by Burke, Rowan
Derek and I were a little more difficult though, due to our clear and evident inflictions, suggesting a risk of (potential) infection. Signaling another medic over, the two covered Derek’s full body, and then carefully examined his wound. Seeing the extent to his examination, I was sure they would notice my bite but was yet to decide how I wanted to deal with it. I wanted whatever happened to be my decision and done for the right reasons so at this stage I wasn’t ready for them to kick me back out the gate to my inevitable murder. The more they went over Derek, the more I began to sweat profusely, making myself feel sick and visibly shaking. Phil noticed and caught my eye.
“Are you ok?”
He mouthed.
I took a moment to think, before giving him the thumbs up and pointing at the oncoming wave to avert his attention. The zombies were now approaching the gate and all Hell was breaking loose. The swarm that were on our tail seemed to have recruited significantly on their pursuit, now appearing to be well over a hundred fast, angry, hungry zombies hitting the fence with power, meeting a downpour of Army bullets in response. As the attack drew everyone’s attention, I took a piece of white bandage and quickly wrapped it around the splint on my foot, disguising the blood I had previously hidden under my trouser leg. So as not to arouse suspicion by it looking too clean, I rubbed the dirt from my other boot on it, making it look aged but not a sign of infection. It was a long shot, but I had to at least try something or they would hurl me into that aggressive, fatal wave trying its best to make it through the fence.
The Army were vigilant and strong, heavily armed with machine guns and pistols. They made a valiant effort to keep the zombies at bay, but it’s very hard to kill something that’s already dead. The zombies hurtled themselves at the fence, launching their decrepit, rotting bodies as high up as they could. A significant amount were getting caught in the barbed wire, but with a lack of ability to feel pain, they were wriggling relentlessly, showing a dominant determination to make their way through the sharp metal maze. Many were being mowed down under the heavy gunfire, but the zombies were persistent; instantly getting back up unless the shot managed to get through their brain. A headshot was the only thing that seemed to stop them, and in the mayhem, no matter how extensive the soldiers training may have been, to get a head shot on something moving that fast was an extremely difficult thing to do.
Derek explained his thigh wound and a decision was made he too was ok to proceed. Then it was my turn; I quickly told them about my ankle and pleaded with them to be careful whilst examining it in hope they wouldn’t unravel the bandaging. I told them what it was; a break from falling out of a window whilst escaping the grasp of several zombies, and successfully so. The fact that it was the truth made it easy to reel off the source of my injury, and meant the others could back me up. The fact that there was a secondary injury was for now by the by; the others didn’t know and I wasn’t asked, so technically I wasn’t falsifying any information.
It seemed that I had be somewhat lucky with the zombie attack hitting the fences, as the examination I received was far more rushed that Derek’s, his actually seeming to be much quicker than what there’d normally do again because of the impeding threat. We were lucky; we could have easily been turned away at another time and we fucking knew it. The medics signalled us to get back in the car and ushered us on our way through the second gate and toward the tunnel, to which we were only too happy to oblige.
The wave was relentless with any other zombies nearby joining the stampede. I looked back to see a few were getting through the barbed wire, and the main fence was now rocking unconvincingly. These zombies were so much smarter than the ones we first encountered, now working together to rock the fence back and forth in attempt to unhinge it. The ones getting over the top through the barbed wire were picking off a few guards, but ultimately were easy to manage as they were a singular attacker, yet if that fence went down we were all in trouble. These zombies were strong, they were smart, and they were determined to get through, a mix of which left only one outcome; Only minutes in, before we got to the tunnel, the fence collapsed, unleashing the wave into the first security area and taking everyone out in their wake. The sight was horrific; Soldiers shooting assailants in one direction then being assassinated from another. They screamed for help, squealing in agony, yet there was nothing anyone could do now. Some of the soldiers were clearly friends, doing their best to get to one another and save them from the jaws of the zombies, but it was all fruitless, ultimately meeting the same fate as their loved one. It was a massacre in the most brutal form, zombie genocide of merciless terror unveiling right in front of us. They picked off soldiers as if they were nothing, knocking them down like pins at a bowling alley before tearing them apart and feasting on their insides. A sea of red covered the first area, as those who fled were chased and caught, those who climbed were followed….and caught, those who fought were beaten. I could even see one man try to reason with two zombies, holding his hands up to calm them as if they were wild animals. Needless to say, his hands were soon removed before they worked on the rest of his body. The whole ordeal was impossible to watch yet we couldn’t look away.
“We’re safe now”
Exclaimed Jon as we hit the entrance to the tunnel.
A look of relief occupied all five of our faces, yet a sincere feeling of contempt filled the car for realisation that we bought that wave to the coast. It was our noise, our disruption that lead them here, and essentially our fault that all these soldiers were losing their lives. I thought that they would have come eventually, but perhaps that would have been way after everyone had the opportunity to escape. These soldiers had been stationed here to help people by controlling the borders, by quarantining the infected so that those who have escaped are safe. The UK was a death hole now, it was a place that no one could ever again inhabit; even if the entire zombie race was wiped out by chemical or nuclear weapons or whatever the rest of the world attempted, it would still be a contaminated hotspot that no-one would run the risk of living in ever again. Our home was Chernobyl on a far more vast scale, our country being nothing more than a zombie rampage to live in memory as the place of massacre and misery. The rich, beautiful British countryside would be outstretched cemeteries where the bodies rotted on the surface; the picturesque beaches of Wales to be tainted with barricades and the carcasses of those who didn’t make it out; the lochs of Scotland would become red with blood. Everything our home stood for, was famous for, and was loved for, would all be forgotten and all memories replaced with that of zombie-fuelled terror and torment. Everything we had ever known was gone, but the soldiers deployed to ensure the rest of the world didn’t meet the same fate were now subjected to the same pain and misery they were trying to prevent, all because of us leading the zombies right to them.
As these thoughts continued to whirl around my head, I noticed the second gate we were let through to get the tunnel had not been closed. In their panic, the gate operators fled to obtain weapons and now were occupied with shooting through the fence or assailing those who attempted to ascend it. The bedlam of the attack had caused them to miss the most simple of tasks, and yet again we had a hand in more people’s inevitable demise.
The zombies for now were otherwise engaged with the brutal slaughters of the soldiers and other residents of the first area, yet to notice the weak part of the fence. But it didn’t take them long, and as we disappeared down into the tunnel, losing visual on the whole thing, I managed to capture a last glimpse of one zombie finding the open gate and pushing its way through.
Fuck.
The tunnel was dark, and although only actually stretched across about half a mile, it seemed to go on forever. It was very narrow and thin, like driving down the Eurostar having a similar compacted feel about it. The whole thing was quite claustrophobic as the only light came from the entrance and the exit, both of which curved up so we plummeted into almost pitch black when travelling the middle. It was an impressive construction consid
ering it must have been made extremely quickly and under quite some pressure, but the latter factors were still evident as we bounced over holes and were subjected to falling soil from overhead. The entire structure was held up by planks of wood hammered together above us; they looked sturdy enough on their own but even in the low light we could see that it wouldn’t take much of a disruption to cave the whole thing in. The rain had also made its way into the tunnel; we couldn’t see for definite just how much, but could hear it sloshing beneath us as was enough for the car to cast a wave as we drove through. As we made it through, up the exit, and onto the other side, we looked back and saw the zombies had now swarmed the second area too, which meant one thing; it wasn’t long before they found the tunnel and got through to us.
At present, the zombies had occupied themselves with the third fence. This one however was far thicker, and although we foolishly thought the first two fences were impenetrable, the third definitely seemed to be that way. It wasn’t weakened with points of entry, no gates or breaks for people to get through. The third was equipped with barbed wire from the base all the way up with no gaps, a security measure of which was apparent on both sides. Between the two sheets of barbed wire there was the fence itself, electrically charged, with thick steel bollards. This was merely a fence running over the top of the middle of the tunnel purely there to keep everyone out, not to let anyone or anything in. The only way the wave could get to us now was through the tunnel, and with their intellect advancing with every passing minute, it wouldn’t be long before they figured that out.
13.
The activity in the third section on the beach was just as manic; people frantically trying to get on boats and helicopters, losing patience as they awaited their turn to be evacuated. We hadn’t quite comprehended the scale of how many people would be on this side once we got through, having not been able to clearly see through the third fence on our approach. It was again utter pandemonium; Soldiers were desperately trying to keep order over the panicking civilians, but their hysterical desire to escape was causing more problems for everyone else. It was an endless cycle, but telling people to calm down with any conviction was a near on impossible task with zombies snapping their jaws now only a fence away, and with an open tunnel readily available leading them straight to us.
Some people were swimming out into the sea, tired of waiting for the boats or helicopters to take them to safety. The Isle of Wight was just about visible through the grey English mist, but was still too far of a distance for tired arms and legs to swim. It only took a quick squint of the eyes to see bodies floating face down not too far out in the water. Their desperation had caused their ultimate demise, but with death ever looming the madness of people who were despairingly trying to seek safety was understandable, however insane it may actually have been. It now seemed apparent that the plan was to get everyone to the Isle of Wight as a safer waiting ground, and then other boats, planes and helicopters were most likely trafficking civilians into Europe where we hoped the outbreak had no reached. Hope was becoming an ever important factor when there was nothing else, and for now the most important thing we could hope for was that the zombies didn’t find the tunnel.
There were hundreds of people lining the coast with very limited vessels making the trip. Two helicopters were making a far faster journey to and from the nearby island; the first had just left as the second started piling people in. They were only small, six seater helicopters, yet they were cramming what looked like about twenty people for each trip. Women and children were being permitted the luxury of escaping first, yet we could see a group of men becoming increasingly impatient as their turn didn’t appear to ever be coming. As the helicopter filled and attempted to leave, three men broke past the controlling soldiers and grabbed the feet of the chopper. Then, another four did the same, all clinging on and pulling themselves on board. The act caused mayhem as soldiers attempted to not only pull them back, but also to hold back the rest of the group of men who were likewise trying break past and hitch a lift. The imminent gunfire ensued, mowing down several men and catching a woman in the crossfire. A man caught the woman as she fell and cried as he held her in his arms. Clearly distraught by the instant loss of what appeared to be someone very close to him, the man darted forwards, managing to snatch a gun off another soldier before shooting the one who had shot his loved one in the head. The action caused screams and extensive pushing, both forward and back, as people didn’t know in which direction to run for help. Both civilian and soldier were now killing one another as a hold of the situation was completely lost. Needless to say, the gun wielding man of vengeance was shot down quickly by several guns, but in the action more people broke free of the restraints to gain a hold on the helicopter as it tried to leave. The vessel spun out of control on its take off under the excessive weight, unable to balance the vast amount of people hanging from underneath. The loss of control caused it to tilt backwards and fly rotor first into the agitated crowd, subjecting those awaiting saviour to its fast moving blades. The chopper slammed into the ground causing the engine to ignite and the tank to burst. The flame met the fuel, causing an eruption of fire and helicopter parts to light up the shoreline. One helicopter was now out of the equation, as were about fifty people who no longer needed to be saved.
Looking out across the water I could see that one of the Ferries had made a similar mistake in letting too many people on board. The portal was sinking under its own weight, so people were throwing others overboard into the water to lighten the load. I don’t know what their selection process was or if it was simply a ‘grab anyone and chuck them into the sea’ mentality, but it was clear their attempts at freeing up some weight were too little too late as the water gently crept up over the edge of the ferry before fast pouring onto the deck. The passengers desperately attempted to clear the ferry of water, using buckets, bags, their hands or anything else they could find to scoop it back into the sea. Unfortunately for them, the water going in far exceeded that being ejected, so it only took a short time before the whole thing was pulled under the surface and swallowed by the ocean with some unfortunates still stick inside, finding themselves trapped in a watery grave. Others managed to get free, either making their attempt back to shore or using the ferry as a stepping stone to get to the other side. I wished every person well in escaping the merciless abyss of the ocean and hoped they all had the strength to escape the current, the waves, and their own fatigue. For now though, yet another irreplaceable method of transport was gone due to the desperation of the civilians as they tried to seek safety. It was their desperation that lowered their chances, or in a lot of cases completely removed it all together.
The scream of the zombies was deafening, so much so it almost made me long for the moans we were initially subjected to. However fear-striking, they were at least slightly soothing and melodic, not like the piercing shrieks emitted from the advanced, evolved zombies that were swiping their hands through the barbed wire behind us. Their shrieks were like nothing I had heard before; a combination of a velociraptor (or at least what Jurassic Park had lead us to believe a velociraptor sounded like), a little girls scream and finger nails down a chalk board. All together creating a stomach-wrenching mix that terrified me to my very soul.
Looking around, avoiding the madness of panic induced hysteria, we could see that if we could stay in this area without the zombies getting through we went eventually be rescued. It could take a day, maybe two, but we had fought and travelled long enough to welcome a couple of days by the sea as we awaited someone so transport us to safety. It was invaluable time to rest our weary limbs and reflect on what we had seen, time to heal our wounds and get some well-deserved sleep on the sand and pebbles knowing that an escape was only hours away, and that we didn’t have to do anything to get it. That was something we were yet to have on this whole ordeal; a definitive escape, a clear route out, a way to find solace and ultimately a way to get back to our loved ones who waited for us on distant shores.
We had various glimmers of optimism, but nothing that really looked like we really had a chance to get out. However, this was all on the basis the zombies didn’t get through the third gate. If they could be held at bay long enough for all of us to get off the shore we would be fine, yet if even one got through there was a huge risk of all our efforts having been for nothing. We needed something to stop them from getting through, a way of blocking off the tunnel. There was zero chance of them getting the better of the third fence, but they had an uninterrupted road straight to us readily available as soon as they found it, at which point they would rapidly flow through like water jet-propelled through a hose.
Peering up, the beach seemed to start moving in slow motion; people fighting to get on the vessels as they departed, people falling in the water or attempting escapes they knew in their hearts that they couldn’t achieve. I saw the flames dancing in the thin rain as they burned in the air from the wreckage of the helicopter, highlighting the bodies of those who lost their lives in the crash. People were crying and screaming, knowing that the zombies would break through at any minute, knowing that unless you were on a boat or on the one remaining helicopter then you had no chance of getting away. Mothers were holding their babies, frantically searching for someone to help save their spawns life. Fathers were holding their families, making every attempt to reassure them that everything would be alright, even if they didn’t believe it themselves. The beach pebbles were being churned in the air by people’s boots as they paced up and down, running back and forth between each boat in the hope there was space for them to get out. More and more people were swimming out into the water, some making it off further than my eyes could see, others perishing, submerging into nothingness, never to resurface. I looked up toward the grey, unforgiving sky and could see blackbirds circling, some perching upon fences and ledges, evidently stipulating their awareness of impending death. I turned to my friends, all of whom had adopted a look of despair, none knowing what to do next. They looked scared; the white of their eyes swallowing their pupils and glistening with a layer of fear inaugurated tears. The looked at one another, they looked at me, all hoping someone who come up with something, anything, to give them a sense of hope, a sense we all had a chance of getting out of this thing alive. For once, they all looked like they had no ideas, no clue on how to get out of this situation. They had no plan whatsoever to help both themselves and one another. But, seeing the desperation in the air, the amount of death there would be when the zombies found the tunnel, the amount of innocent, frightened people who would be brutally torn apart by those blood thirsty, hell sent, undead motherfuckers, I did have a plan; I’d do what I could to save these guys, even if it was the last thing I ever did.