Zombie Fieldtrip

14

The feeling of emptiness was a feeling I'd rather forget.

I remember when I first felt it. It was when Jamie Blue said that I was a total weirdo and laughed at me when I said 'I thought you liked me'. Of course, that was easily fixed after I threw my coke at him and told all the girls in the year he had an extremely contagious case of herpes.

But this emptiness wasn't easily fixed, I don't even know if it could be fixed.

Jonah and I sat silently in the drivers compartment. His eyes were tired but he kept driving towards the trashed town. We were listening to a song I wasn't fond of and the afternoon sun was blinding me. I was content with the fact that I felt like dying. I don't know if going back to my house would help my current state of mind, but I sure as hell didn't want to go back there.

The sun overhead was gleaming a sickly orange like cheap cordial and a grey haze had set in from the burning buildings and bombs that Jack had spoke about.

My head hurt. I was over thinking again and I had a throbbing headache. I turned off the music and rubbed my temples in an attempt to soothe it, bit this did next to nothing. I lied down on the long seat of the truck and rested my head near Jonah. The sun wasn't in my eyes any more so I could rest without squinting. I was wide awake, but sleep was the only thing I felt like doing.

"Sadie?" Jonah said in a hushed voice.

"Yeah Jonah?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just seeing if you were awake or not,"

"I'm awake. Something on your mind?"

"I think we're coming up to my house," he gulped. Ever since we brought up the going back home situation, Jonah had been on edge. I'm not sure why, but I didn't want to ask him yet.

I sat up on the worn seat and looked out the windscreen. We were coming up to a large complex of housing commission homes. These houses looked more trashed that what they usually looked like. A car was smoldering in the garage of one of the homes.

Jonah took in a deep breath as we pulled up to a small house. It was brick and looked quite cramped. A small garden was flourishing in the dim times. A motorbike was stationery under the carport.

He jumped out the door holding a handgun and I followed him, grabbing my makeshift knife belt. Cleo emerged first from the back of the truck. "Do you want us to come in with you or wait?"

Jonah glanced at Cleo and I. "You two can come in for some back up, but the others can stay,"

Cleo nodded and turned back to the truck. Jonah's voice was firm and serious, he didn't even sound like Jonah. It was sending chills down my spine in the worst kind of way.

We approached the door in a line. Jonah was first, then me and then Cleo. Jonah kicked the burgundy door until it fell off its hinges. He held up his gun as we heard noises coming from inside.

The hallway we came in through was narrow and reeked of death. Framed pictures of two boys, brothers, hung on the wall. Jonah had never mentioned that he had a brother, in fact he had never really mentioned his family at all. The carpet was yellowed and splotches red scattered throughout. I feared the worst for Jonah's family.

I could faintly hear someone gasping for breath. Jonah picked up his pace and we came to his lounge room and kitchen area. A fat, tattooed man lay dead on the carpet, black blood surrounding him. He looked as if he had already changed and been killed.

This was Jonah's father.

Cleo muttered an 'Oh my god' from behind me but Jonah acted like he hadn't just discovered the corpse of his dad, instead he headed for the sliding door leading to the small backyard. A few zombies trudged over to us but Jonah shot them all down before Cleo and I could react.