I close my eyes and pray that I'll make it out alive. I feel the jolt as we hit one of the dead. This forces my eyes open and I feel my skin crawl as they begin clambering on the Jeep like a nest of ants. Brick instructs me to take the wheel and when I jumps out to give Clara back up I hop over into the driver's seat. I feel my nerves climbing in my throat and suddenly I feel sick. Focus. I tell myself. It becomes almost impossible to drive as the gunshots attract more and more of the infected.
"Keep going!" Clara shouts at me and I force the Jeep to go faster it groans in refusal and when we get to the top the hill the engine splutters, coughs and we roll to a stop.
"What's going on?" Brick calls back. I look at the dashboard. The fuel is empty.
"We've got no fuel." I quickly reply, all the while I hear the moans getting closer.
"Get out! Now!" I open the door, grabbing the rucksack on the seat and make sure my gun is loaded. Clara looks at me. "We're gonna have to run. You okay with that?" I nod and prepare myself. No time to back out now. As I try and work out the best solution to get away a feel a thump against my head and I'm soon on the ground.
My hearing goes fuzzy, like when I was under water in the pool. As my vision begins to fade I feel steady hands pick me up and take me away. I black out for a second and then feel the soft fabric of the seats of a car come under me and the clunk of a door closing. Someone takes my hand. It's a warm, familiar feeling.
"Abbey? It's me. It's Dad. Open your eyes. Please." His voice is strained and I feel the cloud lift. I open my eyes again and hug him tighter than ever before, ignoring the refusal my body gives me.
"I'm so sorry Dad. I'm so sorry." My words jerk with my sobs. I could've lost him. Why has it taken me so long to realise? He puts his arms around me and strokes my hair.
"No. It's me who should be sorry. I've betrayed you and your Mum and now Tim. I should be the one who should be asking to be forgiven and when this is over I'll do what ever it takes to make you happy." I look at him, my vision blurry with tears. I feel the pain at the back of my head and I reach round. When I pull my fingers round they're soaked in blood. "Oh God. Fiona, we've got a problem." Fiona looks round, Alex looks in the rear-view mirror since he's driving.
"What is it?" I make the single gesture, raise my hand. I hear a scream from the back. A young woman is now slumped in the back seat. I remembered her from the room. Her frizzy chestnut hair and green eyes. "Okay. Hold on. We're nearly there."
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"The hospital in the town." I lean against Dad and try and catch up on my thoughts. Had I missed a few minutes? I only blacked out for a second surely. The constant throbbing wasn't helping. I felt the warm and wet liquid rolling down my neck and I sit up again. When I look at Dad's shoulder. It's soaked in blood. As I look closer I see the torn fabric and the thin slits in his skin. He's bitten.
"Dad..." I feel sick.
"What?" Dad looks down and his eyes widen. "Oh fu-"
"Chuck him out!" The woman in the back screams franticly. I turn and slap her on the face.
"Shut your mouth! He's fine!" She holds her cheek.
"He's not fine! He's bitten! Get him out of here before he turns!" I give her a stare that anyone should fear. This was my Dad and I don't wasn't going to let him go. "Alex! Stop the car now." Alex didn't stop. "Alex?"
"SHUT UP YOU COW!" Fiona is panting. Everyone just stares at her in shock.
"Fiona. Calm down and Polly, we're going to the hospital. You can get out now but I have chosen to help Abbey and her father so he will be coming with us." Alex speaks in a steady and quiet voice. I smile at him in the mirror but I'm not sure if he saw it. Polly just huffs back into her seat and I can't help but feel a little smug. I tear off a ripped piece of my t-shirt and tie it around my dad's shoulder. He sucks in a breath.
"Sorry sorry." I look out the window as we get onto the main road. It's a ghost town, cars are parked in the middle of the road with the doors wide open. It's like the movie I watched except a lot more freaky. All we need is a tumble weed and the scene would be complete. I shiver slightly we're really on our own. As I think about the sheer size of the situation we're in I begin to panic. Will we ever get home? Was it really just a few days since my life was normal? I sigh deeply and close my eyes. I haven't slept well in so long. "What happened to Clara and Brick?" I break the silence. Dad and Fiona catch each other's eyes.
"Abbey." Fiona darts her eyes around for a second. "They helped us get you out of there. We left before we saw what happened. We don't know if they're... Still alive." I look at my blood covered hands. Why did people keep doing this? Risk their lives to save mine? Surely we're in a survival of the fittest situation. I'm hardly capable of killing anything if the occasion occurred. I turn myself off and spend the next hour in total silence, the soft hum of the engine sending me to sleep.
"We're here."