Note

This story is a draft so there may be alot of problems and things you don't get but i hope you still enjoy it

Chapter 1

 

Sarah Walker stared at her plate with a frown. Her lobster that only a few moments had seemed appetizing suddenly turned into something that wanted to make her throw up. Her eyes darted to the person sitting across from her.

“Dad” she said in a pleading tone. “Daniel…it’s just I don’t think he’s the one”

Her dad looked up from slicing his fish with a frown and eyes sharp like it could cut steal.

“Daniel is my best friend’s son and I need you to go out with him because it would benefit our business” he said firmly and Sarah shivered with the cold look he gave her. It was if she were some meat to be traded and sold to gain profit. What about her thoughts she wondered as she sunk into her seat.

“I hope you know that our company’s future rests on you. I also hope you would stop those self-defence classes. You’re a girland I don’t need my daughter running around waving weapons and throwing kicks and acting like a fighter. It’s your aunt’s fault though, sending you to all those classes ever since you were little”

Sarah nodded numbly. She knew very well that she was a girl since it had been imprinted into her mind ever since she can remember but yet she didn’t regret taking the various classes since she enjoyed the thrill of fighting and smell of sweat and her plastic katana blade.

Taking a bite from her food she swallowed it with a grimace before placing her fork down. “Please excuse me while I use the ladies room” she asked politely while standing up. Her dad didn’t even glance up from his meal as he flipped through his messages on his phone.

Sarah made her way towards the bathroom door passing by a waiter who was hacking away on her hander kerchief. Sarah winced at her loud cough and found herself stopping.

“You ok Miss?” she asked politely and the lady looked up. Her eyes were unfocused and bloodshot and her forehead was sweating, even her skin was beginning to take a pasty form.

“Y-yes” she mumbled and Sarah recoiled slightly at the repulsive breath. “I was attacked on the street. Someone bit me” she explained. Sarah looked on in horror before placing a hand carefully on her back.

“That’s horrible” she said as she urged the woman towards the bathroom. “How about we get you cleaned up and then we get you home right?” she said and the lady nodded. This was an odd flu she thought and she made a mental note to wash her hands after treating to the lady. Sarah was always a tad bit crazy about science and medical conditions.

Sarah pushed open the door with her hand and sat the women down on the cushioned seat pushed to the side. Never in her life had she been thankful that such a thing existed as she grabbed some tissues and handed it to the lady.

The female groaned in pain, clutching her stomach and hacking away again as Sarah stepped back.

“Oh god, should I go call-“Sarah’s voice was cut off as the person toppled over. Sarah tried to catch her and but withdrew her hand when she felt how cold the body had become.

“Is everything-“

“Quick” Sarah said as another waiter came in to see what the noise was about. The waiter looked surprised as they took in the scene. “Call the ambulance!” Sarah cried and the waiter panicked and came further into the bathroom with frantic eyes.

“What?” they asked stupidly and Sarah groaned as she began to leave. “Wait here, I’ll go make the call. Just make sure she stays with you and-“

There came a loud cry of pain and Sarah turned in time to see the women biting off a chuck of the waiters arm.

Sarah stumbled back in horror as the waiter collapsed onto the floor, screaming in agony.

“Holy shit” she swore, completely forgetting her manners as she watched immobile as the lady slouched towards the waiter who was weeping tears of pain. She watched as she bit into the flesh around the waiter’s neck and blood gushed out in torrents.

She needed to help she thought urgently snapping out of her daze as she looked around for something but was cut off by the  bang from the door and Sarah turned in time to see someone stumble in bloodied with a stricken look on their face.

“Dying” they mumbled as they pointed outside as the door slammed shut. Sarah frowned for a moment before she heard a groan and remembering her purpose she looked around more frantically. That was when she noticed the person who had just entered carrying a long silver knife.

Sarah made a grab for it and she was relieved that the lady gave it away so easily since it seemed to slip from her hands. Quickly swivelling back around Sarah looked at the monster who was furiously chewing away at the dead waiter. She shut her eyes for all but three seconds before she made a lunge forward and swung the knife down, trying to remember all her self-defence classes. She could feel the meat hit the blade as she steeled herself and kept hacking away. When she felt the monster go still before her was when she stopped.

Sarah wiped the blood from her face and slouched back with bile rising up her throat. She had just killed someone or ‘thing’ was what she was coming to realize.

Distantly she heard weeping and turning around Sarah pulled herself together at the sight of the other person.

“Go call the police” Sarah yelled out, “we need to get help!”

The person continued to cry uselessly so Sarah decided to grab their shoulders and shake them. “What the hell!” she said and the person looked up with a look of terror.

“He began to bite everyone. He was a monster and there were others like him…” Sarah couldn’t understand what else they were saying but fear was beginning to coil around her heart.

Dad, she thought as she stood up and placed her hand on the handle.

“No! Don’t open it” came a cry but Sarah ignored it as she slowly inched the door open. Taking a small peek her throat went dry. Blood was what painted the place, the pastel walls splattered with the colour red.

“Oh god” she whispered as her blood began to pump adrenaline through her system. She supressed the urge to puke again as she stepped back and took a breath to calm herself.

I need to leave she thought as she took a moment to place her thoughts in order. I can’t stay here; I need to find….who? She wondered. Daniel? Dad? God she had killed someone and was standing in the middle of a death field so how in bloody hell was she going to find them, if they were still even alive.

Beginning to feel detached from reality she slouched down and took another breath only to breathe the smell of blood.

“I can’t stay here” she repeated as she clutched the knife tighter. What happens if those things came back? Those monsters that seemed to be biting flesh off? Were they a cult organisation she wondered.

“We need to get out” she said turning to the other person only to see them shaking their head as they pressed themselves against the wall.

“No way” they cried and Sarah took a step towards them. “They might come back!” Sarah said irritably and a laugh bubbled from within the other persons chest.

 “If we can get out of here I’m sure that everything would be alright outside”

“Outside!” they cried mockingly. “They were everywhere. On the streets, in shops, everywhere. What makes you think that everything is ok?”

Sarah stopped; she didn’t want to believe that they were everywhere.

“You’re lying” she said lamely but she recalled what the lady from before said before she turned into a monster. Hadn’t she been bitten by someone outside? Was this really the doing of a cult?

There was a prolonged moment of silence. “There zombies” they said and Sarah raised an eyebrow. “They bite and spread there disease”

“I don’t care what they are” Sarah said shaking her head as she began to strengthen her resolve even though she wanted to scream. “If what you said was true then we should continue to move”.

The other person laughed before shaking their head as if she were a toddler. “Move she says” they said as they continued to chuckle in mirth. Sarah sighed annoyed and distressed.

“Fine then” she said. “I’m going”. It was as if the person didn’t hear her as they kept on laughing and Sarah knew they had broken under the horror. Luckily Sarah had placed a large mental block around that part of her brain which was weeping with terror and instead focused on one goal. Survive.

It was as if some switch flicked on as she felt a strong sense of determination floods her and a will to live.

Sarah knew that it was a bad idea but placed the knife on the floor and kicked it to the person. She watched it slide across the bloodied surface and hit the wall with a clang. “Take it” she said as she turned away and took another peek outside again. When she deemed it safe she took a breath and stepped away from the inside of the room where she had killed someone.

With careful steps Sarah only made her eyes sweep through the room briefly without taking in any off the gory parts in detail. The kitchen doors beckoned at her with the promise of kitchen knives yet she forced herself to brush that thought away. She didn’t know what was behind those doors and she knew to play it as safe as she can get.

Sarah stumbled a little and looked down to see the broken piece of a chair leg. Quickly grabbing it from the floor she examined the uneven splintered end briefly before grasping it more tightly in her hands. This would have to do she thought as she held it out and swung it a few times.

There was a clatter from behind her and Sarah’s eyes snapped back and towards the back of the restaurant. She stilled as she watched a figure rise from the pile of corpses. However it was like the figure didn’t see her even though she stood a few feet in front of them. They just lamely limped and stumbled the other way before crashing into a wall.

Frowning Sarah backed up towards a wall as well to the left of her and pressed her back against it. She didn’t really want people or zombies jumping at her from behind as she walked forward.

Now with eyes darting back and forth between the zombie and the door Sarah made a steady progression forward. When she reached the smashed door with broken glass she took a small peek out and stepped over shards of glass outside. There was crunching under her flats which made her wince before she rushed to the edge of the steps only to halt.

There before her the city stood silent and eerie only lit up by the odd lamppost dotting the street. Sarah shivered as she saw the bodies strewn around the road and faces twisted in agony. Every step she took felt as if it was enhanced in sound and she surveyed around herself, her eyes flickering everywhere.

So far no zombies she thought as she quietly made her way down the steps and onto the street, steeling her mind from the disgusting images. Now all she needed was to find somewhere safe, possibly even find some survivors who could tell her what the hell was going on.

 Shuddering at the smell of blood and rotten corpses she walked down the path, always keeping her back to a wall or surface. She darted between the lights lightly on her feet and clutched the leg of the chair more firmly in her hands like her katana.

Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she raced to the first usable car she saw. Sarah saw a body slumped forward with their head hitting the dashboard and blood pouring out of there forehead with chunks of neck missing. She lightly pressed the chair leg on the shoulder of the body and supressed a scream as the body thudded onto the cement floor. Stepping over the corpse she slid into the seat, wincing as she felt the blood squelch under her dress. She used her leg to kick the body away from the door and slammed the door shut.

The sound echoed of the walls and bounced between shadows, alerting the zombies who sat hunched chewing on meat dripping with blood. With wild eyes they stood up slowly and made a limp towards the sound, their skin peeling off their face and their hands lying limply by their sides.    

Sarah swore as she saw the first zombie emerge out from the shadows with an unhooked jaw. She blindly tried to start the car, listening as the engine stuttered before roaring to life. Silently she thanked the heavens and reversed the car, ignoring the sound of crushing bones as she went. The zombies continued to follow her as Sarah made a wild right turn and drove speedily down the road dodging cars, only taking a relieved breath when she saw them beginning to disappear and become specks on the horizon.

 

 

Chapter 2

 

Chapter 2:

Slowing down and strapping her seatbelt on she weaved in between the abandon cars now more slowly as her heart rate returned to normal. Still though she was on edge, her body tensed and her eyes wild with fear.

After driving on what seemed like hours but could only have been mere minutes, Sarah parked the car on the curb but left the engine running. For a long moment she stared blankly forward and into the darkness. It was only three more hours till sunrise she thought as she leaned back. Without even realizing it she had flicked the radio on almost hoping for some music to lighten the mood.

When static met her Sarah felt the first brimming of tears rush to her eyes. Suddenly the night’s events were starting to come to her and the hopelessness of her own situation. She had no clue what to do or where to even go. She was alone.

Her hands moved up to turn the radio off when she accidently pressed the wrong button through her tears.

“For all those survivors” come’s a booming voice and Sarah sat upright suddenly now fully alert, her falling tears forgotten  as they descended down her dirtied cheeks.

“I’m sure you all know that the undead have risen….” Sarah’s worst fears had been confirmed and she shivered.

“But don’t fear, the government has been preparing for such a situation as this. There are safe houses located all around the countryside such as Goodwill. Go there and you would be protected.” Sarah frowned; Goodwill wasn’t that far from where she was. “The government has been preparing for such a situation ever since the 1990s and built secrete safe houses everywhere. It’s now up to you to make it here” Suddenly the connection was cut off. Sarah cursed and tried tapping away to find the connection again but to no avail for it had been lost.

But it was enough thought Sarah. Because now she knew that there were others like her who were, if they heard the message, going to go to Goodwill. Feeling a little better she laughed a little and couldn’t keep the slight smile from her face. The only problem she had now was getting there but first she needed weapons. If push came to pull she knew that she wouldn’t be able to fight all the zombies using a broken chair leg and wearing a dress.

Pulling out from the side of the road she drove towards the direction of her aunt’s house, knowing that it was on its way to Goodwill. Hopefully she thought, her aunt would still be alive and breathing, but she knew that deep inside the idea was a farfetched one.

It took about an hour to get out of the city and into suburban land and the sky was starting to get lighter. Sarah was dead tired when she arrived at her aunt’s small yellow house and she almost didn’t care about the dead bodies strewn everywhere. Somewhere along the way she had just shut that switch of empathy off and was feeling like she too were dead in her mind except for one thought. Survive.

 Sarah’s body was alert as she stepped out from the car holding the wooden piece and shutting the car door but not locking it. She saw that her aunt’s font door was ajar slightly and with cautious steps she made her way towards it. Slightly she kicked it open; thankful it didn’t make a creaking noise as her eyes adjusted to the darkness.

Everywhere she could see things in a mess as if someone had had a wrestling match in there. Listening for any noise she bravely took a step in, her lips sealed shut with fear. Hands shaking she tried to switch on the lights and it worked for all but three seconds before sputtering off. However even that was enough time for Sarah to see her aunt’s body lying on the living room floor in her nightgown and with blood soaking her clothes.

Raising her hand to her mouth she gagged into it but steeled her mind as she placed a large mental block on her feelings, before inching to the left and towards the side cupboard where she knew her aunt kept a torch. She took the torch out and shined the beam around the house, letting it fall everywhere except the body of her aunt as she took steady steps towards the kitchen. When she entered the room she saw a smearing of blood on the floors and ignoring it she looked hastily through the drawers for her aunt’s sharpest blade. She altered between two small knives and then decided to take both as she placed her wooden chair leg down and held both knives in one hand and the torch in the other.

After Sarah made a beeline for her room that she often stayed in when she came to visit on those odd weekends. Opening the door she looked in with her weapons raised high and the light shining around the room. It was a miracle that her stuff was still in its rightful position she thought as she walked in. Sarah opened her cupboards and pulled out some dark jeans, a leather belt and a long sleeved black shirt. That was when she heard the groaning. Dropping her clothes on the floor she turned in time to see a body lunge and her. Sarah pushed herself roughly to the right where she hit her side on the drawer and winced. The pain snapped her out of her daze as she saw her aunt rise up in the beam of the light from the floor but with the crazed look of a zombie. She limped towards Sarah and Sarah picked up her knives which had fallen besides her and sending an apology silently she plunged the first knife deep with her aunt’s leg, making the zombie fall to the ground. But still the zombie kept coming and Sarah just barely missed it as it made a grab for her leg. Slamming her foot down on the head she panted as she army rolled away. She took a moment to collect her breath before she rammed her other knife deep with her aunt’s skull. Sarah’s aunt stilled and fell to the floor in a heap of dead limbs. Yet still Sarah continued to plunge the knife into her head, the blood splattering everywhere.

When Sarah had calmed down she stood back in horror. Had she done that she wondered as now one couldn’t even tell where the head began or ended. She had been possessed by this primal need to defend herself and had struck wildly but with precision like she had been taught in her many classes.

Looking away she picked up her clothes, torch and knives and made her way unsteadily to the connected bathroom where she locked the door. The girl in the mirror looked horrific with blood dotting there face and their hair matted with the substance. Sarah turned the knob on the sink and sighed in relief as water gushed out. She picked up a handful and drank from it greedily before washing her face vigorously as if to cleanse herself from death. The water turned red and it took about fifteen minutes to get it all out from her hair. Now Sarah could see the blonde colouring of hair and her pale pallor of her face. Getting a towel she stripped down from the dress and wiped the blood off her body before slipping on her new pair of clothes. Sarah strapped one of the knives around her belt and held the other in her hand as she tightened her hair into a messy bun. Now feeling a bit more prepared she exited the bathroom with her torch and rifled around her cupboard where she withdrew a sturdy black backpack and some firm running shoes. Slipping them on she exited her room and glanced nervously around before hurriedly making her way to the kitchen again. As she stepped over some papers something on them caught her eyes.

Sarah’s aunt had been a scientist, but for what, Sarah never knew. But now there were papers scattered everywhere with very familiar equations and symbols that she had created alongside her aunt unknowingly with the title on every page reading ‘undead project’ in bold black script. Crouching down Sarah frowned at the scripts and came to realize that they were logs. Some of them had her aunt’s neat writing and picking it up and flashing the torch on them she read briefly on what it said.

Log 12

The test subject has been unresponsive. We’ve tried a combination of different chemicals but it still seems far that we’ll ever find a cure….

Before Sarah could delve any further into the text she heard the distinct sound of groaning. Looking out the opened door that she had left open she saw a horde of zombies making their way down the street.With nimble fingers Sarah stuffed her bag with all the papers she could get on the floor and then made her way to the kitchen where she swung the fridge open and instead of seeing food saw case upon case of liquids packed in containers and test tubes. She debated briefly if she should take it but then decided that she should as she took them all in her hands and placed them in the bag, thanking the lord that they were securely packed in thick glass.

When Sarah had nearly cleared the fridge her bag was stuffed and weighed a lot yet she still shouldered it and made a hasty dash for her car. She threw the bag besides her into the passenger seat and slid in, revving the engine and feeling grateful that she had made it time before the whole mass of zombies could block off the whole road.

Reversing madly she stepped on the pedal and gunned out in the opposite direction with her heart racing again.

She heard the zombies groan in protest and looking in the side mirror she saw them limp towards her fruitlessly yet even though they were slow she did not halt in her speedy exit.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 3

 

Chapter 3:

Sarah had been driving into the late hours of the afternoon the next day with only two toilet breaks where she had peed on the side of the deserted road and one pit stop to fill up her tank and pack some petrol in large bottles. Currently she was entering the area of Briskly, still five days away from her destination to the closest safe house.

Sarah pulled over into the gravel driveway of one of the large secluded houses in the vicinity. It was a manor of sorts with white pillars and glass windows and Sarah knew that this was quite a house judging from the size of it. However the only thing tarnishing it was the blood smeared on walls and the pile of burnt dead remains lying in a heap to the right.

Cutting the engine off Sarah took a moment to study the scorched pile before stepping out with her knife in her hand and her torch in the other as she crunched her way warily towards the entrance leaving the back pack in the safety of her now locked car. When within arm’s reach of the door she pressed at the handle. It was shut firmly and Sarah frowned, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

There was a beep in the corner and tense Sarah eyes swung to see a camera zooming into her face. She stared at it surprised as a buzz resonated from the speaker besides the doorbell.

“Who are you?” a smooth voice asked and Sarah shivered slightly. It felt like it had been years since she had seen another human being or heard there voice so clearly like they were standing right beside her.

“Sarah” she said clearly, her voice threatening to crack with the onslaught of emotions she was feeling but she forced herself not to be consumed by her emotions. She needed to focus she thought firmly. All that met her was silence and Sarah feared that the voice she had just heard was all conjured by her imagination.

There was a rattling behind the door and Sarah tensed, raising her knife and leaning on the balls of her feet as she inched back. Slowly the door swung open to reveal a young group of men and women all peering at her in curiosity.

“Wow, calm down girl” a guy with short cropped hair said as he raised his hands up. Sarah noticed that they all had a dog tags around there neck and they were wearing dark clothes much like hers. In fact they all seemed to be ripped with muscles and had a few scars running down their arms or body.

“Are you the army?” she found herself asking and the guy raised his eyebrows in surprise since it only took a few seconds for the girl to assess the situation.

“Yeah, what of it” came a cold voice and Sarah met the eyes of a buff lady who stood a good inches taller than her small frame. Actually compared to them Sarah had never felt so frail in all her life.

Harding her face she blocked out her emotions, one of the things she can come to thank her father in teaching her. There was silence for a moment and then like a parting sea the small group divided in the centre to reveal a young man. He was tall and Sarah would have to be blind not to see that he was the leader of their division.

She studied him more closely; the first thing she noticed was his cold charcoal black eyes that seemed to see through her and his thin long fingers. His face was tanned and his jaw defined and Sarah knew that he was handsome in a rugged kind of way, the total opposite of Daniel.

He too seemed to be assessing her, noticing her small slim figure and blonde hair and wide blue eyes. She seemed like she would snap if he hugged her.

“What’s your business?” he asked clearly and Sarah supressed the shiver. This was no time to notice how smooth and incredibly amazing his voice sounded when she had a whole zombie takeover happening behind her.

“I’m going to the safe house in Goodwill” she said straight to the point. The guy nodded his head as if he expected that answer.

“Goodwill” said the guy from before and Sarah nodded as he shook his head. “That’s one good plan. Safest place here”. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that they would have told her that it had been destroyed.

“You’re not that far from it actually “he continued. “Only about five days away”

“So why’d you come here?” said the lady from before with an hateful look, her face showing how much she thought Sarah was a waste of space and time. Weren’t they meant to help she thought but then dismissed that thought.

“I need a place to rest…” she said, her voice drifting off with uncertainty.

“Look girl” the lady said while stepping forward and making Sara take a step back. “We don’t have time to deal with petty things like your problems. Where on a mission” Something in Sarah snapped. Sleeping and rest wasn’t a petty reason she thought as her anger flared. Sarah was starting to become extremely fed up with the situation. For Christ sakes she had killed two zombies, one being her aunt, escaped a city and driven for hours without stopping on an empty stomach and no water.

“So why don’t you take your little kid ass and make your way down…” Sarah was starting to see red at the corner of her vision and she was getting annoyed with the sympathetic looks the other soldiers were giving her. She wasn’t all hopeless. Actually she liked to think herself deadly since she had taken all those classes ever since she was young on defending herself from danger. For a moment she began to wonder if the reason her dead aunt, whom she had killed, had signed her up for all of them was because she feared something like this would happen.

“Are you retarded? Did you not hear me because you’re really starting to piss me off with your knives and-“

A chorus of groans cut the lady off and Sarah swivelled around to see a group of five zombies emerging from the trees around the perimeter. They must have come when they heard your voice Sarah thought bitterly.

“Shit those mother fuckers” she heard someone swear and Sarah glanced back to see them assessing the situation as they huddled into a group, leaving a gap between her and them. Offended slightly she turned away only to remember that her back pack was in the car, which right now all the zombies seemed to be heading towards. That back pack had valuable information she thought as she stepped forward. She feared that they would break the cars widows and rip the bag apart since they were on a war zone, tearing furiously at anything they came into contact with.

“Get back here” the guy with the cropped hair said and her eyes met his briefly before falling to the black eyes of the leader who seemed to be taking everything in stride. He didn’t even spare her a glance and this slightly angered her to an extent, especially since the other lady was giving her a smug and superior look.

Snatching her arm away she shook her head. “There’s important stuff in there”. Before he could speak and convince her to stay Sarah took a breath and dropped the torch on the floor. It clattered and rolled but by then she had already forgotten it, now recalling everything she had learnt in her classes. She was now going on the offensive and she drew her other knife out from her belt.

“Don’t be crazy” the lady said in a snobby voice and Sarah ignored her, “where not coming to save your ass”. She took one look back, met the eyes off everyone, holding the black eyes of the leader a tad longer, and uttered the words clearly and with well concealed anger. “I never asked you too”.

She plunged forwards and onto the floor, landing lightly on her feet. She didn’t wait for the snarky reply of the lady as she focused solely on the situation. Get the back pack she thought as she saw the zombies clamber around her car.

Clutching the knives in her hands she jerked in their direction, locking onto the first zombie with a missing arm and shrivelled skin. She took her first knife and took a clean swipe at the legs, making them stumble a little before she dealt the ending result by piercing there skull with her blade. The bone easily crumbled under her as they fell to the floor. Using her momentum Sarah continued her pursuit, moving onto the next zombie while never faltering her steps. This one was slightly larger than the other and Sarah saw it lunge at her but she ducked down and army rolled behind them before she stabbed them on the back and used the other blade to cut their head off. The head fell with the thump onto the floor and rolled away. Sarah heard a groan from behind her and turned in time to jump back and dodge a fatal bite. She quickly clamped a hand down on an arm before knocking her head against the zombies and then taking a knife and putting it through the side of their head.  She pulled it out smoothly, the blood dripping our as the body collapsed to the floor. Still going Sarah studied her next opponent and saw that it was an easy kill. One slice of the blade and there head was gone and that only left Sarah and the last of the zombie five. Using her speed and small stature Sarah was able to dart towards it and miss its furious snapping jaw before she knocked it down with her weight and stabbed her knife through its jaw and out the other side.

She was breathing heavily as she stood up and picked her knives, wiping it down and slipping them back onto her belt. Covered in blood and sweat again she walked slowly to her car and unlocked it, taking her back pack out from inside.

Briefly she stood in the peace and silence before turning around to see the unbelieving expressions of the group. Some had their mouths open with awe and others just stood dumbfounded. This small girl had killed five zombies in less than five minutes like they were nothing. The only one not remotely shocked was the leader who stood there but with a spark in his eyes like he was curious about her.

Sarah strides to them with purpose, her steps unfaltering. Her eyes sought out the annoying lady’s and when she found them she drew close. “Like I said I don’t need you to protect me” she spat out. The lady swallowed and sent her cocky grin even though she was slightly scared.

“You’re an idiot for running through zombies to save a back pack” she said clearly in an act to gain back her dignity.

Sarah cocked an eyebrow up.

“Am I an idiot to go and save the research which our humanity may depend on?”

One could hear a pin drop at that moment.

 

 

Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Sarah walked into the room dressed in a set of fresh clothes. Basically she wore the exact replica of what she had on before but had changed her shoes to combat boots and her belt to a proper weapons carrier.

Falling onto a chair she felt the small group of people watching her silently. Everyone wasn’t here was what she could tell; only the guy with the close cropped hair, the annoying lady, the supposed leader and a few other tough looking males.

“Tell us what you meant” the dark eyed leader said and Sarah’s eyes snapped up to see him leaning across an oak table spread with the papers from her back pack.

“That’s my aunt’s research” she said as she gestured to the desk “she was a scientist….um?” Sarah paused, waiting for him to give a name so she could place it with his face.

“Troy” he said and Sarah nodded, thinking that the name suited him in a way.

“I think she was studying this before the epidemic spread, trying to find a cure-“

“Where is she then?” a voice cut in rudely and Sarah looked towards the guy with cropped hair.

“You are?” she asked bluntly but the guy didn’t seem to take offense. “Andrew” he said before pointing to the lady who sat sulking in her seat. “That’s Jenny and those guys are Mark, Jackson and Taylor”

Sarah nodded curtly at each, not even taking their appearance in too much detail.

“She’s dead” Sarah said, answering the earlier question.

“What?” Taylor asked and Sarah nodded her head sadly as she tried to supress that unpleasant memory. She didn’t really feel up to it by telling them that she had killed her aunt when she had attacked her at her house.

“She turned zombie” she continued vaguely and she saw Troy raise his eyebrow up slightly, studying her with an unreadable expression.

“So what now?” Jenny said as she sat up in her seat. “We have no use for her. Like I said she’s just going to hold us back-“

Sarah raised her hand and cut Jenny’s rant off by overpowering her voice with her own. “Just because she’s dead doesn’t mean that it’s the end. I know what she wrote, in fact” now Sarah took a breath. “I created some of the equations”. The group looked at her in surprise even Troy seemed a little taken back.

“What?” Andrew asked and Sarah rubbed her forehead.

“I didn’t know until I was escaping from her house and taking the papers and seeing the formulas-“

“How would you not know” Mark asked incredulously.

“My aunt and I would play games you see. Sometimes she would give me a sheet of paper and ask me to answer the questions. I don’t know, we’re both science fanatics and at the time it seemed normal…”

“Answering questions on science?” Andrew said and Sarah nodded hopelessly.

“How old are you? Fifty?” Jenny enquired meanly.

Sarah was beginning to get much ticked off now. “No, I’m nineteen” she answered back coldly with a voice that threatened she was close to snapping. “I think my aunt knew that this was going to happen and began looking for a cure to save the world. A lot of people thought she was crazy and even I did since she always sent me to classes…”

“Classes?”

“Self-defence, sword fighting, boxing, things like that” she said like it was normal.

No one spoke for a moment before Troy pushed the papers towards her. “I understand half of it” he said, which surprised her since not many did, “but I don’t get the other half”.

Sarah nodded and stood from her seat. Ignoring the looks she came to stand before Troy and forced her eyes to remain on the pages and not on his face. He was the only one that seemed to truly make Sarah feel unconfident in what she did. Nervously she drew the pages closer and then looked up.

“If you want” she found herself asking. “I can decode it for you and continue my aunt’s research”.

Troy stared at her and Sarah resisted the urge to look away. He nodded briefly as if pleased with something. “Goodwill” he said. “I think I’ll take you there”.

Behind her Sarah heard a loud clattering of a chair falling back. What did he say she thought as Jenny spluttered out a “are you crazy?”

Was he crazy she wondered as he stood up gracefully from his seat and loomed above the rest.

“Troy” Jenny said and Sarah, being a girl came to understand one thing. Jenny liked Troy.

“You don’t have to go. We need you…I need you”. Sarah almost wanted to shake her head at the commonly overused line and instead concealed her fleeting amusement with a blank expression.

“I mean what about our mission?”

“This isn’t my mission” Troy said and Sarah raised an eyebrow surprised. “This is Andrews. He’s your squadron leader and I’m just tagging along”

“N-no but” she pleaded helplessly and Sarah was starting to feel bad like she was the villain here, which maybe she was.

“Sarah’s become my mission” he said and Sarah almost chocked on her own saliva. Those words, while not meant to mean anything deeper than he wanted to get her to safety, made her feel strangely happy.

“What?” Jenny cried as she pointed an accusing finger and Sarah. “Her?! This idiot?”

“Shut the fuck up Jenny!” Andrew cried, surprising everyone but Troy. He turned away from Jenny’s fuming face and towards Troy. “He’s right guys. Troy has no obligation to follow us….so thanks for all you’ve done so far”. Andrew held his hand out and Troy clasped it firmly with his mouth set in a straight thin line.

“I’m glad we picked you up on the road” Andrew said while chuckling and Sarah shook her head, thinking on how wrong her assumption had been on Troy being the leader. Or maybe he was for a short period of time till she came.

Andrew turned to her now. His eyes were kind and held a shimmer of hope in there depths. “You find the cure right?” he said and Sarah nodded silently as she shook his hand.

“Ok guys” he said, turning to the other men who stood stock still and a crestfallen Jenny. “I want you to supply these two with food and water and weapons so they can get to Goodwill safely and help find a cure”.

The men nodded and Andrew dismissed them with a wave of his hand and Sarah saw, though not as great as Troy’s leadership, that Andrew too had the power to command.

Jenny looked back for a moment and met Sarah’s eyes bitterly and Sarah once again felt bad. With one more spiteful look Jenny left in a rush, slamming the door shut behind her.

“Sorry about her” Andrew said and Sarah shook her head.

“It’s ok….it’s not her fault….”

 

The next morning, in the early hours Sarah and Troy arose from there slumbers and met Andrew at the front door. It was only the three of them with the rest of house quite as they spoke in hushed tones.

“Goodwill is expecting you” Andrew said as he handed Troy the keys to the car loaded with supplies. “They’ll be waiting for you at the gates”.  Sarah nodded while taking the back pack from Andrew’s hands. The all of last night Sarah had spent allocating the documents in order and reading her aunts research, trying to remember everything as she filed it away mentally.

“Are the samples in here?” she asked and Andrew nodded. “The teams wrapped it up so it won’t break on the way there even if you drop it”.

Sarah sent him a thankful smile as Troy opened the door.

“Be safe guys” he said as parting as they descended the steps quietly. Sarah turned and waved as both people got into the car, Troy in the driver’s seat and Sarah in the passenger seat. She remained silent as Troy reversed past the vehicle she had come here with, the dents on the sides evident.

“Is it ok if you don’t say goodbye?” she asked after a moment and Troy didn’t even spare her a glance.

“They’ll understand” was all he said. Sarah bit her lip, recalling the sadness in Jenny’s eyes. Would all of them understand? She wondered briefly. Did Troy even know that Jenny liked him? Taking a peek towards him she had to admit that she could see why Jenny was attracted to him. 

He was reliable, good looking and a mystery waiting to be cracked. She knew she shouldn’t fall for him so she changed her thoughts and mulled over everything she planned to do for these five days.

“There’s a sword at the back” Troy said jolting Sarah from her musings and taking a look back she saw a Katana in the back seat. She stretched her body and reached for it curiously. It was a dark purple one and she frowned on how they came on such a beauty.

“Andrew told me too give it too you so you don’t have to use small kitchen knives” he said and Sarah drew the blade and let her reflection shine back at her. The blade was incredibly sharp was what she could tell.

“How did he get it?”

“He said he found it in the basement somewhere. Its best to use a blade than a gun because I’m sure you’ve noticed that there attracted to sound”

“It’s amazing” she mumbled as she sheathed it. “But I think I’ll keep the knives in case of an emergency…”

Troy didn’t say much after that and Sarah was fine with that. Instead she leaned further back in her seat and shut her eyes, letting the sleep succumb to her.

Maybe if she were lucky she would awaken back home in the safety of her bed and laugh this whole thing off. Only if she were lucky….

 

 

Chapter 5

Chapter 5:

Troy looked over at the girl after he parked the car in front of a small house. He had never met someone as brave and fiery as her. The way she had bravely plunged into battle with two, mind you small kitchen knives, had surprised him even if he hadn’t showed it. Even if Sarah had been scared she never once showed it. But not only that, there was the whole fact that she seemed insanely smart and maybe she was the key hope in saving humanity.

This girl was a wonder within wonders was what he thought.

Troy even admitted that Sarah was very pretty with her blonde locks and big blue eyes that just seemed to entrance him. He knew that he wasn’t the only one from his group who had thought that. Still though he told himself, he was on a mission to safely deliver her to Goodwill.

There was a beeping sound and Troy looked down to see his portable phone buzzing. Picking it up he flicked it open and listened attentively to the commander from Goodwill who had been told in advancement of their impending arrival.

“Troy reporting” he said in his most professional tone.

Sarah’s eyes fluttered open and she saw Troy through the darkness speaking into a device.

“Yes, we’ve arrived at Ashford and we’re planning to camp the night in a house.”

Looking around Sarah felt a pang of guilt that she’d slept the whole day away when Troy had been forced to drive along for hours. But one couldn’t blame her with everything that had transpired; she had just been dead tired.

“Sorry” she mumbled after he had hung up.

Troy turned to her with a questioning look. “Sorry I made you drive all the way here” she expanded on her statement and the Troy looked blankly at her before nodding slowly not knowing another way to respond.

“Where are we?” Sarah asked in an attempt to fill the pregnant silence. She knew that Troy wasn’t a talker but they were going to be on the road together and battling zombies for five days so they might as well become friends.

“Ashford” he said simply but Sarah already knew that she wanted to point out; after all she had heard him earlier. Instead she remained silent as she surveyed the area.

In front of her sat a nice looking row of houses with picket fences and a veranda stretching around the building. It was the sort of home one would go to when they retired or went for a family vacation.

“It’s a suburban area” Sarah said bluntly as she sat up slightly alert.

“Yeah, we need to pass through some of these places to get to Goodwill” Troy said as he began opening the door. Sarah followed him and stepped out into the chilling night.

“Won’t there be zombies?” she asked and Sarah swore that Troy smiled a little secretive smile.

“You scared?”

Scoffing Sarah shook her head not that offended since she was still debating if she had imagined the smile or it had been very real.  

“Are you?” she asked after a moment but Troy didn’t answer her as he took her back pack from the car and shouldered it.

“We’ll take it just in case” he said as he locked the car. “We’d want it if we have to ditch the car”. That made sense Sarah thought as Troy and her made towards the front door, Troy drawing a dagger from his side. Sarah copied his actions but drew her katana from her back, the slim blade beautiful in the night. She was still getting used to the fact that it was hers.

Swinging the katana blade slightly, Troy gestured for her to go on the other side of the front door as he picked up his leg to kick the door down. He kicked it a good few times without stopping till the door banged open with force. It swung inwards to reveal a dark room, shadowed in darkness. Sarah felt a sense of de ja vu at that moment, the image of her aunt’s house tickling her mind. She grimaced at the memory, feeling disgusted with the strange fascination she had when she was stabbing her aunts brains out.

“You ready?” Troy asked, snapping her out of her thoughts and Sarah sent him a weak smile. “Ready when you are” she mumbled as she followed him through the door, the back pack sitting snugly on his broad shoulders.

They both entered silently, there feet barely making any noise on the wooden floor. Troy raised his hand and halted Sarah as he strained for the noise he had caught moments before.

“What?” Sarah whispered and Troy pointed with his blade towards a door that was slightly left ajar.

Sarah concentrated on her sense of sound, willing it to pick on what Troy had heard when she caught the quite rustling as if someone was walking about.

Zombie? She asked with her eyes as she held her katana higher and waited for Troy to give the signal.

He nodded and they inched towards the room prepared to make a killing. Troy was the one to ease open the door and the first thing that Sarah noticed was the three dead bodies missing there internal organs laying on the floor and a small hunched figure dressed in a dress that once must have been pink but now was painted a bright red. The head turned towards them and Sarah saw the young and demented face of a young girl who once must have looked innocent. Now she appeared as if she had been dragged through the pits of hell with one of her eyes missing.

Before Sarah could continue to study the female she heard a deep rumbling from the zombie’s chest and then a groan filled the room. The groan was loud and deep, completely different to the girl’s small stature.

The zombie jerked forward like drawn by invisible strings and went to grab a piece of Troy’s leg but smoothly he dodged the lunge and instead in one swift movement plunged the dagger in the zombies head. In an instant she collapsed to the floor and Sarah stood amazed as Troy didn’t falter in any steps even though he carried a hefty back pack on his back and walked towards the dead bodies, cleanly cutting each of their heads off.

“Just in case they come back undead” he said when he saw the confused expression on Sarah’s face.

Nodding her head, Troy and her silently continued to go from room to room, checking for zombies behind doors and under beds.

“We’ll stay here” Troy instructed as he indicated the main bed room. “Get some rest for tomorrow since where going through the heart of Ashford and we don’t know how many zombies there going to be”

Sarah was too tired to argue or complain like a girl at the thought of sharing a room with a stranger, even though she had slept the whole way here, so only nodded her head meekly as she and Troy made their way inside the huge bedroom. It was the largest room of the house with white walls and a blue satin bed spread.

“You take the bed Troy” she said as she collapsed on the couch set off besides the wall. “I don’t think for the life of you, you can fit on the couch”. Troy didn’t comment, didn’t even offer to take the floor as he fell onto the bed after putting the heavy back pack down. He too was exhausted and he knew he needed the energy for what was too come next.

“Thank you” he mumbled into the pillow before turning his back to her.

Sarah smiled slightly, realizing Troy was not one for pleasantries and that didn’t bother her one bit. In fact it made her feel like she had come closer to him and stood on even footing. Like he saw her as a fighter than a fragile woman who needed a bed to keep her from harm’s way and back aches.

“It’s ok” she said into the night as she took off her katana and placed it against her chest, watching Troy’s back for a moment before shutting her eyes.

Yes, everything was going to be ok she thought.

Chapter 6 (extract and unedited)

 

Sarah sat on the haunches of her feet, bending forward with her katana resting beside her and the blade drawn. The silver glinted in the late morning light as she watched Troy survey the small building with broken windows and shards of glass shining on the floor. He gestured to the small convenience store and Sarah nodded her head.

Their car with all their supplies had been destroyed that morning. One moment they had been resting as peaceful as one could get in a dead world when they heard a loud crash and a continuous onslaught of loud groans. Alert they both jumped up, Sarah drawing her weapon as Troy creeped to the front area of the house through the door and looked through the window. He had sworn, his eyes flashing as he came back and snatched the bag from the floor and grabbed her hand, his harsh grip sending fire through her skin.

“We have to leave” he grunted as he led her to the backdoor and peek through the curtains at the misty garden. His face was tense as he opened the door and it rattled open, Sarah nervously looking back.

“We’ll have to make a run” he muttered as he glanced back at her. “There’s too many of them for us and we can’t have you getting hurt before I get you to Goodwill”

Sarah agreed silently as together they made a wild dash to the broken and tainted fence where they climbed over it before quickly and quietly running down the abandoned street on the side of the house. Her heart was still beating wildly as her eyes focused on his hand still wound around her wrist and she gulped tightly as he turned a corner and took her down the road. Never had a person from the opposite gender clutched her hand like she was going to disappear, not even Daniel. It made a strange feeling well up inside of her, a feeling that she had never learnt or had before. Sarah really desired the company of her aunty at that moment, to ask her if she was ill with a sickness that made ones heart beat irregularly.

Troy slowed down and came to a stop, his eyes taking a distant and faraway look as he debated about his options. He knew they couldn’t continue to walk the whole way, after all it would only be a matter of time till zombies started to appear and he really wanted to avoid an large mass of them. They needed a car.

His eyes swept down the cracked and uneven road and in the near distance he could see an outline of a car and letting go of Sarah’s wrist he drew his weapon and directed her in the direction of the vehicle. Sarah too stood alert as she followed close behind him, every once in a while looking back to make sure no zombies were going to jump out and attack them.

Silently they worked together, seeming to know what the other was thinking as he opened the metal and scratched door and Sarah checked under and around for any unwanted attention. She jumped back slightly when the engine started and Troy looked at her from the driver’s side and told her to get in with the gesture of his right hand.

She didn’t need to be told twice, not wanting to be a burden to Troy as she slipped inside and took the bag from him so he could begin driving. He twisted in seat and with a swift motion took the car from its parked state and onto the road.

“We’ll need to get food and supplies” he said breaking the silence which had fallen in between them and Sarah frowned out the window. 

“I think I saw a convenience store when we were coming in. It’ll be better than going to Ashford and stopping there since Ashford is a concentrated neighbourhood”

Sarah could see his point and nodded her head in acknowledgement.

“Ok” she murmured as she placed a hand lightly to her heart which was still beating but starting to calm down. The excitement in the morning is definitely not good for me she thought as she saw Troy glance at her from the corner of her eye.

“You ok?” he enquired and Sarah nodded her head quickly, something telling her that she shouldn’t tell Troy about this odd beating of her heart and rise of heat in her body.

“I’m fine…it’s just a lot has happened” she answered vaguely and she was glad that Troy decided to drop the matter as he went around a dented car on the road.

“It’s easier to take the country roads” he muttered after a moment of silence “but we’ll take the highway after out stop so we can get to Ashford faster”.

“Country roads?” Sarah asked confused and Troy nodded his head.

“The roads with not much people there. However because it’s a country road we have to go over hills and terrain and with this car I don’t think it’s possible”

“Was that the original plan?”

“Yes, with the car we had it was safer but longer. I thought there was a less than likely chance in meeting a zombie in a place that’s barely occupied”

Sarah looked out again and shut her eyes.

Later that morning they arrived close to the store, a few meters away where Troy parked the car and they both stepped out. Sarah drew her katana out and followed as Troy bent down and peered around. Broken windows and shards of glass but otherwise Sarah deduced that it looked safe.

“Let’s go” he said and Sarah nodded her head. “Grab all the food you can and be careful. Don’t separate from me”.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 31.03.2014

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