Part One is here

Krystal – Thursday: Plague Day

She hammered the button. The doors began to slide closed again. Then the arm came through and with it, the rest of his body. She couldn’t help calling it a he. Behind her, Ed’s voice was soft as he breathed a name.

‘Rob.’

‘What?’

‘He’s Rob. He’s having troubles with his wife.’

‘Yeah, not any more.’

She lashed out, her heavy boot catching ‘Rob’ in the kneecap. It shattered and he dropped onto one knee. From the broken one came the smell of rotting meat and she covered her mouth and took a step backwards. He tried to rise but managed only a sort of stumbling fall further into the lift. She sidestepped and he tumbled past her. She heard Ed shout but was far too busy slamming her finger into the button.

The doors began to slide closed and she span around, hand going for her back pocket. The zombie called Rob lay atop Ed and was wriggling like it meant to do something disgusting to him. But the growl was in no way flirtatious and in every way terrifying and Ed screamed. He had one hand beneath Rob’s chin and pushed the zombie’s head up so its teeth clicked shut on air again and again.

Krystal stared, frozen for a second. She didn’t think she could bear to touch it. But in the end, she did. She wrapped her arms around its throat and hauled it up and off Ed. The moment it was clear she let go. For a brief time it stood, wobbling back and forth, its lazy eyes tracking between the two of them. They stared back, panting and sweating. The doors pinged behind them and began to reopen and Krystal reached for the button.

At the same moment, Rob made his decision and dived at Ed. Krystal threw herself at it and crashed into its waist. Its knee collapsed and she drove it to the floor. Now she found herself astride the zombie, one of its arms trapped between her legs. Caught between freaking out and feeling somewhat in control, she yanked the knife from her pocket.

She glanced at Ed as she fiddled with the blade and saw his eyes widen as he looked past her. She resisted the urge to turn and put all her attention on getting the blade free of the knife. The zombie struggled but its knee hampered it and it kicked feebly. How strong was it? She couldn’t weigh more than eight stone.

The blade popped out and she drove it straight down into Rob’s ear. It caught against something and half closed, cutting into her finger. ‘Shit, dammit.’ The zombie’s struggles grew suddenly more intense and she grabbed hold, barely keeping the knife. She rode it, hands dug into its shoulders to stay on as it wriggled like a fish on a ship’s deck.

It slowed a little and she reopened the knife. She lined up this time, which was a little like she imagined catching fish with a spear would be. She slammed the knife down again. It went in cleanly this time, straight through his ear and into his brain. Rob who was having troubles with his wife stiffened and froze and she let out a long breath. And noticed the silence.

Ed was still staring, wide-eyed and shaking. This time she turned and looked the other way. The lift doors were open and there they were, staring in. She scrambled off Rob and fetched up beside Ed against the back of the lift. Then she remembered her knife. Not that it mattered now, they were dead.

She grabbed Ed’s hand and squeezed it. ‘It’s been nice, you know, just for a little while.’

He opened his mouth to reply then the first zombie moved. It lurched into the lift, bent down and sunk its teeth into Rob’s dead face. Krystal shrieked. She couldn’t help it. Steaming blood gushed out onto the lift floor and the tiny space filled with the smell of a dog carcass left out in the sun. She’d seen a few in her time, hidden away in one of the alleyways of Soho.

She clapped her hand over her mouth and watched in horror as the zombie lifted its head, a flap of Rob’s skin hanging from its mouth. The other zombies were pushing to get to the body and one grabbed its foot and began to pull. Zombie number one, the face eater, turned and snarled at the puller and they glared at one another, teeth bared.

‘Ed, we need to get the body out of the lift.’

‘How the hell do we do that?’

They were speaking through gritted teeth as though to open their mouths fully would somehow expose them to the zombies. Krystal slipped further down the wall, put her boot against Rob’s shoulder and pushed. The body slid the tiniest distance, but it encouraged the puller to try again and this time he succeeded in getting the lower leg out of the lift.

‘Yes, that’s it.’

She pushed herself away from the wall until her foot touched it again. Another nudge and the puller got the legs completely out. Zombie number one, who up to this point had been happy to be dragged along with it, face buried up to its nose in face flesh, rose up and growled at her, then took a swipe.

She moved, but not fast enough and the claws caught her across the leg. She howled as her trousers were ripped open and curled nails opened three long tears in her leg. She yanked it back and wrapped her jeans around the wounds, staring at the zombie. It hesitated, as though deciding what the best smelling meal was. Then the puller yanked again and zombie number one turned away, growling at the body thief.

It turned serious this time, her attacked lunging over the body to clout his comrade in the face. His claws opened up more wounds and some of the others fell on puller, dragging him away from the lift. He was still living and she saw teeth dig into his shoulder and more into his neck and the sound he made reminded her of the baby pigeons she watched, high-pitched squawking that went on and on before abruptly cutting off.

Someone else had taken the place of the puller and Rob was almost out of the lift. She watched and shook her head as Ed scrambled up and shoved the body the rest of the way. Zombie number one was engrossed in opening Rob’s stomach with its teeth and barely reacted.

Then Ed stepped back and hit the down button and finally the doors closed all the way. He dropped onto his butt and let out a long breath. He raised his hand. ‘What just happened?’

She patted him on the shoulder. ‘They’ve all become zombies.’

‘Zombies?’

‘Yeah. Weird huh?’

‘Why us? Why are we still alive?’

‘I have no idea. Not sure I will be much longer though, not with this.’

She edged her torn jeans away from the cuts and inspected them. They were shallower than she’d thought and the bleeding was minimal. Ed knelt over them and prodded with one outstretched finger. Then he shook his head. ‘Nah, you’ll be alright with them. It’s only bites that infect.’

‘How the hell d’you know?’

‘I’ve read everything there is to know about zombies. Vampires too, but they don’t exist.’

‘Not unless you’re some hot, skinny American school girl.’

Ed grinned. ‘Nah, they’re the most non-existent ones there are. You have to get bitten by a zombie if you wanna be infected.’

‘So just like vampires then?’

‘Sort of. Only vampires drink blood and zombies either want to eat brains or all of you.’

‘Don’t think those ones were all that bothered.’

He shook his head, frowning.

‘What?’

‘Why us? Why aren’t we zombies?’

‘Why’s it so important?’

He shook his head again, blinking as he looked at her. ‘It might not be, but normally if you’re left alive, there’s a reason. I suppose we might have a natural immunity to whatever was in the fog, but what’s the chances of you and I having it and none of the others?’

The doors pinged and slid open and they both froze, staring at the widening gap. The lobby looked like it was night time. She realised it was the fog surrounding the building and keeping most of the sunlight out. There were no zombies in sight and she let out the breath she’d been holding.

‘Look, any chance we could solve the mystery of our survival after we find somewhere safe?’

‘That’s fine by me, but where’s going to be safe?’

Krystal shrugged and got to her feet. ‘Somewhere they can’t get in I guess. A house or a flat or something?’

They made it across the lobby and to the door. The fog was thick outside, so they couldn’t see further than ten feet in any direction. It was high as well, going far above their heads. When they stepped out into it, their world would shrink. And the zombies could come from anywhere.

Ed grabbed her arm. ‘I don’t want to go out there.’

‘You think? What else are we gonna do?’

He stared at her, those dark eyes mirroring what she felt but was determined not to show.

‘C’mon, it’ll be fine. We move fast as we can and head back toward the city.’

‘Why the city?’

‘We know places there. There’ll be places we can get in and be safe. I don’t know what’s around here. And hey, who’s to say the zombies can see any better in the fog than we can? Maybe it’ll help us.’

Ed looked about as convinced as she felt when a politician appeared on a newspaper saying he was going to stamp out homelessness. It didn’t happen very often and when it did she couldn’t help hearing ‘stamp out homeless people,’ which seemed a bit pointless, because she couldn’t have been more stamped out of the world already.

She gripped Ed’s hand, took a deep breath and pulled the door open. The fog billowed around them, carrying with it the scent of mould, like a building left too long with damp and she coughed. Taking a far shallower breath this time, she dragged him with her into the fog.

Part One is Here

Luke – Friday: 6 Days to Plague Day

‘Who is she?’

Alex’s voice, even in that stupid hissing whisper, was still too loud and Luke wondered again at decision to bring him along. What had made him think he could be useful? Any moment now God’s soldiers would look up and spot them and the entire thing would be a bust. He turned back to his companion, finger on his lips and glared long enough for Alex to look sheepish and nod.

He paused on the top step. There was so much power in here. Last time he’d been here, he’d been in no position to enjoy it. Now though, it was entirely different. His fingers tingled and the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He knew he was grinning but couldn’t stop himself and didn’t want to.

The sacrifice was perfectly timed. It would distract everyone. But would it be long enough for them to get down and across to the trucks? And was the formula still in there? One thing at a time.

He scrambled down the stairs a short way before he had to turn around and face the wall, climbing down using hands and feet. His worries over his impending and potential mortality came back hard as he wobbled and grabbed at the steps. One slip and he had a hundred feet or so straight down to hard, unforgiving stone. Alex was taking his time but was at least moving and not talking.

The chanting grew louder and he had to look down. They were walking slow circles around a large post. Good. It was a burning. That would take longer and the smoke would be more cover. He pushed on, his mind locked on taking each step carefully and slowly.

The next time he looked down, the angle was considerably less steep and the girl was strapped to the post. They’d ripped the rest of her clothes away and he felt something stir. There was something utterly dismissive and damning about being naked in front of strangers. He remembered it happening to him and it still sent shivers down his spine. Her skin was dusky, Indian or Pakistani, so probably a Hindu or Islamist. Which would suit the soldiers of God down to the ground.

He growled and shook his head. The sacrifice meant nothing, not if he was going to save the world. He sniggered. That sentence still sounded like a joke. Why had the Father chosen him? If this was all someone’s plan to get him killed permanently, why was the Father involved? Maybe the right question was, how was the Father involved? What had they done or said to convince him?

A number of the soldiers were walking back and forth from a huge metal cabinet set against the rough stone. Each journey brought more wood which they flung on the pile surrounding the wooden post.

Luke’s foot touched the floor and he sank gratefully down, shaking hands cradled in his lap. His breaths came in shorts bursts and he stared up to watch Alex descend. He was taking it slower and easier and had only just reached the halfway point. Maybe Alex was supposed to be the diversion. He could shout a warning to the soldiers and disappear and they’d run up and sort him out while Luke sneaked around the outside.

He shook his head. It wouldn’t last long enough. Something else stopped him as well, the same something that made him wince every time he looked at the naked woman strapped to the pole. Whatever it was made him want to puke, but it was insistent and enough to stay his hand.

He waited until his useless companion joined him on the cavern floor, gave him about five seconds to catch his breath, then hauled him off in a wide circle around the outskirts. They’d gone two steps when Alex stopped short and yanked his arm free.

‘What are you doing, she’s that way?’

‘And that’s where she’ll stay. She’s the perfect diversion.’

‘She’s going to die.’

‘Everyone’s going to die. Thanks to you everyone’s going to die. Saving her will only ensure that happens.’

Alex snarled and set off towards the sacrifice. Luke grabbed at him and succeeded in catching his shirt. He jerked him back and put one, very powerful hand around his throat.

‘Listen to me. Save her and we condemn every human being to death. Do you want that?’

‘I want to save her.’

‘Well isn’t that lovely. Your girlfriend and your unborn child will die. Your parents will die, though a heartless bastard like you probably doesn’t care too much about t—’

‘Heartless bastard? You’re the one leaving an innocent woman to die.’

‘I never claimed to be anything else. But I see the bigger picture. She’s one person and we don’t even know if she’s innocent.’

‘Can’t you tell? Don’t angels have some way of checking?’

Luke grunted and his eyes flicked to the sacrifice. Then he shook his head and tightened his grip. ‘We’re going to the trucks. You come with me or lose your hands again, your choice.’

Alex stared, his upper lip curling. Luke thought he was actually going to argue before his shoulders went limp and he looked at the floor. He muttered something too low for Luke to catch but he was already turning away from the stake and the sacrifice.

There were plenty of rough islands of rock to hide behind and they made good progress. They were within a stone’s throw of the trucks when the sacrifice started screaming again. Alex grabbed his arm and hauled him round, getting up close.

‘You can take my damned hands.’ He set off, racing straight across the floor of the cavern. A plume of smoke rose up to the ceiling and Luke had to question the wisdom of starting a second fire in a closed cave. He froze, eyes flicking from the trucks back to where Alex drew rapidly closer to the circle.

She screamed again and it carried real pain. That quiet voice inside him grew louder and he drove his clenched fist into the rock. Shaking his head and biting down the urge to curse himself in every language he knew, Luke charged after Alex. As he ran, he sent his mind out, finding as many of the minds before him as he could.

He didn’t have to do all of them, just enough to cause chaos. He waited another second, until Alex reached them then he unleashed. The power in the cave surged through him and he gasped. The man nearest him was terrified of spiders and Luke stared in amazement as a creature the size of a dog appeared and dropped onto the man’s shoulders.

It was physical! He could always see them, but no one else could. The power in the cave had multiplied his powers an extraordinary amount.

The soldier to his left lived in fear of being shot and the next moment his body sprung holes and blood sprayed across the cave floor. He had little sympathy for anyone who chose to follow the pathetic men on Earth who claimed they did God’s work. No one did God’s work, least of all people who spent their days telling others how to run their lives.

He switched on a few more and the cave filled with the howling of monkeys as they tore and pulled at one of his hapless subjects. One of the soldiers was driven to the floor by water streaming from above him. It appeared and ran into his face and down his body then vanished. His hands flailed ineffectually around as though he could deflect it from running down his throat and into his lungs.

Luke broke through the circle and heading for the pile of wood that burned fiercely. The flames were catching bursts of gold and blue and reflecting the power that hummed around the cave. They would be difficult to put out. Alex stood before them, hand over his eyes as he tried to get closer. Luke sneered and shoved him to one side.

The woman was shiny with sweat and her legs were an unhealthy pink colour. The post was tall, possibly tall enough and Luke took a deep breath. Before being made mortal he wouldn’t have thought twice about this. Now though, it was a different story. But the fires were getting hotter.

The soldiers of God were in disarray, the gown-wearing priests running from their fears or staring, stunned at the strange and miraculous additions to the cave. The soldiers themselves were in much the same state, though a few had turned and run the moment the first trouble started. Luke had an inkling of where they were headed, but he couldn’t stop now.

He backed up, put his head down and ran. The flames were horribly hot and seared him long before he leaped. He sailed over the wood, his enhanced strength carrying him all the way to the pole. He struck it feet first and as he hoped, the flames had already burned though the base. It snapped and carried him and woman over the wood on the other side.

He landed first and grabbed the pole, taking the weight before the sacrifice struck the stone. He hauled it away from the flames. Alex appeared, mouth open and nodding.

‘That was amazing, that was just, amazing.’

Luke grabbed the woman’s bonds and ripped them off, wincing as his skin was abraded by the rough rope. He bundled her into Alex’s arms and searched for the nearest priest. He was writhing on the ground, patting frantically at his body. Smoke rose from within his robes and Luke smiled grimly.

He tore his robes off him, leaving him rolling on the ground as his skin went first pink and then blackened. He flung the robe over the sacrifice and the three of them set off across the cavern floor. The moment they got free of the circle and the chaos within, Luke stopped.

The trucks were gone. He caught sight of the back of the last heading into the tunnel, way over the other side past the church. He focused, trying to find the minds of the men on board but they were too far.

He swore, turning back to the maelstrom. He switched off the fears and the surviving soldiers and priests collapsed to the ground. He yanked the nearest up by his collar. ‘Where are they going?’

The man pulled a smile from somewhere, showing teeth black with mould. Luke flicked one with his finger and it broke and fell into the man’s mouth. He choked and Luke tossed him onto the floor. He reached for the next and the priest struggled, throwing him off and racing across the cavern floor.

Luke watched him go, grinding his teeth together before moved onto the next. He pulled one of the soldiers up and slapped him round the face. The unseeing eyes snapped into focus and the soldier cringed.

‘Where are they going?’

‘What?’

‘The trucks. Where are they going?’

‘Dunno. They didn’t tell us. Not for the emergency. Only the trained ones.’

‘Are any of the trained ones here?’

He bustled the man around so he could see his companions in their various states of damage and madness. He shook his head slowly.

‘Don’t think so.’

‘Don’t think so? Are you sure?’

‘Yeah, I’m sure. That was the training, always protect the package.’

With a wordless shout Luke threw him onto the floor. He turned on Alex, teeth bared. ‘See what you’ve done? This is your fault. We’ve lost them and it’s your fault.’

He shoved the sacrifice out the way as his hands settled around Alex’s neck.

‘Wait, please. Hold on.’

Luke was beyond waiting, but Alex’s next words gave him pause. ‘I can still manufacture the antidote. I can’t guarantee how long it’ll take, but it’s better to have it at some point, isn’t it?’

Luke loosened his hands just enough for Alex to breathe. ‘Are you sure you can do it?’

‘I just need my white board. It’s got the stuff I didn’t know on it. If we can get back to the lab, I can get started.’

Luke let go completely. He wasn’t convinced, not in the least. But it was the only thing they had going right now. Alex was already ignoring him, turning to help the sacrifice back to her feet. As she stood, Luke saw her face and gasped.

‘Sara?’

She shook her head, a smile spreading over full, pale lips. ‘Kali, at your service. The Father will be most pleased to see you haven’t given up your humanity all together.’

Part One is Here

Bayleigh – Thursday: Plague Day

She didn’t stop to think. She did have time to scream though. She howled as she barrelled into her friend, taking all three of them to the floor. The shears went straight through the zombie’s face. They were open slightly and one took it in the eye while the other sliced its nose in half.

The blood gushed out and splashed all over Layla’s neck. She wriggled and squealed and Bayleigh rolled off, leaving the shears where they were. Layla threw herself across the floor and grabbed a pair of gardening gloves off the nearby rack, which she used to wipe her neck and the side of her face.

She heaved and reminded Bayleigh of a cat just about to puke. She stifled a weak smile and got up to pat her on the back. Once Layla’s breathing had returned to something close to normal and she’d removed most of the zombie’s pale lumpy blood off her, they turned together to the corpse on the floor.

The shears stuck upright from the thing’s face and that could have been funny too, only Bayleigh was one gross-out short of vomiting again so she looked instead for a new weapon. She liked the shears but there was no way she was taking them back. She hefted a long-handled trimming thing, with a wicked little pair of blades on the bottom. Long distance was good.

‘Hey, that’s one all then, yeah?’

Bayleigh groaned and nodded. ‘Think so. Are you happy if we decide not to keep score? I’d be happy to never kill one of them again.’

Layla shrugged and looked mock sad. ‘Wimp. And sorry to disappoint you, but I don’t think we have much choice.’

The flower-patterns zombie had left behind its classy matching towel display and was heading their way. Bayleigh gripped the hand of her trimmer tightly and nudged Layla in the side.

‘What do we do?’

‘Huh?’

‘I mean, what’s the plan?’

‘Hit it in the head as hard as you can.’

‘No, I mean, like—’

‘You want more than that? Okay, you head left and flank it and I’ll provide covering fire then when it thinks you’re the main strike I’ll do a snea—’

‘Layla, You’ve been playing far too much Call of Duty, you know that right?’

‘Hey, you asked for more.’

‘Fine, we hit it in the head.’

It shambled closer, speeding up as it caught their scent. It was almost close enough to hit when it veered and went round them. They watched open-mouthed as it fell on the body of the one they’d killed. Bayleigh covered her mouth as she heard the thick squelch of the shears being drawn from the corpse. She didn’t think it could get much grosser until the next sound, the steady lapping of the zombie as blood gushed from the wounds.

Bayleigh swallowed and only partially succeeded on keeping what was left of her lunch down. Spitting out sick she dragged Layla away from the feasting zombie.

‘Hey, what you doing? It’s a sitting target.’

‘Layla, I’m gonna lose it if I have to listen to that any more.’

‘C’mon, man up. I’m gonna take the lead.’

She said it like you might say something to try and get a toddler to play ball. Bayleigh couldn’t help laughing and crept back as Layla stalked toward the feasting zombie. It showed no signs of hearing her and was still oblivious all the way up to when she shoved her fork through the back of its head.

It stiffened, arms jerking out to the sides, then dropped like a stone onto its half-eaten companion. Layla punched the air, then put her foot on its back and hauled her fork free. The noise was only vaguely less unsettling that the shears, but at least it wasn’t followed by the drinking sound.

The floor was empty now and Bayleigh headed for the staircase. It was wide, but at least it was in the corner with a wall to one side. She shoved the first bed across the floor and Layla joined her until it sat neatly across the top of the stairs. With about a foot gap at either end.

‘Sod it. How do we sort that?’

Layla pushed the bed until it covered one end and pointed at a cupboard. It was tall, in gorgeous dark wood and would look great in her bedroom. She had a wave of nostalgia that made her heart grow heavy. She didn’t think it was possible to be nostalgic about something only gone for a day, but she didn’t imagine she’d ever have to consider things like clothes storage again. That thought opened a huge pit in her mind that she thought she could very easily tumble into. Instead, she stomped to the wardrobe, chewing on her lip.

The two of them manhandled the wardrobe over and plugged the gap. It was a pretty random barricade but it was a start. They spent the next hour piling things atop the bed and arranging them so there were no holes. Finally content, they sat down on the huge sofa that formed the centre piece of the main display.

Layla bounced up and down on it. ‘This is nice, how much is it?’

They looked at the price tag together, shared a low whistle and burst out laughing.

‘I think they’d give it to you at a discount now.’

‘Yeah, but who’s gonna deliver it?’

Bayleigh nodded sadly. ‘Perhaps you could come live here. This is way posher than my place.’

‘’Cept that kitchen. Your kitchen’s lush.’

‘Yeah, it’s pretty nice.’

They meandered into silence and got lost there. What else was there to say? They could talk about the weather or the shop or anything else but it was all irrelevant now. The only relevant thing was the two bodies and she’d deliberately sat so she couldn’t see them. And what the hell were they going to say about them?

They knew how it had happened. They didn’t know why they survived, although she had a faint inkling, which was too silly for words. Too silly to mention until she had some other evidence to support it. But beyond the basic how, they had nothing. So what could they say?

‘Who were those guys?’

‘Who?’

‘The men in the trucks, with the uniforms?’

Layla looked at her and shrugged. ‘Not a clue. Bad people’s my best guess, but they weren’t army or anything.’

‘How come?’

‘No insignias. There uniforms were completely blank. If they’d been army or something they’d have had a badge somewhere.’

‘Not if they were like, CIA or something.’

‘CIA? Bay, this is England, we don’t have the CIA—’

‘You know what I mean, MI5. Or is it MI6, I can never remember which is which?’

‘Yeah, could be I suppose. But why would they kill everyone?’

It was an excellent question and led to more silence. This time it was broken by Layla’s stomach doing a fairly good impression of a whale. They both laughed and Layla pushed herself out of the sofa. ‘I need food. There’s no food here, we need to go out.’

Bayleigh gave her the look she reserved for wolf-whistlers and people who came in the shop asking for change but she seemed oblivious and strode confidently over to the barricade.

‘Layla, stop, you’re kidding right?’

Her friend shook her head. ‘Absolutely not. We’ve got a couple hours of daylight left, right? We can’t be here all night without food, but this place seems like a good place to hide. So let’s go out and get food now and then we come back and get some sleep.’

‘But Layla, umm, zombies?’

Layla brandished her fork and smiled in an entirely un-Layla like way. ‘I’m ready.’

She scrambled onto the bed and was on the stairs before Bayleigh could complain. She climbed after her in a less athletic fashion and headed down the stairs. The bottom floor was quiet and the two zombies she spotted barely noticed them as they dashed through.

Layla pulled the front door open and peered out. Bayleigh shivered as she heard a low moaning sound. It wasn’t a million miles away from the sound of cows, lowing in the field. But these cows sounded hungry.

‘You ready to run?’

Bayleigh jumped. ‘Where are we running?’

‘There’s a Tesco just down the block. We’ll get in there and get some food. ‘Kay?’

Bayleigh shook her head and was ignored as Layla slipped out the door. Heart thumping, she followed her and stood for a moment, taking in the view. The street was busy, zombies wandering aimlessly here and there. Did they have an agenda? She stared at one as he approached a wall. He reached it and stopped, his hand brushing it gently, as if he was stroking something. Then he turned away and wandered off. Apparently, they didn’t.

‘Bayleigh, come on!’

She jumped again as Layla grabbed her arm and tugged. They raced across the street, weaving between zombies like they were on some horrible assault course. The moans got louder as more of the creatures saw them and started to move. Now she felt like she had food in her pockets that the cows wanted. Then she saw one before her, facing them with hands outstretched and open mouth dripping bilious-green saliva to the floor and the cow analogy went out the window.

She hissed and gripped her weapon tighter, hands shaking. Layla hefted her fork like a club and without slowing, swung it in a wide arc. The steel tines caught the zombie in the side of the head and drove deep into its skull. It dropped and took the fork with it. Layla swore and yanked at it but it was stuck.

Bayleigh caught her as she put her foot on its face to get leverage.

‘Leave it, just leave it, come on.’

She grabbed Layla’s arm and hauled her along and they set off again. She glanced back and wished she hadn’t, the sea of morose pale faces almost stopping her in her tracks.

Then they were standing in front of the Tesco express and the doors hissed open and they dived in and waited for them to close. They hissed again and both of them let out huge breaths. A shuffling alerted them to the fact that they weren’t alone in the store and they spun to face a zombie wearing a Tesco’s uniform.

It was coming around the side of the counter, squeezing through the gap and Bayleigh moved without thinking. On her first swing, the blades caught the toilet roll display and sent bundles of it all over the shop. She stepped clear, face reddening and swung again.

This time she struck the zombie in the side of the face. The blades tore through, one eyeball bursting and spraying the floor with black and green slime. The blade broke through the cheek and more of the foul blood splashed across the chocolate display. The creature kept coming, barely registering the ten inches of steel buried in its face.

‘Shit shit shit, dammit.’ She hauled on the weapon and pulled it clear. She had to take a step back as the zombie came closer and swung again. The blow felt more solid as it struck bone and burst through it. The creature stiffened, just as Ali had done when the fog caught him, and dropped just as suddenly. The weapon wrenched from her grasp and she dropped to her knees.

Layla whooped and applauded and despite the slick red and green gank that was soaking into her jeans, she felt a flush of pleasure. She could do that again. She grabbed the long handles, heaved them from the corpse and rose. Layla came past her, reached over the counter, grabbed a bag for life and approached the chocolate stand.

‘Always wanted to do this.’

She swept her arm along the counter, sending endless Mars and Twix into the bag.

‘Hang on, we need proper food, bread and stuff.’

‘Sandwiches, huh? It always comes down to sandwiches with you.’

She said it with a smile and Bayleigh laughed. She was interrupted by the sound of the front door hissing open. Outside a zombie stared in wonder at the moving door and the two of them looked at one another. Layla emptied out the bag and headed for the bread. Bayleigh grabbed one and did the same at the fridge, piling cheese and ham and milk into it.

They had full bags by the time the zombie got over its amazement and made his way through the door. If she’d thought it was possible, he was moving suspiciously, as though he expected the doors to close at any moment. It wasn’t possible though, not for those things. She was convinced they were as stupid as they looked.

They waited until he spotted them and came ambling forward, then raced down one aisle and up the next. He was looking into the shop when they dashed past him and out the door. The zombies in the street reacted quicker this time. They must have remembered something because they came at them like a wall and for a second Bayleigh almost lost her nerve.

Then Layla set off in the opposite direction from their shop and Bayleigh went with her. They quickly outdistanced the pack and ran in a wide circle, racing down an alley into the next street, along and back down another street. They emerged a few doors from the shop and ran back inside. Layla headed for the stairs but Bayleigh stopped and examined the lock.

It needed a key. Was the door heavy enough on its own? She pushed on it experimentally and decided it would have to be a very determined zombie to push it open. She chased after her friend. Layla was at the base of the barricade and lobbed her bag over the bed. Then she hauled herself up and disappeared over the top. Bayleigh followed her and was half-kneeling on the bed, face buried in the duvet when she heard Layla scream.

She pushed herself upright, wobbling on the edge of the bed. Her heart stopped and she gasped as though she’d been stabbed. Layla was staggering away from the barricade. A zombie had its teeth in her shoulder, shaking its head back and forth like a terrier. Layla stopped screaming to take a breath and in the moment of silence Bayleigh heard the tearing of flesh.

She howled and scrambled across the bed, grabbing her weapon as she went. She was about to swing but forced herself to wait.

‘Layla, throw it off.’

Her friend either didn’t hear or was in too much pain because she dropped to her knees. It turned out to be the best thing she could have done. The zombie’s teeth were torn free of the wound and for a split second, Layla was kneeling and the zombie was standing above her. Bayleigh swung and the twin blades sunk deep into its skull.

It froze and was about to fall when she yanked on the handles and pulled the body away from Layla. Then she dropped them and ran to her friend. Through the blood, she saw naked bone and her stomach heaved. Layla looked at her, shook her head then her eyes rolled up as she hit the floor and lay still.

Next Installment Thursday 16th October

Part One is Here

David – Thursday: Plague Day

He landed on top of the zombie. Its legs caved and it tumbled from the tree. David slammed into the branch, slipped off and felt gravity take hold once more. He scrabbled and scrambled as his brain howled and somehow, by some miracle, caught hold of the branch.

His body slipped off and his shoulder wrenched as his arms took all his weight. He held on though. He couldn’t let go, he couldn’t fall down there. He wrapped a leg over the branch and pulled himself up until he lay belly down on the wood. It was sticking into him in all sorts of places but the pain was negligible compared to the panic that had him in its grasp.

He panted and pushed his forehead into the branch, willing the sharpness of the sticks to bring him back to himself. He didn’t really know what that meant anymore. He didn’t know who he was to be brought back to. But he chewed on his lips and felt the roughness of the bark beneath his skin and slowly but surely his breathing slowed.

Then he noticed the growls. They were low, like a dog with its hackles up, and they sounded vaguely silly. Like humans pretending to be dogs. He opened his eyes and peered around the trunk. The zombie he’d knocked off was buried beneath a pile of his companions. In the moment in which he looked down, one of them stood, a severed arm gripped triumphantly in its fist.

David swallowed and closed his eyes again. Was peace too much to ask for? He opened them and watched as the horde scattered, leaving behind blood-covered bones and a stain on the grass. He should have felt somehow better that the one who’d tried to kill him was dead. He might have, too, but some of those who’d finished feasting on their companion turned their eyes upward.

They didn’t see him to start with, their deep-sunk eyes roving through the branches. Then one pair settled on him and the owner of them staggered to the tree and began to climb. He watched, fascinated despite himself. The thing had the coordination of a three year old, but it moved on memory, hands jerky as they gripped and pulled.

And it climbed, far faster than he wanted. It was beneath him soon enough, clawed hands reaching for him. He kicked it and got a lucky strike. One of the hands shattered, fingers dropping off as the rotting flesh beneath gave way.

David nodded, satisfied. It would go away now, like a wounded wild animal. Only it didn’t. It was balanced precariously on a branch, but still it reached for him. It wouldn’t give up, would it? Because it wasn’t a wild animal. It was a human. He would have to do something, actually make the choice to do something.

The zombie wobbled back and forth but maintained its place on the branch. If it landed on the floor, would it suffer the same fate as its comrade? There was only one way to find out. He took a deep breath and gripped the branch as hard as he could. Then he slipped his feet off and hung, well within reach of the zombie.

His heart sat just behind his tongue, trying to choke him. The hands reached for him, one whole and the other bearing stumps dripping blood. He kicked at them and then at its head. His foot slammed into its face and it slipped and lost its footing. He watched it tumble down through the branches, fierce grin on his face.

It wasn’t a grin he’d have recognised. It probably wasn’t a smile he’d have ever worn before his days alone. But things had changed. It was a grin that showed the cracks.

The zombie landed with a thud and flailed around like a beached whale. Just as he’d hoped, the others closed in and fell on it, biting and chewing and tearing. His grin widened. He could stay up here as long as he needed. Perhaps if he was silent they wouldn’t even know he was here. He could stay here and be peaceful and quiet.

He climbed up to his original branch and tucked himself with his back against the trunk. He squirmed until he felt something close to safe and waited. They would leave. They knew they couldn’t get him now and they wouldn’t want to risk being eaten by their mates.

Then he heard a growl and the fantasy vanished.

Another was trying to get up the tree and now he had to make a decision. They didn’t seem to move all that fast, even when they were attacking. He’d seen Dawn of the Dead but he’d seen 28 Days Later too. The question was, were these the fast or the slow zombies?

Assuming they were slow, he could probably outrun them. He could definitely outrun them. But where was he running to? Being out here meant more trees and open spaces and nowhere to hide. The roofs of the tall apartment buildings poked through the trees to the south. They were the nearest. He’d get to one and lock himself in. Then he’d have some peace.

He could knock this zombie on the floor and run while his friends ate him. His stomach turned over and his hands shook. He was going to do this. He was actually going to do this. He wished he’d said something to Amber. Just sorry would have been enough.

He clambered down a branch, biting his lip. The zombie below was clumsier than the previous two and taking its sweet time climbing up. David found a handy branch the right size to swing on and prepared himself. He was going to do it, he was really going to do it.

What was he doing?

Sweat broke out across his forehead as he tried to scramble back up to safety. He grabbed the branch above and hauled, but it snapped and he swayed. He grabbed the trunk and clung on, breathing like an fitting asthmatic. How could he be so stupid, he couldn’t do this, it was suicide.

A hand wrapped around his leg and he shouted in surprise. The clumsy one had got close enough to snag him. He lashed out and succeeded in dislodging its hand. Then he slithered lower and booted it in the chest and before he had time to think, he dropped lower still. The zombie hit the grass and they swarmed.

David scrambled down the last two branches and hit the ground. He froze, staring with wide eyes at the bundle of zombies. The sound reminded him of the one time he’d had to have dinner with Amber’s aged parents. They slurped and slobbered through bad false teeth. This sounded like that.

One of the creatures raised its head, as if it smelled something, then turned slowly to face him. David took one look into its dark eyes and ran.

He raced across the grass. They watched him, but made only cursory efforts to follow. He was going too fast, his feet blurring beneath him. His grin found its way back to his face and he sped up. He hit the road and found a new turn of speed.

‘Wooooooooooooooo, come on you bastards.’

He was flying. They’d never catch him. Most of them weren’t even fast enough to turn and see him before he was past them. He raced out the gate and even had enough time to reflect on how crazy it was being able to run straight across Marylebone without getting taken out by taxis.

Laughter streamed out behind him like a tail and they could grab at it all they wanted, they’d never take him. He ran into the huge semicircle at the top of Portland Place and straight up to the front door of the first flat on the left. He grabbed the door handle and yanked.

Nothing.

He stared blankly at the set of buzzers beside the door, mouth moving. He almost pressed one. Then he pictured Steph, pouting at him from the bed. She would be one of them by now. Her lips would be pale and cracked and her gorgeous dark eyes would be sunken and red. She had buzzers. How would she get out of her flats? Would a zombie remember the release button?

He started to laugh and heard a shuffling sound. It was close enough that he could see the lines and cracks in its face. He covered his mouth, shaking his head. He couldn’t let it catch him, it would tear him apart. It would eat him.

It would eat him.

It would eat him.

It would eat him.

It would eat him.

It would eat him.

The thing took a step and the smell hit his nostrils, freeing him from the loop. He was fast. He was the wind. He set off, escaped the black gate at the bottom of the steps and shoulder-charged the zombie. It tumbled back and landed on its arse and his laughter pealed around Portland Place as he ran.

He was the wind. Straight ahead was a hotel, huge and imposing and unlocked. Beside the door stood a zombie in a top hat and tails, with a fine red jacket on. The hotel doorman was still at his post and if anyone noticed the cracked skin and coke-addict eyes, they didn’t mention it.

David ran straight at him, still laughing. The impact took the air from his lungs, but it sent the doorman flying. He smacked into the glass-fronted door hard enough to send cracks through it.

The doorman swayed his head to and fro and put his hands on the floor. David should have gone past, but he was intrigued by what had happened and stayed, staring at the zombie. When the doorman rose, he left behind half of his insides. His skin had broken and crumbled and come away from his back. His innards stayed behind on the crumbled skin. But still he rose.

David grabbed him by the arm and swung him round, sending strings of lung and intestines flying across the steps of the Cavendish Hotel. He released him and the doorman flew down the steps and landed in a heap at the bottom. Without his stuffing, his body crumpled and folded. The head landed atop the mess, the eyes still staring up at him.

David’s laughter dried up in his throat. It was still alive. How was it still alive? It didn’t matter, he was the wind. He pushed through the door and stepped into the huge entry hall of the hotel. The ceiling was miles above and massive golden and glass chandeliers hung from it, highlighting the red and white colour scheme. The carpets were the sort you only found in hotels.

The reception desk was tucked neatly into one corner of the reception area and sat behind it were two female zombies. David wasn’t sure female was relevant, save the fact they wore dresses and had long hair that was falling out in large wet clumps. They saw him as he came in and both spread their translucent lips into horrible impressions of smiles.

David ran straight past the desk, forgoing check-in just this once and headed for the stairs. He would find a room and relax. Maybe have a sleep. He thought about sleeping with the creatures walking and creeping around and shook his head. Not a chance. Maybe just a rest.

He arrived on the first floor and went to the door and stared blankly at the card slot beside the handle. He needed a card to get in. He needed a card. He groaned and put his head in his hands. He was getting the strongest feeling of deja vu when he heard a noise and turned. The zombie receptionists had left their posts and taken a personal interest.

Next Installment Monday 13th October

Part One is here

Alex – Friday: 6 Days to Plague Day

They stood before St Paul’s, buffeted this way and that by eager tourists and business men with their heads down and game faces on. London felt overwhelming after the peace of Yorkshire. Everywhere felt overwhelming at the moment. Even the train had been stressful.

Luke had dragged him out of bed and dumped him on the floor late yesterday afternoon. Following a brief announcement that they were on their way back to London, he vanished to book tickets leaving Alex to wake up and get ready to leave. He wasn’t ready to go anywhere. He still only half-believed he had hands and every time he used them they jarred and felt alien.

The sun was out, returned after a weekend away, and he rocked his head back to soak up the rays. He kept going back in his mind to that moment on the train when he’d seen his stumps. Not knowing why they were like that was almost worse than seeing it happen. The complete lack of mental preparation had caught him like a punch in the stomach and he was still struggling to draw breath two days later.

He wondered if this was how you felt when someone you loved got killed, in a road accident or something. The shock of it impacting as much as the event itself. His entire world had spun away like nothing mattered anymore and realising his hands meant that much to him only made him extra-paranoid. He didn’t want to use them in case something happened.

Luke had done it to keep him in line and on the train, but he’d done so much more than that. Alex glanced to his left. Did he know what he’d done? Would he care if he did? The man, or whatever he was, was a conundrum. He was evil, if such a thing existed, yet he was striving to save the world. The two things didn’t gel, in any way.

And Luke didn’t quite gel either. Most of the time he was this grinning man who delighted in screwing with other people. But every now and then Alex caught him looking pensive, or being polite and nice when he didn’t need to be and he couldn’t help wondering which of the two Lukes was nearer the truth.

Now though, his face showed only the evil Luke. His teeth were clamped together, the pressure pulling the skin on his face tight and showing off the pulsing vein in his temple. He hadn’t said much about why they were here, only that it was one of his own kind who was after him. Apparently, it wasn’t very surprising.

Alex was happy to stay clear of what was going on. Given the choice he’d be far away. He still hadn’t managed to contact Lisa and he was sure she’d think he’d run away. Threatened with a baby, she’d think he’d done a runner. Maybe she’d visited the lab and found it empty. Or maybe she’d given up on him. He couldn’t blame her, not with how little he’d been around recently.

‘Have you got any money?’

‘Huh, what?’

Luke gave him a look. ‘I said, have you got any money?’

‘Uh, not on me, but in the bank I guess.’

‘Get some, please. We need two tickets for St Paul’s and they’re tight bastards in there. And I need something to eat as well.’

‘Why do you need it now? How did you pay for our train tickets and everything?’

‘I have outstanding skills of persuasion. But one doesn’t fleece the church, not unless you want a whole world of trouble. Don’t get me wrong, it’s tempting to thumb my nose at him, but it’s not going to get me back home any quicker.’

‘Where’s home?’

‘Money, now.’

With a sniff, Alex walked across to the cashpoint in front of the supermarket and took out a hundred pounds. There was no doubt he wasn’t getting it back, but he didn’t think saying that to Luke would make much of a difference.

A few minutes later they strolled into the cavernous confines of St Paul’s Cathedral. He’d never been in here. It was one of those London landmarks that had vaguely appealed but was never worth the cost. It was, in truth, pretty impressive. The floor was a wonderful pattern of black and white, like a chess board that had gone out of control. The columns were huge and majestic and covered in stunning carvings. The roof seemed ridiculously far away and his neck ached within five minutes of being inside.

He tried to relax and enjoy the place, but Luke fidgeted like a bored school boy and it ruined any enjoyment he might have got from the experience.

In fact, Luke wasn’t just fidgeting, he looked really uncomfortable. He kept scratching parts of himself and looking this way and that. Alex heaved a sigh and grabbed his arm.

‘What is it?’

‘He can see me here. I just don’t like being watched, that’s all.’

‘Who can see you?’

‘Who do you think?’

Alex chuckled and shook his head. Luke was many strange and amazing things, but the part of the story that was clearly not true was the part where he was an angel. That was like saying God sent him here to do holy works. Next he’d be claiming the bible was true.

Alex snorted and made his way beneath the massive dome, peering up with his mouth open. He tended to dismiss religion wherever possible but there was no denying they built great buildings. Luke came past him fast and put his hand around his arm. He tugged him towards the back of the church.

It was pleasantly quiet and soon they found a darkened corner in the North Transept with no one in sight. Luke stopped and squared him up so he faced the brick wall.

‘What do you see?’

‘A wall. Maybe some scratched graffiti, although I’m sure that couldn’t be there, not if God’s watching.’

Luke smiled, a rare genuine grin that made Alex itchy.

‘You really don’t believe at all, do you?’

‘There’s just so many reasons to think it’s all a crock. It’s about control, always has been. Why expect your peasants to be scared of you? It’s far more convincing to create something for them to be scared of, something that happens after they die. You don’t have to prove anything and you get obedience without all the pesky hangings and executions.’

‘I’m glad you’ve got it all sorted out. It makes my life considerably simpler.’

Luke was still smiling and Alex opened his mouth to ask what he meant when the wall before him shimmered. It wobbled, like something made the bricks soft and malleable. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes. The shimmering was getting worse and Luke put a hand in his back and shoved. Alex put his hands out to stop himself from colliding with the wall, but instead of hitting it, he went straight through.

He was in absolute darkness and it smelled of age and dust. He scuffed a foot along the floor and felt stones and sand shifting around. Luke’s voice hissed in the black.

‘This is nothing to do with God. There’s no way he made it possible for that wall to become transparent. Nor was any magic involved of any sort. In fact, the knowledge of the hollow walls here has only remained secret through pure coincidence. Which makes perfect sense, what with the human race being in no way curious, or eager to explain the stories they’re told.’

Alex opened his mouth and closed it again. There were things in this world that were inexplicable; being shown the future and having your hands temporarily removed high among them. But that didn’t mean God existed. And that wall could have been created in any number of ways. He bit his lip.

Luke brushed past him and he jumped.

‘Where are we going?’

‘Hsst, keep your voice down. Sound travels in here. We’re going this way.’

‘I can’t see anything. Which way is this way?’

‘That’s unfortunate. Maybe you’ll have to trust to the will of God that you choose the right direction. You could walk around in here for days before you starved.’

His voice grew faint and Alex hurried to keep in range. When he stopped talking, he focused instead on the soft tread of his shoes and the occasional click they made as they struck smooth stone. It was silent in here and the darkness showed no signs of abating. How had this place remained a secret?

But then, this was a church building and they were renowned for keeping things secret. No one would mess around with St Paul’s without the church allowing them and he couldn’t see that happening. So in actual fact, it was easy to imagine no one knowing about this. Only Luke did and that was frustrating, if only because it was harder to explain away.

His thoughts were derailed as he noticed Luke’s back before him and the dark grey of the walls to either side. Light was coming from somewhere and he heaved a sigh of relief. Luke stopped, raised a hand, and crouched down. Alex followed suit and shuffled after him as he moved further forward.

The light grew brighter until the corridor was lit by flickering oranges and yellows. The scene over Luke’s shoulder was extraordinary and very unlikely. Not impossible but unlikely.

The tunnel came out right at the top of a cavern that must have been as deep, as St Paul’s was tall. Directly beneath the exit was a small platform and a set of horribly steep steps descending into the cavern. The walls were rock, smooth in some places and ragged in others.

The bottom of the cavern was flat, artificially so, and the centre was home to a church. It was, he realised, a miniature version of St Paul’s, all the way from the steps leading onto the cavern floor up to the enormous basilica. It was miniature only in that it wasn’t as large as the one they were beneath. But it was a good-sized church nonetheless.

Unlikely, not impossible. The trucks Luke had mentioned seeing in Yorkshire were all parked at one end of the cavern, the fire light flickering off the plain grey armour. The light itself came from a series of torches fixed around the walls and a huge fire that sat at the far end of the cavern, near the tunnel mouth through which he assumed the trucks had gained access. The cave was empty of people.

Luke gave him a look. ‘This is the power of the church. Not some pathetic hold over peasants who want to be dominated anyway. This.’

He shook his open hand at the vista hundreds of feet below.

‘But why? What’s the point in all this?’

‘I could tell you things about power centres and St Paul’s being built where it is for very deliberate reasons. I could mention how every ceremony and moment of true belief that happens above is channeled down into here and used. But you wouldn’t buy it, so what’s the point?’

He was right, it would be rubbish, but he wanted to know anyway. Luke was already creeping out of the tunnel and lowering himself onto the platform below.

‘We aren’t going down there, you’re bloody mad.’

Luke put his finger to his lips and pointed to the trucks. ‘The stuff you created is in there so unless you have a better plan, going down there is exactly what we’re going to do.’

Alex hissed and rubbed his face. He followed Luke down onto the platform. They both froze as the sound of chanting rose up to them. Alex crouched, clinging to the rough wall as he got a brief glimpse over the edge. His stomach lurched and he went dizzy. The chanting grew louder and the front of the church opened.

Men emerged, wearing long simple robes of pale grey. One wore white and stood out from the monotony of his comrades. Behind them came soldiers, all wearing various shades of grey and all chanting. Near the back, two men held between them a figure, stripped to the waist and struggling. Her cries reached them up on the platform and Alex’s blood ran cold.

Next Installment Thursday 9th October

Part One is Here

Krystal – Thursday: Plague Day

She landed first on her hand and then her face and couldn’t decide which hurt the most.

‘James? James?’

He was silent. He must have knocked himself out when he fell. She tugged her hand free of his. His skin was cold and it hadn’t been a moment ago. She got to her hands and knees and felt around until she touched his face. That was cold too.

His skin was dry and what felt like flakes of skin attached themselves to her fingers. She wiped them on her jeans, swallowing. He hadn’t looked like he had a skin condition. He’d looked fresh-faced and smooth.

‘James?’

Still no response. She pushed him a few times but he didn’t move. It felt like she was pushing a lump of wood. She trailed her hands over him back to his face and held her hand under his nose. She’d done this more than once with people she’d called friends and sometimes she felt something and sometimes she didn’t. There was no reason to think she wouldn’t, but…

Nothing. Not a breath. What the hell had just happened? He’d been fine, chatting away and then… she sniffed. The smell was stronger now, mold and something worse. She remembered the police cars crashing, the way they went from driving normally along to being completely out of control with no warning. This must have happened to them.

The fog. It was in here and got James. So why was she still standing? Her next thought was for Ed and she stumbled to her feet. Where was the door? Why had they shut it on the way in? She saw a thin line of light where it came in beneath and with a sigh of relief took a step towards it. That was when his hand wrapped around her ankle.

She screamed and kicked out and succeeded only in falling over. His grip was even tighter than when he’d held her hand and she felt panic bubble up, sweat breaking over her brow and her heart thudding in her chest. She ground her teeth together and took a deep breath. Panic was something that happened when you had something to lose.

She lashed out with her other foot, slamming it again and again into his wrist. She’d never been so grateful for her Doc Marten boots. They were the only item of clothing she had that was actually worth anything. For that matter they were the only thing she’d ever paid for.

His wrist gave way, the skin cracking beneath the blows and her foot ploughed into the softness beneath. She kept kicking and although the fingers stayed tight around her ankle, she pulled free and pushed herself on her arse across the floor. She scrambled up, staring into the darkness of the room, trying to imagine where he’d be.

She reached the door handle and yanked on it, shoving hard. The door stayed resolutely closed. She whimpered, a sound she’d not heard from herself in a long time and pushed again. Still nothing. She stopped moving, listening. He made plenty of noise, scraping and sliding as he got to his feet. He growled and she imagined him taking slow steps towards her.

She pulled her knife from her pocket. It was pathetic, a penknife with a blade about the size of her pinky, but it was better than nothing. She pulled the blade out and waited. A patch of darkness moved and she put her hands out. He stumbled into them and she screamed and shoved. It was like shoving a building and he kept coming.

His hands closed on her shoulders and she felt his breath close to her face. She put her hands where she thought his face was and felt slobber on her palms. She shrieked and pulled them away, then put them back a bit higher. His nose was soft beneath her palm and she pushed.

He tightened his grip and hauled her away from the door. Krystal kept her hands where they were, the knife still gripped tight. She lifted her right hand away until the tip of the blade pressed against the back of her left hand. She moved it until it rested between her fingers and then she guided it until it sat over what she hoped was his eye.

The manoeuvre seemed to take for ever and throughout it he dragged her forward, bulling his head at her and trying to push through her hands. She grimaced and pushed the penknife. She felt the moment it entered his eye and he whined, like a dog being beaten. She pushed further and hot liquid poured out and down her arms.

She gagged and spat and gagged again but kept pushing. Then he froze. She liked to think she knew the exact moment it pierced his brain, but the truth was she knew nothing except the feel of his fingers digging into her shoulders and the hot tang of his breath that made her stomach churn.

She shoved him in the chest and he dropped like chopped wood, thumping to the floor. Her arms hung by her sides as she took deep breaths, chest heaving. She turned around and found the door. She turned the handle and pulled it open. She could see herself, frantically pushing at a pull door and despite what had just happened, the blood rose to her cheeks as she blushed.

The light spilled into the room and she turned to look at James. It wasn’t James. It had, perhaps, once been called that, but it wasn’t any more. His hair was already falling out, leaving behind a scalp that resembled cold porridge. His eyes looked like one of her friend’s after a particularly bad winter. And he smelled, of meat left out in the sun for far too long.

She needed the knife. The handle poked from his eye socket like a flag and she screwed up her face. She needed it. She took one slow step and another until she stood over the corpse. She’d seen a few horror movies in her time, though nothing as bad as what she’d seen on the street, but she knew he wasn’t going to rear up for one last attack. The way he’d stiffened when she got the blade into his brain had been as final as it gets.

At least she knew how to kill them. She blinked, hand hovering above his head. She knew how to kill them. What the hell was going on? When had she been able to kill anything? And what were they? She knew the answer to that. Zombies were cool. At least, they were until you were shut in a cupboard with one. Then they were just smelly.

 She looked at her hands, wondering at the cold. The blood that caked them was cooling down and becoming sticky. She heaved and bent over, trying her hardest to keep her five cups of tea down. Once the urge to regurge was gone, she reached out again and wrapped her hand around the knife.

It took some tugging, but eventually it came free with a sucking noise normally reserved for freeing your boot from deep mud. That thought took her back to camping with mum and dad. It was an early memory, one of the few not ruined by what came after. She remembered fires and lying on the beach and walking through woods and laughing.

She scrubbed her eyes with one hand and then pictured herself with blood smeared across her face. Considering the state of her hands, it probably wasn’t the worst that could happen. She carried the knife with her thumb and first finger out of the room and straight across to the toilet.

As it clattered into the sink, the shakes set in and she grabbed the edge as her knees gave way. After a few minutes of hyperventilating on the bathroom floor, she pulled herself up and blasted the hot water on full, scrubbing her hands until they hurt.

The clean knife went in her back pocket and she finally looked at herself in the mirror. The blood was scrubbed off, but she looked different anyway. Older and far more scared. Fear was something that had become so common place she thought she’d conquered it. Turns out there are different kinds of fear.

A ball coalesced in her stomach, heavy and painful as another type of fear she’d never had assailed her. Where was Ed? She ran to the lift and hammered the button. Had he switched the lifts off as well? There were like, a million stairs in this place. She stopped hammering and let out a long breath once she heard the whir that signalled the lift’s approach and listened. The building was eerily quiet. No air con, no hum of lights, no voices.

The ride up was long and fidgety and she kept touching the knife in her pocket and remembering the sound as it came out of the zombie’s eye. She’d done plenty she wasn’t proud of in the last three years, and few things she was. She’d had to defend herself a bunch of times and sometimes she’d succeeded. Other times she’d ended up bruised and bloody and penniless, but that was how it worked.

But she’d never used the knife. It had been there, but any time she’d been tempted to reach for it, she’d imagined the person she was fighting having something far larger stashed away and the moment she brought it out, they had an excuse. Now she’d not only used it, but she’d killed someone she’d been chatting to only a few minutes earlier.

Her shoulders hunched and she wondered whether she shouldn’t have just stayed in the bathroom. Then the doors slid open and she groaned. Across the room she saw Ed, backed against the window, hands before him like they’d make any difference. The floor was covered in corpses, stiff and cold like James. The air con hadn’t made any difference.

She dashed across, weaving between the corpses and grabbed him by the shoulder. He flinched and shoved her away.

‘They just all fell over. One minute she was talking about her son and the next she just fell over. They’re so cold.’

‘Yeah, not for long. C’mon.’

Ed finally looked at her through eyes that struggled to remain still, flicking this way and that.

‘What do you mean?’

‘They’ll wake up soon.’

The little amount of blood that had managed to remain in his face fled and he took her outstretched hand. ‘Where have you been?’

‘Went to turn off the air con. Getting a bit cold in here.’

‘How do you know how to do that?’

‘I don’t. Took James with me.’

‘Where’s James? Who’s James?’

‘James is a zombie. Well, he was. Now he’s down an eye on the floor of the electrics office.’

Ed’s eyes settled on her, brow creasing. ‘I don’t get it.’

‘Tell you later, c’mon.’

She was trying to keep her voice calm and quiet. She’d seen the ambulance people do it when they came to take someone away. They always talked to her and anyone else around, always with the same questions.

‘Did they have anyone, anyone we should call? Did you know they were struggling?’

And she’d always notice the calm quiet voices and somehow she’d answer the questions with a straight face, like they weren’t the stupidest questions in the world. She was using that voice now talking to Ed and he was responding just like she’d always done.

‘Yeah, course.’

He let her lead him across the room, weaving between the bodies. They could wake up. At any moment she could put her foot down and feel a hand around her ankle. She had to stop herself running across the room, if only so Ed didn’t lose the plot entirely. She kept seeing things from the corners of her eyes, movement that made her jerk to one side, only to see nothing but corpses.

They reached the lift without Ed freaking out further at the presence of lots of dead bodies and stepped in. They both sighed and she pressed the button. The doors were most of the way closed when an arm slipped through. Ed screamed and threw himself back, banging off the opposite wall. She grinned, waiting for the door to close and snap off the offending limb.

Instead, they pinged and reopened and she stared at the faces of those with whom they’d shared their day, every one staring at her with sunken eyes and teeth bared.

Next Installment Monday 6th October