Diary of a Dead Girl ~ Book 1 (being edited)

4) Run little Pig....... RUN

Cold sweat ran down my back. My heart was in my mouth. Every instinct was telling me to run, but I coudn't. I was frozen to the spot. My stomach heaved, and I vomited what little I had left onto the floor. Cages upon cages of people, stacked one upon another. The noise was deafening. Cries and pleas. People begging some screaming, but what broke my heart most of all was seeing the children. Huddled together, their eyes glassy, their faces vacant. I had always wanted to have children, but at this very moment I was glad, relieved even. That I hadn't. Cruel I know, but I couldn't stay sane if I knew my children were being kept like animals.

"Oh GOD Collins why?" My mouth was dry, my throat felt constricted and tears burned my eyes.

"I'm sorry Elise, I tried to explain".....He couldn't look me in the eyes. I turned to Carl, the shock clearly evident on his face.

"We Need to go Elise.... Now"... How could I leave those people?? I was free, whilst they were locked up. I wanted to do something, anything!!

"Elise... No. Collins is right. We can't do anything. We need to go, before we end up like the rest of them" It must have hurt Carl to admit that. He pulled me none to gently and we followed Collins out towards the side exit.

"Carl, I have to get back to my post and see if they realise you're missing. Keep to the back roads, don't take any main roads and stay off the streets. I can't come with you. I need to find out, where they're shipping those people off to and I need to know if we can find more people we can trust. I took your mobile Elise, so when you find a safe place to stay. Text me on your number and I'll ring you back. I am so sorry" He hugged us both quickly, taking us both by surprise and I think himself too. He locked the door behind him and didn't look back.

We hurried over toward the customer parking lot, crawling behind the cars until we reached the back alley, of a row of terraced houses. It was now beginning to get light, dawn slowly lighting up the dead streets. There was no sign of life, no dogs barking, no sound of the milkman on his delivery round. It was eerie. But it magnified just how many people had been taken. We decided to bed down for the day, we chose a house at random, and found the back door unlocked. Heading on in, the family had left in a hurry. Clothes were thrown haphazardly, plates and cutlery were still in the sink stewing in water and food debris. I checked the cupboards, They still had tins of food, but the electricity was off in this area, if the smell of the fridge was anything to go by. I knew it would be awhile before I could stomach any food. Carl had checked upstairs and came down to explain the previous tenants had converted the attic.

"I think it's the best place to sleep, we'll salvage anything we can use. But you need to switch off those phones to safe the batteries for the time being too."  I couldn't argue with his common sense, so I did as he asked and we both hunted through the house for things we might need to use later on.

We sat on the double bed in the attic room and closed the door behind us. We spread out what we had managed to scavenge. So far, we'd found a sleeping bag, a disposable bbq. Two rather large rain macs, a few scented candles and an assortment of tinned food.

"Well it's a start"..... I glanced at Carl. Wanting to talk about what we saw back at the gym. But I realised he wasn't ready. This scavenging was his way of coping from moment to moment. "Elise, get some sleep, I'll take first watch and wake you up in a few hours".. I didn't argue, I felt as if I'd been running the entire day, I leant back and fell asleep...

It was the screaming that woke me, and that smell....It was thick and cloying, the bleach or disinfectant coudn't mask the smell of death and decay..

"RUN! The old woman's eyes bored into mine, her grip was like a vice, RUN!!! I awoke drenched in sweat,and screams ringing in my ears. I could almost taste the fear my dream had created. I managed to get my breathing under control. Carl was curled up into a featal position next to me. So much for him keeping watch. I thought then chided myself.... the poor guy had seen what I'd seen. We were both wrought emotionally and physically.

I needed to think, I needed to know if Collins had any more information on where those poor people where being taken. If they where all going to the same place, that would be where I'd find Sophie and David. Thinking about my friends made me cry, just knowing they'd been imprisoned like that, sent god only knows where, for who only knows what, made my heart break.  For me, not knowing was the worst. I've always liked to be in control of things and know what's ahead and the outcome of any given situation. That has always made me feel safe. Not only did I not have a clue, but I'd had to change my perspective on numerous things in such a short time. I felt utterly out of my depth.

"Oh... Sorry Elise. I must have drifted off." Carl wiped at his eyes with the heel of his hand....."You ok?"

"No Carl, I'm not. But if I sit here and dwell on it much longer. I honestly don't think I'll achieve much. What time is it?"....  Be proactive, give me something to do I silently begged him. Now I understood Carl that much better when he got the both of us to look for things we might need. It gave us something else to focus on for the time being.

He checked his watch, "It's just after 9pm....It should be dark now. Do you want to text Collins? See if he's found out anything?"

"Yeah, then we'll need to move on. I've got an idea, but I don't think you'll like it much...." I waited for Carl to say something, instead he kept quiet waiting for me to finish.

"First. We need to know if Collins has found out anything, if he knows where those people are being taken. Second, we need to know what is going on outside of this area....See if anyone else has reported what we've seen. Third, we need to tell people about this". I waited for his reaction... He just patiently waited for me to finish. " Fourth, Once Collins has found out where they're going, I want to follow them."....... Ok I was being proactive.... I just hoped Carl would come with me. There was no way on this earth I wanted to do this alone.

"I suppose you're right. I really don't like the fourth part. But we're going to need some sort of proof, and I know you want to find your friends. Text him, we'll see what he says"

I dug Sophie's phone out of the small suitcase, just holding something of hers was enough to threaten the tears again. I drew a deep breathe and switched it on....

An hour or so must have passed whilst me and Carl sat quietly in someone else's attic room, deep in our own thoughts when the phone rang. It seemed such an alien sound that I almost jumped up. Realising what it was, I snatched the phone up and answered....

"Elise, they're moving the base. They're headed South, I've been dismissed, told to go on leave. Head towards Eastbourne. Avoid main City centres and large towns, they're targeting those. I'll keep this phone and ring you once I'm away." The phone call ended abruptly.

Carl looked at me... I explained what he'd said. "Ok, I suppose that makes sense. They're deliberately going from one large populated area to another. Rounding people up. But what's in Eastbourne?"

"Maybe it's where most of them are sent too?" I shrugged "Well at least we have some sort of plan, but how in the hell are we supposed to get there without being stopped?"

"I've had a few driving lessons" offered Carl.

"Are you serious? I can't drive and you've had a few lessons. I'd like to get out of this in one piece if you don't mind."

"Unless you want to walk, seeing as there isn't much public transport these days, I don't see any other alternative".

"Great, so not only do I have to fear being killed by ET, Now I might be killed by you. Friggin great start." It was stupid to be I angry, I knew that. But I couldn't stop myself. "Fine, but just get us there in one piece will you."

So we sort of had a plan. Travel to Eastbourne, ha! Well seeing as Carl was the 'driver', although the term driver I will use in loose terms. He could find a suitable car. We gathered up our little stockpile and headed out back. We weren't too far away from the gym, so we decided we'd walk across town, using the alleyways and walking through people's back gardens. I did  feel like a peeping tom, staring through empty back windows. Knowing that those people had also been evacuated. There was no other explanation, other than that they might have fled. A flashback to the people stockpiled, like animals off to the highest bidder, and I shuddered. No, I don't think they had the chance to.