survivor - Paul Grovesnor

It was a late start after a Friday night out and I had overslept, not hearing the alarm or listening to the Today programme on Radio 4. I threw on my suit grabbed my court bag and ran to the car barely remembering to lock the door and in fact having to go back an get my Blackstone’s from the office floor. For those who don’t know it’s a big blue book running to over a thousand pages, hard backed and a lifesaver for those in criminal practice. In my case it would prove to be lifesaver in more than one way.

Anyway, I threw my junk in the boot, jumped in the car and headed to Court. Not many people realise that Magistrates Courts sit on Saturday to deal with overnight remand prisoners and those arrested on warrants. I was prosecuting the local court and was heading to be late. I didn’t notice how empty the streets were and how few cars were about. I did notice a few of the really “late-nighters” stumbling their way home; and I thought I was feeling rough.

I arrived at the secure car park buzzing the intercom to open the heavy security gates and dump the car, before running up the two flights of stairs to the concourse. I checked my watch and saw that it was ten minutes past ten, I was going to be really late and hoped that I didn’t have many prisoners in. I was going to have to ask for extra time to read the papers and the defence weren’t going to be happy at being kept waiting. They were paid even less than me for turning out on a Saturday morning.

I buzzed again, waiting for the response from the desk staff asking who I was before letting me in. Nothing… I checked the time again, the clock in the car confirming that it wasn’t getting any earlier. I grabbed my mobile phone from the holder on the dash and scrolled through the address book for the Court office number hitting the dial button. I waited… three bleeps greeted me and I was cut off. I checked the display reading the no signal message, this day just couldn’t get any worse.

I turned off the ignition, took my phone, popped the boot and got out of the car. I would have to leave the car here and if they wanted it moved they would have to ask. I walked to the boot opened it and put on my jacket, grabbed my briefcase and court bag shoving the Blackstone’s inside. Slamming the boot and setting the alarm I ran around to the front of the court building. I barely noticed the usual collection of assorted down and outs milling around in the courtyard outside the court building.

I ran to the court door and pushed the “In” door, banging heavily into the locked door and knocking the wind out of me. Idiotically, I tried again somehow supposing that I had imagined the fact the door was locked. Funnily enough it remained locked, I pressed my nose against the door peering into the ground floor lobby of the building. No-one was about and the security station was deserted. I glanced behind me and noted that the rag tag group outside seemed to have turned in my direction. They were shuffling towards me en masse, great, I though, now I’m going to “spare changed” to death when I was already late and couldn’t get into the building.

I moved to the “Out” door trying to look around the corner and up the stairs to the first floor. The “Out” was devoid of a handle, had a spring closure and opened towards me.

“Anybody there” I shouted, “the doors locked, I can’t get in”

Silence; apart from the shuffling of the group stumbling towards me from behind. I glanced again, they were closer and at that point I started to notice details that in my haste I had overlooked.

Some of the group didn’t look homeless, scruffy and dishevelled maybe, but not homeless. There was one guy wearing a cycling helmet and fluorescent band; another, a women dressed in going out clothes, looking like she had been out for the night and not gone home; a further figure made me gasp out loud. Towards the back of the steadily approaching group was a policeman, complete in fluorescent Police jacket and Police helmet. The helmet was slightly askew giving him a vaguely comic appearance. I was sure I recognised him, but he stared back at me with vacant eyes. A low moan escaped his lips and I saw that a bloody wound on his neck which still seeped with deep, red, blood tricking beneath his uniform collar. I’m no doctor, but experience told me that blood that colour was arterial; and a wound in that location with that much blood… that PC should not be standing. The group had now covered a third of the distance and showed no signs of slowing, their inexorable, shambling mass, inching forward at a steady shuffle. I glanced to others, similar wounds and vacant looks greeted me. I shouted to the group…

“Are you alright… what’s happened, has there been an accident?”

I was greeted by further low moans escaping the lips of the front rank and they seemed to focus on me with sightless eyes. Whatever had happened to them they did not reply, but continued to shuffle forward appearing set on reaching me. I forced my self to look away from the group and back to the door. I was trying to catch the edge of the “Out” door with my fingers hoping that it was neither locked nor too heavy to pull. I slipped tearing a nail and causing one finger to bleed, I hardly noticed and tried again noticing the sense of rising panic coupled with the sweat on my fingertips. I slipped again, pausing briefly to look behind me… the group were over half way now and seemed to be increasing their speed, the number of moans too increasing and getting louder.

In another minute or so the front of the group would be on me… I was struck suddenly by the indecision of panic, run or keep trying… I stood, wasting precious time glancing between the group and the door. I looked back to the door and nearly screamed out loud at the face that had suddenly appeared there.

“Are you bitten….!” Said the figure who I vaguely recognised as one of the custody staff.
“Quickly, show me your hands and face!” he shouted as I stood there dumbfounded and not really understanding the basic phrases he was saying.
“You haven’t much time, and I won’t let you until I can see you’re not bitten!” he shouted through the glass whilst holding the door shut.

I became vaguely aware that the group were nearly on me and with sudden clarity I understood what this man wanted. I held up my hands and turned my head from side to side showing that I was not injured.

“Stand back!” he shouted pushing the door towards me almost knocking me back into the group that were now only feet from where I stood.

He pushed the door barely wide enough for me to squeeze through, catching my briefcase as I did so. I flailed and struggled finally bursting into the Court ground floor lobby as if shot from a cannon. I fell, sprawling onto the floor a few feet from the door panting in panic. My briefcase, and court bag scattered about me, I lay very still waiting for the breathlessness and panic to subside. I froze, startled, as a hand gripped me on the shoulder, I looked up to find the custody officer stood over me.

“Get up, get up now, we can’t stay here!”. I gazed at him blankly making no attempt to stand.
“We have to go sir, I’m not sure whether these doors will hold them and there are others elsewhere inside.”

I started to get up feeling suddenly foolish at both my entrance and reaction. I looked back towards the door, the group had reached it seconds after I had burst through and were pressing themselves against it and clawing at the glass.

“What about them.” I said pointing towards the group, “what’s happened, who are they?”

The custody officer glanced at them and then back to me he took my arm and looked earnestly at me.

“Sir, I don’t know what they are or where they have come from. I only know that they want to get to us and those doors may not stop them. I also know that if you’re bitten you become one of them and I don’t intend to stand around here waiting for that to happen. So I suggest you pick up your fucking stuff and fucking well follow me. Got it.”

I nodded, the man didn’t seem scared or panicked just weary. He obviously knew far more about what was going on than I did and was not really in the mood for a complex discussion. I picked up my bags, not really contemplating the pointlessness of their contents and allowed him to lead me to the first floor.

We reached the top of the stairs to find it blocked by items of furniture. The long metal seats which were usually placed for those waiting on the concourse were pilled roughly on top of each other across the top of the stairs. The barricade was manned by a female member of the Court staff and a defence solicitor I knew as Andy. I looked up at them seeing the sense of panic that I felt, mirrored in their eyes. Andy extended a hand to me indicating for me to grab hold. He pulled and I climbed, gracelessly clambering over the obstacle. The Custody officer pulled himself over using the railings at the top of the stairs. We all stood silently regarding each other by the makeshift barricade. Andy broke the silence.

“Dave, how many are out there now?” He asked in a harsh whisper.
“I dunno, may be twenty or thirty.” The Custody officer replied. Pointing to me he said, “but with his shouting and ruckus I don’t think it will be long before more are on the way.”

They all looked at me pointedly, I began to feel uncomfortable, like the one in the movies who is considered a liability and likely to bring disaster to the group. I felt that I needed to respond, make my case and clear the air.

“Okay, just what the fuck is going on…! What are those things and where are the police, ambulance or the army. Why don’t the phones work and…”
“Oh yeah, he’s going to be a great help.” Interrupted Andy and looking towards Dave said,
“Good call Dave in rescuing him, just what we need another panicky hysteric.”
“I couldn’t just leave him out there with those things,” Dave hissed in response, “…and I didn’t exactly see you rushing to help!”
“Enough!” said the Court service woman breaking into the developing argument. “You two having a pissing contest is really likely to advance the situation; and unless you have something constructive to say Andy, why don’t you just shut the fuck up and I will tell our new “panicky hysteric” what we know so far”.

We were silent again and Andy stormed off down the concourse whilst Dave sat down on the barricade. The Court service woman looked at me, took me by the arm and led me to a chair behind the information desk, motioning for me to sit down.

“Dawn,” The woman said.
“What happened at dawn?” I replied
“No, my name is Dawn… I recognise you, you’re here quite a lot, Paul isn’t it?”
“Yes, Paul Grovesnor.” I replied.
“Okay Paul, we don’t know much. I got here at about 8:30 to open up and get the Court set up. I noticed the building hadn’t been locked from the night before so I called the Police but all the lines were dead.”

She went on to explain that she had waited for a while and noticed that the people about outside were acting strangely. The group in the courtyard outside was only about two or three, but there was something weird about them so she had locked the door and waited. Dawn had tried calling internally seeing if anyone was here and Dave answered the phone in the cells saying that one of the prisoners had bitten two of his colleagues and they were both really sick and unconscious. He had tried to get help on the van radio and by telephone without success and had stayed in the cells overnight.

This morning both his colleagues had apparently recovered, but when he tried to approach them they attacked him. He locked them in the cells and came up here to see if he could get any help. Andy had turned up and swiped himself in through the back gates and met up with us on the concourse, they were all wondering what to do next when I had arrived and left my car before they could get to the intercom to let me into the car park. When they heard me shouting they knew that I wasn’t one of them and Dave had volunteered to bring me in.

“So we don’t know what is going on then?” I asked still reeling with what I had been told.
“No,” Dawn replied, “but whatever is going on if they bite you you’re pretty much done for”. She said looking down the stairs.
“Is there anything on the TV or radio?” I asked looking at the flat screen TV mounted over the concourse.

Dawn looked at me in surprise, “We haven’t even tried to turn it on!” and with that she started flicking switches behind the information desk.

I walked across the concourse and stood under the screen as it flickered into life. Nothing. Dawn scanned through the channels, but was greeted by snow and white noise as she tried each new station. Then suddenly a grainy picture appeared on the screen, I stared at it trying to make out the channel identifier. I saw that it was the city station, one of those regional based initiatives which broadcasted only locally. Dave and Andy came and stood beside me staring at the screen as Dawn attempted to get a better picture. The seconds ticked past and finally we got a weak picture with sound.

“I don’t know how many of you are still out there,” the presenter began. “We appear to have lost our links to the national TV and Radio networks the phone lines are out and mobile networks are saying no service. The internet is still working and we, I have managed to Google what is going on and…”

The signal became weak again and the picture fluttered and the sound waned, Dave and Andy made noises of frustration. Dawn again tried to adjust the tuning bringing the grainy picture and hissing sound back.

“…I’ve confirmed this is a global phenomenon and that the authorities have failed to contain it. It would appear that we are all on our own. I suggest that you gather arms, supplies of food water and fuel. Find secure places to hide and avoid large population centres. These things appear slow and easy to avoid, but their numbers are growing exponentially and in time… well lets just say we are outnumbered and rescue seems a very remote possibility. Good luck and may your God go with you…”

With that the signal was lost and Dawn’s attempts to regain it were fruitless. We stared at the hissing snowy screen for a few minutes before turning it off. I looked into the faces of my companions seeing the hope slowly fade from their eyes and hoping that they could not see the same in mine. It was a forlorn hope.

We had been sitting, each on our own on the concourse for some time. I checked my watch and it was 11:30. I got up and walked over to the information desk where I had dumped my bags. I looked through the contents. In my Court bag there was my Blackstone’s, a selection of papers on procedure and new legislation in a plastic bag, some elastic bands and a handful of biros, markers and a pencil. In my briefcase were my palm computer, house keys with a micro multi-tool on it, more Court stuff a selection of pens, a filo-fax, some mints, painkillers and tissues. In my jacket I had a now useless mobile phone, car keys and my wallet.

I dragged the bags into the prosecution office closing the door behind me. I threw out the papers dumping them on the floor, I transferred all the pens and elastic bands to my briefcase emptying out any extra papers or the like. I kept the filo-fax to serve as a journal and began to search the office for anything useful. Pulling out the drawers I found a pair of long handles scissors, a large round metal paperweight about the size of an orange. I took both and continued my search I discovered an old and dusty first aid kit in the bottom of the filing cabinet drawer. I checked its contents and finding it mostly intact put it in my court bag. Rummaging through the desk I found half a pack of cuppa soup, some coffee, sugar sachets and an unopened bottle of water. These too I loaded into my court bag. Pausing for a second I looked around the small room that served as the office. I noticed that one of the courier crates used for returning files still contained papers waiting to be returned. I opened the lid and began to rifle through the papers. Towards the bottom I saw and evidence bag still sealed by the police. I lifted it out looking at its contents, it was heavy. Inside I saw a hand axe about thirty centimetres long and a ten centimetre knife. I tore open the evidence bag breaking the seals and removed the items.

The axe and the knife were exhibits in a trial for possession of offensive weapons that had been conducted in the week by a prosecution agent. Obviously he or she hadn’t known or didn’t care that the exhibits were supposed to be handed back to the desk officer at the police station some hundred and fifty meters down the road. Instead the agent had lazily dumped them in this box where they would be driven back to the office and then handed to some visiting constable to deal with. I could have kissed the lazy agent. The man on the broadcast had said about gathering arms and now I had a knife and an axe, I had no idea what I was going to do with them, but their solid presence provided a little comfort at least.

I switched on the computer at the desk and was suddenly filled with a sense of urgency, urging it to start up more quickly. It flickered into life and I logged on and ignoring the usual office pop-ups went straight to the internet looking for information. The broadcast was right. All over the world the situation was the same and scattered throughout the blogs and news articles the word “zombie” kept appearing. I had to stifle a laugh as I read it, it seemed so ridiculous. However the reports accompanying the word did not. I sat there for a good half hour reading what others had posted, checking the time and dates to see the most recent. Some had posted webcam footage, others footage from mobile phones showing what these things did if they caught up with you. I made myself a pledge; no matter what, I would not get caught by those things alive.

Taking my new acquisitions with me I left the office and went back onto the concourse. I gathered Dawn, Andy and Dave together and told them what I had found out. They stared at me, not understanding what I had in mind. I then told them that in about three or four days the electricity would go off and then perhaps a week later the water. All the time these things would be increasing in number as more hapless wanderers got caught and infected. Given another two weeks these things would be everywhere and in such numbers as to make avoiding them difficult, if not impossible. I looked at each of them, taking time to meet their eyes,

“If we don’t leave within the next hour or so we will be trapped here,” I said.
“It is only a matter of time before the weight of their numbers breaks through the front doors and the barricade will not hold them for long. Our only chance is to sneak away now before more turn up.” I waited for a response, none came. I continued,
“Once the power goes the magnetic locks which secure the doors on this level will fail and we will have to barricade each one. We will be sealing ourselves in the offices and have no way out. I don’t know about you but I don’t fancy waiting for them to get in… or us to run out of food and water.”

I looked at them again trying to gauge what they were thinking. I waited seeking some kind of response. Eventually Dave spoke.

“I don’t know where you have got your information from, but despite the doomsayers the government will sort this out.” He turned sharply and walked away, I called after him but he strode off into one of the Court rooms.

I turned to the others waiting to see if they would go with Dave or agree with me. Dawn spoke next.

“You may be right about those things and our chances, but I’ve lived here all my life and if this is the end then I would rather be here. My family and my friends are most likely gone… I’ll want to stay here, if they get in then so be it, but someone might come and I want to wait.” With that she started to weep and walked away down the concourse.
“Andy, what about you? Are you going to stay?” I asked.
“Are you fucking crazy, if your fucking-off them I’m coming with you, if they want to stay here and starve, fine. Me? well out of here is where I want to be… give me a minute to get my stuff.” He turned and jogged off towards the advocates room.

I went to find Dave and found him sitting in one of the Magistrates chairs staring up at the ceiling. I called to him but he did not respond and I walked up to him turning his chair to face me and then I noticed the blood. It was all over his palms and pooling on the floor, I saw too a penknife attached to a set of keys dropped in the blood. I reached forward to try and find a pulse, calling for the others as I did so. I felt a thready pulse and leaned close to see if he was still breathing. His breathing was barely discernable and his eyelids fluttered. I shouted again for the others as I grabbed his wrists trying to apply pressure to stop the bleeding. Two deep, ragged, lengthways cuts were on his left wrist. They were nearly five centimetres in length and judging by the blood were down to the bones of the forearm. A shallower crossways cut was on his right wrist and appeared superficial by comparison.

Andy and Dawn burst into the room breathlessly asking what had happened.

“Suicide attempt… get a first aid kit… he’s still alive.” I shouted back trying to close the wounds on Dave’s left wrist, my hands slick with his blood. “Hurry!”

They both stood motionless and I, thinking that they had not heard or understood me, shouted again. They didn’t move and I stared at them incredulously.

“He’s going to die!” I shouted, my voice harsh, ragged and amplified in the large room.
“Its what he wanted.” Replied Dawn quietly “Stop and let him go, he knew what he was doing.”
“Are you mad?!” I barked back. “He’s just distraught… he’s been here longer… he saved my life…” I said, my voice choked with emotion. “We can’t just let him die… it’s… it’s not right.”
“He made his choice and we can’t save him… even with a first aid kit, unless you know how to transfuse blood?” Dawn said calmly. “Leave him be and give him some peace, it won’t be long now.”

Dawn walked up to me and took my arm leading me away from the unconscious Dave. His breathing began to falter. I looked back as we walked away from him, tears running down my cheeks, behind the tears was a sense of cruel envy. He was free and we were still trapped. I left the Court room and walked to the gents toilets. Dawn went to follow, I told her that I would be fine and just needed a few minutes to clean up. I walked into the toilet and started to wash my hands scrubbing and scrubbing to get the blood off, watching the rose pink water disappear, spiralling down the plughole. After what seemed like hours my hands were free of Dave’s blood and I looked into the mirror.

My face was tear streaked and my eyes puffy, but more than that I looked haunted and could begin to see the beginning of madness just behind my eyes. If I didn’t calm down then I would lose it completely and then there would be no escape. I needed to rest. I needed to let the adrenalin of the past few hours and especially the last few minutes to fade and steel my thoughts for what lay ahead. I went into one of the cubicles lowered the toilet lid, locked the door and sat down. It was not long before fatigue overtook me...

I was dreaming; I could hear an alarm. I was late for Court. Someone was shouting at me. A group of figures that I could barely make out were shuffling towards me. Somewhere there was screaming. It was close. I couldn’t make out who it was. I woke with a start, disorientated by my surroundings. It was dark and the dream screaming persisted. I couldn’t tell if I was awake or asleep and could see little in the dark. I looked around and began to realise where I was and the events of the last few hours flooded back. The screaming was coming from the concourse and it was my name that was being said.

I fumbled with the slide catch on the toilet cubicle door trying to get it open. The screaming was getting weaker and I ran from the toilets back onto the concourse. The lights were on and the sudden change from the gloom made it difficult to see what was going on. I looked around me and suddenly discovered the origin of the screams. Dawn was standing screaming my name as Dave, the once dead custody office, held Andy, the once alive defence lawyer, on the floor pulling out the intestines from the still twitching body. I saw that there were creatures pulling at the barricade on the top of the stairs. I looked around and in that second realised that I had left my axe and knife in my court bag by the information desk, some 15 meters away.

I ran down the concourse glancing at the body of Andy, horrified to see as his eyes caught mine, that he was still alive. I sprinted to the information desk shouting to Dawn to get off the concourse and get into the office area behind. I ran back to where Dave continued to feast on the barely alive Andy, unaware that I was there. The other creatures at the top of the stairs were in a kind of frenzy and with their numbers the makeshift barricade was beginning to move. In moments there would be enough weight to breach it, then they would flood onto the concourse. I glanced over down the stairs and saw that the whole stairway was full with these things surging forward. There must have been at least a hundred with more pushing forward every second. They seemed to have changed from their almost dormant state to something akin to a stampede.

I reached where Andy was weakly grabbing at Dave as he devoured the man’s internal organs. I reached into my court bag and grabbed at the first thing I came to. I lofted it high above my head and smashed it down onto the feasting monster’s head. The Blackstone’s struck full force and with a sudden loud crack, audible even above the chaos, the monster stopped and slumped forward. I hesitated, but Dave didn’t move further and I pulled his body off Andy. I discarded the Blackstone’s, its spine broken and ripped with the impact. I knelt beside Andy, staring his blood splattered body trying to feel for a pulse on his neck. He focussed his eyes on me and grabbed my wrist with a bloody hand. I leant close to his mouth as he whispered his last words.

“Fucking Saturday Courts.” He breathed and was still.

I reached inside my bag. I heard Dawn shouting and without looking called for her to hold on as I got the lock knife from the bag. Opening it I noticed that it had a chisel point blade and serrations near the handle. I really hoped that we had won the damn trial. I put the point of the knife to the base of Andy’s skull and pushed it in, I hoped to cut the spinal cord which appeared to have worked so successfully on Dave. Grabbing the bags I had loaded earlier I ran back up the concourse to where Dawn was waiting by the door marked “Authorised Personnel Only”.

I heard the seats of the barricade begin to topple and looked back to see the surge of the monsters flood upwards onto the concourse. No longer shambling, they strode purposefully towards the door where Dawn and I stood. We pushed through the door slamming it closed behind us just as the wave of creatures broke against it. Another second and they would have overwhelmed us forcing their way through. We ran to the next door Dawn swiping the security lock opening it and stepping through. I paused, a large redundant photocopier had been left in the passageway and looked large enough to provide a barricade for the door. I shouted for Dawn to help and together we inched the copier back towards the first door. Already it was flexing with the weight of the creatures on the other side. The magnetic lock was holding, but I didn’t want to rely on that alone. We heaved and pushed the old copier down the passage until it finally came to rest against the door. I then grabbed a bookcase in the passage and pulled it down to further block and hold the copier in place.

Flushed with the success of this impromptu blockade I turned to Dawn who suddenly broke down and started to sob. Instinctively I reached out putting my arms around her as she cried. I tried to soothe her, whispering various platitudes into her blonde hair and after few minutes her sobbing stopped and she stepped back.

“You have to go.” She said flatly.

I looked at her confused and said uncomprehending,

“You are not serious… there’s no way I’m leaving you now, not with those things inside the building!”
“You don’t have a choice.” she replied quietly “You’re the only one left.” And with that she held out her right arm. Covered with a wad of blood soaked tissues was the distinctive shape of a bite. “It was Dave… Andy tried to stop him.”
“There must be something…” I stammered. “Maybe antibiotics… we could find a pharmacy… they’ll have supplies.” Looking for some flicker of hope in her eyes.
“If it was that easy there would be none of these things… would there?” Dawn countered.
“But…” I said, not being able to find the words.
“No buts… this is it.” She said softly, as if to ease my pain. “I can already feel the tightness in my chest and the light beginning to hurt my eyes. There is nothing else anyone can do for me. With the barricade I’ll be long gone before they get through… and hopefully so will you.” She stepped forward putting her arms around me and kissing me lightly on the cheek.
“I have some food in my bag,” she continued. “and there are some biscuits and water in the kitchen, take it all, I won’t be needing any.” She turned away walking towards the kitchen to gather the supplies.

Within ten minutes I had several litres of water, some biscuits, a pack of sandwiches some crisps and a yogurt. I cursed myself for falling asleep and not raiding the vending machine on the concourse. Dawn opened the security door and handed me her swipe card, explaining that it would open all of the doors in the building and also the security gates where I parked my car. When I took the card from her hand I noticed the coolness of her skin and how pallid her colour had become. She closed the door between us and tested that it was secure. Looking through the reinforced glass she said.

“Remember there are some of the creatures in the cells so don’t go in there and be careful in the car park, the cleaners didn’t lock up so they may be somewhere around too.” Finally she said. “This place has a gas fired central heating boiler… and I don’t really want to come back as one of these things so if you have a chance… maybe a fire would do it.”

With that she pressed her palm against the glass and turned and walked into the kitchen off the passageway. I stared briefly at the outline of her fingertips as they faded from the glass. I turned and walked away tears streaming down my cheeks. I followed the corridor to the stairwell that lead down to the secure car park hoping that it would be true to its name. I reached into my court bag and pulled out the axe and knife. I tucked the knife in my waistband of my suit trousers using the handy clip provided and held the axe in my right hand. Slinging the bags over my left shoulder I paused. I caught my reflection in the glass panel of the door. Suit jacket, bloodstained white shirt, red tie slightly askew, belted suit trousers, an axe and two heavily laden bags. I headed down the stairs to the car park feeling both terrified and ridiculous at the same time.

I reached the bottom of the stairs and was greeted by an eerie silence. I strained my ears to hear if anything was moving. I stood there for a few minutes in the gloom unsure of whether to proceed. Finally the desire to leave this infested place overcame my fear and I descended the last two steps into the ground floor stairwell. To my right was the door that lead into the secure car park, but straight ahead was the door to the boiler room. Once again I hesitated as I contemplated Dawn’s request to level this place by fire. Dropping the bags by the door to the car park it was settled. I would disconnect the gas supply from the boiler and start a fire, hopefully the resulting explosion would destroy all the creatures in the building.

I walked forward to the door and listened against it, straining again for any sign of anything being in there. Silence. I hesitantly turned the door handle. The handle turned but the door wouldn’t budge and I stood there confused. Looking around I saw the card reader for the door. Quickly I swiped the card Dawn had given me through the reader. A green light illuminated and with a barely audible click the door popped open towards me. Inky blackness greeted me inside. I stood with my axe in hand, not breathing, heart pounding in my ears, waiting to see if anything emerged. Nothing but darkness and silence. Holding the door open with my foot I transferred the axe to my left hand and groped against the right hand wall for a light switch. Finding an appropriate feeling switch I pressed it. With a flicker and a hum the fluorescent tubes burst into life.

Inside the room was a large floor mounted gas boiler. To its left a copper pipe was mounted on the wall. A flexible copper hose snaked its way between the two. The copper pipe on the wall was helpfully marked in red, “Caution Gas, No Naked Flames”. Against the left wall in the room was a rack of shelves bolted to the wall. Amongst the items were paper hand towels, cleaning agents and some tools. Rummaging through the tools I found a claw hammer that I tucked in my belt, also a blow torch that someone had stored obviously ignoring the sign. I quickly set about my plan. Placing the paper towels in a pile on the floor I stacked against the right wall. I tried the blowtorch, happy to find that it had an igniter built in saving me a search for matches. I set the blowtorch back from the towels by some forty centimetres so that the towels would only catch light after a few moments of heat. Content that this would provide sufficient delay I severed the flexible gas pipe using the axe, immediately the hiss of gas could be heard and I flattened the severed end to reduce the flow. I backed out of the room igniting the blowtorch and returning it to its place. I allowed the door to close to ajar using a bottle of cleaning liquid to hold it.

I quickly gathered up my bags located my car keys and without hesitating opened the door into the secure car park. Silence. Nothing moved and I gingerly stepped into the parking area allowing the door to close silently behind me. With my makeshift bomb about to go off very soon, time was now critical. I ran to the main gates happily seeing my car parked outside and no sign of the creatures from earlier. I reached into my pocket to find the swipe card. It was gone. In my haste to set up my bomb I had placed the card on the shelf in the boiler room. With the door shut there was no way to retrieve it. I cursed my stupidity and looked for a way to open the gates. I checked my equipment. The axe, hammer or knife could not prise the gate open and attempting to smash the lock would only alert the creatures to my presence. I thought about trying to break through the door back into the stairwell, but the thought of smashing my way through only to be blown to pieces, was equally unpalatable.

I stood there beginning to feel rising panic. Wondering how long before the boiler bomb would make the situation academic. Expecting an explosion at any minute I was startled by the sound of the fire alarm bell ringing. I slumped to the ground by the gate waiting for the inevitable. If this was a movie I would be lighting my last crumpled cigarette only to find I had no light. My only consolation being that I would be blown apart instead of torn apart. Some consolation. I thought about Dave, Andy and Dawn and the fact that I would be joining them sooner than either they or I had thought. I cursed at the irony of being less than two meters from sure escape… a movie line came to mind “irony can be ironic sometimes” and I stifled a laugh. I guess that Alanis Morissette was right… but what a thought to die with. I closed my eyes.

Resigned, I leant back on the gates and was surprised to find that they were moving. I stood up and watched in amazement. The powered gates began to swing inwards towards me. Not waiting for them to fully open, I pushed between them as soon as there was enough room to get through. Without hesitation I fished the keys from my jacket pocket and deactivated the alarm on the car. A welcoming “blip blip” greeted me in response. With a brief glance left and right I ran to the vehicle. Opening the door I jumped in closing the door so quickly I nearly trapped my own leg. I fumbled to put the keys into the ignition, missing each time. I had to pause and take several deep breaths before my hands were steady enough to try again. I looked up to see several of the creatures emerging from the cell block door, it too unlocked. It finally struck me that the fire alarm had deactivated the locks and the creatures were now free and rapidly approaching me. Once again moving far more swiftly that those I had observed outside.

I had no intention of getting out of the car. Finally finding the ignition despite my panic, I slid the key home and fired the engine into life. Suddenly there was a violent explosion and a fireball blasted across the secure car park igniting the creatures as they approached and scattering them to the ground. I waited, engine running, as the monsters hesitantly began to rise. Their clothes and faces were ablaze. They again started to move towards me. I’d seen enough. I slammed the car into reverse and stomped the accelerator sending the car hurtling into the main road, unable to take my eyes of the shambling, flaming figures. I stamped the brakes and clutch simultaneously crunching the car into first gear and then accelerating hard. Another explosion rocked the Court building sending debris flying in all directions. I glanced briefly into the rear view mirror watching the building recede. I saw the creatures following, some ablaze others untouched. Flames licked the roof and I could hear glass breaking. It sounded deafening in the unnatural silence. More creatures were emerging from all around and I knew that I had to leave the city. Following the signs for the nearby dual carriageway I accelerated away, travelling as fast as I dared in the narrow streets and litter of abandoned cars.

As I raced towards the dual carriageway, dodging cars and creatures, one thought filled my mind. Maybe others had survived and with luck I could find some haven to begin to plan for whatever future lay ahead of me.

End of part one

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survivor - Paul Grovesnor