Living With Survival
Chapter 5- Day 16-27
The Calm In The Storm
The car was blessedly satisfactory after the previous crash, a bit of scattered glass over the bonnet, but otherwise completely drivable. "Pile in everyone". The car shot into life, the loud sound echoing through the walls of the hospital. Panic hit them as the car slowly drained of life. Mike tried again to revs the car into acceleration, but it once again failed. "What a fuckin cliché" Mike pounded his fists into the steering wheel. As the car drained for the third time the distant clatter of feet could be heard. Jons eyes widened in terror. "Mike, get this car going NOW!"
Several infected came into view of the rear window. They were heading straight for them. Mike tried again, the engine roared with life. "reverse!" Jon saw the infected not as people anymore, but enemies, ones that had to be exterminated. The car shot back with excessive speed. Three of the creatures were instantly killed by the force of the speeding car. The others swiftly gave chase. "Liv is there another way towards this shop". The car was just about to leave the hospital grounds. "Yes, but we are going to have to go back the way we came, passed the church". The car sped down the roads. Small amounts of activity could be seen down the dying veins of London. But it would not last.
"Ok, once we pass the church we have to go straight on, it will take a bit longer but we might be ok." Liv's sentence was drowned out by Mikes gasp. As the car came into view of the church they had left just a few days ago, the hearts of the three fell into terror. The doors were wide open, signifying only one thing, the people inside were dead, and so was Tim.
"Keep driving Mike, don't stop" Liv was right; they could do nothing for those people now, nothing for their brother.
"God no, Bastard, Mike you stupid fool. You should have made Tim come with us" Mikes rants were left undisturbed by Jon and Liv. They had no comfort for him.
"Fuck, God damn you Mike, No. Oh Tim no." tears were flooding from Mikes face. He picked up the speed of the car. The silence being broken only by Mikes cursing of himself and Liv's directions.
The car was now speeding up to 80mph, and nearing the refuge they had so longed for. "Tim god damn you why didn't you come with us". Jon could take no more of Mike's grief, he needed to get to their destination, he needed to be safe and think things through. "Mike, you have to calm down". Mikes saddened face turned to one of anger. "Damn you too Jon, you left him there to, this guilt is yours as well". Mikes eyes were now glued to his hurt younger brother.
"LOOK OUT!" Liv's cry was too late. The speeding car was heading straight towards a deserted van. The car smashed into with crippling force. Then, shortly, there was only darkness.
Jon was the first to open his eyes; a small wound on his head filled his left eye with blood. He peered around; Liv was just opening her eyes to. "Liv, get out the car". Jon's eyes then focused upon his brother. A large piece of metal jutting from his chest. Mikes eyes would never open again.
The roar of infected could be heard down the road. They had made it into the outskirts, but at least five were trailing them. Liv pulled the shocked Jon fro the wreckage. "Can you walk Jon"? "Yeah I think so". The two scrambled away from the crash. "We are almost at the shop"'. The infected could be heard but not yet seen, this was a great positive, as they needed time to get into the shop.
The lone building seemed deserted; Liv tried the door, locked. "Shit Jon it's locked". Jon through his body into the door, his rage and anger flowing through him, the door flew open behind his body weight. The two ran into the building. Jon slumped silently upon the floor. Liv began pushing food racks and shelves against the door. A few minutes later and the door seemed secure. The infected must have veered off and stayed at the crash site, giving the two temporary protection.
"He's dead Liv, Their all dead, my mom, dad and two brothers. I'm all that's left". Jon began sobbing at his situation; they had made it to salvation, but with no one left but them.
"Jon, your brothers were good people, they died saving other people." Liv's words made no effect.
"Didn't you hear what Mike said before he died, he told me it was my fault."
"He was confused, lost in grief. It is no one's fault Jon." Liv crouched in front of the lost boy.
"I have no one now Liv, it's all fucked"
Liv lifted his head to face hers. "You have me", the two kissed slowly. The day was almost over. Much had been lost. But something had been found between the two.
The following week and a half sped by with little incident. The noise of London had grown to a complete halt, the shrieks of the infected had fallen to silence. The food of the shop was growing steadily smaller. Jon's grief had hardened into a new understanding of the world, hold on to what you have now, because one day it might not be there anymore. Liv watched as Jon pondered over the loss of his loved ones. She wanted to do all that she could for him, he had given her a second chance at a family, and now he had no one.
As the two settled down to sleep upon the twenty seventh day of infection, she could watch Jon fall into depression no longer. Jon fell soundly into a deep sleep, filled with nightmares of the world he had tried to escape from. Liv rose from her bed late that night, she kissed Jon on the head . Left the letter she had wrote earlier that day on her pillow.
The letter which read:
Dear Jon
I have saw the pain you have been going through over the loss of your
Family over the past ten days, and I can't bear to see it anymore. Please don't
Follow me as I will be back as soon as I've found out if Tim is dead, I'm going to search that
Church for him. Ill return here when I know whether he is dead or not. At least then you can have true closure over your brother. I will be back within a day or two.
I love you.
With this she left silently from the window on the second floor, scaling down a rope she had positioned earlier. She began to walk back into the dead city…..