5th October
It took me a long time to explain to everyone what had happened. In the end it came as a new rule. No one is ever to go anywhere without saying where they are going. A time scale has to be set and you don’t go anywhere alone. I was told that Rita had even shown concern. She would never tell me but April had noticed her pacing around and constant questions as to what I was doing. She had said it was down to wanting food and supplies. April saw through her bravado but let her have her time.
I thought about how things had been and decided to forget about Rita’s issues. If she ever wanted to make up with me she would. I wouldn’t force her to go if she didn’t want to. Maybe she will stay and stop with her shit attitude. Who knows not me. She now knows though that I put myself in as much danger as anyone else. She will probably ne
5th October evening and nightI was the first one to speak but I wasn’t friendly. My tone was that of anger not urgency or sympathy. People had tried to take advantage too many times and I wasn’t just going to roll over and let someone do it again. From where I was stood I couldn’t see anyone else and looking at Gaz and Red they couldn’t see anything either.“So where is your dad then?”“He's laid down in the back seats. He can’t get out please. Come and help.”Fuck me this kid is pretty convincing but everyone is. If I tell Red to go see to him and it’s a trap we loose the closest thing we have to a Doc. If I don’t and there is a guy dying in the back I’m responsible for him dying. On the other hand Red still had things to make up for.“Open the door and let me see. No, one is coming out of here until we see.”“You won’t
6th OctoberI was up early and wanted to check on Colin. I doubt he slept well last night. He came to us for help. What did we do we locked his dad up after injecting him with his knows what and then locked him in a barn on his own. He must be shitting bricks. He might not be bad and we could do with all the help we can get.I went to the barn on my own and opened it up. Colin was already up and dressed. Well maybe he hadn’t been to sleep at all.“Morning Col. How you holding up?”“I’m ok didn’t sleep well though.”“You’ll be ok come and get some breakfast. If you want I will take Jessie for a walk and you can come with me to see your dad. But if be has turned I will kill him there and then.”“Thanks but I don’t think I can eat. I don’t want to see my dad if he has turned. I get that you would have to kill him. I won’t hold it against you. It&rsquo
6th October afternoon and nightApril slapped me while the bottle of Vodka was still at my lips. I had managed a good gulp but a lot more spilled over me and the floor. Out of anger and frustration, I hurled the bottle and it’s remaining contents at the wall. Nobody seemed to know what to say or do. Apart from James of all people. He pushed me down into a chair.“Sit down Mr. That’s not nice.”“Ok. Look I’m sorry. Once again we have tried to help and once again it has gone wrong. Yet another decision made by me. When will things go our way?”“When nature is ready.”How the fuck was James coming up with this shit. I guess he is right. Nature always sorts itself out. All we as humans do is fuck it up. It must be down to all his love for animals that has made him think this.“Yes I guess your right James. Everyone I’m sorry for having a paddy like a toddler.”
15th OctoberThe last few days have been busy. Basically all of us went to Pennine manor and emptied it of anything of use. We killed a lot of zombies in different places and times but they mounted up. I’m starting to see we need people. I can’t do this on my own. I get up first and nine times out of ten I’m the last to bed. I’m working fifteen hours a day more some times. I thought the end of the world would knock the lazy out of people.Colin was fitting in nicely. He was well mannered and worked like a machine. He was like my shadow where ever I went he was there. He was ready for action at all times. Weather it was fighting or laboring he was keen to get stuck in. What I was thinking though was he had a brain in his head as well as a good attitude. He was going to make use of it. His schooling was going to start. I know I’m a fine one to talk. It was that rare that I went to school they thought I was trespassing.If s
19th OctoberThe day was here and I’m not going to lie. I don’t know if I’m going to shit a brick or if I’m just proper excited. Will anyone be waiting for us? I don’t even know who to take with me or how many. Should I go tooled up or relatively unarmed? If we go unarmed we are leaving ourselves open to attack. If we go armed to the teeth we will look like a threat and could lead to fighting. Oh my God, I need a fag a coffee and some air. I need to slow down and think clearly.Not telling people was a bad idea. They are going to hit the fucking roof when I tell them what I have done. What gave me the right to put us all at risk without talking it through. The chip on my shoulder is getting way too big. If I’m not careful I won’t be able to get my head through the door.The early morning air was beautiful and cool. A mist settled in the bottom of the valley. It reminded me of being in a plane looking down at t
Later 19th OctoberWhen the dust had settled and everyone was out at work I made excuses for me and April. Rita almost put a spanner in the works by saying she was thinking of going today. With some fast talking, I got her to wait at least one more day. Now me and April we’re on the road and going slow. I hoped that someone would be at one of the meeting spots and at the same time hoped there wasn’t.I could not believe my eyes when we got close to the first meeting point. There it was Itchy's fucking tank. He had driven through garden walls and parked bang under the painted sigh. He wasn’t out of his tank that I could see but it was definitely his tank. No one else had one. I wonder if he has always thought this day would come or if he was just wrong in the head. Well I know he is wrong in the head but planning maybe. I park close but far enough away to be able to scarper quick if needed. With nothing blocking our exit. I look April in the
20th OctoberRita has been a thorn in my side for some time now but her attitude has changed. She is less hostile and more use lately. Maybe being a bitch was just her way of dealing with her grief. I can’t remember how she was when she first came to us now. Her attitude had overwhelmed everything. She was saying she wanted to go today.It might just be my imagination but Itchy was making her laugh. He was a lot older than her but she looked to be flirting with the stinky old man. At a guess I would he was at least twenty years older than her. I guess beauty really is in the eye of the beholder.I hopped that the message I had heard was true. That there was some kind of government on the coast. If there was that Rita would make it to them in one piece.I went outside with Gaz to load my Vespa onto the back of my truck. James was stronger than either of us but he was thick as two short planks. I didn’t trust he wouldn’t drop it
Time was coming to go and see if my old teacher was going to behave. Mr Stainburn and I have never been on good terms. Maybe an apocalypse has changed him and he is now a reasonable human being. Who am I trying to kid I saw the people with him? They were worked up and wanted blood. The second we moved they were on us. There is no way I’m going to be able to negotiate with them. I will go and meet with him but I won’t be unprepared. Two days back I made Gaz Earl and wright go out with the rifles to practice sniping from a good distance around one hundred and fifty meters. When they were hitting the same target consistently I broke the news to them about the meeting and how I had set it up. Gaz went fucking ballistic. “You go on and on at us about being safe. Always let other know where your going and why. You oh no not you Mr Sid I can do what the fuck I want even if it means I might get killed. Out of everyone you have been in more danger than any of us. Now
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
27th part 2The sound was getting louder and louder. The moans and groans. Shuffling sounds of the dead coming. This was the sound and smell of death walking and I didn’t need to experience this again. Not now. My radio crackles to life and the voice of Write comes through.“Sid this is bad. Huge conga line of zombies coming your way and they look like they are tied together.”“Ok get yourselves out of here spread the word. I will get Bob and meet you.”“No that’s suicide. There are hundreds of the things coming your way.”“You haven’t seen Bob in action. I think. No I know we can do this.”I lied. I was no way I was as confident as I was trying to show. There was a definite chance I was going to die. Had I just had enough and this was my way of going without a bye. My hand clicked off my radio.The herd wasn’t in sight yet but this looked like my only chance to leave this house. The place looked deserted. Normal people had vanished almost completely but zombies were coming on mass no
27th OctoberPositions were taken. We had walkie talkies to communicate with each other. I was the one nearest to where Mr Stainburn was going to be meeting me. Gaz Earl and Write had taken up sniper positions giving me a bit of protection. Itchy was parked close by in his tank waiting for a signal off anyone to drive in and pick me up if it all went to shit. The girls and kids were in two cars parked about ten miles away hopefully out of harms way. Colin was acting like a messenger to run between us if anything went wrong with our radios. Red was holding back with rounds of ammunition so that if the others got caught they would only lose limited supplies. If Red was caught as well then we were fucked. Now Bob was missing. He told me he would do what was needed and that I didnt tell him. The grumpy old cunt just got in his car last night and fucked off.I was in a house opposite where I was meant to meet the biggest prick on the planet. It wasn’t an easy mission to accomplish. To get
26th part 2The plan was sort of in my head now and while everyone was here I thought it was a good time to start saying it out loud.“Colin. I have a little job for you. Make some drinks. I’m going to get water-hungry. The word escapes me right now. You know when you need a drink?”“Thirsty?”Colin answered me looking unsure of what I was talking about.“Yeah, that’s the word. Now everyone listen up get a pen and paper if you need. Are you all ready?”They all nodded except the old guy. He put his hand up.“Yes errr…. What’s your name? I haven’t asked yet.”“I'm Bob. Can I go to the toilet before you start?”“Fuck me Bob. Yes go be as quick as you can though.”“I asked you not to swear around me and told you you don’t tell me I tell you. That’s my last warning to you all.”He left after his few words. Gaz got really angry again.“Who the fuck is this old guy to talk to any of us like that. He has no say in what happens. We don’t know him or fuck all. He has only just told you his fuc