Blog of the Dead (Book 2): Life (4 page)

The stranger propped himself up on his elbows, grimacing as he moved. He used his arms to lever himself to a sitting position, the back of his coat covered in sand. ‘OK. OK. My name’s Sean,’ he said in his low, gravelly voice. ‘I’m looking for my sister, that good enough for you? I think she came down here.’

‘Why didn’t you just say that in the first place?’ I said.

‘Because it’s none of your business,’ said Sean.

‘It is when it’s on our turf,’ I said.

‘Your turf?’ Sean snorted.

‘Yeah, our turf,’ I said. ‘And we haven’t seen anyone other than you today,’ I added.

‘No, well, she’s good at hiding,’ said Sean.

‘She bitten?’ asked Misfit.

‘No.’

‘You bitten?’

‘No, mate, I’m not. Look, I just want to find my sister and get out of here.’

‘You’re hurt,’ I said. ‘What happened to you?’

‘I was looking for my sister.’

‘It’ll be getting dark soon. You should rest,’ I said. ‘Get something to eat, and then tomorrow you’ll be in a fit state to find her.’

‘Well, thanks for the advice, love. Can you recommend a good hotel down here. You know, nothing too fancy, just a clean bed and a cooked breakfast in the morning. A newspaper would be a nice touch.’

‘Our camp is nearby,’ I suggested, ignoring his sarcasm.

‘Sophie, are you mental?’ said Misfit.

‘Yes, yes I am,’ I said – my thought process being, if he came with us, we could keep an eye on him, and Flick and Sara would be safe from the wandering, brooding stranger. ‘Trust me, you don’t want to be down here after dark.’ Sean thought for a moment then nodded. I stashed my knife through my belt and grabbed hold of his right arm, while Misfit did the same with his left and we pulled him to his feet. Sean shrugged off my offer of support as we made our slow way along the beach. He limped on his left leg and I could see he wasn’t in great shape.

‘We need to pick up the fishing stuff before we head up,’ said Misfit. I could tell the slow pace frustrated him and that he itched to head off and gather up his precious fishing line. But I sensed Misfit didn’t want to leave me alone with Sean.

Inside the camp, Charlotte and Stewart eyed the newcomer with suspicion, but I couldn’t help notice Kay’s eyes light up as Sean settled down in front of the fire to warm up. As much as Sean hadn’t endeared himself to me, even I couldn’t fail to notice how ruggedly good looking he was with his stubbled chin and the deep lines etched into his face, not so much through age but through the pressures of being so moodily cool.

I introduced Sean to the others and explained he was searching for his sister. Sean offered nothing more to the story.
Then, as Sean laid his hammer down and raised his hands to accept a cup of black coffee from Charlotte, I noticed something. ‘You’ve not been bitten?’ I asked Sean.

‘No, I told you.’

‘You’ve been attacked though … the bruising.’

‘Yes. I had a run in with some zombies while I was looking for my sister.’

‘And did you cut yourself at all?’

‘No. What is this?’ asked Sean.

‘Nothing,’ I said. ‘It’s just we have to be sure. You’re in our home, Sean. We have to know you’re not going to turn …’ As I spoke, I couldn’t take my eyes off his hands. They were bloodstained. Red, human blood.

Entry Five

Late that evening, Misfit roasted four of the eight fish he’d caught earlier and we shared them between the six of us. I had barely eaten since Sam died, having to force even the tiniest amounts of food inside me, but everything had tasted like cardboard and was about as easy to chew. Now, and maybe it was because I had started to leave the camp again, the small portion of fish did nothing more than tease my starving stomach. I had to curb my urge to lick the plate clean once every last flake of white flesh had been scooped up.

Sean held onto his plate even though he’d wolfed every last bit of food a few minutes ago. He rested it on his knee and ran the nail of his right thumb around the rim, picking at the chips in the porcelain. With his head bowed, the glow from the fire couldn’t reach his features and he remained unreadable. While Sean had been silent over dinner, the others, I noticed, said very little too – self conscious around the stranger, I guessed. ‘You should sleep,’ I said to Sean eventually. ‘You can have my room.’

He tossed his plate down onto the grass beside him and glanced at me.

‘A bit forward,’ he said. ‘Thanks and all but you’re not my type, love.’

Misfit’s body stiffened beside me. ‘I won’t be in it,’ I said through gritted teeth before Misfit had chance to react.

‘Don’t put yourself out for me,’ said Sean.

‘I’m not,’ I replied. ‘I don’t sleep there any more.’

Sean nodded and inquired no further. While he said very little about himself, he didn’t want to know anything about us either and for that I was glad. I didn’t want to have to tell him why I didn’t sleep in my room any more … about Sam. I didn’t talk about what had happened or how I felt about it to those closest to me, so I didn’t want to have to explain anything to a complete stranger. I couldn’t trust myself not to cry and I refused to show weakness to anyone, especially him.

Kay stood up. ‘Come on,’ she said to Sean. ‘I’ll show you which room is yours.’ Sean picked up his hammer and allowed Kay to help him up onto his feet and he limped after her to the caravan. I couldn’t help thinking he could easily have found it himself with a little bit of direction, it’s not like our camp was The Ritz but I didn’t say anything and neither did he.

‘It feels wrong having him here,’ said Misfit, as Kay and Sean disappeared inside.

‘I know. But I’d rather have him here where we can keep an eye on him, than out there.’ I nodded towards the fence.

‘Don’t you believe him, sweetie?’ said Charlotte. ‘About him looking for his sister?’

‘I don’t know. But I think we need to take it in turns to keep watch. I’ll take first shift.’

‘I’ll stay with you,’ said Misfit, giving me his half smile.

‘Maybe we should confiscate his weapon?’ said Charlotte. ‘If you’re that worried.’

‘I thought about that,’ I said. ‘But there are knives in the kitchen draws, tools laying about the place … loads of stuff that could be used as a weapon.’

‘But at least we’ll be showing him who’s in charge,’ said Misfit.

‘Why don’t we tie the pudding up,’ said Stewart, ‘and be done with it?’

‘You can’t just tie people up, Stewart!’ said Charlotte.

‘I know, I was being sarcastic.’

‘Ah.’

I caught Misfit’s eye. He nodded to me so slightly that no one else would have noticed. I did and I knew what it meant …
I would have killed him on the beach without hesitation if it meant keeping you safe
,
Sophie
. I nodded back.

Kay emerged from the caravan. ‘Passed out before his head even hit the pillow,’ she said with a grin she was trying to contain.

‘We’re taking it in turns to keep watch,’ said Charlotte.

‘What, on him?’ said Kay.

‘Yeah, me and Misfit are going first,’ I said.

‘OK.’ began Kay. ‘Wake me in a few hours and I’ll take over. But I’ve got a feeling he’s all right. I mean, I’m the first not to trust anyone new but … it’s in his eyes. I trust the bloke.’

‘Whatever, Kay. Tomorrow, he leaves,’ I said. ‘We can help him look for his sister, then he can go … off our patch.’

‘We can’t just kick him out.’

‘He doesn’t want to be here anyway, Kay,’ I said. ‘All he wants is his sister. He’s not looking for zombie apocalypse buddies.’

‘I’m going to bed,’ said Kay, and she disappeared back inside the caravan.

Charlotte and Stewart went to bed, leaving me and Misfit to head inside the main caravan and perch side by side on the sofa. I kept my eyes down the length of the caravan to the closed door of my old room. Was Sean really asleep or waiting for a chance to fuck with us? Was he aware that we were watching? Did he care … or were his thoughts with his
sister
?

‘Well, you two are a brilliant pair of lookouts!’ I snapped out of a dream about a hot dog that had legs and kept running away from me before I could eat it, and sat upright on the sofa to see Kay standing before me with her hands on her hips. Misfit did the same, his eyes open and his body upright in less than a second. Shit! Me and Misfit had fallen asleep. I cast my eyes to the bedroom door … still closed.

‘It’s all right, I’ll go and check on our
guest
,’ said Kay with a sigh and she headed off down the other end of the caravan. I heard her knock. There was no answer, so she opened the door. ‘Still sleeping,’ she mouthed at us. ‘Like a baby.’

I stood up and stumbled down to Kay. I peered through the open door and saw Sean asleep on top of the covers, still in his long coat and with his boots on. Kay closed the door. ‘I guess he was too tired to murder us all in our sleep. Just as well,’ she said, looking at me.

Outside a little while later, Misfit roasted the last of yesterday’s catch on a fire that Kay and Charlotte had built. I was never much of a fish person before the outbreak. Tinned tuna and battered cod from the chippy were pretty much as far as I went with seafood. But now, the smell of roasting fish had the power to send my stomach into a frenzy. Misfit lifted one of the fish from the fire and began scraping succulent white flesh from within the blackened skin onto plates. ‘I’ll take one in for Sean,’ I said, holding my hand out to Misfit. I noticed Kay open her mouth but as I snatched the plate from Misfit, she must of have thought better of it.

I stood and sloped off to the caravan. The bedroom door was still closed. I listened at the door for a moment, then knocked. No answer, so I pushed it open. I saw Sean sat on the bed, his coat only on his right arm and he was looking at his exposed left arm, examining it. I just had time to see the deep scratches that ran the whole way up his forearm from his wrists before he shoved his arm into his coat sleeve and turned to look at me with a startled expression. ‘I did knock,’ I said, flustered. ‘I …’

‘It’s OK,’ he said gently, composing himself. Sean smiled ever so slightly and nodded once. ‘I didn’t … You made me jump.’

‘Sorry. I’ve … um, I’ve brought you something to eat.’ I remained in the doorway and held out the plate of steaming fish. ‘No chips or ketchup, sorry.’

‘Mushy peas?’

‘Nope.’

‘Ah well.’ Sean stood up and approached me with small, tentative footsteps, his limp still evident. ‘Thanks.’

‘Feel free to eat in here, or come out and join us if you feel up to it.’ Sean stood within inches of me now, his left arm wrapped around his stomach as it had done the previous day, and he took the plate from me with his free hand. He looked unsteady, like he stood on a moving train rather than a static caravan. His body looked to be steadying itself against motion, ready to fling his arms out and grab hold of something should there be a bump in the track. ‘How are you, I mean after your run in with zombies yesterday?’

‘I’m OK.’

‘You don’t look OK. You look sick.’

‘I wasn’t bitten.’

‘I know … I know. You’d be one by now if you had. You just look … sick, regular sick.’

‘I’m OK. I’m just tired,’ said Sean. ‘I need to look for my sister.’

‘We can help you,’ I said, shifting the weight from one foot to the other, inching back, away from Sean slightly each time. He was at least a foot taller than me and quite broad … not fat or bulky, slim but he had the appearance of being bigger than other people. I felt like he would swallow me like a black hole if I didn’t put a bit of space between us. I had moved back far enough that I now stood in the hallway outside Kay and Charlotte’s room, while Sean edged forwards to lean against the door frame, where I had stood moments before. He scooped up a chunk of fish and shoved it into his mouth, all the time staring at me with his narrow dark grey eyes. Why did I feel like a mouse being watched by an eagle?

‘No,’ said Sean, still chewing the fish. ‘I don’t need help. I can find her.’

‘We can cover more ground to –’

‘I said no.’ I stared at Sean, my lips pursed in speech. He hadn’t snapped or shouted the words but there was a firmness in his gravelly voice that killed my train of thought. ‘She’s sensitive,’ he added. ‘I’m worried you’ll scare her off.’

I paused for a moment before speaking. ‘OK,’ I said finally, my voice small. I turned and walked away. I had the sense of eyes boring into my back as I headed to the door but I could have been imagining it.

Back outside, Misfit thrust a plate of cooling fish at me. ‘Eat,’ he said.

‘Thanks.’ I sat down, placing the plate on my crossed legs.

‘How’s the patient?’ asked Kay.

‘Moody and mysterious,’ I said, just loud enough so the others could hear me but not loud enough to be heard from inside the caravan. ‘He looks sick but he wants to go and look for his sister. He doesn’t want any help from us and, quite frankly, he’s being a bit cagey. I’m going to go down and warn Flick that he’s hanging about. I don’t trust him.’

‘I’ll go down to the Warren and
hunt
.’ As he said the word ‘
hunt
’ Misfit raised his hands and made quotation mark signs with his fingers.

‘By
hunt
, you mean keep an eye on the creepy guy,’ said Stewart.

‘He’s not creepy, he’s fucking cute,’ said Kay, with a wink.

‘I have to agree, he is quite sexy,’ said Charlotte. ‘In a sleazy way … if you like that sort of thing.’

‘Gah!’ I said. I heard Stewart clear his throat. I looked behind me and saw Sean, hammer in one hand, stood at the caravan door staring at us.

‘Morning,’ he said, staggering down the steps. As he approached I noticed he was looking at Kay; he kept his eyes on her as he spoke. ‘I’ve left the plate on the kitchen side. Thanks for the food and the bed but I’m off.’

‘OK. I’ll let you out,’ I said. Sean’s eyes flicked to me as I stood and walked towards the makeshift gate. Sean followed. I opened the padlock and lifted the fence post out of the breeze block. I turned to see Sean practically leaning over me. ‘Good luck,’ I said, pulling the fence panel open. ‘I hope you find your sister safely.’

Sean said nothing, but nodded at me. He glanced back into the camp. I followed his line of vision to Kay. Then he turned back to me. ‘Thanks,’ he said and limped out to the track. ‘You take care too.’ I closed the gate after him but watched until he had disappeared from my sight down the track.

I walked back to the others. Kay sat biting her lip.

‘I’m going to pay Flick a visit,’ I said, armed with my knife through my belt.

‘I’ll get my hunting gear,’ said Misfit. He sprang to his feet and headed to his caravan.

‘The rest of you stay here. He’s more likely to catch onto us if any more of us go,’ I said while I waited.

Misfit returned in seconds and the pair of us stood at the gate while Charlotte slid the key into the lock. At the sound of footsteps on the tarmac outside the camp, I placed my hand on Charlotte’s to halt her from turning the key. The sound came from the left; both me and Misfit gazed in that direction, while Charlotte took a moment to catch up with us, her eyes moving from the lock, that rested in the palm of her left hand, to the track outside.

A man – perhaps early thirties – came into view. Human. His gait was strong and confident and, as he drew up outside, I imagined he would have thrust out his palm to give a firm handshake if the fence hadn’t been in the way. I noticed he didn’t carry a weapon but he must have had one stashed on him somewhere – no one went out without a weapon. But it was his clean and pressed dark grey suit and blue striped shirt that marked him out as an oddity in the zombie apocalypse, highlighted by the wide, car salesman grin. ‘Good morning,’ he said, his smile unwavering.

From behind me I heard Kay say, ‘Who the fuck …?’ before she and Stewart appeared in my peripheral vision to stand alongside me, Misfit and Charlotte.

‘Who are you?’ I asked the stranger, while he stood and stared at each of us in turn.

‘Let me introduce myself,’ he began. ‘My name is Marco. I have a safe place – a place of salvation – set up nearby. There are many of us … many
saved
. I’d like to come in and talk to you, if I may. How many of you are there here?’ I saw Marco’s eager eyes dart over my shoulder and scan the camp behind me.

‘We’re not interested,’ I said, feeling uneasy with the man’s presence, and not one of the others spoke up to differ with me.