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

in to position next to him "O.K on three" He nodded "1...2" "Wait" Toby said "What!" I said hissing with annoyance "1 2 3 go? Or go on 3?" "1 2 3 Go happy?" He nodded "1...2...3...go!" He opened the door bullets hit Danny blood was minimal his heart had long stopped beating. I pulled the pin reached round the door and threw them "Go fucking go" Toby slammed the door shut " The explosion was deafining "Get to car now" Jack threw open the door as glass broke in the kitchen I turned and fired but this time they did not retreat but returned fire. I ducked behind the door way. Then an engine started a loud one not our car. I looked back out and a transit van pulled in to the road. Every one was at the car but me and... Sky "GO!" I yelled at Toby he nodded and floored it "O.K stay with me stay low got it?" She was terrified but nodded. "O.K cover your ears and close your eyes" She did. I hurled one grenade in to the kitchen and one out the door rolling next to the van. I covered Sky with my body as the boom and vibration rattled through the house. I got up grabbed Sky by the hand and headed out though the kitchen gun raised. The two men were down on the floor dead we hopped the fence made our way through the back alley.

We dodged throughdead making there way to the noise bullets soon follwoed after that. "Here stop" I got to a jeep opened the door and launched Sky in before running round kick a deader on my way. I jumped in and shut the door. This was a government vehicle and there was always a spare set of keys in the sun visor just in case the driver was killed, the last thing you want when your trying to escape the undead is to think where did you put your keys then realise they are in the pocket of the guy now intent on eating you. I started the engine slammed it in to gear past the house "Get down!" I yelled to Sky. She did, to late for me though I took a shot high on my right shoulder. I swerved with the pain but managed to keep us on the road. Sky screamed.

We managed to get out of the Outpost we are currently in a single car stand alone garage. I think they didn't see us. My wound is still bleeding I need to treat it but I can't bring myself to look at it. A wound in this situation could easily end up being fatal and I can't leave Sky alone. I have bandaged it the best I can but the bullet needs to come out. For now I just need to rest stop just for a little while just....close my eyes......just a .......just ..........moment.

Hayley

 "O.K hold on one second.... JESUS!" "Got it!" Sky held the bullet with the tweezers up to me "Want to keep it?" She smiled "No I sulked took it from her and turned to roll down the window to throw it out, big mistake "Shit!!" Sky had taken this chance to pour alcohol on my bullet wound "You know if you keep making this much noise the deaders will hear us" I gave her an annoyed look "So what now?" I got out of the car and lit a smoke "How long was I out for?" "A couple of hours you pass out a lot" "Hey I got shot""Baby""Well we have no food no water no gun""No idea where anyone else is""Or anyway to contact them,so we are not doing great" 

 

1 WEEK LATER

"They aren't that bad" I said as I half choked down the berry.

Sky frowned and let the berry fall out of her mouth. I shrugged and ate another.

We had spent the last week cooped up in an attic with a few supplies taken from a group that had not been as lucky as us. The destruction of the town had stirred up the local zombie population so best to lay low. But the supplies had run out and now we were forced out in to the wide world. We stopped on a country road after I spotted some black berries and started eating Sky was unimpressed but I had eaten worse in the last few year i.e broccoli and coconut milk. People love it I hate it but it was that or dehydrate at the time.

 

"Can we go find some real food?" She reluctantly chpked down a berry.

"This is real see it's so real you are gagging on it" I smiled.

"Why couldn't I jump in the other car?"

"I told you to go didn't I"

She ate another berry.

"Area around here was picked clean we aren't going to find anything"

It was right then that we were interrupted by a figure crashing through a gate and brandishing a sawn off shotgun.

The figure or women as I could now see was wearing a dark green coat and faded black jeans brown hair was in a ponytail down her back. But what immediatley absorbed my attention was the shotgun pointed at me I pushed Sky back and away.

"Youre trespassing those are mine!"

She accused. My gun was in the car it only had 5 shots left but that did not really matter at this point as the car was 5 feet to my right I wouldn't be able to reach it and open the door before she fired. Basic survival rule keep your dam weapon on you and I constantly broke it, how am I still alive? My inner monologue was interrupted.

"Hey I'm talking to you" She sounded angry, she didn't look like a bandit a bandit would of shot me by now.

"Are you stupid those are mine!" With out realising I had picked another berry and put it in my mouth.

"It's on a public road" I said throught the mouthful juice leaving my mouth and landing on her coat 6ft away.

She looked down at it.

"Sorry, look can you not shoot me please I got shot last week"

"Are you from the town?"

"I was"

"What happened there heard a lot of noise coming that way"

I got a good look at her she looked after herself hair combed in stark contrast to mine which even when I did have access to a comb was never used. She was about my age and must of been living her since the start of the outbreak 2 years ago. It's not common but some did decide to live outside of the outposts as bandits high way man or they just didn't want to come in looking at her I assumed the latter. I smiled and took a step forward.

She stiffened and raised the gun up.

"Look your not going to shoot me"

"I will"

"You wont though" I took another step one more and I could grab the gun.

"Look at me I have a kid with me I'm obviously not here to pillage and plunder" Another step.

"You could be trying to sell her" She took a step back.

"Do I look like a slaver?"

"You look suspicious"

"Hey I have feelings you know look I'm Tom and this is"

"I don't give a fuck"

"Fine but you arent going to shoot me"

"And why is that?"

"Because the safety is on" She looked, actually looked at the gun something I had seen in a movie years ago actually worked and yes I gambled my life on movie. but it worked. I closed the distance turning the gun to the side away from me and down trying to connect with a blow to the elbow forcing her to drop the gun. Thats how it should work when I try, my opponent is 4 inches shorter and probably giving 3 stone to my advantage. I'm not big only 5'9 and 150lbs but I was bigger and she was a girl. Yes I know sexist shame on me but every advantage was in my favour size suprise and training and experience as far as I knew. What i did not expect was for her to lean forward and head butt me hard. I saw stars and she wrenched the gun back up so it was across both our chests. We both pulled and we were close together she smiled, I smiled and then she swept my legs out from under me.

 

On my way down I had the presense of mind to hold on to the gun and thought about Toby and Jon laughing if they heard about how I was beaten up by a girl. She tried to land on top of me but I raised my legs blocking so she stomped on my stomach. All the wind left me but I still did not release the gun. I pulled on the gun either I was getting back up or she was coming down here with me. She was stronger than she looked and I was back on my feet only to have one stomped on pretty sure Iheard something snap. I wanted to say ow but my breath had not yet returned I tried to turn the gun her way but she moved with it and we ended up going in abig circle before I gave up. I didn't want to hurt her but I didn't particuarly want to get shot. At some point my finger ended up on the trigger hers on the barrel with the gun pointing up. I gambled and pulled the trigger. You have not heard loud untill you have had a shot gun blast go past your head I was deafend.She pulled her hands back from the heat of the barrell an automatic response. We were both dazed from the blast and I took the advantage as she backed away I stepped forward dropped the gun ducked a punch thrown with suprising strength and speed and gently as I could placed a foot in to the back of her knee and wrapped my fore arm underneath her throat. This kind of choke hold should knock out most people quickly, she made me fight every step of the way she stood back up and I had to step back as she tried to stand on my feet swerve to dodge kicks to a sensitive area. Release an arm from the choke to disarm her of a knife pulled from her pocket. In the end I wrapped my legs around her and we fell hard in to the road still struggling. I was starting to think that I was not doing the move properly I had used this plenty of times no reason it shouldnt be working now, but her legs were still flailing arms swinging and still trying to roll me off. I tightened up the pressure on the choke it was dangerous as I already had it as tight as I normally would go. It had the effect I wanted, after another 30 seconds of her head slamming in to mine and other assorted pieces of abuse, the kicks and flailing limbs lost their power and shw was still. 

 

Exhausted I released the hold and pushed her off me then checked she was still breathing. She was phew. She would be