Novels by Simon 1982

The night has comeWe were making our way into this tiny village of the dammed. I wanted to leave Bob behind but he started spouting a load of shit about you dot tell me what to do and I can keep up with the best of you. Blah blah blah. We were using parked cars for cover and so far so good. We hadn’t seen a zombie or a person yet but we can’t start counting chickens yet.Colin came up behind me and whispered in my ear.“You see that house there. The one with the black door.”I looked over to where he was pointing and had described. From what I could see it looked empty and unremarkable.“Yeah what about it?”“I saw something move.”“Something? Like what?”“Not sure could have been a Z.”“Ok keep your keen eyes peeled. Let the others know when you can.”That pissed on my bonfire. We had only just come into this place of death and decay. Already the dead had ben seen. The shop was close. Maybe only two-fifty. Three hundred meters away. It could still be empty when we get there if we ge

Night of the 1stIf I’m to be honest I didn’t think about the time when we set off to find Sid. In my head, we might find him on our way to here. Unfortunately, we didn’t. Now the light of day is going to soon fade and night is now a dangerous time for the living. Wright and the others were getting out of their vehicles and coming towards me and Bob. I climbed out.“Look we are going to have to camp here in our cars tonight unless you guys have a better idea. You know we can’t go running around in the dark anymore.”Red spoke first in his fucking posh voice that went through me like a hot knife through butter.“Yes, we agree with you on the fact that we can’t go out at night but. We have very little in the way of food and drink.”He was right. When he said we had very little he meant we had fuck all. James might have a chocolate bar in his pocket but that wouldn’t even see him through the night.Earl stepped forward.“We passed a small village back there. I know from back when I was a

1st November“Bob where the fuck is Sid. I don’t give a shit about your rules about swearing now. You had best get talking or I’m letting April loose.”“Gaz? That’s you right?”“Yes now get on with it I need to help my friend.”Bob was a scary motherfucker and I hated him with a passion but right now he was my only way of helping Sid. All the others got out safe and we are now in an empty school. We worked together to clear it of the dead over the last two days after two days of travel. On the way we kept leaving markers hoping Sid would spot them. Lucy wasn’t taking it anywhere near as easy as she should have been but what do I know as she keeps telling me? Bob was talking and looking at me like that was where he fired his knives from.“He ran and I was under the car where he shoved me. I closed my eyes and prayed that I wouldn’t be seen. It felt like a lifetime under there trying not to breathe or make a sound. The zombies just kept suffering along. Could I get a drink of water plea

27th part 5As predicted we broke through the last few walls and we’re now stood in the last house. This house had not been loved by the previous occupants or the looters. It was a proper shit tip. Rubbish covered the floors. Wall paper was black with mold and peeling. In one room the ceiling had come down. My first impression was that this place had been abandoned for decades. There was a calendar on the wall that was from this year blowing my theory out of the water. Bob took great pleasure in pointing out my failings in deductions.“Yeah Sid it must have been empty since the fifties at least. Look at the LCD. Must be at least one maybe two years, old.”This pleasure went on for several minutes. As Bob spoke his tone changed into a higher pitch than normal just to show me how sarcastic he was being. At one point he started valuing things like an auctioneer. Looking at labels and sell-by dates on food and appraising it like it was an antique. By this point, I was getting ready to wal

27th part 4It didn’t take long to find a claw hammer. Not the best tool for the job but it will do for now. I crouched next to the deciding wall in the loft and laid my hand flat on it.“You see this wall Bob. It’s out way out.”“Catch me up lad I'm lost.”“These houses were built in the sixties. These blocks are very weak breeze blocks. On top of this bonus the wall is only one skin up here. When I say one skin. I mean that this is all that stands between us and next door. With this hammer I can make a hole big enough to fit through in about fifteen minutes. There is going to be five more until the end of the terrace. By the time we get there I reckon that the zombies will be far enough away for us to make our escape and we will be on the opposite side of the building to the dogs and five doors away. What do you think?”“I think you should shut up and start making a hole.”So I did. As I thought the blocks were weak and once I had made a small hole it was easy. The whole got bigger

27th part 3Before I could react Bob had one of the beasts flying through the air towards his face. In the blink of an eye, he had skillfully put a knife through its temple. The dog dropped to the floor limp and lifeless. The dark brown almost black blood trickled from its new wound.Now wasn’t the time for me to admire Bob's handy work. He had a dog bounding towards him and I had one flying through the air like a bad superhero. It would have amused me if it was wearing a mask and cape. It wasn’t it was covered in blood mattered hair dirt of all kinds and was like all other things that were dead rotting.With a powerful blow the thing hit me and hard. As I was going down the weight of it shifted to my left. One knife handle sticking out of it’s eye. Bob's hands were empty and there was another dog on his way and more we’re coming from other directions. There was nothing for it. I had to carry Bob and run. I doubt he is going to like this but tough shit if he wants to live.“Bob hand n

105It had been two years since I had read about some mad fucker called Harry. He was all over the newspapers and tv. He had scared the shit out of a town in Yorkshire. Like everything else it died down. He was wanted in connection with at least four murders. I admired how he had just disappeared into thin air. He had made a lot of mistakes though and I didn’t plan on making the same ones.I like people watching. Sitting some here public and watching people go by. Picking out my next victim. I wasn’t going to act on my urges today. It want easy to sit back and watch but it was out of sequence. If I act too fast then people will start to get jumpy. One week just one more short week and then it will be time to act.My last victim had been a child molester. I watched him for a month. He hung around schools and parks. He confirmed my suspicions one day making a move on a kid when her mum wasn’t watching talking to another mum in a park. He di

104I wasn’t driving but being driven. Adam sat in the back strapped into a car seat. My driver was meathead, Mike. I had been told he was called Mike now. There was no pretense that this was his real name. He didn’t always respond to it when I called him it. We were on the motorway doing a perfect seventy miles per hour. There was also a car following us. That car also contained one of Nancy’s other sons. It wasn’t explained to me why we were being followed and I was nervous about it.Mike leaned over and turned on the radio.“I like some music while I drive.”A tape started playing heavy metal. Not something I would have chosen but I wasn’t going to complain. Adam started jumping about in his seat.“You like this little man?” said Mike in his usual gravely deep voice.“Yes. Louder.”Mike laughed and turned it up. He looked over to me with a grin. I don’t know if

103Nancy was kind to me and Adam. She kept us fed we’ll and clothed us. Adam had the grandma he had never had. His every need taken care of. To say she was in the business she was shocked me. I spoke to her in great length about what had been going on for the past eighteen months or so. At no point did she flinch or show any sings of this being abnormal.We had been staying here now for a week. It was starting to feel like home even though I knew it was just short term. She had explained to me that my house was now hers. The story was that she had caught it as an investment property. One of her three sons was living there for now. When I sold the house I had agreed to leave it furnished. Every part of this looked legal on paper. Her son told the police that he had just moved in on the day Wayne was alleging I stabbed him. He was now in a heap of trouble. The police were still looking for me though. I had shaved my head and was working on a beard. The stubble was

102My excitement so disappeared and changed to trepidation. When we were out of the park I was shown the back of a white windowless van and told to get in. I was paying for this treatment but did as I was asked. It occurred to me that I didn’t know what was going to happen. We’re they just going to kill us. That would be safer and more cost-effective for them.The back of the van was almost pitch black when the doors closed. The only light was what came in through the cracks in the seals. Adam started to fuss in my arms and the van started to move. Adam spoke to me in his limited way.“Daddy. Dark.”“Yes mate. It won’t be for long.”I kept my voice calm and soft. Hoping he would calm down himself. His creepy little baby hands pulled at my nose. Making sure I was there I hoped. He surprised me by saying.“Got nose.”I let out an involuntary laugh.“Haha give it back. H

101Cleaning up blood is a pain in the arse. If I could get away with not cleaning it up I would. Adam was his usual happy self but he broke my heart. He didn’t know better but he kept asking me the same question over and over.“Daddy. Where Mummy?”He smiled and had a cheeky grin on his face. I tried to explain that she wasn’t coming back but how many two-year-olds can understand that. It’s going to take time but he will learn.I understand how little I know about kids. He is now on solid food, not the mush that comes in jars. I’m happy about that it never looked appealing to me when Lou used to taste a bit then feed him.I have changed three nappies today so far and I’m now thinking about what age do kids get potty trained. There could be months left on this. Oh God I have already survived the first bits of teeth g but will there be more. Maybe I haven’t thought this through at all.All this

100It dawned on me that I hadn’t worked out how I was going to handle life with Adam on my own. The thought had never come to me that I would have to do e everything with him and for him.I hadn’t told the guys who were setting up our new lives Lou wasn’t going to be coming now. I wonder if I’m too late. It probably won’t matter that much. They will find out when they come for me tomorrow. Being alone means I don’t have a lot of loose ends to tie up. I should let work know I won’t be back in.Adam was still sleeping after our late night. Poor little fella. He won’t understand why mummy isn’t around anymore. He will be ok though he will adapt. His life with me will be good. I don’t think I will kill anyone for a while now. It is too much of a risk and I have too much at stake.There was a loud banging at my back door. Not a knock but an insistent banging. No one used my back door. So who could th

M.R9There was an atmosphere since our last outside exercise period. The guards were rougher and shouted more. You know like someone higher up has come down on the underlings. Now they were coming down on us. It’s true what they say shit rolls down hill.The guards were making more patrols than the days or weeks before. They seemed to be walking up and down the hall constantly. There was no distinction between them. So I had no idea if the softer one was ever near.On one of the guards passes a note was tossed into my cell. I was up off my bed in a flash and palmed it. When I was a sure as I could be that there was no guard near I read the note.“The boss is suspicious of you. We have been punished for not paying attention. She thinks your trouble. We have been ordered to keep a close eye on you. Keep a low profile. You are one step away from death. Don’t make any more moves until things calm down.”For some reason, I could

M.R8My exercise routine was rigorous and relentless. With no distractions and nothing better to do I worked out. I ran on the spot. Crunches touching knees with my elbows. Holding plank position. Press ups. Squats. Its amazing the amount of exercise you can do with no equipment when you out your mind to it.I will not let myself get out of shape. No one has ever escaped here until me. My determination was doubled. Now I had to figure out how to convince the others to work out.Nigel was watching me intently through the bars. I pushed my self harder. Watching him slowly creep closer. Inch by inch he got. It was like trying to catch a wild animal. Ignore it let it think you haven’t seen it wait until it is close enough to catch. Then pounce. That’s what I was doing now waiting to get Nigel in a position that he can’t get away from without losing face to the others.If I judge this right he will have no choice but to start working out. He

M.R 7Time passes by so slowly when your locked in a tiny cell with nothing to do. But I don’t have nothing to do. I have plans to make and plotting to do.Having guards on a regular routine help. They don’t always get the guards attention but it was possible. One of the guards seemed a little different from the others. He or she would call us by name and not just bark orders at us. I don’t know if it is a man or woman because of the robotic voice. The figure again was indecipherable thanks to the uniforms. All the padding and array of weapons that I didn’t know the capability of.I was fe”eling like I was missing something. Something important. Then it hit me. My health was suffering. I could feel myself getting out of breath easier and I was just wanting to sleep all the time.This place was starting to get to me. It will not break me. I will not let my body become weak. Did the others in here feel the same and do the same

M.R6The Elf started to walk with me. I had never listened so intently to anyone in my life. His voice was rough and raspy like he smoked heavily and had for many years.“Many years ago. Roughly three thousand to be closer to the point. That is what I should say. Humans and all other beings lived alongside one another. For a long time, we managed to keep peace. That is until a king took over the Humans. He preached that humans were the master race. That they had great numbers and better weapons. That they should not have to breathe the same air as none humans. That we were nothing more than animals that should be used in such a way. Slowly other humans began to start thinking like him. The way he did it was incredible. The way the story goes he rallied an army. An army so big no race could defeat them. They marched and rode across the country attacking any village they came to. No mercy was given. They gave no warning of their attacks. Before any of us knew what

M.R 5Time passed by. How much I don’t know and it was playing havoc with my mind. I wanted out of this place. I needed to get the Gnome to speak. He was always in the back of his cell in the darkest part. I had been trying to get him to talk for what felt like hours. Over and over I called to him always being polite. No matter how frustrated I got I refused to use bad language or raise my voice in anger. The others were getting mad at me but I would not stop. Susan even told me to stop.“Hey Eddie.”“Yeah.”“Shut up.”I have never known anyone who will never answer you if you don’t stop poking at them. Eventually they will give in. They might not give you the response you want but you will get one. At least there were two sets of bars and a hall way between us. So he wouldn’t be able to get to me. If it went the wrong way. Not that he would be able to punch me above my thigh. Gnome was th

Opening my eyes I found I was back in my cell. I didn’t want to call it my cell but it was looking more and more like it was going to be. Tossed on the floor was a small manual. On the front it simply said rules.“Hey you up?”The girl in the next cell called to me. I’ve just opened my eyes and they are talking to me already. How did she know I was awake.“Yeah. How did you know?”“ There is a telepathic unicorn here he knows when your awake if he wants.”“Oh ok. I forgot about him. What’s your name anyway?”“Susan.”“Susan?”Who the fuck has ever heard of an Orc called Susan. Don’t they normally have names like Mursha or zoguz? Weird things like that.“Yes, Susan. My parents thought it might help hide us if we took human names. Most of us have them now. To be honest it is easier to have a human name than a