The Dead Chapter 22

Book 1: The Dead

Chapter 22

Even though Monica and Caleb had agreed that something being thrown out the window was a sign for Monica to leave with the supplies, she and Wendy remained there. Neither of them wanted to leave but they still fought. Wendy wanted to go back into the hospital to help them escape, but Monica knew that there was not much they could do. While they may have been able to act as a distraction, it would only last as long as it took for the dead to tear them apart. Monica suggested they waited, to see what happened next.

They had only waited for a few moments before Wendy lost her patience ‘that’s it I’m going in,’ she said, heading towards the entrance, but Monica grabbed her arm

‘You can’t!’ she said fiercely, ‘all you will be doing is putting your own life at risk’

‘But we can’t just sit here we have to do something,’ Wendy pleaded, frustrated at her inability to help her friends. She felt useless, she had done nothing while the others entered the hospital and Todd risked his life, she had only sat in the car. She knew she could do more to help, she had to. Monica and Wendy looked at each other for a moment, both considering their options and struggling to think rationally, Monica spoke first, ‘alright, the only thing we can do right now is make sure that when, and if, they get out that we can escape without’- but she stopped speaking as she and Wendy became aware of a sound in the distance, getting louder.

As the noise got closer they began to recognise it and their fear and worry dulled as they realised it was the motorbike, Todd was coming back. They ran towards the sound as Todd approached the hospital, and before it had even slowed to a stop he jumped off the bike, pulled of his helmet, and grabbed Wendy in a tight embrace. ‘I told you I’d come back,’ he said, grinning

‘I didn’t doubt you would,’ Wendy laughed back. Monica let them have their moment, but they had more pressing matters to attend to ‘We have to talk,’ she said putting her hand on Wendy’s shoulder to remind them of her presence and their situation. Todd pulled back, his grin fading as he saw her grim expression, ‘What is it?’

‘It’s Will and Caleb, their trapped inside the hospital,’ Wendy explained. Todd went to question them further but his words were stopped by the sound of a gunshot echoing from the hospital.

The ran over, when they got there Monica spoke, ‘that came from the roof’

‘Are they trapped up there?’ Wendy asked, horrified

‘Maybe not,’ Todd said, thinking fast, ‘Is there a fire escape.’ No one spoke but the all ran around the side of the building and found a fire escape. However, ‘it goes down two floors?’ Wendy noted, disappointed

‘Somebody must have broken the lower level to try and escape,’ Monica surmised, ‘maybe there’s one on the other side?’

‘No,’ Todd stopped her, staring at the hospital bed Caleb had thrown out the window, ‘I’ve got an idea.’

…

I reached for his flailing hand, but the dead pulled him out of my reach. As Caleb disappeared into their masses I turned away, grabbing the door and trying to slam it. But one of the dead that was not distracted by the meal they had just been given walk into the doorway and would have grabbed me too if the door did not knock its reaching hands away. But it did get in the way and the door wouldn’t close. I kept pressure on the door, trapping the dead man who was still reaching for me, but no matter how much I pushed the door wouldn’t close while the zombie was there. I released the door and the dead man fell through onto the roof, before it could get up or more deadmen could reach the door I slammed it closed, leaning against it.

The deadman had gotten up, but I was faster and my gun was already in my hands. Even in my anger, fear and grief my aim was good and the deadman collapsed in a heap, a bullet hole through its head. Leaning against the door I could hear snarling and tearing from behind it, the sounds sickened me as I knew I was hearing my friend being ripped apart and eaten. I knew I needed to get out of here, it was my fault Caleb was dead he had come after me and I owed it to him to escape and tell the others. I searched the ground and saw a tool box, obviously someone had been repairing something up here, which also explained why the door was unlocked.

I didn’t want to take away my weight from the door, so I reached with my foot and eventually I had it. I grabbed a large spanner and wedged it between the door handle and a thick wire that was connected to the doorframe. Sick, both literally and figuratively, of the noises coming from the door I quickly turned away. A few moments afterwards I began to hear banging from the door, obviously they had finished with Caleb (God I hoped they had killed him, I would never forgive myself if he became one of them) and now they were coming after me. I realised now that I had no plan, I had ran here out of fear and panic, but now I was trapped. But then I heard the sound of a car horn coming from below.

Quickly I ran to the ledge, expecting to see my friends and the Ute, instead I saw something better. A fire escape. But my joy was short-lived as the door burst open and the dead, covered in fresh blood, came charging through. I moved quickly, swinging over the ledge and speeding down the first flight of stairs, but the dead were faster and by the time I was there they had already reached the ledge. Faster and more desperate than before I skipped the last few steps of the second flight, I could now see the Ute, and thankfully I saw Todd gesturing wildly in the back, at least I had lost a second friend. Yet. But I had to stop myself as I realised with horror that that was where the fire escape ended, and I was still on the first floor. But then I saw why Todd and the others had led me here, and why the Ute was so close to the fire escape, they had loaded the mattress of the bed into the back. They expected me to jump.