Stranded. (Ed.)

[Liz Burke]

Liz looked bewildered, “I didn’t mean anything by that, honestly, I was talking about instinct in general.” She glanced at the dogs. They were very proud animals, very proud. Liz had never had a dog before, they had a cat, but it had died, run over by the next door neighbour. It had cost her nearly $1700 in vets’ fees. Then the cat died, which had cost her a further $600 for the children to have the cats ashes and bury them in nice urns.

“Do the walkers get old? Or does the aging process stop?” That was a question, a very good question. She had seen children, elderly and middle age turn into the zombies, but she hadn’t been around any for long enough to see them age. “The virus can infect anyone, except animals – hence your dogs are fine, but what is it in the animals that protects them? Our DNA isn’t too far apart – animals and humans.”

Liz glanced around. “Erm, have you noticed?” She turned the opposite way. Everything was quiet. Too quiet. “Should we be hanging around?” The doctor wasn’t as nervous as she was letting on, and wasn’t as unequal as she let on either. She had skeletons in her closet. Jess and Andrew, the couple who had travelled with them before their deaths. They hadn’t died for nothing. Liz had locked them both in the stock cupboard in the Jewellers – it was the only thing she could think of to lure the zombies away – she didn’t know the other door was locked and they couldn’t get free – they were fish in a barrel.

[Eddie "The Mutt" Sillian]

“Sorry, I get... whazzat word you Americans use...? Tetchy. I get tetchy about ma dogs.” He was watching them carefully, they were looking wary, fur not standing up yet, but their tails hung low and they walked much slower than they had before. It worried him. “I ain’t found any that move around long enough to age, I mean when bits start droppin’ off. They’re rottin’, you musta smelt ‘em?” Then again, the city always smelled of corpses these days, it was just picking the closer ones from the ones further away.

It always hit him, the stench. He had a sensitive nose and that was too much. He was prone to throwing up around them, around any old corpse if it took him by surprise but it wouldn’t stop him mooching through their pockets first.

“I ‘ave. What am I supposed to do, complain about the lack of live music?” He grinned but it was all on the surface, false humour. Normally they would at least have come across a shambler by now, especially here. It was empty. He could only come to one conclusion. They must have grouped. Hopefully a good way off, he didn’t have the ammo to take down many.

He only had two clips. Shit.

“If you wanna move faster, I’m up for it. I could do with a jog, get ma lungs workin’ an all tha’.” He was frowning now. Staring at the dogs...

[Liz Burke]

Liz stared at the dogs, she too could see something was up with them – she was praying that there wasn’t a street full of zombies – the dogs might have been good, but she was sure they couldn’t take out a horde of zombies! Liz had a baseball bat; Ed had a gun and two dogs – small army? They would be screwed!

“I don’t know how you’re trying to pronounce it, but I’m getting a little turtchy right now!” Her accent changed the pronunciation of the word, the exact same word Ed had used – it was all about accents. “And furthermore, I am not hanging around to become zom food in the street!” Her eyes were shifting, she didn’t know what was going on, but they didn’t feel alone anymore. Someone or something was watching them! “I hope your dogs know what they’re doing when their alone...” With that she pushed his shoulder. “I think a speed of pace is damn right!”

Liz begun to jog, or run lightly, it depended on who saw her to make that judgement, but anyone could clearly see that Liz was holding onto that baseball bat for grim death, there was no parting her with it.

[Eddie "The Mutt" Sillian]

The dogs had stopped moving now, they had in fact hunkered down and were growling. He could smell it in the air, the tides of death that leeched through the wind hitting him full in the face. He couldn’t see well but they seemed to be slow. It was the shamblers. He closed his bad eye and focussed in on them, feeling the turn of speed as Liz jogged away from him, leaving him behind to deal with them.

“Awrigh’ guys, hup.” He called, quite softly to the dogs. They turned on their heel instantly and came up beside him. He himself turned and rather than jogging, seemed to skip straight into a run. “I think it’ll be you on your own if you dun ‘urry.” He forced out between breaths as he overtook her, the dogs easily keeping pace with him as he legged it up the alleyway and turned left into another opening.

His legs swung on, steeping him up the alley at a pace he would have to manage for a while, but it should keep him out of harms way. They had been some distance back and the shamblers were fairly slow. Most of them. He glanced back only to see Liz was following, he didn’t believe in looking at your enemies. Imagining them made him run faster.

[Liz Burke]

He took over her! The cheek of it! But Liz couldn’t help but laugh – this wasn’t a laughing matter, but she laughed anyway. “Oh no you don’t!” She hollered and caught up with him at a steady pace. She wished she had kept her membership at the local gym, if she did then she’d be able to run this street no worries. But juggling being a mother, a paediatrician and a gym member was impossible! “I think that,” she mimicked his accent now, “’urry is the operative word here, don’t you!?” Liz smirked.

“You know, it isn’t the easiest thing to do – for a woman I mean, running that is!” She said in a rushed breath. Liz grabbed onto her bouncing breasts, she laughed. “Well it isn’t!” They were running. And running. And running. But where the hell were they going?!

“Erm, I don’t want to sound,” her talking became rushed, her breath bulleting between sentences, “like a right party killers, but do you have any idea where we’re going!” There were loads of places they could hide in the city centre, but whether they would be the only ones in there would be another thing. She didn’t mind sharing with another human, but she didn’t want to share with a flesh eating zombie.

[Eddie "The Mutt" Sillian]

He began to realize that he was the one carrying the pack, and as such he was the one at the disadvantage. He's been keeping the dogs packs on his own back but he felt bad fort them having to carry their own food. That was going to change as soon as he found a place to count his extremities. "Go on, take the piss of the Londoner!" He laughed even as he was running, the wheezing laugh exhausting him as he sprinted up the street. "You're managin' well for 'avin' 'em buggers. Try runnin' with a pack as 'eavy as one of 'em buggers..." He wasted a hand at one of the dogs. "an' 'avin' a canteen of water 'ittin' your crotch every stride." Indeed the canteen had swung down and was smashing into him, thankfully it was only the side of his leg but he was still concerned. The worst was he couldn't move his hand or his pack would drop on one shoulder and pull him down.

His elgs were wobbling yet again, it always happened when he was running and his eyes were wildly glancing around for a doorway. "Buggerit, I 'ave no clue where we are from 'ere. There's plenty of ladders but I can't get the dogs up 'em." Indeed, there were fireladders at either side of the street about two metres in the air. There was no way he could climb there with the dogs, no way he could get up on his own either. He hated being short.

He could hear them behind but they were a little way off, about 150 metres. They were slow but they wouldn't tire before he did. "God damn it!" He shouted, wasting yet more or the precious breath.

[Liz Burke]

As they ran Liz begun to scan her surroundings more, she was concentrating on an escape route, so much so that she didn’t answer Ed, she hadn’t even heard him. Ladders. Shops. Alleys. She was spoilt for choice. Best not go to the alleys, she thought. She didn’t want to run down one and get caught cornered half way down and die.

“Look!” She said pointing. “There. Head there.” She was pointing at the building at the end of the street, but it was a long way down. It was one hell of a run! But Liz had other ideas in mind. She wasn’t going to run forever with this man and his damned dogs. This was getting her nowhere. She had seen other survivors when she was with James. Liz was heading for these, but first, she needed to ditch the lowlife.

“Come on!” She said speeding up, this was all a ploy. Liz herself had a backpack, but it was full of light things, medical equipment. None of it weighed very much at all. “Give me that,” she gasped trying to talk and breath – a stitch was bound to come in her side. “It’s weighing you down, Ed.” Her smile was trusting.

[Eddie "The Mutt" Sillian]

He stared up the street where she had pointed. She was right, it was a good idea. He could probably at least throw the dogs in there. He wasn't going to leave them. The cynic in his mind twitched when she told him to give her the pack, but the fact was it was that heavy she would probably slow down enough to get caught, it would give him time to escape. Zombies had never bothered much with things, likely they would leave his pack alone, mostly.

"Hah! Your madness." He hitched the pack off of one shoulder and using the other threw it over to her. It weighed well over 20kg and was a hell of a relief to have off. Soon as it was his legs gave a burst of speed, well overtaking her and sprinting up the street. Nothing like trouble to give you new wings. These wings were faster than a fucking african swallows.

Launching up the path he even caught up to his dogs who sped up in turn with vicious growls and backs. He glanced back, in the last few seconds he had already gained 10 metres on Liz and was speeding up. Dog eat dog world, and someone was going to get ett.

[Liz Burke]

Dog eat dog world, these were the very words Liz had in her mind when she planned her escape from the zombies and from Ed and his mangy mutts. I’m so sorry, she said in her head. But she needed to stay alive; she had to find her little boy. She wasn’t going to last a week without any water, and she had seen firsthand that Ed had more than enough water – and he was planning on wasting a canister for his fucking dogs!

As Ed sped up in front, purposely Liz slowed, but not enough to get caught by the fleshies. When he was far enough away she stopped completely. She didn’t need to carry on the facade no longer. It was time to make her way from the street and the only way she dare would be via the ladders – that way he couldn’t come back after her with his dogs. “I’m sorry!” She shouted, still standing in the street. She held her hand to her eyes to see in the suns glare. “I’m sorry...” She uttered silently to herself.

But now she had to leave. The zombie was getting closer. With great haste she ran to the right, aiming for the alloy ladder. It lead to the general store’s roof, there had to be other ways down from there. Liz held tight to the ladder as she struggled up it with both her backpack and the backpack she had acquired from Ed.

The fleshy was at the bottom of the ladder, but she was safely up the top – could they climb? To make sure she begun to kick at the hinge. She didn’t want to be sneaked up on! After 5 or 6 great kicks the ladder gave way. It tumbled down into the alley and halfway onto the street.

“Let’s see.” She pulled out all the junk she didn’t need. Useless crap. “What’s – “ A necklace. She slipped it into her skirt pocket. The water. This is what she wanted most of all. Taking a nice long drink she returned it into the backpack, but not his, she placed it in her own. It was hers now. She rooted through his rubbish and only saved what she thought she’d need. A knife, dog food – everyone knew that humans could eat tinned dog food, but not cat food. It might come in handy.

Everything she didn’t want or need she left on top of the roof, the rest she packed in her back – she was gone. Heading for the next street. Williamsburg Square.

(( Exit Liz. ))

[Eddie "The Mutt" Sillian]

He turned and glanced over his shoulder only to see herself hoisting her way up a ladder, his pack and all strapped to her. A scream of fury and terror ripped from his lips. "You stupid mother fuckin' bitch! I'll 'ave you! I swear to God, If I dun getcha then ma dog will!" He stopped, staring at her for a moment before realizing the horde was closing in and all he had was a pistol and a couple of dog. "I'll fuckin' tear your damned 'eart out an' feed it to 'em." Were the last words he screamed before sprinting off to the building further ahead.

All of the buildings were joined. If he was quick off the mark he could catch her, she couldn't find a way down as quick as he could, the dogs would sniff her out. He raced up the street, legs pumping hard, taking him ever closer to the building ahead. WINDOWS. He needed windows!

He was there, and without even thinking he threw himself through, the dogs following afterward, avoiding most of the glass on the floor. Of course he had't been that lucky. he'd landed on his side and he could feel glass grating it's way through his skin. Glass on his forearms and a little in his face. He moaned in pain and dripping blood ran on heading for the fire stairs.

He could hear them fighting to get in the window he had even as he ran up to the next floor and battered open a window that lead to a staircase. The dogs raced up it and he followed them, firing a few rounds at the faster runners. Making it to the stop of the stairs, he shot off the rails that were holding the steps on and watched the top series crumple down onto the infuriated zombies. He then cast a cold eye across the rooves and saw, a little way away a pile of things. once he had reached them, a swift inspection showed a lack of any food, water or even his knife. It was engraved damn it. She had given it to him. Her necklace... gone. All that was left of hers was the journal.

Slinging the material he had managed to cobble together into packs for the dogs, he loaded what the bitch had left and went off, emerging as far away as he could from the onslaught of zombies.

[Eddie "The Mutt" Sillian]

THREAD COMPLETE