Silent Age

Chapter 1- Flames

The red flames licked at the frosty wall. The scrambling bodies of zombies gravitated towards the fire, getting caught in the frenzy. An arrow was sitting in the melting snow. I must have missed.
I had my collections within my bag, Otis trotted up beside me sniffing my old boots. He dug his nose in the snow searching for something. I looked down at him letting the cool breeze take over from the heat of the fire. Distant growling was heard by other zombies being attracted by the movement. The gate was broken i walked away from it for the last time. I sprinted down no name street. I had been so young when i named the streets. Castle street was the safest place for the night. I ran off cutting through a house to the main street. Otis jumped over the brick wall enjoying the freedom. Me too buddy i thought. We quickly crossed main street trying to stay hidden. Otis ran ahead of me knowing number 24 so well. I sat down in the grass growing inside the building. Otis went exploring while i recovered mentally by reading. This particular one was about people from the modern age predicting the future. It involved aliens, the idea was just as absurd as it was now. I got bored his this lunatics theories and started drawing in the book. I liked the effect it had with the words. I was drawing a zombie. It was slightly taller then the average human, they had large heads covered in fungus and infectious diseases. You avoided those, so i put an "x" over the creatures head. Carrying the body was a resemblance to the human body. People from the modern age were wrong about zombies. They weren't humans who died and came back to life. No it was an infection that grows in your insides. You get rashes on your skin and become weak. You throw up and cough large amounts of blood up, that's were you get the thirst from. These zombies only wanted to drink, that was there energy source. During their new life they had only had the taste for human blood. The government had told everyone to leave out bits of fresh meat traced with poison. This worked for the weaker ones but most of them lived, and as food went short people began eating anything, including the meat. The government was wrong, do not stay indoors and lock your windows, they will smash through them and claim your family. The best way of killing them is with fire. It destroyed their skin like a human and they were attracted to light so they walked right into it. Light, noise and movement was like a dog calling for them. Here it was very cold all year round starting fires was impossible with out a lot of gas, wood and no snow. The good thing about the zombies  is that most humans were smarter then them, despite 2/3rd of the population was infected or killed. You could stand right in front of them and they wouldn't notice, they cant smell either.
I fell asleep and dreamt about a fresh set of arrows for my bow. I woke up with Otis on my lap. Something was wrong he was tensed up and his tail was stiff. I slowly took out my hunting knife from the sheath on my belt. I looked around number 24  on castle street, but found nothing. Maybe he just wasn't used to being outside. As of yesterday we would be in our shed, with water and food and warmth. That was gone, so was Joel.
The shed would be over run and the fire would be out by now so no point in going back. A fresh start. After picking at some berries we headed back to the main street. I wanted to go to the train station i could hold up in a carriage for a while. I walked past were that beautiful woman had run out last year. Her blood had stained onto the concrete, only a few drops. Number 14 was just ugly apartment buildings. I remember that exact day, it was over 3 years ago. The day after i had come back to this apartment and searched. I understood why she ran out after seeing what i found. A small baby was on the kitchen table. The baby was amputated and infected. After crying from denial and acceptance i put the baby out of its misery. I knew it wouldn't change it was took weak, but i think that mother would like him better as a human in the afterlife. I buried him out the back and never went back to number 14.

Pulling my beanie and hoodie over me as it began to snow i promised myself not to cry. It was 3 years ago and they had both woken up from their nightmare. We headed along the main street, it was all quiet. Most of the zombies would be at the shed or the weak ones would be hunting. The train station was at the end of this long road.

The light snow was relentless, it showed no mercy to Otis or I. We fought against the howling winds, i could see a train carriage ahead. I picked up Otis and wrapt him inside my jumper. The door handle was icy cold, it took me ages to open it up. Otis dashed from my grip into the train, i lost my balance falling backwards. I got back up ignoring my achingly cold hands and opened the door again. The wind shut the door with a slam behind me. It was still cold but it was better then being exposed. I looked around and found a good place to sleep. I pulled out my blanket and Otis instantly snuggled to it. I tucked him in and had a snoop around. I discovered that the had been occupied not so long ago. I found a map which I pocketed along with a lighter. I found a notebook which I carried back to my makeshift bed. It was a journal kept my the recent occupier. Finding some warmth I read it.

" Dear no one,
I have found this shelter, everywhere else has been taken or burnt. The metal walls made things cold. I have some food but it has been years and centrum has released no new information. Its hopeless. "

I kept reading" Dear no one,
My family is defiantly gone my sweet little girl has gone missing, my wife and brother dead. I have a bite on my leg. Its rumoured i will transform soon. I don't want to be one of those things. It was better i got bit then my daughter. I remember her running away into another mans arms. I could die happily knowing she is alive and safe. She shouldn't have to grow up in this nightmare. My wife had left me with a lighter and a gun. She would be s disappointed in me. Ill say sorry to her in the afterlife wherever that may be. Goodbye my sweet daughter i hope you can wake up from this nightmare soon."

I put the book down and curled up to Otis in shock. This man had lost everything. He had killed himself. The lighter that sat in my pocket held so much importance. I hoped his daughter was safe and i thanked that man for helping her. Centrum was meant to be the safe haven set up by the government. They were working on a cure and getting defence in line. No one heard any news after 5 months from them. People went seeking refuge but no one knows what happened. A rebel group was meant to be the answer but they had apparently fallen apart. The only humans left were ones like me. Scavengers scraping the bottom of the barrel, no life was to be seen for miles. Mostly soldiers had survived having access to weapons. In the first couple months centrum released tactical information about how to survive, that's all they could do. At first they said stay indoors and ration your food. Towards the end of communication they advised to hunt, use fire to kill, and stay quiet. They explained their hunting styles and gave many warnings to only kill if they came near you and to aim for the torso, let them bleed out