Feeling better about having more space to turn the car around, she began the manoeuvre. Her attempt at the procedure became more like a six-point turn and the car stalled once. But at least her gear changes seemed smoother. I just need a bit more practice, she thought.

  And now the Mini faced back towards Bamber Bridge. No way was she going back there and decided to follow the same plan her group did when she travelled in the van. Find a farm track and use it to bypass the roadblock.

  She drove on and spotted a gate approximately a mile down the road. Regrettably, it wasn’t the nice wooden rustic type with accessible hinges. This one consisted of a metal construction with its fixings contained in a metal post and securely padlocked. Even with the power of a van like Matt’s, she doubted this gate could be nudged open.

  On each side of the road, thick hedgerows lined the verge, leaving Jenny no choice but to keep searching. A while later, another gate appeared on the opposite side of the road, but it too offered no hope. Jenny continued driving.

  Gate three became the winner. Nice and old, and standing open to boot. She didn’t dare to hope it would be so easy at the other end. She steered the car onto the dirt track and bumped along. The rain from two days ago left some shallow muddy puddles, but mostly the water had drained away. Jenny was careful to avoid the potholes when possible, not fancying getting stuck in the middle of nowhere. Although on second thoughts, it was better than being stuck in a zombie infested town.

  At a fork in the road, Jenny chose to go right. As far as she was concerned, it didn’t matter which way she went as she was already lost. She just wanted to find a gate and get back onto the main road, then she would figure out what to do after that. Hopefully, she would find the end of the track clear of obstructions as she didn’t relish the thought of having to reverse a long distance.

  Eventually, she saw another gate up ahead. Although it wasn’t metal, it was closed. When Jenny got closer she realised it wasn’t padlocked and there was a tarmac road on the other side. Stopping the car, she scanned the landscape before getting out to open the gate. It creaked on its rusty hinges as it swung inwards. Back in the car, she concluded she would turn right onto the road and leave the gate open in her wake.

  She drove two miles down the road and failed to find one signpost. Then noticed a parked car a little further up the road. Jenny slowed down. The vehicle’s left side sat on the verge. All its doors were shut and it didn’t look damaged. Making sure all of her doors were locked, and with anxiety rising, she cautiously approached.

  Jenny drew alongside the black hatchback and peered in its windows. It seemed empty and the door locks were up. Was someone hiding, waiting to spring out at her if she went to investigate further? Glancing around the area, she appeared to be alone. This might be a good opportunity to get some petrol.

  She drew the Mini in front of the parked car and turned off the engine. Taking the keys and the hammer with her, she got out and walked to the bonnet of the waiting vehicle. Hedgerows stood on each side of the road. Not allowing anyone to lie in wait. She checked the verge side of the car and then knelt down to look underneath. Finding no one hiding, she placed a hand on the bonnet. It was cold so Jenny circled towards the driver’s door. The interior held no surprises. Jenny approached the back of the car and tried the boot release, finding it locked. She put her ear down to the metal and listened, glad when she heard no sound from within. It occurred to her that if the driver had abandoned the vehicle, it might be out of fuel or broken-down.

  The driver must have taken the keys because she found nothing when she searched the vehicle, not even the one item she hoped to find, a map.

  Jenny returned to the Mini and retrieved the longest screwdriver and a Tupperware container. Back at the black car, she looked underneath and by sheer guesswork, identified what she thought was probably the tank. As she was getting ready to stab it as close to its base as possible, she hoped the driver wouldn’t suddenly turn up. She drew the screwdriver back and then drove it into the tank, praying it wouldn’t spark and catch alight or explode. The screwdriver went in smoothly without a problem. Jenny placed the container under the hole and withdrew the tool. Not even a drop fell, and now she knew why the driver had gone. Sighing, Jenny got to her feet and got back in the Mini. She locked the doors, started the engine and drove on.

  While driving, she half-expected to catch up to the other vehicle’s driver. She felt guilty. What if the person returned to their car with fuel only to find someone had damaged it? Jenny would hate it if that happened to her. But by the time she reached a signpost at a T-junction and decided which way to go, apart from birds and rabbits, she hadn’t seen a living soul.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  In the next twenty minutes, Jenny navigated small country lanes and recognised none of the town names on the signposts. On the positive side,
however, she considered herself lucky that so far, she hadn’t gone through any residential zones, or encountered more barricades. After another ten minutes and getting a little frustrated at being lost, she pulled over and took a meal break. Having nourished herself and also answered a call of nature, she set off anew.

  Jenny noticed the darkening sky and with dismay, she realised she’d lost track of time. The idea of sleeping in the car frightened her. Yet she seemed to be alone out here, not having seen a single zombie in ages.

  At last she saw a sign with directions for the main road, the A677 which also led to Blackburn. Although never having been there, Jenny knew the town name. And if she recognised it, then that fact suggested it might be large. Another big town did not fill her with joy, so she waited to see if her choices improved. Not long after, Jenny arrived at an intersection with a sign stating that the left-turn went to Blackburn and the right headed towards the M6 motorway and Preston. Jenny remembered seeing signs for the same motorway in Bamber Bridge and was certain Preston lay in the region she wanted. She steered right and joined the A677.

  While travelling, Jenny saw signs for Bamber Bridge and realised she had been going in the wrong direction for hours. Now she appeared to be back on track and hoped to make decent progress. Therefore, wanting to make up for lost time, she kept driving.

  The road became a dual carriageway with much more signs of human activity. Up ahead were three cars which seemed to have collided, spreading debris all over the road. She knew she would see more wreckage as she neared Junction 31of the M6.

  Inspecting the petrol gauge, Jenny saw the needle pointed low because of her long detour around the countryside. She decided to try to get some petrol before the daylight faded. Plenty of abandoned cars held potential for a fuel run. And three of them were right in front of her.

  Keeping the Mini at a distance back from the wrecks, and anxious once again, she took the items she needed and walked to the nearest vehicle. Her eyes searched for any movement in the abandoned cars and the immediate vicinity. Detecting nothing, Jenny hurried to the first car. She wasn’t sure if this one was petrol or diesel. Flipping open the petrol cap cover she saw a sticker which said Diesel Fuel Only. Jenny remembered seeing a similar sticker on Matt’s van. She moved on to the next vehicle which didn’t have a sticker.

  She held no interest in looking for keys or attempting to syphon petrol. Instead, she got to work with the screwdriver. This time, fuel flowed, although not as much as she’d hoped for. She lost some to spillage. But not letting up, Jenny hurried to the third car. Its tank contained a good reservoir of petrol and she could have done with another container to catch the excess that kept flowing onto the ground. Instead, she stuck the screwdriver back in the hole and stemmed the flow somewhat.

  Daylight was almost gone, and the longer she stayed out in the open, the more vulnerable Jenny felt. But she couldn’t pass up the chance for fuel. She got another container's worth before the tank ran dry. When she poured it into her own car, a moan came from somewhere nearby. Jenny thought it might just be one zombie, but she couldn’t see it. She rushed to finish, secured the petrol cap back in place, and then locked herself in the car.

  There was just enough light for her to find the headlights controls. She switched them on and cringed when her eyes captured the sight of five bodies lumbering towards the back of her. Her first attempt to restart the car ended in stalling. Trying again, she got in gear but then stalled again. One of the dead reached the boot of the Mini and slapped its hands on the bodywork. The sound made Jenny jump. She needed to calm down, which was easier said than done. The moaning zombie staggered along the side of the vehicle while another one also arrived behind the car.

  As the zombie reached the driver’s window, Jenny closed her eyes and took deep breaths, letting them out slowly. She didn’t look at the corpse as it slapped its hands against the glass. Others arrived behind the Mini and were moving along the contour of the vehicle. But the road ahead was clear. She could hear the ones at the side moaning, and the noise multiplied in number. Opening her eyes, Jenny focused on the car controls and ignored what was going on around her.

  She started the engine and imagined herself somewhere quiet and peaceful. Engaging the pedal and gear, the Mini moved. It would have been a smooth movement too if the car hadn’t run over a few zombies’ feet. Keeping the momentum going, Jenny sped up and changed gear, leaving the noisy corpses behind her.

  In retrospect, keeping going had been a mistake. But now she was moving in an urban area, so it seemed unlikely she would find a quiet place to stop. Corpses wandered around on the dual carriageways, but they weren’t out in force. She didn’t have enough driving experience to keep up the speed and avoid the dead. Plus darkness had fallen, yet she still made good progress. The signposts told her the M6 was coming up. Jenny avoided joining the motorway and continued towards Preston.

  When Jenny drove past the slip road for Junction 31, she saw concrete blocks barring the entrance. She kept driving and joined the A59 for Preston. The road took her towards the town. She came to a roundabout which under normal circumstances would have given her a choice of two routes to follow. However, concrete blocks sat on one road, only allowing her access to the first exit.

  She drove for a while before reaching another junction. The route ahead into Preston was cut off. So once again she opted for the only course open to her and turned right onto the A6.

  Jenny’s shoulders slumped when she noticed the road led to Bamber Bridge. Jeez, I’m going around in circles, am I ever going to escape that place?

  The new road also became a dual carriageway. Wrecks lined the route, but thankfully nothing she couldn’t get past. Jenny reckoned she might be half-way between Preston and Bamber Bridge. This stretch of the road seemed quiet, and ahead she saw the dark outline of a petrol station. Therefore, it might be a good, yet risky chance to find a road atlas. She pulled into the forecourt, leaving the engine running. Inspecting the surroundings first, Jenny exited the car with the hammer and torch in hand.

  Locking the car doors, she approached the dark entrance. The door stood wide open and when she aimed the torch into the store, she saw a ransacked and looted interior. Few products remained on shelves and a whole load of miscellaneous merchandise lay scattered over the floor. Jenny didn’t care about gathering supplies right now. She just wanted to get in and out quick before trouble arrived. Hopefully, the survivors who did this place over didn’t need to pinch all the road maps.

  Jenny knew she put herself at a great disadvantage trying to do this at night. Her eyes darted here and there as she did another scan of the exterior area. Then turning the torch back to the interior, she reasoned she would inevitably make some noise walking inside because of the mess on the floor. Nevertheless, she advanced a tentative step, stopped to listen then tried pushing some things on the floor aside with the side of her foot before taking another step.

  The flash-light allowed her to see better, but it also created a lot of shadows. She didn’t hear or see any movement, but in this situation, Jenny thought it better not to presume everything was okay. She proceeded with caution and kept the hammer ready to strike.

  This station’s layout differed from the one her group sheltered in a few days ago. The cash desk ran along the front window wall and the cash register lay dumped on the floor in front of it. Apart from the end walls, the shop’s shelves ran parallel to the windows. That at least remained the same as the last place, but it meant she couldn’t see if anyone lurked behind any of them.

  Jenny aimed the torch towards the wall to the left of her. Hoping to see motoring items stored away from the grocery section. The area contained magazine and book racks, soft toys and some tourist memorabilia. All of which were now on the floor. Somebody either enjoyed themselves or has anger issues, she decided. Or, perhaps zombies were to blame, having stumbled around in the area. The thought made her shudder, so Jenny consoled herself by preferring to think humans did the damage. />
  Another few steps forward and Jenny determined the first aisle contained no danger. Moving to the second she checked that one and then the next. All were empty. Down at the end of the last aisle, on the far wall, Jenny noticed tree-shaped car air fresheners hanging up. If those were there then she hoped to find other transport related merchandise. With careful steps, she made her way over the clutter.

  Only two of the fresheners remained on their display hook, the rest were on the floor along with everything else. However, she was in the right area now, so Jenny knelt down and searched. Clearing things out of the way with her hand she moved the excess fresheners, keyrings, plastic replacement fuel caps and numerous other bits and bobs. At last, half-hidden under the base of the shelf unit she spied one corner of a road atlas. Jenny lifted it but would wait until she got back in the car and away from the station, before examining the pages.

  As Jenny got back to her feet, she heard the crunch of something being stood on. The noise sounded like it came from near the door. Jenny aimed the torchlight downwards and stayed still, listening. Another crunch came and then she detected the smell of rotting flesh wafting towards her. Worse, from outside on the forecourt, came a low moan.