we figured we’d need the extra hands to get as much food as possible. And, seeing as we were only going a little way down the road, we could chance that nothing would get in. They can’t cope with doors and stuff, we learned that from Richard. He got out eventually, but still …
I had a quick peek down the street in both directions but it was deserted. Desolate. Creepy as shit. It’s not a main road, but it was always pretty busy before, especially during the school run, what with the school at the end of the street. Now it’s a ghost street. If you’ve ever been way out in the country, somewhere in the middle of nowhere, then you know what quiet really sounds like. But that much quiet in a town setting is just plain weird. The shop didn’t look that far away. Not really. We crept our way cautiously. It felt strange being outside after almost two weeks, sort of dreamlike, the adrenaline coursing through me added to the effect.
We got to Sai’s shop, but it was locked up tight. Damn! I mean, that place was always open, but when we’re all about to die of starvation and could really do with a break, it’s closed – fan-bloody-tastic. Polly raised the shears in front of her, a handle gripped in each hand, and drove the blades into the glass. There was a bang, but the glass held. ‘Fuck,’ she said and tried again. I noticed Sam looking about and asked what he was doing. ‘We’re getting in there, one way or another,’ he said. ‘I’m too hungry.’ Then he started kicking at a wall outside someone’s house. The people who lived there were either dead or too worried about zombies to care about their wall, but it still felt like a weird thing to do, in broad daylight as well. Vandalism. It just brought the whole crazy situation home. It occurred to me then that we could do whatever we wanted. We pretty much owned the town now. Folkestone was ours by the sheer fact that we were the only ones brave enough to venture out.
While I pondered on that I heard a smash and realised that Sam had broken through the window with a brick he’d dislodged from the wall. Once the fallout had settled, Polly moved in and knocked the higher bits of glass away with the shears, while Sam kicked the window in a bit more down below to make a hole big enough for us. Then I heard Polly cry out, then swear really loudly. She dropped the shears and grabbed hold of her arm. I could see blood oozing out between her fingers. ‘My Arm! My fucking arm is going to fall off!’
‘Let me see,’ said Sam, but Polly refused to move her hand.
‘There must be some first aid stuff in the shop,’ I said. ‘I’ll go and have a ...’ I didn’t finish because I could hear something moving in the alley beside the shop. A scraping, shuffling sound. I knew I shouldn’t, but I couldn’t help myself. Still caught up in that dreamlike state, I didn’t think anything bad could come of it, and, if it did, I could just wake up couldn’t I? I took a couple of steps to my right so that I could see down the alley. And there they were … I don’t know how many, I didn’t count them. I just swore at them.
‘We need to get out of here right now, people,’ I said. ‘Zombies!’
‘But we haven’t got any food,’ said Sam. ‘I’m not going back empty handed. I can’t.’
I could see more zombies coming down the street in the direction we’d come from. They hadn’t reached our house yet, but they would soon if we didn’t hurry back.
‘I can’t believe I’m doing this,’ I said. ‘But, Sam, take Polly back to the house. I’ll get us some food and meet you there.’
‘No way I’m leaving you –’
‘No time to argue! I’m doing this, Sam. I’m a runner, remember? I can get some supplies and be back to the house before that lot get there. But you need to go now. Get Polly back.’
‘You’re mental,’ said Sam.
‘I’m fucking hungry. Put the kettle on, Polly. I’ll be back in five ...’
Sam and Polly ran off to the