Chapter Text
‘Well, it wasn’t too bad of a haul.’ Thought Matt, looking at what little he’d been able to scavenge from the abandoned petrol station. There was practically no fuel left, all of that had been taken long ago, but he’d managed to find a box of cereal bars, some gum, a bottle of water and some old magazines, a couple of which he’d definitely be keeping for himself.
“Oi, Smithers, anything good?” Came a Scottish screech from outside of the building. He could see Karen’s red hair emerging from a car left by a pump.
“A couple of bits.” He said, spotting a packet of peanuts under some old rubble. “Nothing earth shattering. What about you?” He asked, exiting the shop and leaning on the car bonnet where Karen was standing.
“Prepare to be amazed.” She stated, reaching into the glove box, and producing a bar wrapped in purple.
“Chocolate?!” Exclaimed Matt, grabbing it from Karen’s hands and examining it closely. “I thought all the chocolate in this country had gone!”
“Well apparently today’s our lucky day.” Announced Karen, plucking the chocolate out of his hands and opening it. “When we found it, it was already half eaten.” She said with a sly grin, breaking off a piece and handing it to Matt.
“Agreed.” He said, biting into it and savouring the taste as it danced across his tongue. These days all he ate was the odds and ends that could be served back at the bunker.
“Twelve o’clock!” Shouted Karen suddenly, dropping the chocolate back into her bag and pulling out a heavy looking hammer strapped to her belt. Careering towards them was a man, his skin grey and decaying with old dried blood staining his clothes. His eyes were pale and unseeing, one arm handing by his side at an odd angle. He was unmistakably an undead.
“I’ve got it.” Called Matt, pulling a gun from his belt, and in one swift movement, shot the creature straight in the head. It crumpled to the ground, lifeless, no blood pouring from the wound, only a thick, dark, sticky substance with a foul smell.
“Come on.” Muttered Karen, looking around apprehensively. “That gunshot will have attracted more of them, and I don’t particularly feel like taking on a zombie mob right now.”
Without another word, they both set off down the familiar streets, their pace fast, their route well known. Matt and Karen had done this journey together many times before, both before they found the bunker and after. They had been together right from the start, on the day the outbreak had occurred. Matt had been in London trying out for a junior football league, but had barley stepped off the train before he saw panic. He couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about until he saw a girl, on the ground, shrieking and crying while a man bit her neck. Matt had started towards them to help, but before he had gone two steps, the little girl sat up, her eyes blank, her mouth curled in a bloody snarl. He had made a run for it then, bolting it to a nearby café which seemed to be deserted all but for a young girl with pale skin and flaming read hair, clearing a tray off a table.
“Oi!” She protested as he pushed up a chair against the door, flipping the sign that said closed on the door. “You can’t do that.”
“Shhhh!” He had replied, beckoning her to hide behind the counter, occasionally glancing out of the shop window.
“What are you do- get your hands off of me!” Math grabbed her wrist and pulled her down to his level as screams and shouts sounded from outside.
“You hear that?” He said, shaking from fear and disbelief. “The worlds gone mad out there. All those reports from America about a mutated rabies virus, I think they’re true.” He said breathlessly.
Karen stared at him for a minute, his pale terrified face level with hers. “What the fuck are you talking about?” She laughed, standing up.
“Shhh, no get down!” Matt whispered urgently.
“You’re mad, I-“ But She was cut off by a rabid figure covered in blood throwing itself at the window, snarling and snapping. She shrieked and ducked back down. “What the-“ She stammered, hand on her heart.
“See, I told you.” Said Matt, still shaking with fear. “We can’t stay hear, soon all that’s left out there will be those – those things. We need to move. Have you got any weapons?”
“Weapons?” She repeated exasperatedly. “It’s a coffee shop, not an armoury.”
“Fine, anything that could act as weapons?” He asked, looking around.
“Knives for cutting sandwiches.” She Suggested. “And I have a hammer for hanging pictures on the wall.”
“Right, you keep the hammer, and hand us a knife each.” She rifled through a couple of cupboards, finally producing a hammer and two sturdy looking knives. “Great.” He said. “Let’s get going.”
He stood up to leave, but Karen yanked him back down, saying “what about food? And water? We won’t survive long without that.”
“Good point.” He agreed. “Grab what you can and let’s get going.”
That first day had been almost 3 years ago now, and him and Karen has stuck together. They found that they liked each other greatly and had similar senses of humour. They had walked through london, snagging cars where they could, traveling to try and find some small piece of humanity left. They had been unsuccessful for two and a half years, until a few months back when they had been in big trouble with a horde of zombies in what had been Manchester Piccadilly station. They had been saved by a couple of scavengers who introduced themselves to be part of a group of survivors camped out in a bunker close by. Matt and Karen were quick to accept the offer to accompany them back to tee bunker, and it wasn’t long until they had settled down there permanently..
A scream tore through the air, wrenching Matt away from his thoughts. Slightly ahead of them was a crouching figure, a group of undead closing in on them. Matt pulled out a knife, approaching the back of one and spearing it through the head. Karen took out another with a quick blow to the head. The two remaining zombies turned towards Matt now, who pulled out a second knife, simultaneously slicing through both creatures heads.
Ducking down to see if the crouching figure was alright, Matt realised it was a young child, around eleven or twelve, with dark hair and a small frame.
“Are you okay?” He asked kindly, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder. She flinched away from his touch, her large dark eyes scared looking. She was shivering profusely.
“Where’s my mum?” She asked, her eyes flickering around nervously. “She told me to wait here while she looked for some food.”
“What does your mum look like?” Asked Karen, crouching down next to the girl too.
“She has blonde curly hair, a-and a bump on her nose, and she has green eyes.”
Matt’s heart sank. Glancing back at one of the undead he had cut down, he saw a mass of curly blonde hair. Him and Karen exchanged a knowing look.
“Hey sweetie.” Said Karen coaxingly. “Your mum is going to meet us at this super secret base, okay, you just need to come with us.”
“B-But, my mum said wait here.” Said the girl, clutching her knees.
“Yes but your mum told us different.” Persuaded Karen. “She’s going to meet us at this super secret base.”
“No.” Said the girl stubbornly. “I’m waiting here.”
“Five o’clock.” Warned Matt, looking over at a group of zombies heading their way. “Looks like there’s quite a few of them.”
“Alright then kiddo.” Said Karen, and before the girl could say a word in protest, she had picked her up and slung her over her shoulder. “Let’s go!” Matt shot the two closest undead in the head, before racing after Karen, who had already started sprinting in the direction of the bunker.
“Put me down! Put me back!” Screamed the kid, beating her tiny fists on Karen’s back.
“Will you shut up?” Replied Karen, swerving to the side to avoid a zombie that had come hurtling out of an alley. “You’re going to get us killed!”
“But I want my mum!” She wailed, sobbing.
Karen only gritted her teeth and rounded a corner, rushing into an old building, Matt closing the doors behind them. They made their way into the basement, towards a large metal hatch set into the ground, the girl still putting up a fight.
“Hey, kid.” Said Karen, putting her down and crouching to look into her eyes. “We’re sage here, okay? But we won’t be if you keep screaming and drawing the zombies to us, okay?” The girl sniffled, still crying, but nodded.
“What’s your name?” Asked Matt, turning the wheel on the hatch and hoisting it open.
“Salome.” She replied in a small voice. “Where’s my mum? Can she come here too?” Karen and Matt exchanged a sad look, not wanting to upset the girl further.
“Sure she can.” Said Karen in a bracing voice. “So why don’t we get you some food and some clean clothes so you’re all ready for when your mum comes.” Salome modded, wiping her eyes and following Karen down the ladder into a large concrete tunnel, ending with a steel door. Matt unlocked the door with a key hanging on a chain around his neck and led them into a room with a desk and multiple lockers, greeting a man standing behind the desk.
“Alright James?” He said, approaching the man, putting his gun and knives on the desk.
“Ah, I’m alright Matt.” He replied, checking a list before handing Matt a key off a peg labelled ‘Matt Smith’. “Find anything good? He asked, and then catching sight of Karen and Salome said “Who’s the kid?
“She’s called Salome.” Said Karen, waking forwards, Salome trailing behind. “We found her being attacked by a hoard.”
“Her mum was – Well she’s not around anymore, let’s just say that.” Whispered Matt, careful not to let Salome hear. James grimaced in understanding.
“Do you have any weapons on you Salome?” He asked kindly.
“A knife.” She said in a small voice, producing a short blade from he pocket.
“Well we have a strict no weapons policy inside.” Explained James. “Everyone has to fill in a form declaring what defences you have on you, and then you give that to me and I assign you a locker. You can then store your weapons in that locker, and if you want to go outside, you can retrieve them, but you can’t take weapons of any kind beyond that door.” He finished, pointing at a wooden door to the right of him.
“I’ll help you fill in that form.” Said Karen cheerily, taking a sheet of paper off of James, and grabbing a pen off the desk. “What’s your full name?”
“Salome Haertel”
“Date of birth?”
“The 28th of March, 2001.”
“And you just have your knife.” Said Karen, finishing writhing. “Now you just have to sign here and James will give you a key for a locker.” Salome signed her name and took the key James was offering her.
“Thank you.” She Said meekly, finding her assigned locker and placing her knife into it.
“I think we’re going to have to go further afield next trip.” Said Karen, checking in her weapons too and locking them away safely. “We’ve pretty much exhausted everything within a miles radius of here, I reckon we need to go as far out as media city. We can walk along the old tram lines, so we have a good vantage for any possible attacks.”
“You’ll need more people for that trip, I won’t send you two alone all that way.” Said James, replacing Matt and Karen’s keys on their respective pegs, and labelling a new one for Salome.
“I reckon a team of five of us should be enough.” Said Matt, now dumping the contents of his bag into a box, Karen following suit. “That way there’s enough of us to help if we get into trouble. Any more and we’d attract too much attention.”
“I’ll let Pete know.” Said James, now coming forward to pat them down, turning to Salome and adding “we have to check anyone coming from the outside for weapons and signs of infection.”
Once they had all been cleared, James bid them good day and they proceeded through the wooden door. They were standing in a large hall, light streaming down from skylights in the ceiling, with rows of tables and chairs taking up most of the space. There were people milling around the hall; some were eating, others playing card games and chatting merrily.
“Darvill!” Exclaimed Karen, rushing over to where a young man with scruffy brown hair was sitting, reading what appeared to be a play.
“Glad to see you two back in one piece!” He called, closing the text in front of him as Karen rushed over.
“You know us.” Joked Matt. “We’re like parasites: we’re here to stay weather you like it or not.”
“You can say that again! Who’s this?” He added, pointing at Salome.
“Oh, this is Salome, we found her this morning. Salome, this is our friend, Arthur.” Said Matt. Salome waves timidly, hiding behind Matt slightly.
“I was just going to grab something to eat.” Arthur informed them. “Coming with me?”
“Yeah, I’m starving!” Said Karen, looking longingly at the people sat around eating.
“I need to go and register Salome.” Said Matt. “She doesn’t have any food stamps or an assigned bed.”
“Well I’ll see you later then, Smithers.” Said Karen, punching him playfully in the arm. “Bye Salome.” She added, waiving at the girl.
“Bye.” Said Arthur hurriedly, being pulled in the direction of the canteen by Karen. Matt waved after them, smiling widely.
“Right. Time to get you registered.” Said Matt, starting in the direction of a door that lead of the left hand side of the room. “Once you’re on the list, you’ll be given food stamps which you collect each week, and you’ll be assigned a bed. The food rationing is tight, I will warn you, so you won’t want to misplace those stamps. Since you’re 12, you’ll be expected to look after yourself mainly, but you won’t be assigned work until you’re 16, and you’ll sleep in the kids dorm.” Explained Matt. Salome only nodded. “The dorms and showers are over there to the right, as well as a laundry where you can drop off dirty clothes and pick up new ones. The beds are hard, the water is freezing and we can never get our clothes to be quite as clean as we’d like, but at least we’re safe, hey?” He jokes, holding open the door for Salome.