Before I Die

Chapter 3

I run downstairs without realising the noise I was making whilst almost falling down the steps. As I land on the last step I see Crisps by the window peeking through.

"What the fuck was that" I murmur to crisps. The zombies were making loud noises outside I couldn't make out if they were getting closer to the house.

"I don't know, the zombies are going towards the woods" his chest was pounding, I could tell he was panicking. Aria was sat at the table on the verge of a panic attack. I started to comfort her and told her to go and have a lay down and that we were okay. I looked at crisps and told him to go and check on nought.

"Larrie, why are we pretending like everything is okay? This house is literally surrounded by zombies and your telling me everything is okay.." her voice started to raise as she went on, I had to cut her off before she drew attention to the house.

"Aria, breathe. We are alive. They don't know we are here it's going to be okay. The house is secure, we have food and water and even shelter so-" Before I could finish what I was talking about crisps comes down the stairs in a panic. What now?

"He's gone, he's not there... I, I waited to see maybe he went to the toilet but he's never gone that long" He was shaking "maybe that loud bang was to do with him, what if he's in trouble"

"He is not in trouble" I didn't know if that was true but the best thing I could do right now was to make sure none was panicking. I could tell by his face that he didn't believe me so before he could even give an opinion on what I said I blurted out "I'll go and check the house out" what am I doing...

"Are you actually stupid?" Aria looked at me so stupid.

"The majority of the zombies have gone into the woods, I'll be a matter of minutes. You won't even know I'm gone. I'll do a quick sweep of the house. If the zombies get back by the time I'm in there I'll stay with nought..."

"IF he's there" Aria said, completely stunned that I was actually going through with this.

"Of course he's there, right Larrie?" Crisps was still shaking.

"Course" I said with a forced smile.

I designated Aria to open and close the door whilst I go out and Crisps in the upstairs window. This will be okay, I tell myself. Nothing to worry about.

Aria opens the door as I crouch down to get out the house as slowly and quietly as possible. There was only about five or six zombies in sight but we didn't want to draw attention so we avoided a fight. I snuck round to the side of the house and took a quick glance up at crisps who was watching from the window.  I quickly come to the back door to somehow find it unlocked. First bad sign.

I go through one room at a time. None. I started to panic avoiding windows to tell crisps that he wasn't here then suddenly someone grabs my shoulder. In surprise I turn around and slice a face with my knife. It was nought. "I'm so sorry" I utter whilst hugging him in relief. I then realise that he is wet.. I pull away to see red on my hands and chest... blood.

I ask "are you okay? what happened? Where have you been?!"

A faint smile appears across his face. He grabs my hand and hushes me. He points out a window at the first house we were in. He wanted us to go back there even though he seemed injured.  He never spoke, it was going to be challenging finding out what happened to him.

Slowly we open the door and leave the house we were in.  He was still holding my hand. His eyes searched every inch of outside to make sure nothing was there. He was scaring me a bit, he would never usually be this way. 

He starts to walk slightly faster but it was hard to try and tell him to slow down to avoid noise.  This man seemed paranoid, only making me feel the same. As we turn the corner to the door that we were in to begin with we noticed that the zombies were no longer heading towards the woods. My heart dropped. Praying that they hadn't seen us we hurdled in the house.  Crisps came pacing down the stairs frantically. 

"We need to go, they know we are here" crisps states breathlessly.

The moans of the zombies were getting louder, crisps was right they knew we were here and we needed to get out before we were surrounded. I wanted to tend to Nought before anything but we had no time. We gathered as much as we could in such little time and headed towards a window at the back of the house. One by one climbing out, I turned to have one last look at the house, wanting to learn about all its memories that was once here. I could see that the door wasn't going to hold much longer so I sprung out the window as quickly as possible. We headed back into the woods in the opposite direction we came from with no guidance on where to go.

After a while we stopped running after making sure nothing or none was around. I quickly sat nought down and tried asking him what happened. He still was shook up and looked in utter disbelief and shock. But still he said nothing.  I started to wonder if he was even capable of talking at this point. Crisps and Aria were concerned and were asking him questions I already asked... still no response. He was now staring at me. I felt as if this was his way of telling me that even if he wanted to tell me what happened he couldn't find the words to say so I just nodded and said 'okay'. After attending to noughts wounds which were luckily nothing life threatening we decided on taking a rest for a bit so that nought could take a minute to breathe.

My head was so loud at this point. I couldn't make out weather I was talking to myself or someone was talking to me, or both. Your head can be a dangerous place and it's important to stay out of it as often as you can.

"Larrie" I was sat on the floor unknowingly as I didn't realise I wasn't stood up no more. I look up to see Crisps Holding a hat. A beanie. It was the same one that the boy was wearing in that picture. He smiled at me placing it on my head "looks good on ya"

"Ahah you think?" I say through sarcasm "thank you" I hadn't worn a beanie in a long time, I used to wear them all the time before everything happened. I was pleased to know that he may have remembered.

"Heyyyy doesn't that look goon on you" Aria winks at me "nice to see you getting some fashion sense again" we all start to chuckle whilst I pose like we used to when one of us used to get complimented. It's the little things like this that remind us that sometimes we can forget about the shitty things in life.  Nought even managed a smile too.

As it wasn't even midday yet we were still able to see and ready to move onwards. After an eventful day I feel that it's important to make sure we don't leave our guard down. 

As we started walking through the woods whilst crisps was helping nought walk, Aria stops and says "can you smell that" then Through the trees in the sky we could see smoke that was blocking out the blue sky...