Still breathing | Original story

Chapter Eleven: Story Time

The cold air hit me and stung my eyes. It made its way into my lungs and made them feel icy, the loneliness wrapped around me as the dark cast a thick shadow over me like a blanket. I looked back at the nursery before trudging up the street. I skipped the first few houses and opened a huge gate to get into a house further up the road. The door was flung open and debris filled the yard. I walked past the discarded kids toys and general rubbish to be greeted by large slab steps leading up to the main door. I crouched down and picked up a dented can from the floor; whoever lived there was in a rush to leave.
I placed the can on the side and straightened up. I pushed the door to open it fully and winced as it creaked, my ears perked up as I listened for any noise coming from inside. After a few seconds of heavy breathing from myself and no other sound, I continued into the house. The floor boards screeched at every step, completely ruining the element of surprise but I pushed on. The house seemed abandoned enough. Something crunched under my foot and I pulled it back quickly. I looked at the floor to see a family picture, a crack lining the middle of the glass where my foot had been. The cracks branched out and covered one of the faces, I tried not to look at them. I pushed it with the side of my foot and it was swallowed up by the small table it had once been on. I felt my muscles tighten and pull in my leg but it didn't hurt me too much so I took it as a sign I was healing.

I brought the others to the house. I closed the gate and gave it a pull to make sure it would hold - It did. I walked through the door and locked it behind me, I turned to see everyone looking around the rooms. Pat had opted to lounge on the sofa whilst Connor was on his way upstairs, I had only checked there quickly so I told him to be careful. He grunted in response and kept walking.
I went to Tyler and Em in the kitchen and searched the cupboards. There wasn't much left but there was enough for us all to share that night and maybe the day after if we rationed.
It's not like we needed a lot of food. I reminded myself that I'd probably be out of the group once we found Logan. I grabbed a tin of fruit but couldn't find a tin opener anywhere. I remembered my dad teaching me how to open tricky cans, or doing it when he was just too lazy to find where mum had put the opener.
I got my knife out and sliced along half the edge, I balanced it on the surface of the table and smashed down with all the force I had in me. It moved slightly so I did it again. After the third attempt, the lid made a satisfying popping noise and I was in. I pulled up a chair and dug into the delicious peaches. I chugged down the sugar water and felt the cool liquid run down my throat. I made a satisfying sigh and began to eat the fruit.
"Interesting choice." Connor had joined us and was grabbing a tin of beans.
"Gotta have at least one of my five a day," I said with a hint of humour in my voice as I put another piece of fruit into my mouth.
"Ya know, now this whole apocalypse thing's happened I think I should eat a li'le healthier meself." Pat had managed to get her butt off the sofa and winked at me. She grabbed a tin of something out of the cupboard.
"I think I read online tinned food's bad for you," I joked as I pulled the last bits of food out of my can.
"Healthier than McDonald's by a long shot," Pat joked back and took her tin into the living room. Everyone followed her. I swallowed the last chunks of fruit and put my can in the nearest bin. I looked out of the large kitchen window and drew the blinds a little so nothing could see in. I then got the chair I was sitting on and placed it against the back door. I felt my head go faint with the movements and knew my body was craving food. My stomach complained at me, I wanted nothing more than to pig out on the nearest junk food I could find but having no food was the only option; unless I wanted to let the others starve.

I walked into the low-lit living room, a candle flickered on one of the tables.
"We're staying in this room tonight," Tyler told me and I nodded. The proximity of the room to the garden was perfect for keeping an eye on the outside world. We would hear if anything got too close and be able to prepare. I sat down on the floor, allowing Pat, Em and Tyler to have the available seats. There were two medium sized sofas there which the girls were stretched out on and one arm chair which Tyler was slouching in. Like me, Connor was sitting cross-legged on the floor. Empty cans were on the floor near the chairs. We sat in silence for a while, no one knowing exactly what to say.

"Aright, I'm sick of this already," Pat broke the silence and talked to me. "Where you from? What's happened so far? Tell us a good ol' story."
"Not much to say," I lied, trying to make out that nothing had really happened when really a shit ton of things had. Just nothing I actually wanted to talk about. "I awoke to this apocalyptic world and have been trying to find my friend ever since. I stayed in a shop for a few days."
"Why'd you leave?" Connor questioned.
"For my friend... but also because someone I rescued turned." I grimaced thinking about it. "What about you guys? What's your story?" I asked it to the room but only Pat responded. I could tell she was the talkative one in the group.
"Well I was on me way to a school event right 'n I was in this coach. I live so far from here. I got woken at who knows what time by my head bangin' into a winda! I looked at my driver and he had absolutely no control of the steering wheel. Next thing I know the coach is on its side and my bestie is tryin' to eat me." She suddenly got quite, she stroked her arm a little. It was only then I noticed a tear in her sleeve, a scar trailing up from it. I didn't have time to question it because soon she was talking again."But then, I found Connor and he saved me." She looked up with a smile.
"I ain't no hero Pat." He laughed. "I was just curious by the coach and then I found you."
"He let me in the car with his parents," she said to me. "They explained to me what was happenin' but by that point I already had an idea." I nodded, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out, it was pretty self-explanatory. Although it took me long enough to believe what was happening.
"We started driving again," Connor said after a moment of silence. "I don't know what happened. My dad was ill, the doctor said he had the flu... He started swerving. We were yelling at him to stop! But he didn't even go to press the brakes."
"Two car crashes in one day," Pat told me, her bubbly voice taking away some of the pain that Connor's was laced with.
"I woke up to my dad eating my mum, it was..." He couldn't seem to find words to fit in place.
"I know," I replied. I thought of Ella on the side of the road, I tried to imagine telling people about her death but no words could explain what was going through my head at the time.
"You don't," Connor hissed quietly, more to himself. I let him have his moment and decided not to speak back. He'd been through enough.
"What about you?" I asked Tyler and Em. "Were you guys a couple before?"
"No." Em chuckled and I stared wide-eyed, how could they not be? They seemed to have so much chemistry between them. "We were in the same building when it happened. We found each other and well... we sort of clicked. We had a mutual love interest." Em smiled up at Tyler and grabbed his hand, he stroked hers in response.
"We picked up the kids on the way." He winked at Em as Pat and Connor complained about being called 'kids'. They seemed like one big family, it was nice. Being with them was like going to a family event... except one that you actually enjoy. It made me forget about the dangers outside. I had to admit, I was growing a fondness towards the people that once wanted to kill me to have my supplies.