Zombie story - Chapter 1 :)

Zombie story - Chapter 3 :)

Everyone was on exactly the same wavelength as Josh lifted Ruby into Oscar’s arms and we walked quickly in the opposite direction to all the pain, bloodshed and zombies into possibly even more of the same shit. I knew we all wished we could talk like normal kids for once and I couldn’t help but grin at the prospect that I could make this come true. And the fact that anything funny or entertaining could happen was just a non occurrence since everything had started so I decided to make the most of the chance I had in front of me…

“So…. Emily. When was the last time you snogged Toby, hmm?” I asked, determined to make someone laugh even if it was just a snigger, which I received from Josh instantly. I grinned at him. He could tell what I was trying to do here.

Emily went redden. I grinned as she giggled; a sound that had been extinct for half a year.

“Go on… Spill then. Everyone’s waiting!” I was trying to contain my laughter…right up until she came up with a come back that made my face fall.

“When was the last time you snogged Oscar?” She tried it out and it apparently had the desired effect. I gaped at her and tried to suss out why she was bent on embarrassing me just because he happened to fancy me. I regained my ‘don’t care’ charade and came up with another come back of my own.

“I'm not going out with Oscar” I replied sweetly, innocently “So come on, were all dying to hear about yours and Toby’s adventures…”

There was an awkward silence which seemed to last for an age.

“Ohwww Kay… You do know how wrong that sounds right?” Becky breathed.

It took everyone a second to unravel this barely said sentence and to start laughing. There were various choruses of ‘Ewwww’ and ‘Ok….’ But anyone could have told that we were finding this the funniest thing that had happened to us in ages. Even if they didn’t know us. I realised that usually, before all this had happened the ‘That sounds so wrong’ sentence we were laughing about now would have been a regular occurrence and hardly anyone would be laughing. I missed six months ago so much. But, just for now I would forget. I would be the me that I envied from before.

We stopped giggling when we reached the bridge. Up until then we had been joking and laughing and doing whatever we wanted, like we were before. But now we stopped our stupidity and gazed at what we had before us. Not a particularly big challenge. A bridge. No less, no more. But looking beyond its metal frame and gravel exterior I saw what it lead to and sighed. I couldn’t put it off for any longer.

Oscar now put Ruby down at our feet and even she had the sense to stop her joyful attitude and sit down next to our gradually disintegrating shoes. I lent to the right a little to stroke her head. It was still soft but she had a couple of tangles where her fur had grown too long.

I looked down at her at exactly the same time as she looked up at me. Her deep brown eyes reminded me of the world I used to know so I looked away sharpish and continued worrying about the world we were in now.  I had to think about the present where, presently, we were standing in front of a bridge we were too scared to cross.

Some survivors.

Everybody exchanged their own form of a glance and we all met in the middle and stared at each other, including the dog. I felt obliged yet again to check that everyone was ok with this one idea that could get us all killed but I was too scared of the answer and so I stayed silent and made a mental list of pro’s and con’s. Pros: Town would have food, clothes, water and at least half decent shelter. Cons: We could all die in the process of trying to get at any of these things… rather easily. As there were less of the latter I opted for the mindless optimism card and was the first to take a step over the boundaries of no mans land and into enemy territory. I turned and grinned in grim remorse at the others and each took a gulp of free air and partly free life and stepped over the dividing line one by one. First was Maddie, then Emily, Becky, Oscar, Toby, Josh. Wed all made it this far. Hopefully, there was still time to make it further.

We started walking before we realised we were one unit short. I turned, as did everyone else.

“Come on Ruby!!!” Oscar said, bending his knees and clapping like people used to do when they wanted their dogs to come to them. Ruby sat and questioned our stupidity with her eyes. I could see what see was thinking. ‘These people are so mental that I'm not even sure why I'm still here’.

She was stuck between make a beeline or stick around with the people she knew.

I was so glad of the decision she made that, as I saw her ragged little form step over the line and face her fears, I let out a sigh of relief. I heard another few behind me too and so I spun slowly on my heel to grin in grim response to this.

We all started trudging again but before we had taken another five steps, Maddie stumbled. I went back to help her, as did Becky and Emily. The boys stayed where they were and looked on at the scene.

“…no more zombies…I promise Maddie…where’s Imogen?...mum?...mum? I can’t find Imogen…mummy? Where are you?” Maddie was bent over double, muttering to herself. I threw a worried glance over in Becky’s direction and as she looked up at me with a scared look in her eyes, Maddie fell to the floor, still muttering. We all gasped and followed her down, crouching beside her as if attached to her by invisible ropes. Emily put a hand on Maddie’s curled up form, trying to coax her out of it.

“Mads? Come on Maddie. It’s not that bad….Were all here with you… Maddie…” I saw Emily’s vision fix on Maddie’s screwed up features “Maddie…? Please talk to me…”

There was no response.

Emily looked up at me and Becky. Her eyes were doubtful and determined at the same time. But that was before she collapsed as well. I screamed. Partly out of fright; partly out of frustration. I stopped crouching and got onto my knees in between Emily’s fallen form and Maddie’s. I didn’t know what to do….

I checked that both of them were breathing. They were. That was a pro right? I glanced at Becky, willing that she wouldn’t collapse after them. But she looked healthy enough. Well, as healthy as we were ever going to get. I had heard the boys run over at the point when Emily collapsed and now I looked up at their dour expressions. The atmosphere had gone from laughter and games to nothing. We all stayed in our various positions, glancing from one person to another, wondering who was going to be next. I knew who it was before I felt the creeping coldness coming over me. I had a sudden thought.

“Promise you’ll make sure were safe!” I begged them, pleading with my eyes.

Toby, Josh and Oscar all nodded.

“But why would we…” I heard no more before my vision clouded and my head hit the stubborn, hard concrete.