Six Days With the Dead Read Online Free

out the village, see if Crazy Jackson needs anything and knowing those two, clear out some of the wandering dead on the way. He should be back in a few hours… sure you can wait that long for a smooch, eh Lizzy.’
    He had grow n close to Liz and loved her like the sister he had lost. That his brother could find a small amount of happiness after all that had happened gave him hope that maybe, just maybe life wasn’t all bad now.
    ‘ Yeh, sure, I think I’ll be able to cope,’ Liz replied, ‘Anyway, Alice and I have to get up on the walkway, we’re on shift and with Damien and Sally still up there, I’m surprised we weren’t half eaten in our beds this morning,’ She jokingly punched his arm, as she and Alice carried on walking, ‘Oh, you better get down to the kitchen, Sister Rebecca’s got some porridge on the go.’
    ‘ Thanks, keep us safe up there. Tell those two I’ll eat their share if they don’t hurry up.’ He called after her, reaching for the door.
    Liz and Alice continued on their way throu gh the vegetable garden. Every area in the garden had been turned over to food production to feed the Sisters and the refugees they had taken in a year ago. With the surrounding fields also providing for them, those staying in the Convent had the luxury of full stomachs every night. They had also cleared many of the local areas of the wandering Dead so they could work the fields in relative safety. Those on watch duty now had to deal with only a few of the walkers each day. Thankfully, the Dead didn’t really go looking for the living as such but would generally stay where they died. They would wait patiently, only moving if they saw the living. Then they would follow relentlessly, reaching for the flesh that had caught their attention. If their prey escaped them, the Dead would become Wanderers, walking with no purpose, aimlessly putting one put foot in front of the other forever. These were the Dead that could appear out of nowhere at any moment. They blighted the small communities dotted around the Cornish countryside, bringing the infection back again and again to haunt the living. Liz thought that if the Dead ever developed a pack mentality that acted with a purpose, then humanity would really be in trouble. She prayed continually that would never happen.
    Liz and Alice made their way to the ladder that led up to the walkway that circled the high convent walls.
    ‘How much do you want to bet those two aren’t even looking out over the wall?’ Alice asked.
    ‘ I somehow think I’d lose that bet,’ Liz replied, ‘Charlie’s going to have a word with those two. Perhaps we could give them some sort of punishment. What do you think?’
    ‘ How about extra toilet duty? That should cool them off a bit.’ Alice suggested, as they reached the top of the ladder.
    As they had both suspected, Sally and Damian were not taking their duty seriously. Arms folded and foot tapping with frustration , Liz watched the two kissing each other before she spoke.
    ‘ Oh for God’s sake you two, can’t you be trusted for just a few hours to keep watch?’ Liz was angry and they could tell. More than once she had been forced to flee a community that had been overrun by the Dead because someone had screwed up.
    ‘ Sorry, Liz. Honestly it won’t happen again.’ Sally said, having the good grace to at least look embarrassed, as she re-buttoned her shirt, which was more than could be said for Damian.
    ‘ Calm down Liz, nothing happened. We’re still all alive.’ he said, with typical adolescent bravado.
    Liz walked up to him and with a quick practiced move ment, landed a clenched fist on his jaw. Damian, landing on his backside looked up at her, shocked.
    ‘ Hey! What gives?’
    ‘ What gives! I tell you what gives, you randy arsehole. When lives are in the hands of those on watch up here, we can’t afford you screwing around getting your jollies when you’re supposed to be watching out for the Dead.’ Liz was