“Fuck you, have some faith,” said Gary.
The men’s presence up high and visible was already attracting attention from nearby shamblers, compounded by the racket they’d made clambering onto the wreckage.
“Let’s move on,” said Gary.
They jumped down from the vehicle and headed on down the street, it wasn’t far now to Gary’s home. They were walking at a steady pace, approaching a bend with two creatures on it. Gary punched the first one in the face whilst holding his baton and connecting with the carbon fibre knuckles of his riot gloves. The zombie crashed to the ground, still alive, but at least out of the way.
Matt approached his as if to strike to the head, but re-directed at the last minute, hitting the creature’s knee cap dead on, the joint buckled and sent the creature onto its other knee. Whilst still in motion he swung the baton around and cracked his opponent on the back of the head, sending it face first and dead to the ground. They kept going along the street.
It was quite clear that they needed some better weapons. The batons were designed as semi-lethal weapons, but needed a lot of strength, effort and accuracy to kill a zombie. Not only that, but multiple blows were often needed, wasting valuable time.
“Mate, do you really think that your family could have survived this?” asked Matt.
“Don’t talk like that,” said Gary.
“I’m serious, what happens if we get there and find only zombies?” asked Matt.
“Then we’ll deal with it, just shut up!” said Gary.
“Great plan,” said Matt.
“Fuck you, just keep doing your part,” said Gary.
“So I’m just along to kill things?” asked Matt.
“For now, yes,” said Gary.
“So you got any weapons at home?” asked Matt.
“Oh yeh, I’ve a sawn off under the bed and a handgun in my sock drawer. What do you think?” said Gary.
“Alright, seriously though, what have you got?” asked Matt.
“A machete and a katana, that’s it,” said Gary.
“Well that’s better than nothing.”
The two men reached the corner of the street where they could see Gary’s home. Their hearts sunk as they could see a number of creatures going in through the smashed front door. There were likely to be more already inside the house. Gary’s attention was drawn to movement in the front window on the upper floor.
“Chris!” shouted Gary.
“What?” asked Matt.
“It’s my son!” said Gary.
Gary ran towards his house.
“Hang on mate, this is a shit plan,” said Matt.
“Just follow me!” shouted Gary.
It was indeed a terrible strategy, running into a house full of enemies, but Gary was thinking single-mindedly and Matt could not reason with him. Matt knew all too well now that splitting up could be the end of both of them, so despite the awful plan of attack, he could only follow and do his best.
They reached the front door. Gary hit the first creature from behind with his shield, smashing it into the door frame. He smashed his truncheon multiple times into the back of the zombie’s skull until the creature slid down the doorway, dead. Gary was no longer acting with the cool, calculated head he normally would, but as if in a frenzy. Going through the doorway he punched the face of an incoming creature, kicked it in the stomach, kneed it in the head and finally hit it to the floor with his shield. Before the creature could recover he smashed his truncheon onto the back of its skull with full force, trapping it between the weapon and the floor. The impact was hard, sending pain through his arm and especially his elbow.
It was already clear to them, that whilst they were quite capable of winning in combat against these zombies, they would quickly tire. Gary stepped over the body of the latest zombie and into the hallway of his house. It was narrow, only wide enough for one man, but it was already clogged by several creatures. The house was infested, and they were here for a reason. It was hopeful that at least one of Gary’s family was still alive, as the zombies showed such drive to get into the place.
Gary continually drove his way through the creatures before him. Several turned to face this new threat, or potential for blood. He kept them at bay with his shield, whilst continually striking until they were down on the floor. Matt struck the bodies as he reached them, just to be certain. Both men had witnessed the risk of not ensuring these beasts were fully dead.
The living room and hallway were now awash with bodies and blood. Gary finally reached the bottom of the stairs. Looking up he could see a zombie beating on the door where he’d seen his son. The creature turned as it was alerted by the policeman’s presence.
Gary finally realised what he now faced, the bloodthirsty creature before him was his wife. Blood dripped from her jaw, her clothes were torn and dirty, her flesh ripped and cut. Gary couldn’t move or speak, he was in too much shock.
“What is it, mate?” asked Matt.
“That’s Sandra,” said Gary.
“Your wife?” asked Matt.
Gary nodded slowly as the creature began to stagger down the steps towards him. He was still unable to move, his weapons hanging at his sides.
“Mate, you’re going to have to do something,” said Matt.
“Like what?” asked Gary.
“Kill the bitch,” said Matt.
“That’s my wife!” shouted Gary.
“Not anymore, she’s a zombie who’s stopping you getting to your son!” shouted Matt.
His former wife was now halfway down the stairs but Gary had still made no move at all, completely stunned and shocked by the situation. He’d gone from utter frenzy to depressive nothingness.
“Then get out the way and let me do it,” said Matt.
“No, this is my job,” said Gary.
“Good, you’re doing her a favour, she would never want to be this way,” said Matt.
“That doesn’t make it any easier,” said Gary.
“It should do, you’ll be doing the kindest thing, now man the fuck up and do what you know you have to do!” shouted Matt.
Sandra was just two steps from the bottom of the stairs where Gary stood as he lifted his baton. He could not bring himself to kill his wife, even if she was now a zombie. She reached him and grabbed at his shoulders. The creature was desperately trying to pull him closer in order to bite him, but he was keeping her at a distance with his shield pushed into her chest.
“Do it!” shouted Matt.
“No!” shouted Gary.
Matt stepped in closer and smashed his truncheon down onto the creature’s head, knocking her flat onto the stairs. He grabbed Gary’s chest armour and heaved him out of the way before finally smashing the baton down on the zombie’s head to finish her off. Gary, having regained his footing, ran at Matt, shoving him against the wall.
“What the hell are you doing?” shouted Gary.
“It had to be done and you know it,” said Matt.
“That was my wife!” shouted Gary.
“Not anymore!” replied Matt.
Gary released his hold on his friend and looked down at the bloody lifeless mess of his wife sprawled at the bottom of the stairs in their home. Gary had longed for action and adventure in his life, to break away from the boredom, but this was not at all what he’d anticipated.
“I’m sorry, mate. I didn’t want it either,” said Matt.
Gary collapsed down on his sofa, traumatised by the day. He had little will left in him to even stand.
“What about your son?” asked Matt.
Gary suddenly sprung to life. The brutal killing of his zombified wife had made him completely forget about Chris. He leapt from the sofa and ran upstairs, not at all bothered now by having to step over the corpse of his wife. He reached the top of the stairs and the door to the room he’d seen his son. It was the bathroom, the only one with a lock, and it was locked. He hammered on the door.
“Chris! Chris?” shouted Gary.
There was no response. Matt looked up from the bottom of the stairs, the silence was unbearable. He knocked on the door again.
“Chris, are you ok?”
“Daddy?” asked Chris.
Gary’s heart raced at the response he finally got, to hear anyone talking anymore was a major relief.
“Yes, it’s me. Open the door, son,” said Gary.
“But, but, how do I know you’re not one of the monsters?” asked Chris.
“You’ll have to trust me Chris, I’m here to rescue you,” said Gary.
“But what if you become like Mummy?” asked Chris.
“It’s ok, Chris. I’m ok, and so is my partner Matt, but we have to get away from here, to a safe place,” said Gary.
“In here is safe, the monsters can’t get in,” said Chris.
“But you can’t stay in there forever, son. You haven’t got any food or water,” said Gary.
“Where’s Mummy?” asked Chris.
“She’s gone now, she can’t hurt you,” said Gary.
There was a long silence as Chris thought about what to do. The bathroom was the only place of safety he’d known. The fact that one parent had turned on him frightened him a lot. Finally he crept up to the door and opened it. Gary snatched him into his arms.
“Chris, are you ok?” asked Gary.
“Yes, but Mummy bit me,” said Chris.
Gary’s heart sank as the reality of the situation dawned on him. He pulled Chris back into his view to see the cut flesh on his son’s arm, blood seeped from the wound. This was likely the man’s only family left in the world, and he already knew that would now only last a matter of hours at best. Tears began to stream from his eyes, but he pulled Chris into his arms to conceal his distraught state. He no longer knew what to do, his wife now dead, his son soon to be. Matt walked into the room and could see the pale sad face of his friend.
“What’s up?” asked Matt.
“Sandra bit him,” said Gary.
Matt gasped in disbelief. After all the effort and trauma they’d gone through to save Gary’s family, this is what it had come to. He now wished, they both did, that they’d not gone to his house at all. Sadly, the chance of leaving his family behind was not one that Gary could ever have lived with.
“What do you want to do?” asked Matt.
“I have no idea,” said Gary.
Gary thought long and hard about all of the possibilities. He was trying with all his energy to disassociate himself with his son, knowing full well what had to be done.
“Do you want me to do it?” asked Matt.
“No, wait downstairs,” said Gary.
“Sure?” asked Matt.
“Yeh, go,” said Gary.
Matt went downstairs and sat down on the leather sofa in the living room. He relaxed back in comfort, ignoring the bodies of their victims lying around him. A few moments later Gary walked back down the stairs, looking terrible.
“Have you done it?” asked Matt.
“No,” said Gary.
“You know it has to be done!” shouted Matt.
“No I don’t! What is one more zombie in the world? He won’t know any different and we won’t be around to see otherwise,” said Gary.
Matt thought about what his friend had said and understood. If leaving him to become a zombie maintained some sanity for his friend, so be it.
“So what have you done with him?” asked Matt.
“I told him to stay there where he felt safe, and to lock the door, as we were going to help some other people,” said Gary.
“And he accepted that?” asked Matt.
“Yes, it’s the only place in the world where he feels comfortable and safe, it’s the best way,” said Gary.
Matt said nothing more, as dwelling on the matter would only make things harder for Gary. They both now needed to maintain a solid frame of mind and cool headedness.
“So what do we do now?” asked Matt.
“We clearly can’t stay here, there are zombies everywhere. We either find somewhere that’s fortified, or escape to the countryside,” said Gary.
“What would we do in the country?” asked Matt.
“Well there are less people there, so less zombies,” said Gary.
“But what do we know about the countryside, we aren’t fucking farm boys,” said Matt.
“Then we find somewhere secure with food and drink,” said Gary.
“Sounds like a plan, like where?” asked Matt.
“Only place I can think of is The Mall, very secure and full of supplies,” replied Gary.
“Alright, you got a car?” asked Matt.
“I’ve got a bike, and that’ll be easier to get around with anyway, the roads are all going to be packed,” said Gary.
Gary grabbed the katana from the mantelpiece and handed it to Matt.
“Fucking cool,” said Matt.
Gary took a machete from a cupboard by the TV and they were now ready to go. They knew they would have to leave their shields behind, as they couldn’t carry them on the bike. Despite this, the thought of getting to safety was enough to subdue their concerns. They tucked the new weapons into the strapping of their riot armour and set out from the front door. Looking at the road before them there were zombies everywhere, stumbling towards them.
“Get to the bike, run!” shouted Gary.
They ran quickly forwards to the road where Gary’s bike was parked. Six creatures stood between them and the motorcycle, whilst countless others bore down on them from beyond the vehicle. Matt drew his katana and ran for the first creature. He hacked into the collar of his first target with a strong diagonal cut, it drove into its spine and dropped the creature to the pavement.
Gary drew his machete into his right hand and baton in the left, he charged at the first zombie, all too aware of the need for speed. He smashed the creature’s face with the baton, knocking it downwards and exposing the neck. He swung the machete down with all his force to the back of the neck and the head was cleaved off, spurting blood out across the street. He ran to his next target and cut across the face with his machete, carving it open and the creature spun to the ground.
Matt reached his next opponent and cut vertically into the centre of the skull, the acutely sharp and curved blade driving deep into the brain. He kicked the beast back, pulling the sword from its head as he did so. Matt finally swung horizontally with the katana at his third opponent. His inexperience with the weapon led to poor accuracy and the blade imbedded in the shoulder, almost taking the arm off. He slid the blade from the wound and cut again, this time cutting the head down to the shoulders.