After The Rising by T.D Jackson (free novel reading sites .txt) 📕

The cd in the car started playing Final Countdown of all things, Jon failed to see the irony as he threw the cd out the window "Hey I like that song" "Go get it then" "I don't like it that much" The road took us through dense woodland, the roads were not totally packed as this was the middle of nowhere but there was still plenty parked up on the side many with there occupants pawing to get out but to dumb to work the seat belt. A few miles down the road Jon had an announcement "Need to piss" He declared pulling over keeping the engine running and got out. I kept an eye out but not on Jon a he did what he had to do. It was a warm day nice day for a picnic, I was about to suggest this when Jon yelled "Hey!" I snapped back to reality getting out of the car "Whats up?" "Theres a girl" "What?" "A girl women idiot" I walked over to Jon and followed his line of sight. 100 metres away through the woodland there was indeed a girl in a blue summer dress, it did not look dirty and she did not look dead her hair was blonde and looked clean. We stood there for a moment wondering if we should shout out, we didn't need to she turned round. Her face everything about her was normal except the eyes and the look of anger on her face. She started to run at us. This was not to much of a concern to us we don't have running zombies they are dumb this was a crazy. A crazy is a human who thinks they are a zombie. I ran in to one for the 1st time rescuing a girl she had been biten by him and we wondered why she had not turned 2 days later. Initial thoughts were she was immune to the virus but that wa short lived after a kick to the crazy's nuts he started to talk well sob zombies don't cry or say oh God my nuts, they also do not blink. She closed the distance rapidly and I shone my torch in her face. My heart started to pump ice through my veins. No blink "Jon" "Yeah?" He had seen it to "Run" We turned tail back to the car the creature was still following and closing the distance. Half way back to the car we realised we were not going to make it back to the car in time so we changed tactics, we stopped, turned and ran at the creature if it could register suprise it would be amazed dinner was running to it for a change but it would not have lasted long as Jon smashed her with a WWE style clothesline and I followed through burying my shoulder in to her pelvis, we hit the ground and I rolled away towards Jon. As I was regaining my feet something erupted from the bushes it caught me in the stomach winding me and sent me and it rolling down the slope. With every roll I got a snapshot of Jon's face, we hit a bush and I got my lat look that thing was already up and at Jon's throat he had got his hands up to block but was obviously struggling to finish it off.

Me and my new friend hit the bottom of the slope, I used my momentum to keep rolling but as I rolled over it I felt it's teeth sink in to my back between my shoulder blades just below the neck. I yelled with pain, I knew Jack's weathe had stopped the bite ripping flesh but the pinch wa going to leave a bruise. I ended up lying on my stomach the creature on my back if it moved further up I was dead. It relesaed it's grip realiing it had not got anything edible. I used this moment to turn over get my feet up and monkey flip it off of me, I was on my feet so was the creature. This was not right they are not this agile or quick. We were 10ft apart from each other, he was a slim man spiked brown hair in a grey bussines suit red tie and trainers. Why do people do that by the way? either be smart or don't bother. I had left my baton and knife in the car and my satchel all I had was my two hands. This was a fight I was not confident in winning so I dummyed to run to my right before jerking to the left to go around the monster in a wide arc. It failed miserably an arm flew out and I had to roll underneath it. Did my eyes decieve me or did it jut reposition itself to block my escape back to Jon? The creature advanced and I backed up it started to circle me I did the same until my back was facing the slope, it would be suicide to try and run up it the creature would grab me and haul me back down in to it's jaw's. Suddenly it lunged forward arms outstretched reaching for me, I ducked underneath it and as it's momentum carried it past me I turned and kicked out it's knee, it dropped on to it's back. I kicked the back of my shoe and the stiletto slid out and I drove it down to the monsters head. It caught it. I was stunned "What the hell" It pushed my foot out to the side and I fell on to it but as I fell I dropped my elbow on it's skull I heard a crack but it did not finish the job, I got up and the monster came at me again as I dodged hopelessness flooded my mind I could not kill this creature. It would tire me out and kill me. I'm not sure how but the monster caught hold of me and yanked me towards it's mouth. I managed to get my forearm under its chin leaned forward and headbutted it once twice three times its grip loosened. I brought my fore arm and uppercutted him with it it took a step back. I advanced threw two punches at it's fore head the reinforced metal of my gloves made cracking sounds. I looked in the monters eyes and I saw anger it lurched forward arms out again I ducked under and as I side stepped around it I threw a handful of powder I kept in a pouch simply crushed glass pepper and anything else nasty I can get my hands on. Then another thing the usual dead did not do it stpped and rose its hands to protect it's eyes. But self awareness or not that was my chance I took it. As it's arms were still up I quick punched it in the jaw then booted it in the abdomen, pain or not the momentum made it double over, I kicked out it's legs and as it fell and tried to rise I brought my boot down on the back of it's neck with a snap. I stomped three times more just to be sure I panted and went back up the slope.

"JON!!!" "Here" I found Jon sitting on the girl. She was still alive or undead but he had bound her arms and legs a bag over her head but she was still squirming under him "You arent going to finish her?" "They need to see this" I nodded "What the hell are they?" "Something new" I muttered.

We dragged the creature back to the car and tried again, no blink from the light just snarls, no pulse no heart beat this thing was dead. The fact it was still moving was not a suprise we were used to that now but the speed and the intelligence the other creature showed blocking my escape picking it's moment to attack this was something new and it was terrifying. Had the dead started to change? Were there more of them? How smart were they? "At leat they are not 28 days later quick" Jon sighed throwing the bag over the creatures head "Smarter though, the other one almost got me" "Smarter than you maybe" "Up yours" We did not like the idea of bringing the monter back with us, we would have preffered to finish it and dump it on the road side, but this had to be reported explaining it to the outpost guards on the other hand would be a problem.

The wall of the new UK capital was constructed from 2 rows of shipping containers overlapping and girders ploughed into the fround behind them, it completely surronded the city a small gap allowed the river to flow through but a screen prevented the dead swarming down it. People in cars left reguarly dispatched by spotters in tree houses to lure away large hordes that were always being attracted by the constant noise of this walled city. If anything it was a monument to humanitys stubborness to survive.

The gate slid open and we drove in. A voice came over the loud speaker "Unregistered vehicle please park in spot A and proceed to the security window" We did as we were told, Jon stayed in the car with the monster and I got out approaching the window. A man in a grey shirt sat behind a reinforced glass screen he looked bored "Identification please" I slid my ID through the hatch he barely glanced at it "And your friends?" "Another one of me" "And the other" Now came the awkward part trying to explain why we had driven in with a zombie in our car "O.K I'm gonna tell you something but don't panic" That was as far as  got the man slammed his hand down and an alarm sounded "I said don't panic" "Sir raie your hands over your head please and turn around slowly. I raised my hands and obeyed putting on my best I'm not an anachist smile, it temporarily faded when 6 members of TRT team were aiming gun at my head, fuck that was quick and quiet I didn't hear them coming well maybe the alarm would explain that "Hi we are here for the training" "Please explain your companions Sir" "O.K but don't panic it is not as bad it sounds" "Explain Sir" "We have a creature with us" "Mike Oscar secure the vehicle" "Wait" I moved forward and was immediatley rebuked "Get them dam hands up!" "Don't kill it!" "What you a fucking zombie sympathiser or something?" "No we encountred it on the way here it's something new it ran at us" "It's a dam Crazy then" "No heart beat or pulse" The team leader raised a hand to