The first burning infected was on him before he even saw it coming.
Lisa tried to block out his screams as she refocused all her attention on getting Anita out of the car.
Another infected appeared at the edge of the road and tumbled into the ditch. Twigs and branches ripped and tore its charred and fragile flesh.
Anita was on her feet.
The screams continued.
The infected was between the car and the edge of the ditch.
Anita was clambering awkwardly onto the bonnet.
The infected stood up. Its blackened toothless mouth opened in a silent moan.
Yellowed eyes fixed them in its gaze.
In one final, superhuman effort, Lisa heaved Anita off the bonnet and up the other side of the ditch.
They scrambled into the field beyond. Anita fell to her knees. Lisa hauled her to her feet and dragged her, running, along the edge. The girl tripped and stumbled but kept moving.
They made for a bridge that passed over a canal, and scrambled down into the dark, wet tunnel. Anita sank to her knees, panting. Lisa hunkered down beside her. They huddled together and waited until long after the screaming had stopped.
Lisa checked her watch. It was after midday. They'd been crouched under the bridge for over an hour. She was miserable. Stiff and shivering. They were both freezing. But it was more than just the physical discomfort. She'd really felt as though they were going to make it this time. Now look at them! Things had been going so well.
Too well. She'd become complacent. Again! She replayed the accident in her head, over and over, cursing herself for being so stupid and not focusing on the road ahead. She tried to tell herself they'd been lucky. It could have been so much worse. Apart from a big bump on the side of Anita's head and a few scratches and bruises, they were remarkably uninjured. But it didn't help. She was furious with herself.
Quietly, she got to her feet. Her legs cramped and screamed in complaint. She listened. Anita eased herself into a standing position as well. She leaned against Lisa as she stretched out her legs, one at time.
Lisa took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Are you ok? Can you move?"
Anita responded with a nod and a weak grin.
They crept out from under the bridge onto the canal tow path, inching tentatively from their hiding place. When they reached what felt like a safe distance, they turned to look back at the road. The Discovery was only a glint of metal in the shrubbery, but they could see the truck, which effectively blocked the whole road. Nothing moved and all was quiet.
The towpath stretched out in front of them, following the gentle curve of the canal. A small hedge separated it from open fields beyond. On the other side, willow branches dipped gracefully into the water. Birds twittered. It felt so calm and tranquil, only the lingering smell of smoke in the air, a reminder of what they had left behind. They walked in silence, both women lost in their own thoughts, content just to put as much distance between themselves and the road as they could.
But, as soon as Lisa began to let go of some of her acute feelings of fear and anxiety, emotions of hopelessness and despair flooded in to take their place. She was only two or three miles away from home as the crow flies, but it might as well be on the other side of the world. She had no idea how they were going to get there and was seriously beginning to wonder if they ever would.
For the first time since the start of their journey, she began to truly question what she was doing. Was she being stupid, reckless and selfish, to even think there was a chance that she could get home? Would Neil even be there? If she couldn't even get to Solihull from Coventry, how would he have managed to get there from Lincolnshire? What was she thinking, dragging Anita on this wild goose chase at a time when they should be holed up somewhere safe just trying to survive?
They should have stayed at the farm and waited. They should have stayed with Richard and Charlie. She'd thrown that offer away and got a lovely couple killed into the bargain. That was her fault too. Of course, it was. It all was. Now, they were out in the open for the second time, with no food or drink or warm clothes. They'd lost the only weapon they had and burned through two cars that had been generously lent to them. And now Anita was hurt because of her careless driving. It was hopeless. She was hopeless.
She tripped and realised she was crying. Tears were running down her cheeks blurring her vision. She wiped her eyes and tried to concentrate on the uneven ground beneath her feet. But, after a few more steps, she stopped and allowed herself to weep openly.
Anita put a hand on her back but didn't speak. Lisa cried harder, her whole body racked with deep shuddering sobs. She cried for the train driver, for the boy in the green hoodie, for John and Lynda, for Brian, and for Richard and Charlie. She cried for the burning infected and the truck driver. She cried for Anita and her family. She cried for her own friends and family, for the people on the train, the people of Wolston and the families in their cars fleeing to who knew where.
She cried for herself and for Neil. Where was he? Please let him be alive. Please let her just get home to him.
An image formed in her head of Neil sitting at their kitchen table. His back was straight and strong. He was concentrating and his shoulder muscles flexed
