Human - phan

Nine

"We’re meeting at 6am tomorrow. Don’t forget!"

"Oh God." I moaned.

Phil winked and jumped away from the window with a wave as the bus pulled away from campus. I sat back in my seat and groaned. The girl next to me patted my arm sympathetically.

~

"Morning!"

The phone was brighter than the centre of the bloody sun and scorched my retinas, leaving a blind spot in front of my eyes that I tried to blink away.

"Hey Phil. What do you want."

"Just making sure you’re up."

"Well clearly I am."

"Are you out of bed though?"

"…"

"Dan…?"

"…"

"Daniel."

"…"

"Don’t make me call Chris over-"

"I’m moving I’m moving!" I grunted, pulling myself up and rubbing my eyes awake. I turned to the curtains. It was still dark outside.

"I hate you all."

~

I stomped up and down on the grit path trying to stay warm. The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon, but the night air lingered in the dawn chorus. James Street was still sleeping, so I turned in astonishment as a small, battered looking grey Fiat swung round the corner and started heading up the hill towards me and the building site.

"I didn’t know you had a car." I said, surprised, as PJ swung out of the driver’s seat with a yawn.

"Nah, I’m not that rich. It’s my parents’; they let me borrow it for all the camera equipment. Would’ve been a bitch taking this lot on the train." PJ crunched back to the boot of the small car, narrowly avoiding being hit by the back door as Phil flung it open with his foot, his head focused on the tripod he was manoeuvring out of the back seat.

"Hey dancer Dan." Chris grinned as he wandered round from the passenger side, clapping me on the back.

"Don’t you dare." I cringed.

"Morning sleepy head." Phil smiled through the window at the sound of my voice, still struggling with the tripod.

Chris jumped forward to give him a hand and I was left standing watching, acutely aware of how useless I was.

"When are Bryony and Adam getting here?" I asked.

"Any minute now." PJ replied, his voice muffled by a heavy camera case.

I scuffed my feet around in the dirt as I waited, turning my face to the building site. It was surrounded by a high chainlink fence, easily climbable but somehow imposing and institutional. Tall skeletons of buildings constructed from huge grey slabs of concrete reached into the sky, creating phantom streets and walkways coated in fine grey dust. It was eerily quiet; muffled, cold and emotionless. It was hard to imagine living, breathing people making their homes here. So I guess in that respect it was perfect.

"Right! Let’s get this show on the road." Chris came up behind me, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Okay then. Just one question," I said mildly, "how are you planning to get all the equipment over that fence?"

~

"Aaaaand action!" PJ yelled.

Bryony let loose a disturbingly realistic scream that sent a shiver down my spine as she ran across the shot, Phil carefully panning the camera as she leapt over half built walls and ditches perused by Chris and Adam in full zombie garb.