Trust In Us

Title: Trust In Us

Chapter One: Introduction to Sam Walker

My daughter Casey and I gingerly took a step and then another, making sure nothing below our feet would make a noise as we moved with a silent, fluid motion. I knew quiet was the key, so we wrapped ourselves in a shroud of silence as we approached the room to our right. I carefully peeked around the corner and saw one zombie not quite sure at this stage if it was male or female as it had its back towards us. I motioned to Casey to stay behind the wall, I needed to deal with this lowlife myself. I bent my knees so far that I was almost crouching, but still high enough that I was able to move as comfortably as possible. I gripped the hammer in my right hand very tightly and edged towards my target, as I was slowly getting nearer I was still treading lightly. I know Casey had killed these ‘things’ in the past, but I wanted her to do that only if she really had to. I still want her to try to hold onto her childhood as much as she can in this very fucked up world. In a world when someone will shoot you straight in the face, for a simple can of food, this always made me realise that before the world went to shit, how we always wasted food without knowing it. I was now at arms length with the ugly bastard, so I raised my right arm and with one quick motion I slammed the hammer into the back of the zombies head. Blood scattered from the violent impact, which landed on my face, hand and hammer. The zombie went all limp and collapsed on the floor in a heap. The back of it’s head was cracked open and blood was pouring out, its right hand and feet were slightly twitching and it was trying to make a sound but all that ‘it’ could manage was a very slight movement. ‘It’ still wasn’t dead so I raised my right boot and slammed it straight down on the zombies head, making the ‘creature’ neither ‘female’ or ‘male’.....oh well shit happens!

“Is he dead Daddy?” Casey’s voice brought me back to reality.

“Yes honey, it’s safe now.” I said not quite sure myself really.

She crept out from behind the wall not quite sure what vision to expect. She was wearing a pink furry overcoat that I had found for her of a previous ‘undead’, well she was cold what was I supposed to do?. There were a few rips in it but it kept her much warmer than the thin t-shirt that she wore underneath. I think she only cared that it was pink and that helped keep her mind of where it came from....or ‘what’ it came off. Her hair was very greasy and it was in great need of a cut but who was I to judge, I didn’t look much better! I scanned the whole room looking for a place to rest our weary legs but it had been completely ransacked. The cupboards had been emptied by previous people in a panic to escape, beds were turned upside down. We still checked all the cupboards hoping someone had missed a biscuit or two but it was in vain. I didn’t personally feel safe knowing I didn’t have a gun. So far we didn’t see anymore zombies but we kept quiet to make sure we didn’t! One zombie or two you could manage to sneak past them, they were slow and stupid. As long as you didn’t make a sound and kept out of their sight, you had half a chance... Unfortunately if there were a group of them, then the safest bet was to run, even if you have enough ammo you might need it later.

We entered the last room, The first thing that caught my eye was a newspaper. I haven’t seen one in years. I picked it up and the date was 12th of July 2015. The front cover was a picture of a biohazard warning with the caption ’People rising from the dead?“. We didn’t have a fucking clue back then, there were reports of people coming back from the dead and as usual we all thought it was a hoax.... until it was too late.

The way the ‘host’ turned was once they were bitten, the host only had twenty four hours to live. They reminded me of nothing more than pods of death waiting to bloom. They would slowly start to lose their normal human functions. For example they would start to feel tired a lot and they would start to crave human flesh. When the virus had completely took over the host. It would kill them, and then bring them back but as a zombie. The least noise would draw them like a moth to a flame. Natural noise like birds or thunder didn’t seem to bother them but a hard click, scrape, or any metallic sound drew them in seconds. So the less noise you can make the better, all of that hard-earned knowledge did little to comfort me. It always gave me nightmares and that’s why I never slept.

You could tell that this hotel used to be very nice, some of the rooms still had beauty in them. Most of the rooms were black because mould was taking over, we was now on the first floor, and we didn’t find any useful items anything to fill my backpack with. The only items that I had stored in my backpack were a few comics, (that my daughter read when she was bored and knew that we was safe) one full water bottle (which I kept for my daughter) and most importantly a photo of my deceased wife....the only one I have left... I know that I should leave this in the past, but she was the one that had the belief that there was still good in humanity. Little did we know her belief, was her end.

I told my daughter to go into the next room, whilst I checked the room that we were currently in. If she found anything, or was in trouble. She would shout out for me and I would be there. Before my wife died she made me promise, that even in this fucked up world. I would do anything to keep my daughter safe. I wasn’t about to break my promise. I know Casey is only eight years old, but I wanted her to learn to scarve a room on her own.

I looked in every cupboard, under the beds, inside the wardrobes. I didn’t partically like that I havent got a gun, not for my safety. But for my daughters. We have survived this long without one. My daughter always says it’s luck, but the funny thing about luck is it runs out. For everyone. I shouted out to my daughter if she was alright. She informed me that she was. I just took this time to take a breather. I unfolded the photo of my wife, it was extremely battered and creased to fuck. Everytime I was alone and know that we are safe, I always look at this photo, for guidance, for support, for hope. Infront of my daughter I had to be strong, I had to show no emotion. Casey thinks even in this messed up world nothing scares me. Truth be told I am scared shitless. Every time we go anywhere I’m having to become someone I’m not. A thief, a fighter, a killer. It’s not so hard killing zombies because they ain’t people. Who they once were has gone. But humans on the other hand. They are still human, still flesh and blood. I only ever kill people if they become a danger towards my daughter. If my daughter wasn’t here, If I didn’t have a reason to be alive. I probarly wouldn’t be alive now. I wiped away a lonesome tear. I folded up the photo and put it in my back pocket.

“Daddy!!” Casey called out

“Yea?”

“Shut your fucking mouth bitch!” A unfamiliar demanding voice bellowed

“DADDY!”

I shot up like a bullet, hands clenched tightly shut and edged towards exiting my room. The second I exited my room I was tackled from my left side, towards the floor. My whole right side of my body slammed hard. I had to annoy the pain and focus on my daughter. I tried to get up but was unwillingly met with a kick straight to the nose. My nose broke instantly, blood splattered on my face and on the floor. The pain was extremely unbearable. I screamed out in the pain. The guy who had broken my nose was wearing a black beanie and had black teeth. Mr black teeth forced me on my knees. There was a second accomplise who was on top of my daughter. I could already feel energy, anger start to build up. This prick ripped open my daughers jacket. Casey was crying out for me, pleading for me to help her. The anger was quickly filling inside me. He proceded to laugh histercally and started to undo his belt buckle. My breathing was coming out in short rapid bursts.

I saw a rock to my right, reachable if I could get this fucker of me. The second guy punched my daughter and was getting ready to take of my daughters jeans. All I was seeing is red. The guy holding me down forced me on my back. Both of his hands was tightly wrapped around my neck. I was thrashing my hands in his face, trying to get him off me. I could feel the life inside me, slowly escaping from my body. I could feel the strength slowly dying away. I know I had to do something, anything. I promised my wife I would keep my daughter safe. I wasn’t about to break my promise. Everything was fading, the noise around me was getting quiter. I knew I was seconds away from death. I knew I had to focus on Caseys voice. She was the only thing keeping me alive. Hearing her shouting for me, pleading me to help her. This was slowly bringing me back to reality. I suddenly got this burst of energy shoot straight up inside of me. The fucker on me could tell. He fucked up.

I placed my left thumb in his right eye, I pressed with all my might. He screamed in pain, this resulted in him letting me go. Without a second to think about it I grabbed the rock, to my right, and smacked him with it. He fell on his back, his right side of his ugly face was smoothered in blood. He was shouting out cursewords towards me. I got on top of him and slammed the rock straight down, on his face. Again. And Again. His body was still twitching, His face was completely caved in and unrecongiseable. Blood was on my hand, arm and rock. I got up and looked at the last guy. He was now looking at me with shock and horror. Good, this prick was gonna die.

His right hand went straight for his gun, in his holster. As he pulled the gun out, my daughter bit his left leg. Which made him drop the gun and yell in pain. I threw the rock straight at his face. Hoping that it would contact, it did. He again shouted in pain and his nose was completely broken. I ran towards him with anger filled inside me. My right hand was tightly clenched. He wrapped his hands around his nose. I was now arms length away from him. I punched him across the face, with made him fall on his back roughly. Before he could even think about getting up. I kicked him straight down on his chest. This made him again yell in pain and swear. I grabbed him, pulled him up and forced him against the wall head first. This made the left side of his face crack open. Blood was now just pouring out. I knew I could leave him now to die, but I was to angry to stop. I grabbed the back of his head, and slammed it into the wall. I did this muilty times even though, I knew he was died. I let go and he fell in a heap lifelessly.

“You ok honey?” I asked my daughter

She was to upset to answer, I helped her get dressed and made sure that he didn’t hurt her. She looked at me with horror and fear.

“You..you killed them.” She nervously said.

“Honey, I had to, they were going to kill us. They were going to hurt you. I told you I would protect you. Honey, please trust me. I had to do this.”

She just nodded and hugged me. I told her that we had to go because there could be more of them. Also we made a lot of noise, so we could have attracted a horde of zombies. I grabbed the gun that the guy dropped and I checked the ammo. Only three bullets but it was better than nothing. My daughter wanted me to carry her so I did. We exited the hotel and was met with the heat of the sun. The smell of rotten bodies is the first thing that you notice. Weeds and grass have started to grow on the pathways and roads. We started to walk where the sun was highest in the sky. There wasn’t a reason why we did this. My daughter had the believe that we would eventually meet up with a group, and be safe with them. I lied to my daughter and always said that I thought that to. Truth be told I didn’t, I didn’t believe that there was a single good person left. But i couldn’t tell my daughter that. I needed here to still have that belief. I needed her to still have a human side to her. I just kept on thinking when our luck was going to run out.