David kindly went off to check for defects, leaving me to deal with those things out there! Just my luck! ‘No matter what happens I can’t get bitten I can’t let them have me.’ I thought.
I sprinted around the back of the school, sadly passing Rose along the way. But this wasn’t the right time to mourn but a time to fight.
After finding the semi rusted pile of goods David mentioned, I managed to dig out a solid oak baseball bat! It was in good condition surprisingly!
After returning to the snarling trashy gate, I decided to take a quick peak over the top to see what I was dealing with, “Fuck!” I whispered.
On peak I could see at least four of those hungry things out there, all of which looked massive compared to myself!
After a deep breath in, I refocused myself. Using my mind’s eye, I lived out my actions! I knew what I had to do.
Fear rushed through my body like a rash, hands now shaking.
“Fuck it!” I snared.
I swung open the gate, hiding my body behind it just as planned. They entered, groaning along the way. Their stench of death and decay followed. Disgusting it was.
“Here goes nothing!” I whispered.
Stealth on side, I gently closed the gate behind them, on closure the worst happened, just when I thought it was going well, I accidentally clashed it which quickly drew their attention!
Body shaking even more so now, taking one of these down with a gun is completely different to getting up close and personal with my newly named ‘Boffy’ the bat.
No turning back, I launched a full offensive.
“Whack” With all my might I swung the bat as hard as I possibly could against its skull. A loud cracking sound followed, its body came crashing to the ground.
“I can do this!” I screamed.
“Argh!”
I went from a bog-standard fella to a slayer within seconds, I didn’t think I had it in me, but when push came to shove what choice did I have, did I just roll over like some sort of hotdog on wheels, and let those brainless flesh eaters tear me from limb to limb I don’t think so.
Rage at full flow, I quickly took care of the rest without hesitation. I battered each and every one of them to the ground. There I kicked and whacked their heads to oblivion one by one, luckily there dead decomposing bodies couldn’t keep up with my speediness, making it 4-0 to me.
Once it was over, the comedown set in. I felt awful, I could feel everything. My arms spaced, hands hurt. It was agonising.
I remember looking at my blood coated, thumping hands in daze after throwing ‘Boffy’ to the ground in dismay, blood splatter everywhere. I was covered head to toe in bone fragments to god knows what, I was a mess!
“You did well!”
“What the frick!” I shouted.
On turn of my head, stood David with a gleaming smile on his face “It’s good to know you can handle yourself, even when outnumbered!”
“What, you were watching this entire time?”
“I sure was, that was a good strategy louring them in before taking them out from behind with swift head blows!”
“Thank you, I guess!”
“I’ve checked the fences and they’ll do for the time being. How about we ditch those corpses over a side fence and deal with them another time! Afterwards we head inside and get you cleaned down as well as find some food. I don’t know about you but I’m starving, I just want something to eat followed by some sleep!”
“Okay, let’s do that but I think I’ll pass on the food. I’m not in any sort of mood to stuff my face, I just want to get sorted and get my head down!”
“Whatever you say, let’s get it done!”
Chapter: 9
“Morning princess, it’s time to get up!” said David.
“Come on! I said get up! We’ve got work to do!”
“Okay! Just give me a minute!” I brawled.
“I’ll be outside when you’re ready; by the way I figured you could do with some clothes since you threw the other ones in the bin. So, I went rummaging and managed to come across a set of old dress trousers and an old white t shirt. They look about your size. I’ve left them piled up on the chair beside the classroom door, with a tin of beans since you didn’t eat yesterday!”
“Thank you, I appreciate it!”
“Don’t worry about it, I’ll be outside.”
As I laid flat out on the cold hard tiled floor, which was sky blue in colour with nothing more than my boxers on and a manky looking dust sheet for a blanket. I couldn’t help but reminisce, to think as of a day previous I went from playing video games in my apartment to bashing the undead brains in. Christ I survived a helicopter crash in the Northumberland hills; I mean how surreal was that. Now I’m in a rundown building that was once used to educate, now a refuge.
Surly it can only get better here on out, now that we’ve found shelter we can focus on fortifying the place. Create a safe zone for all!
Then when help arrives, I’d be saved, and then I can get back to my old apartment and do what I do!
In the meantime, I better get my arse out of bed.
“Fuck! That’s bad!” As I put the top on I was embraced with a damp aroma, clearly these clothes have been sitting around for a long time!
Even still, it beats the birthday suit.
Shortly after dressing myself I reached over for the beans, my goodness they were the best damn beans I’ve ever ate in my entire life. Even though they were cold, they tasted so bloody delicious.
After which, when I exited from the old school a voice fulfilled my drums, “Hey Peter, get over here I need you!”
I rushed to the calling, “What is it?”
“It’s Martin!”
“Is he okay? What’s going on?”
“Jessie must have passed in the middle of the night!” On those words my heart raced.
“I just found him near Rose’s grave there he was digging another right beside it. There was a body rolled up in dirty sheets, I suspect its Jessie. After all she was bitten, my guess is she turned and he did what he had too!”
“Here’s me thinking I’m having a bad day, I can’t imagine what he must be thinking. Come on we need to go to him, he’ll need us!”
On those very words, Martin appeared from the back section of the school, tired and dirty from all the digging. He looked destroyed inside and out! But who can blame him!
Martin now less than twenty feet away.
I shouted, “Was that Jessie?”
Martin gave me a look of despair before muttering, “She took her own life in the middle of the night, she…” Martin now inhaling heavily, red swollen eyes, clearly in shock!
“She somehow slammed a knife though her own temple in the room beside me as I slept. I don’t know how but she did it.… There was a note…She…She didn’t want to burden me, she said…”
Martin bursts to tears, unable to catch his breath, exhaling heavily.
We raced to him, on catch we hugged the life out of him as he poured his heart out!
“She…. She wanted to be with Rose…. She wanted me to remember her as a human not one of those things…”
I and David were both lost for words. What does one say to a man who’s lost everything but the air he breathes?
“I... I need to be left alone; I need time to heal…”
“You take what you need; we’ll be here for you when you’re ready!”
After a final hug, David spoke, “Stay strong brother, if you need anything! Let me know!”
Martin nodded in acknowledgment, before stumbling off into his retreat.
It killed me seeing him go through what he had. If that had been me I would have ended it! I wouldn’t have the strength to keep on going. He’s much stronger than I’d ever be!
David calls, “We need to keep a close eye on him, a man can only take so much before he breaks and I think he’s already crossed that line ten times over!”
“We’ll get him through this we’ve got t
o for Rose for Jessie!”
Chapter: 10
“I’m roasting! This heat is certainly bringing out my t-shirts natural aromas! By the way how many panels have we got left to pitch?”
David roared, “Tell me about it, I can smell you from over here!” Followed by a chuckle.
“Seriously where did you find these clothes?” I grunted.
“You don’t want to no, trust me!” The laugh intensified.
“Trust me I do!”
David argues, “Come on, we’ve still got another five panels to put up and that’ll be the back and left inner walls complete. Afterwards we can pull down the rest of the inner and outer window boards and use them to build the remaining walls; if we find ourselves running short we can always break into that stock pile of school tables piled up in the P.E room!”
“Change the subject why don’t you!” I boomed.
“Peter!”
“Okay, okay that sounds like a plan to me but when we’re done your cooking lunch!”
“You wish!” David brawled.
“Do you think one of us should check in on Martin, just to make sure he’s holding up alright?”
David replied, “I think we need to respect his wishes and leave him be, he may get a little tired of us if we start dropping in on him uninvited. How about we go and bring him some lunch come break time, when we do we’ll be able to see how he is without it looking obvious.”
“Your right, let’s do it your way!”
“Come on stinker, let’s crack on!”
“Oi! Don’t call me that, it’s this bloody top you got me and you know it!”
David curls in laughter, “Pass me some more of those nails I found in the janitor cupboard, they’re just over beside the bucket of cement mix!”
“No problem, here you go.”
“We owe Martin our lives if it weren’t for him bringing us here we’d probably be dead. We have shelter, food, bottled water and land with room to grow! I mean just look at these supplies we found, were sitting on a goldmine!”
David utters, “That’s why we’ll always have his back no matter what!”
“Agreed”
“How’s your leg anyways?”
David huffed, “Its painful still, but it’s looking good. It’s clean, tidy and infection free!”
“You’ll be back to full health soon enough mate!”
David nods, “Right that’s one down, just another four to go! If you could Peter, can you bring over the rest of the support posts and boards for me please?”
“Sure!” I clamoured.
“Bib, Bib, Bib!”
David shouts, “That’s a car horn! Quickly to the roof so you can see what’s going on!”
“Hurry, the ladder is just over there beside the second set of black bin bags!”
“Someone please help us!”
“Sounds like someone’s in trouble!” I squawked.
“We need to deal with that horn it’s going to draw those things from miles around!”
“Never mind the horn David, someone needs our help! We can’t leave them!”
“Fuck! Never mind the roof let’s go!”
“Where’s your weapon?” I screamed.
“It’s near the gate, where’s your pistol?”
“I’ve got it here, see?”
“Good! Grab your bat and meet me at the gate, we should only use the guns as a last resort okay! Let’s get this done quickly!” David exclaims.
Chapter: 11
“Are you ready?”
“Are you?”
“I’ll be fine!” David called.
David rammed the gate open smashing it hard against its counterpart; I rushed out at full speed taking out a flesh eater along the way via a shift whack to its leg, demobilising it with my trusted Boffy!
“They’re over there!” Screamed David, as he pointed towards the bottom end of the street just past the once used post office.
“Jill, watch out!”
Blares the unfamiliar, dressed in a blue hoodie, green top, yellow chinos and white trainers. With Brown hair accompanied via a great big bushy beard, ginger in colour. As he stands beside the vehicles driver’s door, with one hand on the horn.
As I looked past him, towards the back end of the black car I could see a tall skinny woman with long blond hair, pale skin, dressed in a black zipped hoodie, blue skinny jeans with brown boots.
Battling with what looked to be a Flesh Eater!
The Blond woman pushes and shoves the undead which refuses to give in to her efforts!
“You there, knock off with that fucking horn before you get us all killed you idiot!” Warns David!
“Peter, Get the girl!”
“Who are you?” Cried the unfamiliar.
“The name’s David, we’re held up in a nearby safe place! We heard the horn and came to help!”
“Thank god!”
“Move out of the way, I’ve got this!”
Bang! I fired off a round, hitting it right between the eyes. Killing it quickly, this was no time to mess around. Her life was at risk and we needed the numbers!
“Thank you! I thought I was dead for sure!”
I replied, “Come on, we have a safe place nearby follow me!”
We sprinted past David and the dotting unfamiliar, towards the keep.
The woman shouts, “Mark, Hurry!”
David blares, “You heard the woman, get going!”
Mark roars, “What about the car?”
David answered, “Leave the keys in the ignition, now go!”
On reach of the gate, I turned around to see Jill blaze on past me followed on by the gent.
David on suit bombs up the road directly into the compound, in the newly acquired motor vehicle. Almost knocking me over along the way!
Once past, I rose back to my feet, slapped off the dirt and promptly slammed the gate shut.
Chapter: 12
“What the hell happened?” David sparks whilst slamming shut the vehicles driver door, keys in hand.
Mark replied, “We got lost, I sent Jill out to retrieve the map from my boot. I thought the area was clear but then out of nowhere one of those things appeared. I tried braying down on the horn to distract it, but it locked on to her.”
“Why didn’t you run over and take it out?” David charms.
Mark wined, “Are you kidding me, that thing would have torn me apart. I wouldn’t have stood a chance!”
David barks, “Coward! Fancy leaving your wife behind, how dare you!”
Jill speaks up, “He’s not my husband, and we’re just friends. As you can probably tell by our accents we’re from Kelso in Scotland! We were holding out in my apartment, in a tower block when it all kicked off. Things got bad fast, we found a window of opportunity to escape the building and took it. Once on the road we hit road block after road block and horde, which lead us here.”
David spits, “Even so, he still left you and that doesn’t sit right with me!”
Mark growls, “I froze okay!”
“David calm down. We’re all safe now, that’s the main thing!” I stated.
“He can’t be trusted Peter!”
Jill booms, “Its fine, Mark was just doing what he thought was right so can we please drop it?”
David explodes, “We risked our lives for you. Peter put himself in harm’s way by taking out that thing which had a hold of you as well as handling another near the gate previously, you probably past it crawling around on the way up. But not to worry, its road kill now!”
Jill says, “Thank you Peter, I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t do what you did, same goes for you David!”
“It’s okay!” I said.
Mark shouts, “Look I’m sorry right, I panicked. I suffer from anxiety; I’m a pilot not a fighter!”
David huffs, “Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again or I’ll have you!”
Mark gulps, “Maybe we should get going Jill!”
I cracked, “No, don’
t go! It’s safer here; we have food, water and other supplies. We have fences, which we are currently reinforcing as you can probably tell. In honesty, we could do with the extra hands, so please stay!”
Mark replies, “I don’t know, David doesn’t seem too impressed!”
I snared, “David!”
“…You heard him; we need the hands unfortunately…”
Jill says, “It’s settled then!”
David chatters, “Since you guys are staying I better do the introductions, I’m Captain David Cole, I’m a part of M.I.5. That’s Peter Stinker I mean Eaver, he worked in a call centre until this kicked off!”
“You’re such an arsehole!” I blared.
“As I was about to say before being rudely interrupted, there’s a third individual here who goes by the name of Martin Burrow, ex bin man. He’s currently held up somewhere in the school, he… He just recently lost his wife and child. Both of which are buried around back. He’s having some alone time, so it’s probably best to keep out of his way for now!”
Jill gushes in emotion hand over mouth responds, “Oh my god, that’s awful!”
“It was!” I slithered.
Mark responds, “Sounds like you guys have had it hard!”
“You have no idea?” I moaned.
Mark speaks out, “Sorry but I need to ask, if your M.I.5 then can you explain what the hell is going on here? What’s the government doing about this and where’s the army?”
I smiled, “You must have known that was coming!”
David snared, “Yes I am, I was the head of a search and rescue team. Our mission was to save the living and kill the dead. We had emergency camps set up in place. My job was to save as many civilians possible, by bringing them back to the safe zone. However, those camps got over run; in turn a series of events followed which lead me here with Peter and Martin.”
“Right okay, but what’s the plan?” Mark pushed.
David said, “Look around, everything is gone…. There is no army; there are no designated safe zones left! When it comes to the government, those fuckers just look after themselves! They won’t and can’t help us!”
Jill responds, “So, we’re on our own!”
“Yup” I poured.
Mark roars, “Fuck!”
The Northern Slayer Page 3