Zombie Castle (Book 1)

by Chris Harris

  I noticed this and said, ‘Come here champ.’ As he walked over, I put my arm around him. ‘You’re going to be ok now. Don’t worry, we’ll look after you.’

  Tears began to stream down his face and he wrapped his arms around me. ‘I want my mum,’ he wept.

  Knowing that he needed to grieve for the parents who had been so brutally slaughtered in front of him, I said nothing, but just held him tightly. He was young and in time, hopefully, he would come to terms with what had happened. Like him, we were also going to have to accept that our friends and loved ones were probably dead or zombies by now.

  But not today. Today he just needed to let it all out.

  As I stood there holding him and listening to his raw grief, I found myself crying too as the full impact of what had happened began to sink in. I looked around. Everyone seemed to be feeling the same. Still hugging Eddie, I moved over to Becky and the kids and we all had a group hug, as we expelled the collective emotions of the day. Chet and Andy clung to each other for support and Shawn sat down, held his head in his hands, and from time to time, quietly wiped his eyes.

  Ten minutes later I was feeling calm but incredibly tired, as the last of the adrenaline drained out of my system. Everyone was clearly feeling the strain. I extracted myself from our hug and gave Becky a gentle kiss. She kissed me back and then sat on the floor, still hugging the children, who all seemed better for having had a good cry.

  I walked over to Andy, Chet and Shawn, who were all looking distinctly embarrassed.

  ‘Well!’ I said, clearing my throat. ‘I think we all needed that!’

  They all chuckled and nodded. The mood lifted.

  I looked at Shawn. ‘You’re the expert, what now?’

  Shawn considered our surroundings for a few minutes. ‘Well, last time I was here I just hung my hammock in the trees, but if memory serves me there should be an old drystone walled sheep pen in the copse as well. The walls aren’t that high but they should give us some protection. But before that we need to plan escape routes in case we’re attacked again.’

  We all looked round nervously.

  Shawn laughed, ‘Don’t panic. If I see one I’ll be shouting louder than that! Tom, could you get my map out of your car please?’

  He spread it out and the four of us leant over to study it. He looked at it for a minute or two then pointed with a finger. ‘This is where we are. As you can see the track we’ve been using carries on over the next hill. There’s a farmhouse over there and I imagine it connects to that. The farmhouse should have a drive connecting it to the nearest road.’ He pointed to another ‘B’ road that cut across the moors.

  As one, we all looked up towards the track, which wound its way up and over the next rise. ‘If we spot any zombies, and there are too many for us to deal with, I would suggest that we just drive in the opposite direction. If for some reason we can’t use the cars, then we’ll make our way on foot in the opposite direction, and just carry what we can.’

  Looking serious, he said, ‘I know it sounds obvious but if we all agree about it now it’ll save having to decide about it if the shit hits the fan. Tom, you’ll need to make sure that Becky and the kids know all this as well.’

  I nodded.

  ‘That reminds me,’ Shawn continued. ‘Once we’ve set up camp we’ll need to organise a grab bag for everyone, just in case we have to get out fast. Nothing too complicated; it just needs to contain food for a few days, if we have it, plus a few essential bits of kit.’

  ‘Like what?’ Chet asked.

  ‘I don’t know what we’ve got yet mate. Once we’ve sorted through everything I’ll let you know. But right now our priorities are shelter and food. If one of us stays on lookout duty, the rest of us can start setting up camp.’

  Andy volunteered to be the first lookout, so I handed him my binoculars. He climbed up a small rock formation and sat and scanned the surrounding moorland. Leaving Becky still consoling the children, the three of us walked the short distance to the small copse of trees.

  The sheep pen was there and was just as Shawn had described it. Its walls, although in a poor state of repair, would still serve as an effective barrier against zombies (provided that they weren’t too good at climbing!) At Shawn’s suggestion we decided to use the tarpaulin the farmer had given us to make a roofed shelter which would be large enough for all of us to use.

  As we walked back to the cars for the equipment we needed, I told Chet about the encounter we’d had with the farmer and the villagers, and how generous he’d been in giving us supplies, equipment and extra weapons. While Shawn was getting the stuff he needed out of his car, I went to sit by Becky.

  All three children were calmer and were cuddled up close to Becky as they watched our progress. Becky and I exchanged a look. Given the circumstances they were as happy as could be expected.

  I mustered up all the cheerfulness I could manage. ‘Hey kids, we’re going to be staying here for tonight at least. I’m going to need your help to set up camp if you feel up to it. Do you want to come with me?’

  What great kids. I wanted to keep them busy for obvious reasons and they didn’t disappoint me. We soon had them busy fetching this and holding that, and in no time at all the tarpaulin was in position. Shawn skilfully set it up so that it created a covered area easily big enough to accommodate us all. He’d cut a branch from a tree and used that to raise the front up, creating a half pyramid shape. We all listened attentively as he explained that he had set it up so that the front faced away from the prevailing wind. If the forecast from the previous day was correct then we should be in for at least another week of dry weather, so the shelter would be more than enough for our needs. If we ended up staying longer than that, he would easily be able to build a more robust structure using the materials around us.

  He hummed as he worked, clearing loose rocks and stones from under the tarpaulin.

  ‘Are you actually enjoying yourself?’ I asked.

  ‘Of course not, but you wouldn’t believe the number of times I’ve thought about this. This is a perfect opportunity for a prepper: bushcraft and a zombie survival plan all rolled into one! Last time I camped here I clocked it as a good bug out location, suitable for lots of different events, including the fabled zombie one. I’ve planned for this so many times in my head, it almost comes as second nature. Look around and I’ll explain.’

  He led us around like an eager tour guide. ‘We have a lookout as the first line of defence so we can concentrate on setting up camp first and not have to worry about perimeter security. Once I’ve moved these rocks and stones out of the way, I’ll go to that fence you can see over there and remove as much wire as I can from along its length. Then I’ll form another perimeter around us as our second line of defence using the wire fencing.’ We listened attentively, impressed by the amount of thought he’d put into it.

  ‘While I’m doing that,’ he continued, ‘I want the rest of you to concentrate on rebuilding the wall as best you can and also to come up with a way to block the entrance up. When all that’s done,’ he explained, ‘we’ll have a three layer warning/defence system. All the zombies we’ve seen have been slow moving, much like the stereotypical zombie we’re used to seeing on TV. We’ll learn more about them as time goes on, but for now our best policy would be to avoid them if we can. Yes, we need to kill as many as we can as often as we can, so we can deal with small groups of them like we did earlier, but if they start moving around in packs the layers of defence will alert us and hopefully they’ll slow them down enough to allow us to escape.’

  For a moment we were all silent, thinking through what he’d said. ‘Does that make sense?’ he asked anxiously, clearly concerned that we hadn’t understood him.

  Chet spoke for all of us when he said, ‘It sounds like perfect common sense now you’ve said it. But would we have known what to do if you weren’t here? We might have worked it out eventually, but at what cost? We might still all end up dead, but with the head start you’v
e given us I feel like we stand a much better chance.’

  We all nodded in agreement.

  Shawn looked pleased. ‘Right then,’ he said, ‘let’s get finished and then get some food down us.’

  Andy shouted down from his rocky perch, ‘Can we swap now? I feel like a bit of a spare part up here while you’re all doing the hard work. I feel like I should be doing my bit.’

  I looked up at him. Andy and Chet had come a long way since our first meeting, when they’d just stood to one side watching us fight off the zombie hikers. They were rapidly going up in my estimation. They were likeable young men and although they’d had no other option, they’d shown a lot of courage in using their car as a battering ram when we’d been trapped by the crashed minibus. ‘I tell you what mate,’ I shouted back, ‘you’re a lot younger than me, I’ll swap with you.’

  I turned to the others. ‘Anybody else wanna go first?’

  Both Shawn and Chet said they were happy for me to go. Then I looked at Becky. She grinned, shook her head and said, ‘Do you really want the most short-sighted person here on lookout duty? I don’t think so. You go on up. The kids and I will be fine down here.’

  I smiled at her and climbed up the rocks to where Andy was sitting. He pointed out some landmarks and also where the sheep and ponies were.

  ‘First ponies I saw I almost shit myself! They looked like a crowd of zombies until I got my hands to stop shaking and took a proper look!’

  As he climbed down I got comfortable and checked out the area both with and without the binoculars. The view from the elevated position of the rocks was great; you could see for miles in each direction. It was a shame my binoculars weren’t more powerful, but they were all we had so they would have to do.

  As I sat there, I had the first real chance to dwell on what had happened over the course of the day and think about the future. We had to assume that this plague was everywhere. We were in one of the remotest and least populated areas of England and we’d still encountered them and the last news broadcasts had suggested outbreaks all over the country.

  How we’d managed to escape the virus was beyond me but somehow, either by luck or fate, we’d avoided it so far. Meeting Shawn had been an enormous stroke of luck and we’d never have got to such a remote part of Bodmin Moor without him. Whatever happened in the future, I would always owe him a debt of gratitude for that.

  Throughout the day, aside from the few cars we’d seen in the morning and the villagers who’d isolated themselves, we hadn’t come across another living person; only zombies. Granted, we’d been avoiding populated areas, but even so, this was worrying.

  That got me thinking about the numbers we might be facing. The population of the UK was about sixty five million, so if, at a conservative estimate, around five percent of the population were not infected (and therefore not a zombie), that worked out roughly as sixty two million zombies versus three million people like us. Not good odds at all.

  As it turned out, at the end of day two, Tom’s rough estimate wasn’t that far out. Millions of people were still surviving around the country. The more fortunate ones had securely barricaded themselves in or were in a remote location and had sufficient supplies to last at least for a time. Others were less fortunate and were unsuccessful in escaping the roving packs of zombies. Hundreds of thousands more were trapped in their homes or offices, with no hope of escape or rescue as the zombies laid claim to most of the country. Anyone stuck on their own, or hiding out in small groups, too frightened to venture out, faced dying of thirst or starvation over the coming days and weeks.

  All government personnel – the police, the armed forces and medical services – had virtually ceased to exist. The police and medics went first as they were initially on the front line. Military personnel were hit next. The rapid spread of the virus led to widespread outbreaks on most bases, immediately rendering them ineffective. The few unaffected regiments that were deployed by the government, soon succumbed either to the virus or to zombie attacks.

  It was nobody’s fault. Without time to prepare, the soldiers were deployed with only the vaguest orders to maintain public order and protect the general population. Not understanding what was going on, most were attacked and overwhelmed by the advancing zombie hordes. When the survivors eventually worked out what was happening and began to use their weapons to save their own lives, it wasn’t enough to make any difference. They were carrying only a basic load of ammunition, and had no access to new supplies. Assault rifles with bayonets fixed were converted into spears and clubs as small groups of surviving soldiers used their training to work together and fight their way to safety. Not many of them made it.

  The Royal Navy fared better as it had numerous ships and submarines out at sea and therefore many were able to avoid the virus completely. As the top level command structure collapsed, it was down to the individual skills of the commanders to ensure that their crews survived.

  Sitting on his rock in the middle of Bodmin Moor, Tom was unaware of any of this. All he cared about was keeping his family safe and well, so his primary concern was figuring out the best way to do that.

  Staying where we were would probably be ok for a day or two, but we were in an exposed position. If any zombies managed to find us, even with defensive measures in place, these would only serve to slow them down. They wouldn’t be enough to protect us in the long term. The weather on the moors was also known for being extreme at times, one of the reasons why the military had based so many training operations there. Come wintertime it would not be a good place to be based with your wife and three young children.

  We needed supplies and suitable shelter. We couldn’t possibly take on and destroy millions of zombies. The only option was to separate ourselves from them and try to survive as best we could.

  But how?

  I carried on thinking.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Under Shawn’s supervision the camp was really taking shape. He’d surrounded the place with a two strand wire fence, using the many trees that surrounded the old sheep pen as posts. He told me later that the idea had come from watching the ‘Walking Dead’ TV series, where they seemed to do that a lot at overnight camps when they were hiding in woods!

  We’d rebuilt the wall to the best of our abilities and Becky and the children had been busy cutting bracken and heather to use as mattresses. We’d even managed to use Chet and Andy’s surfboards to create an effective barrier to block the entrance.

  Shawn called me down from my lookout post, as he wanted us all to carry out an inventory of what equipment and supplies we had. I wasn’t too concerned because even at ground level you could still see for quite a distance all around.

  Before we’d even begun, I’d spotted a potential problem with what we were about to do, so I decided to raise the issue first. ‘I think we need to decide before we proceed: are we treating ourselves as a group and sharing everything equally, regardless of who owned it in the first place?’

  Shawn shrugged. ‘I’m happy to do so, but we’ll all need to agree on this now. It’ll save any arguments in the future.’

  Andy spoke up, ‘To be fair, Chet and I hardly have anything to contribute apart from a few Pot Noodles and some rice. We were mainly living off fish and chips and beer when we were in Scotland. We’ve got a camping stove but we hardly used it. I’m up for sharing, but you have to understand that we don’t have a lot to offer.’

  ‘You’re right Tom,’ said Shawn, ‘I don’t have much packaged food to offer either, but let’s not worry about food too much; we’re surrounded by it. I love foraging and without even trying, I could get enough food just from this immediate area to give us all a good meal. I was thinking more in terms of the equipment we have. It would be better to spread it equally among us, otherwise the loss of one car or one bag could be disastrous.’

  ‘Fair point Shawn,’ I replied, ‘we can’t argue with that logic.’

  In the end very little had to be distributed. We divided th
e food we had into equal piles and put a similar sized bag into each car.

  It was the weapons we had the biggest discussion about. Shawn had one extra knife in his bag in addition to the ones he’d given to Becky and me and apart from the machete, two axes and my probably useless ‘knife on a stick’, all we had was Stanley’s cricket bat, some tyre irons and some screwdrivers.

  Chet took the hand axe and that left Andy with a choice between the machete, a knife and a long handled axe. He chose the machete because with its sheath he could attach it to his belt. We decided that the axe should be carried as an extra weapon by whoever was on guard duty. Shawn put the extra knife on his belt as a spare.

  We knew the knives were effective for killing zombies, but weren’t keen on the fact that you had to get so close to do it. A weapon with a longer range would be safer, but for the time being we would have to manage with what we had.

  When Daisy walked up to me and whispered that she was hungry, we realised how late it was getting and that none of us had eaten anything substantial since breakfast. Chet and Andy hadn’t even had that, as they’d driven through the night straight into the zombie apocalypse.

  As it was the middle of summer, there were still a few hours of daylight left, so while Becky and I set about heating up pans of food on the two gas cookers, Shawn foraged some flowers and leaves to make a tasty and colourful looking salad.

  With the help of the children, he gathered up a stack of dry deadfall branches and quickly got a reasonably smoke free fire going. It wasn’t cold but the reassuring warmth from the flames and the crackle of the dry tinder made the camp feel a little cosier. As we all tucked into the meat and pasta we’d prepared, we complimented Shawn on how tasty his salad was. Even the kids had tried and enjoyed it.

  It consisted, he explained, of dandelions, daisies and navelwort, all extremely nutritious and plentiful at this time of year. Impressed, we all insisted that he should start sharing his knowledge. He tried to make a joke of it, pointing out that this would be a good idea as he might be dead tomorrow. Nobody laughed. We were only too aware of the precariousness of our situation.