Revenge of the Dead

Chapter 6: The Crumbling

The map in my hand is crinkled and stained from the long journeys we've encountered in recent times and as I stare down at it now a feeling of finality hits. We have no plans after this and if I find my parents then everything will change, I don't know if I should be happy or sad about the lack of purpose. My conscience battles thoughts about my parent's well-being, they left us when we needed them most - we could be dead for all they know. Yet still, a part of me knows that my parent's deaths would create more questions than it would answer. 

I turn around and look at what remains of our original group, just Josh and Sophie, only the three of us left. But we have Maria and Elijah now, they will help us fight to end this. We will never relent to the hunger of the zombies, we've lost too much to give up. Then, of course, there's Ashia, our symbol of hope in this apocalypse. Her first birthday must be approaching although we have no way of really knowing. She appears to be understanding a few basic words and I wonder when she'll say her first word, more worryingly I wonder what it'll be in this world full of death and despair.

The long windy hills twist and turn into houses and my parent's town finally comes into view, we stop the car and I get out slowly, shielding my eyes from the sun feebly. I hold Ashia tight to my chest and crouch down by the bonnet, waiting for the others to join me before I start speaking. The sun shoots daggers through my black hoodie and I shift uncomfortably in the heat, sweat trickling down the back of my neck but knowing the importance of covering as much bare skin as possible.

"Right, my parent's house is on the edge of the cliff up there," I say and point to the rooftop that just peeks above the trees in the distance, a glimmer of black against the jade maze of the forest.  "We'll try and get there before the sun starts setting, the coastal path can be hard enough to navigate in full daylight with the overgrown woodland encroaching on it, this will only be harder once it gets dark."

"What's the easiest way to get there?" Elijah asks and I grimace, my eyes shifting past his face and towards the town centre behind him.

"Straight through town," I sigh and watch as their faces fall, all hopeful for a discreet and safe route. I look around me and search the vacant streets- searching for any sign of movement before I speak again. "There are no zombies that I can see, we need to go now," I whisper heavily and rise from crouch- my knees clicking as I do so.

They all slowly get to their feet and we duck down behind a wall, running alongside it until I stop at the corner. The fading moss tickles my cheek and I sigh at the comforting feeling, running my hand down it for a moment longer before taking in a sharp breath. I look around the corner and run over to an abandoned ice-cream shack, glancing anxiously over my shoulder but the town seems empty. No even the chirp of birds trickles through the air anymore- it's a complete ghost town. The infected must all be dead- I tell myself reassuringly, but the lack of bodies suggests I'm lying to myself.

We continue jogging lightly down the road and sweat beads on my forehead, running down to my neck and soaking into the top of my jumper. Silently dodging along the tree-covered road we come out onto the scenic coastal path, the distant sound of waves crashing ashore filling the once silent air. We all sprint forward whilst drinking up the coastal in synchronisation, the group's eyes wide in a mixture of awe and uncertainty.

Howls and shrieks pierce the air and I snap around in terror, my eyes locking onto the hoard of zombies that are charging towards us and I stumble forward in terror. We run faster around a sharp corner and I freeze, almost skidding to a stop.

The cliff has completely fallen away and now all that remains is a slope and the rough sea below, the zombies gain on us and I keep running. The others are shouting at me demandingly and I reply over my shoulder as I sprint forward, not slowing my pace.

"We have to get across, there's no other way," I pant and concentrate on the sheer drop ahead.

I run up to the fence and climb over it smoothly, holding on tightly as I feel the green metal digging into my back painfully whilst I hold Ashia against my chest. The others cautiously follow and we slowly edge around the cliff, grasping at trees and bits of rusty metal that protrude from the crumbling cliff. I hear stone sliding and see zombies tossing themselves over the fence towards us, most of the infected slip into the waters below but a few still follow us with hunger burning in their eyes.

I pick up my pace and jump over the opposite fence shakily, my legs protesting as they slam into the stone path. I wait until the others are across before kicking the stone forcefully, staggering backwards as the rock crumbles beneath my feet. The cliff groans and rumbles before tumbling away into nothing and crashing onto the beach below us, taking the remaining infected with it in a chaotic cloud of shrieks.

I snap out of my nostalgic haze to catch up with the others and stare upwards, a startled gasp escaping my lips as I stare at my childhood home. I gulp audibly and look around at the group, Soph's eyes mirroring my look of anxiety. I pass Ashia to Josh carefully and walk up to the heavy metal door.

I take a long, deep breath and knock.