Chapter 9: Chapter eight

CHAPTER EIGHT

‘3..2..1..’

‘Go!’

Keith went first, unclicking the door and breaking into a sprint towards the car, myself just behind and Lucas only a step behind me.

It all happened so fast.

Out of nowhere, the growls and screeches started, gargled moans coming from just to our left. I made the mistake of turning to look and froze at the sight of several infected from the neighbours garden snapping their necks towards us.

‘Go, go!’ Lucas yelled, giving me a forceful shove in the direction of the car. It was  all I needed to bring me back to Earth, my brain forcing my hand out to try and wrench the back door of the Honda open.

It was locked.

‘No, no’ I muttered exasperatedly, noticing Keith slamming the drivers seat closed behind him. It took Lucas only a millisecond to notice my door wasn’t opening.

‘Get over here!’ he pulled his foot from the car and tried to grab me but it was too late, I could already feel their breath on my neck, their growls in my head.

‘Go!’ I screamed, wondering if I was going to die but knowing that I didn’t want anyone to die with me. My question was answered when a rough hand gripped my arm and yanked me backwards till I stumbled and fell onto my back, groaning in pain.

Yes, I was going to die.

It was nothing like when I was alone in the bathroom, I had some hope there, I waited for a miracle and it came in the form of my brother. But now, deformed human faces were beginning to loom over me, snarling, bloody and horrific. Even my brother didn’t have the strength to pull me from their skin-ripping grip as blood from their faces began to drip over my clothes. Scrambling backwards I began to choke on my own breath, this was the sort of thing nightmares were made of. They were so close to me, terrifying in the flesh without a barrier separating us.

They were humans, people like me, but their faces were contorted with rage, clothes ripped and skin roughened and tinted a pale colour; the colour of death. Their arms ripped through the air jerkily to try and grab me, their movements quick but precise. Close up I could see the blood splotches in their pupil-less eyes, the rips in their skin and the individual strands of hair falling from their head and eyebrows. The growls emitting from their pale lips were louder, more terrifying, sending shockwaves through my body and goosebumps rising from my skin.

In short, they were just ‘the infected’ now. Could they think, could they control themselves? Who knew, I surely would never know.

Oh god, how could this be it?

‘Harley!’

I couldn’t die, there was so much to do still. But their arms were relentless, shimmying backwards into the road had bought me a few more seconds but there were at least twenty infected grabbing for me and only two people who could save my life, both who were behind the crowd.

I thought I’d die of old age, not as a zombie.

A zombie.

I’d finally admitted they were zombies.

Keith would be so proud.

I tried to stay quiet as a large man with no hair and bloody hands with several missing fingers emerged through the crowd and dived on top of me. Although I was choking on my own sobs as it all unfolded, I didn’t want to scream, to make my brother hurt more. My life would end and it had only just started, I could have done better, this was never how I should have gone, I had so much more fight left in me. I’d do anything, make deals with the Devil, with god, with anyone if I could just see my mum one last time.

My last inch of hope depleaded as I felt blood dripping from the infected man’s mouth cover my neck, chest and arms. I was covered in open cuts with my sheer clumsiness, there was a 100% chance the infected blood was now surging through my system, ruining my brain and deleting all the perfect memories I’d made along the way.

My arms were sore from holding this man’s face from my own, his jaws clamping in mid-air as many other infected tried to get to me, screeching and attracting all the more. Somehow though, the fact this man was fat prevented them from access to me, maybe that was my miracle. Maybe that was the leverage I’d been given.

‘Harley!’

It was my brother screaming, I could hear the tears in his voice.

The strangled scream errupted from my chest before I could stop it, all plans to stay quiet gone. It was selfish but I needed to let it out, my own shrieks gave me further strength to avoid the saliva and blood the infected man was spitting towards me. The sound of my own death just made me cry more and more until Lucas’ voice sounded though he himself was fighting a losing battle.

‘Get off me!’ the voice was close, and it was not my brother’s voice.

Keith.

He was here, not in the car. Hadn’t he been in the car?

Keep fighting, keep fighting.

‘Harley?’ from the corner of my eye, I saw a struggle emerge as somebody fell to the ground.

Please not my brother.

And then the real miracle happened as the crushing weight was lifted from my slender body and I could suddenly breathe again. Fearing I didn’t have the strength to move was no longer a problem as my own body was lifted and gripped in a pair of arms. We were moving, running backwards towards the car. It all happened so very fast, too fast to comprehend, but I caught a glimpse of black jeans and a faded belt, and knew I was sin Keith’s arms.

He saved me.

As the world went black and I faded from consciousness, my eyes closed with the feeling of absolute security, and I knew I would never be able to pay him back for this very moment.

‘She’s awake’

A voice, next to me. Hadn’t I been dying? Laying on the floor with them, the infected, trying to kill me, trying to rip me to pieces like everyone else.

‘Harley?’

The air was warm though, not bitterly cold like the outside.  The voices were close, right next to me even. Smooth, comforting.

‘Are you sure she’s awake?’

Did he mean me?

‘I heard her, and she moved her hand’.

Instinctively, I flexed my fingers, assuming I was still alive because they did as they were told. Slowly, I began to open my eyes, not adjusting to the atmosphere very well. Little orbs of light danced around me, a shadowed figure coming slowly into focus. It was getting a little dark outside, I could see a small window. We were moving, quickly. There was no traffic. Hadn’t there been traffic before?

‘Harley’ the voice was right next to me, and as I finally adjusted, I saw Lucas, leaning down towards me, his face not far from mine.

And then I remembered.

‘Lucas?’

I thought I’d never see him again. With my rejuvenated strength, I lifted my body from a laying position to hug the sibling who meant the absolute world to me in those seconds.

‘Oh god, I can’t believe you’re okay’ his voice was husky, thick, like he’d been crying.

‘I can’t believe you’re here’ I breathed, holding on for dear life

‘Keith?’

‘Hello sunshine’ Keith grinned into the rear view mirror, looking back to where Lucas and I sat in the back seat of what I assumed was the car from the house. The treacherous car which could have gotten us all killed.

‘You saved my life’. He looked uncomfortable as I said it, regretful even.

‘I was nearly too late, you could have died’.

‘But we’re fine; alive’. I was so amazed, overwhelmed at what had happened; bursting with relief, joy, life, pain at what I had seen. We’d escaped though; my door hadn’t opened and stuck a spanner in the plan but despite that, we were okay, breathing, kicking, driving.

Even if this new world was sick and raging with infection, it was surely full of people who would risk their own lives to save others, strangers even.

Kind of a beautiful mess.

I owed him my life, we barely knew eachother yet he'd done this for me, put himself out there for me. I could barely believe it, when I had first seen Keith I had the most unusual feeling that it was supposed to happen, that I knew him. Maybe that was true, maybe this was all supposed to happen. Was it crazy that I had known him for almost no time at all yet I felt like I knew who he was? That in those long conversations in the car, the running and the mess I felt like we had this strange, silent understanding of one another?

Crazy.

All so crazy.

Over the car journey, I checked my body several times and sighed with relief each time I noticed no open cuts. Luck didn’t even cover it, but I knew that I wouldn’t even be breathing without Keith and so I couldn’t stop myself thanking him every five minutes, still amazed about what he’d risked for me. He kept glancing back at us as we drove, keeping the conversation going as he noticed mine and Lucas’ unease as we got ever closer to the hotel. I’d only been conscious for around half an hour but the amount of destruction outside the car was catastrophic.

Cars lay on their side on fire, some with people still inside. Every few minutes we would see at least one dead body on the road, one even had an infected still on top of her, clawing away. Every so often we would actually see an infected scrambling around to find people but to my relief, there seemed to be less and less of them as we travelled in the car, closer to the hotel.

Maybe they were travelling slowly, though at the speed they were moving, I seriously doubted it. The only thing that seemed to be on our side was the lack of traffic;  to describe the place we were in as a dead town would be an understatement, all life seemed to have been wiped out.

Terrifying.

So bloody terrifying, yet I steadied my shaking breaths, squeezed my brothers hand and closed my eyes till I could see Joel’s face, grinning as he spilled chocolate down his top, my mother as she laughed at the mess and my father, walking in from work, tired and stressed beginning to smile at the sight.

I took it all for granted.

‘Alright, they said it was here somewhere, I’ll park up the car’.

‘That’s not safe’ I said bluntly, trying to erase the memory of the infected clawing at me, screeching, inches from my body.

‘No, but we have no choice, you wanna drive the car into the hotel?’ Lucas asked, eyebrows raised, ‘Maybe you should stay here with Keith, I’ll go in and if theres any trouble, beep me’.

‘No, you’re not going without me’ I was being stubborn, but I would not let another piece of my family out of my sight, not by himself. It was so scary out there, so dangerous in this new fucked up existence that even stepping out of this car could mean instant death.

‘Either two of us go or two of us stay in the car’ Keith said, ‘I don’t mind going up there but nobody stays in the car alone’.

‘Its more dangerous inside’.

‘Maybe, but if there’s any real danger inside then at least we’re not all trapped together with no help. We may be the only people in town with a car now, we need to defend this thing’.

‘Agreed’ Lucas said, ‘They’re staying in room twelve, it’s probably only one storey up. Beep me if anything comes in’.

With that, he took a breath and slammed out of the car before I could even protest.

‘Lucas!’ I cried, reaching for the door, groaning when I heard the locks click, ‘Keith, that’s my brother out there, let me go!’

‘He’s tough Harley, you know he’ll be okay’.

‘What if they’re in there?’ I choked out in a fury.

‘Then he’ll shout and I’ll run in and find him, but if that happens you have to duck under the seats, don’t let anyone know you’re in here’.

‘Okay’ my angry breathing became unsteady, this was never how it was supposed to be, we were going to stick together. Keith must have caught my expression in the mirror because he sighed softly before turning his whole body to face me, a small smile on his face.

‘You know, it’s more dangerous to walk up and down your stairs than it is to be eaten by a zombie’ he said. Despite myself, I managed to laugh in surprise, contemplating his words.

‘I think you mean it’s less dangerous than getting on a plane’.

‘Nope, I’m pretty sure it’s zombie’.

‘Plane’

‘Zombie’.

I smiled, glancing towards his eyes which were alight with warmth, ‘I don’t even know how to thank you’ I said genuinely, ‘I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you. You didn’t have to help but you did, and I’ll never forget it’.

‘Sweetheart, you saved my life before I helped you. Your brother was shooting me daggers before you said I could get in the car with your family’ he chuckled, reaching for my hand, ‘I don’t really believe in fate but we found each other and I’ll always help you in the same way you helped me. We’ll find your family, and then we’ll go to the border and get the first boat out of here’. For a second, he caught my eye and it seemed I couldn't quite tear myself away. All rational thoughts left my head as Keith looked at me like nobody had before, really looked at me with an expression that must have mimicked mine. He looked as though he wanted to say something but was battling with himself and in the strangest way, I felt like there was a massive weight on my own chest too. Right now though, it wasn't important, my own mind wasn't important.

‘I did always want to go on a boat’ I smiled quickly, tears threatening to spill out of my eyes. Skylar and I planned to go on a ferry ride next year to celebrate the end of school.

I didn’t even know if she was alive now.

‘I’ll take you sometime after we’re out of here, under better circumstances’. He let go of my hand and I realised I didn't like it; I didn't even realise how cold I had been until he gripped onto my palm.

‘Thank you’ I smiled again, not really believing him. What if this never ended? There were so many of them in this town only, what if it was like this in every other town, worse even? And then a thought struck me, one so obvious that I was actually angry at myself for not realising sooner.

‘What if they can’t contain it? What if the whole world ends up like this?’

‘I don’t know’ he pushed his dark hair out of his eyes, looking only now as vulnerable as he’d been when I first met him, ‘We’ll figure it out’.

‘I guess we’ll have to’ I muttered, glancing up to the windows of the hotel. It looked so dark, so daunting that my brother was wandering through that darkness alone. I should have been there with him, if something happened I’d never forgive myself, ever. I could only hope that my parents had barricaded themselves in their room with Joel, that it was quiet because they were safe.

‘I see him’ Keith climbed to the passengers seat, craning his neck upwards. Hurriedly I joined him from the back seat, noticing a figure moving on the third floor.

‘That’s him’ I grinned, focusing in on his face. So he was okay. If it wasn’t for the dead phone lines, I’d have called him the second he left the car but it was just another nightmare within a nightmare.

‘I think he wants us to go up there’ he sounded confused, ‘He knows we can’t leave the car’.

‘Has he found them?’ I reached for the door handle, ready to run straight in there, but a grip on my wrist pulled me back.

‘You can’t go alone, I promised your brother I’d let nothing happen to you’.

‘It won’t’ I could barely contain my smile now, the feeling came from the bottom of my heart, like all the pieces of me that had been broken down in the last few days were being fixed. We were here, in a few minutes we could all be driving out of here with the petrol left in the tank, straight to the sea, straight off of this island.

This dead island.

Keith looked like he was having another internal battle with himself before he let go of my wrist, looking pained to do so.

‘if you see anything, and I mean to much as a tiny twitch in the curtains, scream to me and I’ll come, alright?’

‘Yes sir’.

‘I know you have a pair of lungs on you’ he laughed as I flipped him off and stepped out of the car. For only a moment, the breeze seemed to shock my skin; the car was musty and tasted of pure depression. I knew hanging around, despite the quiet, was not a good idea and so I jogged up to the glass doors and pulled them open, marvelling at the icy cold of the hotel as the doors shut silently behind me. My footsteps seemed to echo around me as I blearily felt my way through the darkness, only the dim stream of light through the doors helping me find my way to the stairs which I climbed two at a time.

The silence was reassuring, as long as I knew there was nothing to fear in this building, I didn’t feel too afraid. The comfort of my brother being close only heightened the feeling of control and so as I braved the second set of stairs, the long row of doors on the ‘window’ side didn’t seem too daunting. Knowing my family could be behind one of them made my pulse race and heart flutter.

‘Lucas?’ I called in a loud whisper, knowing he wouldn’t hear me but staying hopeful. Quietly, I approached a door which had a dusty red ‘9’ taped to it. Counting along, I found myself in front of the door labelled ‘12’, the ‘1’ peeling off the wood.

‘Bingo’ I muttered, feeling strangely nervous. What if they weren’t here, then what? The silence was crushing my hope, surely everyone would have been talking.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

Pushing the handle, the door slid open more easily than I anticipated, the creak echoing loudly around the large space.

My heart fell to my feet as amongst the darkness, I made out a single figure stood in the centre of the room, Lucas. I tried to find solace in the fact he was okay, but fought back tears at the possibility everybody else wasn’t.

‘Harley’ he strode towards me, gripping me into a tight hug which he didn’t release me from for several minutes. All I could think was that he was trying to tell me the worst, explaining we’d never see our family again with a simple action.

‘Harley, they left a note’ he told me, pushing me back so he could hold me at arms length, ‘The owners kicked them out and shut off the power so they had to move, but they knew we’d come’.

‘What did it say?’ I asked, eyes wide with emotion.

‘They managed to get onto a radio with the other guests, apparently there’s an evacuation somewhere a way from here, they hitched a lift with some people to get there’

‘Evacuation?’ I breathed, shock and relief flooding my body, ‘Didn’t they mention coming to get us?’ I asked, in my element that they were safe but a little confused. It was out of our parents nature to leave us behind, under any circumstances.

‘They couldn’t, some idiot apparently told them our whole area was evacuated last night, they probably think we’re already there'.

‘Oh bugger’.

‘Exactly, we need to be quick’.

‘Should we grab some stuff while we’re here?’ I asked, suddenly having a brainwave, ‘Mum and Dad took most of the bags so we only have a few sandwiches and a couple of bottles of water and the empty yellow bag, it might not last’.

‘You’re a genius’ he grinned, ruffling my hair.

‘I try’.

‘Yeah I know’ he laughed as he began to walk from the room, leaving me following quickly behind. I’d already deemed this place to be safe so I didn’t feel too nervous when we pushed into each room, most with doors ajar. Though most people had obviously taken all of their possessions, we still managed to find a jigsaw which we thought could keep Joel occupied when we got to him, a couple of empty bottles to fill and a sealed chocolate bar. On the way out, we grabbed and a box of tissues, plasters and a full bottle of lemonade which had been left at the reception desk.

The contrast of the blinding light was disorientating as we staggered from the hotel with the new possessions in our arms, the relieved expression on Keith’s face causing me to smile.

‘I was starting to worry’ he said, unlocking the doors. His face grew more solemn as he avoided my eyes, ‘They weren’t there?’

‘It’s alright, they’re on their way to be evacuated apparently’.

‘Wait, what? Evacuated?’

‘Yeah, so we’d better find this place quick’ I replied, ‘They left us a note’ I finished at his now more confused face.

‘They didn’t come find you?’

‘Nah, some twats told them our side of town was fine’ Lucas grumbled, ‘The irritating thing is, I’m not even sure where we are. We’re in Scotland and that’s about as much as I know’.

‘How did we get here?’ I sighed, so confused, so tired and so, so overwhelmed, ‘It’s been days since we left but it just feels like we’ve never stopped moving’.

‘We haven’t’ Lucas smiled tiredly at me.

‘I’d never been to Scotland before this’ Keith seemed deep in thought as he pushed the car into accelerate, ‘I I don’t live too far from the border but I never came. You guys had a longer journey by the looks of it’.

‘I slept for a lot of it’ I admitted, ‘But the traffic wasn’t too bad, we left earlier than everybody else. I hope they’re alright’ I frowned.

‘They will be, I wish we’d gotten into an evacuation bus now, I bet they fared better’ Lucas said.

‘Oh you don’t’ Keith countered, tearing his eves from the empty road, ‘I heard a lot of the evacuations down the South of England failed’.

‘What, how? Where?’ I asked, craning forwards. How far south could he mean, not our town?

‘I’m not sure where but my friend told me they accidentally let a heavily infected person onto one of the buses. He’d seemed out of it but they were in such a hurry they just let him on. They drove for hours but I heard he turned, became one of the things we’re seeing. Killed everyone’.

Silence.

How mad was this?

‘You really don’t know where it happened?’ I whispered.

‘Don’t worry, it can’t have been too near where you were, you would’ve heard. You’re just lucky they evacuated doctors and their families first’.

‘Evacuated? Kicked us out and left us for dead’ Lucas spat, wrenching a hand through his hair, ‘They call this ‘keeping order?’. They’ve shut down practically the whole internet, phone lines are town and most of the TV stations are down. We’ve had no help and no information, we didn’t even know there were these zombie things running round till one practically took a chunk out of us and now we’re making our way through deserted streets we have no idea where to go. Evacuation my arse’.

‘Hear hear’ I muttered, ‘All hail the conservative government. I wonder if they’re okay’.

‘Lets hope not’ keith smiled wickedly, ‘I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough’.

‘Where are we going?’

Keith stayed silent for a moment, Lucas too. I was sure they didn’t know, so I was surprised when Keith eventually answered.

‘I guess we just drive till we run out of petrol, try and follow the signs to where you guys said this evacuation is’.

‘How much petrol do we actually have?’ I asked, suddenly fearful that the barrier of the car protecting us might not be so permanent after all.

‘About another half an hours’ worth’.

‘Oh god’.

*****

‘What the hell?’ Lucas’ face was contorted with anger as he looked out the car window towards a group of three policemen who only a few minutes ago we’d pulled up next to. They were stood at the side of a long stretch of deserted road; we’d only been driving for about ten minutes and these people were the first sign of life we’d seen since the infected had attacked us. We'd begged for answers about plans, an evacuation, help, a radio, anything. We were given nothing.

‘Look sir, it would be best if you just turned around and went back the way you came’.

‘Right into hell again? I cut in, almost as angry as the two boys in front of me, ‘Do you want us to get killed?’

‘No ma’am,’ The police officer talking now was a large copper haired man who had worry lines all over his face and an expression of reluctance, it was obvious he did not want to be on duty out in the open, ‘I just think it’s best that you turn the car around and go back’.

‘So you’re turning civillians round now then. What are you even stood here for?’

‘To turn you round, now get going, we’re not asking  again’.

‘We came to ask you what the hell is going on!’ Keith protested, smacking his hand onto the steering wheel.

‘Well’, a slim brunette female police officer mocked amazement, ‘I think’, she said rudely, ‘That there is a virus going round and I think that we are all going to die at the hands of these freaks legging it around everywhere’.

‘No shit’ Lucas deadpanned, ‘Why aren’t they all here, where is everyone?’

‘Fuck knows’ The large man spoke again, ‘Must’ve all gotten distracted down the other side of town, mass pile up of bodies probably, I’ve seen the bastards knawing on a body for hours. Saw a load of cars leave town earlier though, the lucky ones. We’re here to handle the suspicious stragglers, such as yourselves’.

Immediately I began to feel sick again, wanting to drive away immediately.

‘What wrong, sweetie?’ The female officer spat towards me, poking her head through the window to Lucas’ annoyance, ‘This all too much for that pretty little face of yours?’

‘Back off’ Lucas growled, causing her to laugh hysterically. Keith glared at her and revved the engine.

‘Step out of the car, all of you’ she said menacingly,reaching into her holster.

‘I don’t know why you’re laughing’ Keith smiled sweetly towards this bitch of a woman, ‘We’re going to drive off to our own evacuation and I’m pretty sure the zombies wore down that pile of bodies a while ago, they were chasing us down the road, oh, five minutes ago? Good luck, ‘sweetie’’.

He revved the engine with an even more bittersweet smile as we sped off with a screech, leaving the female and fellow officers pale, their mouths agape with shock, much like my own.

‘Shoot them!’ I heard her screech in the distance, but we were already too far away.

‘Keith’ I cried, between fits of shocked laughter.

‘Legend’ Lucas chuckled quietly.

‘Thank you’ I smiled eventually, wiping a stray tear from my eye. I hoped the officers would be fine so I didn’t feel too bad laughing at their expense but their attitude had riled me up in a way that sent my pulse racing. There was a reason the human race couldn’t stick together for more than five minutes in a crisis and people like them were that reason.

‘That should shut her up for a while’ Keith murmured, annoyance in his voice.

‘Either that or the zombies will’ Lucas smiled.

‘Lucas!’ I cried, surprised at his words.

‘Oh come on, people like that deserve to get eaten’.

‘Yeah..’ I trailed off, in thought, ‘You have a point’.

‘Where we headed?’

‘We have about fifteen minutes worth of petrol left in the tank. I haven’t seen a station in a while so we might get lucky, if not, we walk’. Keith glanced to Lucas and I with an expression which only said that he didn’t think we’d be lucky. Our ‘luck’ was running thin now, I knew that, and our last experience with a petrol station had put me off them for life.

‘Do you mind if I get changed?’ I asked suddenly, changing the subject so abruptly that for a minute, I felt normal. I’d been wearing the same clothes since the night in the hotel which felt like years ago, even though it had only been last night. The black button up shirt I was wearing was stained with blood and at each glance, I felt more and more sick.

‘Uh’ Lucas glanced towards Keith in what I could only understand to be a brotherly protective-mode type action. I laughed quietly at both of their obvious discomfort.

‘It’ll take ten seconds, I saw clothes in my bag so mum must have packed them..’ I trailed off, my heart twisting at the thought of Mum. ‘She’s okay’ I told myself, taking refuge in that fact.

They’re all okay.

‘Go on then. Keith, pull over and I’ll jump in the passenger’s side’. Before I could protest about safety and reel off some kind of code, Keith had halted the car and Lucas was jumping in next to him, leaving me alone in the back seat.

‘Oh. Thanks’ I smiled as we heaved off onto the road again. Within seconds I was delving into the back, shivering at the idea of clean clothes which smelled like home. Maybe ‘home’ was gone forever, but maybe, just maybe that didn’t matter. That homeless man was right, he had nothing to lose because he’d already lost everything. What the hell did possessions matter? As long as I found my family, I’d be happy for the rest of my life.

That was a promise.

Feeling slightly awkward, I tried to position my body away from the mirrors which were pointing directly at me. I could see Keith’s eyes staring at the road but still I felt bare as I slipped the top over my head, exposing a scarlet bra which thankfully wasn’t red with blood.

‘Keith!’ Lucas’ voice rang through the car.

My eyes trained on the mirror where Keith’s eyes darted back to the road.

‘Sorry’ he grinned sheepishly, glancing back at my brother who had murder in his eyes. I only laughed as I proceeded to pull on a light green T-shirt and black jeans I didn’t even remember owning.

‘Nutters’ I mumbled.

*****

‘Let me in, help me!’

‘Oh god, déjà vu’ I muttered wearily, looking towards the young guy in a suit who was hammering on Keith’s window. He’d emerged from a bunch of trees – I panicked at first before I realised he was squealing in what I could only describe as a feminine and very much human way.

‘They coming!’ He shrieked, ‘Will you bloody let me in!’

‘They’ll come a lot faster if you keep shrieking!’ Keith snapped back, winding down the window slightly, ‘Who are you?’

‘This isn’t the bloody time for introductions!’ He had a strong, posh British accent which matched his slick black hair, skinny frame and the glasses perched on the end of his nose. He looked older than me but not by too much – definitely richer, definitely not fitting the mud which was splattered down the bottom half of his suit. As quickly as my panic had resided about him not being infected, it came back stronger at his words. ‘They’re coming’.

‘Let him in’ I demanded, ‘He might know something’.

‘What do you know?’ Keith asked, glancing behind him where nobody had emerged yet, dead or alive.

‘Oh for..’ He trailed off, launching his hands in the air, ‘I was heading for the evacuation point but I ran into a little trouble. I can give you directions. Now let me in!’.

‘You know about an evacuation?’ Keith sounded as wary as I was, ‘Like a place for Refuges?’

‘The safe place, base, camp, zone, whatever you want to bloody call it! I’m not one of them, check me when I’m in but for Christ sake will you let me in!’

A click sounded as Keith unlocked the door and the young man launched himself in the car, dusting himself off with pursed lips.

‘Lucas’ My brother introduced himself with a nod.

‘Percy’.

‘Figures’ Keith chuckled, earning a scowl from Percy.

‘What’s funny?’

‘Nothing, nothing, sorry’ Keith shared a secret smile with me through the mirror, ‘You said you know where we’re going?’

‘It’s about ten miles from here. The evacuation, like I said’ Percy rolled his eyes and for some reason, I couldn’t help but like him. He looked as though he’d fallen out of a ‘Posh boys’ magazine and he was the safest thing I’d seen in a while.

‘We’ll have to walk it’.

‘What?’ We all gasped, staring wide eyed at Keith. Was he crazy?

‘I’d take a guess that we have no more than five minutes worth of petrol left in the tank. I can go as fast as possible but we’ll still have to walk the rest, sorry guys’.

‘Course we do’ Percy tutted, ‘Thank you anyway, I think I probably would’ve died out there, these legs aren’t cut out for running’.

‘Where’d you come from?’

‘Oxford’.

‘Figures’ we all said in unison, earning another scowl from Percy.

‘Is this a joke to all of you?’

‘Oh, no no’ Lucas turned to us both in the back seat, ‘We apologise, we just haven’t laughed in a very, very long time’.

‘Glad to see I’m so amusing. Can you drive a little slower?’ Percy protested as Keith revved up the engine, sending us surging forwards.

‘Nope’.

‘Figures’ he muttered.