Science Fiction Smackdown II Entry (Zombie-Fun-Excitement-Spectacular!!!!)

Chapter 4: David gets into Trouble

"Of course they don't understand English," George said dismissively. His voice implied that any debate on the issue was closed. "They aren't human any more. They're just . . .” he paused, searching for the right word, “things.”

David looked as though he might argue, but Mr. Basil stepped in with a self-depreciating smile. “Ah well, you lot promised lunch for me, as well as Benedick and Beatrice here. What about it?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes. Olivia threw her grandfather a dirty look.

Jenna looked a little surprised, but George gruffly said, “Well, of course, you were a great help with the diesel. I wouldn't mind some more assistance.”

Mr. Basil smiled. “Of course, so long as you drop us off where you picked us up. We have places to go, you understand.

David frowned, but on the whole, he supposed, it was better not to argue.

~*~

Jenna and the others, fortunately, had prepared more than enough food to share with the three guests. There was, of course, roast mutton – now that the decision had been made to slaughter the sheep, it seemed that there would be mutton or lamb at every meal. The ramsons that Jenna had collected had been turned into a green soup. The four teenagers gorged themselves. David had expected this of Sebastian and Olivia, who had been working hard, lifting cans of diesel into the pickup, but was surprised that Chloe and Amy, who had been at the hotel all morning, seemed just as hungry.

After lunch, the same group who had arrived on the pickup took it back out to the filling station. The drive was a quiet one – David supposed it was because everyone was full – and no new creatures had appeared at the station when they arrived. The clouds had dissipated, and the sun had come out. All in all, it seemed like it would be a fine afternoon.

The air was still damp from the previous day's rain, and the sunshine felt invigorating on David's back as he worked. Eventually, he grew warm enough to take off his fleece pullover, using the arms to tie it around his waist. It was backbreaking work, kneeling to fill the cans from George's noisy little pump, then lifting them into the bed of the pickup. It seemed to take an eternity. Olivia and Sebastian – or Hermia and Lysander, as their grandfather was now calling them – took a break early on. David supposed they must have wandered into the small cluster of red brick houses to the north east, because they came back walking a bicycle between them.

“Grandad!” Olivia looked excited, “Look what we found!”

“It's a fine-looking bicycle,” her grandfather agreed. “But what good is it to anyone?”

To David's eyes, the bike looked brand new – the metal frame was painted bright red, the chrome mudguards were shiny, and there wasn't a scratch or scrape anywhere. David could think of lots of uses for a bicycle.

Mr. Basil disagreed; he was still explaining why the bike was useless. “Only one of you can ride it at a time! Someone will always have to walk it!”

“But Grandad,” Sebastian said, “It's an 18-speed, and it's brand new, and -”