The Last Survivors Book 1

Chapter 5

Damon woke to the sound of growling. His eyes were blurry and his head was still throbbing as if he had a headache. He pushed himself off the ground. He stumbled in the process, almost falling back down in the process. Damon vaguely heard the growling again. Stumbling, he rubbed his eyes. It did not help much. The world was still out of focus. He could not remember much. He twirled around and there were two figures kneeling down over another figure. It really confused Damon for a moment. Then everything took shape. Some memories came rushing back all at once. It took him a moment to register the scene he witnessed. He saw the zombies already hunched over Eugene, feasting at his corpse, blood dripping from their hands teeth. It took him by surprise. His stomach clenched. He had forgotten briefly that he had been with people. Damon looked and saw Bri, was on the floor. It was hard to tell whether she was okay but she had not been eaten yet. One of the zombies started skulking towards her. He was running out of time. He fumbled for his knife, and came staggering forwards, almost zombie like himself.
Then, seconds before he could kill them, another figure staggered out of the trees crashing into him. It took Damon by surprise. It was another zombie. Damon went down grappling with it, grunting and then shouting as they hit the ground. Damon landed beneath the zombie, using one of his hands as a shield. He stabbed upward, clumsily, and the blade went straight through its hand, cutting fingers from it as well as flesh and blood that came oozing out. The zombie's mouth was twisted and ugly as death itself, its teeth clicking. Damon at least had one less thing to worry about with one hand missing. Damon then took advantage of that, mustering as much strength as he could, he pushed the zombie away from him; it rolled over onto its back. It would not stay for long. Damon rolled over on top of the zombie giving him the advantage. Damon plunged the blade just as the head rose up to meet him, straight through the skull. The zombie shuddered before going still.
Damon caught his breath, wiped his forehead. He had barely time to get up, when he heard the growl behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and the next zombie was almost on him. He instinctively rolled onto his back as the zombie came falling towards him, ungracefully. He held his blade up in front of him, hoping it would connect with the zombie. If it didn't, he will probably be in trouble again.
To his luck, or credit, the zombie fell awkwardly, and Damon was just able to adjust himself in time to thrust the blade through its skull. The zombie slumped over Damon's legs. Damon grunted, suddenly feeling exhausted. He wanted to be back in bed. He started to push the body off him, when the next growl warned him that he was not very safe just yet.
He saw it come into view. He pushed away the corpse of the second and braced himself to try and kill it until it abruptly stopped walking. It collapsed mid-step.
Standing behind it was none other than the diminutive figure of Scarlett, handling her own knife.
'Thank you,' Damon said, forcing himself up.
'You're welcome. What happened to you?' Scarlett asked, putting her own knife away but not forgetting to clean it.
'I'm not sure.' Damon said.
'Damon you're still alive.' Bri's loud voice drifted over to him.
Damon turned and saw Bri walking towards them.
'Yeah, I am. Just about.' Damon replied, still catching his breath as Bri came over to them.
'He shouldn't have been out here.' Bri said in disgust, looking towards Eugene.
Damon shrugged. 'If he hadn't, one of us would be dead.'
A cold, hard silence fell between them.
'Do you remember what happened?' Bri asked him, staring into his face.
'I remember us moving through the forest. The next thing I am waking up to the sounds of zombies. I woke with a splitting headache.' Damon said, shaking his head.
'I'm sure I heard something, when we were coming back from McDonalds.' Scarlett said.
'How'd that go?' Damon asked.
'She handled three zombies with ease! It was a breeze." Grace announced.
'Good for you kid.' Bri said. 'It could have been gas that knocked us out.'
'I don't see any canisters.' Damon said.
'Neither do I. Either way we might have a new threat.' Bri said, before she started walking back towards the cars. She did not say a word either.
Damon and Scarlett followed.
Everyone else was back waiting at the cars. Rob and Resh stood outside with Grace.
'Where's Eugene?' Resh said.
'He didn't make it.' Bri replied brusquely. She said nothing else.
'What the heck?' Resh said, looking surprised.
Bri just climbed into the driver's seat and closed the door behind.
Resh just looked towards Damon and Scarlett, expectantly.
'We got attacked. Something happened and we were in trouble. Zombies came through the forest. Eugene was caught off guard.'
'Damn.' Resh replied, shaking his head. He hurried back over to the car.
'Everything okay?' Rob asked, hopeful.
Damon nodded. 'It is but we need to get moving.'
'Okay.' Rob said. He looked as though he wanted to say more, but Damon just looked at him, that told him that they would talk when they had time.
Even though they had lost Eugene, it did not exactly dampen everyone's moods, as it had with Scott. In fact, it seemed only to reinforce Bri's desire to make contact with another quarantine zone and make contact with other survivors. If it was not for running into Scarlett, Damon was beginning to wonder whether anyone else in the world had survived. Even then, Scarlett was not normal she was a vampire.
Damon could not help but think about the earlier events, since he had so much time in the car. He did not understand what had happened. One minute they had been walking from the car into the trees. Then suddenly they were out cold, waking up with zombies around them. It made no sense.
'Should we tell the others, about what happened with Eugene?'
'Other than the fact, he's dead?' Bri snapped. 'No we aren't mentioning us being knocked out just yet. We don't even know what happened.'
'That's true. I can't stop thinking about it.'
'Best to move on. Nothing could have changed the outcome.' Bri said as they turned right, down another road.
Ahead in the road were abandoned cars. Sulking zombies started to slink towards them, draw to the sound of the car.
'Great, more of them.' Bri muttered. She twirled the stirring wheel, veering the car to the right. To try to squeeze in between two cars. 'Let's just get past them. I do not want to stop if we don't have too.' Bri said.
'Yeah.' Damon agreed.
Either Bri must have mistimed the gap or something, as there was a loud scraping sound as the car caught the side of one of the cars.
'Damn it! Fuck that!' Bri spat.
'Hey, no need for the langu—' Scarlett started but was cut off by the first thump. A zombie was hitting against the car windows.
Eventually they managed to get through with some excellent manoeuvring but other zombies were now encroaching them, from all angles.
'What are you going to do?' Grace said from the backseat, leaning forwards. She was sounding a little jittery.
'I don't know, just give me a moment.'
'Are we going to die?' Grace said.
Bri ignored her as she floored it.
'No, we're going to be fine.' Scarlett said confidently.
It worked; Grace fell silent as Bri steered in between two zombies, but more circled them, coming in towards them. Bri could not avoid hitting one of them even as she slammed on the brakes. Everyone jerked forwards in their seats as the zombie thudded over the top of the car and falling down the back. Limbs blood and gore splatted the rear window. There was little rest bite with another thud. Another zombie trying to get in. Bri reacted rather than really looking, pushing her foot down, the car jerked forwards, hitting the pavement and something else in the process.
'Watch out!' Damon called out but it was too late as Bri veered left trying to get back onto the road, since there was another parked vehicle further up the road. The car bumped, as it slid back down onto the road, and she had to swerve to the left to avoid the car ahead. In doing so they hit yet another zombie, at a slow speed, and a high-pitched scream that filled the entire car for not the first time in the last ten minutes.
Bri stopped the car, abruptly, jerking to a stop again. At the same time, she stalled the car.
'Where's the other car?' Scarlett said after a moment. 'I can't see it.'
'Fuck. I can't see anything.' Bri said.
'Neither can I.' Damon replied after a single glance in the rear mirror that was still covered in blood and grime.
'We need to go back.' Damon said.
Bri did not respond and instead she turned the engine on again.
'We have to go back.' Damon insisted.
'There are those things surrounding us.' Bri said, through gritted teeth. She was not having it, instead she put the foot down.
They got about thirty feet down the road, weaving in between two cars before coming across another obstacle. An overturned bus was blocking the middle of the road. Damon saw more zombies shambling along, coming from around the bus and heading in their direction.
'What now?' Damon said.
'Thinking.'
'We have to go and get them.'
'What the hell is that?' Scarlett pointed through the windshield.
Damon followed her gaze, towards the zombies. For a moment he did not quite understand, as he saw several zombies moving towards them, that looked like normal zombies. Then as they moved, another one came into view. A female, which was not odd in itself, but its stomach, was bloated. It looked like she was pregnant. Maybe she turned, when she was pregnant. It sent a cold, hard shudder down his spine. It was unsettling.
'Grim.' Bri muttered, appearing less disturbed by it.
'We should kill it.' Damon said.
'It's just a zombie.' Bri said. 'We need to turn—'
A zombie slammed against the car window. Another thudded against the other side of the car. The ones in front were also closing in towards them. They were running out of time. They would be surrounded in moments. Even against the odds, Damon found himself reaching for his blade.
What else can I do? Damon thought.
Bri looked stoic as ever. She would not go without a fight but she was still, staring out the car.
'Don't do it. You'll only kill us faster.' Bri warned icily.
Damon bit his lip, tensing. He had to do something. He was about to reach for the door but as soon as he did there was a zombie within two paces of the door.
'Damn it.' Damon breathed.
'What are we going to do?' Grace said, piping up again.
'We're going to survive Grace,' Bri replied.
Damon was regretting bringing Grace again. She should not be here out in the field.
Suddenly a loud popping sound that was unmistakeably was like a gunshot.
A second one came. Then a third and fourth came.
Damon was not sure what was happening until Scarlett pointed it out.
'I saw that zombie woman fall to the ground and another. Somebody is killing the zombies.' Scarlett said, sounding excited.
The noise had a second effect, it was drawing away some of the zombies. They started shambling towards the source of the noise. A figure dressed in gear, with a backpack came flying into view, brandishing a large blade in their left hand. His face was covered with a mask. He cut down one zombie, then another in quick succession.
'Wow!' Grace exclaimed. 'He killed them quick.'
The figure then came raised a hand, gesturing what looked like 'come here'.
Damon unlocked the door, and climbed out. Cool, fresh air rushed into the air, hitting him. It felt good to be back outside.
Damon saw more zombies coming up behind them. There was seven of them, but Rob was not among them. Therefore, it meant he might still be alive.
'We have to go now!' The voice came from the figure.
Damon looked back towards him, nodded. 'Come on guys, out of the car.' He said before he even looked towards the car.
Scarlett and Grace were already standing outside. Scarlett closed the door.
'Good.' Damon said then he went to the front of the car. 'Are you coming? We're running out of time.'
'I'm not going with that stranger. I will take my chances. Close the damn door!' Bri barked as she switched on the engine.
Damon slammed the door for her. She started reversing, trying to turn the car around in the tight amount of space. She grazed one of the abandoned cars in the process as the zombies were around her trying to get her.
'We have to go now!' The man shouted.
Damon turned back in his direction of the man. Damon agreed, he ushered the two girls over to him as well.
'Follow me!' The man shouted, and he started running in the direction of the buildings.
Damon followed, but Scarlett overtook him quickly but it was Grace that was lagging, making Scarlett drop behind as the man led them between two buildings, down a narrow street. Rotting bins left behind piled up on the street that Damon had to avoid as an obstacle. The man led them down and right, to a building, through a garden. It was a house. He held the door open; waving them to come inside Damon was in first, followed by Grace then Scarlett. The man then swung the door closed, then bolted it, throwing them into near darkness. The man then lit a lantern granting them some light. But the shutters all around them were closed and boarded up.
'Thank you,' Damon said between breaths.
The man removed his mask. A Middle Eastern looking face stared right back towards Damon. 'It's fine. But enough of that, who are you people?'
'I'm Damon. This is Grace, and this is Scarlett.'
'Where are you people from?'
'The South-East quarantine zone, not far from Ashton.'
'There's still people in those places? Figures.' The man said, as he walked over to a table and picked up a flask. He unscrewed the top and took a sip of it. When he was finished, he turned back towards Damon and the girls.
'So who are you?' Damon said.
'The name's Hosea. Hosea Jarrah.'
'We had others with us—'
Hosea raised a hand in the air. 'Boy, I am not finished asking the questions just yet. Where are you people heading?'
Damon considered it. It was a harmless question but he would be careful not to give too much away to him. 'We've had it hard; it's getting harder for supplies. The army rations are running out. We are starting to look for the other quarantine zones, see if there is anything left. There's one not too far from here that we were heading too.'
Hosea looked confused for a second, and then there was a flash of recognition in his eyes. 'Oh you mean the one with the hotel. It has been abandoned for ages. I raided it a few weeks ago. There was some strange folk living in there.'
Damon felt disappointment and it must have shown on his face as Hosea spoke again, looking directly into his eyes. 'Too few people survived. I do not know why. There are not that many zombies. For a population like the England, there should be zombies all over the bloody place. Yet there aren't.'
'You could join our group. They would take you in.' Damon offered.
Hosea shook his head. 'No thanks. I was a part of a group few years ago. It did not end well.'
'You've been here this whole time?' Damon asked, finding that difficult to believe.
'I never said that. I have been travelling alone since I lost the others. I've done what I've had to, in order to survive.' Hosea said as he picked up his blade.
'I get that.' Damon said.
'So how many are in this quarantine zone?' Hosea said, changing the subject.
Damon considered it. 'We have lost a good number over the years, but we have around two hundred people. A mix of soldiers, families and children.'
'That's at least a bit of hope that some have survived this storm.' Hosea said, but he turned away now, he went back to his flask.
'We need to leave to find our friends and get back, before it goes dark.' Damon said assertively.
'So soon? Without food?' Hosea said, after taking a second sip. 'I can rustle up some food real quick. Travelling and living alone comes with benefits.'
'Benefits?' Grace said.
Hosea looked towards her. 'It means everything I find, I keep to myself. I have several tins of canned peaches, strawberries, kidney beans, even baked beans.'
'Ooh that sounds nice.' Grace said, sounding hopeful.
Damon glared at her, feeling a little irritated. 'We have to get moving. We have taken
'No you should stay for a little while. Those things are still out there, no doubt.'
'What was that pregnant zombie all about?' Scarlett asked.
Hosea was surprised. 'You've never come across them before? Woman that have turned into zombies while pregnant. Real nasty. I've only encountered them once or twice before, so I guess they are rare.'
'Can we eat now?' Grace said.
'Of course, I'll be right back. Make yourselves at home.' Hosea said, and he made his way down the dimly lit corridor.
Damon breathed a sigh of relief, once his footsteps faded. He was glad he was gone for a little while. It gave him a moment to take in his surroundings. There wasn't much light but Damon could just make out the fact they were in a utility room of sorts with washing machine and dryer over in the corner of the room, there were piles of clothes in the corner.
This is the place he is using, for now as a base, Damon thought. He started wondering what had happened to the previous occupants. Damon shifted his mind-set, turning to Scarlett. 'What do you think of him?'
Scarlett tilted her head in thought. 'I'm not sure; there isn't a scent like that smell in the quarantine zone.'
Damon nodded, but it did not lift his burden fully. 'Do you think he's hiding something from us? Or seems nervous?'
Scarlett looked towards the corridor. 'I can still hear him. He is moving about.' She said with a pause, looking elsewhere. 'I cannot read his emotions. I can smell fear but he does not seem afraid of us.'

'Not sure whether that is a good thing or not.' Damon said. 'We should leave now.'
'Don't forget, he doesn't know what I am yet. We have the element of surprise.' Scarlett lowered her voice.
Damon tried to relax a little bit, sitting down on the floor since there were no chairs present. Damon remained vigilant, trying to keep alert even when he found himself drifting off.
'I can smell food,' Scarlett said.
Damon sniffed the air. He could smell the faint aroma of cooking.
'I think he's coming back.' Scarlett said after what felt like an overdrawn silence.
'Finally.' Damon said, looking up. He was still sceptical. It was too late to leave now. Or was it?
Hosea returned, reappearing in the doorway. 'You can come through now.'
Damon, and the girls both rose to stand, and they followed Hosea down the corridor. He led them through a short corridor, that brought them out into a hallway where there were photos still lining the walls. Pictures of happy smiling families.
Hosea led them to a dining room and kitchen. There were a few candles that had been lit, but it was largely in the dark. 'Had to use the fire and stove to heat it all up.' Hosea said. 'Anyone want a drink?'
'Yes please!'
'I've got some cordial juice and water and also I've got some cans of coke left over.'
'The cordial juice survived?' Damon was sceptical.
'Yeah, it's doable.' Hosea replied. 'You get used to it after a while.'
Damon wasn't a big fan of cordial juices, he much preferred fresh juice. Though if he was being honest he'd rather have a beer than either of those things.
Hosea poured all of them different drinks. Damon watched him meticulously, watching for anything unusual in the drinks. But he couldn't see anything that looked wrong. Damon found himself actually relaxing ever so slightly.
Grace and Scarlett talked with Hosea as they ate, often in the form of questions, most of them general questions. Damon at times, intervened asking his own questions. Hosea did not appear secretive or defensive on most subjects, especially those on his former life. However, he did get a little touchy when the subject of his former group came up but Damon thought it was understandable to a point. At the same time, Damon was not sure how spending several years alone would affect his mental state. Then it turned on its head and he started grilling them questions about their quarantine zone. He was asking mainly general questions but then he started asking about supplies, medicine and most uncomfortable; vehicles.
'Is there still time to check, whether or not the others are still out there?' Damon asked, hopeful, but also changing the subject.
A flash of concern appeared on Hosea's face. 'I don't know if that's a good idea. It will be dark soon.'
'Can you look anyway?'
'I....' Hosea started, but he could not seem to find the words. 'I can try but you all have to stay here. You will only slow me down.'
Damon stared at him, narrowing his eyes.
Hosea averted his gaze and rose from his seat. 'I will try. Any sign of trouble and I will come back, with or without your friends. You all stay put in here. Do not go wandering off. We had some of those zombies as well as those others, loitering outside.'
'Others? What there's more than just those pregnant things?' Grace said, quizzically then with one dark look from Hosea, Grace's face dropped, instantly regretting it.
'You don't want to know.' Hosea said ominously before leaving the room, before Damon had chance to question it.
Damon just tried to listen to him, hearing him leave the room, but his footsteps faded.
'Where's he gone?' Damon asked.
Scarlett answered after a moment. 'Upstairs. I think he's looking for something.'
Damon nodded. He wondered what it was. It was almost as though Scarlett read his mind as she then said, 'I can move quickly, without him realising. I will have to use some of my power though. I can spy on him.'
Damon weighed it up. 'Go for it.'
A grin flashed on Scarlett's face. 'Okay.' She rose from her seat and then darted towards to the door. She moved without making a sound and like a blur. He barely registered her leaving the room, it was that fast.
Damon just hoped she would not be caught.
'How long do you think this will take?' Grace said, concern dripping into her voice.
Damon regretted having her along but he was a little glad he was not alone. He had to remain confident. She was a vampire after all. 'Probably not too long.' Damon hoped but he could not shake of a new itch, the fact Hosea had used the term, 'we'. It could be just the fact he is slipping from spending so long in isolation to now being surrounded by people. He could not be too careful...
The wait was beginning to become unbearable. Damon found himself finally finishing his drink, idly waiting for him to return. Grace was starting to look tired too. How long had it actually been?
Little light came through the windows leaving an impression that it was going to go dark soon.
The door swung open, causing Damon to jump from his seat, swinging around to look.
Scarlett stood in the doorway. 'He's left the building.' She announced.
'So anything odd about him?' Damon asked.
Scarlett tilted her head. 'He blasphemes a lot.'
Damon rolled his eyes. 'I mean what was he looking for?' Damon asked. 'His weapons?'
'He already had his gear. He was looking for something else.'
'What was it?' Damon asked.
Scarlett did a side-ways glance before answering, 'His camera.'