Killing the Dead Read online

  “How many people have you killed?” she asked suddenly, taking me by surprise.

  “This morning was my sixth. Seventh if you want to count the second time I killed him.” I said, raising a small smile from Lily.

  “Why do you do it?”

  I thought about how to answer this for a little while. Lily was apparently willing to wait patiently. “I do it because I enjoy it.” I said finally. “No other reason.”

  Lily turned her gaze from the painting and gazed intently at me. “How did you know you would enjoy it? What made you kill your first person?”

  “He annoyed me.” I chuckled as I thought back to that day two years ago when I had made my first kill. “That is why I chose him. He annoyed me with some small matter of no importance now“.

  “That’s all?”

  “Yes. I had been thinking of doing it for a while. I had decided I wanted to do it. Killing someone I mean. I had planned how I was going to do it and where. The only remaining question was who.” My memories were surfacing of that day, bright with remembered joy.

  “That seems a terrible reason to kill someone” said Lily, frowning.

  I needed to choose my words carefully now. I realised that what I said next could scare her away and in just one short afternoon I had demonstrated a remarkable lack of skills for dealing with a zombie apocalypse alone.

  “You have to understand. The people I chose to kill were not people anyone would miss. I ensured they were people without close ties, people with no children or relationships. The first man was a drug addict. I had seen him rob some old lady. He just snatched her handbag right there in the street. I was doing the world a favour removing him from it.”

  “So you only kill bad people, like that guy from the TV show” said Lily brow furrowed in thought.

  “Something like that” I said. My thoughts went back to the drug addict. He had knocked the old lady over as he stole her bag. She had the misfortune to fall into me, knocking my cup of tea from out of my hand. It irked me, so I had given chase and eventually cornered him. He had died not for stealing from the old lady but for annoying me. If it helped Lily though, I wouldn’t complain.

  “I won’t tell anyone” Lily told me finally. “Hell I don’t even think it matters anymore. For what it’s worth though, I won’t tell anyone. When we get somewhere safe though, we split up.”

  “Sure. Whatever you think is best. Provided we can find somewhere safe. I was serious though, earlier today. I won’t hurt you.”

  Lily nodded and moved to the next painting on the wall. “Where do we go next do you think?” she asked.

  “Well my idea was a bit of a disaster but the reasoning is sound. We could do with some food and supplies though first I think.”

  “Can we even leave here with those things outside?”

  “Sure we can. This place has an emergency exit which should take us out onto a fire escape. Not sure how Brian will do though we should be fine.” I said.

  “He comes with us. It’s your fault he will struggle, so you owe it to him to help.” She said sternly.

  I just nodded. Brian was going to be a dead weight. The time was coming when I would have to get rid of him. I said goodnight to Lily and went back to try and get some more sleep, confident that in the morning I would think of a way to solve the problem of Brian.

  The sound of a radio woke me. I sat up and stretched in an attempt to relieve the fresh aches I had gained from sleeping on the floor. Lily was still asleep, curled up in the foetal position in the corner of the room. Brian was sat behind the reception desk, hands busy as he fiddled with a small radio. A thump from beyond our barricade indicated that at least one of the zombies had managed to climb the stairs.

  A trip to the bathroom took care of my first concern. The second would be harder. I was hungry. I hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning.

  “You find anything to eat in that desk?” I asked Brian.

  “No.” He replied curtly. He said this with a sneer, lips pursed. I had little interest in conversing with Brian but in an attempt to distract my thoughts from my grumbling belly, I tried to ask a few questions. Brian’s responses were single worded and full of distaste. I gave up.

  I filled one of the dwindling stock of cups that were stacked neatly on top of the cooler with water and drank. I had read somewhere that if you are hungry and drink water it could fool your stomach into thinking it was full. Three cups of water and fifteen minutes later I just needed to use the bathroom again and was still yearning for something to eat.

  Brian had finally settled on a radio station. The sound went in and out on the crappy little radio but we got the gist. The world as we knew it was definitely over. Zombies had been reported in nearly every nation. A few of the islands considered themselves to be clear and had closed their borders.

  Our own beloved government had decided that it was time to vacate London for a safer location. The largest cities in England were now considered lost. There were far too many people, too many zombies and nowhere near enough troops to contain the problem. The military in its wisdom had decided to consolidate the smaller towns and cities where it could. People were being advised that help was unlikely to reach them. If you wanted safety, food or medical treatment you would have to risk the journey to your nearest relief centre.

  The news started to repeat and Brian started playing with the dial again. “So that’s it then.” Lily said as she sat up rubbing eyes that had dark rings under them. I wondered how much sleep she had managed. “See if you can find a local station, it may list local relief centres.” She instructed Brian who nodded and bent to the task.

  With Brian busy on the radio Lily headed to the bathroom. I decided that I had better check the emergency exit. The art gallery was the same, early morning light shining through the skylights. The store room door opened to reveal the dark interior to be quiet and still, dust floated lazily in the light that spilled through the open door.

  The emergency exit was the same as any other I had seen. A metallic gray door with a push bar handle. Wary of an alarm sounding when the door opened I checked for any wires connected and found none. The gallery must have been depending on the door itself being proof enough. Minimal security equals minimal cost to the local council no doubt. I cautiously pushed down on the handle and the door swung open.

  Beyond the open door was a black steel fire escape. The grime encrusted steps covered in pigeon droppings, led down to a parking lot behind the library building. A few cars that likely belonged to the library and gallery staff were parked in the lot. A large wire mesh on a metal frame formed the gate that presently stood open.

  From my vantage point I couldn’t see any zombies but a large part of the car park was hidden from view. We would have to be cautious. The exit door definitely opened only from the inside. I stepped back within and grabbed one of the heavier looking boxes and opened the door once more. I placed the box on the fire escape to prevent the door closing. If things went badly, we could at least get back inside.

  Exit secure I headed back inside the building to find Lily striding through the gallery purposefully towards me, radio in one hand and Brian hobbling along beside her.

  “I know where our closest relief centre is.” She said as she waved the radio towards me. “It’s the football stadium, other side of town.”

  “Makes sense I suppose, can fit plenty of people in there.”

  “So we go there, get some food and some medical attention for Brian.” Lily said as she ran her hand through her tangled mess of hair. Brian pressed his lips together, eyes narrowed but thankfully refrained from commenting. “God I wish I had a hair brush.” She muttered.

  “Okay, well we have a few cars outside. Not sure what else is out there though.” I said.

  “It will be fine. Here you better take this, I will help Brian.” Lily said handing me the combat knife. I immediately smiled. I felt naked without a weapon and the memory of my reaction in the library was not something I wanted to r
epeat. A weapon no matter how unsuited would give me a great deal more of a chance to defend myself.

  “It will be up to you to protect us both.” Lily stressed.

  “Of course I will be your most valiant protector, have no fear.” I announced. Lily rolled her eyes and a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. We headed for the exit and down the stairs.

  Brian made it down the stairs without incident though he had to lean on the railing for support. Lily was by his side to help him. I stood at the corner of the building looking out over the car park as I waited.

  Four cars sat quietly awaiting the return of their owners and two zombies had wandered through the open gate. There was enough distance between the two that if I were careful I could perhaps kill them one at a time. As Lily and Brian arrived I whispered my intentions and instructed them to consider which car they would steal.

  The knife I held helped to keep the panic I had felt earlier at bay. I was confident with a knife. It was my weapon of choice and with blade in hand I felt I would be able to defeat any number of these monsters. I crouched down as low as I could and crept to the nearest car.

  Zombies were dead, that was one thing I was sure of. That would limit their sense of smell, hearing and eyesight surely. Individually these creatures were slow, their wounds and the likely onset of rigor mortis limited their movements. Speed would work well for me. A group of these things would be a nightmare and with their numbers growing with their every kill that could soon be a problem in a smallish country with other sixty million people.

  A glance over the top of the car bonnet showed that I had not been noticed. My chosen target was standing still, unmoving and unfortunately looking in my general direction. My heart started to beat faster as I absently wiped the sweat off of my palms against my jeans. I readied my blade tip forward and edge down then stood.

  The zombie let out a moan that sounded entirely too loud and then he started running towards me, arms reached out as if I were already close enough to crush within its embrace. The fact that they could run was an unpleasant revelation.

  I stepped around the front of the car, my timing would need to be right or my time on this earth may well be done. The smell hit first, rancid meat and human waste. The zombie was fifteen paces away, ten paces, five. Its mouth opened revealing broken teeth stained black with the congealed blood of its last meal. Three paces and I stepped forward and to the side ducking beneath the outstretched arms. My blade slashed once quick and sure across the back of its right leg, cutting easily through the material of his pants and deep into the flesh.

  No scream of pain or anger. No collapse to the ground. Just a stumble and the zombie turned back to me. I was still crouched and as the zombie lurched back towards me I stood between the arms and thrust my blade up beneath the zombies chin and into the brain.

  My heart hammered, blood leaked from the wounds I had made. The once again dead man fell against me. I pushed it away to land unceremoniously on the ground, my knife sliding free of its flesh. I cast my gaze for my next target.

  Just a few seconds had passed since the first zombie had seen me. The second, a frumpy middle aged woman in life was alerted by the moans of the first and headed my way. Thankfully a great deal slower than the one I had just despatched.

  I stalked forward to meet it head on. No attempt to wound or incapacitate this time. Well rehearsed tactics for killing the living would need to be adjusted. This zombie though was slow and stupid. It stumbled and lurched towards me, arms flailing as if it didn’t have total control. It was easy to avoid as I kicked out hard against the side of the creature’s leg and heard a crack as the leg buckled beneath it.

  The zombie fell, face first to the tarmac of the car park. I watched a moment as it struggled to stand before I kneeled down, one knee pressed firmly against its back. I pushed its head down with my free hand exposing the point where its spine joined with its skull, before striking.

  My heart was hammering, adrenaline surged through my veins and I could feel it. The pleasure was there, small compared to how it felt when I made my usual kills but it was there. Lily and Brian arrived breaking my reverie. I would need to be careful. Getting lost within myself after a kill was dangerous out here.

  Lily’s queries were waved off as I busied myself with cleaning the knife. It was too soon for mindless chatter, too soon for questions. I needed a moment for my body to calm, my mind to quit its racing. So I quietly cleaned the knife as best I could against the clothes of the zombie, taking deep breaths hard as that was to do with the stench that surrounded us.

  The faster of the two zombies concerned me. I had no way to tell how long ago it had died but the wound certainly didn’t look fresh. If some of these creatures were managing to retain some of the speed and range of movement they held in life, it could be a problem.

  An inspection of the corpse revealed their flesh to be cool, much as any corpse would be. The congealed blood that oozed from the wounds I had made was dark crimson with black lumps. The skin itself whilst pale retained much of its colour. This was puzzling.

  I thought back to the third person I had murdered. I had been pressed for time and after the kill I had been forced to leave the body for a while rather than immediately disposing of the remains. By the time I was free to return, the body was well on its way to decomposition.

  The body had become discoloured, the blood without circulation had pooled and settled. The limbs were stiff from rigor mortis and the body was bloated slightly from the gas created as the body’s own bacteria devoured their host. The stench was unbearable.

  These zombies stank. At the same time, they were not bloated. Whilst the blood did seem to be congealing it appeared to be circulating around the body. Though, looking at the two corpses before me, it would seem that this worked better in some than others.

  Whatever it was that had animated these corpses looked to be keeping the decomposition at bay. If this was the same for all of the zombies then the problem was worse than I had initially imagined. If the zombies decomposed like regular corpses then a year, perhaps two would have seen them pretty much done for.

  A decomposing corpse would not bear up well in a warm summer. The insects, scavengers and bacteria would eat them alive or perhaps in this case, undead. The process of decomposition itself would damage the bodies enough that the skin would fall off. The internal organs and tissues would liquefy leaving bare skeletons. We would survive just by outliving the bloody things.

  Without the normal decomposition these creatures could be around for a long time. With the rate their numbers were seemingly growing this world could rapidly become populated with nothing but the dead. This was not a pleasing thought.

  “We can’t use these cars” Lily said breaking though my thoughts.

  “Why not?”

  “Too new. They have alarms. I don’t know enough to stop the alarms going off and that will bring them all running.” Lily said, her arms crossed across her body as she hugged herself. Even I could see she was frustrated.

  “Well then looks like we are walking.” I said, as I stood and tried to brush the worst of the grime from my hands against my already filthy jeans.

  “What about Brian?” Lily said looking back to where Brian leaned against the car. He was clutching his leg, pain evident on his face.

  “I doubt you are willing to leave him, so we will just have to do the best we can.” I sighed. “Let’s go.”

  I set off walking towards the gate. Lily followed behind moments later helping Brian slowly limp across the car park. This was not going to be pleasant.

  Chapter 5

  Beyond the library car park was chaos. The streets where once the people of the town would walk as they browsed the local shops and sipped expensive coffee concoctions from any of the homogenous corporate stores that could be found in any town, were now almost empty. The shops stood closed and dark waiting for life to return.

  Fresh splashes of blood covered the pavements. Broken glass
and abandoned cars strewn across the streets. Zombies wandered around, sometimes alone and more often in groups as they hunted for their next meal. In the distance thick black smoke rose high into the early morning sky.

  We moved slowly, keeping low and hiding behind abandoned vehicles. Lily would try the door handles as we passed hoping to find one unlocked. She stopped trying them after one opened to reveal a zombie strapped firmly into the front seat. No evidence of what had killed him but he appeared unable to release himself. Lily quickly closed the door lest his moans drew the attention of the others.

  As we made our way along the almost empty streets I wondered where everyone was. This was not a small town and whilst the majority of people lived beyond the centre, I was at a loss as to why so few zombies wandered around. An answer came a short while later as a car sped past. The occupants white faced with fear, the car loaded with all they held dear. As the car passed the nearby zombies all turned to follow, seeming not to care that they could not catch it.

  The zombies then were moving ever outwards as they followed their prey. The centre of our town would remain almost deserted in parts, whilst the outskirts would be filling with a rising number hungry to feast on the people trapped in the houses there.

  Lily caught hold of my arm and pointed down a side street to our left. I saw immediately what had caught her attention. A large silver people carrier was surrounded by zombies, all clawing at the windows as they pushed against one another to get within. I could think of only one reason why they wanted in.

  I shook my head at Lily, “we can’t help them. That’s far too many zombies for us to deal with.” I told her in a firm whisper.

  “He’s right. Nothing we can do lass.” Brian agreed, for once being useful though a glance at his pale face told me that it was most likely due to fear.

  Lily frowned shaking her head. She seemed to genuinely want to help the unknown people despite the obvious disadvantage we would face.