Chapter Six : The Girl

Several hours had passed by the time the boy had made it back to the op shop and the sun was getting low across the horizon. The heat shimmered on the road as he checked both ways for any living dead. He hadn't seen any, all the way back which was a surprise, he had expected stragglers and maybe some others drawn by the commotion. He waited across the road and when he was sure that it was safe he crept through the window and into the shop. Calling out softly he thought it best to announce his arrival, not wanting to make her any more uneasy. He reached for the door to the back room and hesitated, changing his mind, he knocked lightly on the door. There was no answer and after a long pause he knocked again. His mind began to flip out as he imagined what could be behind the door. Did she leave? Or worse had she succumb to her injuries? He hadn't had time to check out her bleeding but surely it wasn't so bad that she would have died. If she had died, would he open the door to a zombie. His thoughts jumped to how his parents had turned and how he had watched powerless right up until he had fled. The memory shook him and made him scared to open the door at all. He never wanted to see anyone coming back again, he imagined her slowly waking up, eyes still hazy and senses dull, standing in the room like an upright coma patient. After a couple off minutes he decided he couldn't leave without knowing and a sense of urgency filled him as he thought of her wounded and slipping away while he hesitated. A noise above him startled him out of his dark fantasies as a roof panel moved and her face appeared in its place.

'Up here.' She beckoned down to him. A smile flashed briefly across her face when she saw, first the shock and then relief he felt. The cuts had on her face had stopped bleeding and dried blood stuck to them instead.

'How did you get up there?' He asked amazed and relieved.

'There was a step ladder, I used it to get on-top the fridge.'She paused as though this was an explanation in itself. 'From there it was easy to remove a ceiling panel.' she filled in the blanks for him when she seen that he was struggling to piece it together.

It was a great idea that had never even occurred to him, it would be a safe place to hide.

'Neat.' He called back to her as he opened the door to look at the ladder.

'How is your leg?' He inquired trying to imagining how hard it must have been climbing with the sprain.

'A little better.' She replied shortly.

In the moment he had forgotten that he was still standing in the shop and that anyone who walked past could see him through the window. He stepped inside the room and closed the door.

'Can I come up?' He asked politely

There was a shuffling noise as she replaced the panel and shuffled over to the hole above the fridge.

'I would rather you didn't.' She replied to his question before looking out the hole at him. He was taken aback by her blunt reply and the shock must have shown because she went on to explain.

'I don't know you and I know your just a kid but I seen the bite marks on your hand and no offense but I don't fancy being trapped in here with you, if you turn.' Her voice tailed off towards the end and he could tell she felt bad about it already.

'It's ok. I understand.' he replied chirpily. 'I probably wouldn't either.'

He looked away as an uncomfortable silence began.

'What's you name anyway?' She offered.

'Ethan.' He said, followed by 'Yours?'

'Ava' She replied 'Thanks for yesterday, is this your hideout?'

'Nah.' He replied casually 'I was just here getting some clothes.' He looked down and realized what a mess he was, his shirt had massive patches of blood stain all over it and fresh spray from the fight he had in the driveway. He had left the bags on the ground outside when he had heard her car coming. He looked up at Ava and smiled.

'I left the bags outside.' He said excusing himself before going to fetch them.

Dusk was setting in as he looked around, there didn't seem to be any zombies around, so he slipped around the back and collected the bags. Cursing himself for not thinking of bringing some food for her. He considered going home to get some but it would be dark before he could get back, they would have to go hungry for one night. Throwing the bags through the hole he slipped back inside. Looking around he found a small desk with which to block the hole for the night. With one last look around he went back to the room.

'Ava.' He called softly and heard movement in the ceiling. Her face appeared in the gap in the roof and she looked perplexed at him.

'What were you doing?' She asked questioningly.

'Just blocking the hole to outside with a table, it's not very strong but it should keep them from wandering in.' He explained. 'I need to get changed.' He motioned to the bag of clothes he had bought back. She responded with 'ok' and disappeared into the roof cavity again. He felt strange changing with her above him, as though she was listening to his every move. Quickly he discarded his old clothes, grabbing second hand ones out of the bag and hurriedly pulling them on. Topping it off with a jumper he called out that he was finished. Ava reappeared after a bit of shuffling and they continued their uncomfortable silence from before. The pressure to say something was mounting, so Ethan excused himself again went to look around for something to use as a makeshift bed. Towards the back of the shop was a rack of mattresses standing upright and a sign saying made from new materials. Nearby were the linen, shelves stacked with blankets and the likes. Grabbing the edge of one of the mattresses he dragged it into the room and lay it on the floor. Ava watched patiently as he roughly threw a sheet over the bed and unfolded a blanket.

'Do you think you would be able to get a mattress up here?' She piped up as he was finishing. 'If I remove a couple of panels over by the rack, would you be able to lift one up to me?'

'I guess I could try lifting it up, will it fit?' It dawned on him that it was a great idea to have a mattress in the ceiling. Like having a cubby house hide out with the advantage that no one knew you were there and you could look down on things.

Getting the mattress into to ceiling space was easier than he thought it was going to be. Ava was quite capable and even with a strained leg managed to pull it up once she could reach it. Once they knew how easy it was they decided to put the remainder of the ones in the rack up as well. With five mattresses and two ensemble bases in the roof it made the risk of accidentally falling through the ceiling much less. Ava removed a large section of ceiling panels from the front of the shop to help support the mattresses. As an added bonus it allowed her to see the front window and part of the car park. Darkness had set in making the inside of the shop pitch black but they were forced to turn out the lights, fearful of attracting attention. Ethan lay down fully clothed, staring up into the inky blackness. Above him he could hear Ava's every move as she tried to get comfortable. After a little while she called out softly to see if he was still awake.

'Yeah.' He called back trying not to be too loud.

'How old are you anyway?' Ava asked starting the conversation.

'I will be thirteen in a couple of months.' He answered, following it with his own question. 'How about you?'

'Nineteen.' Came the reply, followed by a pause and then, 'When were you bitten?' The question landed on him like a bomb from above and pushes the air from his lungs. He had been enjoying her company and all the goings on had distracted him from his condition. It wasn't her fault that she wanted to know, had he been in Ava's shoes, he would have needed to know too. He took a breath and explained what had happened at the house and how he had escaped. It took a long time and the memory bought back the horrible feeling that his fate was unescapable. When he had finished he had tears in his eyes and he had to hold back from sobbing. He didn't want her to think of him as a child or to know how terrified he was of dying, he hadn't even told her about the terror of the dog or about his family. After little bit Ava spoke quietly, not changing the subject entirely but sidestepping into new ground.

'What do you know about the outbreak?' She was speaking very gently now, sensing the distress in his voice.

'Not much.' He replied trying to keep his voice steady. 'Just what was on tv, that an epidemic was happening and that everyone should stay indoors and wait for updates. Fat lot of good it did.' He said with some bitterness.

'We got some of the later updates.' Ava offered from above. 'Before I had to leave the Internet was full of reports, news, videos, everything.'

His eyes were adjusted a little better to the dark and he looked hard at what he thought was the hole in the roof.

'How much longer do you think we'll have power?' He said speaking normally.

'I don't know, I'm surprised it hasn't gone out already. I wonder if that means they are unaffected at the power plant?' She replied sounding hopeful.

He had thought of this himself, and he had doubts that anywhere was still unaffected. Still, maybe they were isolated enough and had protocols to protect people.

'How far is your house?' He asked casually, not really thinking that it might be a sensitive question.

'I can't go back there.' It was her turn to dredge up unwanted memories and he could tell it hurt her to think of it again. He searched for something to say to fill the void that was growing. And that's when he stumbled upon it, they could use the school computers to access the internet. It was quite a way but after some discussion they worked out Ava could drive of they could find another car. Ethan knew a good spot to try for one and after a couple of hours of planning they agreed to get some sleep. They both succumbed to sleep with a small kind of satisfaction, having worked out a plan.

The next morning he awoke to Ava standing over him with his garden fork, the shock drew him out of the slumber he had been enjoying. After a minute of silence she lowered the fork and lent it over by the bench. On the bench was a bunch of food that wasn't there the night before. It seemed he had slept through a lot.

'Sorry' She apologized 'You slept so well I worried you might be turning.' The relief washed over him, knowing that she wasn't planning to murder him in his was sleeping was a huge weight lifted.

'Where did you get this stuff?' He asked while looking up at the food items on the bench. There were tins, packets and boxes covering much of the counter.

'I went over to the supermarket.' she replied casually as though it was the most natural thing. As he stood up to have a closer look, he must have looked confused because she went on to tell him how the roof was all connected and there were ways to get through to the other shops.

'What about the alarms?' He asked still confused.

'They were for windows and doors, I guess.' The look on her face gave her away, she hadn't thought about the alarms when she went on her little raid. He smiled a huge grin as he spied what he wanted for breakfast and went out into the shop to look for a toaster. Today he would have pop tarts for breakfast and they both had such high spirits that it didn't seem to matter that all around civilization was crunching to a halt.

It was mid morning by the time they left the shop and the morning was already heating up. Ava's leg was a lot better but being cautious she kept to front yards while Ethan scouted ahead. They only had to take cover a couple of times as dead people roamed side streets looking for food. The house where he had sliced his head seemed the same as last time he was here. They stood in the front yard, looking at the broken window. The mood had been light with a hearty breakfast and the day made you glad to be alive. Now standing here it darkened with the reality of what they were going to have to do. They had bought the garden fork in case they needed it but he was hoping not to use it. He was hoping the house would be empty now that they had followed him out the window but he had no way to be sure they all followed him, it was a dangerous assumption. Not wanting to climb in through the broken window he went around to the side gate, it was open. After scouting the backyard and looking at the car in the garage quickly he went to the back door, it was a mess of dark blood where the zombie must have cut itself to shreds trying to get free. He opened it as quiet as possible trying not to get blood on his hands and slipped in through the laundry. The smell from the decomposing corpse in the dining room was overwhelming, anything left in here would have to be living dead he thought to himself. He backed out of the house and went to open the roller door for Ava. They went to look at the car quickly before he left her in the shed to try and find the keys. The problem was he had no idea where to start looking, he didn't even know if they were in the house or if one of the zombies had left ignorantly, with them in its pocket. Going back in through the laundry he went through into the dining area, making as little noise as possible. Someone had decorated the house in minimalist fashion and there was very little furniture. Next to the front door was a small table with a bowl that had been knocked over in the panic. The contents spilled across the wood floor consisted of coins, receipts and what looked like the keys. He hurried over and grabbed both sets of keys resisting the urge to pocket the money this time. Hurriedly he returned to the garage and handed the keys to Ava. Everything was going so smooth it was almost too easy, the car had plenty of petrol and minutes later they were on their way.

Getting out of the back streets and onto the main road they headed towards the school. Slowing down to drive past the occasional car or to avoid a zombie. There seemed little sense in hitting something that was already dead, posing no immediate threat to anyone. As they got nearer to the school they turned onto a side street and were met with an interesting sight. Further down the road seemed to be some figures but more importantly, much closer, there was a man walking out of a yard holding a large sledge hammer. He was over six foot tall with a white tank top and blue jeans held up by a large belt. His brown hair was neat although it had been awhile since it was cut and his face was framed by a respectable looking beard. Ava slowed the car as he walked out into the street motioning to them, they pulled up well short of where he stood. It was obvious he wasn't a zombie but the way he was holding the hammer and his staunch build was off putting.

'You should turn around.' He called out as they got out of the car.

'Why?' Ava questioned him,.

'It's going to be very dangerous here soon.' He said walking forward. He started coming closer, there was something not right about this man but neither of them could put their finger on it. As he got closer Ethan let out a gasp as he began to make out the bite marks all over the mans arms.

'Your bitten.' He called out.

'Yes' the man replied simply

'What's up ahead?' Ava changed the subject.

'You should leave the city.' The man stated in the same simple way.

'You haven't turned?' Ethan questioned in desperation.

'God keeps me safe.' His reply confused Ethan and he looked to Ava to gauge her reaction. She didn't look impressed with his response. 'Why isn't it safe?' She repeated her line of question impatiently.

'There will be many more of them soon.' The man seemed uncomfortable by their questions. Looking at each other they didn't know how to approach this situation. Neither of them had any good ideas of how to get anything more out of the man.

'I have things to do.' He said bluntly as he turned and walked into a front yard. They watched him, confused by what work he might have to do, given current circumstances. They didn't have to wait long to find out with a mighty swing he hit the front door with the sledge hammer, smashing the handle and splintering the door frame. The more shocking thing came next, he walked out of the yard to the next house. Smashing this door also he went to continue on down the street, they called over to him. He turned and looked at them both and Ethan thought he could see the man reasoning with himself about his own actions. It was almost like he was possessed, the thought ran away in his head before he could stop it. What if the infection didn't kill you but just controlled you, forcing you to do its bidding releasing zombies from their prisons to roam free. His heart sunk and he was afraid for himself over what he might become. The man continued with his tormented look and spoke. 'Its inhumane to leave them this way.' He struggled on 'I don't expect you to understand, but I can't leave them like this trapped and starving' He turned and began to walk on, leaving them both flabbergasted. For Ethan it was a relief, he had let his mind run rampart and given himself quite a scare but that was all it was. The man was obviously not in sound mind so they backed away and got back into the car. In the distance, several dead people wandered across the road. The man was right about one thing, it was going to get more dangerous from here on in.

They encountered a lot more zombies on the roads to the school grounds, they had to slow down several times to go around wanderers. The zombies moved towards the car with no concern for their own safety, Ava had to swerve to avoid hitting them front on but still they careered into the side of the vehicle only to fall away. Pulling into the school car park, it seemed to be deserted, although there were still wandering dead around the outside of the school grounds. After a short talk it was clear this was still the best plan they had. It didn't look like they were going to have too much trouble getting into the school buildings and with everyone on leave before the outbreak the whole place was suitable vacant. Getting out of the car Ethan took the garden fork from the boot of the car, it was still the best weapon he had. It felt strange leaving the safety of their vehicle to slip between the buildings, peering through the windows and watching for any signs of the dead. The school like many in the area was a mix of old and new buildings with much of the specialist classrooms being housed in transportable rooms. The library room was one of those older buildings with only one entry accessed by a ramp, wooden slats bordered the foundation stopping children from climbing under the building. The door was locked when they tried it and he guessed they would have security on this room, if none of the others. As they reached the library building they had to walk between two smaller rooms. One had been a photographic darkroom for older students, the other was part of a larger complex of the arts department. Stepping from between the two building into a large clear thoroughfare the noise of foot steps made them turn. From the left came a boy only a little older than Ethan himself, he was wearing jeans and a tee shirt with a large tear in the front of it. Red blood stuck to his chin and covered the front of him. His eyes large black and sharp, alive with specks of blue. His body however was far from alive, the smell of rot filled the air and chunks had been torn from his bare arms. He was a little taller than Ethan and quicker on his feet he ran and lurched at them both. Ava let out a gasp as Ethan bought the fork around and thrusted it into the boys stomach. With all his might he pushed back against the flailing dead boy, managing to push him to the ground. His skull cracked as it hit the hard concrete, the sound sickened them both. Without pausing He pulled the fork out and plunged it into the boys face, the tines pierced his eye sockets crashing through his bone and lodging there. He lifted it again and the boys head lifted with the fork, stuck, regardless Ethan smashed it down again snapping bone and cracking his skull more. The fork wrenched free, plunging into his face again and again until it's arms stopped reaching around and started to twitch instead. Ethan removed the fork one last time and plunged it deep into the chest of the twitching corpse. Turning he looked at Ava, she had recoiled in horror and the look on her face displayed her feelings for him. She turned not meeting his gaze, so he looked back at the corpse. She wasn't horrified by the zombie or the danger they were in, she was accustomed to that. It was him she was recoiling from, the way he had acted and without hesitation. Tears rolled down his face and for the briefest of moments he thought of the man with the bite marks on his arms. Was he right? Was he the inhumane monster.