With the axe slung over his shoulder, Dave stepped towards the next one. With the blunt end forwards he swung the tool like a baseball bat. The significant blunt trauma struck the beast’s collar, immediately breaking the neck. James ran up to the last zombie, kicking upwards between its legs. The strike had almost no effect at all.
“Oh bollocks, that usually works.”
The zombie’s arms took hold of his shoulders, but he thrust the fork end of the crowbar upwards into its jaw. The crowbar went straight through the soft wall of the bottom of the jaw and imbedded in the upper mouth. The strike didn’t stop the zombie in its tracks, who then forced James to the floor, trying to bite him, but being unable to due to the bar wedged through its mouth.
Barry kicked the side of the beast’s head causing it to roll off of James. Before it could get back up he stamped five times on its face until the skull was fractured and blood expanded across the floor. Dave offered his hand out to James and helped him to his feet.
“I’m fucking knackered now,” said Barry.
“Yeah, GTA was way easier than this,” said James.
“Let’s check the front doors,” said Dave.
The three walked to the doors which were half frosted glass. The sun beaming through into the reception meant they couldn’t easily see out until they got close. Arriving at them a harsh reality was unveiled. Out in the street were hundreds of creatures shambling around the town. A hundred yards in front of the building a policeman was fighting with his truncheon, surrounded by a mass of creatures. He flailed wildly about for his life, but was quickly dragged down to the ground by the horde.
“Have that you pig bastard,” said Dave.
“Bit harsh, mate,” said Barry.
“It’s only what I saw him doing to people like us earlier this morning,” replied Dave.
“Fair point,” said James.
“How are we going to get out of here then?” asked Barry.
They stood at the doorway, contemplating what lay before them. It was barely halfway through the work day and they were already stuck in a world of pain.
“We need a diversion,” said Dave.
“Well they aren’t exactly going to follow the signs are they?” said James.
“Not that kind of diversion you idiot, something which attracts their attention away from us,” said Dave.
“Got you,” said James.
“Fool,” said Barry.
“Oh, like you knew what he meant,” said James.
“Shut up the both of you, we’ve got a little more to worry about that your girly fighting,” said Dave.
He looked around the room. He could see a portable radio behind the reception desk.
“Sound, it’s been drawing them, that’s the answer.”
“What?” asked Barry.
“We set up the stereo playing loud round the side of the building, and that should draw a clear path for us,” said Dave.
“Alright, but we’re stopping for a coffee first,” said James.
“What the hell?” asked Dave.
“He’s right, never leave without a coffee,” said Barry.
“We’re facing death every minute and you want to stay for a cuppa?” asked Dave.
“If you want us to run and fight, well then we’ll need some caffeine,” said James.
“Alright, fuck it, get some,” said Dave.
Barry walked out to the kitchen behind the office and returned a few minutes later with three cups of coffee. The men pulled up three chairs into the middle of the reception area and sat down to relax.
“So where do we go once we’ve got the car?” asked Barry.
“Out of town,” said Dave.
“What then?” asked James.
“Not sure, I suppose we could head out to the country.”
“Why?”
“Because there’ll be less zombies there,” said Dave.
“We should steal a boat,” said Dave.
“Like in Dawn of the Dead, that went well,” said Dave.
“What about a helicopter?” asked James.
“And you know how to fly it?” said Dave.
The three men fell silent, each trying to think of a better solution once they were free of the current threat. Not a single one they could think of was particularly favourable.
“Let’s face it. If we stay here we’re dead. So let’s get away from places with lots of people and not worry about what to do if we make it,” said Dave.
The two others nodded in agreement, though neither was particularly satisfied with that. The three colleagues sat for five minutes drinking their coffees without saying a word to each other. The sound and groans of the horde outside was ever present, as was the odd siren in the distance. A short cry in pain or fear could be heard now and again around the street, yet more people overcome by the masses of blood thirsty creatures.
“That’s time enough, drink up, we’re moving out,” said Dave.
The two friends miserably downed what was left of their coffees and got to their feet with zero enthusiasm. Barry went over to the lifeless zombie with his hammer still stuck out of its head, and prised it out. James picked up his crowbar and Dave his newly acquired radio.
“I’m going to set this up round the side of the building in an open window. As soon as the music is pounding I’ll be back, and we’ll out of here at the first opening,” said Dave.
He wandered out of the room with the radio in hand. Finding the window as far away as possible from the front doors he plugged the radio back in. The windows, being as they were security windows would only open a few inches, but it was enough to have the desired effect. Dave flicked the radio on and turned it up full, it was time to run!
Back in reception, Barry and James could already see the zombies’ attention turn to the new sound echoing from around the side of the building. Dave got back to the room to see a large number of the creatures shambling towards it. The worst of the horde was rapidly moving from harm’s way, but the opening would not last long.
“You ready to run?” asked Dave.
He pulled the doors open, light piercing the dim and dusky building. A disgusting smell wafted through the opening, a combination of various things burning and dying. The three men made a break from the building. The car was just five hundred yards around the corner, on the first floor of a small multi-storey car park.
They were keeping up a steady jog towards the getaway car, weaving in between the few creatures that had resisted the urge to be drawn to Dave’s diversion. As they ran between three creatures, Barry swung his hammer without stopping sending a zombie spinning around in a blood stained mess to the floor. The men reached the street where the car was parked, now just a hundred yards away and in sight. Four creatures blocked their path.
“Almost there lads, let’s not fuck this up now,” said Dave.
The three moved quickly towards the parked car. Dave led the way, Barry soon behind with James at the rear. Now with the room to swing Dave lifted his axe overhead and swung it down at the first creature’s head. The blow just missed the beast’s head and impeded in the collar bone causing it to crumble at the knees from the force. The beast still hissed with hatred, despite being barely able to move. Holding onto the shaft, Dave kicked the creature in the face, throwing it back and off the blade. He reversed his grip and used the axe head like a slide hammer, smashing down on the beast’s nose, flattening it.
As Dave and Barry turned their attentions to the last two creatures before them and the car, James stood next to a tall brick wall, not knowing what to do with himself. He was suddenly knocked to the ground by a body landing on him. A zombie had tumbled over from the brick wall. James knocked his head on the tarmac as he landed, and the beast was on him. It bit deep in to his throat and ripped a large part from his flesh.
The two friends looked back to see the zombie on their friend. His hands were cupped around his neck, blood poured from his wound in an ever expanding puddle around his body. Dave rushed back and swung his axe with a big horizontal blow. The creature looked up at Dave running at it, snarling at him, but the large blunt back edge of the weapon struck it square in the face, knocking it off James.
“James, James, hang in there!”
Dave put pressure down on the wound but blood continued to spew from between both their fingers. James gargled as he was choking on his own blood. Barry looked on at the desperate situation, but was suddenly all too aware of the moans of two beasts bearing down on them. He spun to see the first just a few feet from him. Now feeling utter hatred for the disgusting creatures that had injured his friend, he lifted the crowbar to his shoulder like a baseball bat. Barry smashed the crowbar down on the creature’s head, causing it to lose its balance. He did not allow it time to recover, striking again, hitting the shoulder, then again to the neck, until finally a heavy strike down onto the skull. The zombie’s skull opened as blood spewed out on to the street.
Not stopping to witness his handy work, Barry ran at the last one just ten feet in front of him. He swung the crowbar into its stomach causing it to keel over, then cracking the bar down onto the back of its exposed neck. The beast slammed to the tarmac, face downwards, but Barry kept hitting. The skull was obliterated by multiple beatings that Barry’s frenzy caused. He finally stopped when the creature’s head was as flat as the street it lay on.
Walking back over to his two friends, Barry could see that James was fighting for the last breaths in his life. But Dave was unwilling to give up. James was now gasping heavily and had lost more blood than anyone could expect to survive.
“Mate,” said Barry.
Dave ignored him.
“Dave!” shouted Barry.
“What?” Dave snarled back.
“You know what we have to do,” said Barry.
“No, not James,” said Dave.
Barry grabbed Dave by the shoulders and pulled him from their dying friend. Dave stumbled back, but before he could regain his footing, Barry stepped between him and James, holding him back.
“What do you think is going to happen here? He’s gone!” shouted Barry.
“So you’re just going to leave him to die by himself?” asked Dave.
“What else is there to do?” said Barry.
Dave calmed himself slightly, common sense and reality finally kicking in. He released his pressure and Barry stepped aside. They both looked over at James, he was now completely motionless, having breathed his last breath. The two men simply stood, pale faced, looking at their dead friend. This wasn’t all the fun the movies led you to believe. After just a few seconds his eyes re-opened, and he sat up.
“It’s time to end this, he isn’t our friend anymore,” said Barry.
Dave, now having got past the worst of his emotions and back to his practical self, lifted his axe on to his shoulder. Before James had time to rise from the seated position on the pavement, Dave’s axe was descending on him. The axe struck dead centre on the skull and provided a quick death to their old friend. Dave sorrowfully put his shoe on to his friend’s dead body and prized the blade from his skull.
“Let’s get out of this hell hole,” said Dave.
“Agreed,” said Barry.
The two men moved towards Dave’s car, his most prized position. The car was a 2002 Honda Civic Type R, black with gunmetal wheels. It was an evil looking car, and was soon to be put to good use. The two put their weapons in through to the back seat and jumped in, strapping into the four point harnesses. Turning the key the V-Tech engine roared to life, the best sound they’d heard all day.
“It’s going to be a rough ride out of town, this is perhaps the one day I wish I’d bought a Land Rover,” said Dave.
“At least you own a car, mate,” said Barry.
“True, you tight bastard,” said Dave.
He revved the engine and slipped the clutch, burning the front tyres as they launched onto the street. Reaching the main road it was more like an obstacle course than the straight road they were familiar with.
Dodging an upturned police car, the Civic raced between the endless scatterings of creatures. Taking a blind bend Dave clipped one of the zombies with the front wing, sending it tumbling into a wall. Keeping the speed up they were coming to an intersection. A mass of creatures were approaching from the way they were heading. At the crossroads Dave yanked the handbrake upwards and spun the car to the right side, slamming into the mass of creatures with the side of his car, knocking them backwards. Putting the power down they were again steaming ahead.
“To think I only washed the car on Saturday, what a shame,” said Dave.
A few hundred yards ahead an ambulance flew across an intersection, striking four zombies that were staggering across the road. The bodies of the creatures were thrown across the street. Slightly out of control the ambulance struck a bollard and tumbled onto its side, scraping and sliding across the pavement until it smashed through a shop front.
“Don’t stop, there’s nothing we can do for them,” said Barry.
“Agreed,” said Dave.
The two tore through the streets, deserted in many parts, zombies scattered in varying quantities in others. They were now getting clearer of the inner city limits and really opening up the throttle, racing through thirty miles per hour limits at eighty. “This is the best I’ve felt all day,” said Dave.
“Without a doubt, mate,” said Barry.
Up ahead a lorry was parked across much of the road. Dave didn’t even slow down, feeling confident from his track experience, and using the taut steering to quickly manoeuvre around the obstacle. As he came out from the bend it became clear that a body lay in the road.
“Shit!” shouted Dave.
The right front quarter struck the body, jolting the car. The tyre burst and the car pulled quickly over, crashing in to a parked saloon. A few moments later the two men came back to consciousness, the air bags having momentarily dazed them. Barry reeled in pain. Dave looked over to him, not seeing how he would have been injured whilst being in the harness. Then it became clear, the side of the car was buckled inwards, crushing his left leg and hip. The car had struck the saloon square on the passenger door and then bounced off onto a pavement, tumbling bonnet first into a post box, which is where they now sat, in plain sight.