The Undead. The First Seven Days (108 page)

For one glorious second he pauses, a mighty look of concentrated fury on his face, and he gives a small smile. Then he sets to work and the amazing ability of his body bursts with life as he starts spinning, dropping, turning, twisting and, with each poetic movement, an undead body drops with a cut throat.

For a split second I feel guilty, guilty that we’ve brought an army to fight them when all we ever needed was Dave and two knives.

Back to reality and I swipe the axe out wide. Slicing through shoulders, arms and faces as I create space around me.
  For a minute, we gain ground as the first few lines drop easily from the weapons used, but then the sheer numbers on their side compress against the backs of the line in front of us and now we hold. Neither gaining nor losing ground.

We hold our lines and kill them as they step and lunge forward. I have no idea how the rest of the line is working, whether the undead army have burst through the deep ditches, if our line is too spread out or too tightly packed. All I can do now is fight and kill the thing in front of me.
  The first, wild sweeps, clear a space round me but then I settle down to practised strikes and lunges. Conserving energy and strength. My axe bites into skull after skull as I sweep back and forth. Lunging forward and driving the axe overhead to destroy, kill, maim and end the undead lives of these foul abominations. The fury surges through me and I work faster and harder than ever before. Each killing blow drives me on.
  ‘STEP BACK,’ a voice roars nearby and, for a second, I’m confused as to why we are giving ground, but then I realise we are fighting and tripping over the bodies on the ground.

We step back and allow the undead lines to stumble and clamber over their dead comrades, we take advantage of the obstacles and cut them down in droves, adding more and more broken bodies to growing piles.
  The glory of battle is within me as I swing my axe, cleaving, smashing, pulping and destroying.
  I take two down with a massive swing and catch another fleeting glimpse of Dave, still deep within the ranks.

He leaps high into the air, his arms rising above his head as he dives back down. Bright arcs of blood spurt into the air to show the path he weaves.
  Clarence simply uses his awesome strength, gripping the axe at the base of the shaft. He swings left and takes several down at once, then pauses for the next row to step forward and then swings right, taking them down and repeating the action over and again.

The undead are simply too stupid to learn from his tactic.
  Chris and Malcolm work like I do, taking small choppy lunges and sweeps to target each victim and take them down with the smallest expenditure of energy. Blowers and Cookey, side by side and fighting like demons. Tucker with that look of terrified rage on his face and using his bulk to swing out and take them down. Jamie, small and lithe like Dave, knives in each hand and attacking one zombie at a time with clinical precision, never over-extending and always aware of the next target.

Zombie after zombie, axe swing after axe swing and we go on fighting and battling. Strike and move, strike and move. Heads keep lunging at me and I strike across to smash the things apart. Skulls cleaved open like ripe melons, showering me in greying brain matter. One in front of me, the skin on his face already falling off, exposing dirty white bone underneath. The remains of his lips pull back and his mouth opens; strands of saliva drool and hang down as he comes in close for the bite. I lash out hard and the axe takes the top of his head off. Another one to my right, a fat female undead, how she kept up with the mass marching is beyond me. I keep the swing going and drive into her neck, severing through the spinal column and she goes down.

Stepping forward to meet the next one I drop with him with an overhead smash then step forward as I uppercut and waste no energy in making use of each swing of the heavy axe. I sense someone fighting right behind me and I catch a quick glimpse of Clarence ploughing away. I move forward again and Clarence steps up to my right side.
  Exchanging a quick look, we both step and swing forward.

Suddenly, Chris is on my left and the three of us fight together, side-by-side. Then Malcolm joins our line on the other side of Chris and now we are four; synchronised and swinging the axes. Left to right, right to left. The effect is awesome and we make headway, stepping forward and tramping the broken and mashed up bodies underneath us.
  ‘WATCH THE SIDES,’ Chris bellows as we drive in too deep and the zombie army start curling round and attacking Malcolm and Clarence to the sides.

Blowers and Cookey move up and fight out to the sides, joined by Tucker, Curtis and then Nick running in fresh with an axe he’d kept back in the Saxon.

Some of the guards join us and we form a circle, just as we did in London. Fighting forward and presenting a solid wall on four sides.
  With my friends to my sides and behind me, I feel a fresh surge of energy and we fight on; the zombie army pressing in as we keep our shape and drive further and further into their ranks. Every time I glance up I see bodies being dropped by Dave just feet from me. I realise he’s staying close, offering his never-ending protection. For every zombie I take down, Dave takes two or three and
his
kill rate alone must be destroying so many.
  The heat becomes unbearable and sweat pours off us, so many bodies all pushed into a tight space and I become aware of their fetid and disgusting odour. The stench of their breath, the smell of decomposing and rotting flesh. They now truly are the living dead. They are corpses infected with evil and something dark works inside of them and drives them with an insatiable hunger for human flesh.
  Their presence offends and disgusts me. The way they keep coming, wave after wave of zombie bodies being thrown against us. The rage threatens to burst me apart and I fight harder, faster. Striking with more power than I have ever done.
  The fury within me is so powerful, yet it isn’t enough, give me more, give me more rage and anger. Fill me with utter vengeance and make me stronger.
  With frustration and blind anger I roar out with animalistic rage, my voice guttural and wild. I hack and hack away, killing and destroying all within my range. Nothing matters now, my thirst for death will never be satiated. I want death and destruction. I want to bathe in their blood and tear their evil bodies apart with my bare hands.
  Darren is in there somewhere; I fight harder, for every step I take brings me closer to him. I told him to come after me, I told him to see what happens if he tried. Now he’s here but he’s hiding from me. I want him, more than anything I want him. He is the evil; he is the devil spawn that brought this plague to my people. He is the reason we have all suffered.
  I am death Darren, I am death and I am coming for you. I told you I would destroy you and I will.

I fight and kill as I push on deeper and deeper into their ranks. I am the spearhead that drives through these ranks and my men fight with me.
  This isn’t enough though; the power of the anger and rage is not enough. I want more, give me more. Give me all the fury of the world and channel it into my arms so I can fight on. Why isn’t it enough? Why am I not strong enough to surge forward and sweep these things away? Frustration mixes in with the already powerful feelings pulsing through me and, for a few minutes, I have extra strength and more speed.
  I fight away from my circle; I plough deep into their lines. I hear Clarence and Chris shouting my name but I pay no heed. They are together and protected and I am already dead. I made that deal with myself when I came out here. I knew I would be coming to my death and I will do it on my own terms. I will not expose my friends to my reckless actions, but reckless as they are, they are my actions that I choose to take, and I take them willingly. I fight on and push harder, sweeping my beloved axe round and round, cleaving and hacking and killing. They cannot touch me, for the anger and fury is so great within me, but no, it isn’t enough and I feel my power abating. It ebbs away and I drive myself on, push myself and force the rage out. I can’t see my men now, I’m too deep within their lines, but I keep going, for, as long as this power is within me, I can kill them.
  My killing blows start to ease off, the power generated by each swing is less and less. I swing out and tears of frustration sting my eyes. I feel my power leaving me and there are so many crowding round me. I lash out again and stumble as my legs start to shake. I roar out but my voice feels weak. I lift the axe and smash a face in, but the power is so much weaker now.
  My men! I can see them, through my tear filled eyes I see them fighting but their power is weakening too. We are trapped with the evil undead crowding round us, my legs feel so heavy, and each step finds me faltering and staggering. I look over to my men and see their circle starting to give. Tucker swings out, his normally ruddy face now pale and drawn. He too can feel the power leaving and I see his swings getting more and more feeble.
  I scream as they lunge forward and take him down, they drag Tucker to the floor and the undead bodies are on him, frenziedly biting and tearing at his flesh. I scream out loud, my beloved Tucker, that gentle lad who took care of us.
  I stumble forward and feel my legs give way, I go down onto my knees and stretch my hand out, so far away from Tucker but I can’t help him. Curtis rushes to his side, beating the undead back and hacking away desperately, trying to save his friend. I try to shout a warning as I see zombies rushing Curtis from behind, but my voice is pathetic, weak and dying.

Curtis is taken down, his body landing heavily in top of Tucker as they are both ravaged and killed. Malcolm twists back to run at the boys and is taken from the side; going down heavy and swamped by zombie bodies tearing into him.

Chris screams and fights back, they all give ground and the circle gets smaller, the zombies pressing in.

Pure looks of terror on Blowers’ and Cookey’s faces, Nick crying with shame, as he knows they will die.
  Not like this, please God not like this. Don’t let them take anymore. We were meant to win, we are the righteous and we came so far. These are just boys, brave boys that have fought and you are letting the evil take my beautiful, brave boys.
  I lash out with my fist and punch an undead’s face, he drops away, and I know I’m only seconds away now.

I feel drained and weak and there’s nothing left inside of me. Nothing left to use.
  ‘Why did you do this to me?’
  ‘
I told you I would destroy you, Howie - I warned you
.’
  ‘You have to help me, you have to give me more anger and rage so I can fight.’
  ‘
There’s nothing left Howie, you’ve used it all up and it’s left you weak and pathetic
.’
  ‘Oh God, dear God, please Lord give me the strength to do this, give me the strength to rise up and fight.’
  ‘
You wanted anger Howie, you wanted rage and fury and power
.’
  ‘Then give me more.’
  ‘
It’s gone Howie, there is no more to give
.’
  With my head bowed I wait for them to take me.
  ‘Our Father, who art in Heaven,’ the words come to me and, in final prayer; I hold an image of Sarah in my mind.
  ‘
There it is Howie.’
 
‘What? There is what?’
  ‘
You fool Howie, it’s right there inside you. Take it.’
  ‘
Take what?’
  ‘
Sarah, that feeling for your family. What is that?’
 
‘She’s all I have left, she’s my family.’
 
‘What does she mean to you Howie? What did you feel then when you thought of her and said those words, what was that?’
 
‘That was love.’
  ‘
YES, HOWIE, that was love.’
  ‘Our Father who art in Heaven…’
 
‘YES HOWIE, LOUDER, SAY IT LOUDER.’
 
‘OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,’ I feel something surging through me, a feeling starting so deep and coursing through my system.
  ‘
YES, HOWIE, LOVE IS THE MOST POWERFUL THING OF ALL.’

 
‘OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN…’ My voice, starting off weak and choked, quickly becomes strong and firm. I look up into the faces of the undead coming at me, teeth bared for the kill.

  ‘OUR FATHER WHO ART IN HEAVEN,’ I rise to my feet, the axe held in one hand. I stare about at the advancing faces as my voice booms out with strength. The men look to me and I hold their gaze, daring the undead to keep coming.

  ‘HALLOWED BE THY NAME,’ I feel it. I feel power unlike any before, surging through me. My heart beats faster and faster. My mind is clear and the strength flows back into my arms and legs.

  ‘THY KINGDOM COME, THY WILL BE DONE.’ They are close now, so close. I can feel their breath upon my face. I stare ahead, eyes fixed on my men. The undead want me, I can sense it, but something holds them back, something makes them weary. The whole field pauses for that second, waiting with baited breath. Faces filled with fear and terror slowly become filled with hope.

  ‘ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN,’ I roar and my voice carries far as I explode with action and I am no longer weak and exhausted. I am strong, I have strength and I whirl my axe round and take many down with one massive swing. My axe flies and spins as I chop down, chop left, chop right and they keep dropping. Every step I take they wilt away from me. I slice and hack my way through to my men.