Infection

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Ashton, Hayley and Benjamin were in Ashton's car, a black Ford Fiesta his father had bought for his birthday a year ago, some months after Ashton had acquired his drivers' license. The back window of his car had cracked, and had a red blood stain on it, though from what source, Ashton didn't know; the source didn't seem nearby when they had arrived. The front gate had been blocked by a delivery truck which had smashed into the gate, obliterating the front and killing the driver who sat limply in his seat. Ashton had to make a roundabout to a side gate to exit from the university.

Benjamin had packed several items from his room, useful tools such as flash lights and screwdrivers, and anything else he could dig up from his abode in the campus. They had decided not to check the cafeteria for food supplies, as the chance to exit the campus was presented as they approached the car park. It had been a quick run from Ben's room to his car, the coast being relatively clear, except for several bodies strewn about the compound. There were several zombies roaming about, but none had been obstructing their path. Besides, the campus car park was large and it was easy to avoid any trouble. It would be better to take the opportunity to exit while they could, they figured.

The streets were eerily dead. It wasn't just silent, it was dead. There was no life, except for some walking corpses along the streets, though that probably didn't count. Bodies lay around the streets and buildings were dark and lifeless. There were few cars left on the road; many had already been used to flee. Remaining cars that were on the road were either overturned or smashed, and some crashed into lampposts or stores along the streets. Parts of the roads had blockades which apparently didn't work against the flesh eaters; they weren't any survivors around. It was terrifying that the outside changed so much in such a short time.

The three of them sat in silence, as Ashton drove through the silent streets, the only noise being the slow hum of the engine. The first plan was to get to a nearby supermarket to stock up on food supplies before making a roundabout trip to Ashton's home, to see if anyone was there. If they weren't, Ashton planned to leave a message for his father or sister, if they ever return to their home.

"Stop, Ash." Hayley called.

Ashton scanned the surroundings and slowly came to a halt. "What? It's not wise to stay still."

"Just hold on. I want to check something." Hayley called as she opened the car door and stepped out. She sat at the back alone, with Ben seated in the front seat next to Ashton.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Ashton asked, as he unhooked his seatbelt and opened the door to join her.

The cool, dry air in the city smelled of exhaust, chemicals and decay. The immediate vicinity was completely still, except for the faint movements of newspapers, leaves and plastic bags carried by the slow wind. Hayley gestured back in the direction from which they came, and Ashton saw that she was pointing toward a police car they had passed. "Think they would've weapons?" She asked.

"Maybe. You wait here."

Ben had also gotten out. "What's going on guys?" He asked, but Ashton had already walked toward the police car. It was just a few metres back.

The police car was parallel-parked to the side of the road, the familiar black and white design of a typical cop car, with the signature red and blue light bar up top. It was still unharmed, except for a bloody handprint on the white exterior of the vehicle, above the word 'POLICE'. Ashton approached and wiped the screen which had a layer of grime on it, and peered inside. The car was completely empty, and locked. Ashton pulled harder, but the door stayed shut. Of course, he didn't expect it to open.