Dead Ahead

by Park, Grant

  Infected, they came pouring towards them, Brandon almost froze but he made himself move. He climbed into the driver’s seat and started moving forwards, towards the gates.

  “Where are we going?” he shouted over the gunfire.

  “To the beach,” Cassie shouted between shots, “into the sea, they can’t follow into the water!”

  Reluctantly Brandon drove through the gates and turned to the left towards the sea. Desperately he wanted to turn around and confront the Infected, to kill every last one of them, even his father if he must. He just had to know.

  But he couldn’t, not now; his father would never forgive him if he took Cassie and Zoe back in there. So he took them away, he took them to safety.

  The salty water lapped the sides of the Argo. Infected could still be heard calling to them from the shore but they dared not venture into the water.

  “Where now...?” Brandon asked, fearing the answer.

  “North I suppose....” Cassie said solemnly, she sounded like she wanted to say more, but no more words were needed. Brandon steered the Argo to the right and spun the wheels, pulling them forward; and ever further from his father.

  Chapter

  29

  The Hunger

  Ethan walked slowly towards the gates, he almost tripped over the body parts littering the road around his feet, he had followed them as fast as he could, but his body was so tired, he really should have eaten more, he vaguely remembered being in the hole, eating the chocolate bar, the hand stretching towards him, god he was hungry.

  His shuffling foot hit the black rod in front of him and it rolled away, what was that? It too jogged something in his memory, something just out of reach. He heard something behind him and tried to turn round quickly, it didn’t work; all he managed was a slow peer over his shoulder.

  With a great ‘thud’ his weak eyes pointed to the sky and to the ground again. He tumbled down the road and landed pointing behind where he stood. Two men stood there before him. God he was hungry. One fell down, the one without a head fell down; but that didn’t interest him anyway, it was the other one, the one with the blade. The dark figure stepped forward and picked up the black rod, he winced as he did it and Ethan snapped at his hand. God he was hungry.

  “Oh shit, it’s you, Ethan!” the figure said, the words meant nothing to him. “Oh fuck, I’m sorry, pal.” The figure stepped forward and crouched down, almost within reach. “So they went this way, huh?” So hungry. “I just caught a glimpse of them as they rolled down to the beach, they could have waited. I don’t blame them for leaving but.... you know....” Hungry.... The figure stood using the black pole to help himself up, he dropped a drip of blood onto Ethan’s cheek from his side as he stood; it drove Ethan crazy, so close yet so far. Hungry.... “Ah well.... a long walk for me then...?” He spun the pole and pointed the blade at Ethan’s eye for a second, “I hope I’m doing you a favour here, mate....” He lifted the blade and dropped it down.

  The hunger died.

  The End

  Copyright Grant Park 2015

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