I was alsocurious to see what was left of our small, quiet village and to try to plan anescape route, because I had a feeling that we would be needing one soon.
I decidedthat I would go and see what was left, if anything, in our village shop. So Igrabbed my hunting knife, which was really just for show as I had never beenhunting in my life, and my back pack. In it I put a small bottle of water,leaving the majority of what we had left for my family.
Poppy cameover to give me a hug, she had drawn me a picture of the four of us walkingtogether out in the Forest. Her chocolate brown pony tail sweeping from side toside as she walked.
"Likewe used to do with daddy," she said, smiling up at me, her face beamingwith pride.
I smiled,remembering the days long gone, when our biggest worries were what to have fordinner, not trying to prevent us being the dinner.
"Hopefullywe will again soon sweetie," I replied, I folded the picture and tucked itin the inside pocket of my jacket.
I gave her,Kelly and Cameron, hugs and kisses. With whispered promises that all would beok and that I would be back before they knew it, I opened the bedroom windowand slipped through it without much effort. It was designed as a fire escapeand opened out onto the roof. Thankfully there were not many ‘strangers’,that’s what we were telling the kids to call them, around that I could see.Although these strangers were very much like the zombies that I used to fightagainst in video games when I was younger.
"Lockthis window and don't open it up for anyone other than me. I love you, see yousoon,” I promised Kelly who was frantically nodding her head, her deep blueeyes wide with fear. We had been married for 15 years, together for 18 and shewas still as beautiful to me as the day we met, she was 5ft 5, with long blondehair down to her waist, and the deepest blue eyes I had ever seen. Her skin waspale and in complete contrast to my lightly tanned looking skin, and dark hair.
I leanedforward and brushed my lips softly against hers, resting my forehead againsthers for a few seconds, breathing in her vanilla scent.
Turningaway, I slowly stepped out onto the kitchen roof and sidestepped over to thelarge tree in our back garden, it would be my way down to the ground.
My feelingswere all over the place. I was excited to be out of the house after beingclosed in for so long, but terrified that I would run into the strangers. Ilooked back up to the bedroom window and saw three pairs of scared, anxiouseyes looking back at me.
I blew thema kiss, trying to seem confident and moved away cautiously, and climbed down thetree. My hands shook so badly that I found it hard to grip the tree and nearlyfell. I looked left and right as I made my way slowly to the front of ourhouse.
We lived ina small village in Wales with a population of around 1500 people, whereeveryone knew everyone else, and we had no idea how many of our friends werestill alive, how many were dead and how many were now walking dead.
Atthe beginning, some of the villagers were evacuated to military camps, othersleft for the hills - our village was surrounded by mountains and valleys, and asmall few, like us, chose to stay put and hoped the government would do theirjob, as promised and save us.
The housesin our street were all terraced, with pretty little front gardens, most of themenclosed by small fences. We were the end house so our garden wound its way allthe way from the back to the front. I got to our front gate and looked bothways before stepping out and heading left down the street.
As I wasabout half way down the street, there was a huge bang on the window to myright. I jumped sideways and managed to swallow the terrified scream and somechoice expletives that threatened to come blaring through my mouth.
I turned tosee old Mr. Jenkins and he had not fared as well as us. He was dead, well oneof the walking dead anyway. He was bumping up against the window trying to getto me, he didn't seem to notice the double paned glass in his way. His handsclawed at the glass leaving bloody handprints where ever they touched, hismouth moved up and down also leaving dirty marks where ever it touched, hisblack tongue licking the glass almost as if he was trying to taste me.
His clotheswere a bloody mess but I could not see signs of any bite marks or any otherdamage on him although I didn't get close enough to have a good look. Ibacked away and shivered involuntarily, looking down at the floor and closingmy eyes. I felt a little bad for I had never really liked Mr. Jenkins. He wasgrumpy and always moaning about where the cars were parked in the street, orthe barking dogs and loud children playing in their gardens. But nobodydeserved to go like this, and then come back again, not even allowed to rest indeath.
Althoughnot a religious man I made the sign of the cross and muttered, "God helpus all," as I carried on down the street, moving a little quicker thistime.
Ithought about the rest of our family and hoped they were all safe but I knewthe odds were, that we had lost some of them, if not all of them.
As soon asKelly and the kids were safe somewhere or when all this was over I was going totry to find my family first and then Kelly's, I promised myself.
I came tothe end of the street opposite the park. It was a typical small village
