there wasn’t time for the words to
form.
“We have to move,” said Faizel.
I pointed at the farmhouse with the
solar panels. We needed to slip out of the village centre and hide out for a
while. We could spend the night there, and then in the morning this should have
blown over.
I grabbed Justin’s arm and helped him
to his feet. “We need to go, kid.”
***
We managed to leave the high street
without having to kill any of the infected. We skipped over a stone wall and
hiked up an overgrown field. The farmhouse lay at the top, and as we got closer
I realised how big the place actually was.
Whoever had built this was filthy
rich. There had to be at least ten bedrooms. A balcony jutted out of one side
of the house, and there was a Jacuzzi on it. A thought flashed into my mind.
Solar panels. Jacuzzi. Is it possible that it was working, and that the house
had power?
Faizel reached the front door first,
the incline of the hill having no effect on him whatsoever. He tested the
handle and the door opened straight away.
“Wait,” I said.
I got to the top of the hill and
stood outside the front door. I let my breath catch up with me. My left leg
throbbed, so it was a good thing we were stopping for the night.
“Let me go first,” I said.
I hadn’t been able to handle things
back at the pub. I knew the dog had to be silenced, but I couldn’t bring myself
to do it, and Faizel had to step in. Now I needed to make up for it.
“I’ll check it’s clear,” I said, “and
then I’ll signal you guys in.”
I took my knife out of my belt and
gripped the handle. I took one step over the doorframe and into the house. It
smelt damp as though water had gotten into the walls and started to rot them,
and the floor was paved in stone that looked like it would be cold to the touch.
A staircase was in front of me, and on my right were two doorways.
When I turned to my right something
dark and heavy swung at me, too quick for me to react. My head burst in agony.
Everything flashed to black, and I fell to the floor.
8
I opened my eyelids and light seeped
in through the cracks. A sting of pain pierced my temple, and my stomach
lurched as though I was going to be sick. My eyes adjusted to the light. I got
to my knees and let the room stop spinning.
Voices drifted in over the ringing in
my ears. I saw walls. A bookshelf. Paintings hung up. A woman and a boy tied to
chairs.
Hands hooked under my armpits and
lifted me onto a couch. I sank into it and let the room move into focus. It was
the living room of the farmhouse. Justin sat next to me and stared with concern
on his face, as though he expected me to die. Faizel stood by the window, and
Dan perched on the edge of the couch, a hammer in his hand.
In the centre of the room a
middle-aged woman and a young boy were tied to wooden kitchen-chairs. The boy’s
eyes were wide with fear and he struggled against the rope. The woman sat
quietly, her arms gripping the arms of the chair but not straining against her
bonds. There was a big red bulge underneath her left eye.
I leaned forward, rubbed my temple.
The thudding slowed. “Who the hell are they?” I said.
Faizel shrugged. Dan wouldn’t take
his eyes off the woman. “She’s the bitch who hit you,” he said.
I got to my feet and a wave of nausea
sent me woozy. “What happened to her face?”
Dan looked at his right hand. His
knuckles were swollen red.
A deep thud boomed through my head,
and I took a faltering step back. Justin stood up and put his arm around my
back. I shrugged him off.
“I’ll be fine.”
I walked over to the boy and took out
my knife. His eyes grew so white it looked like his pupils had been swallowed
up. He struggled against his chair, rocking it so much that a leg lifted off
the ground. He was strong for his age. I put a hand on his shoulder.
“Easy,” I said.
I ripped
form.
“We have to move,” said Faizel.
I pointed at the farmhouse with the
solar panels. We needed to slip out of the village centre and hide out for a
while. We could spend the night there, and then in the morning this should have
blown over.
I grabbed Justin’s arm and helped him
to his feet. “We need to go, kid.”
***
We managed to leave the high street
without having to kill any of the infected. We skipped over a stone wall and
hiked up an overgrown field. The farmhouse lay at the top, and as we got closer
I realised how big the place actually was.
Whoever had built this was filthy
rich. There had to be at least ten bedrooms. A balcony jutted out of one side
of the house, and there was a Jacuzzi on it. A thought flashed into my mind.
Solar panels. Jacuzzi. Is it possible that it was working, and that the house
had power?
Faizel reached the front door first,
the incline of the hill having no effect on him whatsoever. He tested the
handle and the door opened straight away.
“Wait,” I said.
I got to the top of the hill and
stood outside the front door. I let my breath catch up with me. My left leg
throbbed, so it was a good thing we were stopping for the night.
“Let me go first,” I said.
I hadn’t been able to handle things
back at the pub. I knew the dog had to be silenced, but I couldn’t bring myself
to do it, and Faizel had to step in. Now I needed to make up for it.
“I’ll check it’s clear,” I said, “and
then I’ll signal you guys in.”
I took my knife out of my belt and
gripped the handle. I took one step over the doorframe and into the house. It
smelt damp as though water had gotten into the walls and started to rot them,
and the floor was paved in stone that looked like it would be cold to the touch.
A staircase was in front of me, and on my right were two doorways.
When I turned to my right something
dark and heavy swung at me, too quick for me to react. My head burst in agony.
Everything flashed to black, and I fell to the floor.
8
I opened my eyelids and light seeped
in through the cracks. A sting of pain pierced my temple, and my stomach
lurched as though I was going to be sick. My eyes adjusted to the light. I got
to my knees and let the room stop spinning.
Voices drifted in over the ringing in
my ears. I saw walls. A bookshelf. Paintings hung up. A woman and a boy tied to
chairs.
Hands hooked under my armpits and
lifted me onto a couch. I sank into it and let the room move into focus. It was
the living room of the farmhouse. Justin sat next to me and stared with concern
on his face, as though he expected me to die. Faizel stood by the window, and
Dan perched on the edge of the couch, a hammer in his hand.
In the centre of the room a
middle-aged woman and a young boy were tied to wooden kitchen-chairs. The boy’s
eyes were wide with fear and he struggled against the rope. The woman sat
quietly, her arms gripping the arms of the chair but not straining against her
bonds. There was a big red bulge underneath her left eye.
I leaned forward, rubbed my temple.
The thudding slowed. “Who the hell are they?” I said.
Faizel shrugged. Dan wouldn’t take
his eyes off the woman. “She’s the bitch who hit you,” he said.
I got to my feet and a wave of nausea
sent me woozy. “What happened to her face?”
Dan looked at his right hand. His
knuckles were swollen red.
A deep thud boomed through my head,
and I took a faltering step back. Justin stood up and put his arm around my
back. I shrugged him off.
“I’ll be fine.”
I walked over to the boy and took out
my knife. His eyes grew so white it looked like his pupils had been swallowed
up. He struggled against his chair, rocking it so much that a leg lifted off
the ground. He was strong for his age. I put a hand on his shoulder.
“Easy,” I said.
I ripped
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