The Walking Sidemen

Chapter 8: I need you

All the boys got back in the cars and sped away from the stadium. Josh glanced in the wing mirror and noticed the piles of undead stumbling out and round the stadium. He realised now what had happened.

Tobi's car was leading. He had no idea where he was driving, he just knew he had to get far from there.

"What the fuck happened back there" Ethan said, more out of shock than anything.

"I don't think I want to know man" Tobi replied, eyes glued to the road ahead.

"I-I.....what the fuck is happening guys?" Simon said with his head in his hands.

"I hope Vik and Harry are okay" Tobi was concerned for his friends in the other car.

"I don't think they are brother" Ethan said with a sigh.

"Where are we even going?" Simon raised his head and looked between his two friends.

"I have no idea. It's getting late, we could do with some rest" Tobi suggested, pointing outside at the dying light of the sky.

"Where are we gonna sleep that's safe though? I can't think of anywhere" Ethan said, stumped.

"I remember this country park. What was it called again.....ehm, Fairlop Waters! Used to go with the family. It has a small centre and it was never that busy. If no one is in it, I thought we could use it as a base for tonight. I don't know. It's the only idea I can come up with" Tobi explained his plan, not having much confidence in it.

"Sounds better than anything I could come up with" Simon shrugged.

Silence filled the car once again. In the other car, it was silent the whole way. No one knew what to say.

Eventually they reached the country park and they parked the two cars next to the centre. Thanks to much needed luck, the centre was empty and they were able to find a way inside and bring the supplies in. A new base.

It wasn't a five star hotel, but it was a roof over their heads. A safe space. Well, safe for the time being. Luckily the centre was home to a restaurant, and there was still some food left in the kitchen. There was also a bar much to the boys delight.

-----------// 2 days later //-----------

It was somewhere around 10 or 11pm and it was dark out. Only moonlight illuminated the park.

Vik was doing his lookout shift and was doing his rounds. He had a flashlight in his pocket and a baseball bat in his hand. He was very alert as always but they really hadn't had that much bother since being at the park.

The occasional infected wandered in but they could take care of the odd one pretty safely and carefully. Burning them afterwards. The smell was horrid but it was the quickest and safest way to deal with the bodies.

Vik was suddenly taken by surprise on his way to the lake. There was a beer bottle that had not been there an hour previous. He picked it up and inspected it before dropping it back on the ground. A few metres away there was another.

Then suddenly a figure caught Vik's attention. They were relatively tall and slim and he reckoned it must've been Simon or Harry.

The lake was one of those ones where it's shallow round the outsides and gets deeper towards the middle. It's one of those ones you'd take your kids to on a summers day to splash about and play in.

As Vik got closer he could see the figure was fully clothed and the water was just above their knees. He could also see now that it was Harry. Vik walked over to the edge of the water.

"Harry?" He called out to the figure as he dropped his baseball bat to the ground.

Harry didn't respond. He simply ignored the boy calling out his name.

"Harry what are you doing? You must be freezing! Get out of the water won't you!" Vik called out again, concerned.

"Please just leave me alone Vik" Harry shouted back, slightly slurring his words.

Vik was left standing by the water with an equally confused and concerned expression. He could clearly see and hear that Harry wasn't okay and he wasn't about to just leave him to freeze alone in the middle of a lake.

Vik sighed before stepping into the freezing cold water. It instantly gave him goosebumps. But he powered through and slowly walked forward, further into the lake. Eventually he reached Harry and put a hand out in front of himself and onto the blonde boys back.

"Harry please......just talk to me" he spoke calmly.

"Vik.....it should have been me" Harry said quietly in response.

"What should have been you Harry?" Vik questioned, not quite following.

"Both of the Cal's.........they're dead.....because of me. It should have been..me" Harry replied through wobbly breaths.

Vik slowly wrapped his arms around Harry's torso and leant his head on Harry's back.

"It wasn't your fault. You need to stop blaming yourself" Vik replied soothingly.

"I don't deserve....to be here.....Vik......I miss them.....I'm sorry" Harry said, whimpering slightly.

"You have nothing to be sorry about Harry. They wouldn't want you to blame yourself. To do this to yourself. You're here and that is all that matters now" Vik replied.

Harry looked down at the water. Down at his blurry moonlit reflection. He was broken, and he didn't know how to fix himself.

"It's going to eat away at you if you keep blaming yourself. It'll take you down, and we need you here Harry. I need you here" Vik added before taking one of Harry's hands.

"Let's go back inside." He added in a hushed tone, before leading the taller boy back out of the water and onto dry land.